Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I would anticipate that Yale's new football coach will be hosting some recruits at this point next week.
Yale has interviewed former Yale assistant coaches Don Brown and Tony Reno as well as Georgetown head coach Kevin Kelly and Lehigh offensive coordinator Dave Cecchini.
Kelly had an outstanding interview according to sources and he certainly fit the criteria of having previous head coaching experience. Earlier today I heard from somebody close to the process that former Yale coach Carm Cozza was in Brown's corner in a major way. While that doesn't guarantee that Brown will get the job, if I were to pick the one person at Yale to have on my side during this process it would be the legendary Cozza.
Brown certainly has all the prerequisites for the job. He's been successful at three different stops as a head coach and obviously has previous Ivy League experience as a member of Cozza's staff from 1987-92 and held the same position at Dartmouth from 1984-86 and Brown in 1996 and 1997. Everything I've heard about Brown's tenure at Yale has been positive as he was a well-respected member of Cozza's staff and is still a popular man in Yale football circles. If there is a red flag about Brown it is that this would be his fourth job in the last five years if he is offered and accepts the Yale gig. If Brown was able to convince the committee that he was in this for the long haul, it would be hard to argue with the choice.
Reno will also have some support from Yale as he was a popular coach with his players during his six years on Jack Siedlecki's staff . Kelly has done a remarkable job building the Georgetown program up after a rugged start while Cecchini is a former offensive coordinator at Harvard who called the plays for a Lehigh offense which at one point during the 2011 season led all Football Championship Subdivision teams in total offense.
The process, which began in mid November when Yale began an investigation into then coach Tom Williams' claims of being a Rhodes Scholarship candidate, seems to be nearing its conclusion. I was hearing that a coach could be in place by the middle of the next week which would be good because they will need to get to work immediately during a pivotal recruiting period.
we want Reno
ReplyDeleteWhat are the chances Cecchini gets the job?
ReplyDeleteReno is young and dynamic. Something tells me we need that right now.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of Cecchini, I have not been hearing much about him but his successful background makes him an intriguing candidate for sure.
ReplyDeletewe want Reno
ReplyDeleteDon't understand the obsession with Reno. Definitely prefer Kelly with what hes done for Georgetown.
ReplyDeleteKelly has my vote.
ReplyDeleteCarm Cozza, despite his Hall of Fame status, should not have a say in this search unless he is used to attract a coach the search committee has picked on its own.
ReplyDeleteAlumni are well aware that his last five years were pretty sad.
Cecchini. He can take advantage of the exceptional talent and depth on offence.
ReplyDeleteI don't think our votes will really matter :) but... I don't know about Kelly. Yes, the Hoyas were a very surprising 8-3 this year and beat HC (which beat Harvard), but... there was nothing successful about Kelly's reign there before that. I'd prefer an old Blue assistant who understands the culture and the Ivies.
ReplyDeleteI also think it'd be good to tank Williams' unconventional moves... early morning practices, and having the team banquet (and captain election) the day after the Harvard game; that's just not enough time to gain any perspective on a season at all.
Gotta go with Kelly.
ReplyDeleteThe thing I most remember about last fall's Georgetown game was a lot of overweight Hoya linemen who ran out of gas in the second half. It was one of the few recent games where we were, quite clearly the better conditioned team.
ReplyDeletei want a good coach, good recruiter and good fit for yale, not a good interviewee. of the four finalists (and discounting karl dorrell) the only guy who seems really interesting to me is cecchini.
ReplyDeleteReno has what it takes to turn the program around and put life into a program that really needs it. His players will rally around him.
ReplyDeleteKelly is the guy for Yale. He has been around and put together a great team at Georgetown this year with very little institutional support. He is smart, a great motivator and he knows how to recruit.
ReplyDelete