Hour 3 – Curt Cignetti Isn’t Going Anywhere, Tony Dungy

Summary

The Dan Patrick Show – Hour 3

Episode Title: Curt Cignetti Isn’t Going Anywhere, Tony Dungy
Date: January 7, 2026
Host: Dan Patrick with the Danettes (Seaton, Paulie, Marvin, Todd)
Guests: Tony Dungy (NFL Hall of Famer & NBC Analyst)
Notable Topics: College football coaching carousel, transfer portal chaos, NFL coaching firings, quarterback pressure, Tony Dungy’s insights

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Overview

The third hour of this Dan Patrick Show episode dives deep into seismic changes shaking up both college football and the NFL coaching landscape. With Dan and the Danettes riffing on college coaches’ job security, NIL complications, and quarterback transfers, the hour is highlighted by a candid, wide-ranging conversation with Hall of Famer Tony Dungy about the firing of John Harbaugh, the volatility of NFL head coaching jobs, and the immense pressure facing QBs and coaches in the playoffs.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Changing Value of College Coaching Jobs

(00:35 - 05:19)

• Dan discusses the rumor of Curt Cignetti being a possible NFL target (Las Vegas Raiders), alongside his quarterback Fernando Mendoza in a “package deal.”

• The crew marvels at the idea that staying at Indiana University could now be more attractive — and lucrative — than jumping to the NFL.

• “The fact that the head coach at Indiana football is going to be the highest paid coach in America is remarkable... That’s wild.” (Dan Patrick, 04:36)

• Paulie lists past college coaches who tried their hand in the NFL, noting how rare it is for top college coaches to resist the pros (Pete Carroll, Jim Harbaugh, Nick Saban, etc.).

• “Modern day coach is moving… Eventually, if he takes an NFL job… it feels like that's inevitable now.” (Dan Patrick, 03:30)

Memorable Quote:

“Why would you leave and forego eligibility in college football and go to the pros when you’re not a surefire first round pick?” (Marvin, 05:55)

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2. Quarterback Carousel & NFL Draft Decisions

(05:19 - 07:32)

• Breaking news: Ty Simpson (Alabama QB) going pro, despite not being a top draft pick.
• Marv and Dan puzzle over why QBs aren’t utilizing the transfer portal to boost their value or NIL earnings, rather than declare for the draft prematurely.
• Concerns about this year’s thin QB draft—“somebody has to be the third quarterback taken this year” (Paulie, 06:28)

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3. Transfer Portal, NIL, and College Football’s Legal Gray Zones

(07:32 - 12:18; Revisited at 19:03)

• Demond Williams Jr. (Washington QB) signs a contract to stay—then enters the transfer portal days later. Now, Washington is exploring legal action to enforce the deal (value: over $5 million).
• Paulie’s contact at On3Sports suggests these “contracts” may not begin until the portal closes, allowing wiggle room amid portal chaos.
• The Danettes lampoon the hypocrisy of outrage over players breaking contracts when schools do it all the time.
  • Quote: “We’re breaking contracts at the highest of levels in college athletics.” (Dan Patrick, 12:12)
• Satirical segment on portal dates (the “Portal Potty,” 12:23), underlying how convoluted and fluid the transfer process has become.

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4. Fashion Break: Dan’s “Burnt Orange” Top

(13:11 - 16:10)

• Lighthearted banter about Dan’s shirt color—suggesting “burnt orange,” “caliente,” “sienna,” or even “fall leaf.” The crew compares it to Texas Longhorns colors.
  • Quote: “If you were in the stands at a game, you would fit right in… You would be a Longhorn.” (Seaton, 14:06)

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5. Meaningless Bets & Show Jests

(16:10 - 17:30)

• The Danettes joke about previous bets, pie-to-the-face punishments, “dad jeans,” and prophesying Arch Manning’s Heisman future.

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6. Tony Dungy Joins: NFL Coaching Turmoil & Playoff Pressure

Interview Begins ~19:14

On the John Harbaugh Firing

(20:13 - 22:53)

• Tony Dungy expresses bewilderment at the Baltimore Ravens firing John Harbaugh after a sustained run of success:

  • “You look at the stats and what they’ve done… Why are you in trouble? …Hope they get a better coach than John Harbaugh. I’m not sure they will.” (Tony Dungy, 21:08)

• Dungy reflects on his own firing in Tampa after repeated playoff trips, noting sometimes teams want “a change for change’s sake.”

Where Next for Harbaugh?

(22:53 - 24:28)

• Dungy highlights Atlanta as an attractive destination for Harbaugh: good core, winnable division, strong defense.
• John Harbaugh advised to avoid the New York Giants due to “drama” and difficult press.

Strength of NFL Organizations

(24:28 - 27:20)

• Dungy extols the Steelers’ continuity, recalling his powerful sit-down with Art Rooney.

• Warns about volatile situations: “The Browns would make me nervous… that’s a dicey threesome there” (ownership, GM, QB uncertainty).

• Dan points out owners often meddle without football acumen; Dungy agrees, saying organizational vision is key.

  “Owners have to have a sense of what they’re looking for… It’s more than just money… What do you want?” (Tony Dungy, 26:30)

QBs & Coaches Under Playoff Pressure

(27:20 - 29:36)

• AFC: Josh Allen and Justin Herbert pegged as QBs under highest pressure.

  • “You’ve been Superman in the past. We need Superman again.” (Dungy on Allen, 27:44)

• NFC: Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold mentioned, with Dan highlighting Trevor Lawrence’s expectations.

• Coaches: Mike Tomlin tops the pressure list, mainly due to “narrative” and restless fanbase.

  “If they lose, it’ll be, ‘Oh, it’s the same narrative: we’re not very good… you lost another playoff game.’” (Tony Dungy, 29:03)

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7. Listener Calls & Final Hot Takes

(30:14 - 41:39)

• Callers offer speculation on John Harbaugh’s future, coaching “best years,” Lane Kiffin’s contract success, and contemplate “fall leaf” as the name for Dan’s shirt color.
• The Danettes jokingly discuss QBs, Kirk Cousins’ future, and over-involved owners.
• Paulie shares sports trivia about the Harlem Globetrotters’ origins.

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8. Rapid Fire: Super Bowl MVP Odds and Playoff Lines

(35:31 - 37:46)

• Dan shares DraftKings’ early Super Bowl MVP odds:
  • Sam Darnold and Matthew Stafford top the betting charts.
  • “If I would have said to you back in August… Sam Darnold has the best odds to be the Super Bowl MVP!” (Dan Patrick, 36:44)
• Line shifts for playoff games and speculation about coach firings if teams lose.

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Notable Quotes (with timestamps)

• “The fact that the head coach at Indiana football is going to be the highest paid coach in America is remarkable... That’s wild.”
  — Dan Patrick (04:36)

• “Why would you leave and forego eligibility in college football and go to the pros when you’re not a surefire first round pick?”
  — Marvin (05:55)

• “We’re breaking contracts at the highest of levels in college athletics.”
  — Dan Patrick (12:12)

• “You look at the stats and what they’ve done… Why are you in trouble? …Hope they get a better coach than John Harbaugh. I’m not sure they will.”
  — Tony Dungy (21:08)

• “If you were in the stands at a game, you would fit right in… You would be a Longhorn.”
  — Seaton (14:06)

• “Owners have to have a sense of what they’re looking for… It’s more than just money… What do you want?”
  — Tony Dungy (26:30)

• “If they lose, it’ll be, ‘Oh, it’s the same narrative: we’re not very good… you lost another playoff game.’”
  — Tony Dungy (29:03)

• “If I would have said to you back in August… Sam Darnold has the best odds to be the Super Bowl MVP!”
  — Dan Patrick (36:44)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Segment / Topic | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------| | 00:35 | Curt Cignetti’s NFL prospects, college coach pay | | 05:19 | Ty Simpson goes pro, QB draft speculation | | 07:32 | NIL, Transfer Portal, Demond Williams contract | | 13:11 | Dan’s “burnt orange” shirt debate | | 19:03 | Williams update, intro Tony Dungy | | 20:13 | Dungy on John Harbaugh firing | | 22:53 | Harbaugh’s next job speculation (Atlanta, Giants)| | 24:28 | Organizational stability: Steelers, Browns, Raiders| | 27:20 | Playoff pressure: QBs & coaches | | 30:14 | Listener calls: Harbaugh, coach speculation | | 35:31 | Super Bowl MVP odds, playoff point spreads | | 41:39 | Harlem Globetrotters trivia, show wrap |

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Conclusion

This episode captures the chaotic inflection point in both college and NFL football, with candid talk about the instability of coaching jobs, the wild west of NIL and transfer rules, and the mounting pressure on top quarterbacks. Tony Dungy’s measured, old-school perspective offers a rare steadiness amid the sport’s “change-for-change's-sake” mentality. Interspersed, the show maintains its trademark locker-room banter and humor—from shirt color debates to roastings of fellow Danettes—providing an engaging listen even for casual sports fans.

Transcript

[Caller]

This is an iHeart podcast, Guaranteed Human.

[Jonas Knox]

This is Jonas Knox from Two Pros and a Cup of Joe. And are you ready to tackle your financial goals but don't know where to start? Webull makes it simple to start investing now, no matter your experience. Powerful tools, real time data, all in one platform built for you. Don't sit on the sidelines. Visit webull.com or download the app and start with as little as $1 today. That's webull.com Webull Financial LLC member SIPC FINRA investing involves risk. For more visit webull.com disclosures.

[Dan Patrick]

You are listening to the Dan Patrick show on Fox Sports Radio. Final hour in this Wednesday Dan and the Dan at Stan Patrick Show. Tony Dungy will stop by in about 20 minutes from now. Stat of the Day brought to you by Panini America. The official trading cards of the Dan Patrick Show. 877 3DP show operator Tyler sitting by. We'll change up the poll question for the final hour of the program. We were just talking before I came back on the air and we were talking about the story we had yesterday and it's not a story. It was Mike Tannenbaum, former general manager for a couple of teams in the NFL, works for the mothership and he brought up the package deal. What about if you're the Raiders, do you reach out to Kurt Signetti and say, how about a package deal with you and Fernando Mendoza with the Raiders? And I thought, boy, that seems wild. But then Seaton just said to me, you know what's wild? The fact that we're saying you'd rather stay at Indiana than go to the NFL. Now this is historically, because if I would have said to you two years ago, Kurt Signetti is going to get a chance to go to the Raiders to coach his quarterback or stay at Indiana, you would probably say what everybody would say, well, of course he's going.

[Seaton]

To take that better job right now.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, I would say Indiana is a better job than the Raiders. It's better paying and you got your quarterback. You're going to be playing perhaps for a national championship. And the windfall that comes with that, you're going to be the highest paid coach in college football, the Raiders. That's at least a three or four year rebuild. Yeah, I think might be helping Kurt.

[Seaton]

Signetti, too is that he actually looks like a basketball coach but is a football coach at a basketball school. So I think people are a little confused. Like, no, that guy's got to be a basketball coach.

[Marvin]

Right?

[Dan Patrick]

A football.

[Seaton]

He looks just Like a basketball coach.

[Dan Patrick]

Yes, Paul.

[Paulie]

And the other thing, if you look back at it, most successful college coaches do try the pros. Pete Carroll, Jim Harbaugh, Nick Saban, Steve Spurrier, Chip Kelly, Bill o', Brien, Matt Rule, Dennis Erickson, Jimmie Johnson. I can't find one that stayed like Kirk Ference. I don't know if he was in play for the NFL, but the only.

[Dan Patrick]

Name that pops in my head, his name came up. But that was years and years ago. But he was staying at Iowa and has been at Iowa. I don't know if Joe Paterno entertained the NFL. He probably did, but I don't know if it was Washington maybe, but it felt like there might have been a moment where he considered leaving Penn State. But you're right, the modern day coach is moving and it feels like the opportunity to go, you know, I, I feel like Notre Dame will lose its coach. It feels eventually if he takes an NFL job. It feels like that's inevitable now. Does Lane Kiffin, when he's done at lsu, want to go back into the NFL? I, I wouldn't put it past him, but I'm trying to think of these other coach. James Franklin is at Virginia Tech. He's not going into the NFL, but it feels like Marcus Freeman will get that opportunity. There were feelers. This was back in, I think late November, early December. It felt like that the Giants were kicking the tires. Feels like that he would get that opportunity. Lincoln Riley, I don't know if he's going to end up in the NFL. I remember talking to him when he was at Oklahoma, talking to him about the Dallas Cowboy job and I think there was interest there. He obviously stated Oklahoma, then went to usc. I don't know if he's any closer to the NFL, feels like he's closer to another job in college. But you know, you start to look at these marquee coaches and you say, who's like Dan Lanning? Does he want to coach in the NFL? He could get an opportunity if he wanted to. So you start to look at these programs and you say who's going to coach? Who wants to make that leap? And if you get that opportunity, do you want to leave? College football is far more complicated than it's ever been. But the money is equal, if not better than the NFL in a lot of these situations. The fact that the head coach at Indiana football is going to be the highest paid coach in America is remarkable. He's two weeks away from surpassing Kirby Smart as the highest paid coach in college football. That's wild. Yes. Paulie.

[Paulie]

A little breaking college football news.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, no.

[Paulie]

You want a quiz?

[Dan Patrick]

Sure.

[Paulie]

Blank has informed Blank of his intention to turn pro. According to ESPN quarterback Dante Moore, Ty Simpson of Alabama is going pro.

[Rob Parker]

No.

[Paulie]

Yes.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, no. Yeah. Yes.

[Todd]

Todd, strike while the iron's hot. 38, 3 loss.

[Dan Patrick]

Let's go. And he got a cracked rib. Got maybe benched. Oh, boy.

[Todd]

Perfect timing.

[Paulie]

Gotta take a pay cut.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, but. Okay. Yes. Yes.

[Marvin]

Marv, I thought we would never see anything like this again, especially with nil because you can transfer somewhere else if, if you're not a top five NFL pick. Why would you leave and forego eligibility in college football and go to the pros when you're not a surefire first round pick?

[Dan Patrick]

Why not go to Miami and take over for Carson back? You know, like, I don't, I don't get that. He did show signs. I thought he at times looked really smooth, really good. And man, he, it feels like he could use another year. Yeah.

[Paulie]

Paulie, however, somebody has to be the third quarterback taken this year.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, but you have the former quarterback at Alabama who said he probably thinks he's a fifth to sixth or seventh round pick. So I'm, I'm going by somebody who played the position at Alabama, went into the NFL and McCarron says he needs to come now. He might be saying for selfish reasons, hey, come back to Alabama, his alma mater. But man, oh man.

[Paulie]

But when teams are starved for quarterbacks, the top three teams need quarterbacks. Not that he's going to go three. Ty Simpson may say, hey, if I could be the 22nd pick of the draft, like you said, I go to a better team first, first round pick.

[Dan Patrick]

I don't see him as a first round pick. I just don't.

[Marvin]

Yeah, more not the same apples and oranges. Possibly, but this might be a Shador Sanders type situation because everybody thought he was a first. First round pick going into the draft. And then we're sitting there going round three, round four, round five, where's Ty Simpson going to go?

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, it feels. Well, I think people, they misread Shador Sanders abilities. And because of the name. Once again, if I take away the name, Mel Kuiper is not throwing a fit. He's just not. This had a lot to do with the name. If I take that away and I say judge that guy right now, judge that season with the Cleveland Browns and if you're truly honest, you'd say that guy did not have a good year and is probably not a starting quarterback. If you're honest. You would say that people aren't honest because they know that that story, they want to keep it alive. It's really, really important. And if Shador was Tommy Smith, no one would care. They'd be like, what are the Brown. Of course they're going to move on from those quarterbacks, but nobody's willing to say that. You know, there's a lot of people who are in Dion's camp and you know, they want to have the carry the flag, carry the torch for. But Shador has to eventually show that he can play at a consistent level and be a threat and be really good for that team week in and week out. Not pockets where you go, man. Look at that pass. Okay. Oh, he led that comeback. Yes, that's the position. But you know, he fell to the fifth round, but he fell because of variety of reasons. But he stayed in the news because of his name. This is story getting a lot of attention. Washington quarterback Desmond Williams Jr. On Tuesday said that he was entering the transfer portal. This is just days after agreeing to a contract to stay with the huskies for the 2026 season. He says I have to do what's best for me and my future. He signed a contract with sources telling ESPN's Pete Thamel the deal was near the top of the market. Now the market is over $5 million. Sources told Thamill that Washington is prepared to pursue all legal avenues to enforce the signed contract. In addition, the situation has drawn the attention of the Big Ten, the conference very vocal in Xavier Lucas's controversial transfer from Wisconsin to Miami last year, supporting the Badgers in trying to enforce the defensive backs contract man. Williams is a sophomore, completed just under 70% of his passes, 25 touchdowns, eight interceptions. Also rushed for 600 yards and six touchdowns. I don't know how enforceable these contracts are. I don't know what the language is. But do you want somebody who doesn't want to stay? We're going to make you stay and be our quarterback. Yes. Todd.

[Todd]

Yeah, I was going to say the same exact thing. On the surface it looks terrible. It's a bad look for this player to say and sign something that I'm going to stay. But if he's changed his mind, even though you may have a legal leg to stand on as a school who wants someone that's got one foot out the door isn't all in on your program.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah.

[Paulie]

Paulie, a guy I know at On3Sports emailed me and said what the possibility is here is you sign a contract of what your Next year is going to be at that school, but it doesn't really start until the portal closes. That's what he speculates could be going on here. But he also said it's a case by case basis.

[Dan Patrick]

The loophole is, could be that the.

[Paulie]

Portal still open and he may have signed a contract with a school about what he's going to do next at that school. But since the portal is still open, does he have wiggle room to redeclare before the contract starts?

[Dan Patrick]

When does the portal close?

[Paulie]

Check.

[Dan Patrick]

All right. Yes.

[Seaton]

The idea of people getting upset that the players are. Wait a minute, they're getting paid millions, millions of dollars, and now they can break their contracts early. That this is ridiculous.

[Dan Patrick]

Enough.

[Seaton]

Ever happens enough in college football?

[Dan Patrick]

I mean, what's next? Yeah. Never happened with coaches.

[Seaton]

Yeah, it happens with the broadcast rights. It happens with the coaches. It happens with your. What conference you're in. It happens. It's constantly huge contracts for millions of dollars that then we just break whenever we want.

[Dan Patrick]

Well, go back to when I told America that they were going to move up the playoffs, and people were like, you're. You don't know what you're talking about. Stay in your lane. They got contracts. I said, they're going to break the contract.

[Seaton]

Well, first of all, they have contracts.

[Dan Patrick]

So they can't do that. Yeah, yeah. Okay. Never heard from those people that say, oh, you know what? You were right with your source on that.

[Seaton]

The next time you heard from them, they were breaking that same story three months later.

[Dan Patrick]

So, yeah, so we're breaking contracts at the highest of levels in college athletics.

[Seaton]

The players are doing it. That's enough. I'm done with this game.

[Dan Patrick]

Yes. Paulie.

[Paulie]

Dan, The Portal Potty January 2nd to January 16th is a portal.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, okay.

[Paulie]

So it ends January 16th, unless you're in the college football playoffs. Then there is another portal. January 20th through 24th. That's the portal for teams in the national title game. The little Porta Potty.

[Dan Patrick]

Brought to you by Dude Wipes. Oh, we say good morning if you're watching on Peacock. By the way, people are trying to figure out what color of top that I have on today. I came in, of course, Paulie being the fashion police, he's like, what color is that? And Marvin, I think you gave burnt orange. This has a Texas longhorn hue to it. Is the longhorn. Where is that Texas helmet? Is it over by the morning meeting?

[Paulie]

That's noticeably deeper, I think.

[Dan Patrick]

Noticeably deep. Is it over there, Marvin?

[Marvin]

Yeah, I'm going to check right now. We're going to check.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay. Yeah, I have our cameraman. Get our best people on it.

[Paulie]

Some people said Caliente would be the color.

[Dan Patrick]

Caliente, Frank. Caliente.

[Paulie]

Spicy.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah. Okay.

[Marvin]

Like a Sienna.

[Dan Patrick]

Sienna Miller. Okay, now we're talking. Yeah. Can we bring the helmet over?

[Todd]

Who?

[Dan Patrick]

And I'm going to put it up against my. My. My top. Is this a top? I think I just said I had a top on. There we go. A full service cameraman. He's bringing over. Give it to Todd. Bring it in.

[Paulie]

Well, it's pretty close.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah. All right, let's see. This is great for radio, by the way. All right.

[Rob Parker]

All right.

[Dan Patrick]

So I got the Texas Longhorns. No, I don't think so. I guess close.

[Seaton]

If you were in the stands at a game, you would fit right in.

[Dan Patrick]

That is, I would be a Longhorn fan.

[Seaton]

You would be a Longhorn.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay.

[Seaton]

No one would confuse what team you're rooting for.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah. But I don't know. What do you. Corduroy. We okay with it? No.

[Paulie]

Trying to find a college football team. It's not the Oklahoma Red.

[Dan Patrick]

It's.

[Paulie]

It's different than that. It's more orangey.

[Dan Patrick]

Yes. Yes. Marvin.

[Marvin]

Yeah. I meant to compliment you by saying you look nice, but I said, where are you going?

[Dan Patrick]

I know you did.

[Marvin]

Yes. In my family, it's very much. When somebody looks nice, somebody comes down. Where are you going?

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, sorry.

[Marvin]

You look nice.

[Dan Patrick]

I like that.

[Marvin]

From Facebook.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah. Yes, it is. Yes, it is, man. I'm dangerous on Facebook. Yes.

[Todd]

Todd, we all know I'm no fashion plate, but I'm thinking quarter wrong. Does that mean. I thought that was kind of funny. That color is quarter wrong as opposed to corduroy.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh.

[Paulie]

Oh, got it now.

[Marvin]

No.

[Todd]

You're not feeling that? Are you insulted? Are you upset? It's just not funny. It's not clever. You're just feeling bad now.

[Dan Patrick]

Correct. All the above. Corduroy.

[Seaton]

Vay.

[Dan Patrick]

Roy on.

[Seaton]

I used to hate wearing corduroys in school because you walk down the hall and it. I don't know why those kinds of things. As a kid, I would be like, oh, everyone can hear me walking down the hall. What's the big deal?

[Todd]

You asked Todd the place that sold jeans. I may have told this story, but humor me. That's in the neighborhood. There was a slim side and there was husky. And then there's girls from their class, you know, that are also shopping there with their parents. And you're either the slim section or husky is what they called it.

[Dan Patrick]

Was there a next Level, thank goodness.

[Todd]

No, but I was certainly on the husky side with a little drape while you're trying to change where they can see right through you there.

[Dan Patrick]

So you were the Yukon Husky? I was, yeah. I gotta go Husky. You are the Yukon.

[Todd]

Get my husky Alessios and my Jordache and my tailboy.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, man, I haven't worn jeans in years.

[Jonas Knox]

Years?

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, years. I remember. Remember Billy Bush, the announcer?

[Todd]

The.

[Paulie]

Yeah, the host?

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, He. He accused me of having dad jeans on and I was like, oh, all right. So I had dad jeans on and then I don't know if I wore jeans after that. So, Billy Bushes, why are you letting.

[Seaton]

Billy Bush tell you what to do?

[Dan Patrick]

Billy Bush, he was. Yeah, he was kind of bossing me around a little bit.

[Paulie]

Put some jeans back on.

[Dan Patrick]

I don't know. I don't think America needs to see that.

[Seaton]

Okay, next bet. Loser has to wear dad jeans.

[Dan Patrick]

Paulie still owes us a pie to the face for the Arch Manning is going to breeze his way.

[Paulie]

I don't even know what the bet was. I said, I just.

[Dan Patrick]

I said I guaranteed he'd be the Heisman Trophy winner.

[Paulie]

I don't know what I put up, though.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, but you can't just say I'm going to bet a week's pay or something. Because that's meaningless. Because you're not giving a week's pay.

[Seaton]

We do have meaningless bets like that all the time, though.

[Dan Patrick]

No, no, because I. Arch Manning hall.

[Seaton]

Of Fame bet, huh?

[Dan Patrick]

Like, no, because that's when I have to call you on it because I said, that's not good radio. If you say, man, I'm. I'm going to guarantee this. Okay, what are you guaranteeing? You know what? I'm going to get the back room guys to check.

[Paulie]

I'm sticking by my prediction though, that.

[Dan Patrick]

He'S winning the Heisman this year.

[Paulie]

Could be a recount.

[Dan Patrick]

Did he have better numbers than Fernando Mendoza? All right, we'll talk to Tony Dungy. He'll join us next year in the Dan Patrick Show. Be sure to catch the live edition of the Dan Patrick show. Weekdays at 9am Eastern, 6am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio in the iHeartRadio app.

[Rob Parker]

Hey, it's Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington from the Odd Couple on Fox Sports Radio.

[Dan Patrick]

And in addition to hearing us live weeknights from 7 to 10pm Eastern on Fox Sports Radio, we are excited to announce brand new YouTube channel for the show.

[Rob Parker]

That's right.

[Dan Patrick]

You can now watch the Odd couple live on YouTube every day. All you got to do search Odd Couple FSR on YouTube again YouTube just search Odd Couple FSR. Check us out on YouTube and subscribe.

[Jonas Knox]

This is Jonas Knox from Two Pros and a Cup of Joe and Are you ready to tackle your financial goals? Kick off your journey with WE Bull who makes it simple to start investing powerful tools, next level data and and an easy to use platform for stocks, ETFs, prediction markets and more. Whether you're on the go or trading overnight, We Bull is built for you and your schedule. Don't sit on the sidelines, visit webull.com or download the app and take control of your financial future today. Start with just $1. That's webull.com We Bull Financial LLC member SIPC FINRA investing involves risk. For more information, visit webull.com disclosures we.

[Dan Patrick]

Were just talking about the Washington quarterback, Demond Williams Jr. I might have called him Desmond Demond Williams Jr. And he signed a contract to stay at Washington. Very, very good quarterback and then decided that he was going to be in the transfer portal. I just heard from a source that it's really impractical to get him to go back to Washington. This is what college football is trying to do. They want to establish an enforceable clawback provision. They want to recover portion of the money received to date or maybe punish the school that is going to take him in the transfer portal. But that is an update on that situation where he signed a contract in the TR then went into the transfer portal and looks like he is long gone from the University of Washington. Tony Dungey, hall of Famer he'll be the they're working Sunday night Chargers Patriots AFC wild card game for NBC and Peacock. Kickoff at 8 Eastern. Tone, good to talk to you again. I saw where the John Harbaugh situation really bothered you. Why?

[Rob Parker]

Well, we were at the game, Dan, covering the game, Pittsburgh and Baltimore and leading up to it, all we're hearing is whichever coach is loses the game is in trouble. And I'm thinking, here's a guy who's been there 19 years, another guy's been there 18 years, they've been to Super Bowls, they've been in the playoffs. Why are you in trouble? Well, I interviewed Mike Tomlin Saturday. I'm in Art Rooney's office and I sit for 30 minutes with Art Rooney and I come to the conclusion Mike Tomlin is not in trouble. I just, I sense that from talking to Art. Well, Baltimore loses the game, their kicker misses the kick. Otherwise they'd be hosting a home playoff game and John Harbaugh Gets fired. And you look at the stats and what they've done, winning 12 games, 13 games in the last three years, going to the playoffs, I just don't understand. I get it. It's happened. It happened to me. We won. We went to the playoffs three times and I got fired.

[Dan Patrick]

That. That's life.

[Rob Parker]

But I don't know what these owners are thinking sometimes. Hopefully they get a better coach than John Harbaugh. I'm not sure they will.

[Dan Patrick]

Well, that's just it. It feels like the fans want change. But then who are you bringing in? Who's better than Mike Tomlin or better than John Harbaugh? But do you sometimes need a change just for change sake? Because it's been the same thing 18 years, 19 years.

[Rob Parker]

I don't believe in that. I think if you're an owner, and maybe that's what happened, maybe Steve Bassotti says, I looked at this, it's not going in the direction I want and I've got to change. And that's his prerogative. That's good. But hopefully you're not changing as a reaction to the fans or our fan base is upset or our locker rooms upset because we lost this game. Hopefully it is a well thought out decision. And sometimes it works out great. The Bucks fired me. They went to the Super Bowl. The next year, I went to the super bowl in India in appalis. So sometimes it works out well.

[Dan Patrick]

Why were you fired?

[Rob Parker]

I was fired because they didn't think we. They didn't like our offensive style and. And they didn't think I was a guy who could take it to the next level. When I got there, we'd had 13 straight losing seasons. We win, we go to the playoffs. Four years out of six, we're, you know, two minutes from a Super Bowl. But they didn't think I could take it to the next level. And that's fine. That's their prerogative. John Gruden. And that's what I. I will say this about Baltimore. If you're Steve Bashada, you better get a guy who's ready to take this roster that's set up to win and win now. Don't train a coach for five years from now and all of that. You better get somebody who can do it for you right now.

[Dan Patrick]

What's the right fit for John Harbaugh?

[Rob Parker]

You know, we were talking about that on our NBC podcast. I look at Atlanta right now, and you've got a couple of quarterbacks there. You've got, I think, the best running back in football. You drafted some young defensive players that amped that defense up. It's not a great division and you won. You beat all the people in your division the last couple of weeks. You came on in December. I think that could be a very, very attractive spot.

[Dan Patrick]

Could you pass on the Giants if you're John Harbaugh?

[Rob Parker]

I don't know about John. I would pass on the Giants because I don't want that New York drama. I could do a lot of things and coach a lot of other places besides have to have those press conferences. I've seen Aaron Glenn, I've seen Brian Dabel and those Monday press conferences in New York. I don't know if I would want that.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay, so Atlanta you like a lot. Yes. What other position?

[Rob Parker]

There's a couple of teams there. You know, you have to look at the Giants. You got a young quarterback there who looks like the quarterback of the future. The Titans look like they've drafted their quarterback of the future. It's not a great division either. I would be worried about, you know, what's really going on in the front office and Nashville and are they going to give me a chance to succeed. You had a pretty good coach in Mike Vrabel and you let him go. I think he's a pretty good coach. So that. That might worry me a little bit. But, you know, any place. When I went to Tampa, they told me not to go to Tampa. It's a death knell for coaches. Don't go. So you just got to get comfortable with the organization there, with the people that are going to be your bosses and make it work.

[Dan Patrick]

And the Brown situation would make me nervous that you've kept your gm. I don't trust the owner. You don't have a quarterback.

[Rob Parker]

That's. That's a pretty dicey threesome there. Yeah, you. And although we're getting that way with a lot of these franchises, then you look at the Raiders. I saw a thing that they're paying all these coaches 70, $80 million. They've had different coach every year. What's the game plan? When are you going to say, this is my guy and I'm going to stick with it? That's. It was so refreshing to be in Art Rooney's office and I told him about how his grandfather impacted me and Chuck Noel. And, you know, he's sitting there and they've had three coaches in 60 years. And, you know, this is how we do it. We pick a guy, we support him, we stand behind him. And it just doesn't seem like we're getting that now.

[Dan Patrick]

I've brought this up many times that if I was taking a job, I want to know how involved my owner is going to be because they, they built their money to buy this team, but they didn't build it by being a football guy. And sometimes you come into those situations and, and look, I know Jerry Jones played college football at a high level at Arkansas, but most of these owners didn't play, they're not football guys. And being able to delegate is really important. And I think it's hard for these billionaires to do that.

[Rob Parker]

Yeah, and the other thing is you have to have a sense of what the owner is looking for. I can remember talking to Dan Rooney and he told me, you know, his blueprint. We're in Pittsburgh, it's cold weather, it's blue collar. So I want a defensive coach. That's how we're going to build it. I want a young guy because I don't want to do this every four or five years. And I want a teacher and a communicator because that's how I learned. So that was his blueprint. Give me a young, good, communicating defensive coach. So 1969, he hires Chuck Noel as a 30 year old, something that nobody had ever heard of. And then 23 years later he hires Bill Cower and then 16 years after that he hires Mike Tomlin. All this that he knew what he was looking for. I talked to owners now and some they'll ask me, well, who's good out there? What are you looking for? I don't know, just tell me who's good. No, that's not it. What do you want? And I remember my conversation with Jim Ursic. Hey, we've got a young offense, it's in place. I want you to come here, get our defense going. I also like the way you connect with the fans and the fan base. We haven't been here that long. We need to connect with Indianapolis. That's what I'm looking for. In 15 minutes, he had sold me on what we're going to do because I believe what he wanted, that I could deliver that for him. It's more than just money. It's more than opportunity. It's more than, hey, you're a good play caller. What do you want?

[Dan Patrick]

Talking to Tony Dungey, hall of Famer. And you can watch Chargers Patriots in Foxborough Sunday night on NBC. And Peacock, they get their festivities started Football night America at 7:30 Eastern. Which quarterback's under the most pressure this weekend?

[Rob Parker]

Wow. Josh Allen for one. I, I Think you can look at and say, kansas City's not in. This is your year to go to the playoffs. You're going to be on the road, but we expect big things. You've been Superman in the past. We need Superman again. Justin Herbert in our game, his play great. He's played lights out. They don't have a very good offensive line in front of him. You're going to have to go on the road and try to win a game. Those two guys in the AFC for sure. On the NFC side of it, Matthew Stafford. You went to Carolina a month ago. We thought you had the best team in football. You turned the ball over three times. If you don't turn the ball over, everybody expects you to win this game, go into your playoff mode and produce.

[Dan Patrick]

Feels like Sam Darnold's going to be under pressure when this. When the Seahawks play, because we keep waiting. Yeah, we're waiting to see is this a different Sam Darnold. I think Trevor Lawrence being at home playing at a high level and we've bought into Trevor Lawrence and the Jags feels like there's a lot of pressure there as well. What about most pressure for a coach in the playoffs?

[Rob Parker]

Oh, I think right now. Mike Tomlin for sure. I mean, and not from his ownership, but from his fan base. Oh, we're tired of this nine and.

[Dan Patrick]

But can you imagine if they lose their. Their underdogs at home? Tony?

[Rob Parker]

Yes. And if they lose, it'll be, oh, it's the same narrative. We're not very good. Forget about last week, forget about this last month. You lost another playoff game. And I know his players don't want that. They want to win for him. I sense that the other. Most of these other teams, you got new coaches, new faces. Everybody's just excited and ramped up. Maybe Matt LaFleur. You've been in the playoffs a few times and you've had some upsets earlier on. But now where are we? Let's get this thing going.

[Dan Patrick]

Great to talk to you. Happy New Year. Great to see you again.

[Rob Parker]

Thank you, buddy. Always good to talk to you.

[Dan Patrick]

Tony Dungy, hall of Famer. And you can see the Patriots hosting the Chargers. That'll be Sunday Night Football night. America Lamont in Virginia. Lamont, thanks for holding. What's on your mind? Got a bad connection there. Is it our system here that we're having these phone calls that kind of are spotty? Yeah, Paul.

[Paulie]

But then some of our regulars, like Chris, just perfect. Sounds great.

[Dan Patrick]

Let's try Stephen Burbank. Hi, Steve.

[Caller]

How you doing? Long time listener, second time caller six one and a pickleball 198. I have a reliable source who has John Harbaugh going to the Chargers as the D coordinator on a brotherly discount.

[Dan Patrick]

Thank you, Steve. Well, if they lose, Jesse Minter. I don't. I don't know if John wants to be the D, the D.C. to his brother, maybe he could advise him in the playoffs. Yeah.

[Seaton]

Didn't Jesse mentor sound like a country artist?

[Dan Patrick]

Ladies and gentlemen, Jesse Minter.

[Seaton]

He's performing at whatever, American Music Awards and Jesse Minter.

[Paulie]

Totally.

[Dan Patrick]

Corey in Kansas City. Hi, Corey. What's on your mind today?

[Caller]

Hey, good morning, Mr. Patrick. Marvin Se. Wu Tang forever, guys. Second port side. Hey, you guys were just talking about college contracts, and I know you guys also discussed the who's had the best week in sports. I want to suggest who's had the best year start to sports, and that would be our guy, Lane Kiffin. With his contract and that money he's raking in with what Ole Miss is doing.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, yeah. As long as they win, he wins. I guess he's still loaning his coaches there. Everything's good for Lane Kiffin. Mark and Myrtle Beach. Hi, Mark. What's on your mind?

[Caller]

Hey, good morning, Dan. Dan. It's. I'm a first time, long time. 5, 9, 2, 15. Thanks, man. Dan, I just wanted to let the guys know you also that I think the shirt that you're wearing today is great. It looks very comfortable, and it's one of the shirts that you would put on or just wear around your place up in Maine, you know, during the weekend, relaxing. And I gave it a name. Fall Leaf.

[Dan Patrick]

Fall Leaf. Fall leaf. Foliage. Call it Foliage. Yes.

[Marvin]

Marvin, you kind of dress like a Texas booster.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay.

[Marvin]

Like you got the colors on.

[Dan Patrick]

All right.

[Marvin]

Okay. Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

Hey, don't do horns down. I'm gonna come over there. Yes, Todd.

[Todd]

I'm just listening along.

[Dan Patrick]

Thank you. Awesome. Yeah.

[Marvin]

11.

[Dan Patrick]

Todd's never @ a loss for words until he's at a loss for.

[Todd]

Words. I. I tend to lean into the microphone and it tricks.

[Dan Patrick]

You. I.

[Seaton]

Didn'T. I've been burning through a word count today. He's been on.

[Todd]

Fire. I didn't have my hand up, but I guess I leaned in such a way where you thought I was going to say.

[Dan Patrick]

Something. Yes, but I didn't know if you were trying to stay awake, keep your head up or something. I wasn't sure. Blake in Nebraska. Hi, Blake. What's on your mind.

[Caller]

Today? All right. 5, 8, 1, 7, 5. I'm just thinking if Matt Lewer loses this playoff game, do you think they fire him or we keeping.

[Dan Patrick]

Him? I don't know. I mean, that feels like a really bold move for the packers organization and I think he's got a contract extension that's been kind of looming. I don't, I mean, they, you have the injury to Michael Parsons. It felt like they were going to be more threatening and in their underdogs now in Chicago. It's not to say they can't win this thing. Of course they can. But yeah, I don't know of all of these coaches, like who is not, not as safe as you would think they are. You know, I think Sean McDermott's name comes up because everybody's going to say the same thing. This was your year. This was the that. You know it. You had your chance there. Now I don't think Buffalo is better than Jacksonville or Denver right now. I mean, they do have the best player, but that they're on the road. They're going to be on the road for the next couple of weeks if they win and that'll be tough sledding.

[Paulie]

Yeah. Paulie, Someone has to be responsible for Josh Allen not appearing in a Super Bowl. That's it. Yeah. And this is the opening of all.

[Dan Patrick]

Openings. Take a break. Last call for phone calls what we learn what's in store tomorrow after this. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our [e-mail] and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen.

[Jonas Knox]

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[Dan Patrick]

Last call for phone calls what we Learned what's in store tomorrow Jesse Palmer stops by. Ryan Fitzpatrick will do the same tomorrow. I have early Super Bowl MVP odds. Just got these from DraftKings. Early Super Bowl MVP odds. Sam Darnold is your favorite, followed by Matthew Stafford and then Bo Nix. Josh Allen Drake May, Jalen hurts, Trevor Lawrence, C.J. stroud, Jackson Smith, Jigba. Those are your early, early Super Bowl MVP odds. So Darnold and Matthew Stafford are very close. Plus 600. Plus 650. Then it drops down to plus 1100 for Bo Nix, Josh Allen and Drake May. Plus 1200. And then Jalen hurts. Plus 1500. Wow. If I would say, would have said to you back in August, I got the MVP odds for the Super Bowl. Really? Yeah. Sam Darnold has the best odds to be the super bowl mvp.

[Todd]

Yes. Todd, Where's Aaron Rodgers on that list? Does he even make the cut? How far down does that thing.

[Dan Patrick]

Go? I didn't make the list. So he's not in the top 10 on that. The point spreads. The Rams, it was nine and a half. Then it went to 10. Now it's 10 and a half. The packers, they were plus. Wait a minute, is this right now that the packers are the packers now favorites going into.

[Paulie]

Chicago? I have in a couple different places the packers giving one and a.

[Dan Patrick]

Half to the Bears because yesterday they were getting one and a.

[Paulie]

Half.

[Dan Patrick]

Yes. Dang. Make up your mind. The Bills are one and a half point favorites in Jacksonville. The Niners getting four and a half in Philly. Patriots are favored by three and a half over the Chargers. And the Texans are three point favorites in Pittsburgh. Randall in Oregon. Hi, Randall. What's on your.

[Caller]

Mind? Hey.

[Rob Parker]

Boys.

[Caller]

Hey. First time, long time. 1. 76 2. So I got a prediction here. Let's say that Philly loses first round, Pittsburgh loses first round. Ballman's out. Does Tom would go to Philadelphia? I mean, he doesn't have a long drive. He doesn't have to commute, doesn't have to really.

[Dan Patrick]

Move. I. I can't go that far. I mean, I was kind of joking that maybe Baltimore and Pittsburgh could exchange coaches and John Harbaugh could end up in Pittsburgh and Mike Tomlin in Baltimore. Tongue in cheek here. But if it feels like if Tomlin, if there's a mutual parting there in Pittsburgh, and it certainly sounded, you know, that if there's anything that happens, it would be a mutual parting. But the Steelers aren't prepared to let Mike Tomlin go. According to Tony Dungy, I see him taking time off to do some tv. I think that would be the next step. Lamont in Virginia. Let's try it.

[Caller]

Again. Hey fellas. How are you.

[Dan Patrick]

Today?

[Caller]

Great. All right, so I am a Ravens fan. True and blue. And let me your ears gentlemen, for just a second. Okay. Because I have a name that will go ahead and bring the Baltimore name back to Providence. We all know, all the Ravens fans know that when it came to being a Raven, it was all about defense. It's not about offense. Harbor did a great job offensively. He. He went ahead and managed our team.

[Dan Patrick]

Great. Do you want me to guess who. I think you're going to say it. All right, so you're going to bring. You want a defensive minded presence and this is a surprise, right? This would be a.

[Caller]

Surprise. This is going to be a surprise, and I assure you, you guys are not going to get it. Okay, let's hear.

[Rob Parker]

It. All.

[Dan Patrick]

Right. Is his smile too.

[Caller]

White?

[Dan Patrick]

No. Rex. Rex.

[Caller]

Ryan.

[Dan Patrick]

Yes. Yeah. Have you ever seen him smile?

[Caller]

I. Listen, listen, listen. I call it the grin. You know what I'm.

[Dan Patrick]

Saying? Well, he's got a grit. You know when you see somebody with their brights on. He's got his brights on all the time. Even during the day. If they had a bright off between him and Sao Palantonio, man, that might be a push, but. All right, Lamont. Rex Ryan to coach. I'm sure Rex thinks he could do it. I don't think that would happen, but. All right. Yeah. Great pipes there, Lamont. Eric. And in Atlanta. Hey, Eric, what's on your mind.

[Caller]

Today? Hey, Dan. So, lifelong Vikings fan here. Tortured. Just got a question. So word on the street down here is Kirk Cousins restructured his contract to take less.

[Dan Patrick]

Money.

[Caller]

Yeah. Are we going to see Kirk Cousins back in.

[Dan Patrick]

Minnesota? I think he's still your best option, but it feels like restructuring it allows him to go play someplace else. Or maybe you keep him for one more year. I didn't think he was bad. I mean, that's not what you want to say about your quarterback, but I. When they go five and three with him, they won these games at the end of the year. I just think he's still your best option there. I don't know if he ends up back with the Vikings, but it feels like there are more possibilities in play for Kirk D. Cousins. All right, Paulie, this day in.

[Paulie]

Sports history, you did the Tanya Harding. Nancy Kerrigan from yesterday. Tanya Harding on this day in 94, won the US Figure Skating Championship. And here's one. In 1927, the Harlem Globetrotters played their first game. Would anyone like to guess where that first game.

[Dan Patrick]

Was? Do we know.

[Paulie]

This? Yes, I know it, but I was surprised. It wasn't Harlem. They were never in Harlem. The Harlem Globetrotters are from the south side of Chicago and they tagged the name years, a couple years later and had no connection to.

[Dan Patrick]

Harlem. But they. So they played in.

[Paulie]

Illinois. Their first game was in Southern Illinois in Hinkley, Illinois, in a little.

[Dan Patrick]

Gym. Oh, that's it. Was that Abe.

[Paulie]

Sapperstein. He took over the team a couple years later and gave them the name the. They were the Globetrotters. He gave the name the Harlem Globetrotters with no.

[Dan Patrick]

Connection. Okay, let's see. Go around the room what we learned on the program. Todd, I'll start with you. What did you learn.

[Todd]

Today? Dan Orlofsky thinks the world of Sean McDermott. That being said, he believes he's coaching for his job against the.

[Dan Patrick]

Jags. Seaton, what did you learn.

[Seaton]

Today? Arch Manning, no doubt number one overall pick this.

[Dan Patrick]

Year. I know. Orlovsky, didn't you know? There was no kind of read between the lines. It's like he'd be the number one overall pick. Marvin, do you learn anything.

[Marvin]

Today? Yes. Don Shula was the head coach of the.

[Dan Patrick]

Colts. Yeah, before the Dolphins. Do you think there are people under the age of 30 you don't realize? Andy Reid, coach in Philadelphia. Paulie, what did you learn.

[Paulie]

Today? The portal is.

[Dan Patrick]

Murky. Todd, what did I.

[Todd]

Learn? Tony Dungy thinks Atlanta would be a very attractive landing spot for John Harbor. Tony wouldn't want the media drama coming with New York and the.

[Dan Patrick]

Giant. Our pleasure to serve you for Fritzy Seaton, Marv Poly, yours truly, and the BRGs. We'll talk to you tomorrow. Have a great.

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[Caller]

Apply. This is an iHeart.

[Dan Patrick]

Podcast. Guaranteed.