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12/7 @ 11:30 a.m.
You've probably seen Ira's report - Mike Norvell expected to be introduced as FSU football coach Sunday. Unless something very unusual happens in the next few hours, Norvell will officially become FSU's next head football coach in about 24 hours.
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12/7 @ 12:30 a.m.
ESPN and other outlets are now reporting that Mike Norvell is likely to be named FSU's next head football coach. Obviously that's no surprise for anyone that has been following the updates the past week or so.
We were told by two different sources earlier tonight that it was going to be Norvell. The only potential holdup we heard was a possible last ditch effort by Ole Miss to make a huge offer in hopes of out-bidding FSU. But it's looking like that fell through as most now have Lane Kiffin headed to Ole Miss.
Pretty good chance we get something official or strong confirmation of the hire sometime on Saturday night after the AAC championship game.
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12/6 @ 10 a.m.
We've now heard from multiple sources that there's a good chance an announcement will come down on Sunday. Whether that's a press release and/or press conference we aren't sure yet. But preparations are being made that point to that day. Also, don't be surprised if the news is leaked Saturday night.
On the coaching front, most of the signs still point to Mike Norvell being the guy. One of those signs is that our contacts at Ole Miss tell us he's turned them down with the assumption that he's headed to Tallahassee. Of course the fact that nothing is being announced this week is another sign since Memphis is playing in the AAC Championship game this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.
All that being said, some quality sources are still convinced that the next coach won't be Norvell. There are some things that don't add up and even one Memphis source is convinced he hasn't been offered the FSU job. So it could still be someone we aren't talking about that much like a Matt Rhule or James Franklin.
In a nutshell, the odds still point to Norvell being the No. 1 option but there is still a decent chance that FSU has quietly locked down another candidate.
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12/5 @ 12:15 p.m.
The "As The Coaching Search Turns" drama is still ongoing. A direct source within FSU told us this morning that "It isn't Bob". Again, there's always a chance we are being told this to redirect us elsewhere. But you can't discount the fact that FSU is doubling down on this. It's odd that they would be so insistent this late in the process, if in fact it were Stoops.
Once again, received two completely conflicting reports last night from dependable sources - one saying it's Mike Norvell, but the other Stoops. Never been though anything like this and it's impossible to make heads or tails of what's really happening. But as I've been saying for a while, Norvell getting the job still makes the most sense.
If it is Stoops, it would probably have to go down by Saturday. We go past that without an announcement, it's pretty safe to say it's either Norvell or another candidate.
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12/4 @ 10 p.m.
As some have mentioned, there is a 9:30 a.m. team meeting scheduled for tomorrow with the football players. Not sure whether this has anything to do with the coaching hire or just the coaches going through the holiday and practice schedule. I can't imagine the first time a new coach is introduced or it's officially confirmed it's done in a manner that allows players to break the news on social media. I suppose anything is possible but have my doubts.
We have tried like crazy but we still can't discount the possibility that it might be Bob Stoops. I'm not saying this to generate more interest or to get clicks, but it's odd that every time we are ready to move on from the talk something else pops up to make it seem like a possibility. There is something about this whole search process that doesn't add up and a Stoops' hire would explain a lot of the oddities that have taken place.
All that being said, most of our solid sources are still pointing to Mike Norvell being the top candidate for the job.
As always, I like to be transparent with our readers even though what I'm telling you may be unsatisfying, confusing and contradictory.
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12/4 @ 11:45 p.m.
As I noted yesterday, Mike Norvell is looking more and more like the most likely candidate to be named FSU's next head coach. Heard more today that backs that up. If he ends up getting the job, it probably wouldn't get announced until after Saturday's AAC Championship game. That means probably next Monday (12/9) or Tuesday (12/10).
I will throw out that there has been a lot of misinformation out so it's possible what we are hearing about Norvell could be a misdirection. Seems a bit unlikely, but just mentioning the possibility.
Matt Campbell is obviously out with him signing a contract extension. It's looking like Penn State is close to extending James Franklin's contract as well. Can't completely count him but FSU's chances appear to be fading. And Bob Stoops still remains a long shot. Nothing really new there.
Sorry I don' have better or more interesting news. But that's it for now.
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12/3 @ 10:30 a.m.
The last thing I want to do is encourage the 'It's Bob Stoops' crowd but would like to put a couple things in context for those wondering about his situation. Oklahoma high school coaching legend Allan Trimble passed away on Sunday. Stoops will be attending the funeral on Wednesday. If he is going to be FSU's next head coach, the passing of Trimble would explain why FSU had plans for an announcement early this week but had to put it off. It would be a bad look for everyone involved for Stoops to take part in everything that goes along with the hiring of a coach, including a meet and greet, upbeat press conference, photo ops, etc.. immediately before or on the heels of Trimble's funeral.
Also, been told by those familiar with Bob Stoops that it wouldn't be his style to take a job during the regular season with another coach (even an interim) still running the team. So that might explain why he didn't take the job prior to this week.
Again, not saying Stoops is the guy or trying to add fuel to the fire, but we still can't completely discount the possibility. It sure would explain a lot of the misinformation that has been making the rounds. With the reports on Franklin and Campbell not looking good, it's starting to look like FSU will either hit a grand slam with its coaching hire, or end up settling for a third or fourth choice.
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12/3 @ 9 a.m.
As we first reported yesterday, it doesn't appear there will be an announcement today unless something happens quickly. So when everything will go down is now pretty open-ended. I know others are saying maybe this weekend, which is possible, but really it's just a guess at this point.
Looking more and more like Matt Campbell could be out. Received a couple confirmations that he informed his players that he's staying. That's not necessarily definitive but it's sure a strong sign that he isn't planning on going anywhere.
Still not sure if James Franklin is still in play. Receiving conflicting reports. We definitely think he received an offer from FSU that was initially rejected. Either the two sides are still negotiating and it's getting dragged out, or he and his agent are just doing this to receive a better deal from Penn State.
Mike Norvell is looking more like the strongest candidate at this stage, but it wouldn't surprise me if FSU is starting to reevaluate its coaching targets, and some other names could emerge.
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12/2 @ 4:15 p.m.
Checking in. May not great news for those of you that were hoping Florida State would have its hire in place by tomorrow. As we first noted yesterday, FSU was getting the field ready (we assume) for the coaching announcement. The University Center Club was also being prepped for a meeting and a possible afternoon press conference. However, those plans are apparently now on hold. Heard from another source that a meeting with major boosters planned for tomorrow has been postponed.
This all adds up to a delay in the announcement of Florida State's next head football coach. My best guess is that the top candidate either turned down the offer, or is renegotiating for a better deal. Since most of the groundwork on the terms and salary were likely done in advance, this isn't a great sign for FSU landing its top target.
Still hearing positive indications about Matt Campbell, assuming he's not the coach that possibly turned down the FSU offer. Don't have anything of substance to share but it makes sense that he might be the prime target with so much attention directed towards other candidates.
End of this round of Nuggets ....
People that think we are dragging this out for clicks couldn't be more off base. I want this search to end more than anyone. I'd like to get my life back and not deal with the constant headaches that come from angry posters. And for the conspiracy folks, we absolutely do not know who the next head coach is. I'm just passing on what we hear from viable sources -- it's that simple. If we knew we would tell you and we aren't going to put out false information in hopes of ingratiating ourselves to FSU. I totally get people often don't like what we post, are exhausted that this is dragging on without any real answers, and don't like bland nuggets. But please know we are doing the best job we can under the circumstances. Please try to be patient and not take it out on the messenger.
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12/2 @ 1 p.m.
Surprisingly, it's been pretty quiet this morning. The only thing we kept hearing was there was supposed to big meeting today regarding the new head coach. There still could be something later this afternoon. However, last I heard is the main meeting to potentially release the name of the coach to the power brokers would be tomorrow morning, and possibly a press conference in the afternoon. This is of course all dependent on the new coach being locked down today. If not, this could be pushed back to later in the week.
Not much on what's happening with various coaching candidates. One source told me that James Franklin recently received a 'large' offer. Not sure where that stands but the fact that he hasn't issued a statement confirming he's coming back to Penn State probably means he's still in the running.
Received additional confirmation that Mike Norvell is probably headed somewhere but it won't be Missouri. He has something locked down but no way to tell whether that's FSU, Ole Miss or even Arkansas.
There are some people pretty high up that feel Matt Campbell is the most likely candidate to get the job. But as I've said earlier, it's been really quiet on that front for a while now.
Nothing more to add on Bob Stoops. Seem to get more denials than positives about FSU's chances but nothing would really surprise me with the way this coaching search has played out. I'll say if he ends up being the head coach, a lot of people were lied to for the sake of protecting the search. It would sure make for an interesting back story.
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12/1 @ 8 p.m.
There's a good chance the frequency of nuggets will increase during the next 48 hours or so.
First, it's accurate that Florida State is prepping Doak Campbell Stadium for the introduction of the new football coach. These preparations include painting the field. As I indicated on Saturday, Tuesday appears to be the target date for the official announcement. Of course, if anything happens to impact the negotiations the target date would get pushed back.
I'm not a fan of building up expectations that may not come to fruition but also want to be transparent with our readers. With that in mind, I've been receiving calls from some sources telling me that Bob Stoops is back in the mix. However, there are just as many tied in sources that are dubious regarding the latest Stoops' rumors. And some are convinced that the buzz about Stoops is being created by DHR International (search firm hired by FSU) as a smokescreen.
My opinion is still that Stoops to FSU is still probably a long shot. But have to admit I've heard enough that I wouldn't be shocked if it happened.
I know people here want more tasty nuggets but this is what we have right now. Hoping we get more in the near future. But for now, nothing has really changed regarding the top candidates that are in play, other that Bob Stoops possibly being back in the mix.
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11/30 @ Noon
The FSU brass is one the road and if all goes well this should be the final trip before the next head football coach is finalized. Don't have many details of the itinerary since the travel is likely being done through jets arranged through search firm DHR International. This is done so that they can keep everyone at bay from figuring out where they are visiting.
Multiple sources have denied the report of multiple candidates eliminating Florida State from consideration. The only candidates I've heard are out from our Hot Boards are Mark Stoops and Bob Stoops (yes, there could still be some discussions going on but it's still a major long shot). From what we can tell, Matt Campbell, James Franklin and Mike Norvell are still very much in the mix, and I wouldn't be surprised if one, two or all from this group get in-person visits from FSU in the next day or two (if it hasn't happened already).
There's been more buzz from the FSU side about Brian Kelly the last couple days. Word is he isn't happy at Notre Dame, and it could be partially due to the difficulty recruiting with the school's strict academic requirements. That being said, I checked with our source in South Bend and they informed me that Kelly is currently negotiating with the school to extend his current deal. He's also in the process of building a home near campus and his daughter is enrolled at Notre Dame. So this could all be a ploy to get a better deal out of the Irish administration. Seems like a bit of a stretch but we can't completely discount the possibility.
Florida State is still shooting for an early week announcement for the new head coach -- probably Tuesday. Still wouldn't surprise me if it ends up being later in the week since a lot will need to get wrapped up in a very short time frame. Big deals never seem to get finalized as quickly as you would expect when agents and attorneys involved.
The initial indications are that president John Thrasher's letter to major donors last week had the intended impact. We've been told that several million dollars have been pledged in response to the letter.
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11/27 @ 2:20 p.m.
A couple nuggets before the Thanksgiving holiday kicks in. First, I mentioned a potential follow-up meeting/interview with Mike Norvell. I've now heard from a couple sources that there will be multiple stops by the FSU brass during the holiday weekend to talk to candidates. So those adept at tracking planes should put your skills to work. Of course, you might be matching wits with Glenn Sugiyama, who has a history of misdirection when it comes to tracking plane flights.
I've also confirmed with multiple sources that nothing has been finalized in terms of FSU's hire. Meaning, there isn't one coach that is locked into the job just yet. That seems a bit odd considering FSU is shooting to announce the hire early next week. Perhaps a lot of the groundwork has been laid with the top candidates so they are expecting to close the deal quickly.
And yes, I'll close with a note on everyone's favorite - Bob Stoops. Heard from another credible source today that it's not done and the sides are still talking. I will add that all signs still point to this being a long shot. Again, unless this is the cover-up of the century, no deal was done, there is no conspiracy and FSU was rejected the first time around. Now, if some of you plane flight sleuths can track a Tallahassee flight to Stoops' backyard we might have something.
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11/26 @ 2:45 p.m.
We should be in the stretch run of what has been a pretty long coaching search. Still hear there's a decent chance we'll get an official announcement early next week. But again, there is always a chance of a setback or somebody having a last minute change of heart which could postpone these plans.
About a week ago, I mentioned there were two main candidates generating the most buzz around Florida State. Today, we are consistently hearing three names both from FSU and outside sources.
Matt Campbell - It's been consistently quiet surrounding the current Iowa State coach. I know a lot of people are very impressed with his coaching acumen, vision and believe he would be an excellent fit at Florida State. It's a bit odd that we haven't heard more from people that saying he's "the guy", but nobody has dismissed him either. Could be it's been wrapped up for a while, that the two or three in the know are keeping a very low profile and are using misdirection to get people to focus on other candidates.
James Franklin - My logical mind keeps telling me this is a long shot but we keep hearing very positive reports about Florida State's chances here. I have little doubt that there have been encouraging discussions back and forth that has led some to believe he will be making the move from Penn State to Florida State. My concern is that this is all an agent-driven ploy to get him a better deal and/or concessions from Penn State's administration. You may remember this happened on nearly an annual basis with Jimbo Fisher and LSU. This situation seems similar but it could also be that he does have a legitimate interest in a new challenge at FSU. Or maybe current PSU president Eric Barron calls his bluff and forces his hand. Either way, only Franklin probably knows for sure.
Mike Norvell - I've heard Norvell's name more than any other coach the last 48 hours. There has been one interview and was told there's plans for another one, or some sort of follow-up meeting, coming up in the near future. Not only do we keep hearing Norvell mentioned as a prime candidate from FSU sources, a contact from another school indicated to me today that he is "likely going to Florida State". This other school plans to fire their coach, inquired about Norvell and that's the response they reportedly received. They were also told that he isn't interested in Arkansas, who many felt was his top choice. All that should lead me to say he's the front-runner but one thing doesn't add up. Why would president John Trasher reach out to the top donors to raise their contribution levels for "The Renaissance of Florida State Football" so they can hire someone with limited head coaching experience from AAC school? His buyout is minimal ($500K) and even if FSU doubles his current salary he will be making the same thing Willie Taggart did.
I'm hesitant to even throw this out there but I've been told there could still be some dialog going on between FSU and Bob Stoops. This has nothing to do with the conspiracy theory that a deal has been done all along, but just that FSU hasn't completely closed the door on the former Oklahoma coach.
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11/24 @ 12:45 p.m.
Florida State coaching search is about to hit the stretch run. There are some aspects that are coming into clarity. For one, we hear the official announcement could happen as early as the Monday after the Florida game (12/2). If not the, very likely that week unless something falls through.
A couple coaches that were on the hot board are fading. It's been out for a bit but obviously Mark Stoop is no longer a primary candidate. Whether Kentucky upped its offer or whether he didn't like being a fallback candidate, it doesn't matter. He's pretty much no longer in the mix - long shot at best.
The odds that Odell Haggins will get the job appear to be fading. Heard for a couple days now that it's pretty unlikely he will be the man, which leads me to believe that FSU feels pretty good about another candidate or candidates. Who might that be?
All signs are really pointing to one of two prime targets -- Matt Campbell and James Franklin. Haven't heard much positive or negative about Campbell for a while but he's definitely on the short list. What I have heard is a lot of buzz trending towards Franklin. Still seems odd for him to leave Penn State considering he's a Pennsylvania native. But we keep hearing stories about disputes with Penn State's administration. And maybe after six years he's not so happy in Happy Valley. Would be a major splash hire if FSU is able to pull it off.
I'm not saying FSU's next coach will be one of these two, because there are probably a half dozen other candidates right on the fence. Anything could happen and the focus could shift. But one thing that seems apparent is that FSU seems confident that it has wrapped up or is close to wrapping up a deal for the next head coach.
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11/22 @ 10:30 a.m.
Making a short check-in before the weekend kicks in.
I keep thinking it doesn't pass the smell test, but we keep hearing James Franklin's name as a legitimate candidate. It's not just that FSU is interested, but we hear there is real interest on his end. The root of this is are issues with Penn State's administration. I'm still hesitant to place him among the top group on the Hot Board because of a concern that this could be all a leverage play to get concessions from Penn State.
Still hearing Brian Kelly's and Guz Malzahn's names but would still consider both long shot candidates until we get some hard intel that the two sides are seriously discussing the opening. That may not happen until after the regular season. At this stage, if there have been discussions it has probably been limited to the search firm to protect their privacy
Luke Fickell at Cincinnati is another name that has popped lately. He was a co-DC with Urban Meyer at Ohio State before Cincinnati. Has done a tremendous job with the Bearcats. His buyout at $2.5 million is not as high as most of the other candidates. Could be moving up our Hot Board.
For the conspiracy theory folks that are convinced Florida State has a secret deal in place with Bob Stoops, I received additional confirmation that he is no longer in the mix. The basis of that is there were some financial moves made last week to make deal happen. Those moves were scrapped right after we were told that Stoops was no longer a candidate. I'll always add that there's nothing preventing the two sides re-opening a dialog, or FSU presenting an even better offer. So it's never completely dead until a another coach is actually signed, but I'm convinced that the original deal fell through as was reported.
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11/20 @ 3:20 p.m.
Going to have a new Hot Board posted here shortly. What’s said here will mostly be an explanation of why candidates are where they are on the Board, plus a few nuggets.
Now that Bob Stoops is apparently no longer a viable candidate, there are a lot of potential candidates being looked at. From what we are able to tell, there isn’t a clear leader or anyone standing out significantly. As such, there is still a ways to go before hard negotiations take place to lock down a deal.
We’ve been hearing a lot of interesting names the past several days. Typically, I don’t like sharing names of candidates, or potential candidates, unless they either come from a direct source or we’ve heard the names from multiple sources. Doesn’t mean they on the short list, but at least FSU has some interest, and/or the coach has expressed interest in the opening. With that in mind here are a few things that have come our way.
Matt Campbell – I wouldn’t call him the front-runner but his name comes up as often as anyone.
James Franklin – He remains on our list, but not among the top three or four. As we explain in the soon to be released Hot Board, he’s reportedly had some recent disagreements with Penn State’s administration. I can’t say whether that’s enough to convince him to leave for another position, but it at least leaves the door slightly ajar.
Jack Del Rio/NFL coach or former coach – I heard this name once a few days ago but it wasn’t enough for me to mention. But since then we’ve heard from another source that FSU has reached out to an NFL coach or former coach about the job opening. It adds up that it could be Del Rio, or someone else tied to the NFL.
Gus Malzahn – In speaking to our Auburn contact, there’s a good chance he could be dismissed should the Tigers finish the regular season with a loss to rival Alabama. He would become instantly available and his $7 million buyout would disappear. Even so, it’s probably a bit of a long shot but wanted to share that we have heard his name come up a couple times. Arkansas could also be in play for his services if he does get fired.
P.J. Fleck and Mike Norvell – Still hear their names occasionally so I wouldn’t completely write either off. Fleck’s buyout is probably too much to overcome. And Norvell might be a reach considering he’s only head coaching experience is a couple years at Memphis.
Gary Patterson and Bryan Kelly – Feel a little dirty even mentioning these two, but I’ve heard the names more than once. Even so, I’d put them in the major long shot category.
Bob Stoops – I’m not buying into all the online chatter that he is back in the mix. However, I’m not going to completely discount the possibility. Stoops could have a change or heart, or the two sides might start up a dialog again.
Finally, we did hear that FSU met with Deion Sanders to discuss his interest in the head coaching job. We were told that Deion did a really nice job laying out a game plan for Florida State football. But again, the meeting was out of courtesy since he isn’t a serious candidate.
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11/18 @ 2:40 p.m.
First, apologize that we haven't been able to provide more coaching search nuggets lately. I realize some here are getting pretty hungry. Think it's a combination of (1) FSU going out of its way to stop the flow of info. and keep as much as possible in-house. And (2) with Bob Stoops apparently no longer in the mix, FSU and the search firm have been focused on researching and vetting as many candidates. As a result, there just isn't that much out there of substance to even talk about.
I've said this before, but it bears repeating -- FSU is not in a hurry to make a hire. I understand that a lot of fans want immediate gratification. Not making a quick hire doesn't mean the administration is incompetent or are screwing this up. It means they are not going to make the same mistake by rushing it this time around. From what we can tell, this has been a very meticulous process and FSU and the search firm are going to be as thorough as possible.
Along those lines, I've fielded several questions about the timeline for the hire being announced. Heard from a couple sources that it's now looking like it will happen after the Florida game (11/30). If I had to guess, it will probably come down the following week (12/2-6). Keep in mind that most candidates are currently coaching so it's a lot less messy if they are able close out the regular seasons with their current team before the news comes out.
On the next coach, keep hearing reports that momentum is building for Odell Haggins to take the job. Fair or not, a lot of weight could be placed on the football team's performance in Gainesville. Keep in mind the president is a politician at heart so the timing of major announcements is incredibly important. Hard to envision FSU naming Haggins as the head coach following a blowout loss. On the other hand, should the game be close and competitive, it would do a lot to make the hire a lot more palatable in the minds of the fans.
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11/16 @ 10 p.m.
Long day but not much to report. I haven't heard much about Brent Venables lately. We heard his name a lot early in the process but pretty much nothing since. Florida State is either being incredibly secretive or Venables is no longer one of the prime candidates. Possibly he didn't make it past the requirements that the FSU and search firm were looking for.
Heard FSU has three primary candidates they are currently looking hard at. I'll do more digging before we have an updated Hot Board posted in a day or two. But for now, if I had to guess I'd say the three are Mark Stoops, Mike Norvell and Matt Campbell. Not reporting that or saying I heard that, but just my hunch based on a lot of things we've heard.
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11/16 @ 9:45 a.m.
With Bob Stoops seemingly no longer in the mix, Director of Athletics David Coburn and FSU president John Thrasher have been busy traveling. One or both have been on the road conducting interviews. We don't have specifics but have enough pieces from various sources to put together some of the puzzle.
* There was a meeting with Stoops in Texas. Apparently, this is where he walked away from the offer. It's possible they also met with Baylor coach Matt Rhule while there but haven't been able to confirm that.
* There was an interview/meeting with Memphis head coach Mike Norvell. He's low on our Hot Board so we'll have to move him up.
* There's a pretty good chance there was a meeting/interview with Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops. The FSU contingent was at a nearby location which makes me believe the meeting was with the younger Stoops since they wouldn't do it Lexington.
* Admittedly this is a stretch on my part but I'm going to throw it out there because I've heard enough noise that makes think this a possibility. Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn could be in the mix. He's once again on the hot seat at Auburn and many feel if they lose today to Georgia the Tigers will cut him loose. We have enough to mention his name, but unless we hear more to back it up we would probably put him near the bottom of our next Hot Board (unless Auburn wins and then he's completely off)
Odell Haggins will be officially interviewed on Sunday. We hear he plans to keep on Kendal Briles and Randy Clements on staff. In addition, we've heard there's talk about potentially setting up a coach in waiting agreement with Briles. Also, Jeff Lebby from UCF would likely join the offensive staff (Briles and Lebby are brothers-in-law and grew up together as friends in Texas). My guess is that Lebby would take the job in hopes of being promoted to OC if and when Briles take the head job.
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11/15 @ 2:30 p.m.
Phone has been blowing up the past hour or so with the same message - "Bob Stoops is out". It is interesting there has been such a concerted effort from FSU decision-makers to quash the Stoops nearing a deal reports today. Pretty much heard from every single one of our FSU sources the exact same thing in the last couple hours.
Anyway, taking off my tinfoil hat, we did hear that David Coburn and couple other higher-ups in Athletics are still out and about. We don't know the specifics of what or where they are, but assume it has something to do with the coaching search - probably conducting interviews.
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11/15 @ 1:10 p.m.
Two connected sources that tell us "Bob Stoops is no longer a candidate". We didn't get specifics but it sounds like all his demands were met but he just decided to walk away. We've been told Florida State will begin conducting interviews with the other top candidates immediately.
Hesitant to even mention this, but there are some that feel a deal with Stoops could still be alive but that FSU is trying to throw everybody off the scent. I don't think that's the case, but admit it's a slim possibility.
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11/15 @ 12:45 p.m.
We are looking into the Democrat story citing sources saying that Bob Stoops is no longer a candidate. Jim Henry is pretty solid so doubt he would put this out there without something solid to back it up. But it could also be that FSU wants to deflect attention away from Stoops until everything is finalized. Anyway, as soon as we have something confirmed one way or another we will let you know.
It could be that a deal was negotiated, FSU met the demands presented by his agent, but then Stoops decided to walk away. Was concerned this was a possibility all along.
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11/15 @ 11 a.m.
No breaking news so far this morning. We did receive additional confirmation that a deal with Bob Stoops is definitely not done. There is still excitement and people are optimistic but don't count your chickens just yet.
And to be fully transparent, and take this however you wish, but there are still people close to Bob Stoops that insist there is nothing to the FSU coaching rumors. Not completely discounting these people, but this situation isn't all that unusual when a coach is negotiating a deal. Keep in mind that Jimbo Fisher's closest friends were the last to know he was leaving FSU.
The only other nugget of interest we've heard is that a new candidate may have emerged within the last day or two. We've been told a coach has reached out to express his interest in the position. This is someone that has not previously been considered a candidate, and is not on our latest Hot Board. We do some digging today to see if we can come up with a name.
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11/14 @ 5:30 p.m.
Things definitely aren't as quiet as they've been the last few days. There is a lot excitement around FSU Athletics and the Boosters. My phone has been going off even more than usual with people in the loop that feel that something major is about to happen. There are some in the know that are unusually optimistic that a deal with Bob Stoops is very close to being finalized. Something could happen on this front as soon as tonight or tomorrow.
There has been a lot of chatter within athletics that David Coburn went out of town unexpectedly, and that it probably has to do with the coaching search.
We are working our best sources to see if we can get additional information on how close a deal is to being completed. I will again warn people that until Bob Stoops signs on the dotted line it's not "done". In the past he has walked away from similar deals so while things sure seem to be trending in a positive direction don't get too carried away just yet.
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11/14 @ 2 p.m.
Our Hot Board 3.0 should be posted later this afternoon.
All in all very quiet on the Bob Stoops front. Not sure if this is the calm before the storm or what. After the meeting yesterday (we assume it happened somewhere) the ball is now in Stoops' court. As mentioned before, the next couple days are probably fish or cut bait time. If he doesn't give an answer soon, FSU will move on and aggressively go after other candidates, probably starting next week.
We are now confident in telling you that Odell Haggins does want the job. When the job first opened up I honestly didn't feel like he was all that interested but based on what I've been told the last couple days he has thrown hat into the mix. He's been added to our upcoming Hot Board so there will be more there.
Don't be surprised if you hear that Deion Sanders will get a courtesy interview. As we've been saying, he's not a legitimate candidate but the university is willing to talk to him out of respect.
NOTE: We'll have a live chat later today answering subscriber questions. Keep in mind we may not go that deep into some of the coaching search questions that have been posted. I would rather specifically answer questions on the forums rather than do it on a public video chat. But we'll do our best to touch on as much as we can.
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11/13 @ 4 p.m.
What I've been hearing all day is that if Florida State is able to pull off a deal with Bob Stoops it's going to be one of the biggest in college football. We've been told he's asking for the moon both in terms of compensation for himself and his staff, financial commitments to the the program/facilities, and to have some power within athletics. While there's been some bristling on FSU's end to these demands (see yesterdays updates), negotiations are continuing. We get the impression that FSU is really going all in on trying to get this done. That's obviously the case if president John Thasher is meeting with him today. Not going to confirm that's definitely happening, but a lot of signs point that way.
A note for those getting overly optimistic -- We were reminded that Stoops flirted with Florida quite a bit when he was at OU. At the time, his demands were met but he still ultimately turned them down. Not saying that's indicative of what's happening here since he's not currently a head coach of a top 10 program, but he does have some history of getting cold feet. Again, just sharing some of what we are hearing from people in the know.
Sorry that we've said this before, but this really should be coming to a head one way or another soon. If something solid isn't in place in the next couple days, it sure sounds like FSU will start turning its attention to other candidates on the list.
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11/13 @ 10:20 a.m.
Despite all the conflicting reports we received yesterday, our best source is still pretty confident that FSU is close to getting a deal done with Bob Stoops.
There are some rumors about the about FSU president John Thrasher traveling today to meet with Stoops. That's possible. Heard he was traveling today for something that is "football related" (but can't confirm it's for a meeting with Stoops and/or his agent).
All this being said, I haven't heard from any source that a deal is actually "done" and/or that an agreement is in writing. So those reporting he's been hired are jumping the gun. There are definitely still a couple things that still need to get worked out before it's done.
Mentioned a few days ago about not being sure if Kendal Briles would stay on as offensive coordinator if Stoops is hired. Our Oklahoma contact said he wasn't the biggest fan of the Briles. However, it's sounding like this is more directed towards Art rather than Kendal. There is a lot of positive momentum now for the younger Briles staying on to run the offense if Stoops becomes FSU's next head coach.
As always, we will keep you updated as soon as get new nuggets.
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11/12 @ 7:45 p.m.
My phone has received more calls and texts in the last four hours than it has in the last four days. But that's not necessarily a good thing. As we mentioned earlier, the FSU side was very optimistic that a deal with Bob Stoops was nearly wrapped up. But since then we've received a lot of conflicting information.
Our Oklahoma source actually spoke to Stoops tonight to see if he would confirm some of what is coming out of Tallahassee about a possible deal. He didn't outright say it's not happening but said "nothing has changed". Our source also said he made a lot of commitments with the new XFL league that involved a lot of people, including friends, and it would be odd if he bailed on everyone right now.
Then heard from a secondary FSU source that the deal may have fallen apart. Not sure if Stoops was asking for too much, or maybe this is just the normal back and forth stuff that goes along with negotiating huge contracts with sports agents.
In any event, I'm pretty sure he hasn't actually signed the contract, as some are saying.
I realize this post probably isn't very helpful or informative. However, I want to pass on everything we near so there is full transparency with our users. A major bonus of doing this for so long is that we've developed a lot of trusted sources over the years. This is usually very helpful in situations like this, but it can also be incredibly frustrating when you receive conflicting reports.
As soon as we hear more we will pass it on.
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11/12 @ 5:15 p.m.
We've heard from a couple different sources today that there have been positive developments within the last 24 hours in FSU's pursuit of Bob Stoops. Sounds like a deal is pretty close to being wrapped up. If things move forward as expected, it's anticipated that an announcement will come next week.
Don't want get too far out of ahead of this because deals like this fall through all the time, but at least from we are being told the people at FSU are optimistic that it will get done.
Stay tuned....
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11/11 @ 11:00 a.m.
Don't need to tell you that it's been very slow the past few days. Don't think much has changed. All indications are FSU is still ultra focused on plan A, which is Bob Stoops. Also, it seems like FSU has made a concerted effort to limit the flow of information on the coaching search.
As we hinted at before, there's a decent chance we could hear something this week on the deal with Stoops (positive or negative). Not sure it would be actually announced this week but if there's a meeting of the minds/handshake deal we should know about it. If it doesn't work out, or Stoops hedges, I expect FSU to move forward by aggressively looking at other candidates.
Speaking of other candidates, I keep hearing that the other Stoops (Mark) has a strong interest in the FSU opening. Although he's probably among the top five coaches being considered, not sure he's in the top three.
Not related to the coaching search, but don't be surprised if FSU gets an invite to the Gator Bowl. The talks have heated up after the Seminoles' win over Boston College. And decision-makers in Jacksonville feel like they missed out on FSU because the Boise State game was moved. By the way, the Gator Bowl is Jan. 2 with a 7 p.m. kickoff.
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11/9 @ 9:15 a.m.
Good morning! Apologize that there hasn't been more updates lately. There just hasn't been much newsworthy to report the last couple days.
The most relevant nugget to come our why is that the negotiations are close to wrapping up and a decision from Bob Stoops could come as soon as Sunday.
A couple things to keep in mind here. First, as we've been saying, it's still unknown what Stoops will ultimately decide. Just because FSU has met his basic demands (as presented through his representative) it doesn't mean he'll pull the trigger. There are some in the Stoops' camp that feel he may not want to get back into college coaching. Then there's the threat from other schools. However, a source in the Stoops' camp told us that all things being equal, he prefers FSU over other schools with likely openings.
Second, even if a basic agreement is reached don't expect anything to be announced for a while. The most consistent thing we've heard from our FSU sources is that it's going to be a couple weeks before an actual hire is made.
I know Ira wrote about it, but we have additional confirmation that Deion Sanders is not a legitimate candidate for the head coaching position. It's disappointing that Ian Rapoport even tweeted about it, because he's usually pretty good when it comes to NFL news. But he's completely out to lunch here.
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11/7 @2:30 p.m.
Had a minute to check in. Still nothing major to report regarding the negotiations with Stoops' representative. I did hear there have been some quiet inquiries coming from the Stoops' camp regarding staffing within athletics. Obviously, that's a very positive sign that he is taking this seriously.
The other item we found out is there will probably be some competition for Stoops. Other schools are starting to express interest including at least one major player.
We received additional confirmation that FSU will not be making any announcements this week on a head coach. In addition to the current negotiations going on, FSU is letting the search firm do it's job to come up with as many candidates as possible.
Speaking of other potential candidates, we've heard more buzz about Matt Campbell at Iowa State. I wouldn't say he's a top candidate, but we will probably move him up in the next version of our Hot Board.
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11/6 @ 10:15 p.m.
As I mentioned in the last update, it's been a quiet day and also a quiet evening. The only notable update I've received regarding FSU's discussions of with Bob Stoops' representative is "it's progressing nicely". We've heard similar talk all day.
Everything sounds very positive, but I want to warn people that even if all the terms get worked out, it's ultimately up to Bob Stoops to take the deal. It may be fine for his agent to work something out with FSU, but in talking to people close to Stoops it's uncertain whether he'll actually pull the trigger.
Note: I've got some family business to deal with tomorrow so my time on the boards may be limited Thursday and part of Friday. If I receive notable updates I'll pass them on to Ira to post. And I may even get some laptop time. But might me difficult for me to get to questions. So please be patient.
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11/6 @ 1:10 p.m.
Sorry there hasn't been more updates. It's been a relatively quiet day so far.
What we have heard is that the discussions with the Bob Stoops' camp are moving in a positive direction. So far, no major holdups or snags. Sometimes not hearing anything major is a sign that the negotiating parties are making good progress.
Based on several discussions with sources connected on both sides, my theory is that Bob Stoops told his agent he has interest in the FSU opening, gave him some requirements for job (salary, staff, support), and left it to his agent to put together the best deal possible. So that's where we are at right now. When that's done to the satisfaction of his representative, Stoops will be presented with the offer and make his decision. I'm convinced that until that happens it's guesswork on whether he will take the job or not. Only Bob Stoops knows what he'll do.
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11/5 @ 9:45 p.m.
I know people get anxious when we don't post night nuggets. So here's what we've got.
Nothing earth shattering but heard from two of our best sources since the last update and both insist the discussions with the Bob Stoops' representative are very much alive and ongoing. He is still FSU's top target despite reports in the national media that he has no interest. From what we gather, FSU is in the process of putting together a compensation package and details for the position. Once together, the agent will present it to Stoops.
Until that happens and FSU hears back from Stoops we are in limbo. In the meantime, the search firm will continue to gather names and vet potential candidates.
Not sure why some folks, including a couple people we spoke to, thought this might happen quickly because it's sure looking like it may take a while.
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11/5 @ 4:45 p.m.
First, sorry if you have been experiencing outages on Warchant. Rivals is having some technical bugs that are causing issues. They are working on it and will hopefully have it resolved soon.
Florida State's coaching search sure is off to a bizarre start. What I can gather from talking to people connected with FSU and in the Bob Stoops' camp is that this far from dead. The two sides are still in "actively talking". Not buying the comments from Stoops to our source and to Kirk Herbstreit about him not being a candidate. Yes, Stoops probably hasn't had any personal contact with FSU but his agent is certainly involved. Stoops' representative isn't doing this without his consent.
It's looking like the truth in this lies somewhere in the middle. Bob Stoops to FSU is clearly not the "done deal" that some were proclaiming yesterday. However, I've heard from enough people I trust that there's definitely something going on. He has some interest or his agent wouldn't be talking to representatives from FSU.
My suggestion is to not get too excited about Bob Stoops to FSU but also don't buy the reports that he isn't interested either. What does seem consistent is that if a basic agreement isn't done in the next 48 hours or so, FSU will begin start looking actively at other candidates. So who are the next two?
Brent Venables
P.J. Fleck
In fact, heard both will likely be interviewed next week. Not sure what that means but it would probably be by phone, and it may be an interview with the search firm, not FSU directly. We will have an updated hot board up later today.
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11/5 @ 11:45 a.m.
Got this directly from the Bob Stoops camp. When asked about the FSU job, Stoops told our source "I'm not a candidate". This person has known Stoops for years, this is a direct quote and Stoops even gave him permission to pass what he said on to us.
Could that be posturing since he has currently has a contract with an XFL team? Possibly, but it's clearly not a positive sign for Florida State. This is a bit odd because FSU is definitely in active discussions with his representative about the head coaching position. Not sure what the point of that is if he doesn't have a legitimate interest in the job.
As I hinted at below, was told Stoops doesn't want deal with all the pressure and responsibilities that goes along with being a major college football coach again, including having to recruit.
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Just posting this here. We mentioned this yesterday, but FSU officially announced hiring of the search firm this morning. Press release:
Tallahassee, FLA. – Florida State University Director of Athletics David Coburn announced today that FSU has contracted with DHR International, a global executive search firm, to assist in the search for the Seminoles’ next football coach.
“We are confident that DHR will be a valuable partner in assisting us with identifying the candidates who best match our priorities for a head coach,” said Coburn.
“Glenn (Sugiyama) is a highly-respected professional in the industry who will spearhead the effort for DHR,” added Coburn. “He shares our expectation that we will attract the coach to lead our program back among the nation’s elite.”
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11/5 @ 11:10 a.m.
Might need to cool the jets a bit on Bob Stoops. There was a conference call this morning and the feeling is that Stoops is might be having second thoughts about getting back into college coaching. The deal certainly isn't dead and Stoops is still the top target but contingency plans are being made in case (more details on that later).
Again, if an agreement isn't in place with Bob Stoops by the end of the week, FSU will move on to Plan B.
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11/5 @ 10 a.m.
First, the more we hear the more it doesn't sounds like Bob Stoops was in town yesterday. If he did stop over in Tallahassee on his flight, it must have been for a very short handshake session.
What we can confirm is that a representative of Stoops, FSU decision-makers and someone from the Glenn Sugiyama search firm (may have been Glenn Sugiyama himself) had dinner last night in Tallahassee to discuss details of a potential hire.
A source connected to the situation told me "FSU is all in on (Bob) Stoops".
I've been getting wildly different reports on the potential timeline for a hire being made. Obviously, it's beneficial to hire Stoops quickly since he would have more time to evaluate the roster, get settled in and start in on recruiting. At the same time, it doesn't sound like all the details are ironed out yet and huge deals like this generally take time to finalize.
That being said, not sure if a hire will be officially announced in the next couple days, but we hear the plan is to have some kind of basic agreement in place by the end of the week. There are some secondary candidates that will be interviewed next week if they don't have something in place with Bob Stoops.
Have a source that has known Stoops from his time at Oklahoma that should be able to provide us with more details later today, including his relationship with Art and Kendal Briles. Was told the relationship may not have been chummy as some are saying.
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11/4 @ 9:45 p.m.
There's a lot of buzz around that Bob Stoops will be announced this week. That could happen but there are people in the know telling us that the head coach hire may not happen quite that quickly.
The signs are still positive for Bob Stoops and heard from multiple people that he was in town on Monday (can't confirm). Either way, the talk that it's a "done deal" and/or "press conference coming" is premature. Sorry to be a buzz kill, and get why people are anxious to be the first on something like this when so much is pointing in one direction. The two sides are definitely on the same page but it sounds like there are still some details to be negotiated. That may take a few days or a few weeks. Unfortunately, agents and attorneys are involved so that means nothing will happen easily and generally not quickly.
The warning we got from someone very close to Bob Stoops is that until every detail is finalized he won't be all in. But we can confirm he's spoken to the Glenn Sugiyama search firm and has even put out feelers out about filling out a staff at FSU (should it happen). There's a good reason why we aren't "reporting" that Bob Stoops will be the head coach just yet. While, I think Bob Stoops is the primary target and it looks very positive for FSU, deals like this do fall apart sometimes.
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11/4 @ 5:15 p.m.
Don't always agree with FootballScoop because they get their info. from agents that often feed them stuff to help their clients that isn't always accurate, but this is. That's why I asked Coburn about hiring a search firm - heard it was going to be this group.
Here are a couple links of interest:
Glenn Sugiyama search firm
Glenn Sugiyama: A Visionary in the Collegiate Arena
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11/4 2:15 p.m.
Continuing to hear from a lot of contacts that insist Bob Stoops is pretty close to being a done deal. Still having a hard time wrapping my head around the notion that he could be FSU's next head football coach. He had zero interest the last time around, has been out of coaching for three years and will turn 60 next year. But some of these sources are batting 1.000.
An interesting note should Bob Stoops get the job. We hear there's a decent chance that Kendal Briles would remain on staff as the OC. Lincoln Riley (OU's coach and former assistant with Bob Stoops) have a good relationship.
But to be fair, I heard from another solid source that Lane Kiffin is now in the mix. My feeling is this is more of an agent floating his name out there to create buzz for his client. I also keep hearing Matt Campbell's (Iowa State) name a lot but not from a reliable source.
Commentary: Bob Stoops would probably be the biggest splash hire FSU could make (outside of Urban Meyer but that was never going to happen). As noted previously, if it happens it will likely be soon. A quick hire would give Stoops the opportunity to evaluate the current roster in-person, take his time to get the recruiting class in order, enough time to hire his staff, and get all his ducks in a row with the Admin and Boosters. With all the other candidates, especially someone like Fleck, they may not be able to join the team until December and would be left scrambling to deal with all of these important obligations.
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11/4 @ 12:20 p.m.
Based on AC David Coburn's comments at today's press conference, it sounds like they will take a little time before officially announcing a hire. Could be that Bob Stoops is the front-runner but the school feels like they need to do their due diligence before taking the next step, which makes sense. At the very least, we should have Bob Stoops up there with the other leading candidates in our Hot Board.
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11/4 @ 11:30 a.m.
Hearing a LOT of buzz about Bob Stoops. I've been hearing his name for months but figured with him being out of football for a couple years, his age and price tag that he wasn't realistic. A couple good sources told me today he's the top target and it could happen really quickly, maybe as soon as today.
I'm still hesitant to say this here because it doesn't pass the smell test but I can't ignore reliable sources.
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Here is the first iteration of our head coach hot board.
So you know how we do this, we do not list prime names unless we've heard they are definitely in the mix from a verified source. We do not throw out names because they make sense or will generate a buzz.
With the last head coaching hot board we did on Dec. 1 2017, Willie Taggart was the first candidate we listed. Things moved quickly and he was hired just a few days later. Since there's a lot more lead time before the next coach will be hired there's a good chance that our hot board will change a few times. Keep in mind that there's a lot more time to negotiate, look around and hear from other potential candidates.
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NUGGETS - Nov. 3 @ 8 p.m. ET
We've confirmed with multiple sources that P.J. Fleck was actually in Tallahassee last week "recruiting". It is very unusual for a head coach of a major program to travel this far to recruit in-season. Seems very likely that he met about the potential of becoming FSU's next head football coach. If I had to guess, Fleck might be the top choice but it's probably too early in the process to say anyone is the leading candidate.
I've heard Mark Stoops name mentioned by several people with connections to the decision-makers. He made a good impression during his time at Florida State and most feel he would be a solid choice. He's definitely on the early short list.
Heard Napier's name mentioned by some people pretty high up the FSU food chain. Sounds like there's a good chance that he will get an interview.
Really think he's a long shot, but put Bob Stoops name at the end of the list. Yes, his name gets thrown around a lot but most with contacts within the program believe he's not a realistic candidate.
NOTE: We will have a live interactive Warchant chat at 9 p.m. ET to discuss the coaching situation at FSU. Stay tuned
12/7 @ 11:30 a.m.
You've probably seen Ira's report - Mike Norvell expected to be introduced as FSU football coach Sunday. Unless something very unusual happens in the next few hours, Norvell will officially become FSU's next head football coach in about 24 hours.
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12/7 @ 12:30 a.m.
ESPN and other outlets are now reporting that Mike Norvell is likely to be named FSU's next head football coach. Obviously that's no surprise for anyone that has been following the updates the past week or so.
We were told by two different sources earlier tonight that it was going to be Norvell. The only potential holdup we heard was a possible last ditch effort by Ole Miss to make a huge offer in hopes of out-bidding FSU. But it's looking like that fell through as most now have Lane Kiffin headed to Ole Miss.
Pretty good chance we get something official or strong confirmation of the hire sometime on Saturday night after the AAC championship game.
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12/6 @ 10 a.m.
We've now heard from multiple sources that there's a good chance an announcement will come down on Sunday. Whether that's a press release and/or press conference we aren't sure yet. But preparations are being made that point to that day. Also, don't be surprised if the news is leaked Saturday night.
On the coaching front, most of the signs still point to Mike Norvell being the guy. One of those signs is that our contacts at Ole Miss tell us he's turned them down with the assumption that he's headed to Tallahassee. Of course the fact that nothing is being announced this week is another sign since Memphis is playing in the AAC Championship game this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.
All that being said, some quality sources are still convinced that the next coach won't be Norvell. There are some things that don't add up and even one Memphis source is convinced he hasn't been offered the FSU job. So it could still be someone we aren't talking about that much like a Matt Rhule or James Franklin.
In a nutshell, the odds still point to Norvell being the No. 1 option but there is still a decent chance that FSU has quietly locked down another candidate.
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12/5 @ 12:15 p.m.
The "As The Coaching Search Turns" drama is still ongoing. A direct source within FSU told us this morning that "It isn't Bob". Again, there's always a chance we are being told this to redirect us elsewhere. But you can't discount the fact that FSU is doubling down on this. It's odd that they would be so insistent this late in the process, if in fact it were Stoops.
Once again, received two completely conflicting reports last night from dependable sources - one saying it's Mike Norvell, but the other Stoops. Never been though anything like this and it's impossible to make heads or tails of what's really happening. But as I've been saying for a while, Norvell getting the job still makes the most sense.
If it is Stoops, it would probably have to go down by Saturday. We go past that without an announcement, it's pretty safe to say it's either Norvell or another candidate.
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12/4 @ 10 p.m.
As some have mentioned, there is a 9:30 a.m. team meeting scheduled for tomorrow with the football players. Not sure whether this has anything to do with the coaching hire or just the coaches going through the holiday and practice schedule. I can't imagine the first time a new coach is introduced or it's officially confirmed it's done in a manner that allows players to break the news on social media. I suppose anything is possible but have my doubts.
We have tried like crazy but we still can't discount the possibility that it might be Bob Stoops. I'm not saying this to generate more interest or to get clicks, but it's odd that every time we are ready to move on from the talk something else pops up to make it seem like a possibility. There is something about this whole search process that doesn't add up and a Stoops' hire would explain a lot of the oddities that have taken place.
All that being said, most of our solid sources are still pointing to Mike Norvell being the top candidate for the job.
As always, I like to be transparent with our readers even though what I'm telling you may be unsatisfying, confusing and contradictory.
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12/4 @ 11:45 p.m.
As I noted yesterday, Mike Norvell is looking more and more like the most likely candidate to be named FSU's next head coach. Heard more today that backs that up. If he ends up getting the job, it probably wouldn't get announced until after Saturday's AAC Championship game. That means probably next Monday (12/9) or Tuesday (12/10).
I will throw out that there has been a lot of misinformation out so it's possible what we are hearing about Norvell could be a misdirection. Seems a bit unlikely, but just mentioning the possibility.
Matt Campbell is obviously out with him signing a contract extension. It's looking like Penn State is close to extending James Franklin's contract as well. Can't completely count him but FSU's chances appear to be fading. And Bob Stoops still remains a long shot. Nothing really new there.
Sorry I don' have better or more interesting news. But that's it for now.
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12/3 @ 10:30 a.m.
The last thing I want to do is encourage the 'It's Bob Stoops' crowd but would like to put a couple things in context for those wondering about his situation. Oklahoma high school coaching legend Allan Trimble passed away on Sunday. Stoops will be attending the funeral on Wednesday. If he is going to be FSU's next head coach, the passing of Trimble would explain why FSU had plans for an announcement early this week but had to put it off. It would be a bad look for everyone involved for Stoops to take part in everything that goes along with the hiring of a coach, including a meet and greet, upbeat press conference, photo ops, etc.. immediately before or on the heels of Trimble's funeral.
Also, been told by those familiar with Bob Stoops that it wouldn't be his style to take a job during the regular season with another coach (even an interim) still running the team. So that might explain why he didn't take the job prior to this week.
Again, not saying Stoops is the guy or trying to add fuel to the fire, but we still can't completely discount the possibility. It sure would explain a lot of the misinformation that has been making the rounds. With the reports on Franklin and Campbell not looking good, it's starting to look like FSU will either hit a grand slam with its coaching hire, or end up settling for a third or fourth choice.
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12/3 @ 9 a.m.
As we first reported yesterday, it doesn't appear there will be an announcement today unless something happens quickly. So when everything will go down is now pretty open-ended. I know others are saying maybe this weekend, which is possible, but really it's just a guess at this point.
Looking more and more like Matt Campbell could be out. Received a couple confirmations that he informed his players that he's staying. That's not necessarily definitive but it's sure a strong sign that he isn't planning on going anywhere.
Still not sure if James Franklin is still in play. Receiving conflicting reports. We definitely think he received an offer from FSU that was initially rejected. Either the two sides are still negotiating and it's getting dragged out, or he and his agent are just doing this to receive a better deal from Penn State.
Mike Norvell is looking more like the strongest candidate at this stage, but it wouldn't surprise me if FSU is starting to reevaluate its coaching targets, and some other names could emerge.
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12/2 @ 4:15 p.m.
Checking in. May not great news for those of you that were hoping Florida State would have its hire in place by tomorrow. As we first noted yesterday, FSU was getting the field ready (we assume) for the coaching announcement. The University Center Club was also being prepped for a meeting and a possible afternoon press conference. However, those plans are apparently now on hold. Heard from another source that a meeting with major boosters planned for tomorrow has been postponed.
This all adds up to a delay in the announcement of Florida State's next head football coach. My best guess is that the top candidate either turned down the offer, or is renegotiating for a better deal. Since most of the groundwork on the terms and salary were likely done in advance, this isn't a great sign for FSU landing its top target.
Still hearing positive indications about Matt Campbell, assuming he's not the coach that possibly turned down the FSU offer. Don't have anything of substance to share but it makes sense that he might be the prime target with so much attention directed towards other candidates.
End of this round of Nuggets ....
People that think we are dragging this out for clicks couldn't be more off base. I want this search to end more than anyone. I'd like to get my life back and not deal with the constant headaches that come from angry posters. And for the conspiracy folks, we absolutely do not know who the next head coach is. I'm just passing on what we hear from viable sources -- it's that simple. If we knew we would tell you and we aren't going to put out false information in hopes of ingratiating ourselves to FSU. I totally get people often don't like what we post, are exhausted that this is dragging on without any real answers, and don't like bland nuggets. But please know we are doing the best job we can under the circumstances. Please try to be patient and not take it out on the messenger.
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12/2 @ 1 p.m.
Surprisingly, it's been pretty quiet this morning. The only thing we kept hearing was there was supposed to big meeting today regarding the new head coach. There still could be something later this afternoon. However, last I heard is the main meeting to potentially release the name of the coach to the power brokers would be tomorrow morning, and possibly a press conference in the afternoon. This is of course all dependent on the new coach being locked down today. If not, this could be pushed back to later in the week.
Not much on what's happening with various coaching candidates. One source told me that James Franklin recently received a 'large' offer. Not sure where that stands but the fact that he hasn't issued a statement confirming he's coming back to Penn State probably means he's still in the running.
Received additional confirmation that Mike Norvell is probably headed somewhere but it won't be Missouri. He has something locked down but no way to tell whether that's FSU, Ole Miss or even Arkansas.
There are some people pretty high up that feel Matt Campbell is the most likely candidate to get the job. But as I've said earlier, it's been really quiet on that front for a while now.
Nothing more to add on Bob Stoops. Seem to get more denials than positives about FSU's chances but nothing would really surprise me with the way this coaching search has played out. I'll say if he ends up being the head coach, a lot of people were lied to for the sake of protecting the search. It would sure make for an interesting back story.
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12/1 @ 8 p.m.
There's a good chance the frequency of nuggets will increase during the next 48 hours or so.
First, it's accurate that Florida State is prepping Doak Campbell Stadium for the introduction of the new football coach. These preparations include painting the field. As I indicated on Saturday, Tuesday appears to be the target date for the official announcement. Of course, if anything happens to impact the negotiations the target date would get pushed back.
I'm not a fan of building up expectations that may not come to fruition but also want to be transparent with our readers. With that in mind, I've been receiving calls from some sources telling me that Bob Stoops is back in the mix. However, there are just as many tied in sources that are dubious regarding the latest Stoops' rumors. And some are convinced that the buzz about Stoops is being created by DHR International (search firm hired by FSU) as a smokescreen.
My opinion is still that Stoops to FSU is still probably a long shot. But have to admit I've heard enough that I wouldn't be shocked if it happened.
I know people here want more tasty nuggets but this is what we have right now. Hoping we get more in the near future. But for now, nothing has really changed regarding the top candidates that are in play, other that Bob Stoops possibly being back in the mix.
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11/30 @ Noon
The FSU brass is one the road and if all goes well this should be the final trip before the next head football coach is finalized. Don't have many details of the itinerary since the travel is likely being done through jets arranged through search firm DHR International. This is done so that they can keep everyone at bay from figuring out where they are visiting.
Multiple sources have denied the report of multiple candidates eliminating Florida State from consideration. The only candidates I've heard are out from our Hot Boards are Mark Stoops and Bob Stoops (yes, there could still be some discussions going on but it's still a major long shot). From what we can tell, Matt Campbell, James Franklin and Mike Norvell are still very much in the mix, and I wouldn't be surprised if one, two or all from this group get in-person visits from FSU in the next day or two (if it hasn't happened already).
There's been more buzz from the FSU side about Brian Kelly the last couple days. Word is he isn't happy at Notre Dame, and it could be partially due to the difficulty recruiting with the school's strict academic requirements. That being said, I checked with our source in South Bend and they informed me that Kelly is currently negotiating with the school to extend his current deal. He's also in the process of building a home near campus and his daughter is enrolled at Notre Dame. So this could all be a ploy to get a better deal out of the Irish administration. Seems like a bit of a stretch but we can't completely discount the possibility.
Florida State is still shooting for an early week announcement for the new head coach -- probably Tuesday. Still wouldn't surprise me if it ends up being later in the week since a lot will need to get wrapped up in a very short time frame. Big deals never seem to get finalized as quickly as you would expect when agents and attorneys involved.
The initial indications are that president John Thrasher's letter to major donors last week had the intended impact. We've been told that several million dollars have been pledged in response to the letter.
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11/27 @ 2:20 p.m.
A couple nuggets before the Thanksgiving holiday kicks in. First, I mentioned a potential follow-up meeting/interview with Mike Norvell. I've now heard from a couple sources that there will be multiple stops by the FSU brass during the holiday weekend to talk to candidates. So those adept at tracking planes should put your skills to work. Of course, you might be matching wits with Glenn Sugiyama, who has a history of misdirection when it comes to tracking plane flights.
I've also confirmed with multiple sources that nothing has been finalized in terms of FSU's hire. Meaning, there isn't one coach that is locked into the job just yet. That seems a bit odd considering FSU is shooting to announce the hire early next week. Perhaps a lot of the groundwork has been laid with the top candidates so they are expecting to close the deal quickly.
And yes, I'll close with a note on everyone's favorite - Bob Stoops. Heard from another credible source today that it's not done and the sides are still talking. I will add that all signs still point to this being a long shot. Again, unless this is the cover-up of the century, no deal was done, there is no conspiracy and FSU was rejected the first time around. Now, if some of you plane flight sleuths can track a Tallahassee flight to Stoops' backyard we might have something.
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11/26 @ 2:45 p.m.
We should be in the stretch run of what has been a pretty long coaching search. Still hear there's a decent chance we'll get an official announcement early next week. But again, there is always a chance of a setback or somebody having a last minute change of heart which could postpone these plans.
About a week ago, I mentioned there were two main candidates generating the most buzz around Florida State. Today, we are consistently hearing three names both from FSU and outside sources.
Matt Campbell - It's been consistently quiet surrounding the current Iowa State coach. I know a lot of people are very impressed with his coaching acumen, vision and believe he would be an excellent fit at Florida State. It's a bit odd that we haven't heard more from people that saying he's "the guy", but nobody has dismissed him either. Could be it's been wrapped up for a while, that the two or three in the know are keeping a very low profile and are using misdirection to get people to focus on other candidates.
James Franklin - My logical mind keeps telling me this is a long shot but we keep hearing very positive reports about Florida State's chances here. I have little doubt that there have been encouraging discussions back and forth that has led some to believe he will be making the move from Penn State to Florida State. My concern is that this is all an agent-driven ploy to get him a better deal and/or concessions from Penn State's administration. You may remember this happened on nearly an annual basis with Jimbo Fisher and LSU. This situation seems similar but it could also be that he does have a legitimate interest in a new challenge at FSU. Or maybe current PSU president Eric Barron calls his bluff and forces his hand. Either way, only Franklin probably knows for sure.
Mike Norvell - I've heard Norvell's name more than any other coach the last 48 hours. There has been one interview and was told there's plans for another one, or some sort of follow-up meeting, coming up in the near future. Not only do we keep hearing Norvell mentioned as a prime candidate from FSU sources, a contact from another school indicated to me today that he is "likely going to Florida State". This other school plans to fire their coach, inquired about Norvell and that's the response they reportedly received. They were also told that he isn't interested in Arkansas, who many felt was his top choice. All that should lead me to say he's the front-runner but one thing doesn't add up. Why would president John Trasher reach out to the top donors to raise their contribution levels for "The Renaissance of Florida State Football" so they can hire someone with limited head coaching experience from AAC school? His buyout is minimal ($500K) and even if FSU doubles his current salary he will be making the same thing Willie Taggart did.
I'm hesitant to even throw this out there but I've been told there could still be some dialog going on between FSU and Bob Stoops. This has nothing to do with the conspiracy theory that a deal has been done all along, but just that FSU hasn't completely closed the door on the former Oklahoma coach.
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11/24 @ 12:45 p.m.
Florida State coaching search is about to hit the stretch run. There are some aspects that are coming into clarity. For one, we hear the official announcement could happen as early as the Monday after the Florida game (12/2). If not the, very likely that week unless something falls through.
A couple coaches that were on the hot board are fading. It's been out for a bit but obviously Mark Stoop is no longer a primary candidate. Whether Kentucky upped its offer or whether he didn't like being a fallback candidate, it doesn't matter. He's pretty much no longer in the mix - long shot at best.
The odds that Odell Haggins will get the job appear to be fading. Heard for a couple days now that it's pretty unlikely he will be the man, which leads me to believe that FSU feels pretty good about another candidate or candidates. Who might that be?
All signs are really pointing to one of two prime targets -- Matt Campbell and James Franklin. Haven't heard much positive or negative about Campbell for a while but he's definitely on the short list. What I have heard is a lot of buzz trending towards Franklin. Still seems odd for him to leave Penn State considering he's a Pennsylvania native. But we keep hearing stories about disputes with Penn State's administration. And maybe after six years he's not so happy in Happy Valley. Would be a major splash hire if FSU is able to pull it off.
I'm not saying FSU's next coach will be one of these two, because there are probably a half dozen other candidates right on the fence. Anything could happen and the focus could shift. But one thing that seems apparent is that FSU seems confident that it has wrapped up or is close to wrapping up a deal for the next head coach.
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11/22 @ 10:30 a.m.
Making a short check-in before the weekend kicks in.
I keep thinking it doesn't pass the smell test, but we keep hearing James Franklin's name as a legitimate candidate. It's not just that FSU is interested, but we hear there is real interest on his end. The root of this is are issues with Penn State's administration. I'm still hesitant to place him among the top group on the Hot Board because of a concern that this could be all a leverage play to get concessions from Penn State.
Still hearing Brian Kelly's and Guz Malzahn's names but would still consider both long shot candidates until we get some hard intel that the two sides are seriously discussing the opening. That may not happen until after the regular season. At this stage, if there have been discussions it has probably been limited to the search firm to protect their privacy
Luke Fickell at Cincinnati is another name that has popped lately. He was a co-DC with Urban Meyer at Ohio State before Cincinnati. Has done a tremendous job with the Bearcats. His buyout at $2.5 million is not as high as most of the other candidates. Could be moving up our Hot Board.
For the conspiracy theory folks that are convinced Florida State has a secret deal in place with Bob Stoops, I received additional confirmation that he is no longer in the mix. The basis of that is there were some financial moves made last week to make deal happen. Those moves were scrapped right after we were told that Stoops was no longer a candidate. I'll always add that there's nothing preventing the two sides re-opening a dialog, or FSU presenting an even better offer. So it's never completely dead until a another coach is actually signed, but I'm convinced that the original deal fell through as was reported.
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11/20 @ 3:20 p.m.
Going to have a new Hot Board posted here shortly. What’s said here will mostly be an explanation of why candidates are where they are on the Board, plus a few nuggets.
Now that Bob Stoops is apparently no longer a viable candidate, there are a lot of potential candidates being looked at. From what we are able to tell, there isn’t a clear leader or anyone standing out significantly. As such, there is still a ways to go before hard negotiations take place to lock down a deal.
We’ve been hearing a lot of interesting names the past several days. Typically, I don’t like sharing names of candidates, or potential candidates, unless they either come from a direct source or we’ve heard the names from multiple sources. Doesn’t mean they on the short list, but at least FSU has some interest, and/or the coach has expressed interest in the opening. With that in mind here are a few things that have come our way.
Matt Campbell – I wouldn’t call him the front-runner but his name comes up as often as anyone.
James Franklin – He remains on our list, but not among the top three or four. As we explain in the soon to be released Hot Board, he’s reportedly had some recent disagreements with Penn State’s administration. I can’t say whether that’s enough to convince him to leave for another position, but it at least leaves the door slightly ajar.
Jack Del Rio/NFL coach or former coach – I heard this name once a few days ago but it wasn’t enough for me to mention. But since then we’ve heard from another source that FSU has reached out to an NFL coach or former coach about the job opening. It adds up that it could be Del Rio, or someone else tied to the NFL.
Gus Malzahn – In speaking to our Auburn contact, there’s a good chance he could be dismissed should the Tigers finish the regular season with a loss to rival Alabama. He would become instantly available and his $7 million buyout would disappear. Even so, it’s probably a bit of a long shot but wanted to share that we have heard his name come up a couple times. Arkansas could also be in play for his services if he does get fired.
P.J. Fleck and Mike Norvell – Still hear their names occasionally so I wouldn’t completely write either off. Fleck’s buyout is probably too much to overcome. And Norvell might be a reach considering he’s only head coaching experience is a couple years at Memphis.
Gary Patterson and Bryan Kelly – Feel a little dirty even mentioning these two, but I’ve heard the names more than once. Even so, I’d put them in the major long shot category.
Bob Stoops – I’m not buying into all the online chatter that he is back in the mix. However, I’m not going to completely discount the possibility. Stoops could have a change or heart, or the two sides might start up a dialog again.
Finally, we did hear that FSU met with Deion Sanders to discuss his interest in the head coaching job. We were told that Deion did a really nice job laying out a game plan for Florida State football. But again, the meeting was out of courtesy since he isn’t a serious candidate.
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11/18 @ 2:40 p.m.
First, apologize that we haven't been able to provide more coaching search nuggets lately. I realize some here are getting pretty hungry. Think it's a combination of (1) FSU going out of its way to stop the flow of info. and keep as much as possible in-house. And (2) with Bob Stoops apparently no longer in the mix, FSU and the search firm have been focused on researching and vetting as many candidates. As a result, there just isn't that much out there of substance to even talk about.
I've said this before, but it bears repeating -- FSU is not in a hurry to make a hire. I understand that a lot of fans want immediate gratification. Not making a quick hire doesn't mean the administration is incompetent or are screwing this up. It means they are not going to make the same mistake by rushing it this time around. From what we can tell, this has been a very meticulous process and FSU and the search firm are going to be as thorough as possible.
Along those lines, I've fielded several questions about the timeline for the hire being announced. Heard from a couple sources that it's now looking like it will happen after the Florida game (11/30). If I had to guess, it will probably come down the following week (12/2-6). Keep in mind that most candidates are currently coaching so it's a lot less messy if they are able close out the regular seasons with their current team before the news comes out.
On the next coach, keep hearing reports that momentum is building for Odell Haggins to take the job. Fair or not, a lot of weight could be placed on the football team's performance in Gainesville. Keep in mind the president is a politician at heart so the timing of major announcements is incredibly important. Hard to envision FSU naming Haggins as the head coach following a blowout loss. On the other hand, should the game be close and competitive, it would do a lot to make the hire a lot more palatable in the minds of the fans.
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11/16 @ 10 p.m.
Long day but not much to report. I haven't heard much about Brent Venables lately. We heard his name a lot early in the process but pretty much nothing since. Florida State is either being incredibly secretive or Venables is no longer one of the prime candidates. Possibly he didn't make it past the requirements that the FSU and search firm were looking for.
Heard FSU has three primary candidates they are currently looking hard at. I'll do more digging before we have an updated Hot Board posted in a day or two. But for now, if I had to guess I'd say the three are Mark Stoops, Mike Norvell and Matt Campbell. Not reporting that or saying I heard that, but just my hunch based on a lot of things we've heard.
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11/16 @ 9:45 a.m.
With Bob Stoops seemingly no longer in the mix, Director of Athletics David Coburn and FSU president John Thrasher have been busy traveling. One or both have been on the road conducting interviews. We don't have specifics but have enough pieces from various sources to put together some of the puzzle.
* There was a meeting with Stoops in Texas. Apparently, this is where he walked away from the offer. It's possible they also met with Baylor coach Matt Rhule while there but haven't been able to confirm that.
* There was an interview/meeting with Memphis head coach Mike Norvell. He's low on our Hot Board so we'll have to move him up.
* There's a pretty good chance there was a meeting/interview with Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops. The FSU contingent was at a nearby location which makes me believe the meeting was with the younger Stoops since they wouldn't do it Lexington.
* Admittedly this is a stretch on my part but I'm going to throw it out there because I've heard enough noise that makes think this a possibility. Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn could be in the mix. He's once again on the hot seat at Auburn and many feel if they lose today to Georgia the Tigers will cut him loose. We have enough to mention his name, but unless we hear more to back it up we would probably put him near the bottom of our next Hot Board (unless Auburn wins and then he's completely off)
Odell Haggins will be officially interviewed on Sunday. We hear he plans to keep on Kendal Briles and Randy Clements on staff. In addition, we've heard there's talk about potentially setting up a coach in waiting agreement with Briles. Also, Jeff Lebby from UCF would likely join the offensive staff (Briles and Lebby are brothers-in-law and grew up together as friends in Texas). My guess is that Lebby would take the job in hopes of being promoted to OC if and when Briles take the head job.
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11/15 @ 2:30 p.m.
Phone has been blowing up the past hour or so with the same message - "Bob Stoops is out". It is interesting there has been such a concerted effort from FSU decision-makers to quash the Stoops nearing a deal reports today. Pretty much heard from every single one of our FSU sources the exact same thing in the last couple hours.
Anyway, taking off my tinfoil hat, we did hear that David Coburn and couple other higher-ups in Athletics are still out and about. We don't know the specifics of what or where they are, but assume it has something to do with the coaching search - probably conducting interviews.
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11/15 @ 1:10 p.m.
Two connected sources that tell us "Bob Stoops is no longer a candidate". We didn't get specifics but it sounds like all his demands were met but he just decided to walk away. We've been told Florida State will begin conducting interviews with the other top candidates immediately.
Hesitant to even mention this, but there are some that feel a deal with Stoops could still be alive but that FSU is trying to throw everybody off the scent. I don't think that's the case, but admit it's a slim possibility.
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11/15 @ 12:45 p.m.
We are looking into the Democrat story citing sources saying that Bob Stoops is no longer a candidate. Jim Henry is pretty solid so doubt he would put this out there without something solid to back it up. But it could also be that FSU wants to deflect attention away from Stoops until everything is finalized. Anyway, as soon as we have something confirmed one way or another we will let you know.
It could be that a deal was negotiated, FSU met the demands presented by his agent, but then Stoops decided to walk away. Was concerned this was a possibility all along.
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11/15 @ 11 a.m.
No breaking news so far this morning. We did receive additional confirmation that a deal with Bob Stoops is definitely not done. There is still excitement and people are optimistic but don't count your chickens just yet.
And to be fully transparent, and take this however you wish, but there are still people close to Bob Stoops that insist there is nothing to the FSU coaching rumors. Not completely discounting these people, but this situation isn't all that unusual when a coach is negotiating a deal. Keep in mind that Jimbo Fisher's closest friends were the last to know he was leaving FSU.
The only other nugget of interest we've heard is that a new candidate may have emerged within the last day or two. We've been told a coach has reached out to express his interest in the position. This is someone that has not previously been considered a candidate, and is not on our latest Hot Board. We do some digging today to see if we can come up with a name.
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11/14 @ 5:30 p.m.
Things definitely aren't as quiet as they've been the last few days. There is a lot excitement around FSU Athletics and the Boosters. My phone has been going off even more than usual with people in the loop that feel that something major is about to happen. There are some in the know that are unusually optimistic that a deal with Bob Stoops is very close to being finalized. Something could happen on this front as soon as tonight or tomorrow.
There has been a lot of chatter within athletics that David Coburn went out of town unexpectedly, and that it probably has to do with the coaching search.
We are working our best sources to see if we can get additional information on how close a deal is to being completed. I will again warn people that until Bob Stoops signs on the dotted line it's not "done". In the past he has walked away from similar deals so while things sure seem to be trending in a positive direction don't get too carried away just yet.
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11/14 @ 2 p.m.
Our Hot Board 3.0 should be posted later this afternoon.
All in all very quiet on the Bob Stoops front. Not sure if this is the calm before the storm or what. After the meeting yesterday (we assume it happened somewhere) the ball is now in Stoops' court. As mentioned before, the next couple days are probably fish or cut bait time. If he doesn't give an answer soon, FSU will move on and aggressively go after other candidates, probably starting next week.
We are now confident in telling you that Odell Haggins does want the job. When the job first opened up I honestly didn't feel like he was all that interested but based on what I've been told the last couple days he has thrown hat into the mix. He's been added to our upcoming Hot Board so there will be more there.
Don't be surprised if you hear that Deion Sanders will get a courtesy interview. As we've been saying, he's not a legitimate candidate but the university is willing to talk to him out of respect.
NOTE: We'll have a live chat later today answering subscriber questions. Keep in mind we may not go that deep into some of the coaching search questions that have been posted. I would rather specifically answer questions on the forums rather than do it on a public video chat. But we'll do our best to touch on as much as we can.
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11/13 @ 4 p.m.
What I've been hearing all day is that if Florida State is able to pull off a deal with Bob Stoops it's going to be one of the biggest in college football. We've been told he's asking for the moon both in terms of compensation for himself and his staff, financial commitments to the the program/facilities, and to have some power within athletics. While there's been some bristling on FSU's end to these demands (see yesterdays updates), negotiations are continuing. We get the impression that FSU is really going all in on trying to get this done. That's obviously the case if president John Thasher is meeting with him today. Not going to confirm that's definitely happening, but a lot of signs point that way.
A note for those getting overly optimistic -- We were reminded that Stoops flirted with Florida quite a bit when he was at OU. At the time, his demands were met but he still ultimately turned them down. Not saying that's indicative of what's happening here since he's not currently a head coach of a top 10 program, but he does have some history of getting cold feet. Again, just sharing some of what we are hearing from people in the know.
Sorry that we've said this before, but this really should be coming to a head one way or another soon. If something solid isn't in place in the next couple days, it sure sounds like FSU will start turning its attention to other candidates on the list.
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11/13 @ 10:20 a.m.
Despite all the conflicting reports we received yesterday, our best source is still pretty confident that FSU is close to getting a deal done with Bob Stoops.
There are some rumors about the about FSU president John Thrasher traveling today to meet with Stoops. That's possible. Heard he was traveling today for something that is "football related" (but can't confirm it's for a meeting with Stoops and/or his agent).
All this being said, I haven't heard from any source that a deal is actually "done" and/or that an agreement is in writing. So those reporting he's been hired are jumping the gun. There are definitely still a couple things that still need to get worked out before it's done.
Mentioned a few days ago about not being sure if Kendal Briles would stay on as offensive coordinator if Stoops is hired. Our Oklahoma contact said he wasn't the biggest fan of the Briles. However, it's sounding like this is more directed towards Art rather than Kendal. There is a lot of positive momentum now for the younger Briles staying on to run the offense if Stoops becomes FSU's next head coach.
As always, we will keep you updated as soon as get new nuggets.
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11/12 @ 7:45 p.m.
My phone has received more calls and texts in the last four hours than it has in the last four days. But that's not necessarily a good thing. As we mentioned earlier, the FSU side was very optimistic that a deal with Bob Stoops was nearly wrapped up. But since then we've received a lot of conflicting information.
Our Oklahoma source actually spoke to Stoops tonight to see if he would confirm some of what is coming out of Tallahassee about a possible deal. He didn't outright say it's not happening but said "nothing has changed". Our source also said he made a lot of commitments with the new XFL league that involved a lot of people, including friends, and it would be odd if he bailed on everyone right now.
Then heard from a secondary FSU source that the deal may have fallen apart. Not sure if Stoops was asking for too much, or maybe this is just the normal back and forth stuff that goes along with negotiating huge contracts with sports agents.
In any event, I'm pretty sure he hasn't actually signed the contract, as some are saying.
I realize this post probably isn't very helpful or informative. However, I want to pass on everything we near so there is full transparency with our users. A major bonus of doing this for so long is that we've developed a lot of trusted sources over the years. This is usually very helpful in situations like this, but it can also be incredibly frustrating when you receive conflicting reports.
As soon as we hear more we will pass it on.
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11/12 @ 5:15 p.m.
We've heard from a couple different sources today that there have been positive developments within the last 24 hours in FSU's pursuit of Bob Stoops. Sounds like a deal is pretty close to being wrapped up. If things move forward as expected, it's anticipated that an announcement will come next week.
Don't want get too far out of ahead of this because deals like this fall through all the time, but at least from we are being told the people at FSU are optimistic that it will get done.
Stay tuned....
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11/11 @ 11:00 a.m.
Don't need to tell you that it's been very slow the past few days. Don't think much has changed. All indications are FSU is still ultra focused on plan A, which is Bob Stoops. Also, it seems like FSU has made a concerted effort to limit the flow of information on the coaching search.
As we hinted at before, there's a decent chance we could hear something this week on the deal with Stoops (positive or negative). Not sure it would be actually announced this week but if there's a meeting of the minds/handshake deal we should know about it. If it doesn't work out, or Stoops hedges, I expect FSU to move forward by aggressively looking at other candidates.
Speaking of other candidates, I keep hearing that the other Stoops (Mark) has a strong interest in the FSU opening. Although he's probably among the top five coaches being considered, not sure he's in the top three.
Not related to the coaching search, but don't be surprised if FSU gets an invite to the Gator Bowl. The talks have heated up after the Seminoles' win over Boston College. And decision-makers in Jacksonville feel like they missed out on FSU because the Boise State game was moved. By the way, the Gator Bowl is Jan. 2 with a 7 p.m. kickoff.
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11/9 @ 9:15 a.m.
Good morning! Apologize that there hasn't been more updates lately. There just hasn't been much newsworthy to report the last couple days.
The most relevant nugget to come our why is that the negotiations are close to wrapping up and a decision from Bob Stoops could come as soon as Sunday.
A couple things to keep in mind here. First, as we've been saying, it's still unknown what Stoops will ultimately decide. Just because FSU has met his basic demands (as presented through his representative) it doesn't mean he'll pull the trigger. There are some in the Stoops' camp that feel he may not want to get back into college coaching. Then there's the threat from other schools. However, a source in the Stoops' camp told us that all things being equal, he prefers FSU over other schools with likely openings.
Second, even if a basic agreement is reached don't expect anything to be announced for a while. The most consistent thing we've heard from our FSU sources is that it's going to be a couple weeks before an actual hire is made.
I know Ira wrote about it, but we have additional confirmation that Deion Sanders is not a legitimate candidate for the head coaching position. It's disappointing that Ian Rapoport even tweeted about it, because he's usually pretty good when it comes to NFL news. But he's completely out to lunch here.
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11/7 @2:30 p.m.
Had a minute to check in. Still nothing major to report regarding the negotiations with Stoops' representative. I did hear there have been some quiet inquiries coming from the Stoops' camp regarding staffing within athletics. Obviously, that's a very positive sign that he is taking this seriously.
The other item we found out is there will probably be some competition for Stoops. Other schools are starting to express interest including at least one major player.
We received additional confirmation that FSU will not be making any announcements this week on a head coach. In addition to the current negotiations going on, FSU is letting the search firm do it's job to come up with as many candidates as possible.
Speaking of other potential candidates, we've heard more buzz about Matt Campbell at Iowa State. I wouldn't say he's a top candidate, but we will probably move him up in the next version of our Hot Board.
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11/6 @ 10:15 p.m.
As I mentioned in the last update, it's been a quiet day and also a quiet evening. The only notable update I've received regarding FSU's discussions of with Bob Stoops' representative is "it's progressing nicely". We've heard similar talk all day.
Everything sounds very positive, but I want to warn people that even if all the terms get worked out, it's ultimately up to Bob Stoops to take the deal. It may be fine for his agent to work something out with FSU, but in talking to people close to Stoops it's uncertain whether he'll actually pull the trigger.
Note: I've got some family business to deal with tomorrow so my time on the boards may be limited Thursday and part of Friday. If I receive notable updates I'll pass them on to Ira to post. And I may even get some laptop time. But might me difficult for me to get to questions. So please be patient.
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11/6 @ 1:10 p.m.
Sorry there hasn't been more updates. It's been a relatively quiet day so far.
What we have heard is that the discussions with the Bob Stoops' camp are moving in a positive direction. So far, no major holdups or snags. Sometimes not hearing anything major is a sign that the negotiating parties are making good progress.
Based on several discussions with sources connected on both sides, my theory is that Bob Stoops told his agent he has interest in the FSU opening, gave him some requirements for job (salary, staff, support), and left it to his agent to put together the best deal possible. So that's where we are at right now. When that's done to the satisfaction of his representative, Stoops will be presented with the offer and make his decision. I'm convinced that until that happens it's guesswork on whether he will take the job or not. Only Bob Stoops knows what he'll do.
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11/5 @ 9:45 p.m.
I know people get anxious when we don't post night nuggets. So here's what we've got.
Nothing earth shattering but heard from two of our best sources since the last update and both insist the discussions with the Bob Stoops' representative are very much alive and ongoing. He is still FSU's top target despite reports in the national media that he has no interest. From what we gather, FSU is in the process of putting together a compensation package and details for the position. Once together, the agent will present it to Stoops.
Until that happens and FSU hears back from Stoops we are in limbo. In the meantime, the search firm will continue to gather names and vet potential candidates.
Not sure why some folks, including a couple people we spoke to, thought this might happen quickly because it's sure looking like it may take a while.
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11/5 @ 4:45 p.m.
First, sorry if you have been experiencing outages on Warchant. Rivals is having some technical bugs that are causing issues. They are working on it and will hopefully have it resolved soon.
Florida State's coaching search sure is off to a bizarre start. What I can gather from talking to people connected with FSU and in the Bob Stoops' camp is that this far from dead. The two sides are still in "actively talking". Not buying the comments from Stoops to our source and to Kirk Herbstreit about him not being a candidate. Yes, Stoops probably hasn't had any personal contact with FSU but his agent is certainly involved. Stoops' representative isn't doing this without his consent.
It's looking like the truth in this lies somewhere in the middle. Bob Stoops to FSU is clearly not the "done deal" that some were proclaiming yesterday. However, I've heard from enough people I trust that there's definitely something going on. He has some interest or his agent wouldn't be talking to representatives from FSU.
My suggestion is to not get too excited about Bob Stoops to FSU but also don't buy the reports that he isn't interested either. What does seem consistent is that if a basic agreement isn't done in the next 48 hours or so, FSU will begin start looking actively at other candidates. So who are the next two?
Brent Venables
P.J. Fleck
In fact, heard both will likely be interviewed next week. Not sure what that means but it would probably be by phone, and it may be an interview with the search firm, not FSU directly. We will have an updated hot board up later today.
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11/5 @ 11:45 a.m.
Got this directly from the Bob Stoops camp. When asked about the FSU job, Stoops told our source "I'm not a candidate". This person has known Stoops for years, this is a direct quote and Stoops even gave him permission to pass what he said on to us.
Could that be posturing since he has currently has a contract with an XFL team? Possibly, but it's clearly not a positive sign for Florida State. This is a bit odd because FSU is definitely in active discussions with his representative about the head coaching position. Not sure what the point of that is if he doesn't have a legitimate interest in the job.
As I hinted at below, was told Stoops doesn't want deal with all the pressure and responsibilities that goes along with being a major college football coach again, including having to recruit.
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Just posting this here. We mentioned this yesterday, but FSU officially announced hiring of the search firm this morning. Press release:
Tallahassee, FLA. – Florida State University Director of Athletics David Coburn announced today that FSU has contracted with DHR International, a global executive search firm, to assist in the search for the Seminoles’ next football coach.
“We are confident that DHR will be a valuable partner in assisting us with identifying the candidates who best match our priorities for a head coach,” said Coburn.
“Glenn (Sugiyama) is a highly-respected professional in the industry who will spearhead the effort for DHR,” added Coburn. “He shares our expectation that we will attract the coach to lead our program back among the nation’s elite.”
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11/5 @ 11:10 a.m.
Might need to cool the jets a bit on Bob Stoops. There was a conference call this morning and the feeling is that Stoops is might be having second thoughts about getting back into college coaching. The deal certainly isn't dead and Stoops is still the top target but contingency plans are being made in case (more details on that later).
Again, if an agreement isn't in place with Bob Stoops by the end of the week, FSU will move on to Plan B.
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11/5 @ 10 a.m.
First, the more we hear the more it doesn't sounds like Bob Stoops was in town yesterday. If he did stop over in Tallahassee on his flight, it must have been for a very short handshake session.
What we can confirm is that a representative of Stoops, FSU decision-makers and someone from the Glenn Sugiyama search firm (may have been Glenn Sugiyama himself) had dinner last night in Tallahassee to discuss details of a potential hire.
A source connected to the situation told me "FSU is all in on (Bob) Stoops".
I've been getting wildly different reports on the potential timeline for a hire being made. Obviously, it's beneficial to hire Stoops quickly since he would have more time to evaluate the roster, get settled in and start in on recruiting. At the same time, it doesn't sound like all the details are ironed out yet and huge deals like this generally take time to finalize.
That being said, not sure if a hire will be officially announced in the next couple days, but we hear the plan is to have some kind of basic agreement in place by the end of the week. There are some secondary candidates that will be interviewed next week if they don't have something in place with Bob Stoops.
Have a source that has known Stoops from his time at Oklahoma that should be able to provide us with more details later today, including his relationship with Art and Kendal Briles. Was told the relationship may not have been chummy as some are saying.
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11/4 @ 9:45 p.m.
There's a lot of buzz around that Bob Stoops will be announced this week. That could happen but there are people in the know telling us that the head coach hire may not happen quite that quickly.
The signs are still positive for Bob Stoops and heard from multiple people that he was in town on Monday (can't confirm). Either way, the talk that it's a "done deal" and/or "press conference coming" is premature. Sorry to be a buzz kill, and get why people are anxious to be the first on something like this when so much is pointing in one direction. The two sides are definitely on the same page but it sounds like there are still some details to be negotiated. That may take a few days or a few weeks. Unfortunately, agents and attorneys are involved so that means nothing will happen easily and generally not quickly.
The warning we got from someone very close to Bob Stoops is that until every detail is finalized he won't be all in. But we can confirm he's spoken to the Glenn Sugiyama search firm and has even put out feelers out about filling out a staff at FSU (should it happen). There's a good reason why we aren't "reporting" that Bob Stoops will be the head coach just yet. While, I think Bob Stoops is the primary target and it looks very positive for FSU, deals like this do fall apart sometimes.
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11/4 @ 5:15 p.m.
Don't always agree with FootballScoop because they get their info. from agents that often feed them stuff to help their clients that isn't always accurate, but this is. That's why I asked Coburn about hiring a search firm - heard it was going to be this group.
Here are a couple links of interest:
Glenn Sugiyama search firm
Glenn Sugiyama: A Visionary in the Collegiate Arena
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11/4 2:15 p.m.
Continuing to hear from a lot of contacts that insist Bob Stoops is pretty close to being a done deal. Still having a hard time wrapping my head around the notion that he could be FSU's next head football coach. He had zero interest the last time around, has been out of coaching for three years and will turn 60 next year. But some of these sources are batting 1.000.
An interesting note should Bob Stoops get the job. We hear there's a decent chance that Kendal Briles would remain on staff as the OC. Lincoln Riley (OU's coach and former assistant with Bob Stoops) have a good relationship.
But to be fair, I heard from another solid source that Lane Kiffin is now in the mix. My feeling is this is more of an agent floating his name out there to create buzz for his client. I also keep hearing Matt Campbell's (Iowa State) name a lot but not from a reliable source.
Commentary: Bob Stoops would probably be the biggest splash hire FSU could make (outside of Urban Meyer but that was never going to happen). As noted previously, if it happens it will likely be soon. A quick hire would give Stoops the opportunity to evaluate the current roster in-person, take his time to get the recruiting class in order, enough time to hire his staff, and get all his ducks in a row with the Admin and Boosters. With all the other candidates, especially someone like Fleck, they may not be able to join the team until December and would be left scrambling to deal with all of these important obligations.
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11/4 @ 12:20 p.m.
Based on AC David Coburn's comments at today's press conference, it sounds like they will take a little time before officially announcing a hire. Could be that Bob Stoops is the front-runner but the school feels like they need to do their due diligence before taking the next step, which makes sense. At the very least, we should have Bob Stoops up there with the other leading candidates in our Hot Board.
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11/4 @ 11:30 a.m.
Hearing a LOT of buzz about Bob Stoops. I've been hearing his name for months but figured with him being out of football for a couple years, his age and price tag that he wasn't realistic. A couple good sources told me today he's the top target and it could happen really quickly, maybe as soon as today.
I'm still hesitant to say this here because it doesn't pass the smell test but I can't ignore reliable sources.
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Here is the first iteration of our head coach hot board.
So you know how we do this, we do not list prime names unless we've heard they are definitely in the mix from a verified source. We do not throw out names because they make sense or will generate a buzz.
With the last head coaching hot board we did on Dec. 1 2017, Willie Taggart was the first candidate we listed. Things moved quickly and he was hired just a few days later. Since there's a lot more lead time before the next coach will be hired there's a good chance that our hot board will change a few times. Keep in mind that there's a lot more time to negotiate, look around and hear from other potential candidates.
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NUGGETS - Nov. 3 @ 8 p.m. ET
We've confirmed with multiple sources that P.J. Fleck was actually in Tallahassee last week "recruiting". It is very unusual for a head coach of a major program to travel this far to recruit in-season. Seems very likely that he met about the potential of becoming FSU's next head football coach. If I had to guess, Fleck might be the top choice but it's probably too early in the process to say anyone is the leading candidate.
I've heard Mark Stoops name mentioned by several people with connections to the decision-makers. He made a good impression during his time at Florida State and most feel he would be a solid choice. He's definitely on the early short list.
Heard Napier's name mentioned by some people pretty high up the FSU food chain. Sounds like there's a good chance that he will get an interview.
Really think he's a long shot, but put Bob Stoops name at the end of the list. Yes, his name gets thrown around a lot but most with contacts within the program believe he's not a realistic candidate.
NOTE: We will have a live interactive Warchant chat at 9 p.m. ET to discuss the coaching situation at FSU. Stay tuned
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