San Diego State gets their Man

The new hire for the San Diego State football staff is Brady Hoke who this year lead Ball State to a 12-1 record in the MAC conference.

This excerpt is from Brent Schrotenboer of the San Diego Union Tribune

ON BRADY HOKE

Upside: Energetic meat-and-potatoes coach with experience turning around a low-resource program. Ball State has worse facilities than SDSU, but Hoke still led team to 12-1 record this year, 7-6 last year. Good pedigree as former Michigan assistant.

Downside: QB Nate Davis and offensive coordinator Stan Parrish also are big reasons for BSU's recent success. It took Hoke five years to have a winning season at BSU. Hoke will be pressed at SDSU to prove he's not a one-year wonder.

He won the job over Dennis Franchione and current UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker, and it was said that Walker had the worst second interview of the three coaches.

What is not sure is what style of offense Hoke will bring to San Diego, but it should be better then what Chuck Long had, or did not have. The offensive surely should be a passing attack with Ryan Lindley who is a good quarterback, but had little help around him.

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San Diego Coaching search down to three

There are still three candidates left, but Mike Martz is off the list and the new arrival is Ball State head man Brady Hoke.

Hoke lead Ball State to a 12-1 record their best in school history, and a good reason that Hoke is interested in the job is that according to the San Diego Union Tribune is that San Diego State could triple is current salary of $240,000 annually.

The other two candidates if you forgotten are Dennis Franchione, who has coached and New Mexico, TCU, Alabama, and Texas A&M and then there is DeWayne Walker current UCLA defensive coordinator.

The front runner at this time, in my opinion is Dennis Franchione because he has proven twice to being able to turn around programs of this caliber, and then Brady Hoke because of his success at Ball State, and then Walker mainly because UCLA was terrible on defense.

Walker is a good coach but he needs to show it on the field with his teams.

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San Diego State narrows search, UNLV’s Sanford gets extension

The secretive job search for the next San Diego State head coach is leaking out. The San Diego Union Tribune is reporting that there are three finalist for their vacant job. As mentioned last week one is current San Francisco 49er offensive coordinator Mike Martz, Former Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione, and current UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker all are having second interviews.

Mike Martz is an interesting choice since he has been in the NFL since 1999 and was a head coach for a few years, but he has served plenty of time in the college ranks. Martz would be the flashy hire with his offense that might be able bring the Aztecs out of the basement in the MWC and lure in recruits who like his offensive style. Below is Martz’s college coaching history.

San Diego Mesa: 1974, 1976-1977
San Jose State: 1975
Santa Ana College: 1978
Fresno State University: 1979
University of the Pacific: 1980-1981
University of Minnesota: 1982
Arizona State University: 1983-1987 as quarterback and wide receiver coach. Was the offensive coordinator in 1984 and from 1988-1991.

Dennis Franchione is known best for turning New Mexico and TCU around from nothing, but he had trouble brining high profile schools as Alabama and Texas A&M up to a higher level.

Walker is just up the road at UCLA and is a great coach, and would instantly help with recruiting in southern California and especially in Los Angeles.

This is some what of a surprise that San Diego State is going after big names, because their football program brings in little or no money. However, that BCS money from Utah will help in the hire with extra cash.

In other coaching news in the league UNLV coach Mike Sanford is getting a three year extension, this coming from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Sanford’s extension will keep him at UNLV through the 2012 season. This past year Sanford was on the hot seat after winning only six games in his three year tenure, but this year the team starting off hot and settled with five wins.

AD Hamrick saw enough improvement to grant the contract extension, and recruits have noticed the steps forward as well. This is shaping up to be Sanford’s best class.

UNLV’s recruiting class looks to be very good which could be why an extension was giving, and the prospects to next year look good with a possible bowl bid.

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Mike Martz to San Diego State?

Well it looks that there is at least some interest in Martz heading to the college ranks. The San Diego Union Tribune has said

But because SDSU is demanding its search be conducted in secrecy, such nonanswers only have added to the increasing buzz that both are at least persons of interest for the Aztecs to replace Chuck Long. Sources have indicated they are.

The other choice is former Minnesota head coach Glen Mason, and since the Aztecs want to keep their search secret hearing any names points to their interest. Martz would most likely take a steep pay cut to coach a team that does not even have a home stadium to play in. However Martz would have a very good quarterback to work with in Ryan Lindley.

Mason has been a program reviver everywhere he has gone, and has won coach of the year in every conference where he has been a head coach at. Mason has ties to SDSU by knowing Athletic Director Jeff Schemmel.

Martz would be a flashy hire, but Mason could be the better choice with his proven track record on the college level.

Gary Andersen is Utah State’s number one choice, SDSU hires firm to help in search

The Deseret News is reporting that negotiations have begun to hammer out details of a contract offer with the current Utah defensive coordinator. This by no means that Andersen is gone, because the Aggies are merely putting together an offer to Andersen. At, the University of Utah they will be looking to upgrade his current contract if Andersen is offered any job, even beyond the Utah State coaching job.

Andersen has also been contacted by fellow Mountain West schools, San Diego State and New Mexico.

Speaking of San Diego State they have hired Parker Executive Search of Atlanta to assist its hunt for a new head football coach.

SDSU officials have not responded to requests for the name and fee of the search firm they are using. But sources said it’s Parker, whose fee for coaching searches in the past have ranged from $50,000 to $90,000.

Former San Diego State star Marshall Faulk also has been retained by the school to assist in the search.