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💯😓👍

Okay, okay, you can keep the bobblehead!

I snapped this photo of Groce during warmups prior to the MAC Championship game. He sat alone for most of it, watching his players, but also looking around a bit, seeming to take it all in. Maybe he has done this before other games and I missed it, but he seemed to be different. I even told my wife it looked like a man who knew this was his last time playing Saturday in Cleveland.

Second time today I'm going to ask for unlimited reactions lol.

Shouldn't be complete turnover.

BANG!

Thanks, I am sure we will learn more as this plays out. I was on a flight wearing a Zips hat right after Cleveland and I spoke to a guy who saw my hat and he indicated that he was friends with Groce and helped with the recruiting of Oggie. I now wish I had gotten that guys number. He was very nice and we talked Zips basketball and he had the highest admiration for Groce.

Search? What search? 😉

Gather in friends, we secured our first commit of the Ford era.

Remember you asked for this… Nine years ago I came onto this forum and expressed to you all just how good of a coach you were getting in John Groce. And an even better person in my opinion. At that time you were dealing with the departure of KD and I couldn’t say goodbye to a guy I grew fond of as the coach of the Fighting Illini. I really thought he would get Akron that first NCAAT win. I know the landscape of the game completely changed during his tenure, but I sure wish he could have achieved that ultimate goal. UCLA was the game, damn we were so close. As a guy who grew up in Illinois within a couple of hours of Chicago I support my local pro teams. I support U of Illinois. My alma mater is Illinois State and they stick their head up every once in a great while. Pretty basic regional loyalty stuff. Here is the great twist as I have gotten older. I have adopted teams into my fandom that are based on affinity. I don’t know Groce personally. I just connected with him on some level and that led me to Akron. And I will probably check in on him at Charleston too. It might be harder because I can’t find a legitimate fan forum for the College of Charleston cougars. It’s still so hard for me to believe he’s gone. Anyway, I have also adopted Ole Miss due to a road trip from Illinois to Florida. They are now my SEC team. The sleepy little town of Oxford fits my personality so well and I enjoyed talking to the people during my short visit. I need to get back down there. All of this is to say people and relationships is what matters most to me. Zips Nation, you all matter to me. I have spent so much time on this forum and have never met any of you in person. Is that silly, pathetic? Perhaps. But you are still my friends. We have experienced so many highs and lows together. So I’m not looking to go anywhere. Now my positive feelings towards the new head coach are a plus. I met both Groce and Ford years ago when the Zips played at NIU. Ford was very personable and gave generously of his time. I think his hire while not a sure thing is a wise decision and I will be pulling for his success just the same. I will still be putting together the scholarship chart and if I win it big one day I will still build Joe and Jane Akron a new basketball arena with the best concessions. Thanks for the good times. And here’s to many more to come!! Go Zips!!

Maybe it was a mutual change of scenery situation. Groce was happy, UA was happy, but maybe both sides decided it was time to try something different? I'm probably just trying to make myself feel better. 3 MAC championships in a row is awesome, but 3 tourney losses in a row have been heartbreaking. Will Ford be a better coach? Doubtful. Will Groce win more games at Charleston? Maybe. But I think both sides saw the ceiling. If a big school saw our results, their coach probably would have been fired after the tournament losses.

I'm not privy to any inside knowledge, but I saw this post by Sam Amico on 330togo facebook page. I'm thinking Utah was maybe Utah State as that Utah job was never open.

I know there are a few people on this board with some inside information. I would like to know why Groce made the decision to leave Akron which is at best is a lateral move. Was it for more money, more money for players, a realization that he could not win a tourney game coaching Akron? Or was it to give Ford an opportunity to coach and move into the limelight. Just curious to see why Groce made the move since he always seemed to like the area and program.

Any initial feelings on the staff?

OG. Like to have Bo back also if the rumor is true.

If we can afford to keep players like Enrique (even with the discount I’m sure he gave us) and Tavari, I hope we can keep anyone who is slated to come back next year. Another positive - we didn’t have to waste six figures on a customary “search firm”. We do need to start making our buyouts bigger though. We got peanuts when both KD and Groce left. Charleston got 1.3 million plus a home and home with a bettter program, and I don’t think they were paying Mack THAT much more. We should be sitting pretty with a solid extra war chest close to 7 figures.

Enough to win the MAC a few times 👍 Any coach will go as the money goes nowadays.

Groce left on good terms. I don't see him actively poaching any players. If anyone follows him it will likely be because they were going to enter the portal anyway and we couldn't afford their asking price.

Young, Mahaffey, and? Sad part is, Groce has the money to grab who he wants. We were going to be a younger team next year as it was. I have to imagine a few players leave, to Charleston or elsewhere. Maybe opens up the opportunity for a reload rather than a down year.

Mahaffey and Young have a chance to develop into two of the best Zips ever if they stay. Hopefully part of the reason we kept Ford was to make sure that happened.

I like it. From the few brief conversations I've had with our new coach and the former. I like the new coach more. I hope we are able to retain 3 players in particular. Let's make the climb. Go Zips. Fear the Roo.

We know from earlier in the thread he has LCJ's endorsement. If he, a few years removed from the program, basically says "Hey Dustin Ford should get this job," that's pretty telling and a pretty meaningful endorsement. Clearly Ford had an impact on maybe a top 10 or 20 all-time Zip. The "career assistant coach" thing doesn't bother me. Everyone has to start off and put in years as an assistant coach, obviously. There's no reason to think "He's been an assistant coach for too long, therefore he can't be a good head coach."

I'm not happy about what has happened today. But Zips alum have come out with resounding excitement about Ford getting the job. Even guys like Romeo Travis, who never played for him. That gives me some hope. Miami and Kent fans are doing victory laps right now. Hopefully we can shut them up next season.

I thought the same thing of Embick for men's soccer. I thought they should've hired UA alum and highly successful Coastal Carolina coach, Shaun Docking. In any case, it played out the way it did, and Embick has done an amazing job. I hope Dustin Ford is the right assistant in the same way Embick was.