At least hire Malzahn is the most exciting head coach at Vanderbilt in nearly 20 years ago, when Gerry DiNardo started a national championship team in Colorado. And despite what you may remember from his disappointing outcome at LSU, DiNardo was a great coach for the standard Commodore. It took a team that was 1.10 with Watson Brown at the helm in 1990 and develop a record of 5-6, including a win against Georgia. (In fact, DiNardo beat the Dawgs twice and also won against a team ranked Ole Miss in 1992.) DiNardo was 19-25 at Vanderbilt before LSU hired him away after the 1994 season.
It is clear that both parties expect the same result this time. Malzahn Vanderbilt hopes to prove himself as head coach with the Commodores, and get a couple of good football seasons to change, while Malzahn seeks to win enough games to Vanderbilt for other programs to take notice.
Not be easy. No head coach since Steve Sloan (1973-1974) ended with a winning record, and has been almost 60 years since a coach who spent more than two years in Nashville made a total of 0.500 percent (Bill Edwards, 1949-1952). The fate of the last three long-term coaches' fired for disastrous results (Rod Dowhower), resigned due to disastrous results (Woody Widenhofer), and withdrew, apparently due to the apparent futility of trying to turn around The Commodores (Bobby Johnson).
But this is a time for hope at Vanderbilt, not pessimism. The Commodores have landed on the best candidate to expect in the 2010 season, and may have finally gotten the man that can permanently change the arc of the program. The only sour note for Vanderbilt is the real test of how well Malzahn is possible if and when he leaves.
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