UND-FB-FAN

Negative posters? Okay so you’re a positive poster … glad we got that straightened out. What’s positive about losing nearly every road game and never winning post season games while regional rivals win playoff games, including national championships, year after year?

This is all just purely hypothetical, but it would seem this GOBC is the enemy given all the “inbreeding” concerns of late. Therefore, is @gfhockey actually the enemy?

I wish I could comprehend.

To be fair, their new employers (SDSU and Montana) were both better than NDSU in 2023.

I agree, not black and white, but UND football hasn’t faced an exodus like this before, at least not in the recent past. The mixed narrative explanation (that is, there are a lot of things in play for each coaching move) is really just a pathetic way to save face. In reality, if being honest with ourselves, we all know the writing is on the wall. Even folks who do not closely follow UND football or have any internal connections can see it. I do appreciate your (@jdub27) persistent loyalty to the current Bubba regime, though, although you’re likely to go down with the ship.

I mean, since going DI, UND football is 1-0 with Dale giving the pregame speech and it’s a big 1-0.

You’re absolutely correct, as always. Let’s see what the Nuke-stricken Titantic can do in 2024. I just hope there are consequences if the Titanic does indeed sink. If it doesn’t sink, then we’ll all be onboard celebrating in the end.

“No one is arguing this isn't an important year for a whole bunch of reasons. But some of the suggestions are so far from being based in reality, starting to think half this board is made up of ndsu accounts just having fun at UND's expense.” - that would count as paranoia. There’s a lot of pure love on this board for UND. No need to try make sense of disputes with this idea. Secondly, should UND be satisfied with a top 20 finish every year? With no playoff wins or chance at a championship. That seems like asinine low expectations considering how top heavy the FCS is, but I guess this highlights the simple dilemma UND athletics faces; is top 15-20 good enough? Coaching departures signify the football program is currently stuck in the 15-20 range and won’t ascend, anyways. Put yourself in their shoes. You wouldn’t move to a lateral FCS position for a slight pay raise if you thought there would be upcoming success at UND, as that itself would lead to much bigger opportunities (FBS). Clearly that is not what those [formerly] within the inside thought. Bubba is soon to retire or be asked to “retire”, so the staff with greater aspirations have left. It’s not hard to decipher. The solution is fire Bubba (or have him “retire”) and hire a better leader, someone who can further build the UND football program to championship standards. Bubba can’t do that.

As the Massey rankings suggest, UND is about ~15th in the FCS and I agree with that. But there are numerous concerns suggesting that UND’s ceiling under Bubba is around 15th (current coach exodus, no significant road wins, lack of leadership, mediocre recruiting, no playoff wins, etc.) and 2024 is likely a season of regression. NDSU and SDSU‘s success puts pressure on UND, yes, but that still doesn’t excuse extending a coach like Bubba year after year. In fact, NDSU and SDSU’s success should give Bubba less leniency, not more.

This is the type of paranoid rationalization I’d expect from someone who is too stubborn and nearsighted (credit to @The Sicatoka) to understand and accept what is needed for UND football to take that next step.

Much better than current situation. Bubba has imploded this program. He couldn’t see the writing on the wall. Stubborn, incompetent man towards the end … but he gets another year worth of payout. Always comes down to $. Would UND AD like more $ from football games, including playoffs? If so, get a better coach.

Ouch.

Agreed. Poor management strategy at this point, and it’s likely a combination of nearsightedness and stubbornness.

And why are they a step higher? That is the major question/concern. Because they ultimately are both FCS programs just like UND is. The reason why Montana and NDSU are perceived to be a step higher needs to be addressed if we want UND football to someday be a national champion, or do we not desire that?

Move up? These lateral moves are not moves up. If they are moves up, then that is a major indictment on how UND football is being ran. Lateral moves occur when the writing is on the wall. Lame duck program right now. I understand some of the sentiment, in that UND has desirable coaches, but the point still remains these are lateral moves and the most important coach to have be desirable is the head coach. He doesn’t appear to be very desirable.

Per Bubba’s program standards, if you don’t say UND, you won’t get the job. But we can all hope that Bubba won’t be here (at least as head football coach) in 365 days.

This isn’t entirely factual. UND’s counter offer was supposedly higher than SDSU’s offer. Rumor is Freund left anyway; hence, the signifiant concern that staff is leaving because the inevitable is near. Bubba has lost the program and there’s no championship future with him as head coach.

Fair question, although slightly controversial and paranoid, it is overall fair.

Lateral moves to conference rivals is not what we want. Young up-and-comer should be hired to the head job, not coordinator role and position coach roles where they fizzle out and leave a year or two later for a lateral role on a conference rival. If the head coach leaves to the FBS, then we would probably be happy with the success. Current head coach isn’t getting offers to FBS for a reason … same reason why his coordinators and position coaches are leaving. What this comes down to is the big picture. Stop kicking the can down the road; ask Bubba Schweigert to retire and take a different position or else face termination. This won’t happen until end of 2024 though at this point.

NDSU has won numerous championship. UND hasn’t won a single playoff game (unless you count diluted pandemic season). Apples to oranges comparison. one or two coaches may be coincidental, but when you have numerous coaches leaving for lateral roles back to back to back, there is a trend. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. But sure, stick your head in the mud, ignore the burning house while you sit in it, whistle happily on the sinking ship, whatever it takes. Hopefully leadership doesn’t take the same approach and has a contingency plan; failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Could argue that is reason UND football is where it is.

Defensive staff is full of inbred ineptitude so really the turnover has come from the only staff worth anything in the long-term (hence the reason they went to top regional programs). Overall, this situation is awful for UND football. Hopefully some big-time decisions will be made in approximately 10 months to save UND football program.

Not coincidental here it’s the ol’ gray haired guy who overstays his welcome … (for historical context, Edward Smith and Bubba Schweigert should not be confused as the same person)

Bubba will be the head coach still in ‘24. I have no idea about ‘25. I’m not even sure the people who are making the final decisions know about 2025 at this point. We’ll just have to see how it goes in 2024 for starters.

That’s not the only tipping point. New guy has no FBS coaching experience, and minimal division 1 (FCS) experience. I’m not expecting 2024 to go great for UND, but ultimately, I have no idea what to expect out of the new offensive coordinator. Winona State didn’t exactly light it up last year. We will see…

most don’t like losing