Quote:
Originally Posted by NewChief
Did he really say that?
Awesome.
Admittedly, we're just now experiencing, somewhat, consistent success in football (which I think we'll continue to experience as long as we have Petrino, love him or hate him). But we did, you know, win a national title in basketball while a member of the SEC. And won the SEC Championship another year. Of course, we've been down in basketball for a good long while now (which allowed our football to ascend), but I think b-ball is on the rebound here. |
Yeah, he keeps pointing to Arkansas's losing record in SEC conference play since joining the SEC, but I think you guys are only like six or seven games under. And those include the disastrous attempts to find a coach between Hatfield and Houston Nutt.
Coaches are a critical factor in the SEC. You need a strong guy who recruits well and runs a consistent program. I think Pinkel resembles those remarks.
The key for Missouri over the next ten years is going to be hiring a equal or better football coach when Pinkel retires. Being in the SEC helps with prestige and it helps with having the money to spend on a high-profile guy.
The Tigers will have plenty to sell a big-time coach when the time comes (fourth-biggest state in the SEC, good local recruiting base, tradition of success recruiting Texas, $$$), and I'm confident the AD will continue to make the necessary commitment to its football coach.
In the Big 12, you're probably looking at bringing in someone like Dave Christensen. A head coach at a non-BCS league school.
In the SEC, you can still do that (for, say, Chris Peterson-level non-BCS coaches), or you can poach from other schools in BCS leagues. And if there's a hot assistant (ala Dan Mullen), you're a leading candidate there, too.