One of the many benefits of being a head coach is the ability to make a legacy in the coaching profession. All great coaches have assistants who have learned from them and gone on to become great coaches in their own right. Although Coach Stoops has been a head coach longer than Gundy, we have compared the two in terms of their coaching staff.
Coach Stoops had (and correct me if I’m wrong) four assistants who will become head coaches. These include his brother Mike Stoops (Arizona), Mike Leach (Texas Tech), Mark Mangino (Kansas) and Kevin Sumlin (Houston). Coach Gundy counters with Tim Beckmon (Toledo) and Larry Fedora (Southern Miss).
Coach Mangino seems to have brought the magic with him to Lawrence, KS. In 2007 his Kansas Jayhawks went to the Orange Bowl and finished the season winning several national awards of the year. However, after seven seasons at Kansas, Mangino resigned under pressure after allegations of verbal and physical abuse by players. The same story seems to be repeating itself in the case of Mike Leach. Petor Leach took his Air Raid offense to Texas Tech and built a winning system. He had a career record of 47-33 and won a share of the Big 12 South titles in 2008. The next season he played before his team was fired in the Alamo Bowl amid allegations of player mistreatment. His lawsuit against the school is ongoing.
Kevin Sumlin is currently continuing his recovery for the Houston Cougars. He has a combined record of 21-12, overseeing the record setting offense that Cowboy Offensive Coordinator Dana Holgorsen previously held. After USA last year with Holgorsen, Houston is now 5-6 this season. Mike Stoops is currently the coach of Arizona. He has a career record of 40-42, although he has won the last three seasons (including 7-3 in 2010). After a slow start, career success is underway.
With two Big 12 coaches, one Pac-10 coach and one Conference USA coach, it should be noted that Coach Stoops’ assistants have taken higher profile positions than Coach Gundy’s assistants. All of these coaches can equip any coach running a football program requires many skills and you already know two from coaching, at least temporarily.
Overall grade: B-
Larry Fedora also saw the good and the bad in Southern Mass. His tenure began with a bang by signing five-star WR DeAndre Brown. In three and a half seasons, he has a career record of 14-12. Recently, he had to deal with the toughest part of coaching when three players were shot at a local nightclub. His team is improving and now sits at 8-3 in 2010.
Tim Beckmon is the head man for Toledo in the Mid-American Conference. After a 5-7 record in 2009, it is 7-4 in 2010. This is a measurable improvement over the years prior to Beckman’s arrival with Toledo averaging four wins per season.
Overall Grade: B+
In the field, each of these coaches would be well-paid. Without the on-field issues, you have to give Stoops’ legacy even though he coached longer than Coach Gundy. But it is impossible to avoid the problems between Mangin, Leach and the off-site management school. We can evaluate this comparison again in 2011 when Dana Holgorsen, Kevin Wilson and/or Brent Venables are included.
It’s interesting that Stoops’ assistant ran into trouble with the players and administration, since that’s never been the case (that we know of) at OU. Is Stoops free reign in athletic matters and his assistants expect the same going into the ballpark? Do they feel the pressure to achieve success like Stoops did in Normandy? What made these guys step outside the lines and cross the lines? If you know, tell me.
