Is James Willis staying?

[BLAKE55]

I think Smart stayed because he understands the benefit of delaying gratification. In a nutshell, go to UGA and 1. save CMR's program and still be a DC or 2. be part of the sinking ship and potentially go down with the others. OR he could stay put for another year or two and then have his own program at UGA.

I hope Willis understands this as well. If he goes to TTU for a title or a little more $$$ he may be sacrificing the longterm for a smaller reward today.

Either way, I love the fact that the only way an Aubie can get a National Title ring is to go to Tuscaloosa. That fact alone is worth a lot. :biggrin2:

 

[Crimson Surfer]

I think if CJW is offered the DC at TT and the pay is not more than he currently makes, if just somewhere close to what he makes now at Bama he will definitely leave. It won't be long before this plays out though.

 

[crimsonbleeder]

After he sees Lubbock, it may not look so bad.

Interesting thing is I heard Tuberville saying that "Lubbock was about the size of Birmingham" on his radio interview the other morning...

I thought I was gonna run off the road laughing and wondered had he even SEEN the place before that interview?

 

[crimsonaudio]

Interesting thing is I heard Tuberville saying that "Lubbock was about the size of Birmingham" on his radio interview the other morning...

I thought I was gonna run off the road laughing and wondered had he even SEEN the place before that interview?

He probably based that statement off pure population numbers, ignoring the Birmingham metro area is 5-6x larger than Lubbock's.

 

[bamaslammer]

I would not blame Willis for leaving for a DC position, but if it were me I would not leave for THAT DC position. Texas Tech has not, and will not be playing good defense. They recruited for offense, the defense is just an afterthought. The players on their defense are the flunkies from the offense.

Tubberville will not doubt try to change that, but history suggests that doing that will just take away their main strength, and their biggest weakness will not improve enough to make up for it.

Bottom line is if he is the DC and they don't stop anybody, he isn't going to get hired anywhere else as a DC and he certainly won't be in line for a head job. To get the promotion as a coordinator your team has to do well in that area.

I think Tubberville is a good coach, but he looks like a bat fit with that particular program.

 

[RedStar]

I would not blame Willis for leaving for a DC position, but if it were me I would not leave for THAT DC position. Texas Tech has not, and will not be playing good defense. They recruited for offense, the defense is just an afterthought. The players on their defense are the flunkies from the offense.

Tubberville will not doubt try to change that, but history suggests that doing that will just take away their main strength, and their biggest weakness will not improve enough to make up for it.

Bottom line is if he is the DC and they don't stop anybody, he isn't going to get hired anywhere else as a DC and he certainly won't be in line for a head job. To get the promotion as a coordinator your team has to do well in that area.

I think Tubberville is a good coach, but he looks like a bat fit with that particular program.

I understand where you're coming from, but I have to disagree. TCU has proven year after year that the the 200th best player in Texas is still better than the 20th best player in most other states.

If James Willis is worth his salt as a coach, he can take what he can get at Texas Tech and make them winners. Not only that, but he's a pretty good recruiter, so I'd expect a talent upgrade pretty soon if Willis is on their staff.

 

[#32]

You'll see an announcement on his choice for DC tonight or tomorrow and it all points to James Willis who is headed to LBK w/his family.

Tweet from the TT Rivals guys. Looks to me like he's gone.

 

[92tide]

Tweet from the TT Rivals guys. Looks to me like he's gone.

you sure that's not pollack's tweet

 

[derek4tide]

Interesting thing is I heard Tuberville saying that "Lubbock was about the size of Birmingham" on his radio interview the other morning...

I thought I was gonna run off the road laughing and wondered had he even SEEN the place before that interview?

Population of Lubbock, TX - 264,418 (2008 US Census est.)
Population of Birmingham-Hoover, AL - 1,199,050 (2008 US Census est.)

Yeah, that is about the same......

 

[BLAKE55]

Well, they don't exactly spend a lot of time on mathematics in the Sociology department.

Lubbock is indeed the same size as Birmigham Metro...give or take a million or so people.

 

[crimsonaudio]

Population of Lubbock, TX - 264,418 (2008 US Census est.)
Population of Birmingham-Hoover, AL - 1,199,050 (2008 US Census est.)

Yeah, that is about the same......

Hahaha, indeed, but if you look at just Birmingham residents, you're @ 229,800.

Of course, next, Tubs will announce that Lubbock is half the size of Atlanta (just over 500k in city limits)...

 

[ShoalsFan]

It's great to be far enough into the process that an assistant coach leaving may sadden us, but does not alarm us. As others have said, we will see this most years.

 

[TexasBammer]

I hope he gets the DC gig for TT working for TT. It would be great for him.

Bama will find another good one.

 

[GulfCoastTider]

I think it's a risky move on CJW's part to join Tubs at Tech.

Willis is a good coach, but his first few years are gonna be tough. I'd lay odds that there are all of two defensive football players on that team that could start in the SEC. Willis has been blessed with something of an abundance of raw talent at both Auburn and Alabama. That well is dry in Lubbock.

CTT also inherits a team that is ill-equipped and ill-recruited for his style of football, and no matter what he tells the TT faithful, he is gonna play Tubbyball. I would hate to see a good coach get dragged down by a bad match between program and coach, but that's what I see coming.

Hope I'm wrong...

 

[TIDE-HSV]

I think it's a risky move on CJW's part to join Tubs at Tech.

Willis is a good coach, but his first few years are gonna be tough. I'd lay odds that there are all of two defensive football players on that team that could start in the SEC. Willis has been blessed with something of an abundance of raw talent at both Auburn and Alabama. That well is dry in Lubbock.

CTT also inherits a team that is ill-equipped and ill-recruited for his style of football, and no matter what he tells the TT faithful, he is gonna play Tubbyball. I would hate to see a good coach get dragged down by a bad match between program and coach, but that's what I see coming.

Hope I'm wrong...

I tend to see it as a risky move also. All he's getting out of it is the title...

 

[Alabama Slammer]

I dont have a link, but Finebaum just reported that willis will leave Bama to become the DC at Texas Tech.

Oh well, good luck to him. At least he can show Tubbs what a real National Championship ring looks like.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

I dont have a link, but Finebaum just reported that willis will leave Bama to become the DC at Texas Tech.

Oh well, good luck to him. At least he can show Tubbs what a real National Championship ring looks like.

Yep. Tidesports reporting the same...

 

[mikeua69]

Any ideas on who we might bring in?

 

[rgw]

I don't know, but expect it to be someone good. Alabama is the place to be right now as an assistant with all this talent at their disposal. Nothing makes a coach look better than having talent that can get your teaching done on the field.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Any ideas on who we might bring in?

I wouldn't be surprised to see Jeremy Prewitt...