All Pollard's "Rhoads" to a New Head Football Coach Lead to Paul

Paul Rhoades hire as ISU's new Head Football Coach is old news now.

Here's what I like about this guy:

• Seven years as Defensive Coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh. Paul was the only coach there to survive a coaching change which gives me a positive feeling about his commitment to a program.
• That time at Pitt should give him an inside edge in recruiting the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York. Cold weather states that routinely produce stellar football recruits. It'll be nice to have good football players that won't balk at playing in our climate: "Ten below zero? No problem, feels just like home."
• The passion he has demonstrated so far closely resembles that of Dan McCarney. Who, by the way, is laughing all the way to the bank this year after obtaining a national championship ring with the University of Florida. I don't think Coach Mac was truly finished at ISU when Pollard ran him off.

With the positives, come some questions:

• Will his time at Pitt help him bring in stellar recruits from the northeastern states?
• After only one season at Auburn, are his recruiting ties in the southeastern states strong enough to help bolster ISU's moribund football program?
• Will his passion translate to retaining Chizik's recruits?

Only time can answer these questions, but I like his chances. One thing is for certain, as Coach Rhoades' success at ISU goes, so goes Pollard's standing as AD. Jamie Pollard and Paul Rhoades are attached at the hip so to speak. Let's hope this hire turns out the way we want it to.