PD feature story on ex-UA players deaths

Lots of insight into Chris Jacquemain and Tyler Campbell's tragic downward spiral.

http://www.cleveland.com/sports/college/in...save_chris.html

How did TW go SO very wrong?

After reading Marla's article today on Bowden's aggressive recruiting efforts, I'm sure every single Zips fan was, once again, scratching their head, wracking their brain, trying to figure out how Tom Wistrcill arrived at his forever-infamous decision to hire a "so-called recruiting expert" from ND as a first-time head coach. The man left UA in shambles and embarrassed the school every Saturday for two years, alienating fans, players, co-workers. I've YET to see what attracted Tommy Boy to that guy....seriously, TW, fess up and tell us: WHY did you, in your wildest dreams, believe Ianello was the "best choice" to turn around the Zips program?? The damage you and RI did will take years to undo.

On the one simple point that was allegedly a "strength" of Ianello, he failed utterly and completely by ignoring the hotbed of high school talent in the surrounding five-county area. What was his justification for that? What was his vision, his "plan" ?

It needs to be said once again, TW: You sabotaged your own school and football program, because average, everyday fans were BEGGING you to contact and hire Terry Bowden TWO YEARS AGO--you know, when you had Irish Tunnel Vision. Imagine where UA would be TODAY if that one intelligent move had been made back then.

National writer nails UA football

Two Years, Two Wins, Ianello is Fired
By Paul Myerberg // Nov 26, 2011

Akron has fired coach Rob Ianello after two years and as many wins, ending the program’s failed experiment with a coach who was hired without having any head coach or coordinator experience on the college level. Akron’s lone win under Ianello in 2010 came against Buffalo, by 22-14 in the season finale. The Zips’ sole victory in 2011 came against V.M.I., a member of the F.C.S. Prior to being hired, Ianello was the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator under Charlie Weis at Notre Dame. It was in the latter capacity, as a recruiter, that Ianello earned his stripes.

It didn’t work. It never really had a hope of working, as while Ianello did do a fairly strong job recruiting second-tier talent to the MAC, there was a fatal flaw in Akron’s plan: with only one full recruiting class under his belt, there was no way to truly judge what Ianello was due to achieve with the program.

But this is a bottom-line business. After two seasons, Akron had showed zero progress as a football team. The Zips opened this season with losses to Ohio State and Toledo by a combined score of 83-3. Only two losses, to Eastern and Western Michigan, came by single digits.

On Friday, Akron lost to Western Michigan by 68-19. It was just that ugly. A week ago, Akron lost to Buffalo by 51-10. That’s the damning loss on the schedule; as noted, Akron’s lone win in 2010 came over the Bulls. Buffalo itself is scuffling, but had enough in the tank to beat the Zips by 41 points.

The experiment – since that’s what it was, an experiment – was failed from the start. It was a failure waiting to happen on several levels: one, Ianello clearly wasn’t ready, as a coach on game days, for this sort of endeavor; two, we’ll never know if Ianello could have grown into a solid game day coach, seeing that Akron cut him loose after 24 games.

I think it’s pretty safe to say that regardless of any of Ianello’s coaching deficiencies, Akron clearly doesn’t know what it’s doing. Forget about the fact that the Zips, if Ianello is the sole figure to blame, hired a coach unprepared for the task at hand.

One thing remains clear: a head coach on college football’s highest level needs to be a C.E.O.; he needs to have a big picture view, some sort of blueprint or schematic detailing how to build a winner under difficult circumstances.

Being merely a recruiter, promising that you will bring in better players than your opposition, is a band-aid. It’s not a chicken-or-egg argument: unproven coaches don’t win by recruiting but with game plans. It’s not the Jimmies and the Joes but the X’s and the O’s, regardless of what you’ve heard from Barry Switzer.

Woebegone non-B.C.S. conference programs, of which Akron is one, need to hire coaches, not recruiters. Ask Akron how hiring a coach without any leadership credentials turned out. Or ask Memphis. Or New Mexico. Or Minnesota. The list goes on.

If I’m Akron, I’m looking for the next Jerry Kill, an older, experienced coach with a track record of success and a proven system. I’m not touching the nation’s best recruiter with a 10-foot pole – unless he has play-calling or head coach experience. Arkansas State took a flier on Hugh Freeze, in a sense, but Freeze had coordinated the Red Wolves’ offense in 2010 and had head coach experience at Lambuth University, an N.A.I.A. school.

All Akron needs to do is convince this coach, one who might have options, that coaching under an administration that gave his predecessor 24 games is a good move.

Beating Ken Lolla makes it that much sweeter

Enjoy Louisville, Lolla. We're more than thrilled with your replacement, a guy who's loyal to Akron.

UA football candidate named D-1 asst. coach of year

Here's the link to Marla's blog story at ohio.com: http://marla.ohio.com/2010/11/osus-fickell...esume/#comments

Luke Fickell, OSU’s co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, enhanced his resume Tuesday when he was named Division I’s assistant coach of the year by the American Football Coaches Association.

Fickell has coached nine All-Big Ten players, four All-Americans and 10 who have played in the NFL During his nine years at Ohio State, the Buckeyes have won five Big Ten titles, participated in seven bowl games and twice played for the national championship.

Did anyone else just get a very SICK, QUEASY feeling in the pit of your stomach? Yep, Akron snubbed this guy....so we could rush out and hire a recrooter from a losing program.

(Oh, and be sure to note Marla's commentary that Can't STATE should most definitely consider this guy for their vacancy.)

And it's funny...Luke sure doesn't "look" like a guy who would alienate players, coworkers, fans and media, does he? Do you think the P.R.-savvy Jim Tressel would have anyone but a high-caliber guy on his staff?