Vigen Speaks to Utah State about HC Opening

[coloradocat]

We're all Bronco fans right now.

[Camo_Cat]

Utah State might be a nice payday, especially compared to what MSU can offer. But let's face it - that's coaching suicide, in my opinion. You'll never hear about him again. If he's gonna leave, I would think it would have to be for a better offer.

[CodyCat]

For what it's worth, I just checked the Utah State message board and one of the users there who seems to have decent information most of the time says that Vigen received preliminary interest but isn't a serious candidate.

I mentioned in the random stuff thread that it was said on the BYU broadcast Saturday night Jay Hill is their man. Expected to make their offer this week.

Kinda goes in line with Choate's speaking on the matter. For some reason FBS teams are gun shy about hiring FCS head coaches instead going for the coordinator at the higher level. Now maybe Vigen is different because he has been that at the FBS level, but I don't think Jay gets the job if he is still at Weber. I guess its just a hard sell to fans and boosters.

And the track record of FCS coaches making the jump and being successful is a very short list.

[Bocephus]

Vigen deserves a good gig when he decides to leave.

Fresno State is better than USU.

2 names I had never heard before they came to Bozeman. Jeff Choate. Brent Vigen.

In Costello we trust.

[rfischer94]

Zack Lavier has done comforting thoughts about this in the new episode of R & R.

[BelligerentBobcat]

It would be nice to get a coach who just wants to stay here, like Coach Binford.

No coach that’s good enough to win championships here is going to want to stay here.

[onceacat]

It would be nice to get a coach who just wants to stay here, like Coach Binford.

No coach that’s good enough to win championships here is going to want to stay here.

Not exactly the same, but I can think of a few examples:

John Steigelmeir at SDSU
Mark Few has lived for 20+ years in Spo-Compton
Kyle Whittingham at Utah.

Booby Hauck

Not necessarily guys who've won championships, but guys who've stuck around at underpaid, under appreciated schools relative to more prestigious or higher paid jobs elsewhere.

(BTW, I think Vigen will leave, probably sooner, rather than later, just that there are a handful of excellent coaches good enough to win championships willing to take a pay cut to stay someplace they like)

[onceacat]

If we don't want middling FBS teams to poach our coaches, perhaps aggressively pursing better than middling FBS status might be a good idea?

Otherwise, we will always be a farm program.

(Also, that seems like a tough sell to Vigen...he could have had a dozen dumpster fire jobs coming out of Wyoming, but he chose the Cats rather than a bottom of the pack G5 team...lets hope he wants to put a ribbon on his tenure at MSU by winning a few chippers first. There will be lots of opportunities for him to have these sorts of jobs whenever he wants.)

[luckyirishguy25]

It would be nice to get a coach who just wants to stay here, like Coach Binford.

No coach that’s good enough to win championships here is going to want to stay here.

Not exactly the same, but I can think of a few examples:

John Steigelmeir at SDSU
Mark Few has lived for 20+ years in Spo-Compton
Kyle Whittingham at Utah.

Booby Hauck

Not necessarily guys who've won championships, but guys who've stuck around at underpaid, under appreciated schools relative to more prestigious or higher paid jobs elsewhere.

(BTW, I think Vigen will leave, probably sooner, rather than later, just that there are a handful of excellent coaches good enough to win championships willing to take a pay cut to stay someplace they like)

It's all about what's sustainable. Like NDSU if we're good enough to promote within that's the best for us and the program. I think Daly is working his way into a role and I also wouldn't mind if Kane came back though highly unlikely.

[Cledus]

Vigen deserves a good gig when he decides to leave.

Fresno State is better than USU.

2 names I had never heard before they came to Bozeman. Jeff Choate. Brent Vigen.

In Costello we trust.

Not to nitpick, but Choate, incredibly, was a Peter Fields hire.

[BelligerentBobcat]

It would be nice to get a coach who just wants to stay here, like Coach Binford.

No coach that’s good enough to win championships here is going to want to stay here.

Not exactly the same, but I can think of a few examples:

John Steigelmeir at SDSU
Mark Few has lived for 20+ years in Spo-Compton
Kyle Whittingham at Utah.

Booby Hauck

Not necessarily guys who've won championships, but guys who've stuck around at underpaid, under appreciated schools relative to more prestigious or higher paid jobs elsewhere.

(BTW, I think Vigen will leave, probably sooner, rather than later, just that there are a handful of excellent coaches good enough to win championships willing to take a pay cut to stay someplace they like)

Stigs took quite a while to win a championship. Also an alum and from a different era.

Mark Few isn't comparable at all. Gonzaga is a top tier basketball program. There aren't many schools that he could go to that would pay better and provide a significant competitive advantage. Plus he's essentially got tenure there.

Whittingham is getting paid millions, is in a major conference, and quite frankly, Mormon coaches don't like to leave Utah.

This isn't the same as as coach getting paid $300k in a lower level of football turning down million dollar jobs. Stigs is the closest example, and I just don't think there's too many guys like that anymore.

[BelligerentBobcat]

Vigen deserves a good gig when he decides to leave.

Fresno State is better than USU.

2 names I had never heard before they came to Bozeman. Jeff Choate. Brent Vigen.

In Costello we trust.

Not to nitpick, but Choate, incredibly, was a Peter Fields hire.

He also couldn't stand Costello.

[BelligerentBobcat]

If we don't want middling FBS teams to poach our coaches, perhaps aggressively pursing better than middling FBS status might be a good idea?

Otherwise, we will always be a farm program.

(Also, that seems like a tough sell to Vigen...he could have had a dozen dumpster fire jobs coming out of Wyoming, but he chose the Cats rather than a bottom of the pack G5 team...lets hope he wants to put a ribbon on his tenure at MSU by winning a few chippers first. There will be lots of opportunities for him to have these sorts of jobs whenever he wants.)

Guess what?

If you're a good P4 team, you ain't gonna keep your coach either.

Want to keep coaches? Be an Alabama. Be a Georgia. Be an Oregon (Mario doesn't count). Be an Ohio State, a Michigan. Otherwise, they're all looking to get paid more and move on.

[GoldstoneCat]

Vigen deserves a good gig when he decides to leave.

Fresno State is better than USU.

2 names I had never heard before they came to Bozeman. Jeff Choate. Brent Vigen.

In Costello we trust.

Not to nitpick, but Choate, incredibly, was a Peter Fields hire.

Yes he sure was. Peter then left shortly after. Sprinkle, logie, and Vigen are the big hires Costello has made. Were Vigen to leave i think the underpinnings of the program are strong enough that we could promote off the current staff or bring someone in, and be right back to competing for championships in a year or so. Bobby Daly comes to mind. He's cut from much the same cloth as Vigen as far as that quiet intensity and attention to detail.

[Bocephus]

Vigen deserves a good gig when he decides to leave.

Fresno State is better than USU.

2 names I had never heard before they came to Bozeman. Jeff Choate. Brent Vigen.

In Costello we trust.

Not to nitpick, but Choate, incredibly, was a Peter Fields hire.

I forgot that. And wow, my mind is blown.

[RKMCMT]

With the portal opening next week, the main question for me would be if Utah State (or Fresno State) will be willing to wait until potentially the second week of January to hire their new head coach. Maybe they will especially if there's some sort of unofficial agreement in place that Vigen will take the job once MSU's season ends, but at the same time losing out on a full month of recruiting is not ideal either compared to hiring someone available now. I'm almost more concerned about the jobs that aren't open yet, but will be coming open later on as coaches fill the currently open positions and leave vacancies at others. That's how Sprinkle got hired by USU, it was something like the fourth step in a chain of coaching moves and happened relatively late in the process.

On one hand, Bobcat Basketball probably doesn't have quite the retaining power that MSU Football does at this point. A basketball MSU-USU jump seems like more of an upgrade than it does in football. Then again, we had some hometown pull with Sprinkle that we (arguably) don't have with Vigen.

But I think Vigen knows as long as he holds this ship together, better opportunities will probably arise than USU.

[84CatGrad]

Time to step up. Let's crowd source $20M to keep him here for awhile longer. I'll get the ball rolling with $50. Anyone else in for $19,999,950?

[tetoncat]

It would be nice to get a coach who just wants to stay here, like Coach Binford.

No coach that’s good enough to win championships here is going to want to stay here.

Was that the case at SDSU. I know things have changed, look at turnover at NDSU, but they have a culture where they reload from within for players and coaches.

[cats2506]

It would be nice to get a coach who just wants to stay here, like Coach Binford.

No coach that’s good enough to win championships here is going to want to stay here.

Was that the case at SDSU. I know things have changed, look at turnover at NDSU, but they have a culture where they reload from within for players and coaches.

Coach Stig was great, but for most of those years SDSU was a good team but not a Championship level team, as soon as he won his first Championship he retired.

[TIrwin24]

I've got to wonder if being outside the P5 in the FBS is really even worth it? Sure you get paid more, but then you're running a mediocre program with mediocre enthusiasm from the fanbase.

I've got to think that the quality of life in BZN along with being an actual contending program in the FCS would be more valuable.