Alternate history: if Lavell had stayed a little longer

I notice JoePa is still around, at the age of 163, and Bowden finally got the boot last year at age 162. Got me thinking about what would have happened if Lavell had had just enough ego to stick around for a few more years...



2001. Probably would have lost one or more of those early high-risk/high reward games Crowton enthralled us with, but would have managed the Hawaii game better and probably won (it had been 1993 since anyone had scored more than the 40's on an Edwards team.) Still 12-2, everyone saying the old Lavell is back, let's ride the horse some more.



2002. Little more discipline, QB succession planning, game management, I think we could have won three more games that year (Nevada, UNM, Utah), finished 8-4, and lost a bowl game. Reasonable rebuilding year.



2003. Woulda beat Stanford and either UNM or Utah for a 6-6 record. Everyone remembers that Lavell hasn't had “it” for most of seven years. He retires, still without sinking to a losing record.



Replacement Head Coach? The administration would have leaned toward fresh meat but thought carefully of how successful an internal hire had been with Lavell. Order of offers would probably have been the same as it really turned out in 2005, mix of hot LDS defensive coordinators and local assistants. Crowton wouldn't be high in the picture after being booted off the Bears and struggling in 2003 in his second year with Oregon:



1.Kyle Whittingham (U)

2.Lance Reynolds (BYU)

3.Bronco Mendenhall (UNM)



Except in 2003 Kyle takes the job, because the U has just passed him over for Urban. [Would Lance have stayed on to work for Kyle?]



He's still BYU HC in 2010, with Sanford in the hot seat as HC at Utah and Bronco 3rd year HC at New Mexico.

Based on your speculation ...we'd still have our non-traditional uniforms and a Ute as HC. It's a good thing Edwards retired when he did.



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Ya if Kwhit was hired, none of those players would have been kicked off and BYU would have won dirty. Just like Utah and the BcS.

Interesting idea. Better check you facts. I'm pretty sure JoePa and Bobby Bowden are both over 200 years old



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Cougy_Monster wrote:
I love Lavell but in 2001 the Cougs would have lost 4 or 5 games running the same scheme as 2000. You can say what you want about Crowton, but 2001 was brilliant coaching.



I'm so glad Lavell left while still on top. Had he stayed I'm afraid he wouldn't have left under such good circumstances.

If Lavell wanted to leave on top, he should have quit after 1996. His last five teams were poor imitations of his former success. There was in-fighting among players and coaches, coaching decisions ranging from indecisive to poor. Recruiting was lazy and the program was heading in the wrong decision.



I agree with Cougy, if Lavell had stayed we wouldn't have won 12 games in 2001.

kitic77 wrote:

I love Lavell but in 2001 the Cougs would have lost 4 or 5 games running the same scheme as 2000. You can say what you want about Crowton, but 2001 was brilliant coaching.



I'm so glad Lavell left while still on top. Had he stayed I'm afraid he wouldn't have left under such good circumstances.

If Lavell wanted to leave on top, he should have quit after 1996. His last five teams were poor imitations of his former success. There was in-fighting among players and coaches, coaching decisions ranging from indecisive to poor. Recruiting was lazy and the program was heading in the wrong decision.



I agree with Cougy, if Lavell had stayed we wouldn't have won 12 games in 2001.

Basically exactly what I was going to say. LaVell stayed 3 or 4 years too many.

I also am willing to bet that the "Awesome" Crowton recruits that turned into HC-breaking duds wouldn't have come, and that right there changes everything over the last few years. Without the scandal, I don't think Bronco gets hired and we don't have the highs and lows we've seen over the last 10 years.



Can't say what our record would have been with completely different players.