by G BURKE
CFB Sports Writer
Jackson (AP) – At the beginning of June, former Grambling State head coach J.G. Hanks was done with the job of coaching in the NCAA ranks. Injuries he suffered from a crash earlier in the year, coupled with his desire to spend more time with his family were his reasons for stepping down. He showed no regret during his last press conference in Grambling State colors, other than the fact he wouldn’t be seeing his team everyday. So it was to everyone’s surprise when we got a tip that he was searching colleges for coaching vacancies and the possibility of coaching again this coming season.
If this story is true, where could the coach end up? There are more than a dozen schools with first year head coaches slated to start next year. Could Hanks replace one of these men before they even get started? Here are the best guesses we have for where he might pace the sidelines next year:
Boston College – Frank Spaziani is set to coach the Eagles in 2009, but B.C. has never seemed completely sure that he will be a good fit for their program. If he was, they would have given him the job in 2006, when after the departure of Tom O’Brien, he coached Boston College to a win versus Navy in the Meineke Car Care Bowl; however, Jeff Jagodzinski was hired as the permanent head coach. This would be a long move for Coach Hanks and his health is still in question.
Probability: C
Eastern Michigan – The Eagles haven’t been to a bowl since 1987 and new coach Ron English isn’t under any illusions that this is nothing short of a rebuilding task for him. I don’t see Coach Hanks taking over here because he fully supports the hiring of minorities and would hate to take away one’s job before he even gets started. Plus this is another long move for Hanks and his family.
Probability: F
Iowa State – The Cyclones have had a tough go of it as late and seemed to find their man in new coach Paul Rhoads. They get him from Auburn, where the Cyclones old coach – Gene Chizik – is headed. Sounds like musical chairs. Before being hired for the job, Rhoads had previously spent time at Iowa State as an assistant coach in the late nineties and was raised only 20 miles from the school’s football facilities. This factor makes Coach Hanks move here very unlikely.
Probability: D
Miami (Ohio) – New coach Michael Haywood has coached at LSU, Texas and Notre Dame so he brings a good track record with him to the Redhawks. This team will rely heavily on their underclassman this year, so again, this may be another rebuilding project. And for the third time, this is a long move for Hanks.
Probability: C
Mississippi State – This is the most intriguing team on the list. The campus at Starkville is not far from where Coach Hanks currently resides (Philadelphia, MS) and the team has not lost many recruits due to Sly Croom’s departure last year. The main problem is the arrival of Dan Mullen. He is looking to revive an anemic offense in Starkville and the fans and community eagerly anticipate this happening. Maybe the A.D. can convince Mullen to stay on as Offensive Coordinator? Hanks has stated he wants to coach in the S.E.C., so this is right up his alley.
Probability: B+
New Mexico – The Lobos have a solid foundation and wouldn’t need much to make it to the next level. Their defense is solid and they have had a 1,000 yard rusher each of the past seven seasons. New coach Mike Locksley inherits a squad but brings with him personal controversy. In late May 2009, a former administrative assistant at New Mexico filed a sexual harassment complaint against Locksley with the Equal Opportunity Commission.
Probability: B
New Mexico State – The Aggies seem to be in a rebuilding stage and I’m not sure if Coach Hanks wants to have a complete overhaul project on his hands. Under old coach Hal Mumme, the Aggies put up amazing offensive numbers but three of the school’s all-time offensive leaders are gone. New coach DeWayne Walker has his hands full but he is a welcome addition to the short list of minority coaches.
Probability: D-
Oregon – No chance of any coaching change here. The team won 10 last year and Chip Kelly was handpicked on December 2, 2008 to take over as head coach of the Oregon Ducks once current University of Oregon Athletic Director Pat Kilkenny stepped down; at which time then current Oregon football head coach Mike Bellotti would become the new Oregon athletic director. It was announced on March 13, 2009 that Mike Bellotti was resigning and Kelly took over March 30.
Probability: F
Syracuse – Doug Marrone takes over for Greg Robinson for the Orange and reportedly, alumni such as Tim Green and Floyd Little wanted Marrone from the moment Robinson was fired. When interviewed by Green, it was learned that Marrone had kept a folder of current high school players in the Syracuse area to get a head start in recruiting. He is the first Syracuse alumnus (playing from 1983-1985 on the offensive line) to serve as head coach since Reaves H. Baysinger in 1948. He sounds like the popular choice. Little chance for Coach Hanks here.
Probability: F
Tennessee – Lane Kiffin has done a good job of getting everyone in the S.E.C.’s attention with the comments he has made about, well, everyone. The difference between taking this job, and say Mississippi State, is that the expectation at Neyland are ambitiously high. They have tremendous depth at RB but are questionable at QB. Hanks, being from Georgia, once stated ‘You will never see me in orange. Period. NEVER.” I don’t think he was kidding. Don’t expect him to land here. Ever.
Probability: D+
Toledo – The Rockets first three games are at Purdue, Colorado at home at vs. Ohio State. Not exactly the best way to ease back into coaching. Toledo has the possibility of being a great offensive team but their defense is too skeptical for Coach Hanks’ liking. I foresee Tim Beckman as the coach here next season.
Probability: C+
Washington – The Huskies have a very quarterback friendly coach in Steve Sarkisian and I don’t foresee them losing him just yet. He has worked with Norm Chow at USC and also was QB coach for the Oakland Raiders in 2004. That year, the Raiders passed for more than 4,000 yards for the season. He will help the Huskies offense tremendously. Coach Hanks has always been a Southern guy and I think this job would be too far of a trip.
Probability: D
Wyoming – Coach Dave Christensen arrives at War Memorial Stadium with a daunting task. He is going to try and implement an offense he was very succesful with at Missouri when he was Offensive Coordinator. From 2005–2008, Christensen employed a passing-oriented version of the no-huddle spread offense. That offensive scheme has come into vogue recently as several BCS programs have achieved new-found success with it, including Missouri, Tulsa, and Texas Tech. How well the Cowboys adapt to it has yet to be seen but it is a huge learning curve for their offense. The defense here is good but the offense will take some time to learn this new system. Coach Hanks would love to coach a good defense and would maybe leave the offense the way it is and build around his stars.
Probability: C+
So where do you think Coach Hanks will land? Based on this analysis, the most likely candidates are Mississippi State and New Mexico. MSU has a huge advantage because they are both an S.E.C. team and also are in the state the coach currently resides. We will see how this all plays out. Maybe a decision will come sooner than we think.
