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Mandel's Mailbag: Nick Saban's future, Penn State pressure, top non-SEC/Big Ten games
Mandel's Mailbag: Nick Saban's future, Penn State pressure, top non-SEC/Big Ten games

New York Times

time6 minutes ago

  • Sport
  • New York Times

Mandel's Mailbag: Nick Saban's future, Penn State pressure, top non-SEC/Big Ten games

The dirty little secret of SEC media days is that for all the hoopla, for all the $10 million coaches and future No. 1 draft picks, the event is actually quite boring. We're talking four straight days, 16 schools, which means about 298 variations of 'I'm really excited about my ballclub.' So, a sincere thank you to Greg McElroy for creating a juicy storyline out of thin air. Note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity and length. Advertisement If he does return to coaching, could you see Nick Saban going to USC if the Trojans underwhelm again under Lincoln Riley? — Don D. I could shut down the question right here and remind everyone that Nick Saban will be 74 come this next coaching carousel, likes being on TV and has made it emphatically clear how much he detests name, image and likeness and the transfer portal. But what fun would that be? As I've written previously, USC is not going to pay a Jimbo Fisher-sized buyout (possibly bigger) even if Riley goes 3-9 this year. So the job only opens if Riley leaves on his own accord, which is certainly plausible. Knowing Saban's criteria when he picked LSU and Alabama, he's going to be looking for the following: 1. A place where you can win big, 2. A location where you can dominate recruiting. 3. A school with passionate fans. USC definitely checks off the first two. The third is debatable. If you win like Pete Carroll, they'll fill the Coliseum. If you go 7-5 your first year, you'll be playing in front of 40,000 empty seats. I'm guessing he would much prefer either to remain in the South or perhaps return to his Ohio/Michigan roots. (West Virginia has a coach.) What jobs could feasibly open that fit those bills? Florida State, for one. That's also a hefty buyout situation, but FSU donors would be more likely to write those checks than USC's. Certainly, Florida as well if the fans turn back in the other direction on Billy Napier. But here's one I find more intriguing — perhaps even realistic? — than all of them: Oklahoma. You can win BIG at Oklahoma. You have zero recruiting competition in your own state. Yes, you have to go into Texas and compete with those guys, but he had to go into Florida's and Georgia's backyards all the time at Alabama. Oklahoma has sold out 159 consecutive home games (excluding 2020). Advertisement Most notably: The program's new general manager, who is considered parallel to the head coach on the organization chart, is former Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy, a longtime NFL scout who I'd imagine spent a lot of time in Tuscaloosa over the years, given all of Saban's annual prospects. Not to mention, he spent seven years working for a mutual acquaintance of theirs: Bill Belichick. To be clear, I am by no means predicting this to happen. In fact, Brent Venables will have a big turnaround year with quarterback John Mateer and remain standing in 2026. But he's on the hot seat for now, so it's worth considering. One job I'm confident Saban will not consider: Auburn. But it would be hilarious to see fans who hated his guts for 17 years suddenly go to the mat for the guy. With the staff and NIL fund for returning players at Penn State, did James Franklin sign his own death warrant if they do not beat Ohio State and/or make it to the national championship game? Penn State paid a lot to keep Drew Allar, Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen, Dani Dennis-Sutton and many others. He has the highest-paid coordinator duo in the country with Jim Knowles ($3.1 million) and Andy Kotelnicki ($1.7 million). Is Franklin feeling the outside pressure? — Anthony C. Franklin strikes me as someone who is always feeling the pressure, whether real or imagined. This is a guy who is known for getting defensive over criticism, has had multiple confrontations with hecklers in the stands — including one at a spring game, and, after last year's Fiesta Bowl win over Boise State, said, 'Sometimes it feels like all the media and people on blogs — I feel like I work for them sometimes.' But in terms of actual job pressure? Not a chance. In what's becoming a recurring theme in this column, his buyout is nearly $50 million. Like Lincoln Riley and Brian Kelly (and, at one time, Mel Tucker), he was part of the Enormous Long-Term Contract Craze of 2021. We're only entering Year 4 of his 10-year contract. Advertisement But also: He's coming off the program's best season in two decades and is 34-8 over the past three seasons. The man has earned some runway. Expectations are understandably sky-high for this season. I will be picking them to reach the national championship game. Say what you will about Allar, but he threw for 3,327 yards last year with only one reliable target (who was his tight end). Now he's got a true No. 1 receiver in Syracuse transfer Trebor Pena. Singleton and Allen should be this season's top running back tandem. And the defense was ranked in the top 10 nationally for four straight years — even before the arrival of renowned coordinator Knowles. Of course, every team in the country has at least one big question mark, and arguably Penn State's biggest is Franklin himself. You all know the history: 1-18 against top-five foes, 4-20 against the top 10. Those are atrocious numbers. Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman already has more top 10 wins in just three seasons as a head coach (five) than Franklin has in 11 seasons at Penn State. I'd just caution people, though: A lot of great coaches couldn't win the Big One — right up until they did. Arguably, there was no bigger perceived choke artist in the country heading into last year's College Football Playoff than Ryan Day, and then he went and won the whole thing. To alleviate the pressure, Franklin needs to either end his eight-year losing streak to Ohio State, then go far in the CFP, or, if he loses to the Buckeyes again, have a postseason run like Freeman did, where he knocks off several respected opponents in a row (preferably from the SEC). Obviously, Day's run would be even better. If he does neither, then we'll be right back here next summer having the same conversation. I'm a Penn State fan, but these are the other teams I want to watch this season and why: 1. South Carolina — LaNorris Sellers 2. Texas — Arch Manning 3. Colorado — Deion's teams are always fun 4. Texas Tech — Love the Big 12 5. Ohio State — Jeremiah Smith Any other suggestions for fun teams to watch? — Al Sure, I'll give you five more. (In addition to Oklahoma, which I've mentioned quite a bit lately.) 1. Notre Dame: An offense once known primarily for its tight ends could legitimately be one of the most explosive in the country. You got a peek of that in the CFP with breakout performances from running back Jeremiyah Love and receiver Jaden Greathouse, and the Irish added Virginia's Malachi Fields. Advertisement 2. Utah: Former New Mexico QB Devon Dampier is going to be a heckuva lot of fun to watch. He ran for 207 yards against Wyoming last season, 193 in an upset of Washington State. Kyle Whittingham brought in New Mexico's offensive coordinator, too: former BYU quarterback Jason Beck. 3. UCLA: We're all curious to see Nico Iamaleava, right? DeShaun Foster also has Cal big-play running back Javian Thomas. And they'll be playing for new offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri, who revitalized Pitt's offense last season. 4. Navy: Quarterback Blake Horvath is the new Keenan Reynolds. He and the Midshipmen finished last season taking it to Army and knocking off Oklahoma in their bowl game. They could be 8-0 heading into South Bend. 5. Iowa: Yes, Iowa! The Hawkeyes will be led by quarterback Mark Gronowski, the former FCS player of the year, two-time national champion and 42-5 starter at South Dakota State. He's Iowa fans' reward for surviving the Spencer Petras and Deacon Hill eras. Will the Aggies be 8-4 again? — Doug J. No, not likely. New Mexico State was 3-9 last year and really misses Jerry Kill. When people complain about some of the recent changes in college football, they are often told, 'But the sport is more popular than ever, as measured by TV ratings, revenue, etc.' Do you have a sense of what percentage of fans might feel like me: still as interested/invested as ever while also feeling like many of the changes have made the sport worse? And is there a European Super League-style breaking point where the fans say 'no more'? — Matthew W. Oh, you're definitely the norm. Maybe one of 80 percent? 90? I have a hard time believing even the most rabid, loyal, passionate college football fan wakes up in the morning and says, 'Man, do you know what I just love? Eighteen-team conferences, an unnecessarily complicated Playoff format and every player on every team being an annual free agent.' As for the Super League analogy — the way European soccer fans responded to that short-lived creation was pretty much the exact inverse of the way college football fans handle realignment. In that case, fans of the elite clubs organizing the money-grab breakaway actually sided with fans of the clubs that would be left behind. So basically, nobody wanted it. Now contrast that with the recent realignment wave. Not a lot of tears shed by Oklahoma for Oklahoma State, Oregon for Oregon State, etc. Eat or be eaten. Advertisement As I've said before, I wouldn't blame fans of left-behind teams outside of the Big Ten and SEC were they to throw in the towel on this sport and say, enough. But the reason those ratings, revenue, etc., remain so high is that Ohio State/Michigan/Alabama/Georgia fans aren't reducing their consumption of college football in the slightest. Which, if both trends continue to hold true, could actually move the sport closer, not farther, from its own Super League model. Who are your most disappointing coaching hires based on the success you believed, and predicted, the coach would have, and the actual results? — Brad, Wayne Brad actually asked for my top 10 in each category, but in the interest of brevity … Most disappointing: • Scott Frost at Nebraska: 16-31 at his alma mater after taking UCF to a 13-0 season. But at least we now know it was solely because Nebraska was a 'bad job.' • Rich Rodriguez at Michigan: 15-22, including a 3-9 debut season, after going 60-26 with four Big East titles at West Virginia. This was the textbook definition of 'bad fit.) • Lincoln Riley at USC: This one could prove premature, but 26-14 to this point is far below what any of us expected when it landed Oklahoma's 55-10, four-time Big 12 champ. • Chip Kelly at UCLA: I wasn't expecting Oregon redux, but certainly a much bigger splash than 35-34, including 26-26 in the Pac-12, the same league he dominated in Eugene. • Mike Price at Alabama: The guy took Washington State to two Rose Bowls. How was I to know he wouldn't even make it to his first preseason camp. Honorable mention: Bret Bielema at Arkansas and Tom Herman at Texas. A few weeks ago, you answered a question about trying to attend the best game every week this season while only going to each stadium once. That was, let's be honest, HEAVILY influenced by the Big Ten and SEC. What if you had to do the same thing this season, but not a single Big Ten or SEC team can be involved? Where would you go each week? — Ryan W. A lot of you didn't love that I didn't earnestly answer this question last week, and I take your feedback seriously. So, here we go … • Aug. 31: Notre Dame at Miami. It's hard to call this a rivalry, but it's a glamour matchup with some spice in its history. Not to mention the debuts of CJ Carr and Carson Beck. • Sept. 6: UConn at Syracuse. I've never covered either a UConn football game or a Syracuse home game. (Though I did cover an NCAA basketball regional at the then-Carrier Dome.) Let's check both off the bucket list. • Sept. 13: Pitt at West Virginia. The most obvious choice on the whole list. It's Rich Rod's return to the Backyard Brawl for the first time since his stunning 13-9 loss in 2007. And amazingly, the game happens to fall on 9-13. • Sept. 20: SMU at TCU. Arizona State-Baylor also tempted me, but this would be my first Battle for the Iron Skillet, in what is currently the last scheduled edition of the 104-year-old rivalry. Should be fun. • Sept. 27: BYU at Colorado. At long last, a trip to Folsom Field. Deion. Ralphie's run. And a chance to see whether the Cougars can still contend without Jake Retzlaff. • Oct. 4: Clemson at North Carolina. Dabo vs. Bill is so intriguing, it managed to make both lists. • Oct. 11: Arizona State at Utah. I told you Dampier and the Utes are a team to watch this season. They're playing the reigning Big 12 champs. And Rice-Eccles is one of the most underrated atmospheres in the sport. • Oct. 18: USC at Notre Dame. If I hadn't already seen BYU and Utah, I might have gone to the Holy War. But as I wrote for the previous list, I've got to catch a USC-Notre Dame game while I still can. • Oct. 25: Kansas State at Kansas. Oh, heck yeah. Never in a million years did I think I'd have cause to attend a Sunflower Showdown, much less an Avery Johnson-Jalon Daniels showdown. • Nov. 1: Fresno State at Boise State. You know I'd make it to the Blue at some point, and it might as well be for one of the best rivalries in all of G5. (I'm still not using G6 yet.) • Nov. 6: Georgia Southern at Appalachian State. I want to check out a big Sun Belt game at some point, so why not the Deeper Than Hate rivalry? I might tack on a trip to Clemson-Florida State on Saturday if the Noles aren't 3-5. • Nov. 15: Notre Dame-Pitt: Hopefully, you guys don't get on me for too much Notre Dame. These Irish games all fit the stated criteria. And they're very good. • Nov. 18: UMass-Ohio. I didn't love any of the Saturday games, so this is my #MACtion week. And that being the case, I might as well go full-on Sickos Committee. Peden Stadium, here I come. • Nov. 29: Notre Dame at Stanford. The Cardinal could be 2-9, that's fine, it's a home game for me. I can even watch Ohio State-Michigan from my couch before heading over because there will be zero traffic. • Dec. 5: Conference USA championship game. Why not? • Dec. 13: Army-Navy in Baltimore. Can't finish stronger than that. Having now completed this exercise, I want to profusely apologize for not doing it the first time. This itinerary would be a ridiculously fun way to spend the 2025 season. I'll watch the SEC/Big Ten in these stadiums' tailgate lots.

Nick Saban Receives Job 'Offer' Amid Coaching Return Speculation
Nick Saban Receives Job 'Offer' Amid Coaching Return Speculation

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Sport
  • Yahoo

Nick Saban Receives Job 'Offer' Amid Coaching Return Speculation

Nick Saban Receives Job 'Offer' Amid Coaching Return Speculation originally appeared on The Spun. Even though he's in his mid-70s and been out of coaching for a year now, Nick Saban is still getting "job offers" to come back into college football. The latest one comes from a former star pupil. Advertisement In a recent interview, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart - who previously worked under Saban for years - said that he called Saban and offered to give him assistant Will Muschamp's job of defensive analyst. He said that Saban was "overqualified" and "wasn't interested." Granted, Smart was joking. But Smart still feels that the game is better with Saban coaching it. "Yeah, I called and offered him (Will) Muschamp's job, but he was overqualified, so he wasn't interested," Smart joked. "No, I heard all the scuttlebutt and everything about it. I almost laughed. It was like somebody needed something interesting to talk about yesterday, so they chose to go to Coach Saban to do it. "The game is better with him involved, and he is involved. He is passionate about it. He and I still talk and share ideas from time to time about defensive philosophies and the way to do things, and he's still watching tape and very, very involved in football. He loves it. His brilliance, as brilliant as he is in many ways, is around football. It's around scheming. It's around another way to do something to stay ahead of the offensive minds, and I think that's one of the elite talents he has, and he still loves that. He's still passionate about that." Saban retired from coaching at the University of Alabama following the 2023 season. Advertisement The Crimson Tide hired Kalen DeBoer after an exemplary spell at Washington, but the team struggled to retain recruits and struggled even harder to replicate Saban's success in their first year without him. Alabama went 9-3 in the regular season and lost the ReliaQuest Bowl to finish 9-4 on the year. It was their first season since Saban's first year at the helm where Alabama suffered four losses in a year. TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA - SEPTEMBER 28: Former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban looks on before the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 28, 2024 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images Alabama could certainly use Saban a lot more than Smart can right about now. Related: Kirby Smart Expresses Respect and Jokes About Retirement with Nick Saban Nick Saban Receives Job 'Offer' Amid Coaching Return Speculation first appeared on The Spun on Jul 15, 2025 Advertisement This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.

Paul Finebaum Has 1 Coaching Job In Mind For Nick Saban
Paul Finebaum Has 1 Coaching Job In Mind For Nick Saban

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Sport
  • Yahoo

Paul Finebaum Has 1 Coaching Job In Mind For Nick Saban

Paul Finebaum Has 1 Coaching Job In Mind For Nick Saban originally appeared on The Spun. Count Paul Finebaum among the observers who can't accept Nick Saban's retirement. The iconic head coach stepped down after 17 seasons at Alabama, and he quickly found a new gig on "College GameDay." Yet Finebaum is already conjuring scenarios in which Saban returns to a football sideline. Advertisement Finebaum speculated on Saban going back to an old home on Tuesday's "First Take," but not the Crimson Tide or LSU Tigers. The ESPN analyst instead pitched a shift to the NFL, calling the Miami Dolphins the "perfect job" for the Florida resident. One would think reuniting with former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa would contribute to the unconventional pairing. However, Finebaum campaigned for Saban to kick the Pro Bowler to the curb. "Unfortunately, the first thing he would have to do as the Dolphins coach -- where he once coached -- is get rid of Tua Tagovailoa, a quarterback who won him a national championship," Finebaum said, according to On3's Nick Kosko. "But I think if he got Jim Harbaugh money, which he is certainly deserving and maybe a little more, I think that's where people want to look." Of course, one pesky complication (beyond Saban retiring from coaching and working for ESPN) is that the Dolphins already have a head coach. ATLANTA, GA DECEMBER 07: ESPN personality Paul Finebaum reacts prior to the start of the SEC Championship Game between the Texas Longhorns and the Georgia Bulldogs on December 7th, 2024 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Miami has gone 28-23 with two playoff appearances in Mike McDaniel's three seasons. He seemed to earn job security when leading the Dolphins to an 11-6 record and the NFL's top-ranked offense in 2023 behind 4,624 passing yards from Tagovailoa. Advertisement However, Miami dipped to 8-9 with the No. 18 offense in 2024. Health concerns resurfaced for Tagovailoa, who missed time with another concussion early in the season. Finebaum omitted a significant difference between Harbaugh and Saban. While Harbaugh took the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl before going to Michigan, Saban went 15-17 in two seasons as Miami's head coach. Such a move wouldn't happen until next offseason, meaning the Dolphins would be replacing one of the game's rising young offensive gurus for a 74-year-old who retired and spent two seasons away from a sideline. Related: Nick Saban Receives Job 'Offer' Amid Coaching Return Speculation Paul Finebaum Has 1 Coaching Job In Mind For Nick Saban first appeared on The Spun on Jul 16, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jul 16, 2025, where it first appeared.

Memphis Grizzlies hire Ryan Saunders as new lead assistant coach
Memphis Grizzlies hire Ryan Saunders as new lead assistant coach

Yahoo

time4 hours ago

  • Sport
  • Yahoo

Memphis Grizzlies hire Ryan Saunders as new lead assistant coach

LAS VEGAS — The Memphis Grizzlies are hiring Ryan Saunders as the new lead assistant coach, sources confirmed to The Commercial Appeal on July 14 Saunders, the son of former NBA coach Flip Saunders, has spent time with three NBA teams as an assistant. He also was the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves for three seasons (2018-21). Advertisement He spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach with the Denver Nuggets, helping them win the NBA title in the 2022-23 season. Saunders, 39, is the second assistant coach hired this offseason by Memphis as coach Tuomas Iisalo revamps his staff. The Grizzlies parted ways with Anthony Carter, who was with the team the past two seasons. Carter often received praise from the players, and notably worked closely with GG Jackson during his breakout rookie season, tweaking his jumper mechanics. Iisalo and the Grizzlies brought in Brian "Penny" Collins, who was previously the men's basketball head coach at Tennessee State University. Collins has been coaching with the Grizzlies during summer league. "He's doing a great job," Iisalo said of Collins. "His energy is contagious. He really connects with everybody. He also has head coaching experience, so he has a wide variety of things he excels at, and we're very happy to have him." Advertisement The hirings of Collins and Saunders are signs of the Grizzlies' preference of adding those with head coaching experience. Saunders also has familiarity with recent Grizzlies acquisition Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The two overlapped for two seasons in Denver, including the championship campaign. Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Grizzlies coaching update: Memphis hires Ryan Saunders as new assistant

‘Feel sorry for you': Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge drops mic on journo
‘Feel sorry for you': Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge drops mic on journo

News.com.au

time6 hours ago

  • Sport
  • News.com.au

‘Feel sorry for you': Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge drops mic on journo

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has landed the latest blow in an ongoing stoush with commentator Kane Cornes, declaring he feels 'sorry' for anyone who works with him while conceding changes are coming to address his team's inability to beat teams above them. Beveridge and Cornes clashed before the Bulldogs' match with Geelong in round 12, and amid renewed criticism from the former Port Adelaide player turned shock jock after the Bulldogs' loss to Adelaide, the coach went again on Wednesday. After being questioned about the criticism, which included Cornes declaring the Bulldogs coach was steering an elite list of players 'like a busted Camry', Beveridge asked the assembled media a the end of his weekly press conference if anyone worked with him. 'Does anyone work with him? Is anyone from Channel 7,' Beveridge asked the assembled media. When football reporter Xander McGuire, the son of former Collingwood president Eddie, put his hand up, Beveridge smiled and said 'I just feel sorry for you' and laughed as he walked off. Beveridge had earlier scoffed when asked if he took any notice of Cornes but conceded it was hard to argue with him and others highlighting the 'fact' that the Bulldogs hadn't beaten anyone above them on the ladder, with clashes against reigning premiers Brisbane and top-four aspirants GWS to come in the next three weeks. But he also said it wouldn't 'creep' into the players' psyche. 'We've been beaten by small margins by good sides,' Beveridge said. 'What do you put that down to? There are so many variables in the game that relate to better opposition just getting you by two or three goals. 'That won't even creep in. 'We don't talk about it. We understand it, but it won't have anything to do with our preparation for Brisbane.' The Bulldogs' defensive issues have been called out as a major problem with their premiership ambitions, and Beveridge said key defender Liam Jones, who has only played four games this year and none since round 7 amid injury and form issues, would be discussed as an inclusion. 'Over the years we have picked the team based on performance,' Beveridge said. 'Liam has been through a period when he's been a bit crook, he's had one or two niggles, he's trying to find his way back to his best. 'The team this week will be selected on previous state league level performances and health. 'There will be some changes, but we'll work through them.' Beveridge confirmed former No.1 pick Jamarra Ugle-Hagan had returned to the club after more time away due to personal reasons and was 'chipping away' in his bid to get back to football. 'He's had some sorry business, some bereavement stuff back with the mob in Framlingham, and he's working his way back now through his fitness levels,' he said. 'He'll train – he probably won't do the whole session (on Monday), but he'll get through parts of it.'

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