Bad bad bad time to be needing to hire a head coach. VT hiring this guy proves the struggle is real.
I don't buy into this.
They're ALL a gamble. There's no guarantee any of these HC's that have been poached will be successful in their new digs.
The pile of P5 coordinators and G5 HC's that have made the jump is deep.
Examples:
Muschamp, McElwain, Mullen: Florida
Strong, Herman: Texas
Kiffin, Sarkisian, Helton: USC
Taggart, Norvell: Florida St
All of which were LOCKS to revitalize those programs based mainly on them being in "talent rich" areas.
There are plenty other examples that were at big schools that aren't so much in talent rich areas, but have the resources to buy pretty much whatever they want with tradition and funding.
Gibbs, Schnellenberger, Blake: Oklahoma
Dooley, Jones, Pruitt: Tennessee
Rodriguez, Hoke: Michigan
Davie, Willingham, Weis: Notre Dame
Callahan, Pelini, Riley, Frost: Nebraska
Meyer, Saban, and Swinney were ALL gambles.
There's only a small handful of elite coaches in a generation. It's all about luck in landing one.