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Two Years, Two Wins, Ianello is Fired By Paul Myerberg // Nov 26, 2011 Akron has fired coach Rob Ianello after two years and as many wins, ending the program’s failed experiment with a coach who was hired without having any head coach or coordinator experience on the college level. Akron’s lone win under Ianello in 2010 came against Buffalo, by 22-14 in the season finale. The Zips’ sole victory in 2011 came against V.M.I., a member of the F.C.S. Prior to being hired, Ianello was the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator under Charlie Weis at Notre Dame. It was in the latter capacity, as a recruiter, that Ianello earned his stripes. It didn’t work. It never really had a hope of working, as while Ianello did do a fairly strong job recruiting second-tier talent to the MAC, there was a fatal flaw in Akron’s plan: with only one full recruiting class under his belt, there was no way to truly judge what Ianello was due to achieve with the program. But this is a bottom-line business. After two seasons, Akron had showed zero progress as a football team. The Zips opened this season with losses to Ohio State and Toledo by a combined score of 83-3. Only two losses, to Eastern and Western Michigan, came by single digits. On Friday, Akron lost to Western Michigan by 68-19. It was just that ugly. A week ago, Akron lost to Buffalo by 51-10. That’s the damning loss on the schedule; as noted, Akron’s lone win in 2010 came over the Bulls. Buffalo itself is scuffling, but had enough in the tank to beat the Zips by 41 points. The experiment – since that’s what it was, an experiment – was failed from the start. It was a failure waiting to happen on several levels: one, Ianello clearly wasn’t ready, as a coach on game days, for this sort of endeavor; two, we’ll never know if Ianello could have grown into a solid game day coach, seeing that Akron cut him loose after 24 games. I think it’s pretty safe to say that regardless of any of Ianello’s coaching deficiencies, Akron clearly doesn’t know what it’s doing. Forget about the fact that the Zips, if Ianello is the sole figure to blame, hired a coach unprepared for the task at hand. One thing remains clear: a head coach on college football’s highest level needs to be a C.E.O.; he needs to have a big picture view, some sort of blueprint or schematic detailing how to build a winner under difficult circumstances. Being merely a recruiter, promising that you will bring in better players than your opposition, is a band-aid. It’s not a chicken-or-egg argument: unproven coaches don’t win by recruiting but with game plans. It’s not the Jimmies and the Joes but the X’s and the O’s, regardless of what you’ve heard from Barry Switzer. Woebegone non-B.C.S. conference programs, of which Akron is one, need to hire coaches, not recruiters. Ask Akron how hiring a coach without any leadership credentials turned out. Or ask Memphis. Or New Mexico. Or Minnesota. The list goes on. If I’m Akron, I’m looking for the next Jerry Kill, an older, experienced coach with a track record of success and a proven system. I’m not touching the nation’s best recruiter with a 10-foot pole – unless he has play-calling or head coach experience. Arkansas State took a flier on Hugh Freeze, in a sense, but Freeze had coordinated the Red Wolves’ offense in 2010 and had head coach experience at Lambuth University, an N.A.I.A. school. All Akron needs to do is convince this coach, one who might have options, that coaching under an administration that gave his predecessor 24 games is a good move.

Fickell and Winters have their supporters. Either would be a major upgrade, obviously. But Proenza needs to first thoroughly investigate whether Tressel or Bowden would ever have an interest in the job. Either of them would be a Grand Slam, instead of simply a solid choice. At this point, the right person to fill that stadium MUST be taken into consideration. We've seen what happens when a no-name goof is given that responsibility.

With all due respect, you're bragging about our head coach being fired. Really. Uh, yeah. If you've got a problem with that, you're probably on the wrong site.

That folks, is impressive! Lee, I think you were the last holdout on the ZNO board declaring that Ianello would most certainly be retained, that UA would never eat 3 years of contract. It just doesn't pay to make definite statements of situations that are beyond your control. I applaud Dr. Proenza for doing what needed to be done, despite the massive hand-wringing of some message board posters who were absolutely obsessed with contract-details that were a non-factor in this decision.

Ditto that, Zips4ever, I want a detailed list of the "considerable progress." And he really used the word "leadership?"

Keep us posted.

As we said two years ago, this is the ONE hiring that Proenza CANNOT afford to screw up. He did JUST THAT, after ignoring all quality suggestions, including Luke Fickell, when his single-minded AD zeroed in on one dufus. If the mistake is repeated, we call for Proenza's job, in addition to Wistrcill--who should, by all rights, be gone now, as well. The hire must be a credible "name," a charismatic person who Akronites will CONNECT WITH INSTANTLY, someone who will immediately bring excitement to campus before he coaches his first game. Someone who delivers hope, an established pattern of winning, someone the players will run thru a brick wall for...someone who will UNITE a highly-fractured fanbase--students, alumni, colleagues, the community. It's a tall order, and it CANNOT BE BOTCHED AGAIN!!!

I have been privileged to attend many games in a friend's suite since the stadium opened. They feel that it has been a complete waste of money. Food and drink only go so far. When going to a game--in a luxury suite--is a dreaded weekly burden, something needs to change. My friends and I cannot and will not tolerate another game of Ianello-ball. So, personally speaking, I know of tens of thousands of dollars that the coach is ALREADY costing UA. Not to mention the empty stands and many other suite owners whose renewal notices will go unreturned. College football is a big business. UA better realize that and get in the game....or get out altogether. They're putting a coach and product on the field that's like milquetoaste compared to Cardinal Mooney, Chagrin Falls, Mentor, St. V. It's pathetic, Luis. College is about EDUCATION. If football is all about big business then it should be left to those willing to take financial risk for financial reward. You seem to be OK with others footing the bill in all things. The university to provide your entertainment and your friends to provide access that entertainment. Your attitude is exactly what is wrong with society today. "Give me", "Provide it for me", "I/we deserve it" Ridiculous post. You missed the entire point. How much revenue is UA going to lose holding onto The Grim Reaper as head coach? College may be about education, but college football has nothing to do with education and everything to do with entertainment and revenue generation. I simply don't understand how UA puts ANY butts in the seats other than parents/family anymore. You talk about financial risk. How about the financial risk of building a 68 million dollar football stadium without the ability to sell any tickets to events held there? You're OK with that? You're OK with suite/box subscribers walking away? Football in the MAC generates REVENUE but not INCOME. YES...I am OK suite/box subscribers walking away rather than asking students to subsidize their entertainment. College football is just not that important. Colleges should NOT be in business to provide entertainment. Sorry...you just don't get it. Sports are intended to enhance the student experience. But not at any cost. Mount Union, Xavier, Dayton and other schools have great student experience and don’t ask its students to subsidize football for the entertainment of a few fans. Not only does Xavier not ask its students to subsidize football, neither does Wright State, Cleveland State, Detroit Mercy, Marquette, Cuyahoga Community College, and many other fine institutions of higher learning. Yeah, I knew that one would bring a backlash. Truth hurts.

Wow. :C K_brew:

I have been privileged to attend many games in a friend's suite since the stadium opened. They feel that it has been a complete waste of money. Food and drink only go so far. When going to a game--in a luxury suite--is a dreaded weekly burden, something needs to change. My friends and I cannot and will not tolerate another game of Ianello-ball. So, personally speaking, I know of tens of thousands of dollars that the coach is ALREADY costing UA. Not to mention the empty stands and many other suite owners whose renewal notices will go unreturned. College football is a big business. UA better realize that and get in the game....or get out altogether. They're putting a coach and product on the field that's like milquetoaste compared to Cardinal Mooney, Chagrin Falls, Mentor, St. V. It's pathetic, Luis.

Why are so many here so worried about dissecting Ianello's contract? Are you responsible for eating it? The man is a complete bust at his job, and you believe there's no way to be rid of him, short of wasting another 3 years? Get real. Believe it or not, growing up in the '70s, we didn't know what players and coaches were paid, and we didn't care. All we knew were stats and stars. Then #$%& free-agency happened, and suddenly everyone wanted to be a team accountant and worry about how other people were spending their money. It has killed the fun of sports. Let's let those who wrote and signed the contracts worry about how to terminate them. Seriously, is this part of the "fun" of sports for you now?....speculating about how much RI would make on his "next" job so that UA wouldn't have to pay so much? Again I ask, are YOU paying his salary? No? Then why does it matter to you? I just want him GONE, and don't care how much UA is left with to pay. They made the mistake, now they have to deal with it.

Zach, you were on the money back then, from the get-go. Funny how many other 'experts' here had the blinders on and were filled with false-optimism. There were people who knew this was a bogus hire right off the bat and called a spade a spade. Others, it took two insufferable years to reach that conclusion. Some of us documented here that Ianello was so obviously NOT the needed leader Proenza had to have to lift this program to new heights. I, like others, questioned TW's motives and credentials to make such a ridiculous hire. How either guy got past the roadblocks at Buchtel Hall is a real mystery. The entire process deserves an investigation. As has been pointed out, TW was not even in the AD Search Committee's top three picks, but Proenza overrode their choices and gambled with TW. Luis has no doubt been kicking himself every day since for the trail of failure that decision initiated.

Can people please stop hiring these ex-Notre Dame coaches. Really hasn't been working out so well.

You're all Sue Heck.

You didn't seriously ask that question, did you? Take the blinders off and check the records; K-S-U's program is in much better shape. And at least K-S-U had the sense to stick with an OHIO guy, not a ND carpetbagger.

K.E.N.T. State announces its new coach on Monday. They've screwed it up again, naturally. But it'll be better than what Akron's saddled with. Miami, OH will still reap the rewards, in all likelihood. There seems to be more brainpower on that campus.

Luke Fickell to Miami, OH. K.e.n.t. snoozed and will surely lose that battle. Nicer town, cradle of coaches; nice stepping-stone, obviously.

Ah, denial. And an utter lack of humility or responsibility. Now, (tap, tap, tapping my chin)...how much credibility does this guy have?

Raise your hand if you seriously believe Ianello is capable of pulling off that sort of one-year turnaround. And if your hand is in the air, I'd be curious as to exactly what you saw this season that gives you an inkling of hope for such a quick reversal of fortune.

This was played on WTAM....but the video version is certifiably GOLD. It'll be the biggest hit in the country (or at least Northeast Ohio) as soon as it gets out. And it says it all....

I suppose one interesting comparison might be the "perception" of Ianello vs. the "perception" of Caleb Porter and/or Keith Dambrot...or Jodi Kest, for that matter. How does the face of our so-called highest-profile sport stack up on that totem pole? I'll let the AKRowdies weigh in on that.

Uh, yeah....Lebron, or Queen Quitter as you're known around these parts....take your twitter and stick it where the sun don't shine. Punk.

Whatever happened to the days of coaches staying in one place and making a LEGENDARY NAME for themselves? I speak of men like Joe Paterno, Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, Tom Landry, Bobby Bowden, Bobby Knight (until forced out), Gene Keady...and women like Pat Summit. Why is it that, nowadays, whenever a coach has any type of success, other schools are lining up to steal them? I respect and admire any coach who turns down those poachers in favor of building a dynasty right where he/she is. Wandering nomad coaches are always looking for ways to promote me, me, me...and they are not examples for anyone. (Bobby Petrino, Nick Saban, Bill Parcells, et al...)

Enjoy Louisville, Lolla. We're more than thrilled with your replacement, a guy who's loyal to Akron.

Texas DC Muschamp going to Florida Remember all you people hate UA for hiring Ianello because he was no a head coach. Muschamp was not a head coach. Florida didn't seem to have a problem with that. So, do you think that hiring a recruiting coordinator is comparable with hiring a Major D1 D-Coordinator? I think a pertinent question might be: Prior to, and ever since, Akron's (err, TW's) obsession to hire Ianello, was there ever ONE college---at ANY level---which ever considered hiring this guy as its head coach? I'll go out on a limb and say...."what, you crazy?" But TPTB at Akron always know better.