Best football head coach in the ACC?

[TexanMark]

yep.

i imagine he will be throwing the kitchen sink and blitzing grandma at us as well.

the blueprint to beat Syracuse is not that difficult to decifer.

2 weeks, at home, to be bowl eligible....yeesh.

I think this week is pretty close to a toss up...Maryland's wins this season are as shady as ours are. WVU is just not that good this year.

 

[RMH44]

yep.

i imagine he will be throwing the kitchen sink and blitzing grandma at us as well.

the blueprint to beat Syracuse is not that difficult to decifer.

2 weeks, at home, to be bowl eligible....yeesh.

Edsall is the one name that kept showing up in our job searches who I really didn't want. I honestly believe that his current gig will expose him for what he is...a below average coach. Reminds me a lot of Tom O'Brien.

 

[CiceroSwamp]

Who is the best head coach in the ACC?

• Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech $2.6 Million - overpaid...for 2.6 million i dont want to watch triple option football
• Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech $2.5 million - sounds appropriate but is tilting toward the game passing him by
• Jim Grobe, Wake Forest $2.4 million - overpaid and i am surprised that Wake would even pay 2.4 m...probably held back by low budget for assistants
• Randy Edsall, Maryland $2 million - unsure...a bit of a rebuild project
• Jimbo Fisher, Florida State $2.8 million - definitely underpaid. Big time program that is humming...Jimbo should be paid Jumbo dollars
• Dabo Swinney, Clemson (Clempson) $2.1 - another bigtime program so he sounds underpaid given his recruiting prowess and exciting brand
• Mike London, Virginia $2.6 million - Yikes
• David Cutliffe, Duke $2 million - Underpaid...a Doug Marrone'esque rebuild and an exciting product that points up points. They even go bowling and i thought that wouldnt happen at Duke
• Larry Fedora, North Carolina $2.5 million - Another Yikes!
• Al Golden, Miami $1.75 million - #1 or #2 HC in conference w Jimbo IMO. at 1.75m is clearly the most underpaid
• Dave Doeren, NC State $1.8 million - Boring product and not very successful...overpaid
• Steve Addazio, BC $1.6 million - Year 1 but exceeding expectation and a fun watch...underpaid
• Scott Shafer $1.3 million - Jury is clearly out
• Paul Chryst, Pitt $1.75 million - They seem to recruit pretty well against PSU...jury is out

 

[jkm54]

In a year or 2, wouldn't be surprised if Addazio would be the answer to this question. Admittedly, haven't watched a BC game this year, but he seems to be putting something together up there.

 

[Nick44]

Swinney and Jimbo? Please, Marrone would've won a National Championship by now with the talent they get. Elite recruiters, yes. Elite coaches, hell no.

I'll take either Cutcliffe, Golden or Beamer. I think he's a jerk but Beamer has won the most and the longevity speaks for itself. Special teams are amazing. His ability to adapt with the times unlike Pasqualoni is why he is still a head coach.

 

[upperdeck]

I think Golden has held the ship together, but Miami has a ton of talent and not doing much with it.. 7-1 this year but really by play on the field are lucky to not be 4-4. Wake and UNC had them beat as did florida and they were down 17-7 vs GT..

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Edsall is the one name that kept showing up in our job searches who I really didn't want. I honestly believe that his current gig will expose him for what he is...a below average coach. Reminds me a lot of Tom O'Brien.

Yes, because he did such a poor job at UCONN. What

If he can have a season at Maryland with average injuries, he would be 8-4 maybe 9-3 this year. I understand people don't like the guy. He's a 5-3 this year and building. I don't like the guy and he isn't Urban Meyer but to say Edsall is below average is ridiculous, what is average then?

 

[Lou_C]

Beamer for the whole body of work, for sure.

Otherwise, I think this year Fisher is establishing himself by not having the bad losses this year. Swinney and Golden have distinguished themselves as well and you can also make a great case for them. All three of those guys make or break on recruiting though.

What Cutcliff has done is maybe as astounding as anything.

I don't see how you can separate recruiting out when talking about a college job though. It's almost two different questions.

If you need to plug in a coach for single game, with a month to prepare, with exactly the same talent level as the opponent, maybe Cutcliff is the guy.

If you are looking for a coach to put in charge of your program, you have to say Fisher, Swinney or Golden, the only three guys who have distinguished themselves as recruiters so far. Let's not pretend that Alabama's recruiting isn't intrinsic to Saban's success.

But just an Xs and Os guy on gameday? That's a little bit tougher and can be argued. Before the last couple years, I'd say Beamer for sure, who consistently got B+ seasons out of C recruits for many years. I don't know if I'd choose today's Frank Beamer though.

 

[Lou_C]

I think Golden has held the ship together, but Miami has a ton of talent and not doing much with it.. 7-1 this year but really by play on the field are lucky to not be 4-4. Wake and UNC had them beat as did florida and they were down 17-7 vs GT..

I'm not going to downgrade Golden, because he's done quite well. But I agree that he's still got some to prove.

 

[RMH44]

Yes, because he did such a poor job at UCONN. What

If he can have a season at Maryland with average injuries, he would be 8-4 maybe 9-3 this year. I understand people don't like the guy. He's a 5-3 this year and building. I don't like the guy and he isn't Urban Meyer but to say Edsall is below average is ridiculous, what is average then?

Oh...so Yukon is the measuring stick? Even Skippy did well there.

Edsall was smart enough to leave Storrs when he did because he knew the cupboard (his doing) was bare. Very Tom O'Brien-like and I think he suffers a similar fate.

"5-3 this year and building"? Maryland will be perennial doormats in the B1G...probably even lower than that school from NJ. Imo, he'll won't get a contract extension

 

[Whitey23]

Jeez Johnson getting paper.

Crazy that Grobe and London get double Shafer's salary (private schools).

 

[HtownOrange]

Who is the best head coach in the ACC?

• Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech $2.6 Million - Does a good job with smart kids, but uses some questionable techniques. Solid coach, but can he coach a NC?
  
• Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech $2.5 million - Only real offense he ever had was when a Vick was calling signals. Built his record on beating weaker teams, historically loses to the marquis names. Good but not best.
  
• Jim Grobe, Wake Forest $2.4 million - Does a great job at the smallest BCS level school, kudos. Probably could win a lot more at a bigger school, would need some proof before tagging him the best in conference.
  
• Randy Edsall, Maryland $2 million - Took an average to OK team all the way to average. At least he knew to jump ship when UConn was going to be relegated to back seat football.
  
• Jimbo Fisher, Florida State $2.8 million - Dude has more tools to work with and has done less than comparable programs nationally. Very good, but not the best, even in the conference.
  
• Dabo Swinney, Clemson (Clempson) $2.1 - Has done a great job restoring this former nationally relevant team to national relevance. Still need sto knock off some marquis names but has shown he can do so.
  
• Mike London, Virginia $2.6 million - 0-5 in the ACC. Deals with smart kids but should be able to win more than he has.
  
• David Cutliffe, Duke $2 million - Duke plays football? At least he thinks they do and they are going bowling 2 years consecutively, for the fist time in history. Hat tip to him.
  
• Larry Fedora, North Carolina $2.5 million - Not overly impressed just yet.
  
• Al Golden, Miami $1.75 million - Has done a great job restring Miami to relevance.
• Dave Doeren, NC State $1.8 million - Not impressed.
  
• Steve Addazio, BC $1.6 million - May pan out to be a great one. Certainly has BC fired up, need to see how he does in time.
  
• Scott Shafer $1.3 million - He will be fine. Not ready to call him a great one.
  
• Paul Chryst, Pitt $1.75 million - May be another great one in the making. Let's see if he can really get Pitt to do something

Dabo Swinney, David Cutliffe and Al Golden seem to me to have done the most with what they have.

I like Fisher, and think he has a NC in him, but he has to get over his annual "Lose to a team I have no business losing to" streak.

 

[retro44]

addazio might get the most out of his teams and now florida is ******** the bed the farther he gets away from the school time wise

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Oh...so Yukon is the measuring stick? Even Skippy did well there.

Edsall was smart enough to leave Storrs when he did because he knew the cupboard (his doing) was bare. Very Tom O'Brien-like and I think he suffers a similar fate.

"5-3 this year and building"? Maryland will be perennial doormats in the B1G...probably even lower than that school from NJ. Imo, he'll won't get a contract extension

Skip was fired from UCONN

 

[Frozen]

Skip was fired from UCONN

No, Skip led UConn to the 1AA playoffs, and after they were eliminated he resigned to become his dad's defensive coordinator at S. Carolina.

 

[Crusty]

Edsall loves kicking the shite out of Syracuse too. I still think Edsall is a good coach, they are coming off a buy week, rested a few injuries. It will be a very tough game to win, IMO.

A "buy" week. I hope my wife doesn't find out there is such a thing!

 

[CuseCactus]

I shoulda been a football coach. All that money for a game. I'm bitter now.

 

[Scooch]

It's gotta be Golden.

Guy is recruiting at an elite level for a school that has no fan support, plays in a pro stadium miles from campus, and has been under the shadow of NCAA suspension for 2+ years.

I barely consider in-game ability anymore when I think about best college coaches, because most of them are mediocre-at-best at that part of the job. It's about getting the best talent to campus, and no one does a better job of that in this conference, given their program's limitations, than Golden.

 

[javadoc]

Crazy that Grobe and London get double Shafer's salary (private schools).

Shafer may yet pan out, but just look at those numbers. We are in the top-5 in conference in total AD revenues, and we pay rock bottom for our football coaches. Folks should keep that in mind when they get up in arms about the team and program.

 

[ImperialOrange]

Edsall loves kicking the shite out of Syracuse too. I still think Edsall is a good coach, they are coming off a buy week, rested a few injuries. It will be a very tough game to win, IMO.

They are very beat up. From my UMD fan coworker their top 2 WR's are out, top 2 CB's out, top pass rushing DE out, and their starting LT just quit the team.

The great equilizer will be their QB, who is coming off an injury, coming back. He is very much a dual threat and we don't do so well against running QB's to put it mildly.

 

[teknoge3k]

Look at Beamer though. He leads his team to a bowl every year and chokes in it. That's why they're the chokies. They are a mediocre ACC football team and nothing more.

 

[bnoro]

Cutcliffe and Golden are 1 and 1A.

Dabo and Jimbo are the best recruiters but nowhere near the best coaches. The best coaches don't lose winnable games where they are more talented year in and year out.

 

[CarolinaCuse]

I'm surprised Grobe hasn't been mentioned at least once. He might not be the best coach on the list but he has done well considering its one of the hardest coaching jobs in in the FBS - a school with very restrictive academic admissions and only about 4,700 undergrads.

 

[anomander]

Who is the best head coach in the ACC?

• Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech $2.6 Million
• Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech $2.5 million
• Jim Grobe, Wake Forest $2.4 million
• Randy Edsall, Maryland $2 million
• Jimbo Fisher, Florida State $2.8 million
• Dabo Swinney, Clemson (Clempson) $2.1
• Mike London, Virginia $2.6 million
• David Cutliffe, Duke $2 million
• Larry Fedora, North Carolina $2.5 million
• Al Golden, Miami $1.75 million
• Dave Doeren, NC State $1.8 million
• Steve Addazio, BC $1.6 million
• Scott Shafer $1.3 million
• Paul Chryst, Pitt $1.75 million

all i know is we better start using some of those pennies we are pinching on some solid assistant coaches and support staff. i never would have guess Grobe and Cutliffe would be making that much.

There are more bad coaches on that list then good...part of the ACC's problem

 

[IthacaMatt]

Shafer may yet pan out, but just look at those numbers. We are in the top-5 in conference in total AD revenues, and we pay rock bottom for our football coaches. Folks should keep that in mind when they get up in arms about the team and program.

Well, he's an unproven coach, too, and we gave him his first HC job. I don't think you start out paying a guy with that background $2M right away. He can earn his way up to that with a few years' success.