Buy or Sell

[geaux_sioux]

Buy or sell Mussmans extension being a positive in recruiting

[108498]

FOOTBALL A BUY BASKETBALL A SELL

[homer]

Buy or sell Mussmans extension being a positive in recruiting

Buy- I'm hoping this year he performs as well on the field as he has done recruiting off it. This should be a good year for recruiting with being playoff elgible, being in an well known conference with some great venues to pitch to recruits, the nickname being gone and not used against the program, and extension to let recruits know that the coach will be around awhile if he performs and the all black uniforms this year with replacements for others in the works. Get that IPF done and UND football is in a good spot.

The staff has done very good recruiting with every year being better than the last on paper and kids producing on the field. The above should help that tremendously.

[UNDColorado]

Buy or sell Mussmans extension being a positive in recruiting

Buy- He seems to have recruiting pointed in the right direction. I also think players respond to him because he seems like a straight shooter that will not fill a recruit full of BS. Most of this is coming from a good friend who played for UND when Muss was the offensive coordinator as I have asked him these same questions)

[The Sicatoka]

Personally, I thought Mussman to replace Lennon was a shaky choice. I didn't like what I saw out of Muss' first couple teams.

But the last couple season have shown me some key things:

• He's building a team.
  
• More importantly, he's grown as a coach.
  

I'm pretty sure neither of his first two teams could've or would've come back against USD like his team last year did. That takes coaching and it takes a team that's starting to believe in itself.

With that he's on a good path and needs to keep growing his team, his staff, and himself as a coach.

[homer]

Personally, I thought Mussman to replace Lennon was a shaky choice. I didn't like what I saw out of Muss' first couple teams.

But the last couple season have shown me some key things:

• He's building a team.
  
• More importantly, he's grown as a coach.
  

I'm pretty sure neither of his first two teams could've or would've come back against USD like his team last year did. That takes coaching and it takes a team that's starting to believe in itself.

With that he's on a good path and needs to keep growing his team, his staff, and himself as a coach.

Well said Sic. I agree with everything you said. Mussman and the staff have come a long way and I think finally understood the last couple years that they needed to improve as much as the team did. Mussman has admitted as much and that says a lot about him as a coach and his players have responded to that. I have heard as well that the players like him because of the fact he is always straight forward with them and they know exactly what position they are in. No sugarcoating.

[JohnboyND7]

I'm pretty sure neither of his first two teams could've or would've come back against USD like his team last year did. That takes coaching and it takes a team that's starting to believe in itself.

With that he's on a good path and needs to keep growing his team, his staff, and himself as a coach.

One could argue that a good coach doesn't let his team go down that much against such a mediocre team at home.

[82SiouxGuy]

One could argue that a good coach doesn't let his team go down that much against such a mediocre team at home.

That would be a weak argument. These are college athletes playing a game. Even good professional teams have games where they play down to an opponents level, or worse. Saying that a good coach can control that in every game is a false premise.

[JohnboyND7]

That would be a weak argument. These are college athletes playing a game. Even good professional teams have games where they play down to an opponents level, or worse. Saying that a good coach can control that in every game is a false premise.

So what would people on here be saying if the kicker didn't save the day at Northern Colorado? Or USF had played good defense at the end of that game?

Do good coaches allow teams like USF and UNC to be ahead going into the last play of the game, especially if UND actually has the talent that the people on here believe that UND has?

I don't know really about Mussman. For all I know, it was a good idea to give him an extension. I just find it odd that despite a mediocre track record as the head coach, no one is dissenting the idea of him getting some job security.

[82SiouxGuy]

So what would people on here be saying if the kicker didn't save the day at Northern Colorado? Or USF had played good defense at the end of that game?

Do good coaches allow teams like USF and UNC to be ahead going into the last play of the game, especially if UND actually has the talent that the people on here believe that UND has?

I don't know really about Mussman. For all I know, it was a good idea to give him an extension. I just find it odd that despite a mediocre track record as the head coach, no one is dissenting the idea of him getting some job security.

Would a good coach allow his team to go 3-8 just after finishing transition? Good coaches aren't decided by a single game or a single season. Mussman had no head coaching experience before taking this job. He took a bunch of kids recruited for Division 2, slowly shifted the recruiting to D I athletes, expanded the recruiting territory, and got the program through the transition. Both his recruiting and his coaching have improved over the transition period. He has earned an extension by making improvements to the program. Is he a good coach? That's a little too early to know. But he isn't the horrible coach they think he is over at Bville. Only time will tell whether he is really a good coach or not. And a 3 year extension right before the last year of your contract isn't exactly huge job security.

[JohnboyND7]

Would a good coach allow his team to go 3-8 just after finishing transition? Good coaches aren't decided by a single game or a single season. Mussman had no head coaching experience before taking this job. He took a bunch of kids recruited for Division 2, slowly shifted the recruiting to D I athletes, expanded the recruiting territory, and got the program through the transition. Both his recruiting and his coaching have improved over the transition period. He has earned an extension by making improvements to the program. Is he a good coach? That's a little too early to know. But he isn't the horrible coach they think he is over at Bville. Only time will tell whether he is really a good coach or not. And a 3 year extension right before the last year of your contract isn't exactly huge job security.

Bohl screwed up. Bohl also proved he knew what he was doing. Came in after a 2-8 season and turned that around, back-to-back 10-1 seasons, etc. Mussman hasn't done anything yet. How can you say he isn't horrible, but he could be really good? He has done more to prove the former rather than the latter.

[82SiouxGuy]

Bohl screwed up. Bohl also proved he knew what he was doing. Came in after a 2-8 season and turned that around, back-to-back 10-1 seasons, etc. Mussman hasn't done anything yet. How can you say he isn't horrible, but he could be really good? He has done more to prove the former rather than the latter.

I didn't say that he could be really good. He might end up that way, but that isn't what I said. The program has made improvements over the past several years. That proves he isn't horrible. Horrible coaches don't go 8-3 no matter what their competition is.

Coaches aren't usually good automatically. Bill Belichick had a 36-44 record as coach of the Cleveland Browns. He had 1 winning season. How did he end up as a coach? Most people would consider him to be a pretty good coach. Mussman probably isn't going to be anywhere near as good a coach as Belichick, but you can't determine how good a coach can be during his first few years. Mussman has made improvements to the program over the past few years. The recruiting looks better each year. He earned his new contract.

[dakotadan]

So what would people on here be saying if the kicker didn't save the day at Northern Colorado? Or USF had played good defense at the end of that game?

That is a theoretical question that is trying to change the past. The fact of the matter is that the coaches and players did pull out wins in those games. So to ask a hypothetical question about if history was different has no bearing on what actually DID happen.

Do good coaches allow teams like USF and UNC to be ahead going into the last play of the game, especially if UND actually has the talent that the people on here believe that UND has?

I have said it many times and I will say it again. Comprehension is not a strong point of people associated with NDSUA&AS. The people on here believe that UND has young talent being led by a 5th year BCS quarterback transfer and other QBs with another year of experience under their belt going into this fall that may have some success and build the program for the future. The key words there are "this fall" and "future." UND fans believe that there has been some good talent recruited in the last few classes that will only improve on what happened this last season. You are twisting the excitement that UND fans have for the next few years and are trying to apply it to UND's talent the last few years.

I don't know really about Mussman. For all I know, it was a good idea to give him an extension. I just find it odd that despite a mediocre track record as the head coach, no one is dissenting the idea of him getting some job security.

I don't think you will find too many people that will classify Muss as one of UND's greatest coaches of all time yet. What you will find are people that acknowledge the difficulties that Mussman has had to face while taking over as head coach. His first year as head coach was the first year of the transition. Lennon took some assistant and possition coaches over the years that would have offered valuable experience to UND during this time. The coaching staff upheld their standards and the dignity of UND football and let some of our best players go for academic and attitude reasons. This is something that they definitely deserve credit for. It would have been easy to look the other way just to help out their own win/loss record and career. Hopping from NAIA to FBS to DII to FCS teams as competition each weekend (UND had possibly the worst football schedules during transition of the Dakota schools) can't be easy to keep the team focused. The nickname soap opera was constantly dragging on with possible sanctions involved. And even after we received a conference invite, there was the slight possibility it may not come to fruition.

At this point, what UND fans are excited about is that we are officially in the best DI conference that UND could have ever possibly asked for. Not to mention that right now, besides the Ivy League and the Big 4, it is arguably the most stable conference in all of NCAA DI. We are excited that come September our schedules going forward are so far only DI schools, including all FCS schools in 2013 with 7 of those games at home. Our latest recruiting classes have steadily become stronger on paper. Between Bradley and Hanson, we appear to have a good bridge until Joe Mollberg is ready to take the reigns. It sound like the indoor practice facility with new locker rooms, football offices and training areas is right around the corner. As fans we can't help but view the fact that our athletic budget is about to crack $20 million (higher than some FBS schools), we just signed a $1 million TV deal, and the ND Champions Club continues to break their fundraising records year after year as positives for us to continue to build up all of our sports to compete nationally. And as a cherry on top, we have the Montana Grizzlies playing in our house for the next three seasons. What fcs school wouldn't wet themselves for that opportunity?

As for coach, I have had concerns about his reserved style of coaching during the transition. When we had the lead and the ball at midfield with just under a minute to go in the 1st half at Idaho and we basically sat on the ball, I was furious. Who knows what pushing the ball down a bit for even a field goal going into halftime may have changed how the 2nd half played out. But as the season went on, we began to see that change. Anyone who watched the UND/USD game knows that the coaches took some risks and pulled out all of the stops to win that game. And the players executed. I am sure that injuries, some of our top players being dismissed, the crazy schedule and other reasons that we may never know all played a role in coach's conservative game plans.

No matter how much posters from a certain school want to discuss strength of schedule, the team turned around a 3-8 season to an 8-3 season. He was named the GWC Coach of the Year and was one of three FCS finalists for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award. I have to admit that I saw some growth in the coaching staff as the season went on. With the way this last season went and especially ended, Muss deserves some time as a playoff eligible team in the Big Sky. If I was Faison, I may have just went with a 1 or 2 season extention to see if the program continues to head in the right direction. But so far I have been extremely happy with Faison's choices, hires and accomplishments. He is the one that has had indepth conversations with Mussman about what Mussman's plans are for the program and where he wants to take it in the future. I will trust his judgement on this one.

Buy.

[CMSioux]

Bohl screwed up. Bohl also proved he knew what he was doing. Came in after a 2-8 season and turned that around, back-to-back 10-1 seasons, etc. Mussman hasn't done anything yet. How can you say he isn't horrible, but he could be really good? He has done more to prove the former rather than the latter.

Thanks for the insights on our coaching situation and your continued interest and fixation on UND sports.

[choyt3]

Thanks for the insights on our coaching situation and your continued interest and fixation on UND sports.

He's got over 20 years of vast knowledge on the subject. And he could read for at least 13 of those years.

[108498]

buy or sell After spending much of the 4th on unc campus in col. I feel as though the football stadium really feels like und outdoor stadium

[sioux24/7]

Buy or Sell: Joey Bradley starts a game

Buy or Sell: We land a 3 star recruit

[geaux_sioux]

Buy or Sell: Joey Bradley starts a game

Buy or Sell: We land a 3 star recruit

Sell - good o-line and pocket passer = durable and Hansen is a stud so the job is his

Buy - 2 3star recruits, nothing holding back our recruiting anymore

[MoSiouxFan]

Buy or Sell: Joey Bradley starts a game

Buy or Sell: We land a 3 star recruit

Hope that Bradley doesn't start any games in 2012 because that will probably mean that Hansen either got hurt or was ineffective. He'll start some games, maybe most games, in 2013. Sell for 2012.

Would be thrilled with some 2-star recruits this coming recruiting year, being one of the new kids on the block. A 3-star hopefully somewhere down the road. Sell for this recruiting season, but the way Coach Mussman's recruiting has improved over the last 2-3 years, it wouldn't necessarily surprise me if he got one.

[sioux24/7]

Would be thrilled with some 2-star recruits this coming recruiting year, being one of the new kids on the block. A 3-star hopefully somewhere down the road. Sell for this recruiting season, but the way Coach Mussman's recruiting has improved over the last 2-3 years, it wouldn't necessarily surprise me if he got one.

Two years ago I believe we landed a 3-star recruit in Aarin Smith. Unfortunately he never made it to campus.

[WeAreNorthDakota]

No matter how much posters from a certain school want to discuss strength of schedule, the team turned around a 3-8 season to an 8-3 season. He was named the GWC Coach of the Year and was one of three FCS finalists for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award. I have to admit that I saw some growth in the coaching staff as the season went on. With the way this last season went and especially ended, Muss deserves some time as a playoff eligible team in the Big Sky. If I was Faison, I may have just went with a 1 or 2 season extention to see if the program continues to head in the right direction. But so far I have been extremely happy with Faison's choices, hires and accomplishments. He is the one that has had indepth conversations with Mussman about what Mussman's plans are for the program and where he wants to take it in the future. I will trust his judgement on this one.

This is why I think Mussman got the extension. Yes, the schedule was soft last year, but it was no different the year before when they went 3-8. Mussman built up a solid D1 talent level at every position besides quarterback and that is what has been holding Mussman and the whole team back over the last two years. The quarterback play these last two seasons has been unwatchably bad. That's especially detrimental to Mussman because he is a very good offensive coach who hasn't had a guy who could execute. This obviously showed on offense but I think it hurt the defense nearly as much. Too often the defense would make a stop, the offense would go 3 and out, the defense would bend a little more but still get a stop, then the offense would go 3 and out again and the defense would crack. I'm personally excited to see what Mussman can lead offensively now that the quarterback position is now also at a D1 talent level. Hopefully we start seeing the offensive numbers from back in his days as offensive coordinator.

[UND1983]

This is why I think Mussman got the extension. Yes, the schedule was soft last year, but it was no different the year before when they went 3-8.

The 2010 schedule was probably the hardest in school history. It was much, much more difficult than the 2011 schedule.

[geaux_sioux]

The 2010 schedule was probably the hardest in school history. It was much, much more difficult than the 2011 schedule.

I really don't think it was all that much worse, sure at Montana was a hard game but they had a down year that year and SF was harder than Lamar and the free win against the D2 school was a wash with Mont Western and ME St was a lot worse than Drake. The FBS games are a wash also. I think it was harder but not by much.

[geaux_sioux]

Buy or sell fewer season ending injuries than last year with the new turf

[108498]

more solid secondary with new recuites.