Content provided by Vanderbilt Sports Line.

Jeff Lockridge reports in today’s Tennessean that Vanderbilt has officially begun to interview candidates to become their next football coach. According to Lockridge, David Williams will meet with at least 10 candidates in his first round of interviews. The report mentions some of the “usual suspects,” including Auburn Offensive Coordinator Gus Malzahn and Virginia Tech Defensive Coordinator Bud Foster (both of whom coach today and will not be contacted until their regular season concludes), but also specifically refers to Air Force’s Head Coach Troy Calhoun. Calhoun’s name has previously been mentioned in connection with this opening in passing, but he has not received as much attention as he gets in this piece. Calhoun informed the University of Colorado early this week he was not interested in becoming their next coach, causing one to wonder if he’s got his eye on the opening in Nashville. Last year, Calhoun, when linked to the Tennessee job after Lane Kiffin’s abrupt departure, emphaticly and publicly stated he was not going to be the Volunteer next coach. So far, Vanderbilt’s search process has not be mired or undercut by such statements from potential candidates.

According to Lockridge: “While Williams expects there to be a second round of interviews, he added that someone could ‘jump out’ to him in the first round of talks that would produce an offer.” During the coaching seach, Vanderbilt assistant coaches Des Kitchings, Herb Hand and Rick Logo and assistant recruiting coordinator Norval McKenzie have been traveling all week visiting the 14 recruits who have committed to the Commodores. Of those 12 commits reached by the Tennessean, 11 described their committment to Vanderbilt as “firm” or “pretty firm.”

Content provided by Vanderbilt Sports Line.

Jeff Lockridge’s story in today’s Tennessean adds another name to the list of potential candidates to fill the now vacant head coaching position (Randy Shannon). Perhaps more importantly though, it offers quotes from Virginia Tech’s Defensive Coordinator Bud Foster and Stanford’s Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman indicating both would be interested in coming to Nashville. Shannon doesn’t bowl me over, but I am very intrigued by both Foster and Roman as potential hires for the Commodores.

Al Golden is an up-and-comer in the college coaching profession.  He’s also on Vanderbilt’s short list to replace Robbie Caldwell.  And that’s a good sign for Vandy fans.

Now, before anyone sends me a nasty email — “I knew we could get a good coach, you weasel!” — just remember that I wrote yesterday that VU will have to start spending more cash if it’s to land a “name” coach.  If Vandy lures Golden into the coaching quicksand at Dudley Field, you can be certain that the Commodores have done two things:

1. Increased — maybe even doubled — what they pay their head coach

2. Promised to improve the school’s facilities

Vandy makes money on football.  It needs to spend some of that money to become more competitive in the SEC.

As for Golden, he has already resurrected one of college football’s most downtrodden programs at Temple.  In five seasons, his record is just 27-34, but that includes a 17-8 mark the last two years.  The Owls went to their first bowl game in 30 years last season (losing to UCLA in the Eagle Bank Bowl) and at 8-4 they’re on pace to go bowling again this season.

Golden has also been mentioned as a candidate for the open Minnesota job.  Last year he was connected to the openings at Tennessee, South Florida and Cincinnati.  He is just 41 years old. 

For a great background piece on Golden from The Philadelphia Inquirer, click here.

Jeff Lockridge of The Tennessean reports that Vandy also “would consider” Tommy Bowden.  Here’s the rub: If Bowden couldn’t win consistently at Clemson, could he lift Vanderbilt to another level?  Bowden did have success at Tulane — another tough academic school — before heading to Clemson, but the Green Wave wasn’t trying to compete in the SEC.

There are also reports that Vandy is interested in Greg Roman, the associate head coach and run game coordinator at Stanford.  Roman might not be as much of a name hire as Golden, but Vanderbilt’s decision to pursue someone who has had success at an institution with tough entry requirements is quite sound.  (I would link to the site reporting that, but they’re a site that grabs info from others and doesn’t provide links.  If they link, we’ll link.  Til then, “there are also reports…”)

So far, Vanderbilt’s search seems to show that Commodore officials are serious about improving their program.  We’ll see if the pay-off is as good as the search.

Content provided by Vanderbilt Sports Line.

That’s the gist of Jeff Lockridge’s article in today’s Tennessean. I am ambivalent as to whether Coach Caldwell should be given another year, or should be released after Vanderbilt concludes the 2010 campaign Saturday against Wake Forest. On the one hand, Coach Caldwell inherited an incredibly difficult situation, taking over as the head coach just 7 weeks before the season was set to begin. Despite their struggles, Caldwell has shown a willingness to shake things up, most notably by installing Dez Kitchens as Offensive Coordinator in the middle of the season. On the other hand, Vanderbilt has not been nearly as competitive this season has they had been in previous years. The most illustrative example: between 2005 and 2009 Vanderbilt lost 9 games by 21 points or more; this year, they’ve lost 4 (and both UK and UConn probably could have been worse were it not for late touchdowns). As David Williams said: “there’s losing, and there’s losing,” and Vanderbilt’s losses this season absolutely fall into the latter category (whatever that is).

I don’t think Vanderbilt should fire Caldwell and his staff just to fire them. You only fire a coach if you you can get a better coach who will take the program further than its current leadership can. For Vanderbilt, that means getting the program to a point where every year a bowl feels like a possibility. Despite Joe Biddle’s vague critique that Vanderbit “lacks commitment” and prognostication of our inevitable doormat status in the SEC, I think expectations of Black and Gold football in December (or dare I say January) is achievable. So the question is two-fold: 1) is Robbie Caldwell capable of that? 2) If he’s not, what coach that would be attracted to Vanderbilt, is?

What do you think, VSLNation?

Should Saturday’s Game Against Wake Forest be Robbie Caldwell’s Last as Vanderbilt’s Head Football Coach?online surveys

Another wrinkle to consider, according to Jeff Lockridge’s blog, is the opening at Furman, where several members of the current staff, including Robbie Caldwell, Ted Cain, and Bruce Fowler coached under Bobby Johnson before his jump to the Commodores. Does Caldwell decide to pull a Tubby Smith and seek greener pastures before being shown the door?

Content provided by Vanderbilt Sports Line.

Jeff Lockridge’s piece in today’s Tennessean is incredibly interesting, especially in light of the reports that surfaced last weekend when Vanderbilt was getting throttled by Florida. Vice Chancellor David Williams talks about his displeasure with the Commodores’ performance this season. That, however, is not the story. Williams cites lack of competitiveness as perhaps the most disappointing aspect of this season. I couldn’t agree more. Consider this: between 2005-2009 Vanderbilt lost 9 games by 21 points or more; this season, the Commodores have lost 4 games by 3 touchdowns or more (and there’s still 3 games left to play). I get that 3 of the 9 21+ point losses were last season, but somehow this season feels worse

I am on record as being completely in the tank for David Williams. I think he has done a fantastic job spearheading Vanderbilt athletics and that the Commodores, as an athletic program are in better shape now than when I started in 2001. And despite this criticism he has taken in the comments section here and on other Vanderbilt sites, this article says to me not only that he’s listening, but that he also gets its. As Williams says, “There’s losing and there’s losing.” This years losses have been of the particularly bitter variety.

Williams admits the last 3 games will be important in evaluating Coach Caldwell and his staff. Vice Chancellor Williams concludes with this: “You want to be fair [to Coach Caldwell]. But I’m committed to making this program competitive. And we’ll do what we need to do to make that happen.” Vanderbilt fans can’t ask for more.

Content provided by John Clay’s Sidelines.

Big Blue Links for Wednesday:

• Another top John Calipari class is ready to sign today, writes Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader.
• Calipari rules the recruiting trail again, writes Jim Halley of USA Today.
• Randall Cobb to consider leaving early for the NFL draft, reports Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader.
• Cobb could be near the end of his UK career, writes Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal.
• DeQuin Evans has been battling injuries all year, writes Dawson for the C-J.
• Vanderbilt defensive back will help out at quarterback, reports Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean.
• Matt Roark flying under the radar for UK, writes B.W. Jones of the Kentucky Kernel.
• It will be Kentucky’s talent vs. East Tennessee’s experience, writes Tipton of the H-L.
• Houston Rockets send Patrick Patterson to D-League, says H-L staff report.

• Just no playing time available for Patterson with Rockets, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
• Jared Carter has been released by his D-League team, reports All Kentucky Hoops.
• Dick Vitale thinks Calipari can win NCAA titles with re-loaded rosters, writes Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger.
• Wesley Woodyard named Broncos’ Man of the Year, reports Lindsay Jones of the Denver Post.

Content provided by Vanderbilt Sports Line.

Jeff Lockridge reports that both Zac Stacy (concussion) and Wesley Tate (ankle) might miss next week’s game at Kentucky. If neither Tate nor Stacy return, the Commodores will only have 1 scholarship running back in Lexington. When it rains it pours.

Content provided by Vanderbilt Sports Line.

In the Vanderbilt blog on the Tennessean‘s website, beat-reporter Jeff Lockridge clear up the “multi-year” contract extension reportedly being worked out between Vanderbilt and Coach Robbie Caldwell:

“Absolutely nothing has chan ged with Caldwell’s con tract since the pre sea son, Van der bilt offi cials con fir­med after Florida’s 55-14 win.
When the inte rim tag was remo ved from Caldwell’s title before the sea son began, his con tract was rewor ked as a ‘multi-year deal.’ It is widely known to be a two-year deal, although vice chan ce llor David Williams and Cald well choose to remain non-specific on the record to pre serve Vanderbilt’s pri vacy poli cies regar ding contracts.”

Lockridge offers this to bewildered Commodore fans: “All Vanderbilt fans need to know is that nothing has changed. Nothing is in place that would prevent Vanderbilt from going another direction after this season, or making a commitment to keeping Caldwell and his staff on board.” If Vanderbilt doesn’t look more competitive in their final 3 games than they have in 3 of their last 4, another direction might be the proper course to chart.

Content provided by John Clay’s Sidelines.

SEC links for Saturday:

• Big stakes for Alabama-LSU, writes Randy Rosetta of The Advocate.
• South Carolina wants to avoid that late-season tumble, writes Travis Haney of the Charleston Post and Courier.
• Cameron Newton insists he did nothing wrong, reports Jay G. Tate of the Montgomery Advertiser.
• The first round of the Newton denials have begun, writes Matt Hinton for Dr. Saturday.
• Newton is in the spotlight in a new way, writes Jay Greeson of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
• Auburn will feature a youth movement today against Chattanooga, writes Evan Woodbery of the Mobile Press-Register.
• Tennessee is playing catch-up in Memphis recruiting, writes Andrew Gribble of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• Vanderbilt ready for Florida’s quarterback trio, writes Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean.
• For Florida, this is the ultimate sandwich game, writes Pat Dooley of the Gainesville Sun.
• Georgia tries to overcome its hangover, writes Jeff Schultz of the AJC.

Content provided by Vanderbilt Sports Line.

According to Jeff Lockridge at the Tennessean (http://blogs.tennessean.com/vanderbilt/2010/11/04/senior-forward-darshawn-mcclellan-asks-to-be-redshirted/)

While I don’t think anybody expects DMC to make or break the season, he was a valuable presence under the basket and now makes it even more important that Festus and Tshiengang stay out of foul trouble. I also wonder how this affects whether Josh Henderson red-shirts or not. Hopefully not.

Still seems like a weird decision but DMC has to do whats best for him right?