The Sicatoka

There were 11406 copies of that letter in the arena that night. It wasn't just the students being told "be good" as fans. What is it that the students think they want? Seriously.

The problem? Running a non-conservative offense usually starts with a healthy, skilled QB.

A leather seat in a $104 MM arena. They ask you to respect the sight-lines of the other folks there watching the game. They ask for a network TV vocabulary. Horrible, just horrible. (sigh) <--- That's me not even going to try.

If I can sit in the stands, and based on personnel, know what UND is running, the other team is doing it too.

The 2000 team put up the points, but didn't they always leave you feeling like they just didn't get the key drive when the defense needed it? I felt like just a little more consistency at key times would have made 2000 more special. Dan Freund. How can you go wrong with a QB named FreUND? Sounds like this year. Clearly opportunity is there. Who steps up? Side bar: The receivers are small. If the QB needs a bigger target in key situations there are these guys called tight ends .... This is my biggest concern area (especially after the injury to Alan Sundby). That's actually better than what we had to do this year.

Schedule: @ Maine x2 @ MSU-Mankato x2 Minnesota x2 @ BC @ Northeastern Win at home; split on the road theory: 5-3-0 or 0.625 Actual: 4-2-2 or 0.625 You'll understand why there's little wailing or knashing of teeth from this direction. The better part: The team didn't get better as the season went along during the last two seasons, but other teams did. That proved to be UND's undoing. I'm hoping that changes this year and I see growth (individually and as a team). PS - In the future, can't we get a someone like UMD to go along with us on these types of trips so we don't have to play a rested Northeastern squad after going full-tilt-boogie the night before against BC. Proposed schedule: Friday: UMD @ NE, UND @ BC Saturday: UND @ NE, UMD @ BC

It's not how you start, it's not the 1-4-1 run in January, it's about how the you grow individually and as a team through the season and where you finish. Signed, The 2004 Denver Pioneers

My thoughts exactly.

Solid defense, inconsistent offense: 2000.

I'm sure this is UND's fault also: Yup, #4 UND at #2 BC gets over 1000 empty seats. Minnesota at North Dakota: 200 empty seats of 11406, arena 98.2% full. North Dakota at Boston College: 1000 empty seats of 7884, arena 87% full. Think INCH will pick that up?

And it's time again for another episode of "Sports Advice or Life Advice?": If you have a problem with someone, first make sure what you think you know really is fact by going to the person and asking. Stories do get crossed up. In this situation the question is perfectly in bounds. It goes to commitment to duties. Try to resolve the situation at the most direct level. Next, if you can't resolve the situation at that level, go to that person's boss. Ask that person to look into the matter. Ask them to compare what you were told versus what they know versus what they find when they look into the matter. If that doesn't get a resolution, go up one more level. It's a pretty simple approach and it works just about anywhere. The Administrator on this board has told us time and time again that folks within Hyslop Sports Center both read and post to this forum. As the learned, wise, and aged PCM asks us, how will posting things like this anonymously make the situation any better? If you believe there is a problem deal with it head-on. My answer to your question: Have you dealt with the matter head-on at the direct level? The strong take on challenges from the front. The rest crank the rumor mill. Thus endeth the lesson.

Rats. Someone has finally figured out that I'm really Johnny Damon of the Red Sox "Idiot Brigade". Need more proof? Never panic.

Kessel being from the Madison area, I still think Buckie has as good of a shot as Michigan and both of those are probably better than Goldie's. I'd put UND as a very long long-shot.

Where'd the career record start from? Did it get tilted by taking over a struggling program? What's been the direction of the program to this point? Are there logical explanations for a problematic season (youth)? Last season, 2003-2004, only improved the career conference record. It had to have been in that realm before that season. If 0.336 is the tripwire for removal, why wasn't she removed before last season? What's the standard?

I assume your application for the position is in.

You know, I've never seen the official rule in the book. You could well be correct on having to do both. Winning the league is really no big deal at this point to them either. From this week's NSIC release: They've got a share of the NSIC title guaranteed already and there's about no imaginable way they'll fall from the top ten. All that UND can do is all that any of us can do: Control what's yours to control. If UND wins, controls what's its to control, the rest takes care of itself.

Doesn't the silly earned access rule say that if a conference has one team in the regional top ten the conference is guaranteed one of the six playoff slots? For Winona State to not make it at this point would take a series of immaculate misfortunes.

What standard will Hakstol be held to when he has a very young team a year from now? I'm trying to be consistent: Come off winning season (and NCAA appearance) to a sub-par performance and get one (<--- key word) more chance to prove yourself. More food for thought: NDSU's VB coach has 2 seniors, 1 junior, 6 sophomores, and 5 freshman, and a 7-17 record this year. Should she be on the hot-seat also? Sure it's a different situation, but her wins are over "lesser" programs (like MSU-Moorhead) and she has the funding also. What's the standard there? I'm just trying to find the standard that the UND coaches are expected to live to. If my standard is too easy, show me one that is consistent and works for the long-term goals of UND Athletics and I'll gladly get on board. Boy I'm glad these decisions aren't mine. I don't know how RT lives in that fishbowl.

I want winning teams for every program in UND Athletics. I also want the coaches to know what the standard is. I don't want any UND Athletics program to become a "revolving door" for coaches because of a single sub-0.500 season after a couple winning ones. The standard to this point for coaches with preceding winning records has been a down season with a young team doesn't alone put a coach "on the outs". The next season is when the tough scrutiny comes and actions are taken (if warranted). Late edit: That's no insult to Blais or Lennon. They earned theirs. Bruggeman, by the same standard, has earned hers. We know what Lennon and Blais did after down years. Let's see what happens in this case and go from there.

I see coaches with winning seasons coming off NCAA appearances having a young team and a down year getting the next season to reprove themselves. (Lennon, Blais) You see what you choose to see for the reasons you choose to see it that way. I can only speak to my perspective and view. My motivation is consistency in handling coaches. What perspective and view are you seeing from? What are your motivations? I don't know.

I did not say "not accountable". I did not say "no scrutiny". I said make sure actions are for real trends and not bumps along the building path. The record (as counted from FightingSioux.com, and I may have miscounted along the way but should be pretty close): Sioux Volleyball under Bruggeman: 2005: ??-?? <-- Answer. 2004: 8-16 (season on-going) <-- Bump or Problem? 2003: 19-12 NCAA 2nd round 2002: 24-11 2001: 20-13 2000: 16-16 (incomplete record) 1999: 16-16 For comparison, Mr. Lennon and Sioux Football: 2004: 7-1 (season on-going) 2003: 12-2 <-- Answer. 2002: 5-6 <-- Bump or Problem? 2001: 14-1 2000: 8-3 1999: 9-2

Let's recap: Using the ".500 is not cutting it" criteria should Lennon have been cut loose after 2002? How about Blais after 2001-2002? Both followed NCAA appearance seasons with below 0.500 (conference and overall) seasons with young teams. The toughest coaching is during and after the down season. Lennon and Blais and came back strong. What'll this one do? We'll find out together. Again, I hope you're never a coach some day in this type of situation facing this type of scrutiny. PS - Never panic. Panic is a sign of disorganization and weakness. Don't let things surprise you. Know the possibilities. Think. Plan ahead. Take a measured, logical, orderly approach that will put you on a path to success and implement it. (And that's not sports advice, that's life advice.)

One poor season with a young roster shouldn't be time to panic. I didn't with Dean. I won't (right now) with Maria. I'll be in the same position next season when Hakstol loses all of this season's seniors (plus probably a couple underclassmen) and his team is very young.

Slow down, I'm trying to take notes. (scribbling furiously) Lucy hangs around Mary Oochi. Sue is seen at Ralph's place. OK, got it.

OK. If you say so.