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If you are saying that this is true, then you must know who they are. Would you kindly share the schools with us? Toledo, Akron, Arkansas St., and he was a long shot for some of the bigger schools (probably because of equal opportunity), plus there are FCS schools that have given him a look. His name is not mentioned as much because he's so rooted in the Akron job. Where did you hear anything about Arkansas State or Toledo, or any "bigger schools"? Other than the fan on the Toledo fan website who said he would like to see his school look at Winters? And a number of candidates have been mentioned in connection with the Arkasnsas State job, and he is not one of them. Seriously. Don't make such a bold claim just to try to win an argument. I've said all along (and I will stick to my word) that I would possibly think differently about Winters as a candidate if other D-1A programs were competing with us to lure him as a head coach. And an article that someone recently posted here said that he has been contacted for a few assistant jobs, but has stayed at Wayve because he wanted to remain a head coach. If that's changed, please tell me where. Do you not expect to be called out on here when you tell someone they are wrong, and to "get over themselves" when you state something as fact, and cannot substatiate your claim ?

What really caught my attention is the part that says, he's GOING TO BE a good person. I'm certainly one of many Zips fans who are concerned as to how this situation with these two kids is going to work out for us. As I've said since before the season began: Keith is really going to earn his salary this year. But, I really initially meant that in terms of his challenges ON the court.

If you are saying that this is true, then you must know who they are. Would you kindly share the schools with us?

I'm not unimpressed with D-II football as much as I am unimpressed with the idea of catapulting a guy up two levels to coach at my alma mater. Especially a guy that I am personally unimpresed with, am unimpressed with his coaching record, and unimpressed with what he and his fellow leaders did to this football program the last time around. For me, that's not the guy you go out on a limb for and give him a two-level leap. And up to this point, it doesn't appear that any of the other 119 D-1A programs have been willing to do it either.

I think this is a valid concern. It would be something I would clear up with him during an interview and let him know a return to the past staff will not happen. Nobody from the old staff gets a return trip. Why not? We might as well just bring back all of the pieces of a previous failed era of Akron football Why not just bring back Winters' old boss again as HC ? He's actually been very consistently successful as a D-II coach. So, if just having any kind of success at the D-II level is a great qualifier to some people on this board to move someone up 2 levels to D-1A, then shouldn't Lee be at the top of the list right now? And he's an "Akron Area Guy" too. Sounds to me like the perfect candidate !! Some great indications right here on this board of how much some people are really interested in setting our sights high for the future of Akron football.

That was exactly my thought also.

+1 Listening to the announcers, I believe this is what they said about all four teams WSU has beaten on the road: 1) St Cloud St hadn't lost a home game in 15 games 2) Nebraska-Kearney hadn't lost a home game in over 2 years 3) Defending national champion Minn-Duluth hadn't lost a home game in 17 or 18 games? 4) Winston-Salem was, of course, previously undefeated Wow! Have they mentioned that it's Division 2...it's kind of important I once heard a political candidate bring a competitor back down to earth by reminding him that you can't compare running a Wal-Mart to running a small-town corner grocery store. I'm continually reminded of that statement when I see certain posts on here. And people like Coach Heath at Ken+ State come to mind. And that was only a jump to a larger school in the same division. Like I said once before, if any of you have seen Lake Erie College in Painesville, you'll know what I'm talking about. Just don't blink as you drive by. But, even while pointing out this stark difference, and regardless of our individual thoughts about whether he can help our own football program, you always like to see something good happen to a Ex-Zip. So, I congratulate Paul on his magical playoff run.

Also must be frustrating to the folks on here who anticipated and predicted huge crowds when this "rivalry" started again last season. Even if you add yesterday's numbers to the 2,700 who came to the game in Akron last year, you may have been able to fill the JAR one time. Some people either weren't around in the 80s, or have a bad memory. Like I've said on many occassions, we have a very long way to go before we have people sitting in the aisles and on the track to watch this game. Or, the CSU folks having to move the game, and pack everyone into the old 11,000 seat Public Hall. And I really don't undestand why. The interest level just isn't even remotely close right now. I'm hoping that Abreu's time off will be somewhat of a blessing. Although, I wish we would do it right now, during the easy games. We need to get another guy some work bringing the ball up the floor. Keith doesn't seem comfortable enough yet to have Deji on the floor against top notch competition. And this particular task just isn't coming easily or naturally to the guys he does want on the floor.

I actually appreciated the effort today. I don't say that very often. But, we showed that we can play with some good teams once we get it all together. I couldn't have said that after either the WVU game or the MTSU game. But, here's what stinks the most about losing this particular game: Akron will get more coverage on the Cleveland TV stations tonight than we will get all season long. But, its for a loss.

I'm afraid that probably takes Campbell off the board. If Toledo thinks enough of him to give him the interim title, he's one step closer to being named their next coach. And with a Bowl Game coming up, how do you even lure him away to convince him to come here?

Is there any way we can get out of our game w/ Tennessee? We need the "beat down" cash. Hopefully no one is injured Tennessee is one of the top couple of venues in the country to experience a college football game. Regardless of the outcome, you'll thoroughly enjoy the atmosphere.

No way Ole Miss wins any QB battle where Ianello isn't involved. It's like thinking Bryan Hipsher would start at any basketball program where his dad wasn't the head coach. Either Nicely is the QB in 2012, and we run the spread. Or some new JUCO is our QB. Here we go again. What are the chances that a new coach, with a new system, who is trying to rebuild a program, would invest any time in a QB who has only a handful of games left in his career, and has posted an 85 and 75 QB rating during the last two seasons ? And don't say I am bashing anyone. I said the same thing about Rodgers, on several occassions, as he was approaching the end of his Junior year.

This is why Proenza had better put together a hell of a Search Committee to find the coach. F the opinion fans on ZNO, make the right hire and lets get this thing turned around. Ummm..... no. This administration knows they have F'd the fans enough, and they are not going to make a hire such as Ianello again that may come out of a "process" but leaves everyone saying WTF and then places the blame squarely on them if and when he fails. If they all want to save their asses, they'll hire someone the fans and alumni are behind, which at this point can really only either be a big name or Paul Winters (Mike Johnson has alumni support too, but doesn't want the gig). If they go with a choice of the fans, everyone shares in the blame as a community when the guy fails. They go out on a limb, its squarely on their ass again, and they know they can't survive that. Come on..... To make a decison because it is safe? Absolutely the wrong approach! Those in the "administration" are paid to LEAD and make strategic decisions for this university. Plus, I am not convinced it is anywhere near unanimous among alumni that they are insisting on an "Akron Man". I'm not. I want the best coach available. That might be Winters, but I think there might be better people available. I will be angry if I find UA did not make every effort to find the best person they can get. If a legitimate process leads to the hiring of Paul Winters, he will have my 100% support. Anything less, and they will have people waiting to say "I told you so" if Winters isn't successful. How would that even be a "safe" approach for the administration? Good post. And they are indeed searching for the best people available. There are some great coaches out there. It all depends on whether they can get them to come to Akron.

Is there a choice of "equal", for those who have been begging for us to be consistent? I always felt that, personnel wise, 2011 was going to be a more difficult year than 2010. I feel differently about next year. The new QB, RBs and WRs from this past year will all have a season under their belts working together. So will many of the defenders who played this past year, and they'll have Wagner in his senior year as the anchor. But, we still need major overhaul work on both lines. I still think the experience we have coming back should be worth 2-4 wins.

And just when I thought that political beliefs was something that all of us usually agree on. Ok, so maybe we won't agree on the type of candidate we need to get to the White House. But at least we'll still agree that the trainwreck that's running the show right now needs to go as soon as possible.

I like this one or anyone who has clearly significantly risen the level of a FCS program as their head coach. I also like the idea of Mick McCall, the OC from Northwestern if we can't make a splash with a more well known name like Pat Hill or maybe even a Ron Zook. I like the idea of Paul Winters too but would much rather see someone who has made good strides at the FCS level instead of the D2 level. I think Winters could be a really good HC long-term but the adjustment period may be longer with a guy coming from D2 than with an FCS head man or FBS coordinator. I would definitely want us to look at these two guys. A former, higher level D-1A head coach is my clear first choice.

Did Owens apply yet?

I don't think the candidates with current jobs would appreciate being on an announced short list. Either way we need to move faster as we are getting passed every day in the coaching carousel. I strongly disagree. It's better to wait a few days or weeks to make the right hire than to be hasty and get the wrong person. The former is the only way to break the vicious cycle whereas the latter costs us years and a lot of money. The wise thing to do is be patient and make the right move whether that be days or a couple weeks from now. In the short-term, this program is not going to be very good regardless of what kind of class is brought in this year. But what if we're waiting only because of a technicality? We can't really talk to Winters until he is done coaching. But what if, in the mean time, we're just twiddling our thumbs waiting for him to finish his season and not seriously looking at any candidates? What if we're not making a full effort to evaluate other candidates during the time we're forced to wait? Why can't we really talk to him until he's done coaching? Can we kind of talk to him sooner? Who is forcing us to wait? I don't know where that came from either. I know that the process is well, well, well underway. But, I can't say whether we're "waiting" to talk to anyone.

Interesting. It does make me wonder if a young position coach like him at OSWho could make what the HC makes here. If money would even be the issue. But, since Urban Meyer has already convinced his superiors to pay big money to assistants, who knows. I guess it would come down to whether becoming a HC at D-1A is a better move than working at a low position at a big school at this point in his career.

This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. I would be surprised if even a successful D-II coach was the most targeted candidate for any D-1A school looking for a head coach. I'd be incredibly underwhelmed if he is selected. I see him as the "we couldn't get anyone else" candidate at this point. And you'd see him completely wrong. That's okay, I promise we won't bring all these comments up when he wins his first MAC championhship Another fine example of why I keep saying that I see Winters as an "emotional choice" for some people. And I can see that the emotion continues to bring out the "I know better than you" attitude from a few select poeple on here. But, let's separate two things here: I'm not predicting who is going to be hired, or who is not going to be hired. So, please save yourself the time. Everyone on here can dig up multiple posts regarding wrong predictions from posters on this site. I just have a negative opinion of Winters on several levels, and don't want him to be our coach. I hope every one of our coaches wins us a MAC championship, regardless of my opinion about their professional abilities.

This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. I would be surprised if even a successful D-II coach was the most targeted candidate for any D-1A school looking for a head coach. I'd be incredibly underwhelmed if he is selected. I see him as the "we couldn't get anyone else" candidate at this point. I really hope Patrick Nicely and/or Paul Winters get a chance to meet you someday. I've met both of them.

This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. I would be surprised if even a successful D-II coach was the most targeted candidate for any D-1A school looking for a head coach. I'd be incredibly underwhelmed if he is selected. I see him as the "we couldn't get anyone else" candidate at this point.

This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. I would be surprised if even a successful D-II coach was the most targeted candidate for any D-1A school looking for a head coach. I'd be incredibly underwhelmed if he is selected. I see him as the "we couldn't get anyone else" candidate at this point.

Ahh yes. A memory I still can't forget. I have admit, the years that Dan was running our basketball program, and Lee was running our football program nearly lost me forever as a Zips fan. Those were some dark days, all the way on up to the people running the show.

The Coastal Carolina AD job is a "sweet gig"?