Candidate Tier #5

Category: Middle-aged, out-of-touch, dangerous last name

Who Is He?

Bob Shoop is currently the DC for Tennessee. The Tennessee that longs to be relevant again but hasn’t be able to be so since they ran off their one successful coach in Phillip Fulmer. Shoop also shares a name with famous Purdue offensive coordinator and champion of NCAA athlete’s rights, John Shoop, an unmitigated disaster.

I may not be writing this capsule at the right time because Shoop’s Vols were just dismantled 49-10 – at home – by Alabama. Shoop followed this up by mocking the officials. Yes, in a game in which his team was manhandled in every conceivable way. Alabama was Biff, Tennessee was Lorraine if George McFly hadn’t shown up when he did. Mercy. But yeah, Bob, it was totally the officials fault. I can’t stand it when anyone blames officials but when you do it after losing by 39 at home, you shouldn’t be allowed to talk to the media anymore.

Shoop is a 50year old defensive coach who has been all over the place for more than a quarter century. He has been a head coach only once, for three seasons at Columbia. In those seasons he went 7-23. Thud.

Why would he be successful at Purdue?

Uhh, well, maybe he’d bring about a defensive philosophy that would allow Purdue to succeed? You know, like the kind that allows his teams to stay within 39 points of Alabama at home. Yay!

Why could he flop at Purdue?

Hard to narrow down the reasons to fit here. Maybe because he’s never really been a head coach to speak of (Does Columbia count?) and when he was a sorta coach he was dreadful. He’s also bounced around a bit and in addition to Tennessee, he’s been at Vandy and PSU recently. None of them have looked stalwart defensively and as I’ve said about other nomads, where does he have a recruiting advantage?

Would he come to Purdue?

Most likely, yes. If you assume almost all assistants would love a shot at a head coaching job, then why would a middle aged, lifelong assistant coach turn downa Power 5 head job? But let’s hope his phone doesn’t ring.