These guys won't be BC's new coach

Lots of names get floated during a search process. Some of it is speculation, some of it is a favor to an agent or coach and some of it is reporting. I've been guilty of doing all three.

Occasionally the decisionmakers float a name as a trail balloon or to distract. I don't know how Brad Bates operates yet, so I assume he won't be leaking any names as a power play this time around. But I do know enough about the process that a lot of the names being mentioned already are not real candidates. I assume their names are coming up as speculation or as a favor to the named coach. Here are four that have been floated that will not get the job:

Mark Whipple. Whipple told Gene to shove it six years ago when he realized keeping Spaz on as DC was the only way to get the head job. Hindsight shows he was right about that sort of working environment being untenable. But nothing he has done in the last six years shows that he is the right guy for the job now. He's bounced around the NFL and had a mediocre run as Miami's Offensive Coordinator. It has been ten years since he's been a head coach. His history with this particular job, his age and his record mean that Whipple will not be a factor this time around.

Sean McDonnell.  McDonnell himself is dismissing his candidacy. His record at UNH is nice but there is little to suggest he is the right guy to turn BC around. I think at this point BC is looking for a mix of experience and youthful energy. I don't think a long-time established New England FCS coach is going to come in and have that burning desire to make BC great again.

Tim Murphy. Tim Murphy has a lot of fans in the local media, local coaching community and even at BC. Chip Kelly is also a big advocate. But his record at Cincinnati is one red flag. The fact that BC is watching another Ivy League coach in a major sport struggle with his transition to the ACC/BC is another red flag. This is a recurring theme and makes me sound like an ageist, but Murphy is on the wrong side of 55. Can he go out and find every recruit BC needs? Is he going to adjust his staff and ways of operating to compete in the ACC?

Kevin Gilbride. I like Kevin Gilbride (and in full disclosure I went to high school with his daughter). He may be a favorite of some vocal Alumni, but he is not getting the job this time around. Age (he's 61), his losing record as a head coach, his long time away from the college game and his past history with this particular job all lead to him not being a real candidate this time around.

I've been wrong about these things before (see Ryan Day for OC), but I feel pretty confident these guys are not going to be coaching BC next year. If I had to hedge on any of them it would be Murphy. He is so well liked by so many that Bates may give him a shot, but that would only come after many, many other candidates fell through.