Assuming Utah really did go after Rich Rod for OC,

Viewing 7 reply threads

- 12/31/2018 at 11:39 AM #86640
  
  Larry B
  Ute Fan
  
  @larryb
  
  Where does that leave things with Harding? Although I have been hoping for a better hire than Harding, I figured it was only a matter of time before he was named OC.
  
  Now that it looks like Whitt tried to go outside of his bubble, does Harding feel a little slighted? You’ve got to imagine he feels like he deserves the job.
  
  I’m afraid we’ll go after some bigger names, only to come up empty handed, leaving Harding as an afterthought. Then how many years does Harding stick around?
  
  Now that it’s known that we went after RR, Harding may not (or should not) be an option.
- 12/31/2018 at 11:47 AM #86642
  1 1
  
  Utah
  Ute Fan
  
  @utah
  
  When it comes to potentially losing a damn good OL coach for a complete mystery at OC, yeah, you have to take Harding’s feelings into account.
  
  If it comes down to BJ (or some other non-previous-P5-who was successful OC) as OC and Harding quitting or Harding as OC and a different QB coach, I take Harding 100% of the time.
  And if you want Boise’s OC or BJ or someone similar to that, then be prepared to lose Harding. If that OC enough of a slam dunk to lose a known quantity? I dunno.
  
  Look at Harding’s resume from his point of view:
  When he was co-OC, the run game was incredible. When he “helped” Taylor, the run game took off. He’s shown twice that he can get you 9+ wins running the ball.
  
  How many OC’s have done that at the P5 level? How many OC’s were that successful over the area they were in charge of?
  
  If you make Harding the OC, you know you will run for 200 yards a game and win 9+ games.
  
  And you want to bring in someone unproven?
  
  That’s a tough pill to swallow if I’m Harding.
  - 12/31/2018 at 1:17 PM #86677
    2
    
    UteThunder
    Ute Fan
    
    @utethunder
    
    I think you might be overstating Harding’s influence on the running game just a bit.
    
    When Harding was Co-OC, he had two NFL RBs (Booker & Williams) along with several NFL OL he inherited. Of course we were going to have a good running game.
    
    This year, he once again had an NFL RB and the only real changes that he made were to run the ball more and cut back on the RPO element of the run game.
    
    **Notice what happened to the run game when the NFL RB went out with injury**
    
    Shyne did have an awesome game against Oregon who has a terrible defense but his rushing totals took a sharp nosedive against Colorado(55 yds), BYU(47 yds), & Washington(37 yds). If Harding was a running game guru, I would think he could get our backup who is a former starter a bit closer to 100 yards/game.
- 12/31/2018 at 12:03 PM #86644
  
  palos_verdes_ute
  Ute Fan
  
  @palos-verdes-ute
  
  Isn’t Rich Rod the new OC at ole miss now?
- 12/31/2018 at 12:11 PM #86650
  9
  
  Onlyu
  Ute Fan
  
  @uf8fl
  
  If it’s Harding you’ll also see a passing game coordinator hired. Harding is a proven O-Line coach, proven talent developer, proven run game coordinator and proven recruiter. Not a proven OC. That said, I’m not sure Harding is the right guy. You’re absolutely correct in the assumption that he might feel slighted and leave…we’ll see.
- 12/31/2018 at 12:16 PM #86651
  2
  
  SalUteopia
  Ute Fan
  
  @saluteopia
  
  I feel that Utah has done enough (top 25 rank in 4/5 years) to warrant going after a bigger name.
  Things are shaping up nicely to have a special 2019. You don’t want to squander this opportunity. A proven name gives us the best chance to have an immediate impact. This is not about an individual’s coaching aspirations; this is about doing what’s best for the program.
  If I’m Harding, I’d be disappointed but I won’t feel slighted. No shame in losing to a better candidate.
- 12/31/2018 at 12:24 PM #86653
  
  Central Coast Ute
  Ute Fan
  
  @flip2848
  
  I just saw that the Falcons let Sarkisian go. I wonder if Whitt will give him a call. Although the SEC is paying coordinators almost as much as Whitt is getting paid so I don’t see him coming here either.
  - 12/31/2018 at 12:36 PM #86657
    
    SalUteopia
    Ute Fan
    
    @saluteopia
    
    FWIW, @belli1976 mentioned yesterday that he had heard Sark’s name but to not get your hopes up.
    - 12/31/2018 at 12:57 PM #86667
      
      Central Coast Ute
      Ute Fan
      
      @flip2848
      
      My hopes aren’t up. I doubt Utah will pay him what he could get somewhere else.
- 12/31/2018 at 12:46 PM #86660
  
  Dante Guardi
  Ute Fan
  
  @danteg12
  
  lets go after sark. Him and the falcons parted ways today.
- 12/31/2018 at 12:46 PM #86661
  2
  
  Anonymous
  Inactive
  
  I’ve learned to not try to anticipate the decisions that coaches make. They don’t always make sense. That said, I love Harding and hope that he stays. I think he’d do well as the OC provided that Kyle hires a coach for QBs who would also be the passing game coordinator. I could see Harding as HC in the not too distant future.
  - 12/31/2018 at 12:53 PM #86665
    1
    
    UteThunder
    Ute Fan
    
    @utethunder
    
    Harding as head coach? That’s a hard pass.
    - 12/31/2018 at 12:58 PM #86669
      
      Central Coast Ute
      Ute Fan
      
      @flip2848
      
      He might get a shot somewhere. Personally I think he keeps trying g to go NFL route as an Oline coach.
      - 12/31/2018 at 1:24 PM #86682
        1
        
        UteThunder
        Ute Fan
        
        @utethunder
        
        If Harding goes on to anything better than what he has been at Utah, I will be very surprised.
    - 12/31/2018 at 1:21 PM #86679
      
      Anonymous
      Inactive
      
      I really like Harding. I think he’s a good (possibly great) coach. His players like and respect him, and he puts guys into the NFL.
      - 12/31/2018 at 1:32 PM #86686
        1
        
        UteThunder
        Ute Fan
        
        @utethunder
        
        Yeah, he puts guys into the NFL alright . . . guys who were already here when Harding got here and probably would have made the league anyway. Bolles is the only guy Harding recruited and put in the NFL and Harding had about as much influence on Bolles making the NFL as you and I did. You can’t even give Harding credit for recruiting Bolles, his wife is the one who persuaded him to pick Utah.
      - 12/31/2018 at 2:09 PM #86693
        1
        
        noneyadb
        Ute Fan
        
        @noneyadb
        
        Look up Utah’s o-line rankings. He’s far from “good”