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55" curved Samsung TV - check Matching curved Samsung sound bar - check Wife and daughter in Washington DC and not returning until tomorrow afternoon - check Son coming over to watch what we hope to be a double-header - check PIzzas ordered for 7:15p pickup - check Jug of Gold Peak sweet tea to chase the pizza - check LET'S GO ZIPS!!!!!

Speaking of the watch parties...I know it's less work, cheaper, and perhaps more comfortable to watch the games at home. However, I implore anyone in the Akron area who can ... GO TO ONE OF THE WATCH PARTIES. There is no better feeling than to support our team among other fans. For me, being at the watch party for the Elite8 match v Stanford was almost like watching the game at First Energy Stadium-Cub Cadet Field. Also, the team was aware of the watch party at the JAR for the Elite8. They greatly appreciated seeing the support they received from their fans who could not travel; they feed off of that love and support. Please go. Attendance also supports the Athletics Dept. continuing to arrange these for us in the future. Again, Please go. Thanks! GO ZIPS!!!

No matter what happens this has been a wonderful season. It didn’t start off that way but it matters how you finish.

I heard they're bringing in 4 guys. Other than Arth, I have no idea who they are.

Maybe the perception they jumped on Bethune Cookman as soon as we beat Northwestern doesn’t sit real well

Dammit...then we'd be like Toledo or NIU. Wouldn't that suck, Zips fans?

Any half competent coach could have done the same. When you're at the bottom there is only 1 direction that you can go.

You had me thinking right up to that line. There' no comparison between Terry Bowden's 35-52 record at UA to Solich's 105-75 record at OU. We could only wish Bowden was "Our version of Frank Solich." He'd still be here and we'd think we had Paul Brown.

if you have missed any of the Beacon articles....this article from the Beacon has a link to all of their articles during the zips journey to the 2nd star All kinds of credit to the Beacon for their outstanding coverage https://www.ohio.com/news/20181207/ua-faces-off-against-michigan-state-tonight-heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-zips-journey-to-college-cup

I don't know who is working the arrangements, but George Van Horne is here in Santa Barbara. I saw him checking into the team hotel yesterday. The UA Athletics Dept. has been doing a great job with this NCAA Tourney run...the watch party at the JAR for the Elite8; the watch parties they've arranged for the College Cup; the pre-game party they arranged here. This is all I ever wanted them to do to support our powerhouse Men's Soccer Program. The players, coaches, and staff work hard and deserve this support for them and their fans!!! GO ZIPS!!!

Newcastle star...and former ZIP

Would seem like a terrible deal for us if they have already indeed paid us 50% of the total without requiring a game.

I said any chump could have improved us from the 1-11 record we were, which is true. Even a coach that consistently went 4-8 would have been an improvement over the dumpster fire we were before. Bowden made huge strides early on, which I acknowledged and have thanked him for in the past. The program never really made that next leap which is why he's gone.

2005 MAC Championship with JD Brookhart was the best accomplishment the program made. Bowl games are nice but MAC champions should always be the greatest goal.

Seems like the team is finally getting some of the media attention it has long deserved. Go Zips! I look forward to meeting some of you here in Santa Barbara later today ...

Two former Zips - Bryce Jones, Javonn Letuli - on the San Antonio Commanders roster in the Alliance of American Football league. Logan Woodside is the QB. Only two Zips in the league.

TB took our program to the highest level it's ever been by just about any measure you want to look at. Sh!t, its the end of the season and Northwestern played in the B1G championship and is ranked! Saying any chump could've done it is ridiculous, because nobody else has. TB did a great job getting our program back to its peak, we just need a new guy that can take us up a level, because unfortunately the peak is pretty depressing. There is quite a bit of talent on the roster (assuming the new coach can keep it). The recipe is right to take the program up a notch and do it quick.

Match Day.

Wouldn't that be great. I think coach Bowden/Amato/Stroud/others leave the team in decent shape, so it's a possibility. I'm sure some will fail to recall this eventually, but not me. The next coach will step into a potential winner day one. That was not possible six years ago. I hope the next coach is good at recruiting top MAC talent. If someone can tell me who that is, I'll throw my support behind that candidate. Otherwise, I can't pretend to know if any name mentioned in this thread would succeed. I don't know much about hiring an FBS head coach, but I would certainly give coach Stroud an interview, if he wanted it. Whomever the new coaches are, I'm intrigued to watch a new offense next season.

Akron soccer is a superpower in our back yard returning to College Cup – Terry Pluto

Firing Bowden may seem somewhat extreme just to get a new offensive coordinator, but it had to be done.

2nd Star on their minds !!!

I guess if you are the first, and only candidate to interview so far, you’re no doubt the “leading candidate.”

I listened to the discussion of our next HC on Big Time Sports. It further piqued my interest in Vince Kehres. I have believed all along that he is so close to the values of his dad that he would be a great hire for us. He is about legacy building and not a bigger paycheck and greater celebrity. He is like his dad in that he does not want to move his family. Akron is a perfect it. He knows the area, he has recruited but with no scholarships and he has consistantly won. When I was a director of sales for my company all the management courses I took stated, when hiring, past success is the single greatest predictor of future success. Vince has it and I would go after him with all I have. Next I'd target Getsy. To be truthful, Arth would not be on my radar because, altho' he won at JCU, his record at UTC does not show the success I want and casts too much doubt. Just my opinion. This is a critical hire for us because the football program affects all of athletics. We have to get it right.

https://soundcloud.com/igimeportsadio/akron-zips-football-head-coaching-search-12618

Thanks, I will be there!

stop making sense!!! and lets keep KD!!

Know what's exciting? Winning. Some of the most "exciting" hires I've seen have been full of hot air and the excitement wanes quite quickly when you don't win. Take a look at the reception when Gundy hired Yurcich, or on the flip side when Pitt hired Todd Graham.

FYI for those going to Cali.

Nice Marla article on Ezana and how he came to the US and more

Kato had all the mobility of Hermann Munster. That kills his game. He's not a pocket passer. With a healthy, sharp Kato we could compete with anybody. With a hobbled, or no Kato, we sucked. That was the fine line we rode towards the end of the year. We rode it with Woodson too. In the past several years we've just never possessed a running game, any semblance of run blocking, or a decent #2 QB. And here we are...

I don't buy the "He lost the team" sentiment. We shut out South Carolina in the second half...if you're a 4-7 MAC school...how do you shut out a bowl-bound SEC team for a full two quarters while you quit on your coach!? We forces four turnovers in that game. If the Zips quit, the score should have been 66-3. Kato is a sophomore that improved over the course of the season. He had a terrible Miami game early, but you'll get that from a QB in his first starting season. Had he stayed healthy, we probably at least win 2-out-of-3 vs EMU, BG and NIU. If you believe the George Thomas comment that Bowden would have been fired last year if wouldn't have won the MAC East, I contend if Kato didn't get hurt this year, it would have botched Williams plans yet again. If you want to tell me Bowden needed to go because he'd run his course and we needed new blood...the stands were empty...sponsorships were down...our OL play and RB's were perennially at the bottom of Division 1 football...I would have a tough time arguing it. But I never saw the players quit on the coach. They always played hard. They just didn't have enough talent and depth across the board. I think the next coach will reap the benefits of what Bowden has assembled here much like Brookhart won his MAC Championship with a large contingent of Owens' players, or Darrell Hazell won at Kent with Doug Martin's guys. Bowden got Kato for the tough "toddler years." The next coach will get him for 2 full seasons in his prime. Add Stewart...Morris...Boogie...Williams...what a great situation to step in to.

It seems like every year we release a new 3 year plan. How about we actually follow one of these plans through? Personally, I feel the college system is broken and needs to be fixed. All the Ohio public schools are trying to compete with one another to have the nicest facilities which in turn drives up the costs which in turn makes it so more people can't afford college. If the public schools actually worked together we could drive down costs making it so more people could afford it. Akron and Kent are separated by 12 miles. It doesn't make sense for both to have engineering & liberal arts programs. Akron does engineering better. We should focus our attention and resources on that. Kent State does liberal arts better. They should focus their resources on that. By doing this NEO both universities could shed costs while also improving what they're best at already. I'm sure there are other programs that can be divvied up one way or another. I just used this as a quick example.

I am wary of any candidate that has only seen coaching success at schools with football budgets that eclipse UA's entire endowment. Likewise, I'm wary of any candidate that doesn't have at least coordinator experience. Being a head coach is more than just football. It's also managing an organization. You need to be able to hire a good staff and then put them in positions to succeed. You need to be able to connect with the community and work with the athletic department to fill seats. No amount of playcalling or position technique knowledge can prepare someone to do that.

Playoff Jared - love it :-)

Meh. 99% of the guys that played pro football couldn't hire a college coach if their life depended upon it. I like Groce, but it's a little early to call him a great hire. He was a low-risk, obvious choice. I'll hold off on the hosannas for the new women's coach until she coaches...maybe 10 games? I'll hold off on the hosannas for Sabo until he coaches...maybe 1 game? I hope we make a great hire, win a couple championships and fill InfoCision. But 30 years of history tells me there's a decent chance we'll screw it up.

Because he's a football guy and not like any of those other Zips athletic directors. Because he made a great hire in men's BB. Because it appears he made a great hire in women's BB. Because he made a great hire for baseball. He has more football knowledge in the tip of his d*ck than I do. There comes a point at which I've got to trust him.

Because all the other Zips athletic directors since the late 80's have made such outstanding hires?

Bowden was 140-62 before coming to Akron... and 5-7 was a solid turnaround from 1-11. I'm just saying I don't get the Hype on Tom Arth. And if people don't like him at UTC, why should we like the idea of getting him here?

I would love to see him get the job. I don't think he'd fail...he's just too football-smart, and driven. Joe Moorhead wanted the Zips job seven years ago, but UA hired Bowden instead. That Moorhead chose Getsy as his OC at Mississippi State tells you all you need to know. I got to know his parents a little during his stint at Akron. Fantastic people. A great football family. The thing that stood out to me about Luke was - he always conducted himself as an absolute "pro." He never said a bad word about any of his teammates after a game. He's very analytical. I remember at one scrimmage Chev Pace hit him late on a blitz, even though, as the QB, he was wearing a red shirt. Getsy barked at him, "Chev! That was LATE!" Pace sort of put his tail between his legs and shuffled back to the D side. I probably can't explain in text how an action so simple spoke so much to me about his leadership , but I still remember it 14 years later. Everyone on the team respected him. To me, Luke Getsy is classy, he's a pro, he's driven, he's got an incredible football acumen, he's paid his dues and increased his responsibilities at every step through his coaching career, he's got great morals, he's a great leader, he's young and motivated, he knows the area, he's a University of Akron graduate...I don't see how UA could go wrong hiring him. Does he have previous HC experience? No. But if you're at Akron, you need to think outside the box. Hire Luke Getsy.

University of Akron Hall of Shame Ianello Scarborough Milwee