Though the outcome of today's contest versus North Carolina may have significant effect on Duke's hiring of its next football coach, a list of at least some of the finalists has been selected by the Blue Devils' football coach search committee, according to a source speaking to The Chronicle on the condition of anonymity.
Interim head coach Ted Roof headlines the list, as he has the backing of both his players and the handful of recruits that he has landed since he replaced Carl Franks just four weeks ago. Roof's team has enjoyed late-season success, including hard-fought and close contests to N.C. State and nationally ranked Tennessee, and an obliteration of heavy-favorite Georgia Tech on Senior Day. The win over the Yellow Jackets ended a conference losing streak that dated back to 1999.
Other finalists for the Duke head coaching position are Norm Chow, the offensive coordinator for the high-powered Southern California Trojans; Dick Biddle, a two-time All-ACC linebacker for the Blue Devils in the 1970s and the current head coach at Colgate University, which is 11-0 and in the Division I-AA playoffs; Paul Johnson, Navy's head coach; Jack Bicknell, Louisiana Tech's head coach; and perhaps most surprisingly, Bobby Ross, the former head coach at Maryland and Georgia Tech, and in the NFL for the Detroit Lions and San Diego Chargers.
The 67-year old Ross, whose son is currently an assistant coach at Virginia, spoke with Maryland's student newspaper, The Diamondback, about his life after coaching in an Nov. 19 article. Ross was in attendance at the Maryland-Virginia game to support both a team he had formerly coached, and to root on his son's Cavaliers. Ross admitted to missing his job as a coach, as he had abruptly retired in the middle of the 2000 season when he was at the helm of the Lions.
"I don't think you do something for 44 years and it just drops out of your life. And it hasn't in mine," he told the Diamondback. "I still have a competitive feeling when I get around the game and obviously I do miss it a lot."
And in response to a query regarding whether or not he would consider a return to coaching, Ross said, "I'd like to. I don't know that opportunity will come about. Some people might perceive me as being old. I think it's how old you feel. I have a lot of energy now, and I'm in great shape - physically probably the best shape I've been in awhile. You never know, but I don't know. I have no idea."
Ross coached the Terrapins to three ACC titles and four bowl games in five seasons, and served as a mentor to current Maryland coach, Ralph Friedgen. At Georgia Tech, Ross led the Yellow Jackets to the 1990 co-national championship, following the school's first-ever undefeated season and a 45-21 dismantling of Nebraska in the Citrus Bowl. It was the school's first national title in 38 years.
At the end of the next season, Ross accepted a job as the head coach of the San Diego Chargers, a team he led to Super Bowl XXIX. He then moved to the Lions, where his teams accumulated a 27-32 record before his retirement nine games into the 2000 campaign.
Chow, who told The Los Angeles Times that he would indeed be willing to listen to Duke if it expressed interest in him, is widely considered to have one of the best offensive minds in the college ranks. He served as a coach at Brigham Young for 27 years, where he taught Heisman winner Ty Detmer, and other star quarterbacks such as Steve Young, Jim McMahon, Marc Wilson, Gifford Nielsen and Robbie Bosco.
Chow then accepted a position at N.C. State, where he coached current Heisman-candidate Phillip Rivers during his freshman campaign. He then returned to the West Coast and USC, and helped Carson Palmer to the 2002 Heisman Trophy. The Trojans are now the No. 2 team in America, with much of their success due to first-year starting quarterback Matt Leinart.
Biddle--who said Thursday night that Duke was yet to contact him but he would "certainly listen" if the Blue Devils showed interest--has enjoyed much success with the once-lowly Red Raiders. The eighth-year coach took over the program following an 0-11 season, and led it to a winning season. He is only the third coach in Division I or I-AA history to accomplish such a feat. In all, Colgate has won four Patriot League titles under Biddle and advanced to the playoffs four times. Navy has flourished under Johnson, as it is in the midst of a 6-4 season. If the Midshipmen are able to maintain a winning record, it will be only Navy's third winning season in 20 years. Johnson is in just his second year at the helm of the Midshipmen.
A representative of Navy's athletic director said Thursday night that Johnson had not been contacted by Duke regarding the job opening.
Bicknell, now in his fifth season at Louisiana Tech, has made great strides at a small Western Athletic Conference program, particularly his ability to recruit--he pulled in the No. 25 recruiting class in 2003. Currently, Tech is 5-6, but one of those losses came to future ACC-member and national powerhouse Miami, and another to No. 2 Louisiana State. Still, Louisiana Tech defeated Big Ten stalwart Michigan State 20-19 early in the season.
But the search for Duke's next head coach could begin and end with Roof, whose success has won over his players in a very short amount of time. Indeed, the team has already rallied around the former defensive coordinator, and has not been shy in sharing that sentiment with the media.
Consequently, the result of today's game with North Carolina--a school Duke last defeated 41-0 in 1989 when Steve Spurrier was the head coach--could have a considerable impact on Duke's hiring. Please stay tuned to The Chronicle Online for the very latest in Duke's search for its next head football coach.
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