One last thing about Eddie Gran

As I explained in the comments last night, the Gran saga is all about Jimmy Sexton, not Gran becoming Georgia’s next coordinator.  If Kirby can be enigmatic and do his agent (who happens to be Sexton, duh) a small favor, no harm, no foul as it pertains to Athens.

But if you really want to put your mind at ease over the possibility that a Kentucky assistant coach said no to a job offer from Georgia, consider this.

First of all, please know that, here at DawgNation, if there’s a report anywhere we’re going to let you know about it. That’s why we have a team of breaking news reporters who’s job it is to inform you if there’s anything out there that bears our attention — or yours. And, to be clear, Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio is somebody I consider a credible reporter. But I don’t for a second believe Gran was offered the Georgia OC job and certainly not “total control of the offense and $1.1 million.”

Here’s a couple of things to think about. Agents put these things out in the universe all the time. I don’t doubt there might’ve been some kind of contact or interaction between Georgia and Gran, but I don’t believe the Bulldogs ever offered him the job. Secondly, let’s think about this logically from Kirby Smart’s perspective. So just a year ago, you thought James Coley being on your staff was important enough to move him from WRs to QBs and make him co-offensive coordinator. A year later, your real OC leaves (somewhat unexpectedly). Now you’ve got a guy who sat in the offensive room with Chaney every day and in the coaches’ box for 14 games, and now you think the best idea is to go out and hire somebody else over him?

The give away there is “total control of the offense”.  You guys have watched the program under Smart for three seasons now.  Do you think it’s in Kirby’s nature to give anyone total control over any part of the football program?  Don’t be absurd.

Smart isn’t losing any sleep over Eddie Gran staying in Lexington.  You shouldn’t either.

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For Jimmy Sexton, there are no road blocks, only temporary detours.

F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, “There are no second acts in American lives.”

He obviously never met Hugh Freeze, who is suddenly one of the hottest commodities in college football, at least based on what turned up on my Twitter feed yesterday.

Four power five schools have Hugh Freeze atop their list as new offensive coordinator.

Remarkable.

— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) December 3, 2018

I can’t say I’m sure about all four, but Auburn, FSU and Tennessee would all appear to be players.  Plus, we all remember that Saban tried to hire Freeze last year, but was blocked by Greg Sankey, who evidently hasn’t changed his stance.

Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Mike Locksley is the favorite for the head coach vacancy at Maryland. If Locksley leaves Alabama, Enos and Freeze would seem like replacement candidates Nick Saban would consider. Saban reportedly tried to hire Freeze last offseason, but SEC commissioner Greg Sankey dissuaded him.

SEC rules include language stating that an SEC school’s president or chancellor must consult with Sankey before considering hiring someone who “participated in activity that resulted, or may result, in a Level I, Level II or major infraction.” The Ole Miss recruiting scandal under Freeze’s watch would seem to qualify.

If Hugh Freeze ends up as the next head coach of Liberty, it’s because Greg Sankey is finally becoming Mike Slive

— Steven Godfrey (@38Godfrey) December 3, 2018

Ah, Liberty.  Now that’s where it gets interesting.

This afternoon, Liberty head coach Turner Gill announced he is retiring.

“It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing my retirement from coaching,” Gill said in a statement. “In the summer of 2016, my wife Gayle was diagnosed with a heart condition. Both Gayle and I wanted to be here to help Liberty through their transition and we are so glad to have done so. We have come to the realization that it is now time for me to step away. I can’t put into words how much this coaching staff, support staff and the players mean to us. We are so thankful for President Falwell, Becki Falwell and Ian McCaw and their support during our time here. They, as well as all of those mentioned, have been and will continue to be blessings in our lives. To God be the glory!”

Immediately speculation began that Hugh Freeze would be the choice to succeed Gill. Freeze has a well established connection with the University and its leadership.

In January Freeze gave his first public talk there.

So we asked the question: is Hugh actually a legitimate candidate? The response we received from a source connected to Liberty is that the school has already advanced the discussions. A source tells FootballScoop Hugh Freeze is indeed a strong candidate at Liberty.

As a private university, Liberty has the ability to move fast here.

How fast?  With Art Briles’ old boss at Baylor as AD and Jerry Falwell, Jr., who’s been quite forgiving of sexual peccadilloes when it suits him as Liberty’s chief, I’d say warp speed fast.

What I don’t know is if Freeze wants to settle for a stretch as a head coach at an independent, or sees the easier path back to the big time as an OC at a P5 program.  Either way, you know Sexton is on the mother.  And that means there’s some hapless AD about to get rolled.

He doesn’t care for Auburn.

Can’t say I’m a Danny Sheridan fan, but this had me chuckling.

In December, Malzahn and Auburn agreed to a seven-year, $49 million extension. Malzahn’s previous contract at Auburn was for $4.725 million annually through 2020.

“It’s mediocrity at Auburn over the last four years,” Sheridan said. “It looks like they are going to lose three or four more games this year.

“The only person who would give a coach like that, with a mediocre record, is a president. A president has no business giving a contract to him. His agent, Jimmy Sexton, should be in the hall of fame for that contract.

“No president that I know of should ever make that decision because it isn’t his territory. Only a neophyte, an ignorant – ignorant being ignorant of the facts – president would make a deal like that. He isn’t stupid, just ignorant of athletics. He should be able to approve everything, but not make the deal.

Hos.

The greatest trick Jimmy Sexton ever played…

Your semi-regular reminder: Auburn is 22-21 vs P5 opponents since Kick Six.

Florida, which is on its third coach since then, is 21-21.

— A David Hale joint (@DavidHaleESPN) September 16, 2018

… was convincing Auburn it needed to give Gus a 7-year, $49 million contract extension.

Convoluted botany

Remember, peeps, if you’re a branch of the Saban coaching tree, it likely means you’re also populating the Jimmy Sexton tree.

Super agent Jimmy Sexton, who controls the SEC job market like nobody else, represents Smart. He also represents Muschamp. While apologetically removing Smart from the mix at South Carolina, he pitched Muschamp as a backup plan.

ADs like shopping convenience as much as anybody.  Jimmy’s kind of like the Amazon of coaches’ agents.

Thursday morning buffet

Num, num, num…

• A professional handicapper looks at some projected SEC win totals.
• Here’s an update on the hostage act holding up a $208 million settlement from the NCAA to former student-athletes.
• Bill Connelly ranks all 130 D-1 programs, and Georgia’s on his short list for the CFP.
• Groo thinks Georgia’s defensive backfield is going to get tested early and deep.
• Bud Elliott’s back with this year’s Blue Chip Ratio study.  Kirby’s got the Dawgs climbing to fourth:  “His last two classes are right on par with those of Saban and Meyer.”
• Mike Bobo’s back.
• Mike Bianchi’s gonna Mike Bianchi.
• Not like you didn’t already know this, but Jimmy Sexton’s a wizard, at least in comparison with your average AD.

You got played.

As the old cliché goes, Jimmy Sexton plays eleven-dimensional chess while Greg McGarity plays checkers.

In fact, there’s always been the thought in some circles that Georgia accelerated its search to hire Smart before the Gamecocks could make an offer. Smart was announced as the Bulldogs new coach on Dec. 6, 2015. Muschamp was introduced as South Carolina’s coach on the same day.

This week at the SEC’s annual spring meeting, Gamecocks athletics director Ray Tanner addressed the idea that Georgia “stole” Smart from South Carolina.

“I don’t think that’s exactly how it played out,” he said. “I think we had zeroed in on all the best coaches we could at that time. He was a guy that everybody thought highly of, but he was one of many who was on our list at the time.”

Yeah, it all worked out, once again proving the adage about it’s better being lucky than good, but let’s not kid ourselves.  Letting Sexton drive the hiring train wasn’t the way a well-run program with the top job offering in college football should have gone about its business.

Jimmy’s probably good with McGarity getting a contract extension now, though.  So there’s that.