UND-FB-FAN

Followed up with an embarrassing 27-0 loss the next week at Northern Iowa, to forfeit all momentum, and a 41-17 shellacking at NDSU in follow up in 2024. A lot went downhill in a hurry following that 2023 victory against NDSU, albeit that specific game was a good time.

The entire staff should take responsibility for the 2024 implosion and 5-game losing streak (that includes the popular interim head coach and recent OC Isaac Fruechte). Next head coach should be and needs to be someone external and without previous UND ties, but I’m feeling unsure that will be the case, unfortunately.

The overall body of work for UND as a playoff eligible division I program - from 2012 to 2024 - has been overall disappointing. Is it so hard to hire a head coach that has not been apart of these years of mediocrity? No to Schmidt. No to Freund. No to Fruechte. No to Luke Schleusner. Bring someone new to this region and give them a chance to elevate UND to unprecedented heights. Give UND football a fresh new chance. Let’s see what happens, but even this forum is a microcosm of how folks from UND and Grand Forks have a hard thinking outside the box (program).

Hope so, and hope a true national search is still performed, with the adequate preferred criteria for a championship-caliber hire.

Yeah, that definitely would be the easy button approach. But, again, why even lie to everyone and say a national search? Because hiring Fruechte and coming to conclusion this soon would not exactly be a national search and hire.

I’m not confident we’re going to operate like a 1st class athletic department with this critical hire…. The press release yesterday saying Bubba was going to act as head coach until a hire was made and then now a release saying Fruechte is the interim head coach is already a early red flag… I hope it is something as simple as the players told Chaves they want Fruechte over Bubba as the interim head guy until the new hire is made.

National search …. Yeah, we will see.

Tibesar’s 2024 defense at Akron was even worse than Schmidt’s 2024 defense at San Diego State. Not to mention, for those worried about age on here, Tibesar is older than Schmidt.

Be careful … would like it to be quite a bit better than that 2013 process / disaster.

Been passed around on several staffs and been behind many bad defenses statistically … it’s like Eric Schmidt but with even less success of late as DC.

National search that ain’t really a national search. Happens frequently. Odds on favorite is Schmidt … not my favorite choice, but would certainly give him a chance.

Age shouldn’t be a crucial factor. Best head coach (or best coordinator if not previously a head coach) is the most important. That in essence means they can be a fast riser because they’re successful. Bolte and Baldwin have both been good to very good head coaches. Schmidt has never been a collegiate head coach and his SDSU squad had a horrible 2024 season. It’s going to happen, but this is once again feeling like not the right choice, but the stereotypical “good ol boys” choice for UND once again. Given it would be Schmidt’s first ever collegiate head coach opportunity, will see how it goes and hope for the best … he should be able to at least stay awake for team meetings.

This will likely happen… minimal change may come with it. Schmidt knows all the assistant coaches and will likely keep most if not all in place … so much for those Fresno State/Washington/Alabama/San Diego State connections, huh? This is a move I am concerned about, but we will see ultimately what plays out …

Exactly.

Schmidt is controversial, as again, he has not been a collegiate head coach and he has not had championship-level success as a defensive coordinator. DeBoer’s opinion was to have him be a special teams coordinator and a position coach; he had to leave DeBoer’s staff to get another DC opportunity. My gut feeling is that Schmidt gets the job and Fruechte gets to stay as offensive coordinator. That likely will mean minimal overall change for UND, and we are left with the same cultural limitations, but we will see … Would prefer someone with head coaching success, such as Baldwin or Bolte. Despite saying we should go with the best candidate, many fans, as evidenced by opinions on here, want to simply hire someone they’re familiar with. This will limit the ceiling of the program.

Hasn’t been successful enough as a defensive coordinator. I don’t care about his past with UND, going 3-9 and giving up nearly 30 ppg in the Mountain West is not good. We shouldn’t be jumping at this hire at all… I would like Baldwin, but the odds on favorite is …. Schmidt. Chaves is going to honor Schweigert’s endorsement, and who do you think he’ll endorse? It will be his right hand man from when they were a player-coach duo from 97-01, assistant coach duo at SIU, and again a head coach-defensive coordinator duo at UND. I don’t think it is right, or the best for UND, because I don’t think Schmidt is the best candidate. But, Schweigert will get to make one final decision for the football program (perhaps again that sets it back). Hope I’m wrong.

Beau Baldwin did quite well in terms of wins and loses at Cal. He was an apart of a resurgence, with team going 5-7 his first season in 2017, and then 7-6 in 2018, and then finally 8-5 in 2019. Yes, the offenses were not that great, but team did okay. Cal Poly was a dumpster fire but it was during the pandemic when a poor job got poorer. The ASU season (2023) was bad. All in all, though, given his connections are equal to Schmidt’s in terms of FBS, and Beau Baldwin actually has been a successful (and champion) FCS head coach, I’d give the nod to Beau Baldwin over Schmidt.

This would be the stereotypical mindset of UND historically, hiring someone who returns to Grand Forks and UND due to familiarity and not the best ability, but that needs to be steered away from. With all said, I wouldn’t be surprised if precedent gets its way (again) … I think there are better candidates that have actual collegiate head coach experience (and better experience and success as a coordinator as well).

Beau is a Cali guy and the CFL season is over. My guess is Beau Baldwin is not physically located in Canada at the moment…

Yes, been mentioned many times he’s never been a collegiate head coach, but I didn’t clarify that in my most recent post. A guy like Beau Baldwin - who has actually been a collegiate head coach at the FCS, and won a national championship, would also have a ton of connections, from Eastern Washington but also time with FBS programs/staffs at California (Cal) and Arizona State (ASU). Give me Beau.

Not a fan only because I DON’T think his track record as defensive coordinator is good enough. And he’s never been a head coach. Hiring a guy because of his connections and not his own intrinsic ability is a bad bad idea.

But he did do well (as an actual head coach) at Central Washington and Eastern Washington. He’s most intriguing in my opinion. The Cal Poly situation with him is unfortunate, but many good coaches would fail at Cal Poly.

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/college/8-names-to-consider-for-und-head-football-coach?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2qB_YCXK8TynWB7nXORu2Hu2lgA2-giWQuUG5HTeI_n0H_5RVPbEgQxUI_aem_gD4l67ayLhcHvLxlgYXG5w Many many former UND guys on this list. I’m intrigued and most interested in the ones never before a coach at UND: 1) Beau Baldwin, Calgary Stampede quarterbacks coach 2) Travis Johansen, South Dakota defensive coordinator 3) Brent Bolte, Bemidji State head coach

For this reason would like to see success as a head coach in the past …

Agreed. Preferred criteria would ideally be consistent success and a fast riser. Want someone who is capable of succeeding at UND and not plateau here. How that would look is someone with success as head coach (ideally) but alternatively success as coordinator, and someone who has moved up the ranks in relatively short amount of time. Success probably should be defined as wins.