[StanUSwagU]

We can either toss our hands up and blame everything on the transfer portal and NIL or we can adapt and find a way.

Instead of Troy Taylor, we should’ve hired Troy Calhoun or someone from that mold. Someone with a system designed to compensate for talent deficiencies. Jamey Chadwell never would’ve fit because of the academic piece but he’s another HC with a system that punches above its weight and doesn’t have the triple option stigma attached to it (even though that’s not what Army and Navy are running these days anyways).

TT sold himself as exactly that type of guy. He didn't sell himself as the killer recruiter or the guy that could win in NIL, he said he's been a high school coach and could win with a mishmash of talent. He said that his offensive scheme was geared around making the game super simple for QBs so that they could play free, which felt like the Anti-Shaw at that point, whose system was notoriously complex for new QBs to learn. 

But TT is not that guy. He's not It. Does It really exist anymore? Maybe, with your example being Troy Calhoun. But the massively more prevalent way to win is to accept transfers, loosen admissions, and pay NIL/revenue-sharing money. I worry that if we try to thread the needle by identifying another Troy Calhoun, it's possible they were just lucky in their prior job, they were relying on assistants that won't end up following them, and/or their system only works at a lower level of football (all of which can now be alleged about Troy Taylor). I think it's great if a coach can actually get more out of less talent, but it's a risky proposition compared to making the other structural changes that increase talent and make coaching easier.

The other problem is that picking someone on the premise that nothing else needs to change is a self-fulfilling prophecy. It takes the administration off the hook for another few years and fosters inaction. That's what we've seen with TT.

CardinalSagehen,

Agree. Structural Changes like the ones you list above are a Prerequisite & Must Be Made, if Stanford Football wants to be Successful going forward. Period.

[StanUSwagU]

We can either toss our hands up and blame everything on the transfer portal and NIL or we can adapt and find a way.

Instead of Troy Taylor, we should’ve hired Troy Calhoun or someone from that mold. Someone with a system designed to compensate for talent deficiencies. Jamey Chadwell never would’ve fit because of the academic piece but he’s another HC with a system that punches above its weight and doesn’t have the triple option stigma attached to it (even though that’s not what Army and Navy are running these days anyways).

TT sold himself as exactly that type of guy. He didn't sell himself as the killer recruiter or the guy that could win in NIL, he said he's been a high school coach and could win with a mishmash of talent. He said that his offensive scheme was geared around making the game super simple for QBs so that they could play free, which felt like the Anti-Shaw at that point, whose system was notoriously complex for new QBs to learn. 

But TT is not that guy. He's not It. Does It really exist anymore? Maybe, with your example being Troy Calhoun. But the massively more prevalent way to win is to accept transfers, loosen admissions, and pay NIL/revenue-sharing money. I worry that if we try to thread the needle by identifying another Troy Calhoun, it's possible they were just lucky in their prior job, they were relying on assistants that won't end up following them, and/or their system only works at a lower level of football (all of which can now be alleged about Troy Taylor). I think it's great if a coach can actually get more out of less talent, but it's a risky proposition compared to making the other structural changes that increase talent and make coaching easier.

The other problem is that picking someone on the premise that nothing else needs to change is a self-fulfilling prophecy. It takes the administration off the hook for another few years and fosters inaction. That's what we've seen with TT.

CardinalSagehen,

Agree. Structural Changes like the ones you list above are a Prerequisite & Must Be Made, if Stanford Football wants to be Successful going forward. Period.