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I'm just questioning the extent of the decline in results while he was there. Recruiting success isn't the entire equation, but schools normally don't decline like they did if you are at least maintaining the same level of talent that was there before you arrived. It's well documented and dramatic. From #2 steadily downward every year to #90 over 7 years. That doesn't sound to me like "one of the nation's top recruiters" was at the helm of the recruiting process with those results. But maybe other factors are to blame. Who knows.

The one thing I remember people talking about for a long time after he left was that the team missed that teacher of post players. I know he got a lot of credit for the work he did with Romeo and Wood and others. But I only questioned his recruiting based on results, and had never heard anyone tout his recruiting ability previously. It would be a different. Maybe that's just what our fans need. Lord knows that it seems more difficult than ever to get people up on their feet anymore.

Things are going to feel a little different to all of us, at first. But I think this team and this program are going to need all of us more than ever. No turning back. I've endured bad Akron basketball many times going back to the early 80's. No more.

I like Jeff, but I don't know about this one. Haven't we watched the Suckeyes steadily slide almost completely off of the college basketball cliff over the last 5 years? Hasn't Akron had many of their best years since he's been gone?

I am not bitter at Keith. I got to know him enough off the court as a person that I couldn't feel like that. But I can't believe he left, and I'm just mad that we'll likely have to endure some sort of "starting over" period. But I have to tell you, I can echo what you are saying above. I'll never be able to watch the press conference, and it will be too painful to ever see him walking the sidelines with another team (unless it's because we're beating his team at the JAR). I even remember the first time that I saw the words: Keith Dambrot - Head Coach - Duquesne.......and I wanted to scream. When we all get past this, it will indeed be time to put all of this behind us, recharge our enthusiasm, and rally behind the team.

He wasn't able to do that. They were on Spring Break when he made the decision to leave. He did say that he contacted each of them. But I can't confirm that. Sorry Zippy 5.........I didn't see that you had already corrected this when I responded.

Joe Free....that's some pretty wild stuff you got going on in that post. Frankly, with all due respect to a fine man....Mr. Joyce Sr.....I don't see how anyone can even stretch his qualifications enough to make him even seem like a remote candidate for this job.

I think that's a very, very noble gesture on your part. Can you "pledge" that donation to the U of A with that condition? BALSY ARENA................that might take awhile to get used to.

You're right. Their objective is only to make them operate within their means. But any directive that would stop Universities in Ohio from runaway borrowing to spend on their own empire of facilities would at least give everyone the same set of limitations, which does indeed benefit the "smaller schools". I noticed that you used the words "essential", "necessary" and "reasonable". I'll be the first to admit that I sometimes wished that we could have sent our debt ceiling to the moon to build our own little empire. Then I had to remind myself that we are a PUBLIC institution of higher learning.

Kreed, by the way, I enjoy many of your posts as well. But no, this is not where I'm going at all. Everyone does indeed spend too much on buildings. But I'm trying to keep this on topic...as best that I can. I see meaningless sports coaches making 300k-500k or more at an Ohio Public Institution that we have to compete against. Then they borrow Billions of dollars more, spend 30% of it on "new student amenities", and people are too naive to see that this further benefits recruiting and provides further perks for their athletes? I never claimed that what they are spending is solely to benefit athletes. But I can also clearly see how it does, and how it didn't have to be accounted for at all as an athletic dept. expense. None of the numbers I presented are skewed. The conditions under which we have to compete against this school in nearly every sport are skewed. That's what makes the 12-year run of undefeated soccer competitions against them so laughable and enjoyable. And as someone who's invested in this University's athletics in many ways, personally and professionally, financially and otherwise, it pisses me off We're losing badly in an "arms war" against them. That's stating the obvious. But when they can already leverage their resources to gain advantages against us in athletic recruiting, student recruiting, facilities, and publicity.....and you discover that an additional 2.6 Billion have been added to their resources in the form of borrowed money....I'd think that anyone else who cares about the growth of Akron and Zips Athletics would be pretty disgusted as well.

Hmm. So, maybe I will edit a previous post. Instead of saying that their debt consists of things that they "Can't Pay For", it would read, "Things that they Don't Want to Pay For"? No problem, they can lay that burden on the State, since they are a public institution. Just keep spending borrowed money on those "good and noble" causes down there in Cowlumbus

Of course it is.

Being able to make payments on your debt is commendable. Congratulations. But back to the topic once again: You can't justify having 2.6 Billion dollars worth of things you can't pay for, which has TRIPLED in the last 10 years, when you are paying your Fencing and Tiddly-Winks Coaches $300,000 per year. You missed the part that said that 30% of their debt is attributed to "new student amenities". I'm sure that has no impact on student/athlete recruiting, and becomes no benefit to those people once they enroll. I'm glad that they think their expenses will lead to the cure for Cancer. I'm disappointed that you're sold on their BS to attempt to lead people to believe that their expenditures are for higher causes related to saving the world.

I'm just pointing out to you that what you are not seeing is the unbelievable amount of things that they are able to obtain with borrowed money. The tangible things like facilities and equipment. Their debt has grown from 800 million to 2.6 BILLION in 10 years. Would you claim that these bloated-salary coaches are not using any of these facilities that are just getting thrown onto the debt load at such an alarming rate? Do you think these impressive structures do not help recruit better athletes? Can you imagine what Akron Athletics could have if they were the athletic department of a school that was irresponsible enough to TRIPLE their debt load in the next 10 years? You know why it's happening. When Alabama or Clemson or Auburn adds a new state-of-the-art training facility, they certainly feel like they need to add one too, to try to keep up. Whether they need one or not. But it's now gotten the Governor's attention, like I pointed out. And he's an alum of the school.

Even though I find much of Pryor's actions and demeanor to be idiotic, his athletic gifts and speed are a whole level above Lane. Remember, even with Pryor's notoriety, it still took a couple of years or so after his "I'm a WR now" declaration before someone was willing to hold onto him for long and work with him. And even with all of the mistakes and dropped balls, someone from another organization is obviously still willing to show patience in hopes that he can still develop into something special. Would you expect someone to do the same with an un-drafted WR from Akron? Not a chance. He'll have to impress someone very early, if he gets the chance. If not, he'll be quickly discarded.

I just hope there's still a chance that someone can come in here that can put this back together rather quickly. If not, we're likely heading into a shaky period, at best. And a complete rebuild, at worst. It's making me reflect on what a nice ride this has been over the last 12 years.

I'm sure it would be simple to label a coach as brilliant every time their team goes on a scoring run during a game, and chastising the other coach if his team doesn't, for each individual instance. Now we're also labeling our former coach as a guy who can't do that. How and why things happen during the course of a basketball game are far more complex than that. More importantly this year, the number of coaches who show up at these gatherings to network with people. I've never seen a profession where everyone somehow has a direct or indirect relationship with everyone else like the coaching profession.

Think Again. They might be able to show, on paper, that they can bring in yearly revenue that covers those expenses, but they carry a debt load that is more than 2.5 BILLION dollars, which is more than TWICE as large (Cincinnati) as any other school in the state, and 5 TIMES the debt that Akron carries. I'm sure they were sweating when the Governor was threatening to have every State School in Ohio operate on a balanced budget.

Feel the Bern !!!!

I'm not asking us to "go cheap". I just know we aren't in a position to elevate salaries to get the level of candidate that everyone would like to see here. With that said, I'm only looking for a coach we can afford, and hopefully he earns his extensions and raises based on his accomplishments, just like Keith did. If he does that, then paying him 600k and beyond will likely be justified.

Right. Would have been nice if this was written at a time where it may have benefited us.

That's what I was thinking too. That's just unacceptable, and I left them a message correcting the facts. That's something our own joke of a hometown paper would do.

I'm with you. It's a mistake to characterize someone's coaching status based on how the team performed in a few games, when the other 100+ games of their tenure told a different story. Even blind squirrels sometimes find a nut. And sometimes even a bad coach's team records a timely series of wins. Remember, that team was also a point away from being eliminated in regulation in the first round of the MAC tournament, and got beaten by double-digits at home a few days before that on their Senior Night. Just saying.

Gosh, I had forgotten about Cornell Mann a long time ago. I do remember seeing him play here, but I had no idea that he has been a longtime assistant in D-1 college basketball, at several schools. Interesting fact is that his profile says that he's been in the NCAA tournament at every school where he's coached. If nothing else, his perfect average of making it to the NCAA tournament might be some much-needed good luck around here

I'm sure we can debate HOW MUCH athletic success influences prospective students. That would be a better debate. But it would indeed be wrong to conclude that they don't influence anyone.