I went back to check Chip's head coaching results to compare against Nick Saban's BEFORE each left for the NFL. Of course these aren't apples to apples comparisons, but it's interesting to see this comparison, because I think Chip returning to college at USC would be on par, talent and recruiting wise, with Saban returning to college at Bama.
Here are Saban's records at LSU before he left for the Dolphins...
48-16 overall (went 8-4, 10-3, 8-5, 13-1 and 9-3 in five years with one BCS game - a victory and a NC). Solid, but not overly spectacular. In the three years before he got there, the Tigers were 16-18, so he didn't have a great team to start, but he wasn't exactly unstoppable at LSU either. Since then, at Bama, he's clearly been top of the nation after he bailed on the NFL.
Here are Chip's records at Oregon before he jumped to the Eagles 3 years ago...
46-7 overall (went 10-3, 12-1, 12-2, and 12-1 in four years with BCS games all 4 years and a NC game loss). Before he got there, the Ducks were 26-13 in the three previous seasons under Bellotti, so he inherited a better team than Saban did at LSU, plus he had been OC so he knew the talent and scheme.
That said, I had forgotten just how good his teams were at Oregon every single year he was there. He could pick any kids he wanted if he were the head coach at SC and it would be the one hire that would make every other school in the country go "oh sh*t."
I don't really like the guy's personality, but part of that is probably just because his teams beat us. It's taken me a little while to come around on this, but I think if he's interested, it's a total no-brainer that he has to be the #1 guy on our list.
Here are Saban's records at LSU before he left for the Dolphins...
48-16 overall (went 8-4, 10-3, 8-5, 13-1 and 9-3 in five years with one BCS game - a victory and a NC). Solid, but not overly spectacular. In the three years before he got there, the Tigers were 16-18, so he didn't have a great team to start, but he wasn't exactly unstoppable at LSU either. Since then, at Bama, he's clearly been top of the nation after he bailed on the NFL.
Here are Chip's records at Oregon before he jumped to the Eagles 3 years ago...
46-7 overall (went 10-3, 12-1, 12-2, and 12-1 in four years with BCS games all 4 years and a NC game loss). Before he got there, the Ducks were 26-13 in the three previous seasons under Bellotti, so he inherited a better team than Saban did at LSU, plus he had been OC so he knew the talent and scheme.
That said, I had forgotten just how good his teams were at Oregon every single year he was there. He could pick any kids he wanted if he were the head coach at SC and it would be the one hire that would make every other school in the country go "oh sh*t."
I don't really like the guy's personality, but part of that is probably just because his teams beat us. It's taken me a little while to come around on this, but I think if he's interested, it's a total no-brainer that he has to be the #1 guy on our list.
