Failing Up and Moving On: The Power Four Coaching Carousel

Mark Reynolds

Welcome to The Dynasty Report. Three coaches, three Power Four jobs, one wild offseason. And I have to start with a little humility. Back in championship week I called Ron Cherry's seat the hottest in college football after a three and nine year with 27 interceptions. He didn't just dodge it. He failed upward into the SEC at Mississippi State.

Emily Carter

Meanwhile I said Jack Fletcher faced the most pressure, because he had to sustain Washington State's playoff standard. I didn't think the answer would be leaving.

James Wilson

And I previewed that Apple Cup playoff rematch! Number nine Washington beat number eight Washington State in the opening round, and Fletcher was out of Pullman immediately afterward. For Northwestern, in the Big Ten.

David Mitchell

I warned that Jackson Harrison couldn't survive another 17 interception year at Delaware. Riley Trujillo threw exactly 17. Harrison still finished first in Conference USA and then jumped to Kansas. That's one way to solve a quarterback problem.

Mark Reynolds

Let's start with Fletcher, because I think he's the boldest of the three. Eleven and one in the regular season, eight and zero in Pac 12 play, a Pac 12 title, a playoff berth. He's betting he can build that again somewhere else.

James Wilson

Or he's walking away from a turnkey national title contender. Dylan Edwards ran for 1,558 yards, 16 touchdowns, 8.6 yards per carry, with 16 runs of 20 yards or more. Owen Eshelman had nearly 2,000 passing yards, 17 touchdowns against 8 picks, and 7 more on the ground. Micah Mays Junior averaged 16.8 a catch. Why leave that?

Emily Carter

Because the question was never whether Washington State was good. It was whether Fletcher was the reason. Northwestern lets him answer that.

James Wilson

But the system might not travel! You can't assume Edwards numbers show up at Northwestern.

Emily Carter

I'm not assuming that. Nobody knows that roster yet. But the philosophy travels, and the realistic bar is bowl eligibility, six or seven wins, plus a culture you can see. Not a Big Ten title in year one.

Mark Reynolds

I'll take that bar. And I'd add that Washington State fans lose a coach, but Edwards, Eshelman and Mays are all still names to watch.

David Mitchell

Now Harrison. His story is a defensive one. Seven and five, six and two in league play, a conference title game appearance, and that's with Trujillo's 1,784 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions. The backup, E. Archield Junior, gave limited relief, 6 touchdowns, 3 picks.

Mark Reynolds

Dylan Mann had 14 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. Nasir Eatmon, 51 tackles and 3 interceptions. A. Ramsey added 4 sacks. That group carried the whole thing.

David Mitchell

Right, and that's my worry. In the Big 12 you face offenses that score in bunches. If Kansas turns it over two or three times a game, the defense can't hold the roof up.

Emily Carter

So audit the quarterback room first. Protect the football first. Everything else follows.

David Mitchell

Agreed, but I'd push further. Harrison has to prove he can build more than a team that survives games.

Mark Reynolds

Which brings us to Cherry, and I'll be honest, I'm stunned. Three and nine. Three and five in the Sun Belt, fifth in the Sun Belt East. Dorian Patterson had 9 touchdowns and 12 picks in six games. A. Fox had 5 touchdowns and 15 picks in seven. That's 14 touchdown passes and 27 interceptions.

James Wilson

And it wasted real talent. Marquis Boston ran for 908 yards and 9 touchdowns. Chris Culliver caught 62 passes for 682. A. Glenn led the team with 76 tackles. Then he gets Mississippi State, with Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Tennessee on the other side. There's no margin for error.

Emily Carter

I won't pretend I know what that roster looks like. We don't have schedules, portal commitments or depth charts, and I'm not going to invent any. But portal stabilization and quarterback play will decide his first year.

Mark Reynolds

So who made the best move? I'm saying Fletcher. He already won a conference. Win the Big Ten someday and the whole way he's remembered changes.

Emily Carter

Mark, he left a team already in the playoff! If Northwestern takes three years to get back to where Washington State was, that's a step backward.

Mark Reynolds

Then people question the move. Fine. Big rewards need big risks.

James Wilson

I'm with Emily, but for a different reason. Harrison goes from Conference USA to the Big 12. That's the biggest jump in status.

David Mitchell

Hold on. He's also the one whose defense might get run over. Status isn't the same as a good move.

James Wilson

It's a lifeline, David! He gets a national platform with a quarterback problem he already knows how to survive.

David Mitchell

Surviving isn't winning in that league. And I'd say Cherry made the best move on paper, since he got the SEC job after three wins. But he also has the most pressure and the most to prove.

Mark Reynolds

He does. Fletcher has a title, Harrison finished first in his conference, and Cherry has a three win season. If it works, that's a redemption story for the ages.

Emily Carter

But first he has to protect the football.

David Mitchell

And don't forget the programs left behind. Washington State has to keep Edwards, Eshelman and Mays together under a new staff. Delaware keeps a strong defense but needs a quarterback. Marshall needs a builder who can fix the passing game.

James Wilson

So I'll settle this the only way I can. One of these three leads a team to a conference title game within three seasons.

Mark Reynolds

I'll go further. One gets to the playoff. We just don't know which one yet, and we'll be tracking all of them right here on The Dynasty Report.