UND-FB-FAN

Elevate his role somehow? Co-OC? All sounds nice but … Bottomline is pay him more and recognize his importance or lose him. Doesn’t help the coach on current staff that is paid the most happens to be quite expendable.

Probably shouldn’t be on a fan site if you get that easily annoyed, but that’s just my two cents. Oh, and I still assume friend or family.

Family or friend?

Maybe have Pawlak go to OC and Freund go to HC? If UND continues to lose coaches to NDSU all while failing to move on from mediocre coaches, then, well, UND will continue to be mediocre. Again, you either change and keep up with the times or get left behind.

Agree with Freund and Pawlak for sure. Hiring of OL coach Pawlak, which was coordinated by then newly promoted OC Freund, is probably the best staff hire of Bubba’s tenure. The other coaching changes have mostly felt like forced internal promotions, largely on the defensive side of the ball. Minimal outside influence has hurt this group, and here we are; awful defense in 2022 and 2023. Surprise? I think not. Joe Pawlak was hired from University of Iowa, and it’s no surprise that diversity and outside influence has paid dividends. Wonder if other outside influence / diverse hires would be worth it? Hmm …?? You either change and keep up with the times or get left behind.

Per Tom Miller article: https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/college/unds-2024-recruiting-class-stresses-offensive-line-emphasis?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar

Could be looked at like a Scapegoat move. Something had to be done in 2018 (missed playoffs two years in a row after a conference championship), so Rudolph and Knauf let go. Something needed to be done now this year (squandering second 1/2 of season), so Baukol let go. But never ever would the head coach be held accountable … God forbid…

Some change confirmed. Wish Nate Baukol well in his future endeavors, but this is the minimum amount of change justified for UND football at this time. Likely more - much more - is needed, but this is at least a start.

Perhaps not a bad arrangement. Many schools around the country (of course most all FBS) where the head football coach carries way more weight than the AD.

@jdub27 country club much? Championships > lounges.

Are you actually this clueless or just pretending … I can’t tell. There are a few good ones on this staff, and to my knowledge they all have great intentions, but the overall direction and leadership (head coach) clearly is not working to elevate UND football further. The main voice in the room isn’t ascending the program. That’s been the main theme all along, but yet you miss the boat and try deviate with this crap?

Certainly a worthwhile consideration. Bubba taking this program for a nosedive to end his career?

Was worried about this. UND cleaning house in late 2024 even more likely at this point …

Solid prospects. Defense is bare; more talent needed all over.

Of course. That *should* be the goal for UND, but several are satisfied with playoff participation awards. Extend a losing coach, don’t buyout lame duck coach, decade of mediocrity, fail to hire best candidate, good ol’ boys, etc.

Been a narrative for years and they keep bouncing back in the postseason time and time again. There’s support and expectations in place, which UND football is still trying to desperately grow (extending a coach after a losing season … my god). I hope NDSU doesn’t win another game for 50 years, but that’s my heart; my head says they’ll be back as good as ever (may not win it all but still dang good) again next year.

Was thinking the same thing. 2024 schedule is a good one for UND fans, but I doubt the results will be what us UND fans want (unless you’re hoping for a coaching change).

Don’t know if would say fU is “done” but I’m right there with ya in that it’s great to see them not be in the championship this year.

Play-callers just love to overthink it … whereas us on our couches just love to think we have all the answers. And the world goes round and round, different day, same story.

NDSU loses. Thank God. Right to the wire though. Give ‘em credit, they got a ton better after 10/14/23, whereas UND went on vacation and got worse. NDSU/Entz deserves credit..enjoy the promotion and sunny Cali. Bubba needs to retire…still.

We wasn’t anything special either.

South Dakota State wins 59-0 in a semifinal!? … hats off to them. That’s impressive.

In this context, live bullets means competition in an actual game, so unless a QB not on roster currently will be starting week 1 in Ames, Feeney or Kaminski will eventually face “live bullets”. It’s no longer 1973; SS is now quiescent. Oh, and correction: coaches *should* play whoever gives the team the best chance to win; but, coaches can occasionally be wrong too.

We’ll find out. Until live bullets are flying, though, hard to say with certainty what we’ll get. I certainly hope 1 of the 2 is ready to go, and for starters, I hope it’s a fair, open competition. No favoritism or promises.