UND-FB-FAN

Who would have thought UND having a winning football program would be a headache? I guess the hockey only people would maybe think that... The more I analyze/correlate the on-the-field results and the expectations of some "supporters", the more I think mediocre is all UND football has to look forward to in the DI era. Possibly reasons why ex-associates, like Tibesar and Bollinger, don't even look twice at the job. Hockey. Hockey. Hockey. Canada. Canada. Canada. I'll save the rest until the actual hire is made. I digress.

You'd be fine with hiring a guy with a .500 record as a head coach, mediocre FCS coordinator success, and no FBS experience over someone who was scapegoated, never charged with a formal crime, and led a Big Sky team to the FCS playoff semi-finals just two years ago? That mindset is troubling. It's reliance on the idea we can only hire coaches with close connections to the program that will ultimately never get this program anywhere. Eventually this athletic department has to get ambitious and hire a legitimate DI head coach candidate. Otherwise UND will continue to be only a hockey school during the DI era.

Central Michigan offensive coordinator Mike Cummings should be in the top 9. I wouldn't be too disappointed if he got it. Also, he has recruiting coordinator experience at Marshall. Ironic since McComas, the video game applicant, is associated with Marshall.

Common sense tells me the entire 2011 Montana staff should have been removed if the football PROGRAM was responsible for concealing inappropriate player behavior. The fact only Pflugrad was fired, and one of his assistants was promoted to head coach, says a whole lot about what happened in Missoula. Nevertheless, I guess UND will be going with the "pretty boy" in this process, which will likely end up being Bubba Schweigert. Bubba will have to prove he can be a successful head coach. His UM-Duluth teams didn't start playing "big boy" football until he left; coincidence or not?

Maybe to a robot or the mechanized human resources process that goes on at UND... I agree that what happened in Montana does bring up some issues, I suppose. But I still think his credentials should have got him an on-campus interview. Not saying he should be downright hired, although he is my favorite, but his past success should have warranted an interview in my opinion.

If Pflugrad didn't make it into the top 9, then this hiring process certainly has some flaws.

Mills would be a okay candidate. His DC experience at New Mexico and assistant experience at Washington should help. Only problem being his New Mexico defenses were pathetic. Also, Mills is unemployed right now, so a salary number around 180k should be more than fine. His defense at New Mexico this year was so horrible it got him fired. http://sports.yahoo.com/news/unm-coach-defensive-coordinator-not-000825948--ncaaf.html

A national search probably shouldn't end up with Bubba. He has had limited success as a head coach and FCS coordinator, and no FBS experience. The reason you conduct a national search is to find a qualified, experienced coach that doesn't necessarily have connections to UND. I'm still holding out hope that a national SEARCH means Faison will go out and hire someone he knows through his network. But, I have a feeling, Bubba Schweigert will be the guy.

I don't expect the program to compete for a conference title for a few years, but they shouldn't get blown out by conference opponents starting next season. Preventing blowouts against Big Sky teams is all about discipline and the mindset of the team. If the new coach is gonna right the ship, the first thing they need to take care of is the discipline and mindset (instill a winning one) of the team when they get here.

How do you know that subsequent success at UMD wasn't because of Bob Nielson, who now already has a head coaching job. Bottom line is Bubba was not at Duluth when they started winning titles.

Probably.

Although Bubba would be a solid hire, he definitely wouldn't be a sure thing or exceptional hire. He would have to prove he can lead a team as a head coach. When at UM-Duluth, he only had a .500 record. Saying his recruits went on to have success is just extreme sugarcoating. I'm not convinced because he has a mediocre head coaching record and a passive personality. He would need to prove himself in my opinion, and I'm not comfortable with taking that chance in terms of this hire.

Looking like everyone should expect Bubba to be named head coach sometime around Christmas. The fact it took a month to get this thing done is absolutely ridiculous. Formal on-campus interviews starting Monday with a hire happening about a week after.

You mean to BECOME competitive...

Head coach salary will be improved by approximately 70k...that's significant. Not sure how much the assistant salaries will be improved, but anything is better than where it was at.

Has Okruch officially applied?

Just win. If Pflugrad comes in here and installs his spread schemes, and we are competing for a Big Sky title every season, nobody will be upset.

We don't NEED a "smashmouth" offense. An offense only needs to be able to consistently put up points and not turn the ball over. Pflugrad's system will do that. His offensive experiences at Arizona State, Washington State, Oregon, Montana, and Weber State make him more than qualified; he knows how to put up points. Auburn runs a little bit more inside veer because they have a more physical quarterback in Marshall (and back in 2010 with Newton), who also isn't very great at throwing the ball. Oregon runs the same concepts but they have smaller running backs this season and a very capable passer in Mariota; therefore, they throw the ball alot more than Auburn does. The spread option offense has the capability of being all kinds of "smashmouth" if you want it to be. Pflugrad ran inside zone with Moore at Montana and he got all kinds of short-yardage. Ohio State and Urban Meyer and their spread option system have smashed people all year with Braxton Miller and 230-lb running back Hyde. If Pflugrad comes in, the one thing you will notice immediately is his DI experience, both FBS and Big Sky. He will start doing things to get this program on track to be a competitive Big Sky football program. He knows the type of players to recruit, the type of systems to run, and most importantly, how to operate/facilitate a division I football team.

Absolutely. Short, formal emails are certainly positive. Nothing too long or sloppy, and please do not send imperative statements.

That's nonsense. Auburn runs something similar and look where there at. National Championship in 2010 and playing for another in January. Sam Houston State runs something similar, also, and they have been in the past two FCS national championships. Only apart of the equation is the scheme you run; most of it is the talent of the players and execution/discipline. In case people haven't been to a game in over a decade, we now play in the climate-controlled Alerus Center...not in Memorial anymore people.

How many of the applicants have been a head coach and won their conference (not to mention the same conference we're in), plus have FBS recruiting coordinator experience? That narrows it down real quick. Pflugrad is the best applicant. Pflugrad doesn't have baggage. He will not be a distraction and he is not likely to cause problems in the future. Therefore, he has no baggage. Just because he was sanctioned by the NCAA and scapegoated doesn't mean he has baggage.

http://www.cornnation.com/2013/1/10/3861426/husker-assistant-football-coaches-get-raises-becks-pay-doubles Looks like Barney Cotton makes $255,000 a year and Ross Els makes $230,000 a year, so these two are very unlikely. I expect the base salary for the next coach to be somewhere around $180,000, depending on experience.

There certainly are a lot of local connections along with Faison knowing him from his NMSU days. He deserves a look. Obviously he didn't apply but Faison is reaching out to people so perhaps he will give Els a call. Plus he has a 32-9 record as a head coach (Hastings College)

Any of the initially mentioned candidates that haven't applied or someone in Faison's vast network.

As a coach and recruiter, I absolutely love Pflugrad. He needs to get the job. His FBS and Big Sky experience are critical. I don't agree with people saying he brings along baggage. Baggage is something that someone brings in as a distraction, or they possess something that could get them in trouble again. Pflugrad was wrongfully sanctioned by the NCAA, but he doesn't have baggage. That is nonsense. I can see him not getting hired because he was associated with his previous AD losing his job (which is Faison's position!), and there are rumors that the coach is not on the applicant list. From the list of applicants, though, Pflugrad needs to be the guy! He'll build our program into a competitive program and a top Big Sky program.