On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
By: Mike Huesmann
The Mike Neu era at Ball State has come to an expected end. As I wrote not so long ago, this move was one we saw coming a mile away. This season was his ninth in charge of the Cardinals and only one of those ended with a winning season. That simply isn’t good enough or acceptable at the collegiate level. I think Neu is a decent coach who did some good things, but Ball State is a tough place to win and ultimately, he didn’t do it enough. Here are five candidates to replace him.
Bryant Haines
Defensive Coordinator, Indiana
Bryant Haines followed Cignetti from James Madison, and those guys haven’t put a foot wrong in a long time. He coached elite defenses at JMU, earning recognition as a Broyles Award semifinalist in 2023 for the nation's top assistant coach. The Hoosiers have already eclipsed their preseason win total of 5.5 sitting at 6-0. Haines, a Ball State alumnus, will be a top contender for this job, which I recently wrote about.
— Bryant Haines (@Coach_BHaines) November 16, 2024
Tyler Stockton
Defensive Coordinator, Boise State
Tyler Stockton is in his first year as Boise's DC after spending multiple years at Ball State as DC and LB coach. He was mentioned as a possible UConn head coach before Jim Mora was hired. This year, he is leading a Bronco defense that has them in the hunt for a playoff appearance. He will likely be a head coach soon.
The Ball State Job Profile Report Card
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) November 17, 2024
Not much winning history, but some bright moments. Decent facilities and some talent if you can keep it.
Potential names: Deland McCullough, Tyler Stockton, George McDonald and more...https://t.co/w8Avi8bCtB pic.twitter.com/fvgLZ4Joof
Clint Killough
Head Coach, Incarnate Word
Clint Killough, still only 31, took over at UIW when G.J. Kinne left for Texas State. He led Incarnate Word to an 8-2 record last year. Currently, they are 6-2, ranked in the top 10 in the FCS, and will likely be a playoff team. He had been an assistant here under multiple head coaches before that and at Bowling Green. Combining his success offensively, wins as head coach, and coaching tree, I don’t expect him to be at the FCS level much longer. His MAC experience and head coaching success make him appealing.
They didn’t believe!! WE did!! #TheWord https://t.co/1I3zHELAl4
— Clint Killough (@Coach_Killough) November 17, 2024
Jason Eck
Head Coach, Idaho
Another former Ball State assistant on the list, Jason Eck has been the Vandals' boss since 2022. He took over a program that hadn’t had a winning season since 2016 and has taken them to back-to-back playoff appearances, including a quarterfinal trip this past fall. Eck has FBS experience at Wisconsin, Colorado, Ball State, and Idaho when they were still a member. If he wants to go to the FBS now, he’s a guy I would look at.
We need you in the P1FCU Kibbie Dome this Saturday at 5 pm! We have the opportunity to be undefeated at home for the first time since 1996!
— Jason Eck (@Coach_Eck) November 13, 2024
V's ⬆️✌ pic.twitter.com/TAIaFQ82A0
Dino Babers
Offensive Coordinator, Arizona
Dino Babers would be a solid hire for a team in limbo, like any lower-level G5 team is. He was deservedly let go at Syracuse; his end-of-season collapses and lack of ability to win conference games were his downfall. However, he was a heck of a coach at Bowling Green, winning 18 games in two seasons before going to Syracuse. His star is low now, but he has shown the ability to win in the MAC and built teams that have succeeded. If he wants back in and the money is right, he could be a bargain for Ball State.
Dino Babers on Changing a Losing Culture
— Football Advantage (@AdvFootball) November 12, 2018
"winning is a process, you need to stay focused on the little things so the big things can happen." pic.twitter.com/eT8YpQKK5f
More must-reads:
- Three burning questions about SEC's huge conference schedule change
- Top 2023 quarterback recruit set to make first career start
- The 'Active 20-home run MLB seasons' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
TODAY'S BEST
'Look out for this dude': Former NFL exec has warning about unexpected SEC quarterback
10 bold predictions for the 2025 college football season
Expect the unexpected when it comes to college football. Though traditional heavyweights like Ohio State, Michigan and Georgia have recently won national titles, there is hardly a sport that produces weekly drama like college football. It's tough to forecast the unexpected, but here are 10 bold predictions for the 2025-26 season. 1. Alabama misses the College Football Playoff again Games at No. 5 Georgia and No. 13 South Carolina, plus Florida State, Missouri and Auburn, make for a tough road slate. Couple that with a new quarterback in Ty Simpson, and questions abound. A stacked defense could cover up for some offensive growing pains, but how quickly does Simpson settle in? The season will depend on it. By the way, you have to go back to 2006 and 2007 to find the last time Alabama missed a BCS bowl game or the CFP two seasons in a row. 2. Penn State finally breaks through This is the year James Franklin and Penn State defeat Ohio State and win the Big Ten. Drew Allar's return at quarterback for PSU for his senior season is the difference. An experienced quarterback is something neither Ohio State, Oregon or Michigan has. 3. Michigan finishes outside the Top 25 Michigan has the on-field talent (don't miss No. 1 QB prospect Bryce Underwood), but the recent sign-stealing sanctions hang like a cloud over the program. It might subside if Michigan wins, but what if it suffers early-season losses at Oklahoma and/or Nebraska? There could be a snowball effect. 4. A wide receiver will win the Heisman Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter excelled as a wide receiver and defensive back, claiming the 2024 Heisman. Another wide receiver will win this year. How about Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith (76 rec, 1,315 yards, 15 TD in 2024) or Alabama's Ryan Williams (48 rec, 865 yards, 8 TD in 2024)? 5. Three SEC programs fire their coach Last season was unusually quiet on the coaching carousel, especially in the SEC. All 16 coaches return, but several are on varying degrees of the hot seat. Billy Napier (Florida), Sam Pittman (Arkansas), Hugh Freeze (Auburn), Brent Venables (Oklahoma) and Mark Stoops (Kentucky) are all coaches to keep an eye on. None of the five programs listed is expected to finish in the top four of the conference, meaning some will be .500 or worse. 6. Utah wins the Big 12 The Utes are going to bounce back in a wide-open Big 12. Health is the key here as injuries ruined the 2024 campaign. One reason for optimism? New offensive coordinator Jason Beck and incoming quarterback Devon Dampier came from New Mexico, where they engineered the Lobos' best offensive season in eight years. 7. The Group of 6 CFP bid comes from the American Boise State is the favorite to represent the Group of 6 in the CFP, but the American champion will receive the bid this season. Look for as many as five teams to vie for the title. Tulane brought in 20 transfers to bolster its roster, but Navy returns quarterback Blake Horvath (1,353 passing yards, 13 TD, 1,254 rushing yards, 17 TD). It should be an exciting watch. 8. The ACC receives one bid for the CFP The ACC managed to grab two CFP bids last season, but it won't happen again this year. Clemson is the favorite and should be a part of the 12-team field. No. 10 Miami could be in the hunt, but games against No. 6 Notre Dame, No. 15 Florida and at No. 16 SMU pose a threat. Remember, the Canes were left out last season with just two losses. 9. Vanderbilt increases its win total again The Commodores were the surprise story of 2024, going 7-6 after a 2-10 season in 2023. Vandy will win at least eight games this year thanks to 77 percent of its 2024 production returning. Quarterback Diego Pavia (2,293 yards, 20 TD) is the little engine that could. The 'Dores season will be decided between Oct. 4 and Nov. 1 when they play road games at No. 8 Alabama and No. 1 Texas, along with home contests against No. 9 LSU and Missouri. 10. No agreement will be reached to change the CFP format We'll know the answer to this by Dec. 1, as that's the date the CFP committee has set to determine the format for 2026-31. With the Big Ten still throwing out radical ideas, people are upset and it seems no deal is imminent. "We sound like immature children throwing garbage against the wall," one CFP executive recently told CBS Sports.
Commanders' Terry McLaurin reportedly wants more money than previously thought
Previous reports indicated that unsettled Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin was looking to land "parts" of the five-year, $150M contract that the Pittsburgh Steelers gave DK Metcalf earlier this year. For an article published on Wednesday morning, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic offered an update regarding why McLaurin and the Commanders haven't come to terms on an extension after the 29-year-old requested a trade on July 31. "One person with knowledge of McLaurin’s contract negotiations said the veteran receiver has asked for more than DK Metcalf," Jhabvala revealed. McLaurin is in the final year of his current deal and will turn 30 years old in September. To compare, Metcalf will turn 28 in December. That said, McLaurin emerged last season as the favorite target for quarterback Jayden Daniels as Daniels guided the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game. "McLaurin believes he’s one of the best receivers in the NFL," Jhabvala added. "He’s been the Commanders' leading receiver every season since he entered the league (in 2019), and last year had the second-most receiving TDs in the league behind Ja’Marr Chase’s 17. He also ranked third in (expected points added) on targets and seventh in catch rate among receivers with at least 100 targets last year, but among that same group, McLaurin’s total receiving yards (1,096) ranked 12th and his average yards after the catch ranked 25th." Daniels seemed optimistic while speaking about the ongoing contract standoff during the ESPN broadcast of Monday's preseason game between the Commanders and Cincinnati Bengals when he said he knew McLaurin would "be coming through the door soon." However, Jhabvala noted that "it wouldn’t be a surprise if the [Commanders have] set a maximum range of $27M to $28M a year in average annual value for McLaurin." That seems to suggest the two sides aren't all that close to coming to terms on an agreement. It's unclear if McLaurin is willing to forfeit money by sitting out Washington's Week 1 game against the New York Giants on Sept. 7 amid his desire for a pay raise. If he isn't, he may have to soon accept the offer that's on the table to guarantee himself future earnings beyond the upcoming season.
Bill Belichick takes another shot at Patriots owner Robert Kraft
It is no secret that the relationship between Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft has been strained since Belichick left the New England Patriots. Belichick took an obvious shot at Kraft and the Patriots owner's son, Jonathan, who is the president of the team, during an interview with Ben Volin of the Boston Globe that was published on Thursday. Belichick is preparing for his first-ever season as a college coach with North Carolina. When asked what he has noticed that is different about coaching in college versus the NFL, Belichick insinuated he has enjoyed not having to answer to any members of the Kraft family while doing his job in Chapel Hill. "It’s a much more cohesive, and I’d say unified, view of what we’re trying to do and how we’re trying to do it," Belichick told Volin. "It’s a lot of football, and there’s not much in your way. "There’s no owner, there’s no owner’s son. There’s no cap, everything that goes with the marketing and everything else, which I’m all for that. But it’s way less of what it was at that level." Shots fired. There is no way to interpret that other than a criticism of Robert and Jonathan Kraft. Had Belichick left it at not having to answer to a team owner, you could make the case that he was speaking generally about the NFL. The fact that he added in "owner's son" makes it obvious he was referring to his old bosses, as both Robert and Jonathan are hands-on with the Patriots. Belichick is almost certainly bitter over the way his tenure in New England ended following the 2023 season. He coached the Patriots for 24 seasons and won six Super Bowls, so he likely felt he should have been given more time to turn things around in the post-Tom Brady era. The Kraft family preferred to move on after a 4-13 campaign. Though Belichick insists he is solely focused on the upcoming UNC season, this is not the first time in recent months that he has gone out of his way to throw a jab at Robert Kraft.
Winnipeg Jets Strike Out: Top Remaining NHL Free Agent Joins Central Division Rival
The Jets and any other rival of the Avalanche lost out on Victor Olofsson, as the top remaining NHL free agent has just signed a one-year deal with Colorado. One of the best remaining unrestricted free agents is no longer available. The Colorado Avalanche signed forward Victor Olofsson to a one-year, $1.575 million contract through 2025-26, the team announced Wednesday. PuckPedia reported the agreement Tuesday night. Victor Olofsson entered free agency after a bounce-back season with the Vegas Golden Knights. After six seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, the team that drafted him in the seventh round in 2014, the Swedish winger signed a one-year, $1.075 million contract with Vegas this past summer. That followed a difficult 2023-24 campaign in Buffalo, where he posted just 15 points in 51 games. In Vegas, the 30-year-old regained some of his scoring touch. Although he was limited to 56 games due to injuries, he netted 15 goals and 14 assists for 29 points. Not quite the 40-point pace he was in his prime with the Sabres, but Olofsson proved he could be a reliable depth scorer for a playoff team. He registered four points in nine playoff games before the Golden Knights were eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers in the second round. Olofsson has 105 goals and 106 assists for 211 points in 370 NHL career games. Last spring was his first taste of playoff action. Olofsson could be the key for the Avalanche to win the Central Division Now, Olofsson becomes a part of a Colorado team that is seeking a return to Central Division supremacy after being defeated by the Dallas Stars in last season's semifinals. This could pose a problem for the Winnipeg Jets, as their direct rivals have just gotten better up front. With stars such as Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and the now-returning Gabriel Landeskog around him, he'll get the chance to find a significant role on a contender. For Olofsson, the Avalanche provides a clean slate and an opportunity to demonstrate that there is still much more to give. If all goes well, Colorado will be giving their Western Conference foes a real hard time in the upcoming season.
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
