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Interesting process by which Tim Albin ended up going to a program he did not want to lead. It should be a lesson on how not to advance your career. His first contract at Ohio was for $500K, with automatic bumps every time he won 8 games. His first year was a disaster, 3-9, although that could be partly blamed on the fact that Frank Solich didn't retire until late July. He initially had a five-year deal with "outs" after years one and two. Ohio's AD wasn't thrilled with being trapped into giving him the job due to Solich's strategically late announcement. Ohio stuck with him through year one, found more money for assistants' salaries in year 2 and urged him to replace some of the "buddies of Frank" that were still on the staff. With those changes, including the hiring of Brian Smith as OC, they won 10 games and made the MACC in year 2. He got another bonus. In the middle of year three, the AD boosted his pay to ~$730,000 and retained all the bonuses already built into his contract. He ended up winning 10 games again but lost a couple of key games (including Miami at home) that kept the Bobcats from the MACC. Here's where it gets interesting. The AD agreed to begin another renegotiation at the end of year three...with Albin's agent pointing to Jason Candle of Toledo ($1M+) as the benchmark. Of course, Albin hadn't won a MACC yet, so the AD told him that seemed high. Unfortunately for both parties, 40+ players went for $$$ in the portal after the 2023 season. Suddenly 80% of offensive production was gone. Given this fact, the AD delayed renegotiation until she could determine if the program could maintain its trajectory. You don't give a guy a $1M deal in the midst of a downturn. When Albin and team started out slow in 2024 - losing to Syracuse, badly to KY and also badly at Miami - the AD said let's wait until the end of the season, but promised a new and better deal. At this point, Albin and his agent got scared. They figured 2024 would be mediocre and that they'd better play the "2 straight 10-win seasons" card while they could. They reached out to several programs. UNCC (Charlotte) expressed interest. But as Ohio started to string together wins in October and November, UNCC told Albin take it or leave it. He played it safe and accepted their first offer...without telling his employers in Athens. Heading into the MACC, Ohio's AD offered him a deal of around $1.3M plus incentives. He hemmed and hawed...but still didn't tell them he had signed the UNCC deal. Ohio wins the MACC, Albin gets on one of the team buses back from Detroit and then sees on Twitter that UNCC is telling people that he is their new coach. At this point, he panicked, asked the bus driver to pull over, and got into his wife's car (behind the bus) - still without telling players or staff that he was leaving. He skips the game night celebration in Athens. He does not address the team until 2 days later. In essence, Albin bet against himself and his team by signing the UNCC deal under the gun. He would have ended up making more in Athens (and money goes a lot farther there than in Charlotte). By many accounts, he was heartsick he had to leave. But he and his agent had trapped themselves. Ohio fans are angry at how he pursued the new contract but thrilled with his replacement, Brian Smith. The AD is now upping assistant pay again to try to retain most of the staff. The Charlotte program is a mess. It will be a multi-year rebuild, so not sure how attractive it will be for his former assistants. We'll see.

They don't have a different definition. They just aren't willing to reach the level necessary. It's why they will struggle to find success in the TP era. It's also probably why I may give up my season tickets the year after Akron plays them. Between the night games, the length of games, my disinterest in learning a new roster every year, and increasingly feeling like college football is set up for only a few teams to be successful, I think I may have had enough.

OL Amare Archer from East Carolina.

Uhhhh... This is the most transparent CFB has been in decades. The era(s) prior to NIL required sleaze bags because that's when pay to play was taking place under the table.

You are correct, but there is a lot of development coming to downtown shortly if you have been following the news. Cascade plaza is bringing in many apartments and the old ABJ building will be redeveloped as well, also more apartments coming to the CitiCenter building on High Street. It is a collective effort, but it seems like downtown is on the rise.

Congratulations to Emil !!!! picked by St. Louis City SC.....in the first round #7 overall pick

Thanks big dawg!

That sucks. With that said, I recall somebody stating BG has NIL set up for football and we..well don’t. We aren’t going to even keep up with other conference members unless we find a way to step it up from a financial perspective. Can’t wait to kick his ass the next two years.

I know. BG is a more successful program historically but how it this going to be much different of an experience vs playing at Akron? Maybe he thought he would get better offers and had to settle here?

https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/sports/mls/2024/12/20/emil-jaaskelainen-mls-superdraft-pick-st-louis-sc-akron-zips-soccer/76945512007/ Incidentally, Akron has had at least one player chosen in the SuperDraft in 16 of the last 17 seasons. “A lot of players coming into their senior year of high school have aspirations of going pro,” Zips coach Jared Embick said. “To continue to get the good players, you have to show you can get guys to the next level. To have the continuity to do that every year is extremely important to the program and our ability to track players.” “In their(St. L) system of play, they need a target,” Embick said. “They need a guy that can get on the end of things and score. When you look at St. Louis last year, they lacked a goal scorer that stepped up and helped carry the team. I think it’s smart of them to take the best goal scorer eligible in the draft.”

Congratulations to Emil. John Hackworth, father of former Zip, Morgan Hackworth, is St Louis SC Technical Director. Emil is going to an excellent team.

Look up Paul Skenes path...

Seems like another IOL guy? @catdaddyp

It makes sense for him to play for the Ants. He is not getting any time with the Pacers. This is the life of a two way player. I hope he kicks butt in the g league.

I have to think that the head coaches at the service academies are thinking they have it pretty good these days!

They play Rio Grande tonight so I guess we'll see.

I think the 5 pm in the release is 7 pm EST?

Fresno State

The Zips played Fresno State at Fresno. It was not a Final Four weekend, the Zips returned back to Akron and trained a few days before they left for Tacoma.

I'm glad they are going through with this plan, incorporating UA to downtown can be a great selling point for the school in the future.

The success of downtown Akron cannot hinge on the University because it isn't the job of a university to stimulate economic growth, it's to educate people and they need to stick to that mission. It's not the University's job to make downtown Akron a vibrant place. It's the job of the City of Akron to do that in form of drawing more businesses into the City. I know a guy who recently retired from one of the banks downtown. He only had to go to the office two days a week and there was only one other person on his floor of the Huntington (I think) building. Hoping college students buy a couple more cups of coffee or someone goes downtown for yet another art gallery isn't the stimulation Akron needs. It's something, but not nearly enough. Akron needs a youth movement living in downtown and I don't mean more students. I travel throughout the country for work. There are plenty of cities the size of Akron that are thriving and have young people living and working downtown. Grand Rapids is a smaller city than Akron in a much smaller region and their downtown at night is a blast. Winston Salem is another city like Akron doing well. There are lots of examples.

It could be a rough 2 weeks ahead unless this team learns how to box out and defend.