Things can change in the remaining weeks (coaching search)

[Harry]

As we head into the last 4 weeks of the season, I think it is important to note how much the perception and the overall mix of candidates can change rapidly based on the wins and losses.

Take for instance Everitt Withers at JMU who name has come up as a possibility.  Overall they are 7-2 but just had two weeks of consecutive close losses against good teams.  JMU lost their star QB to injury and subsequently lost the net two games without him.  Should this affect the perception of Withers as a good coach?  It's shouldn't but it most likely does, especially at P5 programs like Va Tech, Maryland and South Carolina where his name has come up.

Willie Fritz who is 6-2 at Georgia State has won games against the likes of Idaho, ULM, Texas State, The Citadel and NMSU.  They don't even have to play ULL or Arky State and they lost to App State pretty handily.  His team plays Georgia in a couple of weeks and that game could have a big impact on the perception of him nationally.

Lincoln Riley and OU are 7-1 and have the meat of their schedule left with Baylor, Okie State and TCU left.  If they finish the season 4-0 his stock will go through the roof.  Stoops could tell him he is being groomed as his replacement.   If they go 1-3 not so much.   You could say similar things about Meacham and Cumbie at TCU or to a lessor extent even Briles at Baylor.

The head coaches and assistants who are being considered as candidates will see their stock rise or fall in these next 4 weeks.  Win em all and you may have a big P-5 program like South Carolina calling you.  Lose some of them and you may be staying put for another year.  UNT is sort of dependent on the trickle down effect from when the top spots are filled.  That's why this time is so important.  You have to meet and state your case with as many qualified candidates that are out there.  You don't know where their mindset will be in 4 weeks, what offers they may have and where their best opportunities to advance lie.  The landscape will change.

There may even be some coaches who otherwise may not be thought of to be even considering UNT, who could by virtue of how their team ends the season may look at it a lot closer.

So even though our season is pretty much in the tank, the outcome of other teams games could have a big impact on who we land.   At least makes watching other games these final weeks more interesting.

[casual fan]

I've made cases for Fritz, Thomsen, and Withers.  They have all been sucessful head coaches.

To me they are 1a, 1b, & 1c in any order you want to put them.

Applewhite and Riley are the whiz kids.  They seem like high risk - high reward types.

They may turn out to be brilliant or they may turn out to be in over their heads.

Any of the 5 would be an interesting choice.