The thing about lists

I know it’s the offseason and I know they’re pundits, but there’s something about the methodology behind Stewart Mandel’s and Bruce Feldman’s top 25 coaches lists ($$) that doesn’t sit well with me.

Ed Orgeron.

Mandel has him eighth on his list (“This spot is a nod to Orgeron’s status as a recent national champion who continues to recruit at a very high level.”) and Feldman ranks him even higher, at seventh. (“Still, even as bad as 2020 was, Orgeron is 13-4 vs. top-10 opponents the past four years.”)

So, they both kind of held their noses with regard to the poor job Orgeron did last year — and it was bad to see a defending national champ fall as far as LSU did in the following season — to rank him among the elite.  (Feldman ranks him above Day and Smart.)

But here’s the thing — how do you factor a comment like this into the equation? (h/t)

#LSU coach Ed Orgeron admits "I hired some coaches I didn't even interview from the last staff, and I'm never doing that again."

"I interviewed everybody (this time)."

— Jerit Roser (@JeritRoser) March 23, 2021

I can’t imagine an elite coach being that slack.  And it clearly had an impact!  I know Orgeron has many pluses on his resume, including that natty, but I don’t know how you can judge him to be all that Mandel and Feldman think he is, given his management approach.  Unless you’re factoring in luck, I suppose.  (Although if that’s the case, I should note that Gus Malzahn and his rabbit’s foot made neither list.)