72 Roo

I'm not thrilled by this hire, but I believe Guthrie finds good people. Our womens program has potential out the ass while simultaneously being a dumpster fire. If Jen can put out the fire and build a team that can go deep in the playoffs I'll be happy. I know that is asking a lot, but the men have set a standard and the women should follow their lead.

I was critical on Banfield leaving and taking players with him. Your comments put those actions in a different light and gives me more to consider. Thanks for your thoughts. I'm not so negative towards him now and even somewhat sympathetic as I learn more about the head coach's style and character. I appreciate your post and am glad we are in the market for a new head coach.

He looks to be a viable candidate. I like his experience and his constant excellence in all he did.

Well done to all the people who had a hand in this project. What an incredible sight! I am excited to see the team JoMo will put in the Info. I have faith he will give us something to be proud of and I also believe the crowds will come.

I have a very technical take on our search for our new baseball coach. It is summarized in this adage "pee on Banfield! Good riddance. We will be better w/o him."

Let's Go, After leaving a smart ass reply to your post on the supposed USC-UCLA move to the Big Ten I turned on the local evening news here in Columbus to see that the lead story was the interest in USC-UCLA to move to the Big Ten. I was dumbfounded. You were on top of the breaking news. Congratulations! I think that the idea is absurd, but so is college sports today. The Big Ten cares only about money and if these two schools can bring them more money it is not out of the realm of possibility. How the dominos falling affects Akron remains to be seen. But money is everything in college sports going forward.

Why would this surprise anyone? It's logical to think that the PAC 12 would turn to Akron if USC and UCLA left. After all, we have new turf and a new logo. Plus both schools are near the Pacific ocean and we are near Portage Lakes. The similarities are astounding. The basic premise that these two schools are leaving for the Big Ten is not believable, but a great rumor. Akron may indeed be positioning itself for an invitation to move up one day. Current AD Guthrie is against that. He feels the MAC is a great fit for us. I doubt it will come under his administration.

I like putting AKRON inside the 10 yard lines. I wouldn't change a thing. It shows JoMo's confidence that we will control the red zone. Brilliant idea.

Just goes to show that Texas is not as smart as they think they are. Thank God he's gone, but damnit now that you have raised the ghost of Milwee past I'm going to have terror dreams tonight just thinking about the time he was here.

This is a plus for us. I've talked to Noreen many times in her office. She is personable and easy to like. She just was in over her head in the MAC. She knew it and she knew she had no future here beyond her last contracted year. Leaving for IUP was a smart move. She has assured herself that she will have a job for another five years. We, on the other hand, can now focus on upgrading the program's leadership. The question is will good coaches be willing to leave their current program this late in the down period before the season starts. They will inherit a mess, but they will be able to build it their way with the blessing of Guthrie, who will make the hire. We all know the program should be exceptional.

Solid hire. Guthrie got a coach with experience, post season appearances and titles. I like it. Guthrie is putting his stamp on the coaching staff. I bet he next moves quickly on womens soccer as soon as her contract is up.

I'm sure Guthrie cares about the soccer program, but we will continue to slip as long as we are in the MAC. How much time will it take to restore the program once we exit the MAC? Who knows, but the conference hurts us. We have an elite coaching staff. When they want out of the MAC I trust they can see how it is holding the program back. The MAC may have Guthrie under pressure not to pull out, but he has got to do what is best for our only nationally elite program. Clearly the MAC has no solution. It has been coming up with stopgap solutions for years now. There is no alignment or shared values amongst the 5 existing members. It's time to leave.

Coach Rem had this program on an upward trajectory that was pointing to a MAC championship. I really liked him and took an interest in baseball. Then the axe came. It was not deserved and strictly political. Incompetent people do stupid things. We have been suffering for it ever since. I hope Guthrie gets a better coach in, one who wants to leave a legacy of excellence.

This points out how bad the MAC has become in soccer. Marshall, WVU and Kentucky all were part of the MAC in recent years. They left because only Akron wanted to invest in an elite conference. BG plays on a sh*t field 10 yards narrower than it should be, WMU and NIU do not want to upgrade their facility nor program. Add to that the recent addition of a terrible Chicago State program and Akron finds itself in a conference that will not prepare it for the NCAA tournament nor give it any strength of schedule points for conference games.

Just finished watching this YouTube interview. Wow! Coach Joe has hired some fantastic staff. I defy anyone to watch this interview and not come away thinking our program is destined for excellence. I want to do everything I can to keep Joe and his staff here for as long as possible. I can't wait for the fall. we will not win 'em all, but this team will make us proud. In Joe We Trust!

Not a surprise. Guthrie was not happy with his leadership nor how he ran the program. It had nothing to do with wins and losses.

The MAC at one time was a very highly regarded soccer conference with numerous teams getting bids. That has gone away and now it is sh*t show with Akron and three other teams who do not want to grow their programs. Add to this mess Chicago State and Akron loses valuable strength of schedule points. Guthrie has got to get us out of the MAC. Jared would rather be an independent and build his own schedule than play in this MAC. Our program is at a critical crossroad. The school's decisions have got to reflect that we will keep soccer at the elite level no matter what.

I share your desire to see JoMo stay for a long time and build a legacy of excellence, one that might be recalled as the golden years of UA football. But I am not expecting his stay to be for a long time. When the Pitt job opens up I expect him to be a top candidate. Both he and his wife are from Pittsburgh with family members still there. Pitt is a P5 school in a great conference, compared to the MAC, with a great recruiting base, powerful alumni base and able to pay big bucks. If offered that will be tough to turn down.

No offense was taken as your post was not harsh. You corrected me and that's always good. You would think that next to the 205 i would be smart enough to understand LB is pounds not position, but i have never been mistaken for Einstein. Now Larry, Curly and Moe is another issue.

I thought I saw on the back of his trading card that he was listed as LB. At 6'3" 205 he appeared to be small for a LB, but I thought what the hell, Joe knows what he is doing. Your insight Big Jim tells me once again I am wrong. We can use another WR so no harm.

Our defense keeps getting better. We have a long way to go, but In Joe We Trust.

According to my wife there is not enough space here to describe all that is wrong with me. Lucky for you. Pity my wife.

I've heard we have a QB coming from an FCS school. He is good, but not head and shoulders better than Irons. I've been told he will be behind Irons because Irons has a far better grasp of the offense JoeMo wants to run. The opinion of my source is that this new QB is servicible, but we need Irons to be the man. Wish I had specifics.

Mango, perhaps I should have said a decision has been made, but the paperwork has to be completed before it is announced. Yes, there is a leading design and you are correct in that they are in the final stage of signing off on it. A lot of parties have to sign off. I love the Z, but understand why they are not enthused about it. That doesn't mean I agree tho'. Thank you for your comment.

Like others I've seen the proposed new logo. I can't say much about it because I gave my word that I would give feedback, but not disclose the design. I'll offer these comments though. First, the process is professional and in depth. This goes beyond sports and seeks to unify UA's branding across all media sources. We have too many logos and we need to standardize on one. Second, a decision will be made soon. We are talking days here, not weeks. Third, there are many different constituencies that have been consulted: faculty, alumni, community (fans), businesses, media consultants and board of trustees. All have opinions. None are overwhelmingly in favor of one particular design. In short, expect many people won't be happy. What emerges will be unique and have the potential to become iconic. Fourth, my favorite, the Z, does not say Akron and that is a concern. There is some history here that I can't go into, but the bottom line is that the word Akron or an A is the focus right now. Script Akron is recognized as needing work, but it is considered valuable and it will be on some uni's as a secondary logo. The same is true of the Z. It will not be primary, but in certain uni schemes it will appear. That being said the new logo will be primary for all uniforms. Finally, whatever is chosen it seems many on this board will not be happy, based on previous posts. The U can't let that paralyze them and be afraid to make a change. Months of research and consultation has gone into this decision. We need to solidify our branding. You might not get what you want but this too shall pass. If we keep winning and have an identity that means Akron, we will be OK.