UND08

I don't normally like saying this out loud...but looks like Mr. Luff made the right choice...good for him!!!

Maybe because they don't view investing with Bubba to be worth their money...(ducks to avoid being hit with a tomato or a shoe)... That's sarcasm btw... Donors get to do what they want to do with their money. It's an awesome gift...we should all be extremely grateful!

Sure if we're talking about hiring someone from another D1 or even D2 program...but Mayville?!? I get that they were good at the NAIA level...but talk about making your program look small time. That said I'm not sure Mal's track record of hiring assistants is that pristine...maybe that's a problem within the program...

So the assistant coach dictates the hires now? Did they tell Mallory she's a lame duck and hire Hutter to be the "Coach in Waiting"?? Not saying I'm opposed to that...but without that kind of explanation a D1 program hiring an assistant from Mayville State seems kind of "odd"...

Just the tip of the iceberg my friend...just the tip of the iceberg...

Guessing (I have no actual idea but this is a message board so rampant speculation is ok hahaha) one is more of a players' coach and one is more of a "GATA" coach. For players recruited under one style the other is probably frustrating...it'll unfortunately take some time to adjust to that, and hopefully that doesn't drive anyone else out. But I'm not exactly opposed to "GATA"...there are many areas of the team that could use it!

Agreed...here's an example, and it'll butt-hurt some but it is what it is. I've been a supporter of the football program for a long time. I think Bubba is a good ambassador for UND, and for the most part he has recruited and developed high quality human beings that are ok to decent football players at this level (with some high caliber kids certainly sprinkled in). I like the idea of Alston awards and facilities upgrades and donating to make sure the student athletes are well taken care of when it comes to wellness (gear/nutrition/training/etc). That said...what an NIL collective represents is pseudo-professionalism. If we as fans are going to be asked to join the collective in order to pay players...then THEY HAD BETTER WIN AT A HIGH LEVEL! I'm not convinced that we have the roster to do that next year...and I have yet to hear any specific plans as to how we are going to address that other than the same old coach speak. Couple that with the fact that the face of the collective sort of rubs me the wrong way (to be fair I don't know him)...and the fact that collectives are for-profit with very limited disclosure of where the money is going...and, I'll just be honest...I'm out. Was college football better when players were only getting an education (at least above the table) and it was more difficult to leave when the going got tough? ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY it was in my opinion! Now is my mindset wrong and anti-player? Yes...but it's my money...I'm the consumer of the product...and I just have a harder time getting excited about a sport that requires your program to win an arms race that it likely can't (and institutionally I'm not sure wants to) win. If too many supporters and fans/boosters start thinking that way...we'll be left with 80-100 programs that are willing to play pseudo-professional football...and d3. I don't think the athletes win in the long run when that plays out.

I'll (gulp) give Bubba credit...historically his MO of "finding diamonds in the rough and developing them" worked out pretty well. We made a fair amount of hay with kids who's highest (and often only) D1 offer was UND. With where the school was at in the local pecking order...it was a good idea. But here's the problem. A lot of those kids came to Grand Forks solely because it was their best offer...their chance to play "D1 ball"...Many of them would have rather played at a higher level...but the offers never came. Now that transfer rules have been loosened, it's easy enough for one of those kids that wanted an offer from say NIU to come to UND, ball out for a year or two, and then portal to the school he originally wanted to go to now that he has proven himself capable. It's totally sucky and unfair for a program like UND...but it is what it is, and we have to adapt. Facilities, NIL, Alston...all help...winning and program stability also help...but it's awfully hard to compare resumes with the two FCS giants down I-29 from us. And on top of that...some kids just want to look at it as a business, and pseudo year to year free agency. Not much a coach can do about that...other than avoid those kids as best as you can (unless you feel they can help the team). It's a different world and those who adapt will find a way...and those who don't will struggle. This will obviously affect everyone at the FCS level (and up the food chain to the G5 as well). However, SDSU/NDSU have some level of "destination" attached to their programs because of their success and the importance they place on football as institutions. They won't be immune from it...but they'll likely fare better than others in the MVFC because of it (both in retaining kids and pulling kids from the portal who want to be a big fish in a smaller pond). The Montana schools will also likely see plenty of transfer activity out (like everyone else)...but Bozeman and Missoula are "cooler" than Grand Forks and might be easier to sell to incoming kids. I also saw that YSU's portal numbers made ours look extremely stable. When you have this phenomenon with so many G5 programs in your backyard its not surprising to see. It's a new world...the kids won the battle...but they may end up losing the war as fans lose interest and choose not to donate to for-profit NIL collectives.

It says that he has a job to do...and he's going to be loyal to whomever signs his paychecks... It is what it is...but it's a dog-eat-dog world nowadays and we better figure that out...

If I'm contributing to the collective it's 100% my business as a "member"...if I'm going to be treated as the "customer" then I better get something for what I'm paying! Hence why I will likely never contribute to a collective. Non-deductible "contributions" to a for-profit and I don't get to see that the money I am "donating" is actually going where I want it to...sorry that doesn't work for me. I can't wait for the first case of cooked books/theft by a "collective" officer/CEO...I'm guessing there will be plenty!

Moni came in at Northern and averaged 14/5 as a Freshman...has never been anything but productive in Aberdeen and shoots 86% from the FT line and 35% from 3 as a 6'10" big man (up to 21/8 this past year). He should have been in the Summit to start with but was raw coming out of HS...he grew up quickly in Aberdeen though! The Hurlburt twins couldn't get their high school team out of the Region 1 tournament and Joe couldn't find his way to the floor in two years in Boulder. Not saying he's a complete bust but there's a lot of unknown with him. And I'll be honest I'm not sure he'd have done as well as Moni at Northern...

I said what I said...haha! I've seen them both play...Moni > Hurlburt...and I'll stand by that.

Moni by a country mile!!!

Don't disagree...but from what I saw of him in high school he's far from a sure thing...even with two years playing in the Pac-12.

I mean...Hurlburt is probably worth an offer...but I wouldn't stake my coaching career on him if it were me...but that's just my opinion!

Yep...but they won't devote the same level of time/effort to the gig if it's just freelance... Really unfortunate...I'm surprised Midco didn't find other areas to cut before talent and content...after all it's why I subscribe in the first place!

NIL could play a part in recruitment situations like this...

I mean...I wasn't going to say it out loud...but I fully agree...

I agree...the Bell comparison is interesting. If LeeLee played with the fire on both ends of the floor that Schiller brings...it probably wouldn't even be close. Bell has a higher ceiling...but Schiller gets more out of what she has. There are a lot of big schools betting on whether or not they can get Bell to play as hard without the ball in her hands as she does with it. We'll see if it works out for them...

Well...maybe I'm wrong on this, but in my opinion his 282-151 career record prior to his coming to Grand Forks gives me the inclination that the guy knows what he's doing. Lord knows I've had nightmares about the guy getting canned at UND and then going somewhere else and just sticking it to us regularly. I did say earlier that his approach requires patience. You can see it in his prior stops that years 4-6 are where he gets it going. Many D1 programs aren't so patient...and I get that. Thing is...UND doesn't support basketball like it's a D1 program (a MAJOR mistake in my opinion). If you aren't going to give a coach everything he needs in this modern world to get it done...then you better give him some time to build a program the "old fashioned way." It'll be funny when Sather gets this program to the Dance either this year or next (assuming he keeps the core together) and then bolts at the first higher offer he gets. I can't say I'd blame him...this is not a Bubba situation, the program is trending in the right direction with a core of players that have an opportunity to make multiple trips to the Big Dance if they stay together. And in regards to your frustration with "not running plays"...I've watched my nephew play a lot of high school basketball this year. Every night, his dad and grandpa yell from the stands about crashing the glass when a teammate drives, or helping on d when an opponent is driving. The poor kid has told his dad and grandpa multiple times this year that they are taught NOT TO DO THAT (ie don't leave a shooter or crowd the lane)...which is much different then how things used to be done. Point is...basketball is changing...it's evolving...and I'm willing to give the coach of the first place team in our conference the benefit of the doubt (although I wish we had another shooter or two in order to help spread out opposing defenses...but hopefully that comes!).

What about the fact that Omot and Eaglestaff are still here?!? Maybe you're right (I doubt it) that Eaglestaff only committed to UND because of his legacy...but a coach he doesn't want to play for would have chased him out awfully quick. Recruiting isn't only about who you bring in each year...it's about who you KEEP here. That's where we are nowadays in the world of college basketball... Since a 6 win season in 2021-22, we've improved to 13 wins, and now 17 and counting, with a core of the team being made up of sophomores and juniors (not sure what's left for COVID years). If you look at Sather's career trajectory this isn't unfamiliar territory for him. His approach seems to require patience...which I'll admit I wasn't sure we'd have being a D1 program. That said...he's won everywhere he's been...and the arc is looking good for the program. Hope we have a big finish to the season and are talking extensions at the end of the year (because we don't want to lose him).

Ok...so now that we are supposedly the shining star of the MVFC in facilities and Alston awards...when do the increased expectations that come with those investments start to show up?!? Honest question...but we are slowly peeling away the excuses for why the program can't ascend to the next step. The defenders of the status quo will have fewer and fewer places to seek shelter...meanwhile NDSU and SDSU will be able to utilize their NIL collectives to plug holes in their lineups, retain players and attract portal entrants. I've been to SDSU...I've been to both Montana's...I've been to Fargo...I'm not so sure I would put us at the top of the arms race. We will definitely have closed the gap however, which is good! But if anything that makes 7-5 next year and in the years to come even less impressive in my book...

That's my first thought... One of my biggest frustrations with this defense has been trying to plug poor-fitting body types into it. If we are going to recruit 250-260 lb DEs and 275 lb DTs...we probably should be playing a 4-3 base. I know a lot of what we do is nickel now due to spread offenses and what not...but the 3-4 in my opinion is highly dependent on your 3 guys up front being able to eat blockers, command double teams and get penetration into the backfield. We've lacked that the last few years...and it really hurts us in my opinion...

Honestly he still needs to gain 20+ lbs unless he's strong as an ox...when was the last time we had a DT that commanded a double team every down???

I agree...and I definitely think it's worth a flyer (especially if not a full ride). But I saw we had an offer out to a 265 lb. JUCO DE that has the body type I think we should be looking for in a DE. I'm just not sure this kid is twitchy enough to be an OLB at the FCS level. But he wrecked a whole lot of NSAA offensive linemen! There are talent upgrade needs along our entire defense. I would like to see us address them more aggressively than we have...and typically that involves players from a higher level. Maybe we swing and miss...but I'm to the point where that would be preferred to going down with the bat on the shoulder...