[NU Sports] Fitz' future

[Michael Vance]

OK, John, we get it.  You don't like Randy Walker.  But I really was trying 
to get a thoughtful discussion about Pat Fitzgerald's future going 
here.  The topic, as I presented it, was only tangentially related to 
Walker's competence.  As far as I can tell, you responded to the quote of 
Mike's that I kept and didn't even look at the new material.

If you're correct, and the Randy Walker House of Cards is about to come 
collapsing down around us, then my second bullet becomes the one that you 
would want to pay attention to and respond to.  Do you see a scenario where 
RW could lose his job and we keep Fitz?  Would we even want that to 
happen?  Or would we be better off wishing him well wherever he landed, 
comfortable in the knowledge that he would eventually return to his beloved 
NU and lead us to the Promised Land?  If you have something thoughtful and 
insightful to add to that discussion, then I'd love to hear it.  But if all 
you have is "Fire Randy Walker," no matter how  you rephrase it, then let 
it be.

-Michael

At 11/27/2005 09:45 PM, John A. DeGroat wrote:
>Answer: because Walker hasn't demonstrated that he will, can or maybe 
>wants to.  Vanderlinden without doubt learned more under Barnett and Joe 
>Pa than Walker will ever know.
>
>John DeGroat
>
>Michael Vance wrote:
>
>>At 11/27/2005 01:41 PM, Mike Nolan wrote:
>>
>>>Why could Vanderlinden do a good job of grooming Fitz and Walker not
>>>do the same thing?  I think Fitz is a few years away from being ready
>>>to move up to DC.  Unfortunately, I don't know if Walker can wait that
>>>long to do something about the quality of his defensive teams.
>>
>>
>>Since this whole discussion of Fitz as heir apparent began, there's been 
>>one thing nagging at me: Is it realistic, or even desirable, to expect 
>>Fitz to spend the remainder of his coaching career at NU?  And actually, 
>>would it be best for him and the program to do that or would it be better 
>>for him to learn from as many people as he can, perhaps taking the LB or 
>>DC job under an established defensive guru (any names are escaping me at 
>>the moment) before returning to NU as DC or Head Coach?
>>
>>I see some substantial problems with the idea of him staying at NU for 
>>the duration:
>>
>>1) For him to move up, Greg Colby would have to move out.  For that to 
>>happen, the defense would either have to not improve significantly, 
>>resulting in Colby's firing, or it would have to improve drastically, 
>>resulting in Colby getting a higher-prestige DC or head coaching offer.
>>
>>2) In the first of these scenarios (the defense not improving), it's 
>>doubtful that we would continue to win enough games for Walker to keep 
>>his job.  If Walker gets canned, the whole staff probably goes with 
>>him.  There are always exceptions to that, and out of everyone on the 
>>current coaching staff, Fitz would be the most likely to be retained by a 
>>new coach.  But it's still unlikely.
>>
>>3) If the defense improves enough for Colby to keep his job, but for 
>>whatever reason not move on to another opportunity, that leaves Fitz 
>>stuck at a position coaching spot indefinitely.  He would have to look 
>>for a DC job elsewhere.
>>
>>4) Once Colby is gone, he would still have to wait out Walker 
>>retiring.  The same rules apply.  If we continue to be a winning program, 
>>Fitz would probably be a hot commodity on the coaching market.  If we 
>>lose, especially because of defensive woes, then Fitz "loses," 
>>too.  Would he have the patience to wait out Walker's retirement, even 
>>for the head coaching job at his alma mater?  Maybe, maybe not.  Would 
>>the money and potential prestige of a head coaching job elsewhere be to 
>>much to resist?
>>
>>A lot of coaches start out their coaching careers at their alma mater, as 
>>a grad assistant or low-level position coach, and then move on, intending 
>>to return.  Sometimes that happens, sometimes it doesn't.
>>One example that we are all familiar with is Gary Barnett.  Writers on 
>>this list have often said that GB is in his "dream job" at Colorado.
>>But if you remember from his book (for those who haven't burned it), his 
>>dream job is actually at his alma mater, Missouri.  CU is just a very 
>>close second.  Would GB ditch Colorado for Missouri if he was offered the 
>>job today?  Who knows.
>>
>>Personally, I would have no problem with Fitz leaving to take a DC 
>>position elsewhere, especially if it was under a head coach or at a 
>>school with a strong defensive tradition.  Aside from the fact that he'd 
>>be on the other side of the field, I would even understand if he went to 
>>PSU as LB coach if JoePa retired and Vandy moved up to DC.  It is 
>>"Linebacker U."  I don't see that happening -- I don't think he'd go to 
>>another Big Ten school, although working for VanderLinden would be 
>>tempting -- but something along those lines is perfectly within the realm 
>>of possibility.  I wouldn't even mind him getting his first head coaching 
>>experience somewhere else and then coming back with that under his 
>>belt.  It would be a shame to lose him for the years he was gone, but it 
>>might pay off in the long run.
>>
>>Any thoughts?
>>
>>-Michael
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