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At the time I met Turner Gill in 1995, he was the quarterbacks coach at Nebraska, then one of the nation's premier programs. He was in Louisville with Tommie Frazier, the Nebraska QB who had been selected as the winner of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, given to the nation's top senior signal-caller. We talked a little about the 1984 Orange Bowl, the biggest disappointment of Gill's Nebraska playing career. With Gill running the show, the Cornhuskers came into the game unbeaten and ballyhooed as one of the greatest teams ever. But all that went up in smoke when Coach Howard Schnellenberger's Miami Hurricanes made a late two-point conversion to snatch away the national title. Gill impressed me that evening, and not just because he looked sharp in a tux. He had an engaging personality, a winning smile, and a commanding presence. I remember thinking that Frazier was lucky to have a mentor who could teach him about more than the quarterback option. Gill was a winner, and I filed away his name for future reference. Last year, when he shocked the football world by taking previously unknown Buffalo to the Mid-American Conference championship and a bowl game, Gill emerged as a hot coaching property. He was runner-up for the Syracuse job and the apparent front-runner at Auburn until they got cold feet on the Plains and hired Gene Chizik from Iowa State, where he had compiled an underwhelming 5-19 record. What did Chizik have over Gill? Well, Auburn alum Charles Barkley, the erstwhile “Round Mound of Rebound,” bluntly said it all came down to race. It wasn't so much that Gill was African-American, Barkley said, but that he was married to a white woman. This season Buffalo has slipped a notch – the Bulls' record is 3-5 – but Gill remains a guy who will be on the short list of several coaching search committees. I think he'll go somewhere – and I'd love it if that turned out to be Louisville. At this point, it's a foregone conclusion that Tom Jurich, the university's vice-president for athletics, will be forced to replace his friend Steve Kragthorpe after the season. It will be difficult for Jurich, but he didn't need the “Krag Out” in the last home game – half the seats were empty at kickoff – to know that Kragthorpe has to go. Just why Kragthorpe never caught on with U of L's fan base is mystifying to Jurich. One reason may be that when he came in, the fans were still angry at Bobby Petrino for leaving. Another might be that Kragthorpe is so clean-cut and straight-arrow that he comes off as bland. Most likely, however, is the fact that Kragthorpe never really demonstrated the offensive genius that made him a respected NFL coordinator and one of the most respected teachers in the football world. When Urban Meyer wants to talk offense, guess who he calls? That's right. Steve Kragthorpe. To his credit, Jurich has stood resolutely behind Kragthorpe and given him every opportunity to prove he deserves to stay on for at least another year. Unfortunately, however, Kragthorpe hasn't met the challenge. The Cards are 3-6 heading into Saturday's home game against Syracuse. There simply have been far more dumb mistakes and missed chances than glimmers of hope. The Kragthorpe bashers seem to be confident that Jurich will be able to bring in a big-name replacement such as, oh, Jon Gruden, just to mention a name. But that's not likely to happen. Despite the great strides made by U of L football in the last 20 years, it's still not a destination job for coaches. In other words, there's no good reason for Mike Leach to leave Texas Tech, Brian Kelly to leave Cincinnati, or Danny Hope to leave Purdue. The head coach at Idaho probably wouldn't even talk to Jurich because he holds Kragthorpe in high regard. The more you look at it, the tougher the task becomes. But Turner Gill is somebody who might be interested. The U of L job definitely would be a step up the ladder from Buffalo. He knows how coaches in every sport love to work for Jurich. And it's much easier to replace an unpopular, unsuccessful coach than to succeed a winner. Personally, I'd much prefer Gill to either Phillip Fulmer or Tommy Tuberville, a couple of Southeastern Conference retreads who have been mentioned as possibilities. Gill is younger and more sophisticated. He's better suited for an urban university than a good ol' boy from the South. I hope Louisville, as a city, is evolved enough that nobody would hold Ron Cooper against him. All they have in common is that both are African-Americans. Cooper never had the class or people skills that I believe Gill possesses. Gill's football pedigree is impeccable. He spurned scholarship offers from Oklahoma and Texas for the opportunity to become Nebraska's first African-American quarterback. A starter for three years, he guided the Huskers to the Orange Bowl twice. After playing football in Canada and minor-league baseball in the U.S. – Jurich just loves baseball – Gill joined the staff at his alma mater. During his 13 years as a Husker assistant, Nebraska won three national titles and Gill coached one Heisman winner (Eric Crouch, 2001) and a runner-up (Frazier). I think Gill would be a terrific recruiter at U of L. He has the background and the ability to relate to prospects from all levels of society. And from what I know of him, he won't tolerate a lot of disciplinary cases. Schnellenberger wrenched a national title from Gill's grasp. It would be a nice twist of fate if, all these years later, Gill ended up coaching at one of the places that Schnellenberger put on the national map.

ADD A COMMENT

	Mixed Mojo   fri nov 13 2009 at 11:30 am         ·  I'm sold. Let's start lobbying for this guy!
	punditarod   fri nov 13 2009 at 3:46 pm         ·  The company line seems to be that Kragthorpe is well regarded among the coaching fraternity around the country. Plausible, one supposes, though he's sure done nothing to engender such a rep. He may have some sense about offensive football theoretically. But it has been obvious from the very beginning of his tenure at Louisville that he can neither install his "knowledge" in a practical fashion, nor coach up his players. Turner Gill would certainly be a reasonable choice for coach. As a long time fan, I'd be proud.
	Frank Lucas #268746   sat nov 14 2009 at 10:39 am         ·  I think that UofL is definitely a destination for a good coach that wants to take the next step in his career. There is just something about 'ole Kraggy that the players and coaches are not responding to. I think anyone else with a different bedside manner would get more out of this team.
	PhoenixFellow   sun nov 15 2009 at 12:11 am         ·  Wouldn't it be tough to bully Buffalo out of their contract with him through 2013?
	AuntieNiner   sun nov 15 2009 at 1:43 am         ·  No offense..I mean, I want KRAPthorp gone as much as the next guy..But can you guarantee he will be gone after this season?