a-zip

I wish I knew how to move it. I thought I started it outside of a specific sport. If a facilitator thinks it warrants moving, please do so.

Sorry for bringing up the topic. I did not intend to make it so broad for ya'll. I tried to frame it to foster ideas for "thinking bigger" and what that means. The beginning of solving a problems is identifying the goal….meaning what is "thinking bigger". As I read the post from this and multiple threads on ZN.o, it apparently means winning a single NCAA tournament basketball game for some, for others it means winning a single monumental football game. That will happen one day if the stars align like they have for Florida Gulf Coast or Mercer (15 minutes of fame). I guess my ambitions of "thinking bigger' are higher….and that is for sustained success and support that will get us out of the MAC. I am convinced that if we stay in the MAC we are actually not thinking bigger and we should be satisfied with the results we are getting. You guys can bitch all you want about the coaches but I promise you the good ones will be gone soon. First prediction. Coach Kest ;-)………..Amato next, Bowden next. Oh BTW, Tressel somewhere in there too.

So, this thread starts to beg the question of what "thinking bigger" means. Are we talking just about basketball or our program as a whole.

That is what happens when you have 5 seniors starting

Thank you!! I do think KD's formula is sustainable. You made a great point on Florida Gulf Coast. They had a nice run, lost their coach and went 22-14 this year. I bet we never hear from them again. I don’t want that. I just checked and IPFW lost to Dayton by 1 point (who beat the dreaded Fuckeyes) - they are good, I do think we should have won though. I am not sure about the other MAC schools that made runs but my bet is they had a lot of upper classman on their teams and are not heard from again for a while. We are consistently good. Look at the roster of the Mercer team that just beat Duke. Think we will hear from them again? Go bless em' though, good luck. http://mercerbears.com/sports/mbkb/2013-14/teams/mercer?view=lineup

Posted Today, 12:57 PM Ada Zip, on 21 Mar 2014 - 12:20 PM, said: Absolutely not. Love TB, but if he can't get it done, bring on somebody that will. _______________________________________________ If that happens, I think my point will have been made. If a Bowden cannot win a bowl game in 10 years it ain't ever going to happen in Akron - I don't care if Heismann rises from the grave to coach the team.

Seriously folks……I am not saying that we should not want more - I WANT MORE! I am saying I don't think we should expect too much more being in the MAC. I am asking if it is realistic for us to expect more being in the MAC? If, we want more (bigger) what jumps should we make? What is the plan to make that jump? How do we get there? I am looking for good ideas not wishes. Sorry for pasting multiple quotes Capt. “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” ― Benjamin Franklin “You can't plow a field simply by turning it over in your mind.” ― Gordon B. Hinckley “When you establish a destination by defining what you want, then take physical action by making choices that move you towards that destination, the possibility for success is limitless and arrival at the destination is inevitable.” ― Steve Maraboli

Yessir

Thought I would start a new thread on the "Thinking Bigger" theme that keeps surfacing. To me, at UoA, "thinking bigger" means different things to different sports. For Men’s soccer - it should be National Championships, for Football it should now be a winning record and possibly bowl game, for Men’s basketball it should be winning MAC championships, Women’s basketball should be about winning MAC championships, track should now be thinking on a national level, etc, etc. IMHO, our coaches are doing amazing things with what they have and collectively the combined successes of our teams means the AD and administration are doing a great job too. Frankly, I am amazed we have been able to retain the coaches we have. They are all approaching their ceilings while competing in the MAC. If we stay in the MAC, these goals above are realistic. We have the best coaches we can afford and they are doing a great job with the resources they have. It is nice to want things but if your goals are unrealistic/ unachievable, you will constantly be disappointed. Haven’t we all experienced this in our professional careers? If you want more, there has to be more dramatic changes and a well thought out plan. To me, “Thinking Bigger” is not about being critical of individual coaches when our season ends, it about carefully thinking what that next steps should be. Are there tweaks KD, JE, TB, JK can make individually? Sure, and I am confident they will make them. To me, “Thinking Bigger” means we need to get in to a bigger conference. This is not an easy task to take on and could have catastrophic impacts on the school and community if not successful. I do believe national success with our athletic teams will create notoriety for the school, which will subsequently benefit the city of Akron. Before taking on a move this monumental, I think the first questions that need to be asked are………”Does NE Ohio and the city of Akron want to “think bigger” too? Is there enough room/support/demand for another high profile athletic program in Ohio? I along with all of you on ZN.o want more, but does the rest of the community feel the same way? I am not confident they do. I live in Washington DC and the University of Maryland is having the same debate on their own “Thinking Bigger” initiative. They decided a move from the ACC for the Big 10 is the way to go. They are in a large thriving market with a much larger fan base and more money. They are thinking bigger but let me tell you there are many people that think their move will be a disaster. While the UoM is on a different scale than us, the issues/questions are the same as our (coaches, facilities, recruits, money, losing records). I copied a couple of bits from articles on the UoM move below. I am not trying to argue with anyone but I think given our current situation in the MAC, we will continue to be disappointed if our expectations are not realistic. I want more but I am content at the moment because my expectations are realistic. _____________________________________________ Maryland joined the Big Ten largely because of its financial problems and the increased revenues it would bring in from league membership. But to compete in the Big Ten, Maryland had to make investments in its top programs. The school followed through Tuesday, signing offensive coordinator Mike Locksley to a three-year contract, according to multiple media reports. CBSsports.com's Bruce Feldman was first to report Lockley's contract. Locksley had two seasons left on his initial contract with Maryland, and the new deal goes through the 2016 season and coincides with the deals for head coach Randy Edsall and defensive coordinator Brian Stewart. Locksley reportedly will earn around $600,000 per year, about $100,000 more than his initial contract. He has Big Ten ties as the offensive coordinator at Illinois from 2005-08. A Washington D.C. native, Locksley is one of the top recruiters in the area. In college football more than any sport, the winningest schools have the deepest pockets. It shows in the quality of a school’s athletic facilities. The Terrapins’ facilities will be — by far — the worst in their division. For Maryland, the trouble begins with Byrd Stadium. The school says its capacity is 54,000, making it among the division’s smallest. The stadiums at Penn State and Michigan accommodate more than 107,000. At Ohio State, capacity is around 102,000. Beginning next season, three of Maryland’s division rivals will have the potential, based on the size of their stadiums, to more than double the school’s game-day revenue from ticket, parking, food and souvenir sales. Profits can be funneled back into the football program to upgrade facilities and increase salaries to lure the best coaches. You don’t need to be a numbers whiz to realize the math adds up poorly for the Terrapins. The support Michigan, Penn State and Ohio State receive from their huge fan bases is another hurdle for Maryland. If all the current Michigan, Penn State and Ohio State season-ticket holders canceled their tickets, there would be a long list of people eager to buy them — and keep the cash registers turned on. Maryland doesn’t have the money to add 50,000 seats or more to Byrd Stadium. And even if the financing were available, it would be foolish for the school to invest in a major expansion project. There isn’t enough interest in the Terrapins’ product. As much as Byrd Stadium will put the Terrapins at an economic disadvantage, their sub-standard training facilities figure to hurt more in terms of preparation. Maryland will be the only member of the Big Ten without an indoor practice facility. Coaches believe you play as well as you practice. No matter the weather in Ann Arbor, Columbus or State College, practice goes on as usual. Not so in College Park. For safety reasons, the Terrapins can’t work outdoors in extreme weather conditions. Although coaches would rather not cut short practice time and alter well-planned schedules, they have no choice when the weather could jeopardize the health of players. Recruiting players is easier for Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State. Beyond the intangible benefits of having rich traditions to sell, coaches of longtime top-25 programs have more practical advantages in the use of private planes, allowing them to make more recruiting stops (per NCAA rules, of course) free from the shackles of commercial flight schedules. Edsall is faring well in recruiting despite having to do it the old-fashioned way. But consider this: Ohio State Coach Urban Meyer doesn’t have to worry about getting stuck in the ‘C’ boarding group on Southwest. The good news for Maryland is that Edsall is doing all he can to overcome the university’s brick-and-mortar issues. Talk to high school coaches, and they’ll tell you Edsall has done a great job in persuading some of the top players in Maryland and the District to sign with the Terrapins. Edsall and Athletic Director Kevin Anderson actually care about educating players. They want to build an honorable program that’s also successful.

OK, it is fine to want it but how does it get done? What is a good plan/strategy? This is an open forum so we can wish for anything we want, say anything we want. Hell, I want it too!!! There are fiscal responsibilities that come with taking the next step - it is not going to happen in the MAC I can tell you that! We need better recruits and we need to get in a different conference, in order to do that it, we need money. I hate to say this BUT - there are many passionate/caring fans on ZN.o I don't think the rest of Akron gives a crap.

OK, I've got that… But what does that mean? You guys are missing my point, which is……..with the resources KD has, he is doing a great job and making the most out of what he has. So when you KEEP SAYING "Think Bigger" are you talking about KD, the AD, the fan base…….who? AD - give KD a bigger budget to attract better quality assistants? Build a new arena? Joe Akron - get your ass to the games so the school sees there is interest and a new arena is warranted? So recruits really want to come here? Look at Akron soccer….the support is the best in the country. Guess what, we compete on a national level, win championships, attract the best recruits, get the best coaches. Why? Because of a rabid fan base and support. We need to attract better recruits and keep the good coaches we have….period. We are getting MAC recruits right now and doing very well with them. "It aint about the Xs and Os, it is all about the Jimmys and Joes" - Bobby Bowden

Very hard, especially when you play in a shitty conference and wind up getting a 12+ seed. The odds say you are going to lose…. just ask Western Michigan . Coach Dambrot highlights below (to include assistant's success and player development in blue….Linhart not in there but he was a great one who also developed under KD). Again, all I am saying is he is doing the best he can with the cards he has been dealt. Unless you know of a surplus of cash to bring in top assistants, I would say the assistants he has and has had are pretty damn good. Is there room for improvement, yes……I am confident KD will reflect and take care of things. Dambrot wasted no time putting his stamp on the program and has led Akron to the postseason in six-straight and seven of the last eight seasons – participating in the NCAA Tournament in 2009, 2011 and 2013, the National Invitation Tournament in 2006, 2008 and 2012, and the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) in 2010. His success ranks the Zips with some of the top programs in the nation. Akron is one of only six teams in the country to win at least 22 games in each of the past eight seasons, joining the likes of Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Ohio State and Pittsburgh. UA leads the Mid-American Conference in overall wins since the start of the 2004-05 season (210) and is the only team in the league, and one of 15 nationally, to post at least 20 wins in each of the past eight seasons. Dambrot's streak of eight-straight 20-win seasons is tied for the ninth-longest stretch by an active coach to do so all with the same program and is tied for the 12th-longest run in the nation among active coaches overall. Dambrot has led Akron to the MAC Tournament title game in each of the last seven years, the longest streak in league history and the second-longest active run in the nation. In his nine seasons in charge of the program, Akron has amassed a 210-94 (.691) overall record, including a 107-41 mark in MAC play and a 119-18 tally in home games (64-10 in MAC play). Akron's 210 victories are tied for the 27th-most nationally during the past nine seasons. In 15 seasons as a collegiate head coach he owns a 318-164 (.660) overall record. Dambrot enters the season in fourth place in MAC history with a .642 win percentage while coaching in the league (230-128 overall; 210-94 Akron, 20-34 Central Michigan), fourth in overall wins (210), fifth in league games winning percentage (.643, 117-65) and seventh in conference wins (117). In 2013, Dambrot was named the MAC Coach of the Year and the Red Auerbach Coach of the year, as well as a finalist for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year award (national COY) and the Hugh Durham Award, which recognizes the nation's top mid-major coach. Mentoring a total of 27 All-MAC honorees, 13 MAC All-Tournament team selections, three MAC Sixth Man of the Year honors, four MAC Defensive Players of the Year, three MAC tournament MVPs and one MAC player of the year award has highlighted his time at UA. Also during his watch, 10 players have been added to the school's 1,000-point scorer's list, he coached the all-time blocked shots leader for Akron and the MAC (Zeke Marshall, 368), Akron's all-time assists leader (Dru Joyce, 503), all-time winningest player (Chris McKnight, 97 victories over a four-season span) and all-time games played leaders (Steve McNees and Nikola Cvetinovic, 141). In 2010, Dambrot was inducted into the Summit County Sports Hall of Fame for his contributions at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, and at The University of Akron as both a student-athlete and head coach. NATIONAL EXPOSURE The University has increased its footprint on the national level under Dambrot. On the heels of the nation's-best 19-game winning streak during the 2012-13 campaign, the Zips earned the No. 24 ranking in the Feb. 25 USA TODAY Coaches Poll, the first national ranking in program history. UA also received a program-best 43 votes in the AP Poll that week. The Zips have gained the attention of the national pollsters on five separate occasions prior to 2013, including the Nov. 9, 2012, and Nov. 12, 2007, AP Polls, and the 2003-04 preseason, Nov. 18, 2003, 1985-86 final coaches polls. Additionally, UA has closed out six of the last eight campaigns ranked in the final CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25. Akron continues to play in a number of nationally televised games and has finished inside the RPI Top-100 in the last two seasons, including a program-best 48th in 2012-13. The program has not been afraid to compete against teams from the ACC, Big East, SEC, Pac-12, Big 12, A-10, MWC, MVC and WAC. In 2013, the Zips will play in its second-consecutive ESPN-hosted tournament, the 2013 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic, after playing in the 2012 Puerto Rico Tip-Off. With Dambrot in charge, the program tallied its first-ever victories over schools from the Atlantic Coast Conference (at Florida State in the 2008 NIT) and Southeastern Conference (versus Mississippi State during the 2005-06 regular season at the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico). THE DAMBROT ERA HIGHLIGHTS After guiding the Zips to a 19-10 record in the 2004-05 season, the program finished the 2005-06 campaign with a 23-10 mark, which at the time was the most wins in the program's Division I era, and also notched the school's first D-I postseason victory – an 80-73 overtime win at Temple in the opening round of the NIT. UA also posted a 13-0 mark at Rhodes Arena that year, and extended its win streak at home to 18 games, which ranked as the third-longest nationally at the time. In 2006-07, Dambrot led Akron to a school-record tying 26-7 mark (1971-72 team went 26-5) and its first MAC East Division title since 1998. Additionally, the program made its first-ever appearance in the MAC tournament championship game, falling 53-52 on a 3-point buzzer-beater. The Zips ran their win streak at home to 21 games, with a 73-71 loss to top-25 ranked Nevada blemishing what was the fourth-best streak nationally at the time. UA ended the campaign 13-1 at Rhodes Arena. Senior forward Romeo Travis capped off his career by being selected as an Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press – the first Zips cager to do so since 1989. Travis was also honored as the MAC Player of the Year, the first in the history of the UA program, and was named to the all-league first team, MAC All-Tournament Team and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 10 Second Team for the second-straight season. In 2007-08, Dambrot and the Zips provided their fan base with another year filled with excitement and milestones, ending the season with a 24-11 record and an 11-5 finish in league play. UA again advanced to the MAC tournament title game. For the second time in three seasons, the Zips made their way to the second round of the NIT – this time knocking off Florida State 65-60 in OT in the opening round. That was the program's first-ever victory over a school from the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Zips lost 68-63 to eventual NIT runner-up Massachusetts in the second round. Dambrot's 2008-09 squad went 23-13 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament after winning its first-ever MAC Tournament championship against Buffalo. The Zips earned a No. 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament and fell to Gonzaga in the first round, 77-64, after leading with just over nine minutes to play. Competing in 36 overall games, it was the longest season in program history. During the 2009-10 season, Dambrot's squad went 24-11 and made its fourth-straight appearance in the MAC Title Game. The Zips made their third-consecutive postseason appearance and fourth in five years, playing in the College Basketball Invitational game for the first time. The 2010-11 season saw many ups and downs, but the result was the same as the 2008-09 season. The Zips, 12-10 at one point in the season, won eight-straight games and 12 of their last 15 to win the MAC title for the second time in three seasons and advance to the program's third NCAA Tournament. With a 23-13 record, Akron faced Notre Dame in the second round of the NCAA Tournament as the No. 15 seed. The Zips fell 69-56 to the Fighting Irish. The 2011-12 campaign was a season of firsts as the Zips won their first MAC regular season title and became the first league team to play in six-straight conference tournament title games. Akron advanced to its third NIT under Dambrot after falling in the MAC Title Game by a single point. Dambrot also became the first Akron coach to be named to the NABC all-district list, earning co-district coach of the year honors. In addition to the program's first national ranking and a program-best finish in the RPI standings during the 2012-13 campaign, Dambrot's Zips tied the program record with 26 wins (26-7), posted the nation's longest winning streak (19-straight) and the best start to league play in MAC history (13-0), won its second-straight MAC regular season title, posted a 19-point win over Ohio in the MAC title game and earned a program-best No. 12 seed in the 2013 NCAA Tournament. CAREER COACHING EXPERIENCE Dambrot received his M.B.A from Akron in 1984 while serving as a graduate assistant under former men's basketball coach Bob Rupert. After two years as a graduate assistant, he moved up to a full-time role with the Zips for one season, before taking the head coaching job at Tiffin. In his second season there (1985-86), he led the Dragons to the most single-season wins in school history (24). In 1986, he made his first venture into the MAC, starting a three-year run as an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan and worked alongside then head coach Ben Braun (who served as head coach at California and is now at Rice). In 1988, the Hurons won their first-ever MAC championship and made their first NCAA Tournament appearance. Dambrot returned to northeast Ohio in 1989 as head coach at Ashland, where, in two years, he led the Eagles to a 48-13 overall mark, two final national rankings and their first-ever conference and regional championships. In 1991, he returned to the MAC and took on his first Division I head coaching role at Central Michigan. His 1992 recruiting class was ranked 15th in the nation by Hoop Scoop Magazine and he led the Chippewas to a 20-34 record in his two seasons. THE DAMBROT COACHING TREE A key part to Keith Dambrot's success has come from the knowledge and expertise of his coaching staff. Comprised primarily of former players, both from Akron and his previous coaching stops, Dambrot's current staff includes five former players, including Zips' assistant coaches Terry Weigand (Tiffin, 1985-86), Rick McFadden (Akron, 2003-05) and Charles Thomas (Eastern Michigan, 1987-89). Former assistant coaches under Dambrot have also had success after leaving Akron, including the appointments of Lamont Paris (2004-10) and Jeff Boals (2006-09) to positions with Big 10 programs Wisconsin and Ohio State respectively. Shaka Smart, a Dambrot assistant from 2003-06, made stops at Clemson (2006-08) and Florida (2008-09) before taking his first head coach position at VCU in 2009. Smart went on to lead VCU to the 2011 Final Four.

What it has to do with is the fact that KD is coaching/recruiting and winning with the same facilities, lame fan base, and same conference as these other coaches had and is consistently producing a winner that actually GETS to post season play and wins MAC Championships……did any of these other coaches do this (for that matter, any other coach at any school in the MAC)? Our win totals over the past years put us in elite company. KD has recruited some great players (and even brought the highest ranked recruit the MAC has ever had). Regarding recruiting, I do believe he is still bringing in quality (4 year) players. In order to make the jump we are all looking for, you may have to take some risks…I am not aware of a bunch of Zeke Marshall's ********* recruits lined up to play at a half filled JAR. I also read the same bitching about our coaches on ZN over and over. Early in TB's career here and this season people were questioning him. People also questioned JE and soccer early on. Things turned out just fine for both teams. You talk about "we" need to start thinking bigger…..what does that mean? Until a fan base supports the school that fills the JAR, Infocision, etc - where does the money come from to "think bigger". He is making the most out of the cards he has been dealt…..happy to have him. Not picking on you but what does thinking bigger mean to you?

And now look at our postseason (and regular season) history before KD. Let me know what you find Be careful what you wish for people…….

How do they determine the home teams? We have to travel……aren't we a higher ranked team than IPFW? Ohio gets a home game?

So….do we get a post season tourney?

And teams foul us because they know we suck at free throw shooting.

Really happy for Betencourt….he made some great plays in the end (great steals).

Anthony Lauro WR

Holy S%*T!!! He looks amazing. Hard to find anything on him (i.e. rivals, espn, scout). If KD pulls this off….wow!

Is our class ranked?

Not sure what Rivals/ESPN/Scout say but after watching the highlight films here are my ratings; ****** Newman Williams - looks incredible ****** Travonte Junius ***** Undrea Bullard ****1/2 Kyle Ritz ****1/2 Brock Boxen **** Chandler Kincade **** Scott Boyette **** Kris Givens ***1/2 Anthony Clark *** Jamal Bagget *** Jason Williams

I wish we had a "like" button.

Bettor Instincts Not sure if this has been posted somewhere but there are mentions of Akron and Charlie Frye helping Edelman

Wow!!! Would be a great pick up