Bleacher Report - Articles by Doug Bowman

The 10 Best College Football Coaches of 2019

Doug Bowman — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:32:31 -0400

Fellow BR writer Tim Bielik recently published his rankings of "The Top 10 Current College Football Coaches." You can read it by clicking on the below link. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/209683-the-top-10-current-college-football-coaches#page/1 Now, let's flash forward ten years to the year 2019. Hypothetically, who are the top college football coaches as we head into the 2020s? Let's take a look. It should be fun.

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New Head Coach Doug Marrone Sets Syracuse Straight

Doug Bowman — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:16:55 -0400

About the same time Jonny Flynn and Eric Devendorf were taking the Syracuse men's basketball team to the NCAA Tournament, Doug Marrone was stepping in to the Syracuse football offices as the new head football coach.

Marrone is stepping into a tough situation. The Orangemen's talent base has eroded, as has the fan base. Marrone wishes he could get the kind of crowds into the Carrier Dome for football that Jim Boeheim draws for basketball.

Just a few months into his tenure, Marrone looks to be doing all the right things to turn it around.

Publicity is key when rebuilding a program, and he landed a big PR getter in former Duke point guard Greg Paulus. Whether he makes an impact this year or not, it made a statement that Marrone will do anything to win.

Greg Robinson struggled to maintain any kind of stability on offense, as he ran through quarterbacks and the like with frightening pace.

Marrone will pick a quarterback and stick with him. When rebuilding a program, he understands the need for one, strong face at the front of the team. It helps both in the locker room and on the field.

No one is expecting much from the Orangemen this year, as they shouldn't. Marrone just hasn't had the time to recruit the talent needed.

He'll need to get back into Pennsylvania and grab the top players that New York produces.

So far, he is doing a great job of reconnecting with the fan base. The 'Cuse fan base is frenetic at the peak. Back during the Donovan McNabb days and up through the Dwight Freeney years, the Carrier Dome was an intimidating place to play.

It took maybe college football's most electrifying player in history, Michael Vick, for Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer to get his first win ever in the Carrier Dome.

Luckily for the 'Cuse, it's a time of transition in the Big East. Cincinnati looks like a stable program and Rutgers has been solid since their rebirth a couple years ago. South Florida returns Matt Grothe and George Selvie and should be a contender.

But other than that, it's up in the air. Is UCONN ready to compete year in and year out? Is West Virginia ready to be without Pat White? Can Pittsburgh breakthrough with LeSean McCoy? Louisville seems toast.

All that means there is plenty of opportunities for Marrone to change the perception of the Syracuse program. That process as already started.

Mark Dantonio Stablizies Michigan State Program

Doug Bowman — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:49:43 -0400

The days of John L. Smith as head football coach at Michigan State were over.

The program had been on a wobbly base for Smith's entire tenure. It seemed like the Spartans were in a "win now" mode when they didn't have enough pieces to achieve that.

The program was going in all different directions, some pieces moved forward. Some moved backwards.

When it was announced that Smith would not be retained, it seemed as if all the moving pieces stopped.

The Spartan football program not only needed a stable force, but it wanted a stable force. Badly.

Enter Mark Dantonio.

Dantonio is a Big Ten bred, nothing flashy, get the job done type of coach. Instantly, he brought respect, responsibility, and character back to East Lansing.

All those moving pieces that moved in different directions? They began moving forward upon Dantonio's arrival.

The plan was implemented and the is continuing to progress.

In his first year, the Spartans went 7-6 and finished with a berth in the Champs Sports Bowl. They lost to Boston College 24-21.

Last year, Sparty moved forward to 9-4, good for 3rd in the Big Ten. Their season ended with a 24-12 loss to Georgia in the Capital One Bowl.

There are questions surrounding Michigan State entering 2009, especially at quarterback where Brian Hoyer is no longer under center.

Back in the John L. Smith days, this would have been a crazy time in East Lansing.

But with Dantonio at the helm, no one is worrying. The confidence is there that things will work out.

From the fans, to the players, to the coaches, there is confidence in the program.

The program could lose a couple more games in 2009 than they did in 2008, but instead of panic, there will be belief that 2010 will be better.

Looking back, Dantonio was the fresh breath that Michigan State needed.

Dave Clawson Hopes To Revive Career And Program at Bowling Green

Doug Bowman — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:28:47 -0400

Just a few years ago, Bowling Green was part of the upper echelon of mid-major programs.

To put it in 2009 perspective, Bowling Green would have been been mentioned with the Utahs and the Boise States of the time.

Then, the program lost all momentum and has since come to screeching halt.

They no longer produce multiple NFL Draft picks, or run the spread offense as well as anyone in the country.

They had no direction.

Two years ago, Dave Clawson was a highly thought of head football coach at the University of Richmond.

He was rising up the coaching charts quickly and seemed destined to land a job eventually as the head of one of the better programs in America.

He got the chance to move into the best conference in America, at a position of high importance. Phil Fulmer wanted Clawson to be his offense coordinator at Tennessee.

This was it. His big chance. A year or two running the Vols offense, and he could parlay that into a high-major head coaching position. Maybe even be named the successor to Phil Fulmer.

He came in with his system and implemented it. Unfortunately, the most important position on the field (quarterback) was a square peg, and Clawson had to fit him into a round hole.

Let's just say it didn't work. The offense was terrible from the start, with Jonathan Crompton taking more than a couple steps back in his development. Arian Foster went off the deep in and became ineffective.

Everything that could go wrong was going wrong and there was nothing the Vols could do.

Then came the announcement that Fulmer would not return to Tennessee in 2009.

With that announcement, Clawson's chance at big time college football halted for the moment. His chance had expired and he was going to be returning to the lower levels.

That's where Bowling Green came in.

It's a perfect fit. Clawson runs the spread system that Bowling Green became successful under and has proven that he can teach it as a head coach and run a program, unlike former head coach Gregg Brandon, who was hired straight from the offensive coordinator spot.

Bowling Green is a program filled with potential. The chance is there for them to return to the elite of the mid majors.

Sure, Clawson would probably much rather be settling in in Knoxville right now in his 2nd season as offensie coordinator, but this job could set up nicely for Clawson.

Once Clawson gets his players and implements his system, there's no doubt in my mind that Bowling Green will return to mid-major prominence.

Only then will Clawson be able to take a step up the college football ladder.

The momentum will be behind his career again, and that one year as offensive coordinator at Tennessee will no longer be a negative. It'll be a positive because it'll be thought of as good experience.

For now, Clawson must point Bowling Green in a direction. Up.

Mendenhall and Whittingham Create Football State In Utah

Doug Bowman — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:09:46 -0400

A few years ago, the state of Utah's college football programs were up in the air.

BYU had become a stale program, causing the administration to make a change in leadership. Utah had taken off to a Fiesta Bowl win, Urban Meyer had left for Florida, and the administration had to make a change in leadership.

Enter Bronco Mendenhall at BYU and Kyle Wittingham at Utah, and the state of football in Utah rises up again.

Both schools rank among the best mid-major programs in the country and both were mentioned last year as possibilities to be a BCS buster.

Of course, the Utes came throw with an undefeated season behind quarterback Brian Johnson and capped it off with a stunning victory over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

Aside from last year's success, no one is doubting the future of both of these programs.

The depth is there on both sides, with recruiting getting better and better for both the Utes and the Cougars.

Everyone knows the chances of both Wittingham and Mendenhall staying at their respective schools for the remainder of their coaching careers is zero. Over the next 2-3 years, odds are both of these schools will be looking for new head coaches.

While they are still at BYU and Utah, they can appreciate what they have done for the state.

The annual game between the two schools is no longer a battle for bragging rights only. It's a battle to remain in the BCS picture.

In the years before Mendenhall took over, the rivalry was one-sided. It was often the 3-7 Cougars looking to disrupt a big bowl berth for the Utes.

Now, the winner keeps their chances alive of playing on college football's biggest stage all because these two men came to both of their jobs with a plan and continue to come everyday with a plan.

That plan?

Be the best you can be everyday, so that maybe, you will be celebrating come early January in either Miami, Tempe, or New Orleans.

The Winners (And Some Losers) Of The 2009 NBA Draft

Doug Bowman — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:33:54 -0400

The 2009 NBA Draft concluded a mere couple minutes ago. But that doesn't mean it's too early to take a look at the winners of the night. I'm not a fan of looking at the losers, so I'll just keep it at the night's best.

Winners

Los Angeles Clippers- The Clips didn't screw up the No. 1, picking the consensus number one prospect in Blake Griffin. If they can figure out what to do with their glut of frontcourt players, the Clippers could be onto something. Team Baron Davis with Eric Gordon and Griffin and all of a sudden the Clips have a legit NBA trio.

Oklahoma City Thunder- Sam Presti came from the Spurs, so it's no surprise the guy knows how to build a franchise. Kevin Durant is the franchise player and is quickly being stocked with a ton of talent. Jeff Green was added with Durant and Russell Westbrook last year, and now the Thunder have added a shooting guard in James Harden and a center in B.J. Mullens. That's a young starting five loaded with potential. I'm beginning to see the Thunder as the Portland Trail Blazers of two years ago.

Charlotte Bobcats- The Bobcats still lack the back-to-the-basket scorer they need in the post, but they are beginning to fill in the other spots on the roster quite nicely. With Raymond Felton and D.J. Augustin capable of manning the point guard spots, the Bobcats added Gerald Henderson in the first round and Robert Vaden in the second round as solid impact wing scorers. Derrick Brown adds more athleticism and potential to the frontcourt.

Philadelphia 76ers- The Sixers only had one pick, and pretty much had one really big need and they filled it. Andre Miller looks to be departing via free agency, leaving the lone point guard on the team to be a guy named Louis Williams, who is extremely talented in his own right. Now, the Sixers added a guy full of untapped potential in Jrue Holiday, who will be able to develop as a role player off the bench before becoming a huge part of the Sixers down the road.

San Antonio Spurs- The Spurs made headlines when they landed Richard Jefferson in the days before the draft, but what the Spurs did tonight might have moved them even closer to the Lakers in the west. They added DeJuan Blair, who is a beast inside as a rebounder and will provide the Spurs with much needed grit and muscle off the bench. They also added a scoring combo guard in Jack McClinton, who will give them another option coming off the bench.

Memphis Grizzlies- If only the Grizzlies had a little luck and a stable foundation like the Thunder where all this young talent could mesh together. The Grizz already have two of the league's better athletes in O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay to build around at the wing spots, and if Mike Conley can develop into the point guard a lot of people think he can be, then that's a quality top three. Add to that Darrell Arthur, a first rounder last year, and Marc Gasol, a former second rounder with a lot of offensive upside, and that's a starting five that could go head-to-head with the Thunder's bunch. In this draft, they shored up the interior defense by adding Hasheem Thabeet at No. 3, adding a little more grit and hustle in DeMarre Carroll at No. 27, and then they landed a guy who can immediately step in and pack a punch off the bench in Sam Young.

I know I said I try to avoid handing out the losers, but here's a quick rundown of the teams that I didn't like what they did tonight.

Losers

Minnesota Timberwolves- Too many guards with all their picks. Don't like trying to fill one hole with multiple pegs at the same stage in their career (Rubio, Flynn, Calathes).

New Jersey Nets- They're rebuilding. I think their rebuilding process would have been better suited trading down and picking up an extra pick while still being able to land Williams.

Chicago Bulls- James Johnson is a chemistry issue waiting to happen and I think Taj Gibson is undersized and a little too non-athletic to be a factor in the league.

Dallas Mavericks- For a team that's aging quickly and fading from the league's elite even faster, they did very little to remedy that with proven, young talent.

The Next Capel Begins His Career In Coaching

Doug Bowman — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:50:43 -0400

Jeff Capel was hired as head coach of VCU without any prior head coaching experience. He has parlayed that into the head coaching position at Oklahoma.

His brother, Jason, will have a little more experience if he ever gets a shot at running his own program.

Jason was a solid basketball player at the University of North Carolina, but could never make it in the NBA.

Last year, he could be found as an announcer on Raycom sports' coverage of ACC Basketball games. If you ever listened to him, you could clearly tell this wasn't what he was going to be doing for the rest of his life.

Fortunately for Raycom viewers and Capel himself, he has latched on as an assistant basketball coach at Appalachian State University.

If Capel shows any hint of the coaching ability that brother Jeff has, then this will be an outstanding hire for new ASU head coach Buzz Petersen.

He's already got a solid reputation in North Carolina from his playing days, which should allow him to be at least an average recruiter in the state from the get go.

Capel will be able to fall back on his brother for advice, and given enough success, could turn this job into another job—this time next to his brother at Oklahoma.

How long does that take? It's up to Jason. But Jeff had the head coach thing down within a few months.

Wizards Pull Off Huge Coup in Deal With T-Wolves

Doug Bowman — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:31:52 -0400

So word is coming in late tonight that the Washington Wizards have dealt out of the No. 5 spot in the draft, along with a package of expiring deals, and received Randy Foye and Mike Miller from the Timberwolves in exchange.

This is a really good deal for the Wizards.

The 2009 NBA Draft is a shallow draft. After Blake Griffin and Ricky Rubio, there's a load of question marks. No one knows where anyone is going. Steph Curry could go anywhere for No. 3 to No. 5. Brandon Jennings could go anywhere from No. 5 to No. 15. Jordan Hill, James Harden, Tyreke Evans, Jonny Flynn—all of them are guys who have no idea where they are heading.

Instead of playing the waiting game and taking a rookie who, in all likelihood, would not aid the Wizards that much in their quest to return to the playoffs, the Wizards landed a combo lead guard in Foye and a sharpshooter in Miller.

Foye still has potential to be a quality lead guard in the NBA, but he won't have to with Gilbert Arenas returning. He and Arenas will form a formidable duo in the Washington backcourt.

Miller provides the Wiz with a spot up three-point jump shooter to stick out on the wing, a different look than the one Caron Butler currently gives coach Flip Saunders at the three spot.

With Foye and Miller, the Wiz fill two holes in their roster instead of just potentially filling one with their No. 5 pick.

The Wiz were never going to be players in the 2010 class, so those expiring contracts aren't huge losses, as they are hoping to reestablish themselves near the top of the Eastern Conference.

Unfortunately, near the top will only result in a Eastern Conference Semi-final exit at the hands of the Magic, Cavs, Celtics, or maybe even the Hawks.

English Gets Chance at Eastern Michigan

Doug Bowman — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:47:20 -0400

The University of Michigan was ranked No. 5 in the country just a few years ago.

Chad Henne, Mike Hart, and Mario Manningham dotted the field for the Wolverines. Ron English led the defense from his defensive coordinator position.

Then, this team lost to Appalachian State at home.

That day spelled the first turning point of Ron English's coaching career.

From then on, the Michigan program was shook. How could a program as storied as the Wolverines lose to an FCS Program? Certainly heads would fall.

Eventually, Lloyd Carr retired from his helm at the top of the Michigan football program. Rich Rodriguez was brought in to completely change the face, and with that, Ron English was shown the door.

He ended up at Louisville, which was going through just as tumultuous time as Michigan. Steve Kragthorpe had come in following Bobby Petrino and wobbled the Cardinal base even more. There was mediocrity setting in in Louisville and it still hasn't left.

Nonetheless, after the 2008 season, English's career seemed on the downside.

Once a hot shot, engaging, energetic young assistant destined for a job at the top of a program, English was now a linebacker coach at a program in the middle of the crossroads.

Then Eastern Michigan came calling, and with it, English's chance at restoring his image and jump-starting his career. A second turning point, if you will.

English has since taken over at Eastern Michigan, looking to build that program from next to nothing. He has the energy and the coaching ability, it's just a question of when.

Eastern Michigan will reach a point where they sink or float as a winning program, or a losing program.

A turning point. Number three for Ron English.

SMU Stuck in Orbit with Coaching Hires

Doug Bowman — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:53:41 -0400

SMU was once a football powerhouse, but was never even a blip on the college basketball radar.

Then they made headlines when they hired former UNC head coach Matt Doherty as their head basketball coach. The guy could recruit and gave SMU a little publicity for their basketball program.

A few years later, the Mustangs were finally ready to reengage their football program. They continued their "shoot for the moon" philosophy when it comes to coaching hires, luring Hawaii's June Jones fresh off a Sugar Bowl appearance.

After one year with both of the coaches in their capacities at the same time, you could say they are still in orbit.

Jones runs a unique system, relying heavily on the passing game—albeit a passing game that focuses on the short to intermediate passes. Certainly, the level and amount of high school football talent in the state of Texas will aid Jones in his pursuit to get the players for his system.

Actually, I don't doubt that he'll have the Mustangs in the bowl picture in a year or two.

On the court, there will be a bigger struggle to attain and sustain success. Doherty has yet to have a large amount of success and it's not feasible to expect any kind of postseason run this year for the Mustangs.

The simple truth is: SMU Basketball may get decent, but then Doherty will bolt and the Mustangs will start over.

It's the fate of all mid-major basketball programs—save a few examples like Dana Altman at Creighton. Success is awesome, but you best have a quality coach waiting in the wings to take over. Xavier has perfected this.

The problem with these two coaching hires is not that they didn't get quality coaches, because they certainly did. It's that SMU tried to launch a mission to the moon without the base for the rocket to lift off. There was nothing for football besides a 1-11 team and a promise for facility upgrades. There was next to nothing in basketball.

Once these programs get off the ground and in the air and the coaches bolt, SMU must not attempt another "shoot for the moon" type hiring. They'd be best building a base with a young, developing assistant that will develop the program along the same path as his coaching skills.

VCU-Richmond Rivalry to Regain Intensity

Doug Bowman — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:40:05 -0400

The day Jeff Capel was hired as head basketball coach at VCU marked the day the Richmond Spiders ended their semi-competitive rivalry with the Rams. Capel modernized and popularized VCU Basketball.

Go to a game at the Siegel Center (home of the Rams) and then go to a game at the Robins Center (home of the Spiders) and you'll get the difference between the United States and North Korea. The Rams play to a sold-out crowd, a large (for a mid-major school) student section, and one favorite chant of all Rams fans. The Spiders play in front of 400 alumni, five students, and one spider mascot.

Capel has since left VCU, as has his successor, Anthony Grant. The newest VCU coach is Shaka Smart, a young assistant who aided Billy Donovan at Florida last season. This is the chance for the Spiders to make this rivalry a good intercity rivalry again. You see, the Spiders have stability.

Despite modest success in only the last 12 months, Chris Mooney has been at the helm for a good number of years. VCU is on their third coach in a half dozen years. Give credit to the Spider administration for one thing.

Despite their complete ignoring of marketing Richmond basketball, they have stayed true to their guns and believed that eventually Mooney would get this system to work. Slowly but surely, they are getting there. The youth is gone as Mooney's recruiting begins to provide a number of useful pieces for his Princeton system.

As a sign of changing times in the 804, you could argue that the best player in the capital of Virginia no longer belongs to VCU (Eric Maynor), but rather the Spiders in David Gonzalvez.

Certainly, Mooney is on the hot seat this year. He doesn't win this year and it'll be hard to convince anyone, especially AD Jim Miller, why he should return in 2010-2011. It remains to be seen how close the two programs to rekindling the rivalry, but if it doesn't happen in 2009, a new Spiders coach will have to find a way to do it the next season.