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John Groce Officially Hired


Dr Z

John Groce as the head coach at Akron  

88 members have voted

  1. 1. What do you think of John Groce?


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5 minutes ago, 72 Roo said:

You are not willing to live in reality. We are a stepping stone and always will be if the coach is good. The nature of the beast is to seek and accept bigger and bigger challenges/stages. Look at Dayton. They are way ahead of us in every category for comparison: salary, prestige, facility, rabid fan base, season tickets, attendance, schedule, conference, media exposure, etc. Yet they lose coaches regularly. They don't want to but they do. As much as any coach wants to build his progrum, if he is successful he will be exposed to better opportunities which he will take. Get use to it. 

Do you believe every top program began as a top program? They started from the bottom. Akron can people a top program if people stop believing we will always be inferior. 

Your logic is why we struggle with game attendance. Why show up. Why bother smh

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How on earth can you infer this crap from my post. All I said was coaches will move on. Why will they move on? because they made the progrum better. So each coaching regime will move the progrum ahead and that is why other schools want the coach. Like others have tried to say in their posts, if he leaves after 3-4-5 years he has done his job. We will always be inferior to some progrums because we don't have their resources i.e. money. That being said a successful coach will make us better than progrums ahead of us but within reach. If he's successful that's a given. All aspects will get better but we will not equal the big boys. That takes tons of time which I'm in for.

 

Sheesh! Living in reality is a blessing because it clearly identifies where you are and what the next steps for improvement are. That's based on fact, not hope which is a lousy strategy for hope. Calm down and have a beer. In fact have many and I'll buy.  

 

Let's move on to arguing about Boals ability to recruit, isn't that new. Oh, it's been beat to death. OK, then how about the place for a new arena, on campus or downtown. :D:rolleyes:

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15 hours ago, dre22era said:

Im sorry but I am not sold on Groce and will probably never be because I know he is coming to us with one foot out the door. 

If the phone rings he is chasing the money. He is basically using us for self. This is a short term solution that will capitalize off our hard earned money 

 

This is the mindset that all MAC coaches that want to "Think Bigger" should have. The MAC is a stepping stone for these guys, not a career gig. 

 

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10 hours ago, akronzips71 said:

 

I have to agree with you. Duquesne is not really much of a step up. Stronger conference, but no winning tradition at all. Someone with KD's resume (less the skeleton) should have been gone to a major major winning program long ago.

While I agree that Duquesne isn't a major step up (due to their performance the last 40 years), it certainly is a pretty significant step up in conference.  Also I'm not so sure that his past has really held him back all that much- the thing that has held him back the most would probably be that he hasn't floated his name for positions and been actively looking to leave UA.

 

And whether everyone chooses to believe KDs statement that his family's history at Duquesne was a major factor in his move is up to you. I however strongly believe that KD was not looking to "bolt" Akron, but rather he came to a point in time where he had given a lot to UA and there was a new challenge on the horizon. Akron even used to have a recruiting mail out featuring a old Duquesne team picture mentioning how KD is from a basketball family. The family connection to Duquesne is and always has been very important to KD.

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17 hours ago, kreed5120 said:

 

Listening to 1350 right now and they said they are trying to reschedule for later this afternoon. Groce is currently unavailable.

Did anyone get to listen to the Groce interview on 1350 yesterday? Did any new information come out of it?

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11 hours ago, akronzips71 said:

 

I have to agree with you. Duquesne is not really much of a step up. Stronger conference, but no winning tradition at all. Someone with KD's resume (less the skeleton) should have been gone to a major major winning program long ago.

 

We all want a Mark Few or even Homer Drew with respect to willingness to stay with their "small school" but guys like that seem to make up only 1% to 2% of coaches outside the biggest 5-7 conferences. We came pretty close to that with KD. Given the odds it is probably not in the cards for us to be able to keep a highly successful coach around for a long time again in the next few hiring cycles. I hate that it is like that. I'd love to see it change but that is the current reality.

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15 hours ago, dre22era said:

Im sorry but I am not sold on Groce and will probably never be because I know he is coming to us with one foot out the door. 

If the phone rings he is chasing the money. He is basically using us for self. This is a short term solution that will capitalize off our hard earned money 

 

I have no doubt about that.  But he'll be lucky to end up like Christian and get another chance to move up out of the MAC again.  This is not your typical stepping stone situation.  These are people who tried to make the climb, and got knocked clearly back to the ground because of failure.  Just ask Heath, another ex Kent State coach who spent 7 years at South Florida trying to revive his brief magic from many years ago after falling flat on his face at Arkansas.  And he's now back to being an asst again.  Groce is in the same predicament.  So, finding his way back up the ladder quickly is going to be tough.  He's now more than 5 years removed from those times where the college basketball world thought he was something special.  He's nearly a forgotten entity already.  The next several groups of up-and-comers have already taken his place.

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13 minutes ago, Sportsjunkie330 said:

 

They have a real good radio show on that 1350. They do a real nice job over there on that AM dial. 

I agree. Lots of good local high school sports information and Zips information.

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12 hours ago, 72 Roo said:

How on earth can you infer this crap from my post. All I said was coaches will move on. Why will they move on? because they made the progrum better. So each coaching regime will move the progrum ahead and that is why other schools want the coach. Like others have tried to say in their posts, if he leaves after 3-4-5 years he has done his job. We will always be inferior to some progrums because we don't have their resources i.e. money. That being said a successful coach will make us better than progrums ahead of us but within reach. If he's successful that's a given. All aspects will get better but we will not equal the big boys. That takes tons of time which I'm in for.

 

Sheesh! Living in reality is a blessing because it clearly identifies where you are and what the next steps for improvement are. That's based on fact, not hope which is a lousy strategy for hope. Calm down and have a beer. In fact have many and I'll buy.  

 

Let's move on to arguing about Boals ability to recruit, isn't that new. Oh, it's been beat to death. OK, then how about the place for a new arena, on campus or downtown. :D:rolleyes:

As an Alum I am in this to make Akron Athletics the Best Goddamn Sports Department in the Nation! 
Im sorry but "always inferior" my ass. 
"we don't have their resources i.e. money" - Thats not in Stone. We can change that. #Believe 
 

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2 hours ago, Gallucci said:

While I agree that Duquesne isn't a major step up (due to their performance the last 40 years), it certainly is a pretty significant step up in conference.  Also I'm not so sure that his past has really held him back all that much- the thing that has held him back the most would probably be that he hasn't floated his name for positions and been actively looking to leave UA.

 

And whether everyone chooses to believe KDs statement that his family's history at Duquesne was a major factor in his move is up to you. I however strongly believe that KD was not looking to "bolt" Akron, but rather he came to a point in time where he had given a lot to UA and there was a new challenge on the horizon. Akron even used to have a recruiting mail out featuring a old Duquesne team picture mentioning how KD is from a basketball family. The family connection to Duquesne is and always has been very important to KD.

You are obviously connected to him somehow, otherwise you wouldn't be on here justifying his life story. The fact of the matter is I don't care. KD left, so he is dead to me. Keep it moving 

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19 minutes ago, Zipgrad01 said:

You are obviously connected to him somehow, otherwise you wouldn't be on here justifying his life story. The fact of the matter is I don't care. KD left, so he is dead to me. Keep it moving 

 

Oh please. He was dead to you while he was still here. I can't recall any you ever posting a single positive thing about Zips athletics or ever celebrating any accomplishments in any sport since you started posting. It's just bitching about the programs, the coaches, the fans, the players, the posters here, the administration, and everything else non-stop for a freaking decade.

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3 hours ago, Gallucci said:

While I agree that Duquesne isn't a major step up (due to their performance the last 40 years), it certainly is a pretty significant step up in conference.  Also I'm not so sure that his past has really held him back all that much- the thing that has held him back the most would probably be that he hasn't floated his name for positions and been actively looking to leave UA.

 

I think KD stayed here because he knew how to win here-- I don't think he had a lot of suitors from bigger programs, but did parlay the Duquesne interest into the UA over paying for his services.  I think the bigger programs that come calling for MAC coaches, looked at KD's success(?) here, the way many of us have..... with some disinterest and the realization that the next level didn't seem to be anything he could get to. At the end of the day, and after all these years,  he won the MAC a few times, and never really beat anyone anywhere, and strung together the most unimpressive string of 21 win seasons ever in the NCAA.... that gets you a job at Duquesne and not a lot of interest with the big boys. His departure helps the UA financially, and opens the door for someone to possible do more with the program. 

The time was right for KD and UA to move along

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A lot of revisionist history going on here. I'm over soaking in misery over Dambrot leaving, but lets not try to downplay what he accomplished in an attempt to try to make ourselves feel better. Hopefully Groce builds on the success Dambrot started and we finally get that elusive NCAAT win.

 

Cumulative MAC Standings last 5 years

1) Akron 62-26

2) Buffalo 53-35

3) Ohio 52-36

4) Toledo 52-36

5) Western Michigan 52-36

6) Kent State 48-40

7) Eastern Michigan 41-47

8) Bowling Green State 36-52

9) Northern Illinois 35-53

10) Central Michigan 35-53

11) Ball State 33-55

12) Miami (OH) 29-59

Overall standings including nonconference records the last 5 years;

1) Akron 118-50

2) Ohio 101-64

3)Toledo 95-63

4) Buffalo 94-69

5) West Michigan 93-71

6) East Michigan 93-77

7) Kent State 80-68

8) Bowling Green State 75-82

9) Northern Illinois 70-87

10) Central Michigan 66-82

11) Ball State 68-88

12) Miami (OH) 59-99

 

 

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10 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

A lot of revisionist history going on here. I'm over soaking in misery over Dambrot leaving, but lets not try to downplay what he accomplished in an attempt to try to make ourselves feel better. Hopefully Groce builds on the success Dambrot started and we finally get that elusive NCAAT win.

 

Cumulative MAC Standings last 5 years

1) Akron 62-26

2) Buffalo 53-35

3) Ohio 52-36

4) Toledo 52-36

5) Western Michigan 52-36

6) Kent State 48-40

7) Eastern Michigan 41-47

8) Bowling Green State 36-52

9) Northern Illinois 35-53

10) Central Michigan 35-53

11) Ball State 33-55

12) Miami (OH) 29-59

Overall standings including nonconference records the last 5 years;

1) Akron 118-50

2) Ohio 101-64

3)Toledo 95-63

4) Buffalo 94-69

5) West Michigan 93-71

6) East Michigan 93-77

7) Kent State 80-68

8) Bowling Green State 75-82

9) Northern Illinois 70-87

10) Central Michigan 66-82

11) Ball State 68-88

12) Miami (OH) 59-99

 

 


No one is downplaying how he did here in the regular season. It's strictly about MAC tournament and NCAA tournament performance. I'm getting really tired of people still bringing him up when he's not our coach anymore. Support Coach Groce and his staff or get out.

Edited by mes102
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