COACH WF BUZZ

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ccap05
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The apparent start of a turnaround at Tulane is being noted elsewhere and already there scattered talk going around about Coach WF being looked at for open P5 jobs. https://www.cbssports.com/college-footb ... -of-texas/

I don't pretend to be an expert, but it seems staying at Tulane for another couple of years (where he can fully develop a winning program) may open more big time doors than going to a low level P5 program. In any event, I am thrilled for Tulane to finally have a coach that is doing well enough to get such attention although I hope that he stays or at least stays another year to fully implement his program.

I will be interested to see if the increasing buzz (especially if, as I assume, Tulane wins again next week) is immediately reflected in increased attendance, especially student attendance, at the USF game.

Roll Wave


puffy
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Well, at Tulane, you're either talking about the head football coach leaving, or getting fired. Par for the course.
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puffy wrote:Well, at Tulane, you're either talking about the head football coach leaving, or getting fired. Par for the course.
Sorry but that's true for every sports coaching/managing job in the sports world. If you're doing well, when is the guy taking another job and when you're not when is the bum leaving town.
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ccap05 wrote:The apparent start of a turnaround at Tulane is being noted elsewhere and already there scattered talk going around about Coach WF being looked at for open P5 jobs. https://www.cbssports.com/college-footb ... -of-texas/

I don't pretend to be an expert, but it seems staying at Tulane for another couple of years (where he can fully develop a winning program) may open more big time doors than going to a low level P5 program. In any event, I am thrilled for Tulane to finally have a coach that is doing well enough to get such attention although I hope that he stays or at least stays another year to fully implement his program.

I will be interested to see if the increasing buzz (especially if, as I assume, Tulane wins again next week) is immediately reflected in increased attendance, especially student attendance, at the USF game.

Roll Wave
Listen to GS tape of WF speaking to his players after taking Tulane job. He is now 58 or so and is finally on edge of financial security. Moreover he is an option coach. P5 schools don't hire old guys especially guys who are going to turn over the roster and system to do it "his way." Lee may be having his bumps but Fritz in effect ran off his starting QB who now starts at UN.

I rate probability of WF leaving as 10% or less. Ideally he becomes a Bill Snyder type and wears green into the sunset. But if he does leave, it means someone is winning at Tulane so we simply have to make a good successor hire for sustained success.
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Fritz is 57. So if he's going to leave for a P5 he will do it sooner than later as his age is clearly a factor and only gets worse with time. A big factor ,if this season continues its upward trend, is our fundraising for the football operations building. If he sees significant movement there that would help us. If not he could be influenced to go. Nothing has been mentioned about the fundraising which probably means it's not going well.

In that GS tape he talks about financial security. any P5 will offer double or triple what we will. He just said he does want to retire at some point. It has to be energy sapping to do all of that rebuilding. So if he gets a 5 year guaranteed contract at $2-3 million he;ll be set. The job to worry about is Kansas. he's from there and they are desperate to rise up. They could be wiling to risk his age and offense.

I just hope this season continues in a very positive manner. If it does and he leaves then we just need to make the right hire.
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winwave wrote:Fritz is 57. So if he's going to leave for a P5 he will do it sooner than later as his age is clearly a factor and only gets worse with time. A big factor ,if this season continues its upward trend, is our fundraising for the football operations building. If he sees significant movement there that would help us. If not he could be influenced to go. Nothing has been mentioned about the fundraising which probably means it's not going well.

In that GS tape he talks about financial security. any P5 will offer double or triple what we will. He just said he does want to retire at some point. It has to be energy sapping to do all of that rebuilding. So if he gets a 5 year guaranteed contract at $2-3 million he;ll be set. The job to worry about is Kansas. he's from there and they are desperate to rise up. They could be wiling to risk his age and offense.

I just hope this season continues in a very positive manner. If it does and he leaves then we just need to make the right hire.
Good point on Kansas. However remember this, just as Tulane did with Bowden when SC matched (literally and dollar for dollar) Clemson's offer, Tulane has the resources to pay an HC $3 million per year if it chooses to. It would not match an Alabama level of $5 million to $7 million but that's not who will come after WF.

We all agree on this. It's the next hire that Tulane has always muffed. That's what's needed here in every sport. We simply don't have the luxury of making mistakes like LSU in coaching hires.
Last edited by lurker123 on Sun Oct 08, 2017 10:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Finally on a separate point: I'm sanguine about Ops Bldg fund raising status even though it is under-publicized at moment. If Tulane truly wants it, it will happen. But proof will be when ground breaking starts.
winwave
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lurker123 wrote:
winwave wrote:Fritz is 57. So if he's going to leave for a P5 he will do it sooner than later as his age is clearly a factor and only gets worse with time. A big factor ,if this season continues its upward trend, is our fundraising for the football operations building. If he sees significant movement there that would help us. If not he could be influenced to go. Nothing has been mentioned about the fundraising which probably means it's not going well.

In that GS tape he talks about financial security. any P5 will offer double or triple what we will. He just said he does want to retire at some point. It has to be energy sapping to do all of that rebuilding. So if he gets a 5 year guaranteed contract at $2-3 million he;ll be set. The job to worry about is Kansas. he's from there and they are desperate to rise up. They could be wiling to risk his age and offense.

I just hope this season continues in a very positive manner. If it does and he leaves then we just need to make the right hire.
Good point on Kansas. However remember this, just as Tulane did with Bowden when SC matched (literally and dollar for dollar) Clemson's offer, Tulane has the resources to pay an HC $3 million per year if it chooses to. It would not match an Alabama level of $5 million to $7 million but that's not who will come after WF.

We all agree on this. It's the next hire that Tulane has always muffed. That's what's needed here in every sport. We simply don't have the luxury of making mistakes like LSU in coaching hires.
I hope you're right about having the resources to match but that is questionable. However just like Bowden there are other factors. it is home in this case and it's a P5. Powerful pulls.
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winwave
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lurker123 wrote:Finally on a separate point: I'm sanguine about Ops Bldg fund raising status even though it is under-publicized at moment. If Tulane truly wants it, it will happen. But proof will be when ground breaking starts.
They better damn well want it. If they don't he will leave and we will continue having a hard time drawing good candidates. This is a must.
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It's Yoda time. Either "Do or Do Not. There is no try."
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Finally, let's keep in mind not only are SC/RD gone but Tulane Board today is the most athletic friendly and supportive board in decades from Chair on through multiple NFL/pro team owners and investors, et al. Might be wrong as to their walking the talk, but my faith is in that. We'll see.
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ccap05 wrote:The apparent start of a turnaround at Tulane is being noted elsewhere and already there scattered talk going around about Coach WF being looked at for open P5 jobs. https://www.cbssports.com/college-footb ... -of-texas/

I don't pretend to be an expert, but it seems staying at Tulane for another couple of years (where he can fully develop a winning program) may open more big time doors than going to a low level P5 program. In any event, I am thrilled for Tulane to finally have a coach that is doing well enough to get such attention although I hope that he stays or at least stays another year to fully implement his program.

I will be interested to see if the increasing buzz (especially if, as I assume, Tulane wins again next week) is immediately reflected in increased attendance, especially student attendance, at the USF game.

Roll Wave
I would be willing to put odds that whomever wrote the blurb about Tulane and Willie Fritz buried in that article has no idea what type of offense we run. Yes, a lesser P5 might be interested, and the Kansas talk makes sense. But, as others have noted, his age and the offense isn't likely to get him hired at a winning P5 program.
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Fritz system won’t be successful at the P5 level. You don’t see winning P5s running option. The best talent that aspire to play in the NFL will opt for pro style systems that best prepares them for pro ball. So he can go to Kansas have a couple of 4-8 or 6-6 type seasons with the occasional upset and call it a career.
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JerseyWave wrote:Fritz system won’t be successful at the P5 level. You don’t see winning P5s running option. The best talent that aspire to play in the NFL will opt for pro style systems that best prepares them for pro ball. So he can go to Kansas have a couple of 4-8 or 6-6 type seasons with the occasional upset and call it a career.


exactly, can we put this nonsense of him leaving after one blowout victory to rest at this point!
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Bigschtick wrote:
JerseyWave wrote:Fritz system won’t be successful at the P5 level. You don’t see winning P5s running option. The best talent that aspire to play in the NFL will opt for pro style systems that best prepares them for pro ball. So he can go to Kansas have a couple of 4-8 or 6-6 type seasons with the occasional upset and call it a career.


exactly, can we put this nonsense of him leaving after one blowout victory to rest at this point!
I agree it's too early for this talk, but I gaurentee fritz disagrees . He has the energy of a 30 year old , and all it would take is 1 AD to be on board. Just like every other coach in Tulane history, he's either getting fired for losing or getting a better job for winning. Let's be real.
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galvezwave wrote:
Bigschtick wrote:
JerseyWave wrote:Fritz system won’t be successful at the P5 level. You don’t see winning P5s running option. The best talent that aspire to play in the NFL will opt for pro style systems that best prepares them for pro ball. So he can go to Kansas have a couple of 4-8 or 6-6 type seasons with the occasional upset and call it a career.


exactly, can we put this nonsense of him leaving after one blowout victory to rest at this point!
I agree it's too early for this talk, but I gaurentee fritz disagrees . He has the energy of a 30 year old , and all it would take is 1 AD to be on board. Just like every other coach in Tulane history, he's either getting fired for losing or getting a better job for winning. Let's be real.

Let’s save this discussion for December.
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Always better to have a coach with buzz than without buzz. If Dannen is smart, and I think he is, then he is already quietly assessing possible successors looking for someone who runs a similar offense so you don't throw away two recruiting classes worth of talent. In the meantime, Dannen is assessing whether Willie wants to be the guy who created a program or solidified another program's reputation, because the latter is what he would do at any P5 job worth taking.

The "other guys" in the P5 are really just stepping stones to the "real" P5 jobs, and I have a gut feeling that CWF is either the guy who wants to leave a mark where there is none, or go to a program where he can win it all. If Saban retires, maybe he will take that job. But what? Kentucky? Vandy? I don't see him going to those schools. The pecking order in the SEC for those schools aren't going to change much, those are still stepping stone jobs in the SEC. The AAC on the other hand, is good enough to credit for big he is successful (and if he stays he will be successful here), young enough that no real pecking order is established (at least not deeply established.

The point? At Tulane he can turn a once-beleaguered program into a conference powerhouse where he can regularly compete for New Year Six Bowls, and his name will be etched into the stadium, and perhaps every quad on campus. This will be the program Willie built. At 'Bama type school, he just another guy in long line of successful coaches (and ask Rich Rod, if you aren't seen as doing it GREAT U's way, you'll be sabotaged). At low and mid-level P5's he just the guy who gave that team a brief taste of success. At Tulane? He'll never be forgotten. He'll be the guy who established a great program.
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I'd think Kansas would be interested - they might see the option as a path to respectability; they also recruit NOLA very well right now and might see a natural bridge.
Football ops is a must; as are raises across the board and increased recruiting budget.
But, as always, it's how you replace that is the biggest issue....there is no obvious RR or Lindy Infante to botch this time (Ruse and Curtis have to be the most publicly quiet coordinators ever).
It would be nice to see Ruse get a head coaching job in FCS or somewhere and then elevate Nagle or someone to OC...that will provide some clearer auditions.
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1. As others have said this talk is WAY TOO PREMATURE
2. Alabama would have coaches lining up to replace a retiring Saban. They wouldn't hire a Willie Fritz knowing it would be a couple of down years immediately due to the dramatic system change, and probably never returning to the recruiting level they have now.
3. Coach is now 7-10 at Tulane. See # 1 above.
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DrBox wrote:I'd think Kansas would be interested - they might see the option as a path to respectability; they also recruit NOLA very well right now and might see a natural bridge.
Football ops is a must; as are raises across the board and increased recruiting budget.
But, as always, it's how you replace that is the biggest issue....there is no obvious RR or Lindy Infante to botch this time (Ruse and Curtis have to be the most publicly quiet coordinators ever).
It would be nice to see Ruse get a head coaching job in FCS or somewhere and then elevate Nagle or someone to OC...that will provide some clearer auditions.

Who knows RR himself could be available. Might finally realize we are a match made in heaven as we have an abundance of skill position players coming out of this state. Throw in the change in administration and our chances improve. Banks isn't really comfortable with the triple option aspect of the offense. If you notice we are using it less. RR would spread it out and our WR's might look better. Could be fun.

Knowing Tulane's history with coaches and our hopes that this season continues its upward trend it's not too early to talk about this. In fact a good AD will be doing what he can now to get raises lined up for WF and the staff and get moving on the fundraising for the football ops. building. He'd also be making his list and be ready if that's not enough. On the other hand a Dickson type AD would bury his head in the sand and just hope he doesn't have a problem when the season ends.
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Should WF get us in a bowl game this year his name will be on a short list for some P5’s. That’s to be expected. He’s moved up his entire coaching career. I would think he’d like to continue to do so if given the opportunity. Financially Tulane can only go so high. It would be tough to lose him after only two years though.
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DrBox wrote:I'd think Kansas would be interested - they might see the option as a path to respectability; they also recruit NOLA very well right now and might see a natural bridge.
Football ops is a must; as are raises across the board and increased recruiting budget.
But, as always, it's how you replace that is the biggest issue....there is no obvious RR or Lindy Infante to botch this time (Ruse and Curtis have to be the most publicly quiet coordinators ever).
It would be nice to see Ruse get a head coaching job in FCS or somewhere and then elevate Nagle or someone to OC...that will provide some clearer auditions.
If memory serves the Kansas coach is in his second year !!!
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golfnut69 wrote:
DrBox wrote:I'd think Kansas would be interested - they might see the option as a path to respectability; they also recruit NOLA very well right now and might see a natural bridge.
Football ops is a must; as are raises across the board and increased recruiting budget.
But, as always, it's how you replace that is the biggest issue....there is no obvious RR or Lindy Infante to botch this time (Ruse and Curtis have to be the most publicly quiet coordinators ever).
It would be nice to see Ruse get a head coaching job in FCS or somewhere and then elevate Nagle or someone to OC...that will provide some clearer auditions.
If memory serves the Kansas coach is in his second year !!!
3rd year. He may not survive without at least 2 conference wins and that seems unlikely with Iowa State and Texas playing at a much higher level than they were in the recent past.

Kansas State would also be a program to keep an eye on if Snyder retires since he could do so at any time.
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JerseyWave wrote:Fritz system won’t be successful at the P5 level. You don’t see winning P5s running option. The best talent that aspire to play in the NFL will opt for pro style systems that best prepares them for pro ball. So he can go to Kansas have a couple of 4-8 or 6-6 type seasons with the occasional upset and call it a career.
We don’t “run the option.” We run 5-6 option-pitch type plays a game. Everything else we do is based on Inside Zone Read principles. And there are a ton of P5 offenses from current and recent history that are built on that (Oregon, Auburn, Louisville, Etc). In fact, I would say that most college football teams are built around some variation of the Inside Zone Read. Even teams that you may think are running a “spread offense” are often just running these same concepts from a different formation with different window dressing.

Watch our scoring highlights from yesterday. The only true “option play” (in the sense of having a pitch man) was the Brantley TD. I suppose if you want want to classify option as any play where the QB makes a pre and post snap read of the linebackers before he decides to hand it off or keep it, fine. But again that is probably every P5 offense in college football with an even slightly mobile QB. There is nothing particularly unconventional about this offense.

Fritz isn’t going anywhere this year because there are other reasons he doesn’t fit the profile for a P5 hire. The established blue blood programs want someone who has done something big at a P5 program before (think Harbaugh, Saban, Meyer hirings, or been a very high profile assistant at a blueblood program). The lower tier P5 schools want someone younger than Fritz. Scott Frost will have his pick of open jobs this year.
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Our fans amaze me. We are ONLY 3-2, wins are against Granbling and 2 other so so teams. Why would anyone begin this stupid conversation? It's early October, the man is going to be 58...who says he wants to keep staring over? He is not a world beater yet. Our improvement is relative to our "stink" of the past years. Stop this stupid conversation...
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