Memphis fired football coach Tommy West on Monday, saying it wanted to go in a different direction...

Memphis fired football coach Tommy West on Monday, saying it wanted to go in a different direction after the season.

Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson told West of his decision Monday morning. The school announced the coach's dismissal at an afternoon news conference.

ESPN.com: Memphis' West fired after 9 seasons

This move obviously doesn't shock anyone, but nevertheless the firing of West marks the official start to the coaching carousel this season. While it looks like be a slow year for the SEC in the silly season, around the country things look to be a lot more active. Notre Dame, Michigan, Colorado, Virginia, Maryland, Illinois, and several other BCS conference schools look like they may very well be making coaching changes this year, so there will be plenty of news in mid-December.

3 months ago outsidethesidelines 31 comments 0 recs |

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So...

…Phil Fulmer will be coaching in Tennessee again after all….

"High standards come from passion within...." --Coach Nick Saban

by NiceLittleSaturday on Nov 9, 2009 3:43 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I thought...

…it would be Tommy Tuberville.

by Kenny483 on Nov 9, 2009 3:47 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

So

either way, we’ll still own Memphis recruiting-wise.

"A demagogue is one who preaches doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots." -H. L. Mencken

by Bens4vcobra on Nov 10, 2009 9:53 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Tommy Bowden?

He’s the hot name…. or so I’ve been told.

Fumbles. It was always Fumbles

by DocFumbles on Nov 9, 2009 4:05 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

and who can forget about

Terry Bowden?

"Well Eli, Smokey just came out of the tunnel, and he's about 100 yards away from me now, and if I had my deer rifle I believe I could drop him, back to you Eli" -- Jerry Duncan's comments to Eli Gold just prior to kickoff against Tennessee

by Thomas Walker Esq on Nov 9, 2009 4:05 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

He's busy coaching the best Div.II in the nation

UNA is by far the most loaded DII in years.

Got a dip in my stride, cuz you fear the tide.

by MobileBayCityRoller on Nov 9, 2009 5:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

and yet they still lost to Livingston...

Offense sells tickets. Defense wins games. - Paul W. "Bear" Bryant

by TheRedTideConsumes on Nov 10, 2009 5:24 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

...I presume....

"High standards come from passion within...." --Coach Nick Saban

by NiceLittleSaturday on Nov 10, 2009 2:05 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

If Richt loses out

he may be gone.

LSU fans are all hoping Mich. implodes and fires Rod leading to a Miles departure to Mich. They are ready to dump The Hat, but it will take more than coming in 3rd in the SEC to do that.

I hate the NCAA more than UT & AU combined. At least with UT & AU you got a fighting chance.

by 5026 on Nov 9, 2009 4:09 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Richt isn't out

just his assistants, particularly Willie Martinez, and they will definitely call Kirby Smart when that happens. I don’t think Smart will leave Saban for anything less than a head coaching job, even it it is his momma calling

by Thomas Walker Esq on Nov 9, 2009 4:14 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

What he said.

"Hollywood made a movie of my life. The film had me proposing to my wife on the football field. I would never misuse a football field that way." -Crazy Legs Hirsch

by Stuck in the Plains on Nov 9, 2009 4:34 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I would hate to lose Kirby,

but on the flip side his successor would be just as successful as he was and we can thank CNS for that. I remember when losing Kevin Steele seemed devastating, yet now we can hardly tell he’s gone. ;-)

PS: ROLL TIDE!!

by rhYno on Nov 9, 2009 7:19 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm much more worried about our assts than anything

KIRBY :(

"Hollywood made a movie of my life. The film had me proposing to my wife on the football field. I would never misuse a football field that way." -Crazy Legs Hirsch

by Stuck in the Plains on Nov 9, 2009 4:34 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Western Kentucky

I think I read that WK canned their HC today, too.

by rolltidefromaz on Nov 9, 2009 5:10 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

That's kind of ridiculous.

What the hell were they expecting making the leap to D1?

RollBamaRoll.com

by Nico2.0 on Nov 9, 2009 5:51 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Well, I go to WKU and I thought he should have been gone two or three years ago.

When they decided to make the switch to D1, I felt they needed to make a switch to a coach that is better fit for D1. So maybe they are now going to try and do it. Question is whether they’ve got the money for it.

by jsholt969 on Nov 9, 2009 11:49 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

True

and they were picked to be the absolute worst D1 school this year. How do you get fired with those expectations?

"A demagogue is one who preaches doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots." -H. L. Mencken

by Bens4vcobra on Nov 10, 2009 9:55 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Been a long time in the works

West just could not recruit the talent for winning football.Sometimes the occasional diamond in the rough ala Deangelo Williams,but nothing else to go with him.The good Memphis high school players high tail it out of here for greener pastures.
Now if they can at least figure out what to do with Iverson.

by Crimsoncaller on Nov 9, 2009 5:21 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Actually,

West did a good job keeping some hometown players in Memphis who had some SEC offers. The Ole Miss Rebels, however, and their shirt-ripping, nonsense-spewing, ragin’ Cajun, all-star recruiter Ed Orgeron talked a bunch of the boys into making the trip to Oxford (M. Oher, G. Hardy, C. Vaughan, etc.).

The Tigers also went all out trying to sell their program to the Big East when it expanded. A lot of people in the administration who were on board with facility upgrades (and boosters who had pledged some money if UM was taken by the Big East) just gave up when it didn’t happen. Memphis was hoping to be in the position that Cincinatti is in, but it just wasn’t meant to be.

Lee Corso: How would you describe tailgating at Alabama?
Kirk Herbstreit: Barbecue and Ralph Lauren

by animalcracker on Nov 9, 2009 7:17 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe...

…UAB can get win #5 this weekend and then sneak up on East Carolina or UCF to get bowl eligible.

RollBamaRoll.com

by Nico2.0 on Nov 9, 2009 5:52 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Fingers crossed.....

Roll Bama Roll - The Champagne of Bama Blogs.

by Todd on Nov 9, 2009 6:34 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

ha, Todd,

bet you’d eat pig brains for that

by Thomas Walker Esq on Nov 9, 2009 6:43 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Which raises a great question...

Todd, have you been doubling up on the disgusting fare for good ol’ UAB?

I bleed crimson and white...I puke Vol puke orange. RTR

by SugarBowl93 on Nov 9, 2009 8:54 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I'd eat pig brains...

…for Blazer basketball, but not for a Mike Davis coached Blazer team. That fraud doesn’t deserve my help.

Roll Bama Roll - The Champagne of Bama Blogs.

by Todd on Nov 9, 2009 8:55 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I really can't see anyone who's been a head coach coming to Memphis.

I think that job is one for a good asst./coord. to make the jump to head coach, but that’s about it. Football at Memphis is just a distraction until basketball season starts (which, by the way, is on the decline too).

by TiderInTN on Nov 9, 2009 6:56 PM CST reply actions 0 recs