LUKE FICKEL LEADING CANDIDATE AT YSU

[ysufan0505]

someone explain to me why Fickel would take a 350K a year paycut to be the head coach at YSU ?

Only if he he wants a chance to be a head coach and build a program and be back close to Tress.

[paladin]

The only reason a major assistant will take the job is if he is being forced out or being fired at the major school. No one takes a huge pay cut to take a  HC job at a mid major that he may be fired at in a few years and then not be attractive to hire again as an attractive major assistant.

[Spiderlegs]

I don't know whether Fickell is a good idea or not, but I don't find anything unusual about him taking a position in an FCS school. There are no signs that he is seen as an attractive candidate for a FBS HC job. OSU people are widely divided about him, and he is not a Meyer guy--at some point you want a job where people want you simply for peace of mind. He is a buddy of Everitt Withers, who left OSU for the HC job at James Madison and by all accounts is quite happy there. You've got to believe that the two of them will talk about Withers experience if YSU approaches Fickell.
 
Some people mistakenly think this is about money. In sports, you get your moment in the spotlight and move on. Very few people stay in the spotlight forever. To have to settle for a $250K-a-year job as HC at YSU isn't a bad gig once you step out of the spotlight, and he's young enough that a successful stint at YSU could result in him moving back into the spotlight later. Hypothetically, Fickell's coming here could happen.

[BigDWSU]

someone explain to me why Fickel would take a 350K a year paycut to be the head coach at YSU ?

Anyone that pays attention to OSU football knows that Luke's salary and job keeps getting demoted.  He made 650K in his one year as head coach at OSU.  He made 600K as co-defensive coordinator last year and was making the play calls as DC.  His salary dropped to 450K this year and although he kept the title of co-DC, he no longer makes the play calls on defense for OSU.  Chris Ash does now.   Luke is basically a linebacker coach with a glorified co-DC title now.  He is never going to get a HC job at a major university the way things stand.  I could see him taking another pay cut to become the head man at YSU.  It would allow him the chance to prove himself as a coach and I believe he will think it will give him the chance to become head man at OSU when Urban retires.  He has no shot at that now if he stays at OSU as LB coach. 



 

[YSUGO]

Pally Hit it on the nose.  Its not about the money. Its being where u are wanted and getting a chance to ve your own man.

[Kandrase]

Anyone that pays attention to OSU football knows that Luke's salary and job keeps getting demoted.  He made 650K in his one year as head coach at OSU.  He made 600K as co-defensive coordinator last year and was making the play calls as DC.  His salary dropped to 450K this year and although he kept the title of co-DC, he no longer makes the play calls on defense for OSU.  Chris Ash does now.   Luke is basically a linebacker coach with a glorified co-DC title now.  He is never going to get a HC job at a major university the way things stand.  I could see him taking another pay cut to become the head man at YSU.  It would allow him the chance to prove himself as a coach and I believe he will think it will give him the chance to become head man at OSU when Urban retires.  He has no shot at that now if he stays at OSU as LB coach. 

That's a really good point, I had the 600K figure in my head,  450 certainly makes a paycut a little more plausible. I've also heard that he doesn't get along well with Urban. Not to mention the fact that Tressel can recruit, I think Tressel could make a compelling case to Fickel on the merits of coming to YSU, rebuilding a program and getting some HC chops.

Just in case anyone was wondering about cost of living differences, according to CNN a 450K salary in Columbus is equal to $436,824 in Youngstown... I was hoping maybe that could be factor but hey we may need every thousand we can get to get him.

[Wick250]

I don't follow Ohio State or any other big time program, so help me out here.  Has Fickel spent his entire coaching career at OSU?  If so, is it not dangerous to hire a coach who has never proven his abilities as a recruiter? (OSU is one of a handful of schools that recruits itself.) 

[ysufan0505]

I don't follow Ohio State or any other big time program, so help me out here.  Has Fickel spent his entire coaching career at OSU?  If so, is it not dangerous to hire a coach who has never proven his abilities as a recruiter? (OSU is one of a handful of schools that recruits itself.)

He spent 1 year as D-Line coach at Akron, but other than that he has been a columbus boy born and bred. He has been known as a good recruiter, especially on the defensive side of the ball where his specialty is.

[stuperman17]

This idea is simply ridiculous, I'm just going to leave it at that.  Zero chance he comes to YSU, and many OSU fans want him gone anyway because he's a bad defensive coordinator.

[penguinpower]

I was listening to the Ohio State game today and Paul Keels hinted that they may lose a coach to an opportunity that could have him back at Ohio State several years down the road.  He said he would leave it at that.  I caught the end of the conversation but he may have been talking about Luke Fickle.

[ValleyTalk]

I was listening to the Ohio State game today and Paul Keels hinted that they may lose a coach to an opportunity that could have him back at Ohio State several years down the road.  He said he would leave it at that.  I caught the end of the conversation but he may have been talking about Luke Fickle.

I listened at one point and they hinted someone, forget the name, may be taking the Kansas job.

[ValleyTalk]

I believe they were alluding to Ed Warinner to Kansas, but I may be mistaken:
http://www.rockchalktalk.com/2014/11/28/7303067/talking-warinner-with-land-grant-holy-land

[penguinpower]

I don't follow Ohio State or any other big time program, so help me out here.  Has Fickel spent his entire coaching career at OSU?  If so, is it not dangerous to hire a coach who has never proven his abilities as a recruiter? (OSU is one of a handful of schools that recruits itself.)

I hear that he is one of their top recruiters.  I also hear that he was not permitted to fire any of the assistant coaches when Tressel didn't coach due to NCAA penalty.   As I understand it he wants to be a head coach and he was handcuffed from the start the year he served as interim coach.   I also hear that the players really like him and that he has taken 2 pay cuts under Meyer.   II also hear that he and Tressel are close.  This is all hearsay but may actually be true.

[GOPENNY]

I have seen Luke Fickel on tv during games. But I met Urban Meyer at Cardinal Mooney a  couple of years
ago. He was really nice.  My cousin says that Nebraska's coach Bo Pelini was let go. Bo Pelini I think played at Cardinal Mooney. Maybe he would like to come back to this area. He sounds good.

[DavedS]

Pelini made over 3 million at Nebraska--will probably end up in a big-time program or the NFL.