Give Doug a hand with his list
Tier 1 proven history
Danielson at Boise State
Brian Newberry at Navy
Kalen DeBoer if Bama fires him

Tier 1 up and coming
Jason Eck at New Mexico

Tier 2 up and Coming
Brent Vigen Montana State

The usual suspects
Jeff Traylor
Sean Bell
GJ Kinne

i do not want any of the usual suspects. i don't see deboar getting fired and coming here. danielson is pretty solid.

Bearsalwayswin said:

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i do not want any of the usual suspects. i don't see deboar getting fired and coming here. danielson is pretty solid.

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DeBoar, by Alabama standards, has lots to prove still.

Timbear said:

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1. Hire an existing HC, not a coordinator.
2. Hire a HC with a winning history.
3. Hire an OFFENSIVE minded HC. (Not another Rhule or Aranda)
4. Hire a HC with Texas or at least Southern roots.
5. Hire a younger vs older HC, no older retreads.
6. Interview Black coaching candidates also.

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In the current Paradigm, Baylor has to be mindful that any coach we hire that is successful will be poached away unless it is an alum or deep in the blood Baylor man.

The only other way to avoid that is by picking a coach with some warts. For example, someone who flamed out a one or two higher tier locations but could work in the Big 12. Or someone who is old enough that their career window will be closed within 6-8 years (like Willie Fritz).

We failed to fire our coach many times over, and now there are no "proven" coaches out there. Anyone with a winning "history" and on the market only has 1-2 years of HC experience to show for it. Very hard to pick between the proven coaches and the flash in the pans.

LIB,MR BEARS said:

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Give Doug a hand with his list
Tier 1 proven history
Danielson at Boise State<<==my choice
Brian Newberry at Navy
Kalen DeBoer if Bama fires him

Tier 1 up and coming
Jason Eck at New Mexico

Tier 2 up and Coming
Brent Vigen Montana State

The usual suspects
Jeff Traylor
Sean Bell
GJ Kinne

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The Danielson guy looks good to me or the Navy dude

Pls just fire our loser of a HC already

Been reading about Jason Eck this AM.

"Big personality and big things for Jason Eck at New Mexico". ESPN

Timbear said:

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1. Hire an existing HC, not a coordinator.
2. Hire a HC with a winning history.
3. Hire an OFFENSIVE minded HC. (Not another Rhule or Aranda)
4. Hire a HC with Texas or at least Southern roots.
5. Hire a younger vs older HC, no older retreads.
6. Interview Black coaching candidates also.

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I don't think #4 is all that necessary anymore. Good to have but not essential.

Give me a winner who knows what he's doing. He and his staff can figure out the culture and ties. Baylor's geography does most of the work for recruiting Texans.

Rhett Lashlee

Ewalker80 said:

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Rhett Lashlee

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40-17 as HC at SMU
Former Quarterback
Gus Malzahn tree

"On November 30, 2021, Lashlee was named head coach at Southern Methodist University (SMU), replacing Sonny Dykes after he left SMU to become the head coach at rival Texas Christian University (TCU).[11] After three successful seasons and a successful first half of 2025, Lashlee and SMU agreed to a two-year extension"

If certainly put him on my list

LIB,MR BEARS said:

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Ewalker80 said:

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Rhett Lashlee

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40-17 as HC at SMU
Former Quarterback
Gus Malzahn tree

On November 30, 2021, Lashlee was named head coach at Southern Methodist University (SMU), replacing Sonny Dykes after he left SMU to become the head coach at rival Texas Christian University (TCU).[11] After three successful seasons and a successful first half of 2025, Lashlee and SMU agreed to a two-year extension

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And he is a strong Christian and would be a great culture fit.

Ewalker80 said:

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LIB,MR BEARS said:

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Ewalker80 said:

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Rhett Lashlee

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40-17 as HC at SMU
Former Quarterback
Gus Malzahn tree

On November 30, 2021, Lashlee was named head coach at Southern Methodist University (SMU), replacing Sonny Dykes after he left SMU to become the head coach at rival Texas Christian University (TCU).[11] After three successful seasons and a successful first half of 2025, Lashlee and SMU agreed to a two-year extension

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And he is a strong Christian and would be a great culture fit.

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Aliceinbubbleland said:

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LIB,MR BEARS said:

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Ewalker80 said:

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Rhett Lashlee

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40-17 as HC at SMU
Former Quarterback
Gus Malzahn tree

"On November 30, 2021, Lashlee was named head coach at Southern Methodist University (SMU), replacing Sonny Dykes after he left SMU to become the head coach at rival Texas Christian University (TCU).[11] After three successful seasons and a successful first half of 2025, Lashlee and SMU agreed to a two-year extension"

If certainly put him on my list

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If we have more money than SMU boosters I'd like to know who they might be. SMU athletics is swimming in money.

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You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

1 Spencer Danielson
2 Rhett Lashlee
3 Dabo Sweeney
4 Casey Woods
5 Blake Anderson
6 Mike Shanahan
7 Todd Graham
8 Mark Tommerdahl

Lashlee is likely out of our range. He apparently is making $9M annually....per Google search and TV announcers Saturday.

74Bear said:

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Lashlee is likely out of our range. He apparently is making $9M annually....per Google search and TV announcers Saturday.

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Even I'm surprised at that price. I kinda like the Florida coach lol. He'd have the hair on fire in Pat Neff on day one.

Lashlee arguably has a better gig at SMU. The whole being able to pay players thing has been good for them

My shortlist would probably be the Western Michigan coach, Brent Vigen, Brian Newberry at Navy, Eck at New Mexico, Spencer Danielson at Boise State, as well as the Memphis coach.

I don't think that the Western Michigan, Memphis, or Boise State coaches would want to make the move, but I would absolutely make them tell me no if I was Doug

We missed out on Sumrall last year; he is going to do well at UF.

The blue hairs would be on fire if we ever hired a coach that talks like a winner with gigantic emotion. And a lot of our faint posters on here as well.

One guy who we need to take a serious look at if we can outpay Wake Forest is Jake Dickert.

We missed out on Jim Grobe back when we hired Guy Morriss. Maybe we can successfully steal Wake Forest's coach this time around.

Karab said:

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Timbear said:

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1. Hire an existing HC, not a coordinator.
2. Hire a HC with a winning history.
3. Hire an OFFENSIVE minded HC. (Not another Rhule or Aranda)
4. Hire a HC with Texas or at least Southern roots.
5. Hire a younger vs older HC, no older retreads.
6. Interview Black coaching candidates also.

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I don't think #4 is all that necessary anymore. Good to have but not essential.

Give me a winner who knows what he's doing. He and his staff can figure out the culture and ties. Baylor's geography does most of the work for recruiting Texans.

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Knowing high school coaches and the culture of Texas and the South is important as well as an actual southern accent Ask LSU how their Yankee HC worked out..

Interesting fact. LSU fans are puzzled why their roster contains so few Louisiana natives. The reason: NIL.
They say it is like the Saints not having Louisiana players. NIL and transfers have replaced home grown talent.

I can't recall the exact numbers but their National Championship 2019 team (before NIL) was 85% Louisiana kids. Now about 49%. And Kiffin is noted for giving preference to transfer portals.

Traylor is probably a better version of McGuire and a lesser version of Briles. He's not had the chance in the "big leagues", and has great Texas connections, which contrary to some is still very important.
I wouldn't be upset if we gave him a shot. At least we'd have a real ball coach.

Reverend said:

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Traylor is probably a better version of McGuire and a lesser version of Briles. He's not had the chance in the "big leagues", and has great Texas connections, which contrary to some is still very important.
I wouldn't be upset if we gave him a shot. At least we'd have a real ball coach.

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What has he done that inspired you? I'm sure he is a good 60% winner in his division but this idea that someone coaches in Texas is all we need is outdated.

Great coaches like DKR or Saban or Yoeman came from up out of state.

I understand the joy in having locals as coaches or on rosters but it is outdated today. The very best players in Texas with 4 and five stars are out of our reach until we get a coach who has someone recruiting and who understands his opponents.

Just because he's from Texas doesn't mean he's starting from behind. Of course.

I'm not saying he's the best prospect in the country, but he has some bonafides which are solid. And I think he could build a solid program.

Aliceinbubbleland said:

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LIB,MR BEARS said:

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Ewalker80 said:

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Rhett Lashlee

---

40-17 as HC at SMU
Former Quarterback
Gus Malzahn tree

"On November 30, 2021, Lashlee was named head coach at Southern Methodist University (SMU), replacing Sonny Dykes after he left SMU to become the head coach at rival Texas Christian University (TCU).[11] After three successful seasons and a successful first half of 2025, Lashlee and SMU agreed to a two-year extension"

If certainly put him on my list

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If we have more money than SMU boosters I'd like to know who they might be. SMU athletics is swimming in money.

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My son works with a guy whose dad is the one that bankrolled SMU into the ACC. We do not have SMU money, nor will we ever. We have some folks who have earned a lot of nickels and dimes as lawyers and accountants, but not much oilfield, generational wealth kind of money.

We're in the x-box generation of coaching -- young impatient dudes who can assemble a roster, innovate, and adapt. Nobody gives a crap anymore about a coach who can recruit the fastest kids at the UIL regional track meet and develop them. Those players are gone 1-2 years later.
Young coaches have worked great in the NFL, but colleges keep giving most jobs to the same retread old farts ... or the O line coach who has been at it 30 years and it was just his time. I'm as old school as they come, but I also realize what most teams are doing ain't working. (Exceptions like Cignetti noted, but he also was able to transfer almost an entire, very mature G6 squad with the funding of the nation's largest living alumni base.)

Timbear said:

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Karab said:

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Timbear said:

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1. Hire an existing HC, not a coordinator.
2. Hire a HC with a winning history.
3. Hire an OFFENSIVE minded HC. (Not another Rhule or Aranda)
4. Hire a HC with Texas or at least Southern roots.
5. Hire a younger vs older HC, no older retreads.
6. Interview Black coaching candidates also.

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I don't think #4 is all that necessary anymore. Good to have but not essential.

Give me a winner who knows what he's doing. He and his staff can figure out the culture and ties. Baylor's geography does most of the work for recruiting Texans.

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Knowing high school coaches and the culture of Texas and the South is important as well as an actual southern accent Ask LSU how their Yankee HC worked out..

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Elko seems to be disproving that theory at aggy. Winning is all that matters. These days you need a good coach and a GM who finds talent. You also need money,.

The coach doesn't need Texas ties. The sport has evolved. Rhett Lashlee had 0 Texas ties before becoming SMU OC and then HC. Matt Rhule had none but hired some folks who did. Jordan Mack, Jayden McGowan, Louis Brown, Travion Barnes, etc. Don't think any of these kids have Texas ties.

GM is very important. This lets the coaches do more coaching. Blanchard at Tech is the engine.

With the game changing it's time to end the retread. Dabo can't or won't adjust to modern football so quit naming him as an option for a potential new coach.

Stop with the "if we hire someone young who succeeds then they'll leave us…" And? That would mean they won. The goal is to win. The goal is not to go .500 so we're stuck in mediocrity.

I root for the bears every Saturday and every day one of our teams plays. No idea what happens to Aranda after this year. Hopefully we win the Big12 but should we go 5-7 and find ourselves searching for a coach I think a name that would enter the talk is Lincoln Riley. Not saying he takes the job or we should hire him. I just think it's a name that bubbles up. I don't think he's an LA guy. I don't know if USC has the resources to consistently compete with Ohio State, Oregon, and Michigan, but the expectation is obviously there while playing in front of a half empty stadium on a good day.

Newberry- an alum who has done well at Navy. Can he operate the transfer portal?

Eck- he has UNM competitive. No small feat.

Danielson- talks like someone the Baylor higher ups would love. Has had some good seasons at Boise.

Vigen- Kliemann had success going FCS to Big12

Taylor- WMU is playing great ball. MAC schools have become harder to win at with the portal and NIL.

Traylor- UTSA was flying high but lately have been just kinda flying. Pre portal and NIL I think this hire makes more sense.

To the defeatists who say we can't hire a good coach, the Baylor job is well respected in the coaching ranks. Pays pretty well, provides great facilities, and doesn't come with unreasonable expectations. Winning a conference title buys you a lot of leeway.