On the assumption that every coach Sandy Barbour sits down and talks to is actually interested in the position, I think she and the Cal administration tasked with making this big decision will have plenty of quality options to choose from.
My personal opinion on who should be at the top of the list:
1a. Chris Petersen
An obvious choice for many reasons ... none bigger than the fact that Petersen has consistently won. Big.
- Why he should be the choice: Petersen has promoted a disciplined style of play that has become almost as synonymous as the the bright blue turf up there in Boise. His teams play hard and they execute on a consistent basis. I love the fact that Boise State doesn't play scared. Whether its going into Eugene or East Lansing, Fiesta Bowl or Georgia Dome, the Broncos play football like they actually expect to win.
- Why he shouldn't be the choice: Hard to come up with reasons not to hire Petersen assuming he actually wants to come. Maybe the only reason would be a brief look at past history, where Dirk Koetter and Dan Hawkins both followed successful terms in Boise with duds in their following destinations.
- Bottom line: A slam dunk hire if it works out. How many times has Cal walked into a hostile environment (especially USC) and laid an egg? With Petersen at the helm, Cal fans at the very least could reasonably expect the kids to give themselves a chance to win no matter what the situation.
1b. Dave Doeren
A personal favorite of mine who I think should garner heavy interest.
- Why he should be the choice: Like Petersen, there is something that should be said about guys who just win wherever they go. After all, that is the name of the game is it not? Doeren was highly successful as Wisconsin's defensive coordinator and he's been highly successful as the head coach of Northern Illinois. Much like Jim Harbaugh and Urban Meyer, hiring someone who has won wherever he's been is a good indication that the trend will continue.
- Why he shouldn't be the choice: A Kansas native, Doeren doesn't really have ties on the West Coast. Why does that matter? Recruiting. The Catch-22 about having a ton of talent in your state means that a). you have a ton of talent in your state and b). coaches from everywhere come into your area and try to grab players in your backyard.
- Bottom line: Notice that I consider Doeren to be almost on par with Petersen. Both guys are relatively young (Doeren is 33 I believe), respected by his players (based on how hard their kids play), actually make their kids go to class (top-notch APR rankings), and have won wherever they've been. I think a guy like Doeren exhibits the characteristics and personality traits that Cal should be looking for.
3. Charlie Strong
Not quite as high on Strong compared to other guys but I do think he'd be a solid choice for Cal and still a lot better than the remaining guys on the board.
- Why he should be the choice: Toughness. Strong has deeply rooted ties to SEC football and his teams play certainly play strong. On paper, Cal has had an offensive minded head coach at the helm for the last 11 years and it'll be good to get a defensive coach in here to change things up a bit.
- Why he shouldn't be the choice: Might not mesh well with the West Coast style of play - both in terms of recruiting and philosophy.
- Bottom line: I would be happy with Strong if that happened. However, all signs point to him staying in the south.
Others
- Hue Jackson: Won't be happy with this hire. Didn't like what he did with the Raiders. Confidence in one's abilities in great, but Jackson's bravado seemed more like arrogance. Set the Raiders back years with his ridiculous push for Carson Palmer. (Side note: Raiders gave up essentially same package for Palmer as Redskins gave up to grab RGIII). Also didn't like how he put blame on players late in his final season with Raiders. Game management skills could be better as well, based on various games with Oakland, especially contest against Lions where failure to go for two cost Silver & Black the game.
- Greg Roman: Best X's and O's guy on the board? Would bring Stanford style of play to Cal but Bears simply don't have personnel to play that style. Would be at least a couple years before Cal gets the players needed to win at a high level. Can Roman recruit? And is he patient enough to hang around Cal for 4-5 years given how close he might be to a NFL gig?
- James Franklin: Has done very well at Vandy and looks to very much be a "Cal type" of hire. Personable, energetic guy who will know what is expected from an academic school with winning football aspirations. Ended 2012 season hot but overall coaching abilities still in question.
- Ron Rivera: No thank you.
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