It's impossible to find another Don James, but I think if you look @ his early career, along with other highly successful HCs today (Meyer, Saban, etc.), there are some similarities:
1) Worked their way up, extensive assistant coaching experience before appointed HC - James: 15 yrs - Meyer: 15 yrs - Saban: 18 yrs
2) Coached @ Big Time programs as assistants - James: Florida St., Michigan, Colorado - Meyer: Ohio St., Notre Dame - Saban: Ohio St., Michigan St.
3) Previous HC experience where they showed immediate (w/in 2 seasons), dramatic improvement compared to before they arrived - James: Took Kent St. to their only bowl game in program history in 2nd year as HC - Meyer: Took over a Bowling Green team that went 2-9 in 2000; went 8-3 & 9-3 in his 2 seasons as HC - Saban: Took over a 6-5 Toledo team, went 9-2 his 1st and only season
Current HCs that I found to have these similarities or @ least some of them:
1) Tim DeRuyter - Extensive assistant coaching experience before becoming HC: 21 yrs - Coached @ Big Time programs as assistant: Texas A&M - Immediate, dramatic improvement: Went 9-4 in his 1st season, Fresno St. was 4-9 the previous season
2) Craig Bohl - Extensive assistant coaching experience before becoming HC: 19 yrs - Coached @ Big Time programs as assistant: Wisconsin, Nebraska - Immediate, dramatic improvement: Went 8-3 in his 1st season, NDSU was 2-8 the previous season
3) James Franklin - Extensive assistant coaching experience before becoming HC: 16 yrs - Coached @ Big Time programs as assistant: Maryland, Kansas St. - Immediate, dramatic improvement: Went 6-7 and 9-4 in 1st 2 seasons, Vanderbilt was 2-10 the previous season
I think any of these 3 HCs would do well @ UW. But digging deeper, James Franklin is doing a tremendous job @ Vanderbilt, especially considering:
1) Vanderbilt had never previously played in a bowl game in consecutive seasons 2) The 9-4 campaign in 2012 was only the 3rd 9 win season in program history 3) They beat Georgia last Saturday for the 1st time in 22 seasons! 4) It's the SEC
Comments
1) Worked their way up, extensive assistant coaching experience before appointed HC
- James: 15 yrs
- Meyer: 15 yrs
- Saban: 18 yrs
2) Coached @ Big Time programs as assistants
- James: Florida St., Michigan, Colorado
- Meyer: Ohio St., Notre Dame
- Saban: Ohio St., Michigan St.
3) Previous HC experience where they showed immediate (w/in 2 seasons), dramatic improvement compared to before they arrived
- James: Took Kent St. to their only bowl game in program history in 2nd year as HC
- Meyer: Took over a Bowling Green team that went 2-9 in 2000; went 8-3 & 9-3 in his 2 seasons as HC
- Saban: Took over a 6-5 Toledo team, went 9-2 his 1st and only season
Current HCs that I found to have these similarities or @ least some of them:
1) Tim DeRuyter
- Extensive assistant coaching experience before becoming HC: 21 yrs
- Coached @ Big Time programs as assistant: Texas A&M
- Immediate, dramatic improvement: Went 9-4 in his 1st season, Fresno St. was 4-9 the previous season
2) Craig Bohl
- Extensive assistant coaching experience before becoming HC: 19 yrs
- Coached @ Big Time programs as assistant: Wisconsin, Nebraska
- Immediate, dramatic improvement: Went 8-3 in his 1st season, NDSU was 2-8 the previous season
3) James Franklin
- Extensive assistant coaching experience before becoming HC: 16 yrs
- Coached @ Big Time programs as assistant: Maryland, Kansas St.
- Immediate, dramatic improvement: Went 6-7 and 9-4 in 1st 2 seasons, Vanderbilt was 2-10 the previous season
I think any of these 3 HCs would do well @ UW. But digging deeper, James Franklin is doing a tremendous job @ Vanderbilt, especially considering:
1) Vanderbilt had never previously played in a bowl game in consecutive seasons
2) The 9-4 campaign in 2012 was only the 3rd 9 win season in program history
3) They beat Georgia last Saturday for the 1st time in 22 seasons!
4) It's the SEC
My order goes Franklin, DeRuyter, then Bohl.
Am I reaching here or what do y'all think?