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Letter to the editor

A short list of coaches for UF's consideration

By HUBERT MIZELL
Published November 14, 2004

If the football-coach-picking committee for the Gators were a threesome - Florida president Bernie Machen, athletic director Jeremy Foley and me - and we power brokers exchanged lists of prime candidates, this would be mine:

1. JEFF TEDFORD, CALIFORNIA: Extraordinary offensive mind. Twice declined Bucs coordinator offers. Inherited putrid 1-10 Cal team; in his third season has Bears cavorting in top-five company. Former offensive coordinator at Fresno State and Oregon, the 43-year-old Tedford developed quarterbacks Trent Dilfer, Akili Smith, Joey Harrington, A.J. Feeley and Kyle Boller.

Reservation: Can the lifetime West Coast chap make a spirited transition to SEC passions? Dilfer labels Tedford "the finest coach I've ever been around," which means the old Tampa Bay pitcher ranks Tedford over Tony Dungy and Mike Holmgren.

2. URBAN MEYER, UTAH: At 40, has paid big dues, six seasons as wide receivers coach under Sonny Lubick at Colorado State, five more with similar duties for Lou Holtz and Bob Davie at Notre Dame before becoming head guy at Bowling Green in a revitalizing two seasons (17-6). Took over Utes, who were 5-6 in 2002, and went 10-2. Voted 2003 national coach of the year. Aggressive, reactionary Steve Spurrier-kind of sideline personality whose offense operates primarily from shotgun. Has bachelor's degree in psychology.

Reservation: Can the dynamo from Ashtabula, Ohio, make his dominating Mountain West Conference style a hit in a new territory, the far tougher SEC?

3. KIRK FERENTZ, IOWA: Love his foundation, with nine seasons as Hawkeyes offensive line coach under Hayden Fry, then more of the same for a half-dozen NFL years with the Browns/Ravens. On a 29-7 run as Iowa's boss since '02; a talent the Gators should know well, having been embarrassed 37-17 by Ferentz's team in Tampa at the most recent Outback Bowl.

Reservation: A lifer in the Big Ten area at age 49, can he get just as revved for Swamp duty? Like emulating former Michigan State leader Nick Saban's attitudes at LSU that led to sharing a national championship.

4. BOBBY PETRINO, LOUISVILLE: Pedigree beginning was unusual for a big-timer, coming from Montana and playing for his dad at tiny Carroll College, but this is a candidate with heavy Dixie football ties. Auburn offensive coordinator in a solid (9-4) 2002 season, after three NFL years as Jaguars play creator, working with Mark Brunell in his hottest Jacksonville stretch.

Reservation: Reports say UF decisionmakers could hold it against Petrino, 43, that he discussed - in the heart of the 2003 season - replacing Tommy Tuberville at Auburn. I say that's overlooking. Petrino didn't call the Tigers, he just listened.

5. RICH RODRIGUEZ, WEST VIRGINIA: Imposing offensive resume. Coordinator at Clemson and Tulane under Tommy Bowden, crushing loads of school records at both stops. WVU grad. Native of Grant Town, W.Va. Characterizes coaching Mountaineers as his "dream job."

Reservations: Again, at 40, a mega dues payer, including seven seasons as coach at tiny NAIA school Glenville (W.Va) State College. But he's so perfect for WVU, you wonder if even a BCS power like Florida would be tempting.

6. DAN HAWKINS, BOISE STATE: King of the football boondocks, elevating the Broncos to national prominence with exotic offense and astonishing rise to No. 14 ranking with 19 consecutive wins.

Reservation: No way to gauge if Hawkins can successfully make the leap to the NCAA's highest plateau. I'd worry that the Gators play on green grass and Hawkins has achieved a majority of his glory on weird, blue-tinted Idaho turf.

All this assumes Bob Stoops will stick to his twice-vowed word and remain at Oklahoma. If we're scratching for a true wild card, and figure the idea of including Jimmy Johnson on the list is ludicrous, how about Tuberville, whose work at Auburn has been remarkable after learning the Tigers leadership sought to dump him 12 months ago? Tuberville is a bloke who loves our state and might relish sticking it to Auburn.

Other names have been proposed, but for a variety of reasons, if I were teamed with Machen and Foley, we wouldn't get to talking to longtime FSU assistant Chuck Amato of N.C. State or one-time UF backup quarterback - and fired Dallas coach - Chan Gailey or even Miami Hurricanes resurrector Butch Davis, who might not have extended prospects in his NFL job at Cleveland.

That's all, folks.

Surely, from among my top three - Tedford, Meyer and Ferentz - the Gators can find a taker to succeed Ron Zook, someone who can make heroic runs at reattaining Spurrier-like status by making stout runs at SEC and national championships.

[Last modified November 14, 2004, 00:21:19]