I admit that earlier today I had my doubts about Duke's chances with all of the other options on Paul Johnson's plate. But after speaking to a source this afternoon that said Duke was still very much in the hunt, I started to get my hopes up. And after reading Bill Wagner's most recent blog post, I'm very hopeful that Duke will have a legitimate chance to make the hire.
Wagner even admits to writing Duke off more or less by not mentioning them in some of his previous reports, but he makes some great points—including that the cost of living in the triangle is much lower than in either Dallas or Atlanta, that Johnson could bring his assistants to Duke, and that he has family ties to the area.
The next 24 hours will be very, very interesting...
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Afternoon Paul Johnson Report
Bill Wagner in Annapolis has another update—Johnson now has 4 options to choose from. He can choose from standing offers at Georgia Tech, Duke and SMU or he can stay at Navy. From the implications of Wagner's posts, it seems as if Georgia Tech is reluctant to pay big bucks for Johnson. We know that SMU AD Steve Orsini has collected $10mil from big boosters to pay for a new coach, so their offer is expected to be at least $2mil per year.
Wagner is saying that Georgia Tech will probably expect a decision no later than Friday, meaning there should be movement by the end of the week. Looking at the situation in this framework, it seems that Duke stands right in the middle both in respects to the attractiveness of their job (with GT's being more attractive and SMU's situation less) and in terms of compensation (with SMU seeming to offer the biggest pot of gold and GT hesitant to pay much as they're still on the hook for $4mil of Gailey's salary).
Again, the chatter isn't positive for Duke fans at this point, but a quick decision will benefit all parties, whether that means we'll have an introductory presser in Cameron tomorrow or we'll be able to move on to Plan B. Keep your fingers crossed and keep checking back, because I'll post whatever comes across the wire as soon as it comes up.
Wagner is saying that Georgia Tech will probably expect a decision no later than Friday, meaning there should be movement by the end of the week. Looking at the situation in this framework, it seems that Duke stands right in the middle both in respects to the attractiveness of their job (with GT's being more attractive and SMU's situation less) and in terms of compensation (with SMU seeming to offer the biggest pot of gold and GT hesitant to pay much as they're still on the hook for $4mil of Gailey's salary).
Again, the chatter isn't positive for Duke fans at this point, but a quick decision will benefit all parties, whether that means we'll have an introductory presser in Cameron tomorrow or we'll be able to move on to Plan B. Keep your fingers crossed and keep checking back, because I'll post whatever comes across the wire as soon as it comes up.
Grobe Staying at Wake
Apparently, the reports of Grobe's departure in Arkansas papers were premature, as Wake AD Ron Wellman says that his head football coach is staying.
Again, this is great news for Duke fans, as we'll have less competition for Paul Johnson and other overlapping candidates that Wake might have looked at to fill a vacancy.
Again, this is great news for Duke fans, as we'll have less competition for Paul Johnson and other overlapping candidates that Wake might have looked at to fill a vacancy.
Paul Johnson Update - 10:30 AM Thursday
Bill Wagner from the Annapolis Capital has been the go-to guy for the latest on Navy HC Paul Johnson, and he doesn't disappointed with his latest blog post.
He's reporting that Johnson is back in Annapolis today, and is scheduled to meet with Navy AD Chet Gladchuck some time today. He does note that because assistants are still out on the road recruiting and because there is no imminent word of a teem meeting (Johnson would inform his players of any move before an introductory press conference, Wagner says), he DOES NOT expect an announcement by the end of today, as many Atlanta media outlets have reported.
That said, if Johnson doesn't take the job at Georgia Tech, I'd have to imagine that he's not even coming here. Again, as I've pointed out in some other recent reports about Johnson, this blog post makes no mention of Duke at all or its existence as a school pursuing Johnson, making me skeptical that our offer is even in the running. If I had to guess at this point, I'd only give us a 25% chance of landing Johnson, particularly in light of the new opening at Wake.
He's reporting that Johnson is back in Annapolis today, and is scheduled to meet with Navy AD Chet Gladchuck some time today. He does note that because assistants are still out on the road recruiting and because there is no imminent word of a teem meeting (Johnson would inform his players of any move before an introductory press conference, Wagner says), he DOES NOT expect an announcement by the end of today, as many Atlanta media outlets have reported.
That said, if Johnson doesn't take the job at Georgia Tech, I'd have to imagine that he's not even coming here. Again, as I've pointed out in some other recent reports about Johnson, this blog post makes no mention of Duke at all or its existence as a school pursuing Johnson, making me skeptical that our offer is even in the running. If I had to guess at this point, I'd only give us a 25% chance of landing Johnson, particularly in light of the new opening at Wake.
Willingham gets reprive, stays at UW
News out of Seattle is that Washington HC Tyrone Willingham will return as head coach for the Huskies, despite a 3-9 record this season and a 11-25 mark through three seasons at the helm.
This effectively eliminates Willingham, a Kinston native, as a candidate for Duke's opening. It's a shame too, because he would have been a groundbreaking hire for Duke in many respects. There have been concerns mentioned about his ability to recruit and that it was Willingham's fault that the cupboard was bare at ND when he left (leading to this year's debacle season). Still, I dissagree—Willingham's high-profile stint under Touchdown Jesus gave him some name cache that still should be able to impress recruits, and his experience at Stanford indicates that he can find good players under academic recruiting constraints.
All that said, he's probably a free agent after next year if UW doesn't make a bowl.
This effectively eliminates Willingham, a Kinston native, as a candidate for Duke's opening. It's a shame too, because he would have been a groundbreaking hire for Duke in many respects. There have been concerns mentioned about his ability to recruit and that it was Willingham's fault that the cupboard was bare at ND when he left (leading to this year's debacle season). Still, I dissagree—Willingham's high-profile stint under Touchdown Jesus gave him some name cache that still should be able to impress recruits, and his experience at Stanford indicates that he can find good players under academic recruiting constraints.
All that said, he's probably a free agent after next year if UW doesn't make a bowl.
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