Wins since 2000:
A$M : 174
OleMiss: 154
Auburn: 196
OleMiss coaches: Matt Luke, Hugh Freeze, Houston Nutt, Ed Orgeron, David Cutcliffe
Jimbo - 45-25 - .643
Sumlin - 51-26 - .662
Sherman - 25-25
Franchione - 32-29
Coming INTO the position at either school, I think A$M's list of coaches was more impressive at the time of their hires than the OleMiss coaches. Yet Ole miss has 1 less win per year on average. They are the same. Now - obviously resources would be better. But legitimate coaches have gone to A$M to die. There's some reason for that. So again - why leave something you have rolling at a higher capacity like Lane at Ole Miss to take on something that has just as much going against it as it does upside? Lane is at 9Million - Jimbo was at 9.1 Million. He aint making more money at A$M - not significant money that makes it worth the gamble at least.
For a program that expects to be national tile contenders every year, they suck dick. Jimbo is a legitimate coach. Sumlin certainly had faults but there wasn't too many as charismatic and offensively adept as him.
There's a weird fuggin culture at A$M and I do think that plays into the lack of high level success there that keeps a top-tier guy like Lane from going there. If anything the comp is Tennessee - overwhelming expectations despite pretty mediocre/average results at best. And Lane has already been at Tennessee and hated it.
Now - a guy like Elko who is LOOKING for his big time job, great. Go build it up and leave your mark on a program that thinks they should be better than they are, you'll be a hero. In my opinion they gotta try something a bit different, and Elko would be that.
Love the banter - carousel season is incredible.