Ark Coaching Search

[Dossenator]

Some Las Vegas insider tweeted that he had sources in Boise and Ark that confirmed Petersen has an Ark offer and that he is waiting for a Boise counter offer. Said if things don't fall apart he expects Petersen to be named Ark coach on Tuesday.

You hearing anything about this Donovan?

The Ark message boards are going crazy right now.

Here is the guy doing all the tweeting: Todd Fuhrman Twitter https://twitter.com/ToddFuhrman

[Dossenator]

More twitter fun: https://mobile.twitter.com/Flint_HolyTurf/tweets

He says Petersen not happy with move to Big East and what has become of Big East con, would be had to leave Boise, that Boise has asked him to give them tonight to come up with counter offer, and mentions coaches he will go after to fill out staff.

[donovan]

As far as i can tell, and I have no inside information, Petersen has no intention of going anywhere. He has offers, as I understand, from schools every year. He turned down an UCLA offer of 4 million a year, a year ago.

Petersen does not like what has happened with the BCS, he is very quiet, but did come out and say he does not like what is going on, much like Fisher and others have said.

I suspect Coach Pete will get offers every year for sometime, and maybe someday, maybe this year he will take them but here is the deal. He is very quiet, he does not do the National Press things, he likes being the big fish in a small pond. And, he has a special needs son that he is not interested in moving around the country, I think his family is happy in Boise and that is where he will stay. (His son fell out of some bleachers watching practice when he was young and received a brain injury. They have done everything to accommodate him at school, home, etc. I think this is his prime concern.) He has a job at Boise for life if he wants it, I believe. He does not have to worry about collecting money and doing all the stuff other coaches have to do. (Boise for the size of their program gets more money from several sources and I understand, diverts a significant amount to other areas of education because they do not have the need.

With all that said.... I don't know. Is suspect Arkansas may have made him an offer....I do not see that as anything I would not suspect. And...pretty sure if he was available to move....there would be a lot of opportunities and he would look at them all before he decided.

[Dossenator]

Reports are Ark has made an offer and that Ark interviewed Gundy this morning at 9:00 am. Gundy interviewed at Tenn yesterday. If Petersen says no to Ark (and he probably all ready has) then Ark and Tenn get into a bidding war over Gundy. All indications are Ark has more money to give than Tenn does. But it not all about the money....or it should not be. That is why I respect Petersen, he seems to have his priorities in order.

[Eric]

Wow, Bret Bielema. This came out of left field. Now we have two teams in the BCS with interim coaches!

I think something to the effect of what Spence said earlier about Wisconsin came into play here. I think Bielema notices Michigan State doing better in recruiting, Michigan and Notre Dame rising up from the ashes, and Ohio State landing Urban Meyer. Recruiting was going to be a lot tougher for Wisconsin in the coming years and, while Barry Alvarez did good things at Wisconsin, Bielema got them over the hump while Michigan State, Michigan, and Notre Dame were average. I don't think that's a coincidence. He probably saw the writing on the wall and that Wisconsin's era of B1G championship dominance was probably coming to an end.

That, and I assume he's getting better pay and he gets to "take on the South." I guess coaching in the SEC nowadays is something of a holy grail for head coaches.

[Eric]

One thing I've noticed about Wisconsin fans is their love/hate relationship with Bielema. They can't ignore the three Rose Bowls, but there is something about his in-game coaching that they despise. He plays it very conservative sometimes and he does make a lot of bad playcalls.

[Dossenator]

Ark fans are not happy with this hire and I fall into that category. I hope he proves me wrong. His style will not work well at Ark. Ark is not Bama, LSU, Florida, or Georgia. Ark will not have the horses to play power football and beat the big boys. Petrino had the mold of what could be successful at Ark...much like Sumlin at A&M this year. You have to play to your strengths. Might as well have hired Houston Nutt. Here is for many years of mediocrity. This will be the end of Jeff Long.

He has no solid recruiting ties to the south and recruiting Texas is a must for Arkansas to be successful. He won the Big 10 several times but when the Big 10 has been way down, and with Ohio State on probation this year.

I guess he has done more with less. His recruiting ranks in the 50's and 60's most years according to Scout. I just don't see this turnign out well, and Ark fans are NOT happy. They had their mind's set on a coach that had recruiting ties in Texas: Gary Patterson, Mike Gundy, Chris Petersen (yes he recruits Texas quite well), Charlie Strong, Gus Malzhan, or even Art Briles.

So frustrating. I will support this hire and the team, because I am a Razorback fan. I hope he proves me wrong. Crazy the team returning is set up to run Petrino's style of offense. Could take a few years to get his players and system in place. Gundy, or Patterson, or Malzhan could have won with the kids that are all ready at Arkansas.

[Derek]

I'm not sure it makes a lot of sense either. But I do wish him well, unless he's playing Ga.

[Spence]

I feel sorry for you Doss. Bielema, in my opinion is as bad or worse a choice as John L. Smith. He isn't a dynamic recruiter. He isn't even a good recruiter. His offensive co-ordinator that is now at Pitt, was the best coach on the Wisconsin staff. Bielema has been led around by the nose by Barry Alverez. I think Alverez still has lots to do with game plans and strategy. Bielema is going to the Rose this year. Record wise Wisconsin is the 5th best team in the B-10. I think he was been over his head for a while and going into the SEC is not going to help him catch up. He is a bad field general. He constantly whines about almost everything. I can see why he jumped, though. He has to know his stock is not going to be better. He may as well sign a big fat contract before he exits coaching for good.

I know you take up for this AD Doss, but this guy is going to tear down your football program with bad decisions. He is a traitor from Dayton who was pulled out of Miami (Ohio) by Bo in Michigan. This will be the hire that ends his career as well. Bielema doesn't have any imagination as a coach. He has never developed a QB. He is a power football guy like Sabin, but he isn't close to Sabin's equal. He won't have Barry Alverez to help him at Arkansas. It is going to end badly.

[Dossenator]

Initial reaction not good but it seems like Razorback fans are super excited about the hire. A crazy bunch we Razorback fans are.

[donovan]

I don't get this. It has to be Jeff Long. Smith did not work out well....but he did do somethings that he gets little credit for. Namely....going through a season with no issues, other than winning and some personal problems that were known before the hire....Frankly, he leaves the school in better shape than when he took over, team wise, imo.

Bielema has talked trash about the SEC. First of all, class coaches don't do that. They do not trash talk period...they need to be about that, mature and focused. You don't see the Fishers, Meyers, Sabins, Patterson and Petersens talking badly about anyone. So now you have a guy that joined the ranks of people he has talked very disparagingly about.

I think Spence may be right. I have not followed the ins and out. Maybe he will shine and make things happen, but seems to me if Arkansas wants to be a contender is a very tough conference, they did not get the General to lead the troops. How much time are they going to give him. How much time will the fans give him. I think it may needs be a couple of three years....Arkansas fans talk in terms of games. I get the frustration...just not sure how this alleviates it. But, like Doss, I wish him and the team well...it does the sport no good to continue this loose three and your out mentality.

[Dossenator]

Well, being reported that Bielema asked for less money so he could pay more for his assistants. Looks like he will bring almost none of his Wisconsin staff with him. I bet he looks for guys with SEC ties and recruiting ties in South (especially Texas). If he gets the right staff this could work.

[Spence]

Well, being reported that Bielema asked for less money so he could pay more for his assistants. Looks like he will bring almost none of his Wisconsin staff with him. I bet he looks for guys with SEC ties and recruiting ties in South (especially Texas). If he gets the right staff this could work.

Bielema doesn't really have a staff at Wisky. They are Barry Alverez guys. There is a rumor that Barry is going to coach the badgers in the Rose and maybe return to the sidelines. He has been the real coach at Wisconsin anyway.

[armchairqb]

I wish it would've been Mike Gundy at Arkansas instead of Bielema. I'm an apologist for power football, so I'll give Bielema the benefit of the doubt for awhile. But my gut tells me that ultimately, this won't work.

[Derek]

Well, being reported that Bielema asked for less money so he could pay more for his assistants. Looks like he will bring almost none of his Wisconsin staff with him. I bet he looks for guys with SEC ties and recruiting ties in South (especially Texas). If he gets the right staff this could work.

Very good points.