Why (or Why not) would a Football Coach Accept a job at the University of Akron

[bigjim]

I have read many comments in the 'Head Coach Search' thread where there is no basis for the comments.  Unless someone has inside information or is a personal friend or acquaintance of these potential coaches, it is just speculation that the board members know the goals of these potential coaches, their situation, and their wish to come to Akron. 

 

However, Zips Nation members knows the University of Akron and can make fact based comments on the good reasons for potential (head and assistant) coaches to come to Akron as well as the bad reasons for these up and comers to stay away.  I am really looking forward to the Nation to list all of the positives and negatives of the University.  My positives and negatives are below:

 

Reason to Coach Football at the University of Akron

-Very Good Stadium and Facilities, i.e. fieldhouse

-Great Zips Nation forum and members such as Bigjim, LZlp, Blue and Gold(both of you), Clark (the OSU fan), Football Grandma, etc. 

-Northeast Ohio is a hotbed of high school football talent ready to be recruited

-Good young freshman talent on the roster

-New coach might be in line for a significant raise if they are position coaches (not QB coach) at P5 schools or FCS coaches

 

Reasons not to coach at the University of Akron'

-Akron has been the 'Graveyard of Coaches'

-Administration/Guthrie support, many cuts recently and I am very skeptical about Guthrie

-Zips Nation members such as GP1

-Northeast Ohio high school talent does not want to attend the University of Akron

-Limited upperclass talent on the current roster, must use transfer portal

-Established P5 coordinators may have to take a pay cut to become the head coach, budget issues

-Very little student support and attendance at football games for many years

-Limited Alumni support and nearly empty stadiums

-City campus, although the campus has greatly improved over the years, it is still urban. 

 

I am really hoping the members who know and understand the University comment.  The President and AD do not know near as much as the great members of this board.  Go Zips!!!! 

 

 

[NWAkron]

Frankly, I can't think of a reason.  Larry Williams and Tom Arth successfully crushed what was left of the brand.  Billy Napier made $2mill at Louisiana-Lafayette and is now going to Florida.  Why come to Akron and make $600K when other non-power 5 schools pay over $1mill.

[clarkwgriswold]

I guess a couple of positives are that you're starting with a blank slate and the only way to go is up.

 

The major downsides are lack of community support and limited institutional budget.  Here's hoping this isn't a "get what you pay for" situation.

[LoyalZIP]

Hot take: Akron is a great job. 
 

Unless there really is some curse or there’s some concept that’s over my head, Akron can be successful. Big time. The biggest knock on Akron is always “they don’t recruit local” and there’s a reason for that. It’s hard to recruit locally in such a hot bed region. No, it doesn’t make sense…but it actually does. The region is being recruited hard nationally, by Ohio Statw, by Ravenna U, by Toledo, by BG, by OU, by YSU, by all the D2-D3. Hell, a few years back NIU’s kick returner (a total STUD) went to Copley. As much as I’d love to see Akron dominate recruiting in Northeast Ohio, that’s a tall order. It would help immensely, but if you only focus on that aspect of recruiting, I fear Akron may end up scraping the bottom of the barrel until it becomes respectable. 

Maybe I’m wrong in that aspect. I don’t know, I’m just a schmuck on a message board. 
 

But could you imagine being a prospective head coach walking into Infocision stadium, thinking of the possibility of being the first football coach to build that place into a powerhouse and juggernaut? Coaches have HUUUUGE egos. That thought alone could be the difference in what makes a guy consider a job like that. What does turning Akron around get your in your career? That is an unknown. Turning portage county around landed a guy the Purdue job. Making WMU a NY6 participant gets you to Minnesota.  Making Akron a feared G5 champion that packs 20k into the most beautiful stadium in college football would be pretty special, and could be the ticket for any guy to get wherever he wants to go in his career. I get excited just thinking about it. 
 

It’s the hope that kills you, right?

[GP1]

37 minutes ago, NWAkron said:

 Larry Williams and Tom Arth successfully crushed what was left of the brand.

I'm not certain this is a bad thing. Notre Dame Light wasn't working for us. 

[NWAkron]

3 minutes ago, LoyalZIP said:

Hot take: Akron is a great job. 
 

Unless there really is some curse or there’s some concept that’s over my head, Akron can be successful. Big time. The biggest knock on Akron is always “they don’t recruit local” and there’s a reason for that. It’s hard to recruit locally in such a hot bed region. No, it doesn’t make sense…but it actually does. The region is being recruited hard nationally, by Ohio Statw, by Ravenna U, by Toledo, by BG, by OU, by YSU, by all the D2-D3. Hell, a few years back NIU’s kick returner (a total STUD) went to Copley. As much as I’d love to see Akron dominate recruiting in Northeast Ohio, that’s a tall order. It would help immensely, but if you only focus on that aspect of recruiting, I fear Akron may end up scraping the bottom of the barrel until it becomes respectable. 

Maybe I’m wrong in that aspect. I don’t know, I’m just a schmuck on a message board. 
 

But could you imagine being a prospective head coach walking into Infocision stadium, thinking of the possibility of being the first football coach to build that place into a powerhouse and juggernaut? Coaches have HUUUUGE egos. That thought alone could be the difference in what makes a guy consider a job like that. What does turning Akron around get your in your career? That is an unknown. Turning portage county around landed a guy the Purdue job. Making WMU a NY6 participant gets you to Minnesota.  Making Akron a feared G5 champion that packs 20k into the most beautiful stadium in college football would be pretty special, and could be the ticket for any guy to get wherever he wants to go in his career. I get excited just thinking about it. 
 

It’s the hope that kills you, right?

love your optimism.  yes, if he can make it work and succeed, he is on his way to Power 5 and a $12mill. contract

 

4 minutes ago, GP1 said:

I'm not certain this is a bad thing. Notre Dame Light wasn't working for us. 

Excellent point.  There has to be a complete re-branding.  Everything tired and crappy from the Zips football experience has to go.

[GP1]

7 minutes ago, NWAkron said:

 

Excellent point.  There has to be a complete re-branding.  Everything tired and crappy from the Zips football experience has to go.

I know it seems fars off into the future, but I believe the Zips are on the verge of much better days. It has everything it needs to be successful and just needs some consistent winning with a competent coach. Once they win, they can then really make the University something that benefits the players, students, alumni, fans and general communities around Akron. This will be the difference between good and great. 

[kreed5120]

Arth was making something in the neighborhood of 600k. A lot of coaches are egotistical and are looking for an opportunity. 600k is a hell of a pay upgrade for a non AAC G5 OC or DC.

[GP1]

A reason to take the Akron job?  The MAC East is so horrible that Kent can win it. With just a little competence and some decent recruiting, the next coach should be competing for the division championship in three years or less. 

[72 Roo]

There are several posters here who are skeptical or disliking Guthrie. Give the guy a chance. Go talk to him. You will be impressed and you will have hope that he can turn our dumpster fire around. He inherited a mess. Williams took the cowardly route out of Akron saying he couldn't handle the changing environment in college athletics meaning he did not want to put the work or commitment into righting the Zip ship. He also didn't want to live with his lousy hire for football. It will take Guthrie time. He can't do it overnight. He made the excellent call in firing Arth. He has put other coaches on notice. He expects performance, not excuses. He has not cut the budget any further, in fact he is looking for ways to reward performing programs. BTW, football has one of the biggest budgets in the MAC. Funding is not the issue. Leadership, or lack thereof, is. All I'm saying is give the man a chance.  

[LZIp]

9 minutes ago, 72 Roo said:

There are several posters here who are skeptical or disliking Guthrie. Give the guy a chance. Go talk to him. You will be impressed and you will have hope that he can turn our dumpster fire around. He inherited a mess. Williams took the cowardly route out of Akron saying he couldn't handle the changing environment in college athletics meaning he did not want to put the work or commitment into righting the Zip ship. He also didn't want to live with his lousy hire for football. It will take Guthrie time. He can't do it overnight. He made the excellent call in firing Arth. He has put other coaches on notice. He expects performance, not excuses. He has not cut the budget any further, in fact he is looking for ways to reward performing programs. BTW, football has one of the biggest budgets in the MAC. Funding is not the issue. Leadership, or lack thereof, is. All I'm saying is give the man a chance.  

I respect the others' opinions on this board who has met him. Their opinion of him is likely correct, but he's really only got one shot to get the hire right. Us swinging big and pursuing Wilson at OSU is encouraging to me. The other names in the articles didn't intrigue me a ton, but that doesn't mean they can't be successful. 

[NWAkron]

37 minutes ago, GP1 said:

I know it seems fars off into the future, but I believe the Zips are on the verge of much better days. It has everything it needs to be successful and just needs some consistent winning with a competent coach. Once they win, they can then really make the University something that benefits the players, students, alumni, fans and general communities around Akron. This will be the difference between good and great. 

I agree.  Those in power have to know what what drag this program is on the university and community. 

[Blue & Gold]

This should easily be one of the top mid-major jobs in the nation.  Best facilities in the MAC, most beautiful college football stadium in the nation, playing in a conference where it's not difficult to attain success, good yearly rivals in KSUcks, Ohio, Buffalo, and Toledo (hear that MAC?!).  Akron is the hub of NEO; a football-crazy hotbed.  We have to battle the Cleveland sports and the Buckeyes for attention, but if the RubberDucks can average near 5K, there is no reason (if we win) we shouldn't average close to 20K per game.  

 

In my lifetime, the Cleveland tv media did absolutely everything in their power to downplay/ignore anything positive happening in Akron (why I'm not much of a Cleveland sports fan to this day), but as channels 3,5,8 & 19 have lost their influence, there's no reason Akron should continue with an inferiority complex.  (Though it could take a generation to outgrow.)

 

Love that Guthrie comes in and takes Akron seriously; most NEOhioans have been programed not to.  I hope he his actions clearly convey to the Cleveland media, & Terry Pluto especially, to either do the same or go f*ck themselves. 

[NWAkron]

54 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

This should easily be one of the top mid-major jobs in the nation.  Best facilities in the MAC, most beautiful college football stadium in the nation, playing in a conference where it's not difficult to attain success, good yearly rivals in KSUcks, Ohio, Buffalo, and Toledo (hear that MAC?!).  Akron is the hub of NEO; a football-crazy hotbed.  We have to battle the Cleveland sports and the Buckeyes for attention, but if the RubberDucks can average near 5K, there is no reason (if we win) we shouldn't average close to 20K per game.  

 

In my lifetime, the Cleveland tv media did absolutely everything in their power to downplay/ignore anything positive happening in Akron (why I'm not much of a Cleveland sports fan to this day), but as channels 3,5,8 & 19 have lost their influence, there's no reason Akron should continue with an inferiority complex.  (Though it could take a generation to outgrow.)

 

Love that Guthrie comes in and takes Akron seriously; most NEOhioans have been programed not to.  I hope he his actions clearly convey to the Cleveland media, & Terry Pluto especially, to either do the same or go f*ck themselves. 

+1 on Pluto.

[GoZips86]

13 hours ago, 72 Roo said:

There are several posters here who are skeptical or disliking Guthrie. Give the guy a chance. Go talk to him. You will be impressed and you will have hope that he can turn our dumpster fire around. He inherited a mess. Williams took the cowardly route out of Akron saying he couldn't handle the changing environment in college athletics meaning he did not want to put the work or commitment into righting the Zip ship. He also didn't want to live with his lousy hire for football. It will take Guthrie time. He can't do it overnight. He made the excellent call in firing Arth. He has put other coaches on notice. He expects performance, not excuses. He has not cut the budget any further, in fact he is looking for ways to reward performing programs. BTW, football has one of the biggest budgets in the MAC. Funding is not the issue. Leadership, or lack thereof, is. All I'm saying is give the man a chance.  

 

How does one go about speaking to the AD? I'm not saying I have anything to say, but is that a possibility for people to do? 

 

(This is not a sarcastic post and I apologize if it comes off that way)

[NWAkron]

7 minutes ago, GoZips86 said:

 

How does one go about speaking to the AD? I'm not saying I have anything to say, but is that a possibility for people to do? 

 

(This is not a sarcastic post and I apologize if it comes off that way)

Catch him at the Marshall game on Wednesday.  He will be walking around.  

[zipsoutsider]

Why not Arkon?

The weather

Urban blight...sorry, it's true

Legacy of losing

Short coach tenure

 

Why Akron?

Opportunity to build a brand

Good facilities

 

Guthrie hasn't done anything for me to not trust him, yet. He deserves a chance.

[zippy-claws]

1 hour ago, GoZips86 said:

 

How does one go about speaking to the AD? I'm not saying I have anything to say, but is that a possibility for people to do? 

 

(This is not a sarcastic post and I apologize if it comes off that way)

I agree with others.  I tend to go to the women's games more so than the men's (imagine that!) and I have been stunned to see Mr. Guthrie at every one.  He was at almost every women's soccer match when the football team wasn't playing an away game, he's been at 2 of the swim meets, and at the women's basketball game as well.  He was obviously at the men's soccer games.  He is on-site, and he is very approachable.  He's a bit of a "bragger", but so what?  I don't think I saw Larry Williams ever at a women's soccer match, or for sure inside the Ocasek Nat.

[UAZipster0305]

16 hours ago, bigjim said:

Reasons not to coach at the University of Akron'

-Limited Alumni support and nearly empty stadiums

-City campus, although the campus has greatly improved over the years, it is still urban. 

While our alumni support may currently be small, those of us who are still around are die hards.

 

And I see having an urban campus as an asset. It roughly means we are uniformly accessible to the greater Akron area, and many of the student-athletes who will be recruited either come from another urban area or appreciate urban culture.

Edited November 29, 2021 by UAZipster0305

[NWAkron]

I'm bored:

 

$725,000 in Eugene, Oregon:  https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/85782-Lorane-Hwy_Eugene_OR_97405_M14029-44351

 

$567,000 in Akron, Ohio:  https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1538-Acacia-Dr_Akron_OH_44333_M34972-37001

[zipsoutsider]

 

[bigjim]

4 hours ago, UAZipster0305 said:

While our alumni support may currently be small, those of us who are still around are die hards.

 

I agree 100%.  The current Zip fans are great and really are die hards.   But, we do not have the number of fans to fill up the Big House like the Wolverines, or even the Info.  I loved going to school at the University of Akron.  I had many great experiences and memories.  My only regret is not being able to participate in a game like Alabama Auburn or OSU Michigan.  The closest that I came was the 86 basketball run to the NCAA.  We started out with 20 fans and ended up having weekday parties and filled the JAR for the OVC run and championship.  

[zipsoutsider]

27 minutes ago, bigjim said:

I agree 100%.  The current Zip fans are great and really are die hards.   But, we do not have the number of fans to fill up the Big House like the Wolverines, or even the Info.  I loved going to school at the University of Akron.  I had many great experiences and memories.  My only regret is not being able to participate in a game like Alabama Auburn or OSU Michigan.  The closest that I came was the 86 basketball run to the NCAA.  We started out with 20 fans and ended up having weekday parties and filled the JAR for the OVC run and championship.  

I think the number is so small that the primary benefit is that it helps us know we are not alone. Not enough for a coach to care about, other than how to grow the fan base.

[akzipper]

26 minutes ago, bigjim said:

I agree 100%.  The current Zip fans are great and really are die hards.   But, we do not have the number of fans to fill up the Big House like the Wolverines, or even the Info.  I loved going to school at the University of Akron.  I had many great experiences and memories.  My only regret is not being able to participate in a game like Alabama Auburn or OSU Michigan.  The closest that I came was the 86 basketball run to the NCAA.  We started out with 20 fans and ended up having weekday parties and filled the JAR for the OVC run and championship.  

 

I get made fun of frequently by friends and family because they are all fans of teams like Penn State, Ohio State, Pitt, etc. People ask me who my college team is and it will always be Akron. My response is always that I'd rather watch the Zips lose every game than root for some random school I have no connection to (which most "big schools" fans do not). 

 

I got a but tipsy watching the Zips win the National Championship in soccer in the packed Barley House and make a few NCAA basketball appearances during my time there. Held the trophy, talked to Faust, Dambrot, Porter and Bowden on different occasions.

 

I feel like being an Akron fan, I appreciate the small victories so much more. OSU fans are ready to jump of bridges because they lost to Michigan. The Zips barely lost to the Wolverines and it was probably my favorite Zips football memory. 

[ermiller27]

12 hours ago, Blue & Gold said:

This should easily be one of the top mid-major jobs in the nation.  Best facilities in the MAC, most beautiful college football stadium in the nation, playing in a conference where it's not difficult to attain success, good yearly rivals in KSUcks, Ohio, Buffalo, and Toledo (hear that MAC?!).  Akron is the hub of NEO; a football-crazy hotbed.  We have to battle the Cleveland sports and the Buckeyes for attention, but if the RubberDucks can average near 5K, there is no reason (if we win) we shouldn't average close to 20K per game.  

 

In my lifetime, the Cleveland tv media did absolutely everything in their power to downplay/ignore anything positive happening in Akron (why I'm not much of a Cleveland sports fan to this day), but as channels 3,5,8 & 19 have lost their influence, there's no reason Akron should continue with an inferiority complex.  (Though it could take a generation to outgrow.)

 

Love that Guthrie comes in and takes Akron seriously; most NEOhioans have been programed not to.  I hope he his actions clearly convey to the Cleveland media, & Terry Pluto especially, to either do the same or go f*ck themselves. 

The media in neohio has always irked me. They always touted as being a supportive part of the neohio community putting reporting in the area first. However it's the same old 99% of reporting coming from one city on the lake and one in Central cow fields. I have since moved to Charlotte NC and wow what a difference in support for our local community and surrounding colleges like davidson, uncc, app state,  and hell even gardner webb. They will show sports highlights from all these colleges and do actual reporting and interviews with coaches. They will even put the college logo of the team playing that Saturday on the weekly weather planner so that people will remember to go to the game! I'm really glad i moved here, they actually seem to support their community. 

Edited November 30, 2021 by ermiller27