JMU’s Mickey Matthews a Candidate at Virginia?

If U.Va. fires Al Groh at the end of the season - a complicated issue, by the way - the Cavaliers would be arrogantly stupid not to look westward to James Madison University, where Mickey Matthews has become a junior-league Frank Beamer. Matthews - a West Texan with the accent to prove it - has turned the Dukes into a self-perpetuating football program that each season contends for its conference championship and, often, enters the national-title picture. Just like Virginia Tech. Also like the Hokies, the Dukes project a tough, blue-collar persona fueled by talented players from the 757 and 804 area codes, aka Hampton Roads and Richmond. One more similarity: Beamer, like Matthews, began his head-coaching career in Division I-AA. That’s where he was when Tech plucked him out of anonymity to transform the Gobblers into the Hokies, and - for better or worse, depending on your view of big-time athletics - to turn a rural land-grant school into a household name from L.A. to NYC… If U.Va. decides to dump Groh - assuming the Cavaliers continue to fade - it could snare Matthews at Wal-Mart prices. When Rich Rodriguez left West Virginia, he was earning about the same paycheck as Groh - roughly between $1.8 and $2 million a year. WVU hired then-assistant Bill Stewart, whose only head-coaching experience was at I-AA VMI, for $800,000 (plus incentives). Because U.Va. oddly Gillenized Groh - gave him an extension a la former basketball coach Pete Gillen that appears to necessitate a multi-million-dollar buyout - a high-quality, bargain-basement coach might be attractive even to a university with extraordinarily deep pockets. As for Matthews, $800,000 annually would more than triple the pre-incentives salary of $222,000 he gets each year from JMU. That would be hard to turn down. So would a million bucks, which might be the more likely offer. “He’d be as good a choice as they could make,” said former U.Va. coach Sonny Randle, a friend of Matthews. “He’s going to be successful wherever he goes. They couldn’t get a better coach.” – Daily News

West Virginia “D” might be the “dominating force’”

A day later, the Mountaineers scrimmaged on the back end of the camp’s second two-a-day and Stewart felt he’d finally found something. “I’ve been harping on it and I thought someone finally dominated,” he said. “I thought our defense got after it. Those blue shirts flat got after our offensive guys.” The praise came with a clause, though. “They played Mountaineer football for three quarters, but that’s OK,” Stewart said. “In camp, that’s about what I expect, but for three quarters the defense gave us Mountaineer football. The fourth quarter, the offense saw an opening and whacked the defense real good.” –Charleston Daily Mail

Rapid Fire: Focus on Fulmer, Snyder & Stewart

“Rapid Fire” at Football Rumor Mill focuses on multiple coaches around the country who are in serious jeopardy. The latest edition centers on no less than four jobs…

Tennessee
Lighten up? During Tennessee week? Why was this man smiling? That’s easy. He gets to face Phillip Fulmer again. That would put a grin on the Grinch. Saban has made a living beating a lot of coaches - and helped cost a few their livelihoods; see Tommy Bowden - but he’s been especially hard on Fulmer. It’s not just that Saban is 3-1 against Fulmer. Or that Saban’s teams have scored 38, 18, 31 and 41 points against Fulmer’s teams. The worst thing Saban ever did to Fulmer was coach LSU, behind a backup quarterback, past Tennessee in the 2001 SEC Championship Game. The Vols were No. 2 in the nation entering that game and up by a point starting the fourth quarter… Could Saban, who started Fulmer’s slow decline, help finish him off Saturday night in Neyland Stadium?… Fulmer, who’s built a nice career obsessing over and taking down Alabama, has bigger issues than Saban. Last week, the Knoxville News-Sentinel wrote, Tennessee AD Mike Hamilton “confirmed that some boosters have discussed Fulmer’s possible replacement, but said those conversations have been limited.” Hamilton also told the paper that Tennessee has a $7 million reserve to cover unexpected expenses, like buying out the football staff, if necessary. – Birmingham News

Marshall
The truth of the matter is Snyder’s buyout is downright economical. According to his contract, if Marshall were to dismiss Snyder he would be paid his base salary of $149,968 multiplied by the number of years remaining on his pact which extends through 2013. Do the math. If Snyder were relieved of his duties after this season with four years remaining on his contract, his buyout would be $599,872. The only aspect that could alter the sum is if it were pro-rated to the end of the fiscal year. However, just because I’m revealing this fact doesn’t mean I’m advocating Snyder’s dismissal. I’m not. It’s much too early to even consider that. I am unequivocally opposed to such mid-season moves. My stance all along has been Marshall needs to win six games and reach post-season. If the Herd falls short and suffers a fourth consecutive losing season, then I believe the direction of the program should be re-evaluated. – Herald-Dispatch

West Virginia
Speaking of buyouts, dissident WVU fans had better get used to first-year head coach Bill Stewart. If the Mountaineers wanted to dismiss Stewart after this season, WVU would have to ante up a $4.4 million buyout. He’s not going anywhere. – Herald-Dispatch