iramurphy

Any good coach will want at least 5 yrs. that’s how long it takes for you to have a team of your own recruits. By then you should have the program on the right track. Programs that are down will take longer than 2 years.

That’s why we didn’t recruit Thielen. Could have had him for a dime. Most patterns including TDs of over 40 yds are not to wide open burner behind the secondary. What is needed? 4.5? Do you know how close the 4.6 or even 4.7 kid is to the 4.5 kid in the first 40 yds. Our receivers have been able to find the seems candid get open. I’d prefer a 4.3 guy but if they can’t read a defense, find the seems in a zone, block and catch I will take the kids we have. Belquist has great quickness and I would bet can run a 4.6 if not better. The oline is a key piece that can easily compensate for that missing 4.4 forty guy.

I’m not down on Tommy but a QB at this level will change the play and call a needed timeout when needed. That fact is something that need to change if he’s going to get better. That’s what a winner will do. He is still learning.

Then why didn’t Schuster call it????

Haven’t seen him lately but he must be if he signed Bubba to an extension.

GF hockey showed Chaves his W-2 and told him he would pick up the tab. Will season ticket holders get first shot at tickets for the first game?

Of course I am. Chaves saw this and gave Bubba and staff a 10 yr extension. Just announced on ESPN 2.

No one has ever even tried that crap with me and I’m old. It amazes me that folks would allow any thing from opponents fans affect us in anyway.

So now what say all of you fire the coach doom and gloom guys say? Go Hawks! We even get a bye and first game at home.

If team needed to be settled down QB was in huddle. He has final say as to whether or not they need a time out

Feeney should be starter soon. One thing few understand is the job this staff did to maximize Schuster’s strengths and minimize his weaknesses.

Good points. I understand Bubba as well as any other coach is expendable. I’m certainly not going to defend the egregious mistakes. One of my major disappointments is stacking positions like tight end and then for the players who don’t play at their initial position, not finding a way or other position where they can contribute if not start. Feeney is the first QB since Mollberg with arm and athletic ability to carry a team. Didn’t work out for Mollberg but if we can’t nurture and develop Feeney then we will not develop at a program. Right now I wouldn’t want to disrupt this group of players or staff. Unless someone is going to cough up a million buck we are kicking a dead horse. When his contract is up next year he won’t be brought back unless we win these close games and win a conference championship, National championship and beat the Bison. For me it’s timing

I guess there are at least 3 or 4 threads to address these and similar comments. Most criticisms on fan blogs are similar to other fan blogs elsewhere at college and pro levels. So much of it shows no more insight than what we hear from sportscasters, sportswriters and others who never get beyond second guessing calls/plays/mistakes if the team doesn’t win. We are getting much closer to our goals of Conference and National Championships. It isn’t as easy as we wish. We are starting to win more of the recruiting battles against top conference and FCS teams. We have made important strides evidenced by a Big Sky and a MVFC Championship. This is the first year in the FCS era we weren’t blown out by an FCS team. We could have won every one of those games. This staff has recruited players and coached them well enough to put them in a position to have won every one of those games. I agree there were calls I thought were nuts. We will always wonder about the stupid 4th down fake punt against the Bison and how that call affected the game and how a win that game could have changed the season. There are other calls that we could continue to bring up and beat to death. Bubba and his staff have faced an uphill climb since day one. The players seem to want to play for this staff and they seem to like it here. They all need our full support until they are no longer here. To start over now would be a huge mistake. We can’t afford a step back when we are this close. If you want this program to succeed then contact the athletic department and ask how can I help. Bubba and his staff aren’t going anywhere so piss and moan a bit and let’s figure out how we as fans and supporters can help move this program forward.

You would talk to a sign post over a cold one. I buy you one or two some day just to see if you are for real. (I’m not much better conversationalist than a post)

You hire a coach that will be able to recruit talented players then coach them so they continue to develop and reach their full potential. You need to develop a culture whereby your players a very competitive in practice with the the focus on team success. The coaches need to also remain focused on building a successful, sustainable program even if they view this as a stop along the way to bigger things. They need to have a staff that can teach and relate to players. They all need to be visible to the GF and UND community. That is how to develop relationships that lead to improved support and resources to achieve goals. They don’t need to be Alumni nor have played here.

I’m not opposed to a cafe/snack bar. On the other hand, get up in the morning and have breakfast at home and pack a lunch. Even in ND the weather is seldom so bad you can’t walk 10 min to the student union. I assume if all of those students the writer referred to, were utilizing the cafe, they might have kept it open.

It seems like it interrupts our rhythm and any flow to the game. Didn’t seem to confuse the defense.

Started out for the game. Blowing snow, decreased visibility and icy roads. Turned back. Watched on TV.

That’s my point. The QB doesn’t need permission or he shouldn’t be the QB. If a coach doesn’t trust his QB get a new QB. I don’t want a QB to manage the game. I want a leader who spends the time in the film room and with his OC so he knows what he should call. He also shouldn’t need to wait for the play to be sent in if you are running hurry up. Our QB needs to be able to carry a team and win games.

It’s a good question and speaks to a coaching philosophy. Our QB would change a play sent into to huddle if he didn’t like it. He was usually right. Linemen can tell QB when they know they can block certain plays. Receivers know when they can beat defenders on certain plays. The QB knows who he can trust when they players tell him stuff like that. They can always audible. Play calling starts with film study, what goes on in practice to develop a game plan the adjustments once the game starts. There is a saying in combat that your battle plan is only good til the first shot is fired. The best coaches can adjust based on their film review, practice preparation, knowing their own personnel, and with that in mind, adjusting on the go after the opening kickoff. I believe the last part is what you and others are frustrated with.

Probably not.

I’m not making any excuses for coaching errors or anyone else’s for that matter. Your points are well taken but frankly, I’m not sure I have the whole story. Who called those plays. I would expect my QB to change any play in the huddle or call an audible. There have been QB’s over the years here and elsewhere who do it. They take the heat when they are wrong or get their butt chewed even when they make the right call. Mental errors, missed assignments, etc are all factors down which the head coach is responsible. I’d love to know the facts but one thing Bubba doesn’t do is throw staff or kids under the bus. Until the time comes, I would expect us to be better each game, each year. How many teams throw in the towel at this point. These kids still play hard and I think want to win for this staff. Those are intangibles that many good coaches struggle to capture.I’m not sure I have a clear understanding right now of where our administration leadership team has in mind. In the meantime I’m trying to be patient.

I don’t believe expectations are soft. I guess I can afford to be more patient. Firing a coach doesn’t mean we will do better nor even as well. We don’t have the financial support right now to buy out contracts nor attract a big name, proven commodity. We are slowly getting better and we are starting to win recruiting battles against other good teams. Players say they like it here. The staff likes it here and are committed to being a winner. We have shown we are capable of beating the other teams in the conference and in the division. Next step is we have to show we can win those games consistently and then win it all. The staff has shown the ability to find talent where others have missed. (Belquist, Zalvaney, Weah, etc). The staff needs to prove they can develop these kids to their full potential. I don’t believe a coaching change is in the best interest of the program right now. If we want to speed up the process then we need to complete the facilities, increase assistant coaches salaries and also pay your head coach at least as much as the other top FCS teams. In the meantime, we can support the program and help improve the resources to support moving the program forward. This staff has worked very hard to establish good relationships with HS coaches. Mussman didn’t do that as well. We lost a lot of ground when we didn’t move up with other other Dakota teams especially when they developed into top FCS teams while we wasted time in D2 and sputtered in our FCS start. We also need to be evaluating a move to FBS if the other Dakotas, Montana’s, UNI etc move on. Being stranded without them again would be another cluster.

That is included in the phase 2 plans.

Expectation is to make playoffs each year and compete for a national championship. It’s a fine line. We are getting closer talent wise. Still need to get better.