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Where does Jeff Traylor go next?


Mr. P

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Which struggling higher-profile college takes a chance that Jeff Traylor can continue his rise at their program? Houston? Texas Tech?

Or maybe LSU firing Coach O (to hire Dave Aranda) causes a chain reaction resulting in Traylor going to Baylor?

Anyone, anyone? Bueller?  

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What’s the best job in Texas behind A&M and UT? With OU/UT bouncing for the SEC, you might wanna look at those Big 12 programs. Tell the big wigs “look, my main competition will be gone in 2-3 years.” Sell them on giving you those years to build your program, then take over the power gap left by the big dogs. 

1A Houston

1B Baylor

3 Texas Tech

 

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5 minutes ago, Stoney said:

1A Houston
1B Baylor
3 Texas Tech

Yeah, Houston's the bigger media and financial market of the three, and has the better local pool of recruits (not to mention a massive alumni base). I could totally see a Traylor-led Coogs program suddenly becoming the big dogs in the new Big XII. 

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While UTSA is having some success, we have to remember they are the lower level of the FBS Group. And yes, some college will take a shot at him, and it will probably go the way of Scott Frost or PJ Fleck. And what is scary--Minnesota has been the better of the 2. 

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3 hours ago, Stoney said:

What’s the best job in Texas behind A&M and UT? With OU/UT bouncing for the SEC, you might wanna look at those Big 12 programs. Tell the big wigs “look, my main competition will be gone in 2-3 years.” Sell them on giving you those years to build your program, then take over the power gap left by the big dogs. 

1A Houston

1B Baylor

3 Texas Tech

 

If we are ranking the Texas jobs after the big 2, I would go Baylor 1, TCU 2, Texas Tech 3… the main reason I have them in this order is the proximity to DFW.  Lubbock is it’s own nice sized city, but it kinda sucks up there.  Houston may very well pass Texas Tech as the 3rd best job soon

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35 minutes ago, MavGrad99 said:

If we are ranking the Texas jobs after the big 2, I would go Baylor 1, TCU 2, Texas Tech 3… the main reason I have them in this order is the proximity to DFW.  Lubbock is it’s own nice sized city, but it kinda sucks up there.  Houston may very well pass Texas Tech as the 3rd best job soon

While proximity is a factor, I think it's much less so than it used to be. Heck, the scouts can watch star halfback Jimmy Ray Jones of 2A Possum Trout ISD while scrolling through his Twitter. In fact, just looking at TCU's and Baylor's rosters, it looks like they have just as many starters from Houston and out-of-state as they do the Metroplex. 

Houston's larger enrollment/alumni base, plus being the "only game in town" (collegiately) for TV eyeballs gives them a big advantage over TCU and Baylor. Tech may be closer as far as alumni numbers, but Lubbock is a fringe "metro" area at best. H-town is a much stronger media presence on the state stage. 

The only thing, in my view, that's really kept Houston back has been their conference status — which, in turn, has made it hard to keep rising coaches + sign top recruits. Remove that barrier, and you have a sleeping giant. 

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1 hour ago, DannyZuco said:

While UTSA is having some success, we have to remember they are the lower level of the FBS Group. And yes, some college will take a shot at him, and it will probably go the way of Scott Frost or PJ Fleck. And what is scary--Minnesota has been the better of the 2. 

Good points, but I'm a sucker for results.

Traylor has been successful his entire career. He made the leap from 4A head coach to college coordinator, then got his first head coach gig at a middling (at best) program. First season they went to a bowl, now they're 4-0 with an upset win over a future Big XII program. Looking ahead, it's very possible they finish undefeated, or at least with 10 wins. UTSA ain't an easy place to get 10 wins. I reckon if he pulls it off, he's earned at least a shot at a P5 school.   

Don't get me wrong, I agree that he still has plenty to prove. But if I'm in charge of a struggling program who keeps picking experienced guys whose W-L record is just barely over .500, I maybe take a shot at some new blood. 

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24 minutes ago, JustAFan11 said:

I think he should stay where he is until TCU opens up. 

You bring up another important point: would the TCU leadership force Patterson aside? And if so, how long will it take? And will Traylor wait long enough for that to happen? 

Let's say that UTSA goes something like 10-2, and wins some mid-tier "Bluebonnet Bowl" against a 6-6 Texas Tech squad. Now he's got two winning seasons, a bowl win, and a lotta hype, especially in-state...   what happens? 

Does he go back to San Antonio and hope the TCU regents are willing to boot a guy who's smiling face is immortalized in bronze on their campus? Probably not...  not unless the Frogs a well below .500 and miss a bowl. Not impossible...  but somewhat unlikely. 

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43 minutes ago, LOL said:

While proximity is a factor, I think it's much less so than it used to be. Heck, the scouts can watch star halfback Jimmy Ray Jones of 2A Possum Trout ISD.

Now here's a man that knows his East Texas football teams--I mean everyone knows that Possum Trout High School has produced some of the best players that Texas has ever had. 

Like: Pat Myaz--who went to Texas A&M

Buster Cherry--ended up at U of Washington

Craven Moorehead--Of course you know it--went to Moorehead State, cause if you're Craven Moorehead--you just have to go to Moorehead State. 

Seymour Buttz--Played for the Butte College Roadrunners

Peter Pantz--was a Pittsburgh Panther and Played behind Tony Dorsett.

And don't forget about Nick O'Teen--who was the star quarterback of the 1988 team and then lead Nichols State to a victory in 1990. 

 

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1 minute ago, Hookemhorns88 said:

Why are most of you limiting it to a Texas school?  I suspect that at least LSU, Nebraska, and USC will be looking in the near future.

Give it a year or two and U-Texas will be looking also--or at least that is how it has been over the past decade. So it seems. 

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He inherited a great situation at UTSA. Frank Wilson was a great recruiter but not a great coach. Jeff Traylor was able to coach these kids up, and they're now a conference favorite. I imagine he will get a few P5 looks this off-season. He better strike while the pan is hot. Our coach Seth Littrell was offered the Kansas State job a few years ago after back to back 9 win seasons. He turned it down, and now after back to back 4 win seasons, he is on the hot seat. I imagine that Texas Tech will make a run at Traylor this off season. It will be interesting to watch.

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3 hours ago, LOL said:

You bring up another important point: would the TCU leadership force Patterson aside? And if so, how long will it take? And will Traylor wait long enough for that to happen? 

Let's say that UTSA goes something like 10-2, and wins some mid-tier "Bluebonnet Bowl" against a 6-6 Texas Tech squad. Now he's got two winning seasons, a bowl win, and a lotta hype, especially in-state...   what happens? 

Does he go back to San Antonio and hope the TCU regents are willing to boot a guy who's smiling face is immortalized in bronze on their campus? Probably not...  not unless the Frogs a well below .500 and miss a bowl. Not impossible...  but somewhat unlikely. 

What kid of roster does UTSA have coming back next year? I think that would play a role into how long Traylor is willing to wait. I think GP is in his the same spot now that Mack was in when Texas let him go. 
 

If it were me I would never consider the Tech job. I choose Houston, Baylor, or TCU before Tech. 

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2 hours ago, Hookemhorns88 said:

Why are most of you limiting it to a Texas school?  I suspect that at least LSU, Nebraska, and USC will be looking in the near future.

Would Jeff Traylor move the needles in Baton Rouge or LA? I don’t think the East Texan has enough flash for a huge power 5 program. In state? Yes. He could be the right school’s Gary Patterson. Put in the work, maybe draw some looks from the big programs but stay, get another field named after you, maybe a Bud Kilmer statue. 

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2 hours ago, Hookemhorns88 said:

Why are most of you limiting it to a Texas school?  I suspect that at least LSU, Nebraska, and USC will be looking in the near future.

LSU and USC will not be looking for low tier to move up to top tier.  

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16 hours ago, Hookemhorns88 said:

Why are most of you limiting it to a Texas school?  I suspect that at least LSU, Nebraska, and USC will be looking in the near future.

My reasoning is that he's still just a regional name. No one outside of Texas will be able to understand why he's a big deal. 

While those you mentioned may very well be looking in the near future, it seems unlikely that (after the recent struggles) they'd want to go all-in on a guy who's only collegiate HC experience is a couple seasons at UTSA. 

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13 hours ago, MavGrad99 said:

LSU and USC will not be looking for low tier to move up to top tier.  

Yeah, I think it'd take at least three seasons of 10+ win seasons and maybe an upset bowl win to move the needle outside of the state. 

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14 hours ago, JustAFan11 said:

If it were me I would never consider the Tech job. I choose Houston, Baylor, or TCU before Tech. 

Tech is certainly the kind of program that you really want to be at because of a connection to the school, or a place where you want to make a name for yourself before stepping up. 

But yeah, for me Houston makes the most sense, though I certainly see the appeal of BU/TCU for an up-and-comer. 

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19 hours ago, MavGrad99 said:

If we are ranking the Texas jobs after the big 2, I would go Baylor 1, TCU 2, Texas Tech 3… the main reason I have them in this order is the proximity to DFW.  Lubbock is it’s own nice sized city, but it kinda #### up there.  Houston may very well pass Texas Tech as the 3rd best job soon

I would rank both TCU and Houston ahead of Baylor ... Tech probably even with Baylor  ....

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Yeah and, for the record, I would rank TCU over Houston as well...  BUT:

1.) I find it highly unlikely that TCU is gonna fire Gary Patterson in the next three seasons, and
2.) I find it highly unlikely that Jeff Traylor is gonna stay at UTSA more than 1 or 2 more seasons.

I really feel like he's gonna have a "breakthrough" season this year (10-2 or 11-1, bowl berth) then make the jump to a bigger program. 

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29 minutes ago, LOL said:

Yeah, I think it'd take at least three seasons of 10+ win seasons and maybe an upset bowl win to move the needle outside of the state. 

He would have to be in the Coastal Carolina/Cincinnati talk of crashing the NY6 and get snubbed IMO for the bigger jobs...  But, just thinking out loud here...  what about Florida State?  That job is not attractive like it used to be and could easily be a decent landing spot if that admin chooses to go the route of Arkansas and hire a winner instead of a "big name".

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1 minute ago, MavGrad99 said:

But, just thinking out loud here...  what about Florida State?  That job is not attractive like it used to be and could easily be a decent landing spot if that admin chooses to go the route of Arkansas and hire a winner instead of a "big name".

Now that's...  not as crazy as it would've sounded just a couple seasons ago. They're the exact kind of used-to-be-good-fallen-on-hard-times program who might try to find some relatively inexpensive up-and-comer with a recent track record of winning.

Hmm, you may be onto something here...  

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14 minutes ago, KirtFalcon said:

I would rank both TCU and Houston ahead of Baylor ... Tech probably even with Baylor  ....

Houston- 3-1 with a loss to Texas Tech... which would suggest to me that they aren't that wonderful right now... last "major" bowl was 2015 Peach Bowl.

Texas Tech- currently 3-1...  last conference championship 1994.  Last "major" bowl 2009 Cotton Bowl (non-BCS)

TCU- currently 2-1... last conference championship 2014 (T-w/Baylor).  Last "major" bowl 2014 Peach Bowl...

COMPARED WITH BAYLOR (My top choice over these)

currently 4-0

currently ranked (24th)

Last conference championship 2014 (T-TCU)

Last "Major" Bowl 2019

I'd say right now, Baylor is the place to be.

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13 minutes ago, LOL said:

Yeah and, for the record, I would rank TCU over Houston as well...  BUT:

1.) I find it highly unlikely that TCU is gonna fire Gary Patterson in the next three seasons, and
2.) I find it highly unlikely that Jeff Traylor is gonna stay at UTSA more than 1 or 2 more seasons.

I really feel like he's gonna have a "breakthrough" season this year (10-2 or 11-1, bowl berth) then make the jump to a bigger program. 

just making a bowl at UTSA is worthy of a Cincinnati/Memphis/Fresno State kind of job.  If he goes 10-2 or 11-1 with those misfits, watch out Vanderbilt!

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