Nix Firing Watch, Day 5

by cocknfire on Nov 29, 2007 11:47 PM EST in South Carolina Gamecocks News

When events warrant, we update the Nix Firing Watch*, which will run either until Tyrone Nix is dismissed, leaves South Carolina or will obviously be retained.

Explanation

Again, a slight decline, again sparked by a report that Nix could leave voluntarily to take the job at his alma mater.

A source tells WIS News 10 Sports that USC defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix has been offered the head football coaching job at Southern Mississippi.
The school, however, denies Nix has even interviewed for the job yet. Nix met with the Southern Miss athletic department Wednesday, but the school says it wasn't official.

This sounds slightly squirrely to me. "Not officially interviewing. Just meeting. To chat. About an opening in ou head coaching position. But not an 'interview' or anything."

And if you haven't "interviewed" someone, you can't actually offer them the job, right?

That said, I'm not ready to say Nix is USM-bound, for a couple reasons. First, the wording seems careful. He's been "offered" the job, but he hasn't accepted. Finally, we all know how these kinds of things get started in coach-changing season.

*This post and all others like it do not indicate that Garnet and Black Attack either supports or opposes the firing of Tyrone Nix. It is simply the probability, as best as I can surmise, that a much-discussed personnel change will actually take place.

Previous Nix Firing Watches
Day 1, 11/26/07
Day 4, 11/29/07

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Comments

I really wish...

Ty would stick around, as you said, he would make an excellent head coach for us in the future.

The other day, a Florida fan made a very interesting comment here that I tend to agree with. When the Head Ball Coach does decide to take his leave of Columbia, it will be a major crossroads for this program. If, in his time here, Spurrier does not win an SEC Title or rise above fourth place for that matter, than all hope could be lost of being competitive in this conference.

Granted, it's year three of the regime. He is Steve. He gets a pass, for a little while.

However I think (and it's not anything new) that recruiting is at the root of this program's problems. This year's class is shaping up okay compared to last year. But go look at Georgia, or Clemson, or any of our regional competitor's commitments to date, and you might cringe a little bit. The talet that slips away from in state (see DeQuan Bowers, five star from Bamberg, Clemson Commit: A.J. Green, five star from Summerville, Georgia Commit) is going to haunt us in the future, and keep us from reaching the Georgia Dome anytime soon. I hate to sound apocalypic, but if Spurrier doesn't get more quality out of his recruits before he leaves, South Carolina Football may be destined for meteocrity. As the Gator fan so eloquently put: If he can't do it, then who can?

by AssKicknChickn on Nov 30, 2007 12:16 AM EST reply actions

I agree...

Chicken. Our issues revolve around recruiting. We've simply got to get top in-state recruits to come to Columbia instead of Clemson or out-of-state. Spurrier has done well getting guys from North Carolina (no big-time football school) and this year has a few four star commits from a high school in Virginia. But the guys he's signed from the Palmetto State aren't quite blue chippers.

In my opinion, you can blame Nix all you want for what's happened this year, and he's certainly been mediocre down the stretch, but I think what really happened is that when we had defensive injuries, we could no longer play with the big boys. We had a good first string at the beginning of the year, but due to poor recruiting, we had no depth. You can't win like that. We recruited well last year, but it looks like this year we're headed for a class that is simply below SEC standards, although hopefully we'll do well down the stretch. We've probably got enough talent to win games in the ACC, but we're way behind Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, etc. And you're friend is right: if Spurrier can't get guys to come here, who can? At any rate, until we begin recruiting better, the best we'll ever hope for against the top SEC schools is an improbable upset. Those happen--we beat UGA this year, and UT and Florida a couple of years ago--but we've gotta be even in talent if we want to make a good run at Atlanta.

by Gamecock Man on Nov 30, 2007 9:52 PM EST reply actions