I agree that it's a good opportunity for Coach Fickell. He'll also be beloved by the OSU fanbase as the consummate "good soldier."
There are a couple reasons why I give credence to the rumors that he'll stay:
(1) He, and more importantly, his wife, love Columbus. It's his hometown. He's firmly entrenched in his life there. And he's a Buckeye through and through. So, from his end, I think it's a no-brainer both personally and professionally.
(2) Ohio State signed him in October to a contract that clearly anticipates exactly this scenario:
Cynically, that's a severance provision. *If* this has been part of Ohio State's plan for some time, it's all part of the plan. I *think* it's the latter, though that would assign a level of competence to Gene Smith that is certainly unwarranted by his performance over the past 10 months. Perhaps it was the BoT's decision. That seems more plausible than Smith displaying foresight and acumen.
Exactly how long do you think UM3 will coach at OSU, Liney? Heh. If I had to guess, I'd say less than 7 years. Fickell will be about 45.
There are a couple reasons why I give credence to the rumors that he'll stay:
(1) He, and more importantly, his wife, love Columbus. It's his hometown. He's firmly entrenched in his life there. And he's a Buckeye through and through. So, from his end, I think it's a no-brainer both personally and professionally.
(2) Ohio State signed him in October to a contract that clearly anticipates exactly this scenario:
The appointment runs through Jan. 31, 2012, but by then he likely will have learned whether the school wants to keep him. If it doesn?t keep him, the deal says Fickell?s previous two-year contract, signed in the spring when he was named assistant head coach, would kick in, and his pay would revert to those terms.
permanent Ed McMahon to Meyer's "Johnny Carson".
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