ZachTheZip

A beloved local guy is a major contributor for his local team who has been near or at the top for the entire time he was there, but then suddenly leaves to go to a team that he thinks will surround him with better talent and give him a better chance to win a championship. Who is it?

And another new verbal! De'Andre Scott, a defensive back/returner who played at Hargrave Military Academy after starring for the Patriots in 2010, committed for a full ride to Akron.

Things changed. Two years ago, Fickell could play up his connection with OSU and his personal endorsement from Tressel when recruiting kids to Akron. Now he can't do any of that. He would have been better off coming to Akron and he would have been more successful than he was at OSU last season. Maybe you form an opinion of someone and stick to it even when absolutely everything has changed about that person, but I'm not afraid to re-evaluate my thoughts on people after several years of seeing them change.

At the rate we're recruiting, we will only have seven or eight true freshmen on the roster anyway.

He's been the most qualified coach on the staff for the past three years, working in impossible conditions with terrible co-workers. I want him as our next DC.

Campbell, who runs a balanced spread offense, said no one from Akron contacted him directly. We're not actually talking to coaching candidates. There is no real coaching search going on. Again. Thanks, TW.

Zach will have very little ammo if that's his plan. While Winters first season may not produce a ton of wins, we will see competitiveness, fire, and competence in managing a football team and coaching a football game, something that has been sorely lacking around here recently. By year #2 Zach will be embarrassed to have ever opposed his candidacy, as will a few other people around here. Ianello gave us a lot to gripe about both with his hire and lack of qualifications and his ability to run a football team. Winters certainly will not. My point is...there were many, Zach the worst, who crucified Ianello before he even coached his first practice. Whoever is chosen…we need to rally support around the guy. Any of the 4 would be a good hire and I will support. The sad thing about having Ianello was anyone with a pulse is going to be better than iCan'tCoach, at least in the fans' eyes. That's what I am afraid of. The mediocrity that Winters will bring will be viewed as a success in the eyes of fans who are just glad to get rid of Ianello and they'll be happy even when we could have done better. And, Doug, please don't say that you're blaming me and my disgust at his hiring for Ianello's failure. I was absolutely against him because I knew what would happen to the football program. The people that wanted to give him a chance were wrong from the outset. And don't tell me that I had no way of knowing that it would turn out that way. It was obvious to anyone who wasn't just blindly following what the AD was saying. And I will right once again. Winters is not the best candidate. He won't be a total failure like Ianello, but he won't do as well as any of the the other candidates in this coaching "search". He will put together a weak staff, cater to the Terry Plutos of north east Ohio and their condescending little-engine-that-couldn't attitudes, and generally do nothing to help Akron's cause regionally or nationally. He will wallow in mediocrity for five or six years, maybe getting to .500 in his third year, and then everyone will agree that we will need to move on to someone who can take us to bowl games and MAC championships. He will be Lee Owens part II and nobody wants to see that besides Owens' former players. Why can't we just skip that step and hire somebody who can get us to bowl games sooner, without having to wait another decade of mediocrity of a Winters era and then having his successor try to get his own systems running?

If he tells us "no", both sides would be better off.

It's not what you know, but who you know. Sad that that is the case.

I voted for Narduzzi, but I would also be happy with Johnson or Stoops. I just don't get the right feeling when I think about Winters as our head coach. I feel like he will bring in a weak staff and the "think small" attitude that was a hallmark of the Faust and Owens days.

From Footballscoop.com: Eastern Illinois: We have been told that Dino Babers has offered the defensive coordinator role to former Akron defensive backs coach Kim McCloud. Kansas: We hear that Ron Powlus has an offer to join Charlie Weis' staff. Powlus spent the past two seasons at Akron and was with Weis at Notre Dame prior to that. From Coachingsearch.com: Duke: Don't be surprised if Duke head coach David Cutcliffe offers the offensive line job to former Akron offensive coordinator John Latina. Latina served as Cutcliffe's offensive line coach at Ole Miss for six seasons. What we really need is for the defensive coordinator to get picked up so we don't have to pay his contract.

Exactly. As much as I love MJ's résumé, if he doesn't want to be here, I don't want him here. We need an Akron guy. Is that Winters? Maybe. We don't need an Akron guy. No Akron guy has been a winner here. We need "THE GUY" to turn around the program. I don't care where he is from. "THE GUY" is an Akron guy. An Akron guy doesn't have to be an alum or anything. But someone with some ties to the Midwest and a desire to be here would help. The program isn't in good enough shape to be a stepping stone right now. He has to believe in the program/area, not just the opportunity. You don't need to believe in the area to be successful here, you just need to understand it.

We're just sitting on our hands and waiting for the one guy we want to finally be available. There was no process, there was no search. Just come out and say it, TW. And, ITZ, just because your thought process leads to you wanting Winters doesn't mean that the athletic department came to the same conclusion as you in a proper manner.

We're being lied to about the coaching search. Again. Last time the AD told us we wouldn't be rebuilding, and then turns around and hires someone who's plan was to blow everything up and start from scratch. This time we're being told a "national search" is taking place and then only look at a few guys who all have ties to past coaching regimes. The AD is just telling us what he thinks we want to hear. All I want is to hear the truth. How is the search going? What are you really looking for in a candidate? Don't tell me one thing and make it extremely obvious that you're doing the opposite.

Another new verbal for the Zips! Cornerback DQ Johnson from Iowa Bluffs CC has given a "solid verbal" to Akron. And a new offer reported: DT Ekpen Iduoze from Milford Academy. Recruiting sure seems to have picked up since the "great recruiter" left.

DE Wes Johnson commits to Ball State DT Terrell Jackson commits to Duke JUCO TE Ryan Hubbell commits to Louisville JUCO OT Alfred Sharp commits to New Mexico State WR Andrew Scanlan commits to Northwestern

ESPN article on Akron being interested in Mike Johnson

Somebody wants Winters to be Toledo's next head coach. But if EMU's coach gets hired away (Arizona State might be interested), you would think it's a more natural fit for Winters. He already has built a lot of good will in Detroit, something EMU severely lacks.

Of course he is. Pick the defensive guy who has no chance of getting hired because the mac is an offensive league. It gives you something to bitch about during this off season and the first losing season. You will have 18 months of material. Or maybe I picked him because he would be the best hire for football that Akron has made in a long time. Much better than Winters. Slightly ahead Johnson.

Of the four finalists, Paul Winters excites me the least. Narduzzi is my top candidate.

We... we got a new commitment?! OL Rodney Carroll of Hargrave Military Academy. Welcome aboard, Rodney.

In my uninformed opinion, Narduzzi would be a distant 3rd. I agree. There are way too many instances of "great" BCS coordinators falling on their face once they take over a program that can't sell recruits on BCS bowls and 80,000+ crowds. Narduzzi spent four years coaching in the MAC before his current time at MSU. And before the MAC he coached at FCS Rhode Island and played at YSU. He's not one of those guys who spend their entire career in the BCS and then come to a non-BCS thinking they know everything and then fail due to culture shock. He interviewed for the Illinois job.

New game: who is the secret candidate? I say its Tressel.

I am absolutely cheering for Charlotte on Sunday. What's better, being eliminated by the champ or by an also-ran? Seeing the ACC claim another trophy or seeing it go to a mid-major?

DT Alex pace commits to Cincinnati CB Mark Meyers commits to Toledo DE Mikhail Dubose commits to Bowling Green