@TerryP you leave me scratching my head sometimes. Not denying anything you are saying but no comparison between an SEC school and Liberty with regards to prestige, competition and the ceiling even down in the cow pasture. Ego's that drive most coaches want to see if they can compete with anyone so they will want to be at a program in the SEC.
These same coaches you're referring to understand that even though it's a pasture, the grass isn't necessarily greener.
Ego's that drive most coaches want to see if they can compete with anyone so they will want to be at a program in the SEC.
I believe there's some bias in that thought because of who you are.
Next fall Freeze will be making more than twice as much as any other coach in his conference. He's making as much as a lot of other coaches in P5 jobs; more in some cases. Houston and Cincy pay less and they're joining the Big 12 soon. He's not making Mike Leach money, but he's close. It's the same with Harsin.
Facilities at Liberty beat both of those schools hands down. The administration at Mississippi State is better than Auburn, but I can't say he'd be working for a better AD in Starkville. I don't think John Cohen (MSU) is a bad AD but there's nothing I've seen since '16 at MSU that makes me say "he's a good AD"
Here's something that won't sit right but you'll get the point. Ian McCaw built Baylor as their AD from early on in the 2000's until 2016 when he took the Liberty job. I know it's easy to think, "Baylor, Briles, and that fiasco." But there's no doubt he put together some great facilities for that program. He's done the same for Liberty.
The money is the same, or better.
You've got a better AD when it comes to your program and what it needs.
You don't have a power struggle within the administration: people making decisions about you and your career.
Yes. It's Liberty. But tell me how that's not a better job?