Fake News: Locksley inks deal with UF

EuroGator

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I know someone's going to say, 'Let's just close it up and go home then. This IS a discussion board!!' However, on this issue, wake me up when there is some news. ...not just speculation from the world's biggest McElwain fans.

:poop:

:shocked2:
 

CGgater

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Wow. Saban DOES make his coaches feel guilty as **** for wanting to leave just the way he does to his recruits. But my god Mac you idiot you should have had this inked before anything could be reversed

I'm starting to think Mac still works for saban.
 

rogdochar

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This money deal i.e. to pony-up now, is a day at the track-record. Do we throw away the big $ bet on the
"mudder" that's sway back in the pack ... or should we wait for a better-bet on a new HC to whip up
faster strides toward becoming a forerunner? Has the horse we're jockeying with now shown the promise
that warrants plopping down bigger sums now? That is the tortuous dilemma such that it puts us the Gator fans
(boosters) on the hot seat.
 

Swamp Donkey

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I said FAU and USF had just fired some staff earlier, and I was sorta kidding, but Im hearing few whispers about Butters hitting another Boca Raton homerrun.

We will see.
 

Marianna-FL_Gator

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Found this on 247 and this is Goldkamp and Stampini talking about the staff:

Posted this earlier. It's a fluid situation. Would love to be able to tell you this or that is definitely happening, but we're not there at that point. Still think Florida has a decent chance at landing Locksley, but from what I've been told, he wants to call plays. If the right opportunity -- and I don't think he'd jump at just any chance to call plays -- opens up or a path to doing that in the near future opens up, that may affect things.

He'd get a co-OC title at Florida, I believe. But Nussmeier would still be in charge.

I'll add that how Alabama's staff shakes out with the possibilities of Napier and Cristobal leaving could also affect Locksley.

Then Stampini comes in with this nugget:

To add, I was told a couple weeks ago that more staff changes seemed unlikely (AKA: Doubtful anyone gets fired). The move from RB to LB coach for Skipper has been mentioned a handful of times as well.

So like others have said it doesn't look like we'll be firing anyone. If this holds to be true Mac's fate is sealed along with the programs!
 

GatorJ

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Found this on 247 and this is Goldkamp and Stampini talking about the staff:

Posted this earlier. It's a fluid situation. Would love to be able to tell you this or that is definitely happening, but we're not there at that point. Still think Florida has a decent chance at landing Locksley, but from what I've been told, he wants to call plays. If the right opportunity -- and I don't think he'd jump at just any chance to call plays -- opens up or a path to doing that in the near future opens up, that may affect things.

He'd get a co-OC title at Florida, I believe. But Nussmeier would still be in charge.

I'll add that how Alabama's staff shakes out with the possibilities of Napier and Cristobal leaving could also affect Locksley.

Then Stampini comes in with this nugget:

To add, I was told a couple weeks ago that more staff changes seemed unlikely (AKA: Doubtful anyone gets fired). The move from RB to LB coach for Skipper has been mentioned a handful of times as well.

So like others have said it doesn't look like we'll be firing anyone. If this holds to be true Mac's fate is sealed along with the programs!

Nauseating
 

ergator920103

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If this happens I hope the majority of GatorNation gives Mac/UF the finger next fall and stays home! No sense in supporting a university that has become complacent with mediocrity!
This is my plan. After being a Gator Booster for 20 + years unless I see major changes to the offensive staff I am not renewing my season tickets.
 

Durty South Swamp

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I think deep down we all had a real fear that this was the case. Don't know why anyone would be surprised. It's consistent with what we've seen thus far. If there's one thing we know about Mac, its that no matter how many times something doesn't work, he'll just keep doing it.
 

ATXGator

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It is very possible that Saban recognizes the value of Locksley and with Kiffin leaving and Sark not doing a great job in the NC game... Saban could be negotiating against us to put Locksley in a direct position on his staff. Even if we offered to pay high $$ Bama could match. Also... from Locksley's perspective... being able to stay in the same coaching tree and work with the top talent in the country to build your resume might be a hard thing to pass up... especially if he is getting a co-OC position at Bama.

Not everything is Mac's fault. This may or may not be, but we have to wait until it plays out to know for sure.

Bottom line: I'm not going to jump to conclusions and drive myself crazy trying to guess or understanding something when I have no knowledge of the actual conversations or detail of the situation. Everything we say is a pure guess based on very limited information. I can't blame anybody when I don't know what happened.
 

chferg

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It is very possible that Saban recognizes the value of Locksley and with Kiffin leaving and Sark not doing a great job in the NC game... Saban could be negotiating against us to put Locksley in a direct position on his staff. Even if we offered to pay high $$ Bama could match. Also... from Locksley's perspective... being able to stay in the same coaching tree and work with the top talent in the country to build your resume might be a hard thing to pass up... especially if he is getting a co-OC position at Bama.

Not everything is Mac's fault. This may or may not be, but we have to wait until it plays out to know for sure.

Bottom line: I'm not going to jump to conclusions and drive myself crazy trying to guess or understanding something when I have no knowledge of the actual conversations or detail of the situation. Everything we say is a pure guess based on very limited information. I can't blame anybody when I don't know what happened.

I get it; however, the issue is that Mac's lack of urgency when we are down 1-2 recruiters heading out of the dead period is worrying. Even if Locks fell through, why didn't Mac have other names ready to go? What is he waiting for?

This all falls on Mac whether you want to admit it or not. Had he compiled a better staff to begin with, none of this would be an issue. Now we are trying to play catch up in recruiting and we don't even have the full staff allotment out there doing it.

In the business world, this lack of urgency and complacency with the mediocre results would get you fired.
 

MertzJay26

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I think deep down we all had a real fear that this was the case. Don't know why anyone would be surprised. It's consistent with what we've seen thus far. If there's one thing we know about Mac, its that no matter how many times something doesn't work, he'll just keep doing it.

Just give me my sig now, I give up.

:lol3:
 

ATXGator

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I get it; however, the issue is that Mac's lack of urgency when we are down 1-2 recruiters heading out of the dead period is worrying. Even if Locks fell through, why didn't Mac have other names ready to go? What is he waiting for?

This all falls on Mac whether you want to admit it or not. Had he compiled a better staff to begin with, none of this would be an issue. Now we are trying to play catch up in recruiting and we don't even have the full staff allotment out there doing it.

In the business world, this lack of urgency and complacency with the mediocre results would get you fired.

I get your point and I agree on the staff issue. There may be reasons he is waiting... I don't know what he is waiting for, but I'm hoping it is a good reason... I'm not confident that it will be or that we will ever know...
 

chferg

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I get your point and I agree on the staff issue. There may be reasons he is waiting... I don't know what he is waiting for, but I'm hoping it is a good reason... I'm not confident that it will be or that we will ever know...

That's all we can do is wait.

I just think it's poor judgement do wait while we need recruits.
 

ATXGator

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That's all we can do is wait.

I just think it's poor judgement do wait while we need recruits.

It is frustrating for sure. We need recruits and we need people who can go out and recruit them. For all we know it is our admin who won't pay and that is killing us..

Just wish we could get some good news and momentum!
 

cover2

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I would be curious as to what your opinion of him might be? You seem to be a pretty accurate "reader" of people. I have my own thoughts about his coaching "ceiling" but I doubt they are as well founded on reality as yours.
Thanks 65. This may get a little long, so I'll apologize beforehand. I'll share that my initial encouragement regarding Mac, what he has accomplished, and what he is doing to re-build parts of the program has diminished. I've mentioned before that a colleague at work who is a Bama alum and letterman congratulated me when Mac was hired, saying that there was some feeling among the Tide faithful that Mac was liked as an OC and many thought he might be the heir-apparent to Saban. Since that time, that conversation has not been positively revisited and no doubt the two beat-downs in the SECCG at the hands of Bama has been influential. Even though I believe we competed some better this year (compared to last) despite roster limitations, we are not close to being able to compete with the top team in the SEC at this time and I believe that goes beyond the roster to include some of the coaching that is there to see.

When I see us consistently making fundamental and technical mistakes (e.g. DE's losing contain on pass rush situations, OL failing to get to the POA, lock up and make blocks on G Scheme plays, TE's not sustaining blocks, wrong routes/reads by QB and receivers, missed tackles mainly due to failure to break down after pursuit and play at a lower pad level, etc.), not to mention head-scratching play calls at crucial times (too many to name), mediocre to poor Special Teams performance and execution (e.g. punts fielded inside the 5 yard line), and being caught in zone coverage and subsequently burned by play-action, the problems are not limited to the players. To those who keep saying "Mac needs time," I say that he was (and should have known that he was) behind the clock when he was hired. That may seem unfair, but I don't think many outside the AD's office felt that he was coming in with the luxury of developing a 5-year plan (or longer) to get us back to where we once were from a SEC and national competitive standpoint. Defense has been and thankfully continues to be a strength, but we were promised an effective offense to work hand-in-hand and it has not happened.

To date, the consecutive SECED crowns have been the high water mark and as many point out, they are necessary to get into a position to compete for and win the conference outright. I appreciate that we have made this step, but thus far, we have gotten on the porch, so to speak, only to have the door slammed in our face. Thus, we are currently the best of a declining Eastern Division, but others among us are giving indications that we might not hold that title for long if you put any stock in the value of recruiting and the numbers of elite players (read as able to make an impact, not just fill a position, in 1-2 years) that are committed. It is hard for me to be impressed with what I see from Mac in this area. While I do think we get some good players, most need time to grow and develop before effectively and consistently competing in the SEC and although I have no data to back this assertion up, I can't help but believe that our reliance on players who likely have the heart but not the requisite developed physical skills or attributes is a factor in an injury list that is comparable to a M*A*S*H unit patient roster. I am also hard-pressed to believe that he and the staff are utilizing all available resources when it appears that we are making a mad dash to flip recruits and/or get started on "Plan B" players at this late date. I may be wrong (and hope I am), but this approach reeks of either sloth, arrogance (belief, perhaps, that the program sells itself or that our two seasons under Mac are that impressive), lack of an effective plan and organization carried out by a staff that can get it done right, or a combination thereof.

I initially enjoyed some of Mac's witticisms, but they grew quite tiresome, cliche, and stale for me, especially when we collapsed at the end of his first season. His pressers became (and continue to be) mostly BS sessions that provide little information outside of coachspeak ("yeah, we need to fix that," etc.), or at least that is my perception. I see little sense of urgency in his public demeanor and I can't help but believe that has an impact on what others looking to invest in the program as well as those who we compete with see, assess, and in the case of the latter, use against us. To his credit, and I've said this in other posts, I think he does care for his players and wants the best for them, but I question the accountability he requires of them and, perhaps, his staff considering how much of the same negative things that we see over and over again. Either Mac is too tender-hearted or he lacks the killer instinct and drive necessary to elevate us to a higher competitive level in my honest opinion. In the world of big boy college football, you either eat the bear or he eats you and right now I believe Mac is chewed-up to about his waist. You probably won't see a lot of rival coaches bashing Mac, and there's a reason for that. In coaching, everybody likes you if they can or are beating you. Even if he were a high school coach and I was looking for a job, I would not care to join him based on his body of work these last two years and what my eyes tell me. I can't help but think he hit the lottery when he was hired and is too complacent and no assistant worth their salt will want to become a part of that unless it is a stop gap.

I could probably go on, but I've been longer than most will want to read as it is. I'll conclude by repeating the required "hope I'm wrong," but barring what happens on NSD, I've seen little to convince me that there will be a 180 degree turn as quickly as I hoped for.
 

Yankeetown

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It is frustrating for sure. We need recruits and we need people who can go out and recruit them.

We have the Recruiting Coordinator out on the road, doing actual recruiting. If I remember correctly, he's slated to visit more prospects today than anybody else on staff. Let's hope he's a Recruiting Closer.

If/when we add a new coach to the lineup, it probably would take at least a couple of days before he's ready to hit the road and sell the Gator story to recruits. Plus I assume that it would be very bad form, or perhaps verbotten, for him to recruit for the Gators players he'd tried to recruit at [whereever he came from]. So a brand-brand-new coach would be a little handicapped in the beginning.

(Of course, this would be less of an issue, if any new coach/es were announced a week or more ago. Only two college teams were still playing, so 98% of all college coaches were in potentially in play.)
 

ATXGator

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We have the Recruiting Coordinator out on the road, doing actual recruiting. If I remember correctly, he's slated to visit more prospects today than anybody else on staff. Let's hope he's a Recruiting Closer.

If/when we add a new coach to the lineup, it probably would take at least a couple of days before he's ready to hit the road and sell the Gator story to recruits. Plus I assume that it would be very bad form, or perhaps verbotten, for him to recruit for the Gators players he'd tried to recruit at [whereever he came from]. So a brand-brand-new coach would be a little handicapped in the beginning.

(Of course, this would be less of an issue, if any new coach/es were announced a week or more ago. Only two college teams were still playing, so 98% of all college coaches were in potentially in play.)

Apparently he has had some success in the past...

 

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