UND-FB-FAN

Akron DC https://www.oregonlive.com/beavers/2022/03/former-oregon-state-defensive-coordinator-tim-tibesar-lands-the-dc-role-at-akron-says-report.html?outputType=amp They had a bad 2-9 season. I’d like to think he’d be at least available to come back to his alma mater if Bubba wanted to pursue it, BUT, I think UND’s petty coaching salary pool won’t allow it.

I think your stance is too complacent, but we can agree to disagree. By the way, Bubba = his staff = his players. It’s all connected. They share the same vision. Bubba hires and manages his staff. Bubba and his staff recruit and develop the players that make-up the roster; they don’t just get assigned to him. We can agree to disagree. I think Bubba and his program can continue to produce winning seasons at UND, but it won’t ever be championship caliber. Just too conservative and overwhelmed by big moments/games. I believe there needs to be a change for UND to at least have a chance at championships. For those who think a national search is too “big time”, then Bubba retiring and Freund being elevated is the next best thing. Nonetheless, for 2023, there won’t be any changes to scheme or coaches. I agree that for 2023 the players need to improve and they must acquire some better DI players via the transfer portal. Let’s see what happens. Despite what some think, I’ll be supporting UND football throughout.

I agree. Hope he joins UND football

Well that should’ve been well known a decade ago coming out of the nickname debacle! Also could’ve hired DeBoer! But here we are, just figuring it out now that we need to win for respect! UND can’t go around 0.500 every season and just expect everyone to just kiss their feet.

I mean, none of what he said was a surprise. It’s been said ad nauseam that all Bubba knows is the 3-4. If he’s head coach, UND will be a 3-4 defense, albeit whether it’s a good 3-4 defense or not remains to be seen. It’s been average at best the past 9 seasons.

Oh c’mon. Please see above, which I wrote “Bubba and his current staff are AVERAGE at running a division I college football program. ”

Agreed, go FBS *if* the Alerus Center is ever considered an FBS venue. Or, otherwise, within the next 25-50 years, build a bigger Grand Forks city building for UND football or build a combined UND football/basketball indoor stadium/facility on campus (see former Carrier dome/JMA wireless dome in Syracuse: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/JMA_Wireless_Dome).

This is correct. In fact, more specifically, you need 3 linemen that can consume the entire line of scrimmage. UND can’t control the line of scrimmage against good programs, like Weber and NDSU. Adding a 4th linemen if they went to a 4-3 base won’t help if said 4th linemen isn’t a better player than what they’ve been recruiting/developing. Having 4 average linemen is not necessary better than having 3 average linemen. It’s all still average.

It’s an issue against good teams, basically. But being poor against the run versus good teams is what gives you 1 playoff victory in the past 9 seasons.

Sounds good, but that’s a hell of a lot harder than it sounds. You can’t just simply re-label your defense from a 3-4 to a 4-3 and then expect instant results. You have to actually recruit and develop better players, on par with NDSU and SDSU, which this UND coaching staff has not proven they can do.

It’s not just the scheme, so you’re right, but there is a coaching deficiency beyond that. The roster management at UND is awful. Coaches recruit the players, and develop them not only physically but mentally. They are mentors, or not very good ones, depending on how they approach it. For UND, the personnel issues you suggest are certainly there, but it’s on the coaches to prevent those holes by recruiting and developing better players. How they approach the program and “patch holes” is a part of the job description. Bubba and his current staff are AVERAGE at running a division I college football program.

UND’s focus on football? If it’s so important to them and they want to “put in a focus”, then they need to put their money where their mouth is. The coaching salary pool is abysmal. Now simply paying the coaches more won’t make them coach better (although it could with more resources), but it will allow for more qualified hires.

Bubba *AND* his entire staff, yes. Recruiting is only a start; coaching and development starts after the commitment. The coaching and development part is average, just as is the recruiting. Certainly not above average or championship level. *Now, I’ll admit, the essentially minimum wage that some of UND’s coaches are payed is an absolute barrier and a problem.

I think Entz and Stig both have had grossly superior coaching staffs compared to Bubba’s UND staff. The concern is coaching, but it definitely is a group effort. By no means are the shortcomings entirely on Bubba’s shoulders, but rather the entire staff. SDSU’s offensive coordinator from last year is now head coach at Idaho, which had a good season. Entz is a goofy individual, but has maintained the championship brand at NDSU. As much crap as Tyler Roehl and Hedberg get, including from their own fans, I think they do a mighty fine job. The results speak for themselves.

I mean, I suppose I should be flattered to think my posts on this online forum are the reason that UND is 54-45 with 1 playoff victory over the past 9 seasons. You do make a reasonable argument, though. I’ll hold off on making any critical comments for at least this recruiting cycle. That should make you happy. If UND isn’t winning playoff games in 2023, then we’ll say that the experiment failed and apparently I wasn’t the reason for UND’s mediocrity. Although that will make me a bit disappointed as I guess I won’t be able to take the credit for UND’s woes anymore … If they do start winning playoff games, then I’ll happily stop all posting of criticism/evaluation.

Credit to your initial anecdote providing some context to the winemaking theory. That was nice and insightful. There can be more to the story, no doubt, and perhaps Bubba is a championship-caliber coach who just has got a bad break at Duluth and now UND, without the appropriate support. But let’s be honest; that’s wishful thinking and unlikely. Your opinion is valued, just like everyone’s is. However, interestingly, your smoke and mirror posts continue to cover up a glowing issue. “Our debates won’t be part of those decisions”. So, you’re saying that our opinions (this forum likely has some of the most loyal fans/alumni on it, but we’re perhaps a bit too outspoken. Well, after all, that’s the point of this forum!) won’t be valued. Perhaps the suit coats at UND should value our opinions. The University of North Dakota is a public institution. Albeit I admit it has to occur via different channels than an online forum, obviously. There are several well-educated folks that support UND that have *chosen* to not pursue athletic department leadership, not the other way around. We understand that your opinion is that Bubba has put together a strong staff and Bubba is a strong coach. We understand that he recruits Detroit Lakes and you are satisfied with the recruiting efforts. I respectfully disagree that he is a “strong coach”. He is an average division I coach. The programs at NDSU and SDSU are currently superior. Change will need to be made for UND to supplant these programs. Again, smoke and mirrors to move the conversation away from coaching is a fine tactic, and your opinion is valued, but I don’t agree with it. From an odds perspective, you are right: UND won’t terminate Bubba. It’s not because it’s wrong to terminate him, but rather that UND’s athletic department is financially conservative and does not want to be a national player in football. They have hockey for that. We all will carry on. You have accepted that, and support what you can. That is fine. Others, on this forum, still cling to a pipe dream that one day UND can win another national championship in football. I do as well, and for the time being, will support UND in that quest. But, my opinion is that level of accomplishment will require a change in current football leadership. Again, carry on. Happy Holidays.

You should be recruiting a whole line-up every season, agreed. But the staff sometimes cuts corners on that. Why? Recruiting is hard I guess? -poor Bubba and staff.

When it comes down to it, it’s just poor recruiting. Couple that with poor development, and you get average football. Don’t get me wrong, UND football does average and could always be worse, so some credit there. *BUT* the current staff’s recruiting and development/teaching plan is no where near that of NDSU and SDSU. I’m losing hope that UND can overcome those two programs with the current staff unless NDSU and SDSU both lose their staffs or else some NCAA penalties (for who knows what?) are imposed. Again, waiting for those programs to descend rather than UND just ascending themselves is going to be a long, long wait.

More like where has the culture and standard that developed Digger gone … ? (remember, Digger was part of the last UND streak that was superior to NDSU head-to-head; oh how I long for those times to return)

Did you witness the 2021 game between the two schools? Get your head out of your arse, although I’m sure that’s difficult given how big your head is.

Somewhere along the line, UND forgot how to coach and develop linebacker play. Unbelievable. LB play was god awful this season.

I think there’s a lot in the greater Grand Forks region that actually prefer the ol’ Two-Buck Chuck. Hence, here we are.

Based on what you’re highlighting (see 2016 to 2017, 2021 spring to fall), I worry 2023 could actually be a 6-5 playoff miss season.

Just one playoff win (2021 spring vs Missouri State) over the past 9 seasons. Ouch.

New leadership (different name at head coach) with more aggressive vision, leadership style, and recruiting tactics.