that maybe he just isn't a big city guy. Lots of speculation about Coach Smith leaving (or not leaving) and where possible destinations could be. Some claim University of Minnesota must be a dream job for him seeing as he is from Minnesota and can't fathom he would turn down that opportunity in his home state. A couple things:

- Stephen MN is technically in Minnesota but for all intents and purposes Craig grew up in North Dakota. Stephen MN is on the ND border and is 350 miles from Minneapolis, which is further than Boise to SLC. The Smiths aren't going to Minneapolis when they want to go to a mall, they are going to Grand Forks or maybe Fargo or even Winnipeg. Craig's alma mater is Univ of North Dakota and 4 of his first 5 coaching gigs were in North Dakota....and the other in South Dakota. I'm not sure how alluring Minneapolis ever was for Craig.

- I wonder how much Craig wants to live and raise his family in a big city. Here is a list of all the places he's lived and coached in his 48 years.

City - Pop (metro pop)
Stephen MN - 681 (N/A)
Grand Forks ND - 56,500 (101,000)
Mayville ND - 1,800 (N/A)
Aberdeen SD - 28,000 (43,000)
Minot ND - 48,000 (76,000)
Fargo ND - 122,000 (246,000)
Fort Collins CO - 166,000 (310,000)
Lincoln NE - 284,000 (323,000)
Vermillion SD - 11,000 (14,000)
Logan UT - 51,000 (120,000)

Coaching Vacancies that were rumored to be interested in Craig Smith
Minneapolis MN - 420,000 (3,640,000)
Milwaukee WI - 595,000 (1,600,000)
Salt Lake City UT - 200,000 (1,200,000)
Ames IA - 66,000 (90,000)

As a point of reference, I've been through every single area on the lists above. Both Fort Collins and Lincoln are college towns and have a smaller town feel even though their metro areas are ~ 300k. Minneapolis is one of the largest metro areas in the nation and Milwaukee is big and dirty and too close to Chicago. We've all experienced the drop of anxiety and stress as soon as you leave the Wasatch front and drive out of Sardine Canyon into Cache Valley.

I am not in Craig's shoes but did grow up in a town the size of Stephen MN and could understand his reluctance to live and raise a family in the big city environment after spending your whole life in smallish communities. Perhaps no amount of money would convince him to take on that big city lifestyle, who knows. As you can see from the above numbers, Iowa State may have been the biggest threat but lucky for us the ISU AD has had a long time man-crush on Otzelberger.

I'm very excited at the probability that Smith is going to hang out in Logan for a while longer (it would seem anyway). He's a great coach and great fit for USU. The day may come that he chases the greenbacks and leaves Logan but I believe it'd have to be the right opportunity, and the right opportunity may not be what some assume it is. Let's hope he's here long enough that we can justify his statue or naming an arena after him someday!

I love it when he says Go Aggies!

If Craig stays, and it looks very good that he will....the happiest person on this earth will be his wife. She absolutely loves living in Cache Valley, and never wants to leave.

If Craig was offered the job at Minnesota, he would be in Minneapolis right now. That is a fact.

bpd wrote: ↑

March 23rd, 2021, 2:13 pm

If Craig was offered the job at Minnesota, he would be in Minneapolis right now. That is a fact.

Nope. Opinion.

calaggie wrote: ↑

March 23rd, 2021, 2:25 pm

bpd wrote: ↑

March 23rd, 2021, 2:13 pm

If Craig was offered the job at Minnesota, he would be in Minneapolis right now. That is a fact.

Nope. Opinion.

I would say more conjecture than opinion.

AgMac wrote: ↑

March 23rd, 2021, 2:37 pm

calaggie wrote: ↑

March 23rd, 2021, 2:25 pm

bpd wrote: ↑

March 23rd, 2021, 2:13 pm

If Craig was offered the job at Minnesota, he would be in Minneapolis right now. That is a fact.

Nope. Opinion.

I would say more conjecture than opinion.

Especially after 22 has said repeatedly he turned down an interview. You don't get offered the job before an interview haha I mean maybe idk how getting a job works.

AggieFanNate wrote: ↑

March 23rd, 2021, 2:41 pm

AgMac wrote: ↑

March 23rd, 2021, 2:37 pm

calaggie wrote: ↑

March 23rd, 2021, 2:25 pm

bpd wrote: ↑

March 23rd, 2021, 2:13 pm

If Craig was offered the job at Minnesota, he would be in Minneapolis right now. That is a fact.

Nope. Opinion.

I would say more conjecture than opinion.

Especially after 22 has said repeatedly he turned down an interview. You don't get offered the job before an interview haha I mean maybe idk how getting a job works.

Don't coaches have agents? I would assume that Minnesota was speaking with Coach Smith's agent. Maybe, based off that interaction, Coach Smith figured it was a long shot, or it wasn't going to be an ideal scenario, didn't want to leave Logan at this time for family reasons, or anything else.

I don't think Smith wouldn't Interview if he thought it was a long shot. Have you seen him talk? He would slay an interview and he would definitely make them consider him if he wanted the job. That might just be me though.

Just because you interview doesn't mean you will take it if it's offered. The interview process is as much an opportunity for candidates to kick the tires and see what is under the hood as it is for the hirer to vet candidates. I've turned down job offers a couple times during my career after being interviewed. After finding out more about what the job entails, what management was like, and taking a closer look at the culture and working conditions, said "thanks, but no thanks." Albeit none of those jobs would have tripled my salary.

bpd wrote: ↑

March 23rd, 2021, 2:13 pm

If Craig was offered the job at Minnesota, he would be in Minneapolis right now. That is a fact.

That is pretty far from a fact.

stang wrote: ↑

March 23rd, 2021, 3:43 pm

bpd wrote: ↑

March 23rd, 2021, 2:13 pm

If Craig was offered the job at Minnesota, he would be in Minneapolis right now. That is a fact.

That is pretty far from a fact.

Pretty good source says that CS did not accept any offers to interview and never reached out to anyone. Thus, no new job. Interesting.

I don't think these jobs work like the ones you and I have. Resumes and interviews aren't really a thing in this context. AD's know who they want and rely more upon what others say about the candidate than what the candidate says about himself. Everything is done through an agent. Giving an interview and not getting the job is a really bad look for your current school, team, players, etc. In fact, other teams will negatively recruit you and tell recruits that "Coach Smith does not want to be in Logan. He's always looking to get out." If I was Coach Smith, I'd get what information I can through my agent, but then I'd tell Minnesota, if you want to offer me the job, I'll consider it, but I'm not giving any interviews with other candidates." Also, it's possible that simple conversations with an AD, such as between "you, me and the fence post," don't qualify as "interviews," and give the coach plausible deniability, allowing him to say he was not interviewed or he turned down the interview. Assistant coaches don't really have to worry about any of this stuff.

BigBlueBlood wrote: ↑

March 23rd, 2021, 4:37 pm

I don't think these jobs work like the ones you and I have. Resumes and interviews aren't really a thing in this context. AD's know who they want and rely more upon what others say about the candidate than what the candidate says about himself. Everything is done through an agent. Giving an interview and not getting the job is a really bad look for your current school, team, players, etc. In fact, other teams will negatively recruit you and tell recruits that "Coach Smith does not want to be in Logan. He's always looking to get out." If I was Coach Smith, I'd get what information I can through my agent, but then I'd tell Minnesota, if you want to offer me the job, I'll consider it, but I'm not giving any interviews with other candidates." Also, it's possible that simple conversations with an AD, such as between "you, me and the fence post," don't qualify as "interviews," and give the coach plausible deniability, allowing him to say he was not interviewed or he turned down the interview. Assistant coaches don't really have to worry about any of this stuff.

Winner Winner Chicken dinner, that is exactly how it is done. Great post.

oleblu111 wrote: ↑

March 23rd, 2021, 4:42 pm

BigBlueBlood wrote: ↑

March 23rd, 2021, 4:37 pm

I don't think these jobs work like the ones you and I have. Resumes and interviews aren't really a thing in this context. AD's know who they want and rely more upon what others say about the candidate than what the candidate says about himself. Everything is done through an agent. Giving an interview and not getting the job is a really bad look for your current school, team, players, etc. In fact, other teams will negatively recruit you and tell recruits that "Coach Smith does not want to be in Logan. He's always looking to get out." If I was Coach Smith, I'd get what information I can through my agent, but then I'd tell Minnesota, if you want to offer me the job, I'll consider it, but I'm not giving any interviews with other candidates." Also, it's possible that simple conversations with an AD, such as between "you, me and the fence post," don't qualify as "interviews," and give the coach plausible deniability, allowing him to say he was not interviewed or he turned down the interview. Assistant coaches don't really have to worry about any of this stuff.

Winner Winner Chicken dinner, that is exactly how it is done. Great post.

I think you make good points for sure. You definitely don't want to hang yourself out there to dry.

When you pull up Stephen, Mn. on Google Maps this is the picture that's posted. Obviously Craig had options when he left home as to which way to go.

Bank Shot wrote:When you pull up Stephen, Mn. on Google Maps this is the picture that's posted. Obviously Craig had options when he left home as to which way to go.

That’s funny. Looks like either go north on highway 75 to the Canadian border or south on 75 and end up at Fargo. Could always cut across the back 40 and end up at Grand Forks I suppose.

I’ll start accepting apologies from my post in this thread as well as others. Truth is, Smith didn’t take the Minnesota job because he wasn’t offered that job.

I guess if you say it enough times....

Yep, it appears his big city fears can be overcome by big bucks.

bpd wrote: ↑

March 23rd, 2021, 2:13 pm

If Craig was offered the job at Minnesota, he would be in Minneapolis right now. That is a fact.

Not a fact. Not a fact at all.

bpd wrote: ↑

March 27th, 2021, 1:57 pm

I’ll start accepting apologies from my post in this thread as well as others. Truth is, Smith didn’t take the Minnesota job because he wasn’t offered that job.

True. He wasn't offered the job because he declined the interview.

aggies22 wrote:

bpd wrote: ↑

March 27th, 2021, 1:57 pm

I’ll start accepting apologies from my post in this thread as well as others. Truth is, Smith didn’t take the Minnesota job because he wasn’t offered that job.

True. He wasn't offered the job because he declined the interview.

I believe you but that makes no sense on his part. He would rather stab us all in the back and coach at Utah rather than go back to his home state and presumably make the same amount of money ??


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2004AG wrote: ↑

March 29th, 2021, 8:43 am

aggies22 wrote:

bpd wrote: ↑

March 27th, 2021, 1:57 pm

I’ll start accepting apologies from my post in this thread as well as others. Truth is, Smith didn’t take the Minnesota job because he wasn’t offered that job.

True. He wasn't offered the job because he declined the interview.

I believe you but that makes no sense on his part. He would rather stab us all in the back and coach at Utah rather than go back to his home state and presumably make the same amount of money ??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I don't doubt that he told people he declined the interview, and maybe he did because he knew it was a formality and he wasn't going to get it. As others have said, there was a lot more going on with the Minnesota hire.

But it would surprise me if he declined the interview knowing he had a legitimate chance at the job considering how things developed and his departure to Utah.

ineptimusprime wrote: ↑

March 29th, 2021, 8:50 am

2004AG wrote: ↑

March 29th, 2021, 8:43 am

aggies22 wrote:

bpd wrote: ↑

March 27th, 2021, 1:57 pm

I’ll start accepting apologies from my post in this thread as well as others. Truth is, Smith didn’t take the Minnesota job because he wasn’t offered that job.

True. He wasn't offered the job because he declined the interview.

I believe you but that makes no sense on his part. He would rather stab us all in the back and coach at Utah rather than go back to his home state and presumably make the same amount of money ??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I don't doubt that he told people he declined the interview, and maybe he did because he knew it was a formality and he wasn't going to get it. As others have said, there was a lot more going on with the Minnesota hire.

But it would surprise me if he declined the interview knowing he had a legitimate chance at the job considering how things developed and his departure to Utah.

Exactly - Many times the agent is talking directly with decision makers keeping the coaches out of it. The agent or Craig probably got information that indicated that while Minnesota wanted to interview him they were likely to go in another direction. Then by announcing you are declining a Big 10 coaching job you come out looking pretty good - its a win win for Craig.

Also I am guessing that if as reported Utah has been sniffing around since December/January that Craig and the agent also knew it was a possibility the Utah job could be his. Harlan needed to interview and show that two former great Utes were the "first choice" to appease the boosters and if they did not take the job Craig would be in prime position - plus Utah fans and boosters would get over taking a coach from lowly USU because that same coach turned down a Big10 program because he would much rather be at Utah - and Craig gains leverage to get as much $$$ from Utah because Utah does not want to be turned down 3 times especially from a USU coach AND he was in demand from a Big 10 school

All of this becomes so much easier when we accept that coaches are mercenaries and this is just a job. Every coach has a price that would get them out of their current position. They are successful because they want to be at the very top.