I'm no foosball genius, but I do think I know a bit about leadership and leading/running organizations. I also think that foosball, at the college level, is a cross between being a battalion commander in the Army/Marines and the CEO of a $100M company. Head "Coach" is an arcane term... there is very limited "coaching" at the P5 HC level, there is a lot of CEOing. At the P5 level, the HC is managing coaching in practice and during the game, not actively coaching the offense, defense, or special teams, nor should he, I think it's a mistake.
So that said, I'm not interested in hiring a DC/OC to be the HC unless said DC/OC has other intangibles that cannot be ignored (like universal agreement that they are hands down the best recruiter in the nation). A Lincoln Riley type coordinator would fit this, and he was under Stoops. Serious question, who is the "Lincoln Riley type" coordinator out there today? Would have to be under someone we consider to basically be a current "elite" HC. To go with a "random" DC/OC is a gamble, not a risk (the difference is important).
So I'm in the "gotta have HC experience, probably has to be at the P5 level." I say this because it has to be someone that isn't just "aware" of what the CEO job entails at a $100M company, but was actively involved in multiple facets of it. You've got coaching, recruiting, booster club visits around the nation, facilities... for a P5 HC, sadly, these things are as, if not more, important than "coaching" when you add them all together.
Said P5 HC also has to be acceptable to the UF Board of Trustees. It doesn't matter who the AD, or, gasp, even Fuchs is willing to hire, it's gotta be the UF Board of Trustees, they run the university, period. That limits our choices to "a coach that isn't going to embarrass the school off the field." Up until now, Dan has done a pretty good job of this in terms of no real off field player problems. Ironically, he is now becoming the off field embarrassment.
So, again, I'm no foosball expert, but here are the two names I'm going with for now that are in the realm of the "possible" that meet my criteria.
Kiffen. Wouldn't have touched him 5 or so years ago, nor would have the Board of Trustees. But starting with Saban hiring him, he's finally grown up over the last few years. I love his on field interviews. He's not glib, no smart assed crap, just quiet, calm and professional. I also think that starting with his time with Saban, then at FAU, he truly understands, and has embraced, the CEO vs HC role. I even think the Board of Trustees could be talked into Kiffen now, with some contractual caveats.
This one would is a risk leaning towards gamble, because his record as a HC is weak, but, Locksley. He checks all the other blocks, but a risk/gamble. Like Kiffen, from Saban, he knows what level of work goes into being a CEO vs HC. He's certainly a better choice today than Dan was when we hired him based on recruiting alone. He's a DC native, so not sure what his interest in leaving low expectation Maryland would be, but ya never know.
I think most other choices are higher risks/gamble than those two, or fall into "you're dreaming if you think he'd leave to come here" category. Hell, Kiffen might be dumb to leave Ole Miss in terms of expectation levels to be met, but I think Kiffen wants to win and would move.
