Captain Kangaroo

The D’Youville Saints

I’ll conservatively estimate you’ve posted this 40 times. If you post it another 40 times, it still won’t be true. Akron has $600k to fire an underperforming coach. If it didn’t it should sign up for Division 3. $600k buyout money is chump change, and and expected cost of doing business at the G5 level. No school serious about D1 football would keep what they felt was an underperforming coach around for a full calendar year just to save $600k.

Why is a new AD “Wanting his own guy” such an improbable reason? It’s the reason most Akron AD’s have been hired for 30 years…to turn around a moribund football program. AD Thomas wanted his own guy, and became enamored with Brookhart during an AD interview with Pitt. JD had mixed results. His biggest downfall wasn’t the opioid issues with 2 players. It was his reliance on “high risk high reward” recruits that mostly flamed out, leaving him with a 3-9 record in his final season. He wanted to make a big leap after his MAC championship, and rolled snake eyes. Couple that with a new AD, and it was adios, JD. Ianello was hired because a new AD had a fetish for Notre Dame guys. He was the biggest jackass I’ve ever met. Tied with Arth for the worst Zips HC ever. Arth was hired because new AD Larry Williams loved Ohio HS catholic school guys. He thought that D3 Tom Arth’s playoff win over Mount Union portended bowl victories for the Zips. Williams paid UT Chattanooga something like $400,000 to buy out Arth’s contract. They still celebrate that day in Chattanooga, and will for years to come. Arth was woefully incapable of leading a D1 football program. Bowden did some good, and bad things. In the end he had some discipline issues and a w/l record that was trending in the wrong direction. Bowden always treated me well. He’s the only ex Zips HC that found employment as a D1 HC afterwards, although it didn’t go great at ULM. Guthrie wanted “his guy”, and couldn’t turn down Joe’s resume. I think Guthrie was a hot garbage AD, but not because of Joe’s hire. That was a no-brainer that just hasn’t panned out. Like Bowden, I think the world of Joe (and Reno and JD - legacy guys from the early 2000’s). It really bums me out that the wins aren’t there. Can anyone win at Akron when the program is so poorly funded? Can any HC generate the funds needed to be competitive at Akron? Being polite, I can only say - I have my doubts.

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Two reasons - 1.) Owens Fatigue - it was a 9-year climb to 7-5 and many just thought it was time for a change. 2.) New AD Mike Thomas wanted “his guy” to lead The Thomas Era.

Bowden went 4-8 in his final Akron season. That’s the same year he beat Northwestern. Academics no longer factor into D1 football. Every year the Zips lose 1/2 the team…over 40 players…to the portal. Every team does. Players today majoring in NIL money and maintaining eligibility outnumber the ones taking advantage of their free education 4:1. Education is parsley on the D1 plate. Why does no one mention Lee Owens when discussing the most successful Zips HC’s (post Dennison). The guy was 7-5 when he got fired. 5-3 in the MAC. Greats like Dwight Smith, Frye, Hixon, Blackburn, Cherry, Arthur, Payne …they were all his recruits. And he convinced them to play at The Rubber Bowl, with no Stiles Center. His final year at Ashland he went 10-2. In the tallest midget competition, Lee Owen’s dwarfs the field.

Situation has been dealt with. Sorry it got to this point. Genuinely sorry.

It was great. No woman screaming for 4 straight minutes at every stoppage. I forgot what it was like to be able to talk to the person next to me during a break.

There is no way anyone could legitimately complain about the attendance. Both stands were essentially full. It was a good college football atmosphere. Too bad the Zips play sucked the life out of it.

Nice show put on by UA yesterday. The lots were full, lots of beers drank, and good times were had in Lots 9, 10, and in the grass lots along Spicer. Any UA alum that attended had to leave feeling like they'd want to return for Homecoming 2027. Ruggow played well yet again. For a Redshirt Sophomore with Zero experience, or expectations, coming into the season he's been a revelation. I can't imagine many G5 programs with a better 3rd stringer on their roster. OL blocked well enough to win the game. RB had a good push to run behind, and Ruggow usually had time to scan the field. They aren't perfect...especially with the untimely, borderline crippling penalties, but for hastily assembled patchwork crew they have done a nice job. WR's still drop too many balls. Marcel was great. TE position is a strength. Good hands when called upon, and excellent edge blocking. RB was fine. The mix of 70% Gant and 30% Patrick is effective. Surprised to see Marquisse get a chance in non garbage time, and he delivered a TD!? The defense is what it is. The lack of a pass rush hurt yesterday, as it has on most Saturdays. But they played well enough for the Zips to win the game. The LB's are more than serviceable. Again, I expected that crew to be much worse than they are in 2026. DB's are bad. But yesterday...could you really complain? After watching UNLV WR's run free 20 yards behind them two weeks ago, they were much more effective vs EMU. It was maddening to watch them in all follow the WR's and forget about the QB in successive goal line situations. Special teams hurt. Missed game winning field goal and a blocked punt hurt in a 2-point loss. It was fun to see the Zips defensive players urging-on the crowd to make some noise in key defensive situations. Usually there's no use doing so in the cavernous InfoCision. Last night, there was. If Schramm's kick had sailed through the uprights it would have been huge. The fans were cheering, the players were bouncing up and down, ready to storm the field...and instead I picked up my folding stadium seat and walked back to my truck on the losing end once again. The Zips team represented UA nicely on a big stage (by Zips standards) Saturday. Hope they keep fighting. I heard Miami lost their QB (who was awesome against Cincinnati a few weeks ago), so that'll help our cause next week. And a revenge win against Kent in 2 weeks can set the table for an interesting November. If Broughton is healthy next week, do you start him? He looked pretty spry on the sideline yesterday.

You know what Biggie said...mo NIL money, mo problems. Could he be similar to John Groce or Gary Waters, and accel at being a big fish in a smaller pond? He'd be one of my 5 interview targets. Hopefully Goodrich does great things and sticks around...but that hasn't happened in my lifetime.

I remember at a Zips golf outing Mack Roades addressed the crowd by stating -“We’re not thinking about the MAC…we’re thinking BEYOND the MAC.” Then, he and Hunter left UA for jobs beyond the MAC. UA’s biggest whiff on the AD carousel was not hiring Hunter Yurachek. He liked the University and loved living in Hudson. He had a young family at the time and would have stayed a while. He’s getting some heat at Arkansas right now. If Goodrich departs and Hunter’s looking for a job, he’d be worth an interview.

Getting a talented 18 year old isn’t such a great deal. We get the kids for their poopy diaper and colic years, and then hand a walking, talking, potty trained product off to the highest bidder. All that work for nuthin’.

Jesus’ 12-man staff would likely go 6-6 with our NIL coffers. Our training table would be endless bread, but at least the guys could eat. Could Coach Jesus turn water into a d-line? If so, 7-5 is the absolute best case. And he’d leave us for Notre Dame before our bowl game anyway.

What to write…? So horrible on 3rd and long… Got a redshirt sophomore QB who’s playing well enough for us to win, and we’re getting smoked. One bungling, crippling mistake after another…

Can someone at least save me an XL? That’s all I ask.

The Zips have had numerous noon home games over the years on Marathon Day, and there's never been a stadium parking issue. I typically arrive at 10 am.

The Zips lost their Beacon beat writer in 1989

https://rebelraid.discussion.community/post/unlv-presser-heading-into-akron-13890327?pid=1345015215

The best one-liner of the day is when Ford said "I'll be a lot better coach next year if those two guys are eligible."

Fumbles, missed field goals, conservative play…all added up to a massive choke. Since my son recently graduated from UC, we had a good time.😃

I’m at the U.C -Miami game. Miami absolutely thrashing the Bearcats.

Only the Zips could have the ball at the 10 yard line, and then be out of field goal range in 2 plays.

Minnesota does

No