BREAKING: Malzahn to Accept Vanderbilt Head Coaching Position

The source we used was WaPo, posted at 4:10. @VandyVendidad had the original leak at 4:05 pm. That man was doing work today.

I really don’t think anyone could have done better

That is, of course, only if this story is thus backed by a presser with Gus and DW on the same stage…(too many years as a fan. I have to cover my bases.)

I’m pretty excited. It of course remains to be seen how he can manage a program vs. a high school or college offense, but he’s had the Midas touch thus far.

Twitter Declares Career Over

The only thing more hilarious than the pathetic “Vandy = career suicide” meme is this post from an Auburn fan.

@eyedoc007
“Since the Cam Newton story has made me skeptical of all reporters, I’m gonna wait to panic about Malzahn going to Vandy. Makes no sense.”

You know, because all that stuff about Newton turned out to be false.

We aren’t in the SEC East. That division is going to be completely up for grabs for the next few years.

I guess I’m going to have to stop being a partial Vandy fan if y’all are getting serious about football now.

i fucking love college football

This is FANTASTIC NEWS.

However, we still have an awful football team.

So, in cautionary terms,

http://epiac1216.wordpress.com/2008/04/24/hey-hold-your-horses/

I give us 2 years to get to respectability. I’m excited though, just tempered.

Tom Dienhart reported about 3 hours ago that Greg Roman was no longer in the running, according to someone at Stanford who was close to Roman.

Because we always viewed Malzahn as a tough get, I don’t believe we’d leave ourselves with only Franklin, for fear that he’d leverage our possible offer for an extension (like if he got pissed at waiting or if he thought we’d go with Gus).

Instead, it sounds pretty clear from the WaPo report that Franklin heard he wasn’t being hired, and Roman heard he wasn’t being hired.

So, those are good things.

@hutton1045/Johnathan Hutton just said “Vanderbilt official says the report on Malzahn is ‘premature’ and for me not ‘to go there.’”
Soooo…?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/12/AR2010121203024.html?nav=ft

@VandySportscom
“four other candidates were told by Vandy thanks for the time but we’re moving on and people doubt a offer or agreement has been made?”

VandySports.com apparently doesn’t have anything direct to confirm, but like I said earlier, if Roman has been told no that would make me think we have either Franklin or Malzahn set to go.

If the WaPo is reporting Malzahn said yes, the way they would know is that Franklin has been told no. So even if we can tell they don’t have any direct confirmation on Gus, apparently Franklin has been told no thanks.

They may not have it all hammered out yet. Who knows, maybe Gus busy seeing if he can bring some recruits with him from Auburn like the Season 4 Finale on Mad Men. I like to think that this situation is very similar to Mad Men, mostly because that was an awesome episode of television.

But I feel cautiously good.

I was not supposed to be checking the web every 5 minutes tonight. When the first report came out, I knew it didn’t mean much until we got some confirmation. What it was supposed to mean was that we might actually have some confirmation before too long and I would be able to quit with the Twitter vigil I was holding.

Come on Lockridge, VandySports, somebody, set me free!

GM has “verbally accepted” but no signature yet.

Nothing else is coming until the press conference. I’d assume that’s tomorrow, or Tuesday thanks to the weather here in Nashville.

I know everyone is being tight-lipped about this, but good grief, get us something. He hasn’t had anything since the original contract offer. He could at least write about the speculation and say he can’t get anything. Show us you’re working JLock!

I have my fingers crossed. Malzahn would be a wonderful fit.

The Auburn Rivals site is reporting from a “close source” that Malzahn is going to turn down the Vandy job. Guess it’s Franklin now.

I can’t imagine that the Auburn site’s “source” is any better or worse than the one from the Washington Post.

Just don’t see them telling their second and third candidates that they’re going in another direction unless this thing is final. Williams has been burned by this before. He’s a lawyer, he’s not going to potentially burn bridges to candidates unless it’s iron clad.

Also, just because there’s been no peep from the triumvirate (VCDW, Zeppos, Ingram) or Malzahn doesn’t mean that a deal isn’t finalized.

It is my firm belief this is done. I’m not budging until Auburn University holds a press event saying that Malzahn has agreed to an extension/raise.

…Has led me to this blog. Thank you, internet.
There appear to be a lot of hardcore Auburn fans out there who don’t want this to happen. The best they can do is spread misinformation on as many message boards as possible.
 
I still believe it will happen, but won’t be too crushed if it doesn’t. The more important question for Vandy is, are we really getting serious and dipping into our $2.8 billion endowment for a competitive football program? If that’s what’s happening, and this is the first sign of it, it’s not like we’re going to reverse that decision just because Gus Malzahn is a terrible, terrible businessman.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5915527

Again, just “a source” – but the fact that ESPN would run with it makes it slightly more credible than message board blather.

They better be wrong, though – after the last 24 hours I’m about ready to climb a tower.