COLUMBIA, Mo. — Chicken wings, beers and a souvenir T-shirt from Hooters in Florida.
One very bizarre fax.
A Hall of Fame tight end.
The basement of a Chicago pizzeria.
Celebratory steaks and cigars.
All of that and much more tell the story of what became one of the most important job searches in the University of Missouri’s modern history. From the moment Mizzou fired football coach Larry Smith on the evening of Nov. 18, 2000, to the afternoon his successor was formally introduced two weeks later, a core of university brass searched far and wide for the next leader of their football program, a process so often fumbled away by their predecessors and peers but this time, as time would tell, masterfully done.
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Twenty-two years ago, Mizzou athletics director Mike Alden believed he found the right person when he hired a 48-year-old Ohioan to lead the Tigers. But unbeknownst to Alden or his trusted comrades, that coach would win more games than any man in the program’s history, guide the Tigers to five double-digit win seasons, four conference championship games and earn countless honors and accolades along the way.
On Tuesday, Alden will be in Las Vegas to celebrate the biggest of them all, when Gary Pinkel is inducted into the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame, the ultimate validation for a search that started in Florida and wandered through Ohio, Michigan, Texas and, eventually, Chicago, where the deal was struck over the phone from the basement of a pizza joint to make Pinkel the 31st head coach in team history.
Earlier this fall, Alden, who like Pinkel, is now retired, allowed this Post-Dispatch reporter and a columnist from the Kansas City Star unprecedented access into the search process that brought Pinkel from the University of Toledo to Mizzou, and all the memorable stops in between. Alden shared more than 30 pages of meticulously recorded notes from the 12-day search to offer an exclusive peek behind the curtain of a pivotal hire in Missouri sports history.
‘We’re a Chevy Silverado’
First, though, Alden had to end one regime before the next coach could start another. Smith had revived the program and delivered back-to-back bowl trips in 1997-98 but progress soon stalled. Two weeks into the 2000 season, Alden put together a rough but lengthy list of potential candidates should the season crater. Total count of coaches: 44. The names included Terry Bowden, Jim Donnan, Hal Mumme, Rich Rodriguez, Jim Tressel, none of whom would surface as real candidates months later. Alden kept the names saved to a file on his computer.
“When people talk about that infamous list that athletic directors keep, that was it,” he said.
The Tigers began the year 1-3, and by November, Missouri had lost seven of eight games.
Shortly after a season-ending home loss to Kansas State on Nov. 18, Alden met with university chancellor Richard Wallace and shared his plans: It was time for change. That night, Alden met with Smith in the coach’s office and gave him three options: resign, retire or be fired. He chose to be fired.
From there, Alden formed an advisory group to launch the search. He wanted their input on what qualities to consider for the next coach. Among the advisors were athletics administrators Gene McArtor, Mario Moccia and Ed Stewart, former assistant coach and radio broadcaster John Kadlec, team doctor Pat Smith, former star quarterback Corby Jones, and prominent donors and campus leaders.
The group set some parameters: They figured sitting power conference head coaches would be beyond Mizzou’s financial grasp. Instead, they’d focus on proven winners at mid-major programs and the best power conference coordinators. Alden didn’t think Mizzou could afford an established power conference head coach but also had concerns about the program’s national brand. He wanted a builder to restore that image.
“We have to recognize who we are,” Alden said in a recent interview. “We’re not a Porsche. We’re a Chevy Silverado.”
Immediately that Sunday night, Alden’s core staffers — McArtor, Moccia, Stewart, Ross Bjork and Laird Veatch — began what Alden called a process of “divide and conquer.” They reached out to the top names on Alden’s list to arrange visits and interviews.
“We had to get it right,” Bjork, now the A.D. at Texas A&M, told the Post-Dispatch this week. “I know he felt pressure. I know the institution felt pressure. We all felt pressure to say, ‘Look, whatever happens, we’ve got to get the right person, and we’ve got to be in this for the long haul.’”
There was one power conference coach they wanted to interview: Northwestern’s Randy Walker. That proved easier said than done.
First stop, the Sunshine State.
Florida to Ohio to Michigan
At 9:30 Monday morning, Nov. 20, Alden and five others flew from Columbia to Tallahassee to meet with one of the country’s most coveted assistants, 40-year-old Florida State offensive coordinator Mark Richt. He was considered a family man with great character and oversaw an offensive machine at FSU.
“What those guys were doing at Florida State was pretty incredible,” Alden said.
Fans showed their support of Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel during a game between Missouri and Brigham Young University on Saturday, Nov. 14,…
Richt checked a lot of boxes, but not just for Mizzou: A month later, he’d land the Georgia job.
Mizzou’s contingent had rented a van in Florida — Alden took turns behind the wheel — and from Tallahassee they made the 2 ½-hour drive south to Gainesville to meet with Florida Gators defensive coordinator Jon Hoke, a former Mizzou assistant. Years earlier, Alden had told Hoke he’d love to hire him as a head coach some day. But not this time. Hoke stayed on the list but never got a second interview.
Before leaving town, the group needed to eat and somehow settled on … a Hooters in Gainesville.
In today’s social media age, an athletics director wouldn’t risk getting spotted in another college town during a coaching search, but this was 2000, before camera phones and Twitter. But there they were, the AD, his staffers, the team physician and deputy chancellor Mike Middleton throwing down wings and drowning a few brews after a long day. Alden even picked up a T-shirt for his 4-year-old son Jake.
“Holy cow,” Alden recalled. “That was a bad decision.” (His wife agreed.)
From Florida, it was off to Toledo, Ohio. On just a few hours sleep, they met with Pinkel at 7 a.m. Tuesday at a local Marriott.
Pinkel was on Alden’s initial September list — and it was easy to pinpoint why.
“Penn State,” Alden said.
Pinkel’s Toledo team upset Penn State on the road the first week of the season, the kind of win that put a mid-major coach on power conference wish lists.
“When he came in, he was early, which doesn’t surprise me,” Alden said.
Pinkel didn’t blow away the group with charisma but shared a detailed accounting of his program’s infrastructure — from recruiting to weight training to player nutrition, all of which he traced back to his mentor, Hall of Fame coach Don James.
They sat around in a hotel room — two double beds and some folding chairs, Alden recalled — and listened.
“He was just really impressive,” Alden said, “because he was just so with it — even at 7 a.m.”
The day’s voyage continued to Kalamazoo, Michigan, to meet with Western Michigan coach Gary Darnell. He’d won 31 games over the last four seasons. They were greeted by a foot of snow and didn’t pack boots or gloves, but Darnell’s interview went well enough to earn another a few days later.
The group hoped to visit Chicago next to interview a Big Ten coach, Northwestern’s Walker. He wouldn’t answer calls or return messages. Instead, they returned to Columbia then flew out the next morning from Jefferson City to a tiny hangar in West Lafayette, Indiana, to visit another up-and-coming offensive coordinator, Purdue’s 38-year-old Jim Chaney. Another impressive interview.
After the meeting, McArtor got a call. Another big fish wasn’t interested: Oregon’s Mike Bellotti. What about Walker? Still no answer.
Back to Columbia. Thursday was Thanksgiving. Alden gave the group the holiday off — but he made an important call. Baltimore Ravens running backs coach Matt Simon had coached at New Mexico when Alden worked there. Simon also coached at University of Washington for a decade alongside Pinkel. Both grew up in Akron, Ohio. Alden trusted Simon’s word.
“He said, ‘Mike, I’m telling you,’” Alden recalled, “’the dude you got to look at and keep looking at is this guy Gary Pinkel.’”
Alden’s intrigue grew.
A stop in Chicago
The search continued Friday with a flight from Jefferson City to Chicago. Pinkel flew there from Toledo to meet with Alden and McArtor, then dinner at Nick’s Fishmarket. Did Alden have his guy? Not yet. They had two interviews Saturday, both at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago. First, Mizzou legend Kellen Winslow. The Hall of Fame tight end had never coached, but he had lobbied for an interview. Was he a serious candidate? Maybe not, but Alden wanted to meet with someone closely tied to the university.
“We went in there with open minds,” he said, “and had a good conversation.”
Next up: Nebraska quarterbacks coach Turner Gill. He was just 38, wasn’t even a coordinator. But Alden was a fan — and the interview reinforced those feelings. But was he ready?
From Chicago, one more stop at Kalamazoo for a second meeting with Darnell. He stayed on the list.
They returned to Columbia and spent Sunday making calls. They learned Southern Miss’ Jeff Bower wasn’t interested. At one point the fax machine started beeping. It was a letter. From an agent. Of an assistant coach. Assistant coaches didn’t hire agents in 2000. But Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster had one. And he wanted an interview.
“Gene’s always very stoic and was like, ‘Hmmmmm, I don’t know …” Alden said.
Thanks, Bud. But no thanks.
There was a younger defensive coordinator Alden wanted to interview — much younger. Oklahoma’s Brent Venables was just 29. They talked a few times, but Venables had promised the Sooners he’d coach them through the Big 12 championship game before interviewing for other jobs.
“I wanted Venables to interview so bad knowing he probably wasn’t gonna get the job,” Alden said. “But some of those young guys, I wanted to get a chance to see them and to talk with them, get to meet them and spend time with them.”
Phone a friend
The search was a week old. There was still one call to make. Alden had become close friends with Dennis Franchione when they worked together at New Mexico. “Fran” was now the head coach at TCU — and a wildly successful one. He would be in great demand nationally and likely beyond Mizzou’s budget. But Alden had to make the call to Fort Worth.
The only reason he’d consider Mizzou, Franchione said, was his relationship with Alden. But was that enough to make the move?
“We know each other well enough to know, like, why are we messing around here?” Alden said. (Sure enough, Franchione took a new job — at Alabama.)
But the search stayed in Texas. Mizzou learned that Pinkel was interviewing with Arizona State at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Time to move. Brad Epple, the crew’s pilot, flew Alden and McArtor to Love Field in Dallas. When they landed across town, Alden called Pinkel.
Get in a cab and head to Love, Alden told him. They were leaving no chances. Pinkel was coming to Columbia.
The coach agreed, and as they headed over Boone County, Epple made sure to tilt the plane so Pinkel got a clear view of Mizzou’s campus and Memorial Stadium down below.
It was time for the hard sell. Alden handed Pinkel over to assistant AD Peter Fields for a campus tour while Alden made a cameo at the football team’s postseason banquet — but not for long. By 8:30 p.m. he was sipping a club soda while meeting with Pinkel. This isn’t an offer, he told him, but are you interested in the job? Pinkel was.
That night, Alden shared his top three choices with Chancellor Wallace: Pinkel, Darnell and Chaney.
The next morning, Pinkel, Alden and Wallace had coffee. The search crew borrowed local booster Richard Miller’s plane to fly Pinkel back to Toledo, along with Stewart. From Toledo, Stewart swung by Kalamazoo to pick up Darnell. He, too, would get a campus visit in Columbia.
While Stewart traveled by air, Alden, McArtor and Middleton drove to Wright City to interview Wisconsin defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove. They met at Big Boy’s Restaurant. They left unconvinced.
Darnell stayed the night and Wednesday morning had coffee with Alden and Wallace, just like Pinkel a day earlier.
Some concerns surfaced.
“I was impressed with (Darnell). He’s a heck of a coach,” Alden said. “But some of the questions he was asking me were much more self-centered for him individually. Gary (Pinkel) was all about his staff … all about facilities, all about the program.”
It was crunch time.
‘Am I the guy or not?’
Wednesday morning, Alden, McArtor and Bjork flew Darnell back to Michigan then headed to Chicago. The clock was ticking. They were ready to make an offer.
One problem: Bjork had to eat.
“That was back in my heavier days,” he said, laughing. “Mike was real big on, ‘Hey, we’ve got to find a cool spot.’ Mike knew Chicago just as well as I did. We were like, ‘Look, we gotta go to Pizzeria Uno.’ That was the spot.”
Bjork asked the restaurant’s host if they could use the basement for a meeting.
“‘Can you make sure no one comes down here?’” he recalled asking. “We commandeered the whole downstairs.”
They each found a quiet place to make some calls. Alden called Pinkel. He wanted to set up a call between Pinkel’s agent, John Caponigro, and university counsel Bunky Wright. It was time to talk numbers. At 5:40 in the evening, Alden called Wallace in Columbia. He recommended they offer Pinkel the job. Wallace gave his OK.
Five minutes later, Alden dialed Pinkel. He chose his words carefully.
“We’re not offering you this job, but if it is offered, would you accept?” Alden asked.
Pinkel wanted more clarity.
“It was definitely tense,” Bjork said. “It was one of those things where you don’t want to get turned down. … And Pinkel being such a straightforward guy, he was like, ‘What the heck? Am I the guy or not? Just offer me the job. If I’m not the guy then don’t offer me the job.’”
It took a few more phone calls before the tension simmered. Finally, Alden offered — and got his answer.
Pinkel was in. They introduced him on campus the next afternoon with a five-year contract worth $900,000 a year.
After calling the other candidates, the three-man crew celebrated the end of their chase with steaks and Cohiba cigars at Smith & Wollensky overlooking the Chicago River.
That night, Alden circled back to Venables. He was young and the timing wasn’t right, but he wanted to keep an eye on the rising assistant. You never know when you’ll need another list. (Venables, now 51, is in his first year as Oklahoma’s head coach.)
When the Tigers slogged through a 5-6 season in 2004, Pinkel’s third losing record in four years, Alden insisted he never put together a new list of potential candidates. Why not?
“We’ve got to ride this horse for a while,” he recalled thinking, “because Mizzou is where Mizzou is today because that’s what Mizzou has always done: They turn around and they fire football coaches and they fire athletic directors. We’ve got to ride this horse.”
They rode together through nine bowl games over the next 10 years, out of the Big 12 and into the Southeastern Conference and, now, on to Las Vegas.