Interesting Comments about the reality of Coaching

[Slaton10]

Found these comments interesting as many of the Mountaineer Faithful would like kicking Dana to the curb..and BTW with over a dozen openings right now this would NOT be the time for WV to even think about making a change...


Alabama coach Nick Saban: “I don't know what the world's coming to in our profession. Mark Richt has been a really good coach and a really positive person in our profession for a long, long time. … I hate to see people that have character and quality and ability to affect young people like Mark Richt not be part of our profession. … We all get it. We know we have to win games. But winning nine games is not bad.”

Florida coach Jim McElwain: The coaching profession “is getting worse and worse, yet we sign up for it and we all know going in. You look at it, you don't see the longevity of staffs that there was. That's societal, man. We get upset if we don't get our hamburger in the drive-thru line in 45 seconds. People expect it. That's just what it's become.”

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney: “When they're firing a coach like Mark Richt, that gives every coach out there perspective.”

Mark Richt's resume at Georgia...


Richt led the Bulldogs to a 145-51 record (83-37 SEC) in his 15 seasons in Athens and took Georgia to a bowl game every year since taking over in 2001.

He won six SEC East division titles (2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2012), two SEC Championships (2002, 2005) and was a two-time SEC Coach of the Year (2002, 2005) in his time at Georgia.

Needless to say he won't be on the street very long...but it does put things into perspective..is it fair or not? I don't know, with the money they are making I can understand the bar being set as high at is..but the reality is there are more programs today than there ever has been that have closed the gap between the have's and the have not's. For the perceived power programs to automatically pencil in 10 wins a season is out the door!..

 

[bbwvfan]

I find it interesting that boosters and school administrators want to hold head coaches to a different standard than in the past simply because they're making more money today.

Things change. College football has changed in regard to the money exchanging hands. But, why the double standard for college football head coaches? In professional sports, do we expect baseball hitters to be hitting more home runs, hitting for higher averages because they make $15 million/year? I mean… HOF players hit more HR's and had higher batting averages back in the day making much less.

PGA golfers can make more in one season, than some HOF golfers made in their career. No one challenges today's golfer and expects them to accomplish more because they're making more.

HC salaries have skyrocketed in college football. It is a new landscape. But, expecting to get more for your money is a joke. There is more parity in college football today than ever before. Recruiting rules and limits have been responsible for this.

If programs keep turning over HC's, it will have a negative impact. Boosters need to see the big picture…

 

[Slaton10]

I find it interesting that boosters and school administrators want to hold head coaches to a different standard than in the past simply because they're making more money today.

Things change. College football has changed in regard to the money exchanging hands. But, why the double standard for college football head coaches? In professional sports, do we expect baseball hitters to be hitting more home runs, hitting for higher averages because they make $15 million/year? I mean… HOF players hit more HR's and had higher batting averages back in the day making much less.

PGA golfers can make more in one season, than some HOF golfers made in their career. No one challenges today's golfer and expects them to accomplish more because they're making more.

HC salaries have skyrocketed in college football. It is a new landscape. But, expecting to get more for your money is a joke. There is more parity in college football today than ever before. Recruiting rules and limits have been responsible for this.

If programs keep turning over HC's, it will have a negative impact. Boosters need to see the big picture…

Absolutely agree with you..beginning to think HC's like Frank Solich or Doc Holliday are at the right jobs Solich makes 500,000 a year and Holliday $600K. That to me seems to be a decent wage and the esxpectations at those schools pale in comparison to the Power 5 School's. Or if you take a Power 5 job going to one of the bottom feeders is a safe bet...the HC at Purdue makes 2 million for just showing up on Saturdays...

Just watching all these openings (another one at Virginia this morning) do some of these schools think that they are really going to compete at the top levels of their conference by making a change? Illinois? Virginia? Maryland? Rutgers? ( Well they had to fire their Coach) even Georgia...Georgia still believing they are more than what they are since winning the NC 30 plus years ago..maybe Colorado should feel the same?..I digress....


But there is an unreasonable expectation out there among the fan base and donors who can push the buttons...it is a more level playing field..we see this year...are any of the top 4 teams dominant? Field will continue to level as we go forward..it will look like College Basketball soon if it doesn't already..

 

[Anotherwvufan]

At least one of these new coaches will turn his team around and do well. Everyone will look to that team and say we can do the same. Lots of changes. Some will succeed, some will flop. Look at Florida this year. They did much to help themselves by a coaching change.

Illinois? Virginia? Maryland? Rutgers? those guys needed a change. If they finish last, nothing lost, if they start winning great.

 

[GoldRusher]

The evaluation/grace period now is about 3 years, used to be 4-5 and an entire recruiting class. If you can't make a run at at least a conference title in that time frame then you find yourself on the hot seat at most places, just too much money in the mix now, is what it is.

Personally, I think 4 years is a fair amount of time to get a good idea of what you have as far as a HC and what direction he is taking your program. Dana has some pluses but some BIG minuses as well. One has to ask are we close to contending in year 5? How about the next year, year 6, how about after that? Based on what we have seen this year imo the answer is a resounding no. The QB situation alone will keep us out of contention for the next year or two.....or 3 barring a transfer, none look very promising.

Bowl game(s)? Sure, I think we can make a few bowls... with some breaks. Good guy? Yes, I like Dana the man, and the OC, I like Mike Leach the man, and him as an OC but I don't want either as the HC of my team, a championship aint in em imo, not enough attention to detail and not enough relying on tried and true methods of winning football games. We have a poor mans Mike Leach imo, Not terrible but no threat to ever win big either. BTW, one thing all those coaches had in common from the quotes above is.....They all BEAT Richt, no wonder they hate to see him go .

Florida, Michigan, Arizona, Duke, Ole Miss, Pitt, Clemson, Florida State, Notre Dame have all benefitted from coaching moves recently. Its not an exact science by any means and it fails a lot too but if the leadership is right, a coaching move is a good thing.

 

[bbwvfan]

WVU fans like GoldRusher are fucking delusional.

WVU cannot recruit kids who will compete for Big 12 championships in a 3 year grace period. WVU gets classes ranked in the 30's. Very few 4 stars and no 5 stars. It takes time to develop 3 stars, and one never knows if a 3 star will develop into an elite...big time performer.

There is only one coach in this league who has been able to win Big 12 championships with lowly rated classes. He has a football stadium named after him...so yeah...he is kind of special. And no... we don't have one. Neither does anyone else...

 

[Slaton10]

At least one of these new coaches will turn his team around and do well. Everyone will look to that team and say we can do the same. Lots of changes. Some will succeed, some will flop. Look at Florida this year. They did much to help themselves by a coaching change.

Illinois? Virginia? Maryland? Rutgers? those guys needed a change. If they finish last, nothing lost, if they start winning great.

Too early to tell about Florida...could be for real, or we have seen it before a Coach making a splash and doing very little going forward...aka Freidgen /Maryland, Hoke/Michigan, Sumlin/ TAMU...Florida had an advantageous schedule as well...

 

[Bat 20]

There is only one coach in this league who has been able to win Big 12 championships with lowly rated classes. He has a football stadium named after him...so yeah...he is kind of special. And no... we don't have one. Neither does anyone else...

I found this interesting from Dana's presser the other day: With that said, I used to study Texas Tech quite a bit, and now I am studying Kansas State.

 

[Slaton10]

The evaluation/grace period now is about 3 years, used to be 4-5 and an entire recruiting class. If you can't make a run at at least a conference title in that time frame then you find yourself on the hot seat at most places, just too much money in the mix now, is what it is.

Personally, I think 4 years is a fair amount of time to get a good idea of what you have as far as a HC and what direction he is taking your program. Dana has some pluses but some BIG minuses as well. One has to ask are we close to contending in year 5? How about the next year, year 6, how about after that? Based on what we have seen this year imo the answer is a resounding no. The QB situation alone will keep us out of contention for the next year or two.....or 3 barring a transfer, none look very promising.

Bowl game(s)? Sure, I think we can make a few bowls... with some breaks. Good guy? Yes, I like Dana the man, and the OC, I like Mike Leach the man, and him as an OC but I don't want either as the HC of my team, a championship aint in em imo, not enough attention to detail and not enough relying on tried and true methods of winning football games. We have a poor mans Mike Leach imo, Not terrible but no threat to ever win big either. BTW, one thing all those coaches had in common from the quotes above is.....They all BEAT Richt, no wonder they hate to see him go .

Florida, Michigan, Arizona, Duke, Ole Miss, Pitt, Clemson, Florida State, Notre Dame have all benefitted from coaching moves recently. Its not an exact science by any means and it fails a lot too but if the leadership is right, a coaching move is a good thing.

I can understand and respect your point of view, but I am not sure you can put a time limit on how much time a coach should have to prove his ability. I think you need to factor in what the environment is first. Example, has the school committed themselves to do what it takes to compete at a high level? Are they coming off probation? How many coaches have they cycled through in how many years? What kind of shape is the program in? etc... You mention PITT, personally I still think they are in reverse and I can't believe that playing at Heinz Field is a benefit in recruiting..its NOT their stadium and PITT though they will never admit IS a basketball school now..

With West Virginia they had multiple coaching changes within a 10 plus year period now and I am not just speaking of HC's, I am talking assistants as well. Dana not only had to hire a new staff, but also completely change the style of play from what Wv was to playing and transition into a new conference..I would have to do some digging, but what team made a seamless transition in their first 5 years with the exception of TCU?...The list I have and they have all failed or have performed no better than WV is Nebraska, Penn State, Colorado, Utah ( Except this season), Louisville, Pitt, Syracuse, Va Tech ( An argument could be made they did make an early splash in shitty conference and then fell off dramatically) , Boston College, Texas A&M ( Have done nothing except of the first season under Sumlin) ......

I looked at the schools you provided as expamples of good hires..Florida, Michigan, PITT IMHO to early to tell...though you would think Harbaugh will have success at Michigan...Ole Miss to me is in their golden era of football and based on their history will not sustain this success...Arizona?..Not sure if I see a difference in results between Rich and Mike Stoops..Stoops inherited a horrible situation..speaks to my point....

Florida State was ready for new blood, Notre Dame..I won't rag on their preferred scheduling..but Clemson and Duke for sure made great hires, but it took Cutcliffe more than just 4 years to turn that train wreck around...

 

[Slaton10]

I found this interesting from Dana's presser the other day: With that said, I used to study Texas Tech quite a bit, and now I am studying Kansas State.

I think Snyder finds the toughest kid on the block and hands him a scholarship...his kids always play with an edge...something that lacks through out the Big12 and what sets the SEC apart from any other conference with the exception of the Big10...or whatever they are called these days..

 

[GoldRusher]

WVU fans like GoldRusher are fucking delusional.

WVU cannot recruit kids who will compete for Big 12 championships in a 3 year grace period. WVU gets classes ranked in the 30's. Very few 4 stars and no 5 stars. It takes time to develop 3 stars, and one never knows if a 3 star will develop into an elite...big time performer.

There is only one coach in this league who has been able to win Big 12 championships with lowly rated classes. He has a football stadium named after him...so yeah...he is kind of special. And no... we don't have one. Neither does anyone else...

Actually, WVU has out recruited TCU (co champion last year, beat our arses by halftime this year and has a Heisman trophy candidate QB) all but one year since joining the Big12.. our very first year. We average 5th in recruiting every year and are just above or just below Baylor in the recruiting rankings as well as Okie State.

All of which have won the conference

 

[bbwvfan]

WVU has not out recruited TCU or BU. The rankings from Scout have them all close in order. As I said, you don't know how 3 stars will develop. Sometimes they become superstars like Boykin. Sometimes they become busts like Childress.

And, that is how TCU made the jump. Boykin emerged as a superstar last year. TCU has not been nearly as prolific with him injured, nor as prolific when the back ups were forced into action.

BU is a program now. They are developing talent, and have had the good fortune to put kids on the field as upperclassmen.

Dana has had to build a program too. It is the only way a school like WVU will be able to compete in this league. Coach Nehlen had the same issues when competing in the BE. That is why he supports Dana. He knows the challenges he faces in this league.

 

[Slaton10]

WVU has not out recruited TCU or BU. The rankings from Scout have them all close in order. As I said, you don't know how 3 stars will develop. Sometimes they become superstars like Boykin. Sometimes they become busts like Childress.

And, that is how TCU made the jump. Boykin emerged as a superstar last year. TCU has not been nearly as prolific with him injured, nor as prolific when the back ups were forced into action.

BU is a program now. They are developing talent, and have had the good fortune to put kids on the field as upperclassmen.

Dana has had to build a program too. It is the only way a school like WVU will be able to compete in this league. Coach Nehlen had the same issues when competing in the BE. That is why he supports Dana. He knows the challenges he faces in this league.

Adding a $250 Million state of the art stadium helped Baylor along...as I said, what commitment a school shows to a program tells the story the majority of the time......