elton chimes in from PD

[mivid12]

http://www.cleveland.com/sports/college/in..._does_mack.htmlSo what does Mack Rhoades' departure for the Houston Cougars mean for Akron and the major sports coaches for the Zips? At the very least, for the next athletic director, it leaves a huge challenge of making a new 30,000-seat football stadium a success, and not become an instant white elephant. At the worst, the AD could face the possibility of firing a football coach, J.D. Brookhart (27-33), if this is not a championship contending season, then hiring his replacement. And, shy of Rhoades getting a deal done before his anticipated August departure with Akron basketball coach Keith Dambrot, that will be another issue.Dambrot, has yet to be rewarded for getting the Zips back to the NCAA Tournament last season for the first time since 1986. First off, putting fans in the stands at the new stadium and Brookhart's future appear to be tied together.To date less than 4,000 season tickets have been sold for the Sept. 12 opener, even though the target was 10,000 when the facility was first started. The current economy surely has played a part in that low number, but to be at less than 50 percent of projection three months from the opening game is surely a red flag.ESPNAkron football coach J.D. Brookhart.That, in turn, puts more pressure on Brookhart to field the kind of team he mostly inherited from Lee Owens in 2004 and won a MAC title with in 2005. That 7-6 campaign was the second and last winning season Brookhart has put on the board since arriving at Akron from Pitt.Since then, instead of becoming a MAC grid power, Brookhart and his Zips have gone, 5-7, 4-8 and 5-7 last season. That included a three-game losing streak to end 2008, dropping the Zips from a first-place tie down to fourth in the very weak MAC East Division.Overall, Brookhart (27 wins) has won less in his first five seasons than his predecessor in his last five (28), despite the benefit of 12-game seasons.Rhoades said late Thursday Brookhart, "has cleaned up the program." But Rhoades also had to admit that was not a shot at the talent Brookhart initially won with, but some of the questionable recruits Brookhart himself initially brought into the program."He learned his lesson and turned it around quickly,'' Rhoades said. "I think you are going to see an unbelievably competitive team from J.D. this year.''As for Dambrot, the outgoing AD said, "I've re-done his contract twice since I've been at Akron [3½ years].''Rhoades added, however, that does not preclude another new deal for Dambrot before Rhoades leaves for Houston.If so, let's hope it comes with some tougher scheduling parameters more along the lines of teams (Gonzaga, Butler, Xavier to name three) that schedule with potential at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament in mind.Rhoades' departure also leaves a big hole in the MAC as he and former MAC Commissioner Rick Chryst brokered the recent ESPN football TV deal. Now, both are gone.Where will the Zips turn for a replacement? It is quite likely Akron president Luis Proenza will return to a search firm. That is how the Zips discovered Rhoades, and that proved to be a successful, albeit brief 3½-year union.

[Z.I.P.]

Does Brookhart get a release from the hot seat because of the change? I suspect under Rhoades that a 6-6 season would have bought him another year. The same is probably true with the new person (don't wanna say "guy" necessarily). Only possible difference is if Yuracheck moves up, and has higher goals. Not sure how Waddell would play it. He was here with JD from the start, and may actually feel more investment than Hunter would.What do others think about how this effects JD?

[Captain Kangaroo]

Also from Today's PD."This did not go unnoticed by the search committee headed by an Atlanta search firm. Houston faculty rep Richard Scamell, who was also on the search committee, said in a release that he was impressed that while Akron only graduates 35 percent of its students overall, Zips athletics was "close to 70 percent" for its graduation rate under Rhoades."Ok...Mack was here for 3 1/2 years. The typical student-athlete takes 5 years to graduate...maybe 6? How can a 70% graduation rate be attributed to a guy that was here 3 1/2 years? I don't think Richard Scamell was a math major.

[GP1]

Overall, Brookhart (27 wins) has won less in his first five seasons than his predecessor in his last five (28), despite the benefit of 12-game seasons.

Didn't Owens have three wins against I-AA teams in his last five years. Throw out three BCS loses the last five years and replace them with I-AA teams, and Brookhart has 30 wins. I'm not defending JD, I'm just trying to add perspective.

[GP1]

Not sure how Waddell would play it.

Does it matter?

[flipthezip]

I think this puts JD squarely on the "hot seat". The next AD must show success immediately in terms of sold tickets and $ raised and the push for that starts with wins!!! There is no longer the excuse of bad facilities. You have the gem of the conference in the Info.Football must begin to climb into that national spotlight. Anything less than a bowl game would be a failure.Basketball is coming off their best season in 20+ years with a monster recruiting class and are only going to gain more attention with the release of Lebron's movie. The AD needs a good Fall to help with the push for getting these guys a new arena. Speaking of new facilities. Soccer will be playing for a national championship. Let's get them that stadium built. The Lee Jackson Track looks great with the new stands and the track programs responded with a conference sweep and now are poised to make a great showing this week at the NCAA's.Let's build on our success. We have the defending NCAA rifle champion in a freshman.The future that we have talked about for years arrives this Fall at The University of Akron. GO ZIPS!!!!

[zipboy]

I agree, JD is still on the hot seat and he seems to be embracing that. I have seen several comments where he basically said he has the tools to win and he needs to do it. If he doesn't do well, it is very easy for a new AD to go another direction.The new AD better show KD some love.

[Still-a-zip]

With a new AD coming in I think it puts more pressure on JD. The new AD is gonna want his own guy and live and die by who he hires. If they were to hire Waddel I don't think anything short of a runaway MAC Championship and JD would be gone. No 6-6 or 7-5. 8-4 maybe. Don't look to far into the fact JD was hired by Thomas.

[GP1]

With a new AD coming in I think it puts more pressure on JD. The new AD is gonna want his own guy and live and die by who he hires. If they were to hire Waddel I don't think anything short of a runaway MAC Championship and JD would be gone. No 6-6 or 7-5. 8-4 maybe. Don't look to far into the fact JD was hired by Thomas.

If JD goes 7-5 and they go to a bowl game and then gets fired, the very next person who gets fired should be the AD who fired him. If JD gets 8 wins this year, he should get a longer contract and a raise. If they go to a bowl game, that is enough to keep him.

[Zip Watcher]

Also from Today's PD."This did not go unnoticed by the search committee headed by an Atlanta search firm. Houston faculty rep Richard Scamell, who was also on the search committee, said in a release that he was impressed that while Akron only graduates 35 percent of its students overall, Zips athletics was "close to 70 percent" for its graduation rate under Rhoades."Ok...Mack was here for 3 1/2 years. The typical student-athlete takes 5 years to graduate...maybe 6? How can a 70% graduation rate be attributed to a guy that was here 3 1/2 years? I don't think Richard Scamell was a math major.

So why not quote the preceding paragraph, CK? They gave you a metric by which performance during his tenure can be measured:

Since arriving at Akron, the native of Arizona has made an imprint on the Zips athletic department via significant improvements, both athletically and academically. The Zips entered the 2008-2009 calendar year with 478 Dean's List honorees since Rhoades arrived, to go along with 16 championships won including 10 MAC Players of the Year and nine All-Americans.

Not sure exactly what the "2008-2009 calendar year" is .. but I'll presume it's the recently completed academic year.

[lance99]

I think this puts JD squarely on the "hot seat". The next AD must show success immediately in terms of sold tickets and $ raised and the push for that starts with wins!!! There is no longer the excuse of bad facilities. You have the gem of the conference in the Info.Football must begin to climb into that national spotlight. Anything less than a bowl game would be a failure.Basketball is coming off their best season in 20+ years with a monster recruiting class and are only going to gain more attention with the release of Lebron's movie. The AD needs a good Fall to help with the push for getting these guys a new arena. Speaking of new facilities. Soccer will be playing for a national championship. Let's get them that stadium built. The Lee Jackson Track looks great with the new stands and the track programs responded with a conference sweep and now are poised to make a great showing this week at the NCAA's.Let's build on our success. We have the defending NCAA rifle champion in a freshman.The future that we have talked about for years arrives this Fall at The University of Akron. GO ZIPS!!!!

I don't think that 7 wins save JD's job(unless he wins the MAC and a bowl game). 8+ he will still be there, but on an real short line with the new AD

[zipboy]

7-5 probably means going 2-2 OOC and 5-3 in the league and getting to a bowl game. Going 5-3 in the MAC and beating either an Indiana or a Syracuse and going to a bowl game would be considered a solid year.

[lance99]

7-5 probably means going 2-2 OOC and 5-3 in the league and getting to a bowl game. Going 5-3 in the MAC and beating either an Indiana or a Syracuse and going to a bowl game would be considered a solid year.

I honestly think that will save his job 7-5 will not cut it. 5-3 in the MAC will not save his job. JD will have to run away with this to even be around next year.

[GP1]

7-5 probably means going 2-2 OOC and 5-3 in the league and getting to a bowl game. Going 5-3 in the MAC and beating either an Indiana or a Syracuse and going to a bowl game would be considered a solid year.

I honestly think that will save his job 7-5 will not cut it. 5-3 in the MAC will not save his job. JD will have to run away with this to even be around next year.

Going 7-5 as a MAC school is about the same as going 9-3 at a BCS school. Most schools would be happy with 9-3. Only the Alabama's, USC's, Florida's of the world get upset with 9-3. 7-5 is good enough at a MAC school. We would look absolute idiots firing the only coach to take us to a bowl game, and two at that.