Right Coach Quickly

[Big Zip]

Although I want Wistricill to make the right decision, he needs to make a quick decision. If Wistricill doesn't get this hire done very soon we run the real risk of potentially a second lost recruiting year out of the last three. If iCoach's first year was a pass and not really his recruiting class and we have that potential happening again this year -- how far back is it going to set this program back?

I'm afraid we don't have time for a national search. We have time for a quick search. Then again perhaps this season is already lost and we might as well take our time and get it right. I'm really concerned for the future of this program and fear that a wrong decision that needed to be fired after two years could result in five years of rebuilding.

[GoZips]

Although I want Wistricill to make the right decision, he needs to make a quick decision. If Wistricill doesn't get this hire done very soon we run the real risk of potentially a second lost recruiting year out of the last three. If iCoach's first year was a pass and not really his recruiting class and we have that potential happening again this year -- how far back is it going to set this program back?

I'm afraid we don't have time for a national search. We have time for a quick search. Then again perhaps this season is already lost and we might as well take our time and get it right. I'm really concerned for the future of this program and fear that a wrong decision that needed to be fired after two years could result in five years of rebuilding.

+1

[Zip_ME87]

Although I want Wistricill to make the right decision, he needs to make a quick decision. If Wistricill doesn't get this hire done very soon we run the real risk of potentially a second lost recruiting year out of the last three. If iCoach's first year was a pass and not really his recruiting class and we have that potential happening again this year -- how far back is it going to set this program back?

I'm afraid we don't have time for a national search. We have time for a quick search. Then again perhaps this season is already lost and we might as well take our time and get it right. I'm really concerned for the future of this program and fear that a wrong decision that needed to be fired after two years could result in five years of rebuilding.

I understand your concern, but it will definitely set the program back 5 or more years if we make the wrong decision again.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Every week Wayne State wins puts us 7 more days behind in recruiting. And probably add another $15k/yr in salary/win.

[zipsfan33]

I hate to say this... but Akron didn't usually get the best recruits anyway, so how bad can it really hurt?

[Captain Kangaroo]

I hate to say this... but Akron didn't usually get the best recruits anyway, so how bad can it really hurt?

Then why hire a new coach? Things can never change.

[Big Zip]

@Jason....they got MAC level recruits. In fact I've seen some really good football in Akron over the years. The problem is we can't afford to have a year of lower than MAC level recruits.

@Cap'n you may be right....does that mean we should root for Wayne State to lose?

[Captain Kangaroo]

@Cap'n you may be right....does that mean we should root for Wayne State to lose?

If they win this week...than I guess we should hope they win it all.

Maybe getting the D-2 Champ Coach gets a little more of a buzz going in the area? We know that Pluto would be all over it.

[g-mann17]

Maybe getting the D-2 Champ Coach gets a little more of a buzz going in the area? We know that Pluto would be all over it.

Not as much as if it were a D-3 Champ Coach.

So we are all coming to agreement that Winters should get his shot?

[ZipRoo]

I like Winters...err, Withers, for three reasons:

1) Bluto backs him, and he's never wrong. Right?

2) Paul is an Akron guy, so he'll feel more allegiance and pressure to win than any no-name vagabond Wistrcill would unearth. Of the menial names bandied about as candidates, I'd go with a known quantity.

3) Paul is an OFFENSIVE mind. Like the Browns recent mistakes, I am so tired of "defensive" minded coaches who produce an offense that's barely-there. That's why I was thrilled when Shurmur & his bosses came aboard. Sadly, they have proven to be big-time busts with no creativity whatsoever. However, on a college level, an offensive guru with a high-powered, exciting offense will attract fans, even if we don't win every game. We've gotta score points.

[zipsfan33]

I hate to say this... but Akron didn't usually get the best recruits anyway, so how bad can it really hurt?

I knew I would get comments to this... I am a two time alum and season ticket holder for 20+ years so I know what we can get. I guess I meant to say was with the regime that we just suffered through we could have gotten the highest recruits out there and it might not have mattered. Maybe he could recruit guys... but recruiting and on field performance are two different things. I was impressed with a few of his freshmen that played this year... Johnny Robinson sticks out in my mind. But finding a new coach that is going to associate with the fans, bring excitement to campus and show improvements are a must. I love the Zips and if they were 0-12 for 10 years I'd still be there... but you better believe I would resort to boooing land yelling like I had to do this year, unfortunatly.

[zen]

Rushing into a big mistake = 2 to 5 years of bad football

Making the right decision patiently = early setbacks that can be overcome

[Dave in Green]

Moving too quickly creates more opportunity for error while moving too slowly can result in good candidates getting better offers from schools that move more quickly.

Have to move fairly quickly while devoting all your resources to a thorough analysis.

If the athletic department had been doing its homework, they would have had a preliminary list drawn up well before the end of the season.

There should always be a contingency plan, even if only to cover the remote possibility of the unexpected death of a head coach.

[Captain Kangaroo]

So we are all coming to agreement that Winters should get his shot?

To quote Lee Corso: "Not so fast, my friend!"

I want to interview multiple candidates. Winters should be one of them.

Any coach from Wisconsin or Minnesota shot not be one of them. And anyone caught asking for Barry Alvarez's advice should be fired.

A silver lining to Winters being overlooked again would be - It would really piss Terry Pluto off.

[johnnyzip84]

So we are all coming to agreement that Winters should get his shot?

To quote Lee Corso: "Not so fast, my friend!"

I want to interview multiple candidates. Winters should be one of them.

Any coach from Wisconsin or Minnesota shot not be one of them. And anyone caught asking for Barry Alvarez's advice should be fired.

I've talked up Winters for some time now, but I agree the process should be allowed to play out. Mike Johnson and Matt Campbell both are intriguing candidates. I remember watching Mike play in WLAF games on TV after his Zip career (always was a sucker for goofy football leagues). He's got a nice mix of pro and college coaching experience and you would think he might be able to land a stud JUCO QB, perhaps even with this upcoming class. I've said before that I like Campbell's potential, but there's no way TW takes a chance like this for his 2nd football HC hire.

Of course, TW might borrow another quote from Corso and say "ahh f--- it!" and go ahead and announce the hiring of Winters before the Wayne St season is even finished

[zips13]

Its my opinion that Akron needs to decide if they want to hire a known commodity coach who will rebuild the program and then leave for a "bigger" and "better" job, or do they want to hire a relatively unknown coach who might take longer to rebuild...but will stay onboard for the long-haul(Keith Dambrot). If we are looking for a quick rebuild type coach, I think Turner Gill would be worth looking into. He knows how to win in the MAC, is recently unemployed, and he rebuilt a Buffalo program that was is as bad of shape as Akron currently is in.

So we are all coming to agreement that Winters should get his shot?

To quote Lee Corso: "Not so fast, my friend!"

I want to interview multiple candidates. Winters should be one of them.

Any coach from Wisconsin or Minnesota shot not be one of them. And anyone caught asking for Barry Alvarez's advice should be fired.

[g-mann17]

Its my opinion that Akron needs to decide if they want to hire a known commodity coach who will rebuild the program and then leave for a "bigger" and "better" job, or do they want to hire a relatively unknown coach who might take longer to rebuild...but will stay onboard for the long-haul(Keith Dambrot). If we are looking for a quick rebuild type coach, I think Turner Gill would be worth looking into. He knows how to win in the MAC, is recently unemployed, and he rebuilt a Buffalo program that was is as bad of shape as Akron currently is in.

I would say he didn't "rebuild it" look at what has happened since he left. Relegated to playing us for "Turd of the conference". A rebuilt program would sustain success after a coach. Maybe you dip to mediocre for a year as the team adjusts to the new coach, but certainly not to the abysmal depths that Akron and Buffalo have sunk.

Gill did what Brookhart did. Took some other coach's hard work, win with it, and try to get the heck out. JD's problem was his success happened in his second year in an era where a coach had to have "sustained success" to get a new job. Now you just need to be a flash in a pan and people want to throw money at you without looking at what you had to work with.

[ZachTheZip]

I get the feeling that TW is mailing in this coaching search, just like last time. This time he's focusing too hard on coaches with an Akron connection instead of looking for the best person nationally. So our choices are either a D-II coach that nobody cares about outside his former players, a sleazy used car salesman from UConn, or a 31 year old who's spent almost his entire 8-year assistant coaching career in the Northwest-Ohio corner of the MAC.

[ZipFan42]

Its my opinion that Akron needs to decide if they want to hire a known commodity coach who will rebuild the program and then leave for a "bigger" and "better" job, or do they want to hire a relatively unknown coach who might take longer to rebuild...but will stay onboard for the long-haul(Keith Dambrot). If we are looking for a quick rebuild type coach, I think Turner Gill would be worth looking into. He knows how to win in the MAC, is recently unemployed, and he rebuilt a Buffalo program that was is as bad of shape as Akron currently is in.

So we are all coming to agreement that Winters should get his shot?

To quote Lee Corso: "Not so fast, my friend!"

I want to interview multiple candidates. Winters should be one of them.

Any coach from Wisconsin or Minnesota shot not be one of them. And anyone caught asking for Barry Alvarez's advice should be fired.

Wasn't Dambrot actively campaigning for the Dayton Flyers head coaching opening this past year?

[Dave in Green]

Wasn't Dambrot actively campaigning for the Dayton Flyers head coaching opening this past year?

Some Dayton fans were actively campaigning to get Dambrot.

[zips13]

Well....I WOULD say he rebuilt it. The coach before Turner Gill (Jim Hofher)won 8 total games in 5 seasons. Buffalo won a total of 10 games and lost 69 during Hofher's 5 years and the 2 years of the coach before him. The only hard work Gill capitalized on was HIS OWN.

You can't blame Gill on what happened after he left. It comes down to making the right hire and apparently Buffalo didn't do that either. Look at Florida....Spurrier leaves and Ron Zook comes in. The football team goes in the tank. Zook leaves and Meyer comes in....the team is good again. Everyone says Meyer won his first national championship with Zook's players...which is true...but recruiting players is one thing....coaching and getting the most of them is something totally different. Again, it is about hiring the right person.

Its my opinion that Akron needs to decide if they want to hire a known commodity coach who will rebuild the program and then leave for a "bigger" and "better" job, or do they want to hire a relatively unknown coach who might take longer to rebuild...but will stay onboard for the long-haul(Keith Dambrot). If we are looking for a quick rebuild type coach, I think Turner Gill would be worth looking into. He knows how to win in the MAC, is recently unemployed, and he rebuilt a Buffalo program that was is as bad of shape as Akron currently is in.

I would say he didn't "rebuild it" look at what has happened since he left. Relegated to playing us for "Turd of the conference". A rebuilt program would sustain success after a coach. Maybe you dip to mediocre for a year as the team adjusts to the new coach, but certainly not to the abysmal depths that Akron and Buffalo have sunk.

Gill did what Brookhart did. Took some other coach's hard work, win with it, and try to get the heck out. JD's problem was his success happened in his second year in an era where a coach had to have "sustained success" to get a new job. Now you just need to be a flash in a pan and people want to throw money at you without looking at what you had to work with.

[g-mann17]

Well....I WOULD say he rebuilt it. The coach before Turner Gill (Jim Hofher)won 8 total games in 5 seasons. Buffalo won a total of 10 games and lost 69 during Hofher's 5 years and the 2 years of the coach before him. The only hard work Gill capitalized on was HIS OWN.

You can't blame Gill on what happened after he left. It comes down to making the right hire and apparently Buffalo didn't do that either. Look at Florida....Spurrier leaves and Ron Zook comes in. The football team goes in the tank. Zook leaves and Meyer comes in....the team is good again. Everyone says Meyer won his first national championship with Zook's players...which is true...but recruiting players is one thing....coaching and getting the most of them is something totally different. Again, it is about hiring the right person.

Ok, lets see...

Gill, 20-30 as a head coach. Relied heavily on JUCO kids and transfers to win a MAC Championship in 2008. Yes, Buffalo was awful before he got there, but they should have been awful because they were an awful 1-AA team, and before that an awful D-3 team. Which gets to my point that Gill didn't "build" anything there. He found out how to win for a hot a minute and road that success to another offer and left the team with nothing. His replacement, Jeff Quinn, is a Brian Kelley guy. He assumed he was going to a team with something, and truth be told they had nothing.

As for Zook, Zook took the Gators to three consecutive bowl games. Two 6-2 SEC records and missed a shot at an SEC championship game because of a tie breaker. The Gators haven't been in the "tank" since 1979 (0-10) that was the last losing season they had. Why? Several reasons, but mostly because they hire coaches that continue on the tradition. When Florida has to dump a coach its because his stuff isn't working anymore. It's not because the program is failing.

If Gill had done his job in Buffalo any mediocre coach should have been able to be plugged in and been mediocre (in the MAC that is 5-7 to 4-8). Gill failed, and his style is why he isn't coaching in the Big 12 anymore.

[zips13]

Spurrier and Meyer took Florida to NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP games, Zook to Florida to BOWL games. Zook's records at Florida 8-5, 8-5, 7-5. I would not call that continuing the tradition. At Akron I would gladly take that, at Florida...thats not getting it done.

Turner Gill took mediocre talent and coached them up to be a team. If "failing" is winning a MAC championship, I will gladly take failing. I have to assume that Jeff Quinn throughly investigated the program and just didn't take the job blindly. If not thats his problem, not Turner Gill's. The reason Gill isn't coaching in the Big 12 is that he redshirted his entire 2011 recruiting class so that he would have a solid team next year. He gambled that his current team could win 4 or 5 games and allow him to keep his job and have a promising team for next year...he lost that gamble.

We are going to have to agree to disagree here. Getting back to the Zips I am just saying that there are other viable candidates that are not being mentioned.

Well....I WOULD say he rebuilt it. The coach before Turner Gill (Jim Hofher)won 8 total games in 5 seasons. Buffalo won a total of 10 games and lost 69 during Hofher's 5 years and the 2 years of the coach before him. The only hard work Gill capitalized on was HIS OWN.

You can't blame Gill on what happened after he left. It comes down to making the right hire and apparently Buffalo didn't do that either. Look at Florida....Spurrier leaves and Ron Zook comes in. The football team goes in the tank. Zook leaves and Meyer comes in....the team is good again. Everyone says Meyer won his first national championship with Zook's players...which is true...but recruiting players is one thing....coaching and getting the most of them is something totally different. Again, it is about hiring the right person.

Ok, lets see...

Gill, 20-30 as a head coach. Relied heavily on JUCO kids and transfers to win a MAC Championship in 2008. Yes, Buffalo was awful before he got there, but they should have been awful because they were an awful 1-AA team, and before that an awful D-3 team. Which gets to my point that Gill didn't "build" anything there. He found out how to win for a hot a minute and road that success to another offer and left the team with nothing. His replacement, Jeff Quinn, is a Brian Kelley guy. He assumed he was going to a team with something, and truth be told they had nothing.

As for Zook, Zook took the Gators to three consecutive bowl games. Two 6-2 SEC records and missed a shot at an SEC championship game because of a tie breaker. The Gators haven't been in the "tank" since 1979 (0-10) that was the last losing season they had. Why? Several reasons, but mostly because they hire coaches that continue on the tradition. When Florida has to dump a coach its because his stuff isn't working anymore. It's not because the program is failing.

If Gill had done his job in Buffalo any mediocre coach should have been able to be plugged in and been mediocre (in the MAC that is 5-7 to 4-8). Gill failed, and his style is why he isn't coaching in the Big 12 anymore.

[g-mann17]

And Gill is far from a viable candidate.

[Z.I.P.]

And Gill is far from a viable candidate.

Well, he has D-1 HC experience, unlike your favorite. Nothing personal.