Fire Muss

[Shawn-O]

Are there any recent examples of FCS schools firing coaches during the season, at least for reasons other than off-the-field scandals? Clearly it happens at the FBS level, but I honestly don't know how rare it is at lower levels.

Rare...but not completely unheard of...

http://en.wikipedia....football_season

I went back to 2010 & 2011 and didn't see any.

[darell1976]

Anyone else remember this??

http://espn.go.com/n...ap?id=282620304

POCATELLO, Idaho -- A 204-yard rushing effort by North Dakota tailback Josh Murray and 237 yards passing by quarterback Danny Freund led the Fighting Sioux to a 38-35 win over Idaho State Thursday night.

North Dakota improved to 4-0 while Idaho State remains winless at 0-3.

After North Dakota took a 31-7 lead on the opening drive of the second half, Idaho State scored 21 points to cut the visitors' lead to 31-28 with just over nine minutes to play.

How UND could be like rushing for over 200 yards. I miss those days, also does anyone find it weird the 2013 defense gave up over 40 points to opponents in the two games AT HOME, and we only gave up 38 AT Texas Tech. Only one team in 09 scored over 40 points (SFA), while 5 teams have scored over 40 in the last 15 games!!!! What the hell happened to our defense!!

[UND Fan]

Unfortunately this game will be far more difficult than it should be. They will be smelling blood, and UND has no confidence.

I would be very surprised if we beat Idaho St. With our current lack of: 1) performance, 2) leadership, 3) confidence and 4) maturity - I am afraid we will lose by 10 or more.

[UND92,96]

Muss is currently 29-29 in his career as head coach. You have to go back to the 1940's for the last time a UND head coach ended his tenure with a sub-.500 record.

[SiouxFan100]

I will repeat my question in this thread. From my limited knowledge, we are our not big enough, fast enough, strong enough, smart enough, coached well enough to compete at the upper level. Do you believe that a whole team can just have "bad games?" It appears that we are still years away from getting to where I hope we will be.

[UND-1]

I will repeat my question in this thread. From my limited knowledge, we are our not big enough, fast enough, strong enough, smart enough, coached well enough to compete at the upper level. Do you believe that a whole team can just have "bad games?" It appears that we are still years away from getting to where I hope we will be.

What's your point? There isn't a person on this board that would disagree with you.

[homer]

I will repeat my question in this thread. From my limited knowledge, we are our not big enough, fast enough, strong enough, smart enough, coached well enough to compete at the upper level. Do you believe that a whole team can just have "bad games?" It appears that we are still years away from getting to where I hope we will be.

You can be big, fast and strong but if you constantly kill yourself with missed tackles, dropped passes, dumb penalties and get outcoached by a game plan you are not going to win games. There are some things talent alone cannot overcome. Do we currently have the talent to run the table and win the Big Sky?- Not currently. However, we are not 40 points worse than Montana and Montana St based on talent alone. I believe that.

[SiouxFan100]

Sorry - I guess my point is that some may say that a big part of the problem is effort. I am wondering even if the effort was there would we be able to compete.

[darell1976]

I will repeat my question in this thread. From my limited knowledge, we are our not big enough, fast enough, strong enough, smart enough, coached well enough to compete at the upper level. Do you believe that a whole team can just have "bad games?" It appears that we are still years away from getting to where I hope we will be.

Is it because we are losing to ranked teams? Maybe, but losing to ranked teams are one thing, getting the crap beat out of you at home is another. This team doesn't show the will to win. They see the team down 14-0 and it's here we go again type attitude. We are playing a bottom feeder this week and if we can't blow them out with DI players (unlike in 08) then just pack it in and clean house. Excuses are out!!

[UND-1]

Sorry - I guess my point is that some may say that a big part of the problem is effort. I am wondering even if the effort was there would we be able to compete.

I believe a fair amount of the players are mentally weak so yes, I think effort is part of the equation. Its just sad we got to this point where "effort" is even a part of a discussion.

[SiouxFan100]

I would like to believe that the vast amount of players give the effort. That would mean to me that we just don't have enough talent (size, speed, strength, coaching etc) and we way overestimated how good we were going to be this year. Again, captain obvious - but it puts a different perspective for me. I never imagined that we would get blown out and not be competitive and it hurts. Maybe we just expected too much too soon? Maybe SU made it look too easy? I see our linemen being manhandled - I just gotta believe that they have too much pride to just let it happen and they are generally giving what they have??

[gfhockey]

II emailed faison hoping he would respond cuz i did mention the buffet...basically asked him where we can donate for a new coach....

Didnt get nothing back other than a thank you for you for your interest in und athletics. This email has been forwarded on to the correct person

Whcih i beg to ask who calls the shots?

[UND-FB-FAN]

Team looked disorganized at times. No excuse. Still tooo many penalties, lack or discipline, no excuse. Kids either don't know assignments or just flat our are making mistakes. Occasionally a receiver will be wide open, but three or four times in one game??? Twice D-backs came up to make a tackle and backed off. I have never seent hat before at UND.

Once game has been decided, you get other kids in there. Why didn't they get Sparks in?? Why didn't they get Varner in the last two games so he could play in front of Montana fans? Why didn't they get any back up linebackers in. See what they can do in a game situation cuz when you get your ass run over by a smaller RB when you have a clean shot at him then someone else can miss tackles as well as you can. When you don't get the others kids in during these games they will be disgruntled and when kids are disgruntled when you are losing you will have problems. Coaches who don't understand the psycholgy of coaching make those mistakes. It won't win the game but it sends a message to those who aren't getting the job and to those who are on the sidelines convinced they can do better that they will get a shot. Receivers lack some fundamentals despite their talent. Gollady needs to go after the damn ball even if it isn't a perfect throw. I was disappointed in a couple of throws that he didn't adjust his route to go after the ball. Can't believe receivers are still dropping passes. Basic fundamental is you look the ball into your hands, make the catch and anything else is "gravy".

I am not convinced our talent level is that far off, but how can one argue when we have played so poorly. There are signs of "life" but we can't sustain that. It doesn't matter how fast or slow you are but if you are in position to make a tackle and don't then it comes down to who you are and your own character. The other thing that someone should do is tell our damn D-backs that when you are getting your ass kicked you shut the hell up and try and play better rather than trash talk.

Detroit Lakes played in EGF friday and I didn't see any UND coaches. We have a 6' 3" 255 lb D-end who runs a 4.85 40. He might be a MLB at the college level or a D- end. UND hasn't even bothered talking to him. The other tackle D-linemean is 6' 2" 270 lb kid who dominates at this level. The Ag school talks to him and our QB weekly but our coaching staff doesn't think they can play. Wonder who is correct. This will be the first time in 22 yrs we will lose our hold on the DL kids. They only way we will win recruiting battles is to ourwork the other schools and we are getting out worked. I asked one of our coaches at the end of July why they weren't talking to our kids in DL and he didn't know which coach had our area for recruiting. The other problem this creates is that we ahve a 285lb Soph lineman who might be our best kid. Although our center may not be a D1 FCS level kid he is 6' 5" and weighs 265 lbs.

If our former UND players are doign their job they won't let these things happen. The Heag (sp?) kid who starts for the Bison at tackle the last 2 years walked on there. One of the Brainerd coaches who played at UND couldn't get UND to scholarship him. He will have a shot at an NFL career. Not sure what the hell these guys are thinking some times but pissing off area coaches and alumni won't get you any support when Faison has to make a decsion. Too many red flags for me to have confidence in these guys right now.

I agree entirely with this post - very well said. There are two major differences between Bohl and NDSU's staff (or any winning college football staff) and Mussman and UND's staff: local recruiting and football psychology/leadership. Bohl does indeed recruit every football-playing high school in the state of ND and he comes away with talented kids from the state year in and year out. Examples are Beck from Munich, Ryan Smith from Wahpeton, Carson Wentz from Bismarck, etc. Not to mention the Minnesota, Wisconsin, and even Nebraska kids who are prevalent on their roster. Now, simply acquiring the local kids is only half of the story. You need to be able to get the local kids to buy into the program, which includes workouts, team meetings, and ultimately build the confidence of a winner. NDSU has put a winning PROGRAM in place that local kids can plug right into and produce. And we all know local kids are generally going to play with more pride and enthusiasm than non-local kids from California and Florida. They are familiar with the UND's tradition and have a sense of commitment to UND's alumni group.

With Mussman and staff, the local recruiting emphasis is not there. In addition, his players are not disciplined or confident because they are not held to a high standard. Mussman is an arrogant individual that has no plan (or at least a good one) in place and the kids have lost all confidence. There's no reason you can't get players to come in, buy into a program, and work their butts off for each other. That's simply not going on here right now; the players are not being held accountable because Mussman simply doesn't know how to do that.

At the end of the year, I expect Faison to bring in a proven DI coach that can lead a program and assemble a quality staff. I feel bad for the players, because the talent is there to compete with each and every Big Sky team, but the student-athletes aren't being prepared correctly, both physically and mentally.

[Oxbow6]

Remember people brighter days are ahead...puck drops at the Ralph this Sunday!!!

[geaux_sioux]

I agree entirely with this post - very well said. There are two major differences between Bohl and NDSU's staff (or any winning college football staff) and Mussman and UND's staff: local recruiting and football psychology/leadership. Bohl does indeed recruit every football-playing high school in the state of ND and he comes away with talented kids from the state year in and year out. Examples are Beck from Munich, Ryan Smith from Wahpeton, Carson Wentz from Bismarck, etc. Not to mention the Minnesota, Wisconsin, and even Nebraska kids who are prevalent on their roster. Now, simply acquiring the local kids is only half of the story. You need to be able to get the local kids to buy into the program, which includes workouts, team meetings, and ultimately build the confidence of a winner. NDSU has put a winning PROGRAM in place that local kids can plug right into and produce. And we all know local kids are generally going to play with more pride and enthusiasm than non-local kids from California and Florida. They are familiar with the UND's tradition and have a sense of commitment to UND's alumni group.

With Mussman and staff, the local recruiting emphasis is not there. In addition, his players are not disciplined or confident because they are not held to a high standard. Mussman is an arrogant individual that has no plan (or at least a good one) in place and the kids have lost all confidence. There's no reason you can't get players to come in, buy into a program, and work their butts off for each other. That's simply not going on here right now; the players are not being held accountable because Mussman simply doesn't know how to do that.

At the end of the year, I expect Faison to bring in a proven DI coach that can lead a program and assemble a quality staff. I feel bad for the players, because the talent is there to compete with each and every Big Sky team, but the student-athletes aren't being prepared correctly, both physically and mentally.

I feel like the coaches have learned their lesson about recruiting too many coastal kids from Cali and Florida and Texas. The only one that really panned out was Ankenbauer. The last few classes have been more Midwestern which is nice to see. The best athletes on our team are Midwest guys. We don't need to sell out for some over rated players from coastal states that won't but in to the program when we can find tougher harder working kids that will be better football players and students. They learned their lesson from Mackey Hall and Watkins. It's just not worth it.

[zonadub]

As I read the posts above about UND not recruiting ND schools, while Bohl is, it is a sad commentary when the staff doen't even know who is responsible for recruiting ND/MN.

this is only my uninformed opinion, but the big frustration with the general direction of the UND football program is that UND is in the midst of the prime recruiting territory for FCS football talent - the foundation of NDSU, SDSU, Montana, Montana State, Eastern Washington football teams is the farm boys, ranch hands and roughnecks (please, I intend absolutely NO disrespect with that reference) that are tough as nails in the trenches. Those programs have the same basic territory to recruit and look what they are building. NDSU & SDSU can go up against Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska and get some studs that they want in the strength positions. UND? Well, the Sioux may be getting some talent now, but, you have to know what to do with it when you get it.

[PhillySioux]

Will Dan Hammer ask Faison the tough questions during vb broadcast?

[gfhockey]

not one single word about the football program and the state of it.

[andtheHomeoftheSIOUX!!]

Mentioned hockey (both M and W) basketball (M,W) and volleyball. Not one mention of football.

[darell1976]

I betcha Faison told Hammer not to mention football.

[jodcon]

The silence screams in that situation.

[Siouxperman8]

I feel like the coaches have learned their lesson about recruiting too many coastal kids from Cali and Florida and Texas. The only one that really panned out was Ankenbauer. The last few classes have been more Midwestern which is nice to see. The best athletes on our team are Midwest guys. We don't need to sell out for some over rated players from coastal states that won't but in to the program when we can find tougher harder working kids that will be better football players and students. They learned their lesson from Mackey Hall and Watkins. It's just not worth it.

I was asked this weekend where our recruiting base is. I am not sure we have one. I agree that the coastal kids aren't usually the answer. They often leave before completing their eligibility.

[gfhockey]

I wonder if a person could do an open records request for emails between Mussman and Faison???

wonder if they actually communicate during the week.....

[andtheHomeoftheSIOUX!!]

I wonder if a person could do an open records request for emails between Mussman and Faison???

wonder if they actually communicate during the week.....

I'm pretty sure you would be able to do that.

[Hawkster]

Alerus will be a ghost-town after EWU...that will force Faison's hand.

The Al will be a ghost town by half time of EWU game.

Faison needs to do something, anything. Just do anything to show some life. Waiting til the end of the season is too late, the recruits will have all committed elsewhere long before then.