Fire Muss

[UND-FB-FAN]

If the undisciplined play continues along with a couple more blowouts, then I fully suspect Mussman to be gone by the end of the season. The pressure would then be on Faison to go through a diligent process that results in the kind of coach and leader UND needs to compete for Big Sky titles and FCS national titles. Now, with that said, I don't believe firing Mussman during the season would do much good. Just as well let him coach it out, and while he does that, I will continue to support the program the best I can. After all, UND could still make the postseason mathematically speaking. The way last Saturday went, however, playoffs don't seem very realistic anymore. Certainly upsetting considering we're only 3 weeks into a highly anticipated season and already playoffs seem out of the question.

[ericpnelson]

Fine, you can look at the transitional period. I am choosing to look at this season. It is off to a bad start, I was expecting a slow start giving an inexperienced QB and a defense that is going to take a another year or two to fix - unless you go with a heavy JUCO/drop down approached. Based on the recruiting last year and this summer and the lack of significant drop downs or JUCOs. It is clear the coaches are going to rebuild the defense with 4 year players. That is going to take time. So, I was not optimistic about a major change on the defensive side of the ball. Overall, I felt like this was going to be a .500 team and they might be able to win one of the four major home games.

Notice what the Griz did to rebuild the offense - two major drop downs - one a Florida commit who ended up at Marshall and was Conference USA Freshman of the Year who is now at Montana, a stud receiver from Washington and they reinstated a QB. Quick question how do you go from a Florida recruit to Montana in a couple of years - the guy has got some baggage. It does not mean he isn't a good guy, but he is a risk. Do we want UND to take those types of risks? Or do we want to take a patience long term approach and build from within. Again, it is clear - UND is rebuilding from within and I support that approach and it is going to take a couple of years to do that... I am fine with that..

I count the transition. It happened. People paid to see it. You can blame Lennons recruits if you want and say he left the cupboard bare for Muss, but if my memory serves correct those recruits at least hung in there with montana (and in montana). They did it with a physical brand too.

I would be more willing to wait if there was anything done in the last few years to inspire hope. Our signature win is half a great west title which the opposing team thought was so bad they canned the coach in a matter of hours

I would be more patient like you if there was anything in the last 5 years to inspire. Instead every chance we have to make a statement its not even competitive. Most of this forum's expectations for the coming weeks is "hope the scores aren't too bad."

I agree the recruits he has coming in look good but I was also lead to believe Joey Bradley was going to make me forget about Danny Freund.

[FSSD]

But to try and rationalize anything other than this program is close to going in the tank...mostly due to the lack of direction, discipline and leadership from its HC ...is absurd.

I don't think this program is going in the tank. I like the coordinators that we have in place. I think given time they will produce. Muss sat a couple players last year for skipping class and he sat a player this year for unknown reasons. He kicked Murray off the team. I believe this is the first year that UND has had a full set of assistant coaches. Is Muss the right guy, I don't know that this point. But, I am going to wait until the end of the season to make my evaluation.

[FSSD]

Play out?? To what??? 6-5 with 3 a** kickings (2 more to come) and then justify that it wasn't a step back and progress was made compared to last year???

My old coach used to say - "You are never as good as your best game and you are never as bad as your worst." You have a highs/lows during a season. Let the season build and see what you have at the end.

[ericpnelson]

My old coach used to say - "You are never as good as your best game and you are never as bad as your worst." You have a highs/lows during a season. Let the season build and see what you have at the end.

We aren't as good as half a great west title and not as bad as one of the three butt kickings we've taken from the class of the big sky?

[UNDBIZ]

19-26 fcs record. Ofer against fbs. 0 wins over fcs playoff teams. In Muss's tenure the receiving core has improved and every other position is worse than it was in dII. That resume speaks for itself.

[Matt]

When this team gets spanked by MSU and EWU, what will the confidence and determination be like by the time they head to PSU and UNA?

I think that home game vs Sac State will be a massive gut check. If they don't get some confidence out of that to take on the road, this season could absolutely devastate the program.

[zonadub]

We aren't as good as half a great west title and not as bad as one of the three butt kickings we've taken from the class of the big sky?

[FSSD]

You aren't happy about the program.....but you think this regime should get more time, even with the sorry record we have posted against ranked FCS teams during the past 5 years? That was what the photo was for, you are kidding yourself if you think things are going to get better before they get worse.

This teams strengths are on the offensive side of the ball and we have started two R-Fr at QB - I think they have the opportunity to greatly improve over the season. Now, if we could just get the O-line going.

[Oxbow6]

19-26 fcs record. Ofer against fbs. 0 wins over fcs playoff teams. In Muss's tenure the receiving core has improved and every other position is worse than it was in dII. That resume speaks for itself.

This...^^^^^^!

Equate that ineptitude to any other profession that's performance bassd and "he gone"!

[Oxbow6]

Just watched Bohl's pressed about Gameday coming on local TV news. Just can't stress enough how differently he carries himself in front of the media compared to Muss.

Night and day...kind of like the 2 programs.

[Matt]

This is teams strengths are on the offensive side of the ball and we have started two R-Fr - I think they have the opportunity to greatly improve over the season. Now, if we could just get the O-line going.

It seems as though that is another area of regression as I've read back through as much pre season analysis as I could find and that was supposed to be a solid to improved unit this season.

[tnt]

My biggest concern is if by chance that in a few years the defense and o-line do come around, do you have to start all over trying to assemble the talent at the receiver and quarterback positions. We were told a couple of years ago that it was just a matter of getting a little depth at defense and the offensive line so when someone goes down with an injury, you can plug someone else in. Right now, I am not so sure our starters in any of those positions are top-notch Big Sky talent. What scares me more is everything that was stressed over the summer doesn't appear to have made any strides, including the offensive line which Mussman should know better than any position having been a lineman and worked with that group. Our signature win as far as I'm concerned is still beating Northern Iowa in the Division 2 days. You would think you would luck into stopping a team on defense just by being aggressive and blitzing here and there.

[Cratter]

Here comes Sack City: 0

[Cratter]

"UND isnt getting any worse. Northern Colorado is just getting better."

[geaux_sioux]

but I was also lead to believe Joey Bradley was going to make me forget about Danny Freund.

Who said that?

[geaux_sioux]

We aren't as good as half a great west title and not as bad as one of the three butt kickings we've taken from the class of the big sky?

To call it half of a Great West title is a slap in the face of the players that busted their asses and never have up for that title. That 2011 team deserves respect, they won alot of games ugly.

[geaux_sioux]

Just watched Bohl's pressed about Gameday coming on local TV news. Just can't stress enough how differently he carries himself in front of the media compared to Muss.

Night and day...kind of like the 2 programs.

All I have to say to that is Brewster. I don't care how a coach handles the media. It's not what he was hired to do. Some give a !@#$ about it like Bohl and some don't like Belichik.

[southpaw]

I agree with FSSD that firing Muss now doesn't do a whole lot of good. Recruiting is going to suffer regardless because hopefully our coach next year isn't in the program right now. So let Muss and the assistants finish out the year. It's going to be rough. With some luck and growth throughout the year, they could eek out 7 wins and squeek into the expanded playoff field before being destroyed. There are a lot of injuries that definitely played a role. The biggest thing I noticed on Saturday was our secondary just let everyone run by them. That's not coaching, that's horrible DBs.

I don't think Muss is the guy. I expected Faison to open up the checkbook for the next coach, as he has done for new coaches post-transition. I hope they finish with 6 wins but at the same time, if they do that then Muss may be back next year. Right now, I just want a win at Idaho State when I'm there in person.

[geaux_sioux]

Darryl Brown and Kuksa are clearly in a different class when compared to the rest of our DBs.

[BigGame]

It doesn't do any good to fire a coach during the season! It will not change things for the better! If at the end of the season it happens, my hope would be that they move very fast in finding a new coach in order to not completely screw up recruiting.

I am still holding out until the end of the season to make a final judgement on the team and staff but it doesn't look very good right now.

[UND-FB-FAN]

To call it half of a Great West title is a slap in the face of the players that busted their asses and never have up for that title. That 2011 team deserves respect, they won alot of games ugly.

It is what it is; that team won some DII games, barely beat the FCS teams they played (UC Davis, South Dakota, SUU, and UNC), almost lost to Sioux Falls, got embarrassed by a bad Idaho team (but that was okay by Mussman because Idaho is FBS and those games are meant to just be 'fun'), and lost to the one good FCS team they played in Cal Poly. That team won the majority of games they played, and that is good, but also that schedule was nothing like what we will see year in and year out in the Big Sky.

All I have to say to that is Brewster. I don't care how a coach handles the media. It's not what he was hired to do. Some give a !@#$ about it like Bohl and some don't like Belichik.

Tim Brewster never put together any good seasons (15-30 in 4 seasons) - his confidence was fake. Bohl and Belichick both win consistently and have significant winning records. Throwing Brewster and Mussman into the same discussion as Bohl and Belichick is ridiculous. And by the way, I think Belichick handles the media just fine by simply deferring a lot of their questions. But, Belichick is a professional NFL coach, not an FCS college coach; not a good example for UND's coaching situation.

[UND-FB-FAN]

It doesn't do any good to fire a coach during the season! It will not change things for the better! If at the end of the season it happens, my hope would be that they move very fast in finding a new coach in order to not completely screw up recruiting.

I am still holding out until the end of the season to make a final judgement on the team and staff but it doesn't look very good right now.

I agree, don't do anything right now with the coaching situation. I mean, it's still possible to make the playoffs with a win against MSU and their back-up QB and a good stretch of wins to finish off the year! Most are penciling in EWU as a lost, as do I, but the rest of the games are winnable. UND could still lose 2 more games, go 7-4, and sneak into the playoffs.

Now, in the likely event UND doesn't make the playoffs, Mussman should be relieved of his duties. This team has not shown legitimate talent accumulation since going DI and the nickname situation is nothing more than an excuse. Mussman and his staff have not been able to recruit talented players like NDSU and SDSU have, and that's resulted in UND getting blown out by the top Big Sky programs. Plus, Mussman's leadership and preparation skills appear to not be DI caliber; his coaching record speaks for itself.

[geaux_sioux]

Brewster had everyone sold until he started coaching based off of his people skills and charisma.

[geaux_sioux]

I agree, don't do anything right now with the coaching situation. I mean, it's still possible to make the playoffs with a win against MSU and their back-up QB and a good stretch of wins to finish off the year! Most are penciling in EWU as a lost, as do I, but the rest of the games are winnable. UND could still lose 2 more games, go 7-4, and sneak into the playoffs.

Now, in the likely event UND doesn't make the playoffs, Mussman should be relieved of his duties. This team has not shown legitimate talent accumulation since going DI and the nickname situation is nothing more than an excuse. Mussman and his staff have not been able to recruit talented players like NDSU and SDSU have, and that's resulted in UND getting blown out by the top Big Sky programs. Plus, Mussman's leadership and preparation skills appear to not be DI caliber; his coaching record speaks for itself.

Lets say he does get fired. Whoever takes over will find a load of young talent( fr rfr and so). I still feel after this season the secondary dline and oline need some juco help.