BREAKING: Malzahn Offered The Vandy Job
by KingJamesIV on Dec 9, 2010 11:15 PM EST
in Vanderbilt Commodores Football
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PrintAs VandySports.com broke earlier tonight and The Tennessean's Jeff Lockridge has confirmed, Vanderbilt appears to have offered Gus Malzahn the keys to the Commodore kingdom, along with around $3 million per year, if the reports are accurate.
$3 Million per year + job security + major commitment from Administration that has never appeared, outwardly at least, to be serious about its football program + getting to call Nashville, TN your home = too much to pass up? We'll soon see if this is the winning formula.
Stay tuned for more, as this ride's just heating up.
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F-ck it.
I’m on board the Gus Bus. He’s the best of the names we’ve heard in serious talks so far. $3m is a huge commitment from the administration. Whether he accepts or not, this is a huge step for Vandy athletics.
by Christian D'Andrea on Dec 9, 2010 11:33 PM EST reply actions
GUS BUS!!
Lockridge says if Malzahn says no, we “may” take Franklin.
Way to be unequivocal there Lockridge. Franklin “may” get it, I assume means he thinks Franklin WILL get it if Malzahn says no.
I’d rather not think about that.
However, it does sound like we aren’t just chucking money at Malzahn who isn’t listening. It sounds like he has showed some interest. If he was seriously considering us, you’d think the money (which he won’t get anywhere else).
As far as I can tell, 3 million is more than anyone else in the SEC but Saban, Miles and Meyer last season. More than Petrino got at Arkansas, more than double what Mullen got at Miss. St.
That is serious cash. I’m pretty sure it would have put him in the Top 10 for last season. Would anyone else offer him much more than $2 million?
I think
almost any other school in the SEC would. It seems like the SEC has a higher pay scale than any other conference. $3 mil is A LOT of money. I wondered if he is interested or being considered for the UF job. I have not heard his name mentioned. I would also wonder if there is enough room in the budget to hire high quality assistants.
I think there are too many other established options for UF that they wouldn’t take such a young unproven guy. Between Petrino or Mullen they’ll be willing to pay more than enough to get one. They’ve got too much at stake to risk it on someone like Malzahn I think.
But like I said, only Miles, Saban and Meyer made more than 3 last season. Petrino and Richt were just under.
Mullen only made 1.2. I don’t think that Miss St. could get much over 2 million, and I think Mullen is much more likely than Petrino to be the choice at UF.
I think that without us as leverage he’ll have a hard time getting what we’re offering, but that’s not to say that he couldn’t get close enough.
Awesome
I like the Vandy’s administrations thoughts. As an ‘09 graduate, I can say it appears they’re mirroring the typical Vandy student’s attitude: throw a ton of money at a problem. I love it. Go Vandy. Take it Gus
thats a good point Awesome...
We now have the commons…we just threw a lot of money at it
by Screamindore on Dec 13, 2010 5:41 AM EST up reply actions
HOLY CRAP VANDY!
Well, if they are finally going to start taking things serious, this will stop all of the ribbing y’all get in the press. It’s like the nerd finally got tired of the 70+ years of jokes and just started wailing on someone. I am suddenly suspicious and worried about a program with access to a 2 bil+ endowment.
And dont take offense to that nerd comment. It’s a blog, we’re all nerds here.
Managing Editor/Chief Lackey-And The Valley Shook THE LSU Tigers Blog of the Week for 52,136 Weeks in a Row and Counting
We're way nerdier than you
In that we’ll make more money than you ever do.
Just kidding.
Maybe if we land Malzahn we can retire, “Yeah, well we’re smart and your going to be poor and stupid forever,” from #1 on our Comeback Repetiore.
I bet
You know, this is starting to make a bit of sense. Throwing obscene amounts of money at it should have always been the Vanderbilt way
Managing Editor/Chief Lackey-And The Valley Shook THE LSU Tigers Blog of the Week for 52,136 Weeks in a Row and Counting
Think he'll take it?
Gus is an Arkansas guy, so he might just sit this one out to see what Petrino does with Florida.
Fumbles. It was always Fumbles
I posited to Train on the Twitters...
That I’d guess this offer comes with a time limit.
I think Arkansas could and maybe would top us but not by much. Petrino made 2.7 mill this season (as per the USA Today), but would Malzahn get that much with so much less experience? I don’t know.
Miss St. definitely wouldn’t approach 3 million. They only paid Mullen 1.2 last season and 2 years ago Mullen was Malzahn, but with more experience. (BTW, Miami couldn’t come anywhere close).
My guess is that we told him, you will be lucky to get another offer like this, but if you want it, we need you to take it now. We’re not going to sit around and be leverage for you to get more money at Miss St. or Arkansas.
If our job closes, his only best leverage against either of those schools will be gone. (Not that he wouldn’t still make some good money, his “I can say at Auburn option” is not really scaring anyone).
I think our offer is, you take the sure thing now, get huge money and coach in the SEC, or you can hope that Miss. St. or Arkansas opens up and then see what you can convince them to pay you.
And I know that Miss. St. has a lot of positives on us, but if that’s the job that opens up, would he take half of the money to go there? Are they really SO much ahead of us that say 1.5×4 there is better than 3×7 here?
I just don’t think we’d string along the other options for a week or two to see if the other stuff settles enough.
I still think we make our decision in the next week, and I don’t think the
Malzahn
If Malzahn was smart and he was offered equal money for either the Arkansas job or the Vandy job, he would take the Vandy job. I am from and live in Arkansas and the fans are tough. There is no pro team here and the state is Razorback nuts. The fans are unrealistic and there is very little patience for losing. If he had a few bad games, the news outlets would already stir with clippings of him being under qualified and rumors would start about getting a new coach. This state has no patience for football coaches.
Vandy on the other hand should be a very easy job to keep for the long term. Malzahn has recruiting connections in Arkansas and Alabama, which should help tremendously in recruiting. Vandy never gets top talent from Arkansas even though Nashville is a days drive from most of the state. If Malzahn can average 5 wins per year, he should be able to keep the job for life. If he has two 8 win seasons at Arkansas, he probably gets fired. What would you choose? Sign me up for Vandy and $3 mill per year for life.
Don’t be fooled. The Vandy job is better than many give it credit for.
Wow, 3 million!?!?
The Death Star my be fully operational very soon with that kind of offer. The job security thing may not be what y’all are thinking though, but if he does not start to win I’d say at least eight games by year three, he might be fired and that is a good chunk of change.
"When a hurricane damaged my father's house, my brother rushed over with a gas grill, three coolers of beer, and an enormous Fuck-It Bucket - a plastic pail filled with jawbreakers and bite-size candy bars. ("When s*** brings you down, just say 'f*** it,' and eat yourself some motherf****** candy.")"
— David Sedaris
Call me crazy, but...
I don’t think Malzahn takes this job. I think the $3 million is a shot in the dark for Williams to see if Gus will jump at it. In the end, he most likely will wait it out. After enduring Dowhower, Woody, and Caldwell (Bobby gets a pass for the Music City Bowl), since I was there in the 1990’s, I think Williams goes cheaper. I think his real target is the guy from Maryland, a guy he knows, and has met multiple times.
However, it sure looks good in the headlines that Vandy offered Gus that $3 Million. Makes us seem “serious” about competing in the SEC.
Agreed
This was my first thought too. The Washington Post speculated that Roman, not Malzahn, was the other candidate; however, if Roman is out of the picture, I think it will be Franklin.
The Malzahn offer buys Vanderbilt credibility. It’s a smart move for Williams and the administration, but I’m not sure whether it is smart for Malzahn. Fail at Vanderbilt, go to the back of the line. Fail at a bigger school, then take a shot with a school like Vanderbilt. If the contract is $21 million, that might change things, but only if another school is not willing to approach that number. Vanderbilt is the Washington Nationals of the head coach sweestakes.
Chizik
5-19 at Iowa. He still got a shot at Auburn. I think if anything, people will excuse Malzahn for any record he has at Vandy because, hey, you’re supposed to lose there.
If he builds the program up, he will be a god.
In my eyes, it’s really only a win-win. Great money, great job security, live in Nashville. The downside really is pretty small.
by KingJamesIV on Dec 10, 2010 11:57 AM EST up reply actions
Good point on Chizik and how it was not a real blow to later job opportunities
I agree, good for Malzahn either way.
"When a hurricane damaged my father's house, my brother rushed over with a gas grill, three coolers of beer, and an enormous Fuck-It Bucket - a plastic pail filled with jawbreakers and bite-size candy bars. ("When s*** brings you down, just say 'f*** it,' and eat yourself some motherf****** candy.")"
— David Sedaris
Good point
but I doubt Chizik would have taken the Iowa State job over a better job – and that is the decision that Malzahn is likely to face. Plus, Iowa State went 7-6 (with a bowl win) the year after Chizik left and 5-7 this past year. That’s not exactly leaving the program in the same shape that Bobby Johnson left our program or Greg Robinson (Chizik’s predecessor at Texas) left Syracuse.
Even if you put aside the fact that for every Gene Chizik there appear to be more Greg Robinsons, I see Malzahn taking our offer only if he does not think he will get a good offer from a better program. Assuming Malzahn’s goal is to win football games (and eventually championships) and make as much money as possible over his career, I still don’t think Vanderbilt at $21 million is a better job than Arkansas or Mississippi State at $15 million.
I hope I’m wrong and he takes our offer. $3 million per year is a lot of bait, especially when the Florida situation has left so much uncertainty out there.
Arkansas can match or beat our offer
I don’t think Mississippi St can.
Arkansas is already ready to be a legit SEC contender, and they paid Petrino about what we’re (apparently unofficially) offering Malzahn. No doubt, they can and probably would offer roughly the same amount for a good number of years. If Petrino goes to Florida, there is no doubt Gus goes to Little Rock, or wherever the heck that school is.
But Mississippi St can’t offer nearly 15 million. They only are paying Mullen 1.2 million this season and can’t offer more than 4 years as per KJ4’s previous post about state contracts in Miss. If they blow the bank they can MAYBE offer 10 million total in 4 years, and I wouldn’t bet on that.
Obviously Miss St. is a better football school now, but 2 years ago they weren’t any better than us. I don’t think that Miss St. is so much of a better place to be that it makes up $10 million or more.
If we’re such a “coach killer” is Miss St. really that much better? I don’t buy that.
Mullen can leave Miss St. now and go be a star coach, if Mullen stays around for 3 or 4 years, 7 wins, against almost all awful teams won’t be enough anymore and he’ll lose that shine. So the fact that Mullen can leave isn’t any different that if Malzahn shows up and goes 6-6 once in the first few years.
If Malzahn goes to Miss St. who think they are on the rise, he’ll lose his shine just the same it if they just turn into Kentucky-West, getting a crappy bowl, by beating up on crappy teams with one mediocre upset every year. Meanwhile if he takes us to 2 bowls in 4 years, he’ll still be in line for a good job.
Mississippi State...
would be the worst job in the conference but for Vanderbilt. They don’t have much history and lack the budget of other schools. Still, a coach at MSU can recruit anybody and will be given free reign to do whatever is necessary to win. In other words, Malzahn can pick any quarterback in the country he wants, regardless of whether the kid can read. At Vanderbilt, he might not need a rocket scientist, but the kid will still have to show some basic educational ability. To me, that is the only difference between Vanderbilt and Miss. St. If you want to win a championship, you go to Miss. St. If you want to look yourself in the mirror, you go to Vanderbilt. Between those two, it has to come down to money. If it is $21 million at Vanderbilt vs. $12 million at Miss. St., we should win. If it is closer than that, I’m not sure we win that battle.
I don’t know enough about Miss. St. to project on anything other than their four-year limitation – I just thought that if Houston Nutt was getting around $2 million, than they might be able to bump that up over another million or so for Malzahn. I’ve quit trying to figure out how southern state schools other than Florida, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, and LSU justify the money the hand out to coaches.
Vandy could justify it
I think Vandy could stand to easily get the 3 million a year back on this investment. But in my opinion, its mostly about public opinion. The administration has called me at least 10 times since I graduated trying to get me to donate money. If i had more than 45 dollars to my name, I might be able to help – but alas, I haven’t yet. A big movement in trying to propel Vandy up the rankings ladder is to increase alumni giving – a major weakspot for our school. If they can somehow pull off a competetive football team year in and year out, the publicity would be gold. Let’s not forget how great Vandy looked when College Gameday went to the Commons. If the administration made a ballsy move like this, I’d throw some cash back at the school absolutely.
So this supposed cash sum to Malzahn would be not only for the athletes but also to help increase the academic prestige. Thats just my thought process on how this would just be an investment in the university as a whole.
I'm jealous of your $45
That’s more than I’ve got…but when I’m done with school, I’d definitely be more likely to give to both the university and the NCC instead of just one or the other.
Interesting theory, better football means better alumni giving.
But giving to the Commodore Club is different than giving to the school (right?), so how much would an excitement boost actually boost the alumni giving that counts?
I think general excitement about the school would help both, but it would be interesting to see how much.
Good question. All I can really add is +1 alumnus giving to both if this actually plays out. Hell even if they get Franklin or Roman and are competetive in games, they can add me to the list. I was so effing tired of seeing money get poured into the commons and away from the things I cared about that I had given up. This is a positive sign for me, personally.
Main concern...
for Vandy – or at least I’ve always thought it to be a concern – is alienating other areas of the university. Whereas Auburn could not give a rat’s ass about its academic facilities, Vandy cares about things like the medical center, law school, etc. If you spend millions on football, do you risk alienating these other deserving areas of the University?
This is what makes the need for NCC support so great. Then again, I’m probably a bit of an exception b/c I donate to the NCC, but not other areas of the University.
Contract Lengths
Keep in mind: Vanderbilt’s typical contract length is 7 years for its coaches. And as we learned in elementary school, 7 times 3 equals 21 (million). That could be the neighborhood of how much this contract is worth.
4 years is the maximum length, by state law, that Mississippi State could offer. In order to get the same “value,” MSU would have to offer close to $5 million per, which is doubtful. As such, Malzahn would have to take a significant pay cut to choose MSU.
It’s not necessarily all about the money, but that is some serious money Vandy is throwing around, if reports are accurate.
Looks like the deadline is set
According to Vandysports.com (non premium story), Vandy will formally announce a new coach on Monday.
Several folks say we may not have “offered” Malzahn yet, but it’s pretty clear we’ve offered him a lot, even if it wasn’t sign on the line specific. We’ve definitely told him he can have us if he wants us (that sounded gross), and we’ve made the money pretty clear even if the numbers aren’t set yet.
But we’ve apparently also told him he better decide this weekend because otherwise we’re moving.
I like it...
Make him decide before he knows for certain whether he will be offered a more attractive job. Tough decision for a guy who was coaching high school football just a few years back.
Another big help for us
Is Chris Peterson. As long as he is in the running, it means there’s a fair chance no SEC jobs open up at all for Malzahn, meaning Malzahn’s worst case if he passes is not Miss. St., it’s another year at Auburn.
If Chris Peterson could make some big news in the Florida search in the next day or so, it will be doing us a real favor.
Means Vandy is really lucky Boise isn’t undefeated, or he might do the whole, wait til after my bowl schtick, which wouldn’t help.
Any news on salary base and bonus
I’ve read on some blogs that the offer is more like 1.5-1.75 mil guaranteed with up to 3 in incentives. Does anyone have any confirmation on this besides just rumors about the rumors of an offer?
Pretty certain the 1.5 is bogus
These people are grasping at straws. Vandy has been intentionally misleading and under the radar for the last 3 weeks. If you’re going to trust anyone’s info, it should be VandySports.com or Jeff Lockridge, both of whom have reported a figure that is closer to approaching 3 million than 1.5.
If it was 1.5
Or anything close to it, this wouldn’t be a story at all.
I wouldn’t be surprised if there is some bit of incentive in there, but I wouldn’t guess that it’s far short of 3 million in the base just because, no one would really think twice about it. Most of the teams in the SEC have good size incentive bonuses. I think the point of our deal was to blow him out of the water, and anything less than that stands no chance while he has any other possible offers.
But DW did say on 3HourLunch that Vandy would be creative about payment, he also said we weren’t going to be paying anyone $4 million dollars, incentives or not.
My guess, base somewhere from 2.5-3 mill, with no more than $500 k bonuses. Any less and this whole deal never would have gotten started.
There's also the possibility that it's not all Vandy's money
Jeff Tedford at Cal makes north of $2 million, but over 80% of it is a “personal services contract” from Nike; the university itself is only ponying up 10-15% of the total cash value of the deal. (This may have changed in the last renegotiation.) It’s not outside the realm of possibility that not 100% of the money on the table for Gus is directly out of the giant vault of Scrooge McDuck dubloons and straight cash in the basement of Kirkland. (Could that BE a more circuitous sentence?)
"Well, if that ain't a show, I'll kiss your ass." - Gov. Jim Folsom Sr. (D-AL), 1948-52
Huge development in the "There are no better options, Gus" front
If true this could go a long way to convincing Gus this is the place.
An Arkansas website is reporting that Petrino just signed a big extension at Arkansas.
The story comes from a TV news report citing a source “close to negotions.” So that means it could be complete BS.
Not to mention the important fact, that a contract with probably the biggest 2-faced, self-serving snake in all of sports doesn’t mean all that much. That dude would just as easily sign a huge deal in Arkansas and the next day show up doing the chomp on a stage in Gainesville.
However, it certainly makes the odds seem lower that the job at Arkansas will be opening up for Gus. Add to that my opinion that Miss St. can’t come close to our offer, and the possibility that UF could go for Boise St.’s coach (thereby not opening up any SEC position), and Gus has to see that the odds of a better offer, or even a close offer at a better school are shrinking rapidly.
If he doesn’t think Petrino is leaving Arkansas, I don’t see how he can risk the 3×7 on the CHANCE that he gets the Miss. St. job. As Mr. SEC said (he otherwise annoys me, but I liked this quote), 3 million in the hand is worth more than Arkansas or Miss. St. in the bush. I agree with that, but I think it’s hard not to say that 3 million in the hand is worth more than just a maybe at Miss. St.
Last sentence is weird. I mean to say that while we Vandy folks might think our offer is better than the chance of maybe Arkansas or Miss. St., others might disagree. But it’s hard to argue that 3×7 at Vandy isn’t better than only the chance to maybe go to Miss. St. for less pay and a shorter contract.
Doesn't mean much yet, but Schad also is running with the story.
http://twitter.com/#!/schadjoe/status/13451281230209025
And it may actually mean a lot, because come Sunday night, perception is reality for Gus, and he’ll have to make the choice.
Looks to be true
It would be a big development because the VandySports.com guys have reported (via 560am and Henry_IX) that Malzahn will not consider Mississippi State should that job open up.
I would imagine that would have something to do with their administration being complicit with Dan Mullen in his torpedoing of Cam Newton’s character…
Important question
Has Gus had the SkyNet (aka Festivus) experience, yet?
1.5 years on the same campus as Big Fezz, plus 21 mil? Sign the offer, Gus.
by BrianSWard on Dec 11, 2010 2:05 PM EST via mobile reply actions 1 recs
Supposedly
“Sources indicate Gus Malzahn is unlikely to accept Vanderbilt job. "
So is footballrumormill.com legit? Grain of salt, thanks. Especially seeing as nowhere else has anything like that yet and they only have just one tweet.
Unlikely to accept
I’m sure their sources feel that way. Pretty much everyone outside of Gus Malzahn or Vanderbilt has felt that way.
I wouldn’t worry about it. If it comes out, it will probably break first somewhere in the Auburn came (if he declines). If he accepts, we may not hear until tomorrow or gasp Monday
I don't imagine we'll hear anything today ...
unless it’s “no”. He’ll want Newton to have his day today.
Also
VandySports.com reported that Malzahn approached Vandy not the other way around (though Vandy would have, they just hadn’t even gotten the ball fully rolling yet).
They are going to do everything they feel is not too unreasonable to get him.
I would love for that to all be true.
I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited/nervous about football season once basketball has already started.
Like Christmas Eve
I may go to bed early so that tomorrow will get here quicker.
by Smoke n Mirrors on Dec 11, 2010 6:23 PM EST up reply actions
Muschamp helps
It means there is not a HC opening at Miss St. or Arkansas. You gotta think that helps.
by Smoke n Mirrors on Dec 11, 2010 8:37 PM EST up reply actions
See above
Petrino signed a 7 year extension last night with Arkansas that is believed to include a non-compete clause with any SEC school.
by KingJamesIV on Dec 11, 2010 10:06 PM EST up reply actions
Buzz-o-meter
Lots of positive Twitter buzz most recently. Coming from people for whom there is no reason to believe. But I choose to grant limited belief to any positive buzz.
Supposedly John Ingram (as in the Vanderbit-Ingram Cancer Center Ingrams) had his plane flying to NYC (as in the same place Gus just saw Cam get his trophy).
Also, not one other person has made any negative reports since that one negative rumor tweeted earlier by fbrumormill.
We’ll see.
has there been much discussion of this since yesterday
where would we put the odds? i feel kinda good about this, but it’s been so long since the offer was supposedly extendeded…
"I'd like to thank the good Lord for making me a Yankee. And specifically, not a Buffalo Bill."
-Joe Dimaggio
Nothing but speculation
It seems like eveyone is just waiting on any word. I haven’t seen anything but speculation about what the silence may mean. I get the feeling we may have to wait until Monday to find out. Vandy’s ability to keep a secret is impressive.
by Smoke n Mirrors on Dec 12, 2010 3:39 PM EST up reply actions
Thanks the local media...
whether it is due to disinterest or inept reporting skills – and I suspect both play an equal role – the local media, and The Tennessean in particular, do a terrible job covering Vanderbilt sports.
If we hire Malzahn, expect the University to break the story. If we hire Franklin, look to hear it from The Washington Post.
I think in this instance it is more that the members of the committee are truly interested in not leaking this information as opposed to people not doing a good job of trying to find out.
Since they’re all on the same page, there’s really no way to get the information, since it doesn’t have to go beyond the small group that makes up the committee.
Vandy can afford to take their time at this point since the SEC dominos aren’t going to fall.
Right on the money RE: WaPo
VCDW likely called Franklin to let him know. Franklin then let WaPo know. Franklin was probably the first person outside the committee and Malzahn to know.
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