Who should we hire to replace Arth?

[LZIp]

30 minutes ago, GP1 said:

I had a lifetime of the "building process" years ago. You are right. If a coach isn't winning after 3 years, he never will. 

Mike Neu didn't win until year 5. I'd love for our program to be in Ball State's position right now. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Neu

Chuck Martin didn't have a winning record until year 6. I'd happily be in Miami's position right now. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Martin_(American_football)

Lance Leipold didn't have a winning record until year 4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance_Leipold

 

There's 3 current coaches who didn't "win" until at least year 4 and they should all be MAC competitors for the foreseeable future. Terry Bowden's only winning season came in year 4 as well.

 

Edited January 25, 2021 by LZIp

[clarkwgriswold]

11 minutes ago, LZIp said:

Mike Neu didn't win until year 5. I'd love for our program to be in Ball State's position right now. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Neu

Chuck Martin didn't have a winning record until year 6. I'd happily be in Miami's position right now. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Martin_(American_football)

Lance Leipold didn't have a winning record until year 4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance_Leipold

 

There's 3 current coaches who didn't "win" until at least year 4 and they should all be MAC competitors for the foreseeable future. Terry Bowden's only winning season came in year 4 as well.

 

 

Can I please have the model...gulp...of the school just to the east of us?

[Zipmeister]

3 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

 

Can I please have the model...gulp...of the school just to the east of us?

 

YSU?

[dre22era]

2 hours ago, Blue & Gold said:

 

Filed for future use

[ZippyRulz]

A feather in his cap as far as I'm concerned. Sounds like he was offered.

 

[Captain Kangaroo]

[NWAkron]

I like Arth.  I think he is doing this the right way and am happy and relieved that he is staying with the Zips.

[RowdyZip]

21 minutes ago, NWAkron said:

I like Arth.  I think he is doing this the right way and am happy and relieved that he is staying with the Zips.

I know this has been beaten into the ground, but I don't post often anymore.  I've been following Akron athletics for about 20 years and I'm as down on football as I was during Ianello.  Arth's teams have not shown an inkling of being competitive, even against middling MAC teams.  A good coach, even with an "empty cupboard" should be able to keep games close in the MAC.  

Recruiting since coach's arrival has come in 9th (115th nationally), 9th (124), and 12th (126) respectively in the MAC over the last 3 years.  And yes, I know "stars" don't mean much, but isn't it disconcerting to be so far behind virtually all the rest of the MAC? 

 

Everyone says "the right way," but what's the wrong way?  And will it get us some wins?

[Captain Kangaroo]

4 minutes ago, RowdyZip said:

I know this has been beaten into the ground, but I don't post often anymore.  I've been following Akron athletics for about 20 years and I'm as down on football as I was during Ianello.  Arth's teams have not shown an inkling of being competitive, even against middling MAC teams.  A good coach, even with an "empty cupboard" should be able to keep games close in the MAC.  

Recruiting since coach's arrival has come in 9th (115th nationally), 9th (124), and 12th (126) respectively in the MAC over the last 3 years.  And yes, I know "stars" don't mean much, but isn't it disconcerting to be so far behind virtually all the rest of the MAC? 

 

Everyone says "the right way," but what's the wrong way?  And will it get us some wins?

He made the decision to go with Freshman instead of transfers. When you have first and second year players all over the field...on the o-line...QB...secondary...D-line...and you're competing against programs with 22 and 23 year olds all over the field, you're going to be highly uncompetitive.

 

Cards were stacked against him to start, with Bowden leaving the cupboard relatively bare...starting his first recruiting class after 85% of D-1 programs were completely done. University nimrods publicly stating they want to drop a division or two. Becoming a HC in an era where players can suddenly transfer whenever they please.

 

#hisway will take 4 years to bear any real fruit. I hope we're at least competitive in MAC games next season. We need to get so much bigger, stronger, faster...

[kreed5120]

I honestly think it's a mistake to not utilize the transfer portal more. I'm not saying that's how I want Akron to build it's roster, but it would be nice to identify areas in our roster that we don't have depth at and bring in someone who can help create some competition for the position. Just using the QB as an example, if you don't have a o-line that can block or receivers that can create separation then the QB is going to have his development stunted & you won't be able to properly evaluate him. I just used the QB position as an example as it's easy to correlate how another player can impact his performance, but the same can be said about really any other position. If the guy next to you can't do his job then it makes it harder for you to do yours. This can lead to players developing bad habits. 

Edited January 27, 2021 by kreed5120

[zipsoutsider]

1. The cupboard was not empty. He chose to bench kids with experience in favor of recruits without experience. He didn't inherit a team that had gone 1-11 and he did have some talent. He let all talent that committed, go. If the cupboard was empty, Arth owns a fair share of the blame.

 

2. Agree about failure to utilize the transfer portal. But, maybe it wasn't his choice. Maybe either players didn't want to come or he was ordered by Williams to do it this way.

 

It's hard to know what happened with Boogie, Morris, Nate Stewart, Andre Williams, and Maverick Wofley. All showed potential. It is quite puzzling that none of those guys who showed promise worked out.

 

I also have to wonder about the secondary. What happened to Zaire Jacob's and Jordan Riley. Both were highly sought after and showed promise under Bowden. Arth came and crickets.

[94zipgrad]

14 minutes ago, zipsoutsider said:

1. The cupboard was not empty. He chose to bench kids with experience in favor of recruits without experience. He didn't inherit a team that had gone 1-11 and he did have some talent. He let all talent that committed, go. If the cupboard was empty, Arth owns a fair share of the blame.

 

2. Agree about failure to utilize the transfer portal. But, maybe it wasn't his choice. Maybe either players didn't want to come or he was ordered by Williams to do it this way.

 

It's hard to know what happened with Boogie, Morris, Nate Stewart, Andre Williams, and Maverick Wofley. All showed potential. It is quite puzzling that none of those guys who showed promise worked out.

 

I also have to wonder about the secondary. What happened to Zaire Jacob's and Jordan Riley. Both were highly sought after and showed promise under Bowden. Arth came and crickets.

Hopefully Dre Williams breaks out again this year.  Jordan Riley was burnt deep every time on the field.

[zipsoutsider]

5 minutes ago, 94zipgrad said:

Jordan Riley was burnt deep every time on the field.

That could coaching, too.

[94zipgrad]

15 minutes ago, zipsoutsider said:

That could coaching, too.

Are you suggesting the coaches are teaching him to get burnt deep?  I know there are a lot of different coverage packages but all have a deep responsibility.  He is just slow for a DB

[zipsoutsider]

4 minutes ago, 94zipgrad said:

Are you suggesting the coaches are teaching him to get burnt deep?  I know there are a lot of different coverage packages but all have a deep responsibility.  He is just slow for a DB

What did you clock his 40 at, coach?

[clarkwgriswold]

18 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

I honestly think it's a mistake to not utilize the transfer portal more. I'm not saying that's how I want Akron to build it's roster, but it would be nice to identify areas in our roster that we don't have depth at and bring in someone who can help create some competition for the position. Just using the QB as an example, if you don't have a o-line that can block or receivers that can create separation then the QB is going to have his development stunted & you won't be able to probably evaluate him. I just used the QB position as an example as it's easy to correlate how another player can impact his performance, but the same can be said about really any other position. If the guy next to you can't do his job then it makes it harder for you to do yours. This can lead to players developing bad habits. 

 

Agreed.  I think the way Groce has built the basketball program is a good example.  The first year, with a very late start, he scrambled to get guys in the floor to keep things going in a positive directions.  He went out and sought jucos and transfers that could get the program up and running.  With each year, the focus seems to move more towards freshmen that can then grow up within the program.  He's not abandoning jucos and transfers but now that the program is up and rolling there's not as much of a need to get guys to play now to keep things going.  I'm certainly not for jumping into the transfer portal to take on other team's problem children but if you can get a talented kid who overshot for a P5 or a kid that wants to come home.  In reality, he needs to improve the team's record, and fast, as the natives are getting restless.

[94zipgrad]

20 minutes ago, zipsoutsider said:

What did you clock his 40 at, coach?

Lol, I don’t need to be a coach to see everyone out run him to figure out he may not be fast enough, we are generally too small & not fast enough.  If we was bigger & faster we would win more,  Coach Bowden said speed kills dadgummit

Edited January 26, 2021 by 94zipgrad

[zipsoutsider]

28 minutes ago, 94zipgrad said:

Lol, I don’t need to be a coach to see everyone out run him to figure out he may not be fast enough, we are generally too small & not fast enough.  If we was bigger & faster we would win more,  Coach Bowden said speed kills dadgummit

If he was so bad, where the Artg recruits to replace him?

[LZIp]

We were the only FBS school to offer Riley and he was ranked .7682 per 247, which is lower than any ranked member of our current class. How on earth was he highly touted?

Edited January 26, 2021 by LZIp

[94zipgrad]

22 minutes ago, zipsoutsider said:

If he was so bad, where the Artg recruits to replace him?

Watts, made 3rd team, Cochran, Riley had plenty of opportunity, coaches want to win, if the veteran guys don’t get it done they move to next man up, Bowden did a great job getting us respectable but got stagnant & was going backwards & the University moved on, please try and do the same

Edited January 26, 2021 by 94zipgrad

[clarkwgriswold]

I don't think you need to be some great talent evaluator to see that the players on the teams the Zips were playing the past two years were bigger, faster and more athletic.  There were also instances where there was obvious bad technique by Zips players and play calls that were head scratchers and that bad technique and playcalling lies at the feet of the coaching staff.  Here's hoping the players gaining experience helps things from a talent perspective and that experience in the coaching staff helps that side of things.

 

1 win in two years is a combination of factors that can't be traced to the single source many of you wish to foist blame upon.  You don't get this bad from one from one thing. 

 

The tone of some of the posts on here seems to be that there's a hope that Arth continues to fail so that an "I told you so" can be exclaimed.  Am I happy with Arth?  Hell no, but there's no other opportunity available right now, he's not getting canned and the school's finances won't allow anything else, so I have to hope he succeeds.

[zipsoutsider]

12 hours ago, clarkwgriswold said:

I don't think you need to be some great talent evaluator to see that the players on the teams the Zips were playing the past two years were bigger, faster and more athletic.  There were also instances where there was obvious bad technique by Zips players and play calls that were head scratchers and that bad technique and playcalling lies at the feet of the coaching staff.  Here's hoping the players gaining experience helps things from a talent perspective and that experience in the coaching staff helps that side of things.

 

1 win in two years is a combination of factors that can't be traced to the single source many of you wish to foist blame upon.  You don't get this bad from one from one thing. 

 

The tone of some of the posts on here seems to be that there's a hope that Arth continues to fail so that an "I told you so" can be exclaimed.  Am I happy with Arth?  Hell no, but there's no other opportunity available right now, he's not getting canned and the school's finances won't allow anything else, so I have to hope he succeeds.

I like how people make assertions is about improved talent with zero results to back it up. I don't accept the premise that the kids are bigger and faster. But if I did, you would have enough think Arth was such a bad coach he couldn't win with better talent? 

 

For me, I just don't see the pathway for success. I don't see how we get to 3 wins, let alone 5 next year. As has been stated, there was not a lot, if any notable improvement in 2020.

[NWAkron]

5 or 6 wins next year.  

[RowdyZip]

20 minutes ago, NWAkron said:

5 or 6 wins next year.  

I don't think opponents have been announced for next year, but if our MAC West schedule is favorable, I could maybe see 5 wins.

@Clemson (L)

vs Temple (L)

vs Bryant (W)

@ OSU (L)

vs OU (W) maybe?

vs Kent (L)

@ Miami (L)

@ BG (W) maybe?

vs Buffalo (L)

3 games vs MAC West NIU and EMU will be beatable again.  Central is improving and I don't see us being competitive with Toledo/WMU/Ball State.

[Hilltopper]

Looks like Arth decided to bet on himself to turn things around instead of abandoning ship for the NFL. I  sincerely hope he doesn't roll snake eyes!