Irish

Don't think this is small **** at all - we are emerging from a serious black hole for Sioux football that most think will take several more years to dig out of - our next hire is crucial - I'm not trying to nitpick the language used, I'm frustrated with the process.

Either or both of these guys might be great coaches here - but I'll say it again - I am amazed that a "National Search" and our AD "using all of his vast contacts" only produces two guys who are on the staff of a previous coach. I am also amazed that more people here aren't upset about it or about the endless process that happened to produce this result. Could we be any more small town thinkers?

Good old boy network is strong here - Can't think outside the lines to save our ass.

I would bet you that if Bubba stays with Lennon next year they both get the ax. OK - 4 years at Duluth - still one game over 500. After this staff made it the first two years on someone else's talent at Carbondale it has been straight downhill.

I'm sure I've been a fan for longer than you - Bubba's biggest asset is that he bleeds green, but let's not pretend that his time with Lennon has been one big success and that the team has only been let down by the offense. His resume after he left here is average. Should he get a look - yes. Is this the best resume we should have after our "national search" and Faisons "vast network of contacts". I hope not. One of us - One of us isn't necessarly the best way to hire a coach for a program that is in big trouble.

Hmmm - success everywhere he's been - one game over .500 at two years with Duluth and defensive coordinator at a program that is 19 - 23 over the last 4 years.

Aye, that's the rub in a nutshell. Hell with nattys, we want one of us.

The odds of new blood in this neck of the woods are slim -

Look - this "shut up and fall in line if you are a true fan" crap is nonsense. People have a right to be frustrated - we have been stuck with a train wreck of a program for several years. Here's why I am frustrated - We could see this coming a mile off this year - Why the Athletic Department wasn't ready is beyond me The process is bizarre at best and not conducive to getting a coach in place This "national search" and "Faison's vast contacts" bs we were fed - Really? After a "national search" we couldn't come up with a finalist who isn't on Lennon's staff at Carbondale? A program that in the last 4 years is 15-23. We are so averse to anything new it is pathetic. Add to this the Bison success and color me frustrated.

Apparently we will endure the pain if we don't have to do anything new. If Bubba doesn't work out there are several more coaches on Lennon's staff when he was here to go through.

Not seeing the success you are - around .500 as a DII coach and a coordinator on a very average DI team. I agree that he would shape up the troops but am not sure he can take us to the level we need to be at.

UND Lennon - Lennon 1.0 Saluki Lennon - Lennon 1.1 Mussman - Lennon 1.2 Bubba - Lennon 1.3 Ira - here's your good old boys network

Many here want Lennon 1.3

No, I think we are reacting to the idea that he should be head coach mainly because he is from here. When you have a successful program getting a steady guy with local ties to keep things going can be a great idea (see NDSU). We need a major reboot and need to expand our thinking. If he didn't have any local connection, what about Bubba's record makes you think he can rebuild this program. He was a successful DII coordinator at a successful program, a .500 coach in two DII seasons, and an average DI coordinator at an average DI program. If after a lengthy national search by an AD who many here consider to have it all together this is the best resume we have then I think we are in trouble in more ways than one.

Bubba ran a successful DII defense within a successful DII program and now runs an average DI defense within an average DI program. Add two years of 500 coaching at a DII school and apparently you have the frontrunner for our head coaching opening. Unbelievable.

We aspired to be mediocre this year.

Good for him, but not sure that is what we are looking for. We seem to have a dogshit program right now and I'm not hoping for mediocre.

\ Seems to me that's the desired result.

Other than NAIA success he has a pretty lackluster resume. Lennon, Bubba and him are not lighting it up.

Not saying it's his fault - I get the process - It still drives me nuts. By the way, Faison wrote the criteria in the posting and apparently tailored it to people who aren't applying.

Ira - I don't think anyone here is disparaging the fantastic network of former UND athletes or what they have accomplished (and, I'm proud to say includes family members of mine). It is one of the things that makes many of us proud to be Sioux fans. I wish the athletic department was in more contact with this group. I think what people are complaining about is a process where a "HR" committee has winnowed out what many think is the best candidate, and Bubba has apparently risen to the top of the bunch with what many of us see as a lackluster resume. The only reason he is on the radar at all is that he was at UND as a DII coordinator. I wish our program was so successful that we could seamlessly transition coaches and promote from within, but it has been a train wreck for too long. I love UND guys, but sometimes it is necessary to change direction. Our football program can't afford another 6-7 years of mediocrity. This is a crucial hire and many find UND's process bizarre at best. Sometimes I think people say "good old boys" to describe a process that is confusing and seems to happen behind closed doors by insiders. We are worried that Faison is not thinking outside of the box. There are coaches with a UND connection that would be excellent, but apparently none have applied. I don't think anyone intends this to be a slur on our fine network of alumni.

Don't underestimate the power of the PC crowd at UND. I'm surpirsed that they haven't insisted on "gender balancing".

Couldn't agree more - It's probably been posted, but I would love to know who is on the HR committee and their contact info.

Politically Correct babble. What we don't need is a good old boy from the Lennon era.

I'll be pretty disappointed if we go through this "process" and end up with Bubba - a guy whose head coaching record as a DII coach is average at best and whose current job performance is mediocre. His only success was here 10 years ago as a DII coordinator. We have a rare opportunity to take our program to the next level and apparently have had our "HR" department eliminate the best candidate. It's like we can't stay out of our own way.