Breaking News: Duke Coach-in-Waiting, SEC Coaches, Florida Recruiting

From College Sports Matchups

If you blink for a minute in the world of college athletics, you will miss more news than you can imagine. Here are a few headlines today that are making heads spin.

In a surprise from Indianapolis today, it was announced that Butler head coach Brad Stevens has been named Duke’s head coach in-waiting. Apparently Mike Krzyzewski has set a future date to step down and Duke is looking to avoid the drama of coaching searches at other schools.

What makes this move even more unusual is Stevens will remain the head man at Butler during the waiting period with at least a portion of his salary being paid by Duke. More details will follow from both schools following the Final Four.

In college football news, two college head coaches are being courted by the Oakland Raider in a typical Al Davis type of move. The Raider owner is attempting to lure Alabama’s Nick Saban to be a co-head coach with Arkansas head man Bobby Petrino.

In this never done before power share the two will have equal responsibilities, but be accountable for different sides of the ball. In football circles Saban is considered a defensive mastermind, while Petrino has demonstrated an ability to create productive offenses.

Both coaches have expressed quiet interest in the opportunity, but the deal is largely dependent on who is hired to be general manager.

At Oregon Mike Belloti has pulled at least one more power play by receiving a significant severance from the school to leave the athletic director position.

Belloti announced just a few weeks ago that he would step down at Oregon to work with ESPN. Apparently he had a change of heart before the ink was dry on his deal with the network, and decided to accept a new position. His last act as athletic director for the Ducks today was to fire current head coach Chip Kelly and replace him with, well, himself.

College football recruiting is also in the news today as two coaches received commitments from future players. Florida’s Urban Meyer received a commitment from Tim Tebow that his children would play for the Florida head man.

Meyer was quoted as saying to Orlando Sentinel reporter Jeremy Fowler that “Tim has promised he will only produce offspring that are real quarterbacks.” When Tebow gave the commitment Meyer was seen crying and cancelled his press conference to announce his retirement.

Lane Kiffin completed work on the 2020, 2021 and 2022 USC recruiting classes. There is no word where Kiffin will be coaching next year.

Enjoy your April 1.