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It doesn't matter if you do know who the coach is. If you bail, your zip card is revoked.

From what I've been told Williams is waiting for the outcome of the Boals Ability to Recruit Debate before he moves on. He is absolutely paralyzed until that piercing question is answered. As we all know he depends inordinately on ZNO and he wants the full debate completed before making a move. Unfortunately that will mean most of us will die from self-inflicted gunshot wounds rather than see it out. Bye cruel world.

Could you guys debate Boals and the OSU recruiting classes a little more? I don't think any of you has clearly made your point yet and expect some of you might come around to the other side.

IDK what your problem is. You are the one that stated their problem was recruiting and claimed it started under Boals. I stated they recruited great under Boals and backed it up with facts (them having 4 top 10 recruiting classes). They had a terrific recruiting class in 2015, however, 60% of that class transferred. I don't know the story of why nor do I really care. Their 2016 class was underwhelming and their 2017 class appears to be shaping up to be equally as bad. OSU program has obviously been regressing over the last 2 years by missing the tournament and I never stated otherwise. I don't see how me disputing a balatant alternative fact on your part is me defending OSU. Their program is going downhill and based off their incoming class it doesn't appear to be turning itself around anytime soon.

Enlighten us as to the "1 other".

I am intrigued by this kid. He is putting in the work.

I'm a little damn tired of the "forever a Zip" BS.

I did a little research based on the state of UA right now. · We have just lost our coveted BBall coach (who I don’t think any of us thought would leave) · We are losing BBall players left and right – headed from the penthouse to the outhouse · We can’t recruit because we don’t have a BBall coach · What will LBJ support be? (he is key for us) · We have the lowest football attendance in FBS · The school is in financial distress I played football at UA, I love the school and the football program. I don’t want it to go away but when I add up all the issues facing the school, I have to question the decision making that has gone on. I do agree, ICoach was a disaster….certainly when opening a brand new stadium. There is a side of me the believes we would be in a much better place had JD Brookhart remained coach or we had announced Terry Bowden as coach for the opening season of Infocision. None of that matters now. I have been asking questions for some time; Why are we in the MAC – the MAC is rudderless? What is/was the direction of UA athletics? Who do we aspire to be? Was anybody looking at the landscape of college sports? Conferences that were relevant in the past have been gutted by their flagship programs leaving for super-conferences. If we thought we were a flagship program and that was our goal, somebody needs to have their heads checked. What were the decision making criteria for where tens of millions of dollars were invested in UA athletic programs. Did someone believe heavy investment UA athletics was going to help us academically? Men’s basketball is the second most important sport at any school. We lost our coach because he went to a league that got multiple NCAA bids. It is hard to blame him for that, he isn’t getting any younger. There has been a lot of hoping and discussion around UA becoming the “Gonzaga of the Midwest”. When you look at the top Mid-Major basketball programs, they are all in leagues that have multiple NCAA bids, only 4 of the 20 play FBS. There are NO MAC teams on the list. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2639716-ranking-the-best-mid-major-programs-in-college-basketball That begs the question around decision making at UA. I pulled some stats of UA football from 2002-present (that is as far back as Wiki would go). When I strictly look at data, I don’t get it. UA Average football attendance (no money games) 14,509 MAC ONLY GAMES (home & away) 13,938 ALL UA Home Games 13,723 UA Home games vs MAC 13,143 Home games over 25K 3 Home games over 20K 8 Home games under 10K 23 Average attendance before INFO 14,024 Average attendance after INFO 13,504 Here are some facts from the conferences we should have gone after. If we had, I think we would still have KD, likely have much more success in football (possibly a FCS Championship), and better attendance all around. Atlantic 10 Conference – 14 Full-time members Playing FBS – 1 (UMASS) Playing FCS - 6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_10_Conference#Full_members West Coast Conference – 10 Full-time members Playing FBS – 1 (BYU) Playing FCS - 1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Coast_Conference Missouri Valley Conference – 10 Full-time members Playing FBS – 0 Playing FCS - 6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_Valley_Conference#Current_members We can't do anything about the past and where we are now but the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Is it too late? Shouldn't KD leaving be ANOTHER wake up call? The MAC is a sinking ship, we need to get off!!! Attached is UA's football attendance since 2002. Year.pdf

Boals did great in Chicago

We wait, unfortunately. Or we could always finish the Boals recruiting talk

At this rate in 2 weeks we will have a coach but no players

From what I've been told by someone involved they have a few interviews this coming week. They are going to meet with a couple coaches and within 2 weeks we will have a new coach

nice to see former zip Dillon Serna back on the pitch

I'm sure they talked this weekend in-person. You would not believe what it's like at the Final Four, men's or women's. It's like a coaching version of a political party convention. The networking that goes on at these final fours for coaches is just incredible. It was a brilliant idea that our AD went down there this weekend. Example of what I'm talking about:

Do we know that is the case? It sounds like UTC has already made an offer and is in negotiations. Akron isn't that far along in their search. Paris may just be moving forward on an offer that has been made rather than something that might come from Akron.

John Groce...I will have the biggest smile and laugh if we hire him...and a lot of schadenfreude towards the Kittens.

I did a Twitter search. Apparently a bunch of IU people don't want us to hire him so he can join Archie as recruiting coordinator and assistant coach.

UTC has since reportedly been filled by Paris. I'd presume we didn't offer him.

I don't even know what you guys are arguing about anymore

Let's not kid ourselves. There's no one who cares enough to research and put the rumors out there. We'll hear something when it's official, unfortunately.

@UAZip0510 Has stated he will not be coming here and I have to take his word for it as he seems in the know. Multiple reports are saying Paris is close to taking the job at UT-Chatanooga.

So back on the topic of our coaching search, appears Boals and Paris are out. I think most on here would have been satisfied with either of them. I haven't read anything yet about who we are targeting that I would consider reputable. Let's get it moving, Larry.

Why not? What do we have to lose? I like the look of him. Wish we could see him in the Spring Game.

I know some University employees read here, but maybe a well written email to Larry would be appropriate. krex@uakron.edu You seem passionate on the subject, and he seems like a good communicator, and may be responsive.

Klaus Zollner just PM'd you.

You are trying to criticize a guy that helped bring in 4 top 10 recruiting classes during a period OSU was regularly playing into the 2nd weekend of the tournament. Why is it relevant what state the players came from? His #1 recruit at Akron Zeke Marshall who was an out of state prospect. Duke, Kentucky, and UNC didn't get to be where they are by only recruiting in state prospects. They go for the best players regardless of where they are located.

I see a restraining order in your future

No lol...I just went through a list of 34 names, cut it down to fifteen, then ten, and then five the night and day after the Dambrot announcement. I researched those five a ton and thought McDevitt as the best fit for the program after Dambrot. Plus, I ended up talking to someone on twitter that I didn't realize was very connected with the UNC-Asheville program, and he told me a lot of information about McDevitt, so it's easy for me to mention McDevitt's name as an example. I know it looks like I'm his relative or his agent or someone else close to that, but I just think he's a good example of a coach we SHOULD be getting, and it's easier for me to keep mentioning him than to keep saying the same traits I'm looking for in a coach over and over again. I'm not used to us having a basketball opening. I guess I'm so locked in on McDevitt, I know it might not happen, but if we get a coach very similar to him. I'm okay with it.

Is this mcdevitt guy your uncle or something?

B & G.... Ya got me. I fell for it big time. Well done.

Boals won't be coming here

Gee Keith, thanks for quitting on our challenge and taking up theirs. Goodbye riddance.

I am confident with lilroodude's assesment

I do. When you don't show up in a Championship game, against your arch rival, with essentially a home crowd, and a ticket to the Big Dance on the line... You've pretty much signaled to me that you do not want to be here. When you don't blow out inferior teams all year because you lack 40 minutes of desire and effort, you've signaled to me you don't want to be here.

Another thought... I would be really interested in a Shaka Smart disciple that wants to bring in a different style of play a'la 40 minutes of hell, something that broke the mold of MAC basketball.

Given the number of scholarship players potentially leaving, I wouldn't be surprised if we have 1-2 unused ones next season, which wouldn't be a terrible thing. If Noah leaves we'll only have 1 scholarship senior, 2 if we give Eubanks a scholarship, which we might as well. It would be nice to set ourselves up with 3-4 scholarships available next year when our next coach would have a full cycle to recruit. An unused scholarship would also provide us an opportunity to pick up a mid-season transfer like Toledo did this year with Willie Jackson.

I don't think that is such a big deal. I want to hire the correct coach, I think that is more important. This is from yesterday's PD article by EA.... Akron AD Larry Williams, "I do want to move forward as fast as possible." With that in mind, Williams said he will be off to the Final Four in Arizona to do more of the search and possible interviews. "We'll get a lot of activity done there,'' he said. I think that is a good idea.

We were the exception with having a successful coach stay at our level for so long. Unfortunately, that most likely won't happen again. Make a great hire, and do it again in 4-5 years.