Time For Some New Blood

[geaux_sioux]

1 hour ago, Irish said:

The real danger here is that we somehow squeak into the playoffs, get our butts handed to us, and then enough people declare this season a success because we made the playoffs and improved from 3 wins and think no changes are necessary.  Especially with the last few games, Sioux football has become almost unwatchable.  Is this what we want for a program?  Because we all know Bubba's ideas towards changes.  

I really don’t think many fans will consider this season a success even if we make a run to the semis. There are still glaring issues that winning can’t make us unsee.

[Mama Sue]

For 4 years I have been saying,”Give it time. This will take 4 years.” We are in year 5. Have we had some ups and downs? Yes. Is there a slow, but steady improvement? I don’t know. Getting rid of all coaches every few years is not good for the program. It speaks volumes to any coach who applies and to recruits. I continue to stand behind Bubba but think someone needs to fix the washing machine....,the perception is it is broken, maybe in more than one place!

[UNDBIZ]

48 minutes ago, geaux_sioux said:

I really don’t think many fans will consider this season a success even if we make a run to the semis. There are still glaring issues that winning can’t make us unsee.

It's apparent when you look at attendance.  The product UND is putting out isn't bringing them in.

[Irish]

1 hour ago, Mama Sue said:

For 4 years I have been saying,”Give it time. This will take 4 years.” We are in year 5. Have we had some ups and downs? Yes. Is there a slow, but steady improvement? I don’t know. Getting rid of all coaches every few years is not good for the program. It speaks volumes to any coach who applies and to recruits. I continue to stand behind Bubba but think someone needs to fix the washing machine....,the perception is it is broken, maybe in more than one place!

I respect your loyalty, but disagree on your conclusion.  Continuing with the Washing Machine analogy - the machine was clearly broken last year and the guy in charge of repairs did nothing.  A couple of parts clearly needed replacing (special teams, O coordinator) but the repairman decided they were good to go anyway and decided not to order new parts.  Now, this year, those same parts are giving us trouble again.  We have had the same repairman for 5 years and no repairs have been made.  How much longer before we try another serviceman?  How long would you wait with a broken machine at home if the repairman kept saying things are fine when they weren't.  This is year 5.  Bubba should have some things figured out by now.  

[Oxbow6]

31 minutes ago, UNDBIZ said:

It's apparent when you look at attendance.  The product UND is putting out isn't bringing them in.

Just stop playing destination hockey games on the same day as home FB games and problem solved.

[geaux_sioux]

19 minutes ago, Irish said:

I respect your loyalty, but disagree on your conclusion.  Continuing with the Washing Machine analogy - the machine was clearly broken last year and the guy in charge of repairs did nothing.  A couple of parts clearly needed replacing (special teams, O coordinator) but the repairman decided they were good to go anyway and decided not to order new parts.  Now, this year, those same parts are giving us trouble again.  We have had the same repairman for 5 years and no repairs have been made.  How much longer before we try another serviceman?  How long would you wait with a broken machine at home if the repairman kept saying things are fine when they weren't.  This is year 5.  Bubba should have some things figured out by now.  

To further your analogy, we put a shirt in the washing machine and when it was done the sleeves were torn off. If it’s hot outside the sleeveless shirt might be kinda nice for that sole condition. The machine is still broken but it “worked” that one time kinda. That does not mean we shouldn’t get it fixed.

[LkvlleUNDFan]

I skipped a few pages, so apologies in advance if this has all been said before:

• I don't know that UND football has risen to the place where you can fire a head coach and most/all assistants when a team is poised to go 7-4 and MAY make the playoffs
• The AD is in his first year. This would be the offseason for him to lean on Bubba to make changes or make them himself if Bubba can't or won't
• I personally admire that Bubba has created a culture where assistants want to stay. Stability is good - to a point - and making changes for the sake of change can just as easily backfire. Bubba and staff have moved a miserable program back to respectability and beyond. That should count for something.
• Now it's time for the university's board, president, and AD to decide: How good do we want the football program to be? What investments are we willing to make toward that goal, and what level of performance do we demand? Kennedy seems quite willing to make hard choices and Chaves doesn't strike me as a man that's satisfied with mediocrity. Time will tell.
• Some asked this - but I didn't see an answer: Bubba's contract was extended after the 2016 season, so he's under contract through the 2021 season.

As for me, I want to see a win vs. NAU on Saturday. I want to see UND football continue to progress. Playoffs or not, marquee wins or not, a 7-4 season is good for everyone but the Bubba-haters that already exist. Go Hawks!

[Nodak78]

6 minutes ago, LkvlleUNDFan said:

I skipped a few pages, so apologies in advance if this has all been said before:

• I don't know that UND football has risen to the place where you can fire a head coach and most/all assistants when a team is poised to go 7-4 and MAY make the playoffs
• The AD is in his first year. This would be the offseason for him to lean on Bubba to make changes or make them himself if Bubba can't or won't
• I personally admire that Bubba has created a culture where assistants want to stay. Stability is good - to a point - and making changes for the sake of change can just as easily backfire. Bubba and staff have moved a miserable program back to respectability and beyond. That should count for something.
• Now it's time for the university's board, president, and AD to decide: How good do we want the football program to be? What investments are we willing to make toward that goal, and what level of performance do we demand? Kennedy seems quite willing to make hard choices and Chaves doesn't strike me as a man that's satisfied with mediocrity. Time will tell.
• Some asked this - but I didn't see an answer: Bubba's contract was extended after the 2016 season, so he's under contract through the 2021 season.

As for me, I want to see a win vs. NAU on Saturday. I want to see UND football continue to progress. Playoffs or not, marquee wins or not, a 7-4 season is good for everyone but the Bubba-haters that already exist. Go Hawks!

Very good points.

[nodak651]

I don't see how football alumni or other boosters would chip in money to pay for a new head coach at this point.   

UND football would be way better off with taking any money that would hypothetically be spent on paying a fired coach, and using it for a new coordinator, increasing assistant pay, and other team needs, like the recruiting budget.   

If Chaves fired Bubba, there isn't exactly a large group of experienced coaches that are chomping at the bit to come to UND.  Getting a better coach than Bubba would be 50/50 odds, at best.  Look at the Montana program now that they have fired their coach every 3 years for the past decade.  They just rehired one of the guys they fired, and they have been nothing but mediocre.  

The same can't be said for Rudolph.  Chuck the pigskin guy would probably be better.

[Ozzie82]

1 hour ago, nodak651 said:

I don't see how football alumni or other boosters would chip in money to pay for a new head coach at this point. 

This is, perhaps, the biggest point of all. We have to assume there is a finite amount of money out there, both in the athletic department and with the boosters. I’d be stunned if money is allocated to buy out Bubba’s contract. Can you imagine the optics of that? They cut multiple sports then buy out three years of the head football coaches contract? It would look awful, and perception counts.

 

I’d rather ask donors for money for Phase 2, increasing the recruiting budget, etc. If Chavez wants to tell some of the assistant coaches to hit the road that’s one thing, but buying out the head coach is too much of a financial commitment for my taste. 

[UND-FB-FAN]

59 minutes ago, Ozzie82 said:

 If Chavez wants to tell some of the assistant coaches to hit the road that’s one thing, but buying out the head coach is too much of a financial commitment for my taste. 

Am I missing something here? 

Relax, I kid, I kid ...

[Sioux>Bison]

On 11/14/2018 at 11:27 AM, geaux_sioux said:

I really don’t think many fans will consider this season a success even if we make a run to the semis. There are still glaring issues that winning can’t make us unsee.

What was your prediction at the beginning of the year for the end of the year record. Many of you didn’t experience ext the team to get more than 6 wins this season. Did we leave some easy wins in the field? Yes but we also came up big in some tough games. The season may still be a disappointment if we don’t win, but I will be happy that we didn’t have another 3 win season.

[Irish]

1 minute ago, Sioux>Bison said:

What was your prediction at the beginning of the year for the end of the year record. Many of you didn’t experience ext the team to get more than 6 wins this season. Did we leave some easy wins in the field? Yes but we also came up big in some tough games. The season may still be a disappointment if we don’t win, but I will be happy that we didn’t have another 3 win season.

This is why we will remain a mediocre football program.  My expectations are that after 5 years Bubba should have at least 1 playoff victory.

[Sioux>Bison]

2 minutes ago, Irish said:

This is why we will remain a mediocre football program.  My expectations are that after 5 years Bubba should have at least 1 playoff victory.

My expectations were much higher than many this year as I thought we would go 8-3. Many of you should be happy that they exceeded your low expectations......

not having a losing season is better than what it could have been.

[Irish]

1 minute ago, Sioux>Bison said:

My expectations were much higher than many this year as I thought we would go 8-3. Many of you should be happy that they exceeded your low expectations......

not having a losing season is better than what it could have been.

I'm not following this logic.  

[nodak651]

1 minute ago, Sioux>Bison said:

My expectations were much higher than many this year as I thought we would go 8-3. Many of you should be happy that they exceeded your low expectations......

not having a losing season is better than what it could have been.

Were you happy last year because they didn't lose all their games?  3-8 is better than what it could have been.

[UNDBIZ]

Exceeding low expectations doesn't mean the coaching staff should all be retained.  Exceeding low expectations doesn't mean fans should be happy with the current product.

[Sioux>Bison]

1 minute ago, nodak651 said:

Were you happy last year because they didn't lose all their games?  3-8 is better than what it could have been.

No I expected much better last year. This year my expectations are close to being met if they still make the playoffs. Many of you didn’t even think we would make it this year and will complain even if we do. I’m sure many of you would still complain if we lost in the semis knowing your low expectations at the beginning of the year.

[nodak651]

Just now, Sioux>Bison said:

No I expected much better last year. This year my expectations are close to being met if they still make the playoffs. Many of you didn’t even think we would make it this year and will complain even if we do. I’m sure many of you would still complain if we lost in the semis knowing your low expectations at the beginning of the year.

The problem is that most people's expectations accounted for having a terrible OC, and Sam Houston actually being a good football team.  Wasted potential is one of the saddest things in life, and watching UND struggle to scrape by the past few years has not been enjoyable.  The more wins the better, but even if UND makes the playoffs this year, that doesn't mean people should be content.  The utilization of Santiago is straight up depressing.  Many of the issues that GeuxSioux refers to have been apparent, and voiced by many, since before we lost to New Richmond as a 9-2 seeded playoff team. 

[Mama Sue]

1 hour ago, Ozzie82 said:

This is, perhaps, the biggest point of all. We have to assume there is a finite amount of money out there, both in the athletic department and with the boosters. I’d be stunned if money is allocated to buy out Bubba’s contract. Can you imagine the optics of that? They cut multiple sports then buy out three years of the head football coaches contract? It would look awful, and perception counts.

 

I’d rather ask donors for money for Phase 2, increasing the recruiting budget, etc. If Chavez wants to tell some of the assistant coaches to hit the road that’s one thing, but buying out the head coach is too much of a financial commitment for my taste. 

Doesn’t make any difference if we are talking about a school superintendent, minister, hospital administrator, or city administrator.... what are your expectations and will you put the money behind them to do the job right....

I think we need to keep the focus on the future....do some of the coaches need to go or be reassigned? Buying out anyone is just admitting you made a bad mistake several years prior...

A new AD will have a lot of work to do....Ozzie has a good handle on this.... start some fundraising right away

I get the washing machine comments.... really get them!

[geaux_sioux]

1 hour ago, Sioux>Bison said:

What was your prediction at the beginning of the year for the end of the year record. Many of you didn’t experience ext the team to get more than 6 wins this season. Did we leave some easy wins in the field? Yes but we also came up big in some tough games. The season may still be a disappointment if we don’t win, but I will be happy that we didn’t have another 3 win season.

I didn’t have a pre season prediction or expectation of wins. I like to see the first few games and let the team inform me of what they’re capable.

[Texas rancher]

Serious question, what was mussmans coaching record and what is bubbas?

[UND1983]

1 minute ago, Texas rancher said:

Serious question, what was mussmans coaching record and what is bubbas?

69-69.

[darell1976]

12 minutes ago, UND1983 said:

69-69.

Bubba is at 30-26, Mussman was 31-34 at UND.

[Texas rancher]

29 minutes ago, UND1983 said:

69-69.

You’re an idiot