UND-FB-FAN

Last time UND elevated their offensive coordinator to head coach (2008) it didn’t work out too great … Apples to Oranges comparison, sure, but more so just don’t think we should be thinking internal with this critical hire.

Sure, he knows nothing because he’s in the CFL. Forget about his previous success and connections with Chaves… onward

It’s definitely complicated, but winners win. Let’s start there, and hopefully Bill, Erik, and Andy do.

Trying to somehow elevate Schmidt as a better candidate than Baldwin is silly to me. You’re trying to say a guy who has never been a collegiate head coach, and also someone who has had limited to really no signifiant success as a coordinator, should be considered a better candidate than a guy who has actually won an FCS national championship as a head coach. I can appreciate the geography concerns, but football is football, whether played in Cheney, Washington, or Grand Forks, North Dakota. And yes, Schmidt wanted to call plays, and DeBoer (knowing him well) didn’t want to afford him that opportunity. Perhaps logical based on how it went for him in San Diego in 2024.

He did not want him to be a coordinator.

Schmidt was a position coach on staff with a guy (DeBoer) that has won everywhere. And by winning, I mean championships. His next shot at DC (which was this season) went awful. Winning and championships matter and he wasn’t producing anything special along those lines when DC at UND nor now as DC at San Diego State. Beau Baldwin also has won championships. He did well with Cal. He was shorted at Cal Poly due to limited resources and the pandemic. ASU he was only there one season. Baldwin would be a good hire.

I agree. Both proven winners as a head coach, I take either one.

Well … you know why.

What else is a drum good for?

Experience doesn’t always equate to success. Some young individuals are really successful and some older guys never quite get the job done, etc., etc., etc. I agree that experience is nice, but I think a history of success is most important. Winners win. It’s an intrinsic quality for some, although some can learn it, sure. In the case of Schmidt and Luke S., they likely have learned new things and made new connections, but why haven’t they shown more success? Same goes for Freund with UND (2011-2023) and Freuchte (2024). Based on getting someone who purely knows winning football, that also coincidentally happens to mean getting someone not recently (or ever) associated with UND football in the past.

Understood. Looking back at 2013, the “village idiots” on here actually made the right decision. But, what do us diehards know?

I realize simply looking away from those with UND ties has been frowned upon on here, but the more I think about it, I want someone hired with no ties. The past 15 years has overall been rough for UND considering what NDSU and SDSU has accomplished. A winner with no ties to UND is preferred. Need new ideas, new philosophies, new blood. That means no to Schmidt, Freund, and even Fruechte. I like Luke Schleusner but really that would count him out also.

It’s actually incredibly important they don’t release finalists. Doing that publicly just deters potential applicants from applying.

If I recall correctly, UND and Schmidt’s defense stopped the run pretty well from 2014-2016 but it got worse 2017-2019. UND was always fairly porous against the pass, particularly on 3rd down.

Recruits see the big things are on the way for UND football and the potential is high if the right coach is hired …

And what would tell you or convince you that Fruechte, with his limited coaching experience, would have the connections to fix the defense? I’m concerned and don’t think he should be a top candidate despite how nice he is and how new he is to UND football.

Scheme don’t matter if the scheme don’t work. Schmidt’s defense in 2024 at San Diego State and at UND from 2014-2019 were below average.

I think there’s better candidates who’ve also accomplished quite a bit.

He’s not in my top 10. He was a part of the 2024 debacle. And I understand it’s a limited sample size, but same could be said as to why it’s too risky to commit to him. His teams at Winona State weren’t good either.

Schmidt defenses have been average to bad. Schleusner has made a ton of connections to a good defense at SDSU, I would guess the defense would get a makeover with him. Freund I would be concerned about. I think Schleusner is the best candidate of the 3 with Schmidt being 2nd.

Good group of recruits coming in. Nice to see; they committed to the program and new facilities and not just the head coach (not necessarily surprising). **Big things are coming for UND FB and everyone sees it …

27-0 at UNI in 2023 to forfeit all momentum? 24-6 loss @ Nicholas State in 2019? Still apart of the losing season in 2021… Love Danny but if this is a true national search, then no thanks, doesn’t crack the top 10.

Same argument as Fruechte. If he was the answer, why wasn’t UND winning playoff games and championships with him and Bubba from 2014-2023? No thanks, need new ideas and a new philosophy, and these guys from the Bubba coaching tree (Eric Schmidt, Danny Freund, even to a degree Isaac Fruechte) don’t offer that.

I agree, which is why I actually think USD’s OC is a better candidate than their DC. Josh Davis literally has won everywhere he has been and USD’s turnaround actually coincides with his hiring for 2023. My top #7 (if these were to all apply and be interested, which I have no idea if they will): #1 Beau Baldwin - issues are age, perhaps, and poor performances his past few seasons (Arizona State, Cal Poly), but he did excellent as a head coach at EWU and did quite well as OC at Cal. He’s my #1 because of proven track record as a head coach. #2 Luke Schleusner - successful runs as offensive staff member at SDSU, knows UND and the Midwest, and as of late, he’s been doing very well as OC at Idaho. No head coaching experience, which is negative compared to Baldwin, but he’s a good recruiter and teacher, really a young innovative offensive mind in college football with the age and future prospects to look to move up and bring UND to new heights on that journey upward. As for defense, he could bring defensive assistant coach Hunter Hughes (2011 Football Scoop Division II Coordinator of the Year and Former West Texas A&M Head Coach) with him from Idaho. #3 Todd Hoffner Up in years which is only drawback otherwise he’s a North Dakota guy, has a degree from UND, and has had tremendous success at Minnesota State as the head coach. #4 Josh Davis - USD Turnaround for USD really started in 2023 with his hiring as their OC. Has extensive experience with SDSU prior to USD. No HC experience but obviously knows the Midwest and the Dakotas very well. #5 Travis Johansen - USD No HC experience but his defenses have rejuvenated USD the past couple seasons. #6 Eric Schmidt Nice that he’s been on successful staffs with Kalen DeBoer lately, but his track record as a defensive coordinator is not good. Period. SDSU defense awful in 2024, and last DC season before that was with UND in 2019 which ended with Nicholls State (that’s right, Nicholls State) running all over UND. Could not yield a playoff win for UND despite 6 seasons at UND. I’d pass based on poor defensive coordinator record, and don’t want to hire a guy based on who he knows from time with DeBoer rather than what he is capable of doing himself. Also he’s never been a collegiate head coach and have to think he’d draw from his experiences with Bubba. #7 Brent Bolte Only been at Bemidji St really, to be honest, and he’s had no real consistent playoff success until this season. He’s been a winning head coach, but no signifiant championship seasons. He has potential but not as much as more proven HC winners like Baldwin and Hoffner, and I don’t see him as innovative and connected as Schleusner and Schmidt.

USD defense (Johansen) can at least stop opponents and wins games. Schmidt’s defenses have been awful, both at UND and now at San Diego State.