Wistrcill looking for a specific type of coach

[ZachTheZip]

http://www.ohio.com/sports/zips/78174702.html#signanchorSome good things in the article. He addresses some of the concerns expressed on Zipsnation, such as our recruits possibly leaving.The next coach will make somewhere around $380k, which is in the upper 3rd of the MAC.

[ctmjbowes@sbcglobal.net]

Damn it, that's not enough. This has to be a statement hire, and the amount should be at least where Temple went with Al Golden. I'm hoping for 500-600K minimum. The MAC is terrible and they don't pay attractive salaries, except for coaches "on the rise". That's a self-defeating way to play the game. You want to make this an attractive place to coach? You want to ensure that one whiff of success won't immediately lead to departure? You have to pay 500-900K. You have to pay enough so that some slightly-less-crappy program (like SDSU in the case of Brady Hoke, for example) can't come in and whisk away the head coach you got so lucky with.Damn it Tom and Luis, find a serious and respectable coach and PAY THEM THAT WAY. This is not only not the time to cheap out, it's the time to go the complete opposite and make some eyes pop out there in the world of college and high school coaching. Send the message: UA football is becoming the real deal. Now deal with it.

[wadscarman]

That salary is ok, but bonus it with attendance bonus, wins bonus, mac championship bonus, bowl appearance bonus, bowl win bonus, graduation bonus and longevity bonus. Then the $380K should be able to turn into $500K-$750K. Produce, get paid.

[UADavid]

That salary is ok, but bonus it with attendance bonus, wins bonus, mac championship bonus, bowl appearance bonus, bowl win bonus, graduation bonus and longevity bonus. Then the $380K should be able to turn into $500K-$750K. Produce, get paid.

+1

[Z.I.P.]

Damn it, that's not enough. This has to be a statement hire, and the amount should be at least where Temple went with Al Golden. I'm hoping for 500-600K minimum. The MAC is terrible and they don't pay attractive salaries, except for coaches "on the rise". That's a self-defeating way to play the game. You want to make this an attractive place to coach? You want to ensure that one whiff of success won't immediately lead to departure? You have to pay 500-900K. You have to pay enough so that some slightly-less-crappy program (like SDSU in the case of Brady Hoke, for example) can't come in and whisk away the head coach you got so lucky with.

Remind me not to have STZ negotiate for me, or the University. He's way too anxious to give away the farm! Why say ahead of time that you are going to pay more than anyone else ever has, when you are hiring someone comparable to the best the league already has to offer? I believe Golden makes <400k (at least his base salary), and Temple is frankly the highest profile athletic school in the MAC -- which is why they only belong in one sport. That fact might establish an exclusion for trying to compete with their $$. The salary cited in the article is reasonable, or frankly -- ridiculous, compared to what people make in the "real world".

[ctmjbowes@sbcglobal.net]

Damn it, that's not enough. This has to be a statement hire, and the amount should be at least where Temple went with Al Golden. I'm hoping for 500-600K minimum. The MAC is terrible and they don't pay attractive salaries, except for coaches "on the rise". That's a self-defeating way to play the game. You want to make this an attractive place to coach? You want to ensure that one whiff of success won't immediately lead to departure? You have to pay 500-900K. You have to pay enough so that some slightly-less-crappy program (like SDSU in the case of Brady Hoke, for example) can't come in and whisk away the head coach you got so lucky with.

Remind me not to have STZ negotiate for me, or the University. He's way too anxious to give away the farm! Why say ahead of time that you are going to pay more than anyone else ever has, when you are hiring someone comparable to the best the league already has to offer? I believe Golden makes <400k (at least his base salary), and Temple is frankly the highest profile athletic school in the MAC -- which is why they only belong in one sport. That fact might establish an exclusion for trying to compete with their $$. The salary cited in the article is reasonable, or frankly -- ridiculous, compared to what people make in the "real world".

Sorry ZIP, but Al Golden makes (as I posted several times earlier in the last couple days) 575K, and that's his published salary. I would assume his contract includes bonus riders as well. So, my numbers were right on the mark. Take a look at what college head coaches made in 2009. You have to pay in the 500-900 range to NOT be at the bottom of the heap in D-1. Just because the rest of the craptacular MAC schools pay 300-ish (generalization) for their craptacular head coaches, who will bolt the first second they have any success at all, doesn't mean UA has to play that losing game. Let's elevate, let's be where Temple is, or better. Let's make this a real plum within the lower tier of D-1 football, so that we can ascend from that tier.Also, what people make in the real world has no connection whatsoever to college or pro football. You want to make as much as these guys do? Become a head college football coach. Ask JD how well that's worked out for him this year...

[GoZips]

I read these posts and you all seem to have good ideas and elements of what we NEED.Just make sure we do NOT get another nice guy with a blank resume and a hot looking babe wife.Make sure that who ever gets the position has three things; a resume of success; good people skills;and a PASSION to WIN.Most of you are way to young to remember Leo Durocher (won three league penants and one WorldSeries as manager of the NY Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers) who gave us the quote to anchor our search ... "Nice guys finish last" (see: Brookhart, JD).

[zen]

I can agree with Tom when he talks about finding a coach who will make a positive experience/environment for the players.And anyone can agree with Tom when he talks about finding a coach with a culture of winning.But what I can't sign on to is all the peripheral garbage like exciting the community.I don't care if the new coach hides in his evil lair and doesn't come out except for practices and games, if he wins football games, he will excite the community.

[Dr Z]

I don't care if the new coach hides in his evil lair and doesn't come out except for practices and games, if he wins football games, he will excite the community.

1. Winning2. Winning3. Winning4-99, Yep, winningSomewhere near 999, the rest of the BS, good people skills, area guy, hot wife, nice guy, bad guy, ugly wife...etc.Cleveland media- Belichick is terrible, he has no personality.New England media- After multiple SBs, who cares what his personality is.

[Dr Z]

Ellen breaks it down to A, B or C "What kind of coach do you want" stuff we have been doing on the board all year.Since that was such a crappy read, I'll give you some entertainment, Lee Owens back to Akron.

[ZachTheZip]

Ellen breaks it down to A, B or C "What kind of coach do you want" stuff we have been doing on the board all year.

Give me column A, please.

[ctmjbowes@sbcglobal.net]

It surely is disheartening to read in several places that UA is looking at a sub-400K salary for this hire. If MACtacular Craptacular football is where we are and where we are going to be, what exactly was the point of a 30,000 seat, 62 million dollar stadium? How much would it have cost to build a truly MACtacular stadium ala the Can't State Dicks Stadium? The entirety of the athletic facilities, as they exist right now (minus the crappy JAR and soccer field, which are being addressed) at Akron are wasted on the MAC. After ALL of the investment that has been thrown into making Akron a "destination" on the D-1 college athletics map, the university is NOW going to decide to go MAC-level? As a fan and an alum, I have a couple of thoughts right now: First, I don't like any signals of any kind that lead to any conclusion other than we are heading toward being better in all athletic dimensions than the rest of the MAC. Spending the middling MAC amount on the next staff does not buttress my ongoing belief (delusion?) that the facilities have been built to grow these programs beyond the MAC. Second, if in fact Luis and the board simply want modern facilities and competent programs that compete happily in the MAC, THAT SUCKS, and they could have spent a hell of a lot less money on these facilities if that has truly been their goal.

[jaycevs]

Its a mistake to offer a huge salary for this job. Keep it in line, and put a lot of incentives to get the pay up as high as you want. Attendance, wins, championships, grades, these are the incentives I would get behind. So, would I want a coach that wouldn't come here for 380 plus incentives? No way, he should have confidence with all the support that UA has given football to be able to win games here and get bonuses. If not, then why bring him here. Also, in the event that the choice is bad, how could UA eat that contract? Big schools like Illinois are keeping coaches around in order not to pay them, how would we walk away from a bad choice without all other sports suffering.

[Zip Watcher]

Someone mentioned it the other day. I think it should be more used in pro sports: give out attendance based bonuses on top of the base salary!So the guy's base is $375k and there's another $850k - $1M available for the staff.Add into the kitty $2 for every ticket sold as a bonus. Split between the HC & the staff. If the team does well and draws 120,000 fans .. that's another $250k in bonuses .. team does spectacular and draws 150,000 fans .. $300k in bonuses to go around.Go Zips!

[johnnyzip84]

It surely is disheartening to read in several places that UA is looking at a sub-400K salary for this hire. If MACtacular Craptacular football is where we are and where we are going to be, what exactly was the point of a 30,000 seat, 62 million dollar stadium? How much would it have cost to build a truly MACtacular stadium ala the Can't State Dicks Stadium? The entirety of the athletic facilities, as they exist right now (minus the crappy JAR and soccer field, which are being addressed) at Akron are wasted on the MAC. After ALL of the investment that has been thrown into making Akron a "destination" on the D-1 college athletics map, the university is NOW going to decide to go MAC-level? As a fan and an alum, I have a couple of thoughts right now: First, I don't like any signals of any kind that lead to any conclusion other than we are heading toward being better in all athletic dimensions than the rest of the MAC. Spending the middling MAC amount on the next staff does not buttress my ongoing belief (delusion?) that the facilities have been built to grow these programs beyond the MAC. Second, if in fact Luis and the board simply want modern facilities and competent programs that compete happily in the MAC, THAT SUCKS, and they could have spent a hell of a lot less money on these facilities if that has truly been their goal.

SeeTee.......is this you?Throwing money at a situation, especially in the context of sports, is no guarantee of success. I'm all for the Zips spending in the upper tier of MAC schools (perhaps even topping Temple if needed), but if we can get a talented D-2/FCS HC for less than a "big name" BCS "whatever" I know I'd prefer the former.

[uafan]

It surely is disheartening to read in several places that UA is looking at a sub-400K salary for this hire. If MACtacular Craptacular football is where we are and where we are going to be, what exactly was the point of a 30,000 seat, 62 million dollar stadium? How much would it have cost to build a truly MACtacular stadium ala the Can't State Dicks Stadium? The entirety of the athletic facilities, as they exist right now (minus the crappy JAR and soccer field, which are being addressed) at Akron are wasted on the MAC. After ALL of the investment that has been thrown into making Akron a "destination" on the D-1 college athletics map, the university is NOW going to decide to go MAC-level? As a fan and an alum, I have a couple of thoughts right now: First, I don't like any signals of any kind that lead to any conclusion other than we are heading toward being better in all athletic dimensions than the rest of the MAC. Spending the middling MAC amount on the next staff does not buttress my ongoing belief (delusion?) that the facilities have been built to grow these programs beyond the MAC. Second, if in fact Luis and the board simply want modern facilities and competent programs that compete happily in the MAC, THAT SUCKS, and they could have spent a hell of a lot less money on these facilities if that has truly been their goal.

SeeTee.......is this you?Throwing money at a situation, especially in the context of sports, is no guarantee of success. I'm all for the Zips spending in the upper tier of MAC schools (perhaps even topping Temple if needed), but if we can get a talented D-2/FCS HC for less than a "big name" BCS "whatever" I know I'd prefer the former.

I think I bought a car from this guy!

[ctmjbowes@sbcglobal.net]

The MAC has been a low budget conference. Bad facilities, meager support from the member universities and conference administrators, poorly paid coaching staffs, difficulty recruiting top-notch players on a consistent basis. There are more issues with the MAC, but all of these factors go hand in hand. I can't speak to the other universities in the conference but UA has clearly decided to change many (hopefully more with time) of these factors to improve athletic programs. Regarding the football program specifically, UA has decided to take a tremendously expensive path through high-quality capital improvements. The facilities that were built with this money are much better than other MAC equivalents, and it would appear that UA is inching closer to realizing plans to build a new arena/stadium for basketball. The next step has to be to improve, drastically, the quality of coaching and leadership within this football program. MAC universities have traditionally gone the low-budget route, which very occasionally produces great results but only over a very short term. I would bet that the much more common outcome realized in the low budget MAC hiring cycle approximates what we saw with JDB. UA can no longer afford to take flyers on head football coaches. Would you like to bet on a new head coach if you're Luis, being forced to hope that this new unknown produces and can bring in fans and generate revenue? It's nonsensical to think that is a rational approach. This is NOT the time in UA's history to gamble on a coordinator, or even a small division "coach on the rise".Remember, anyone who will still bother to read the Gaffney story when the new coach comes in will immediately tune out if there isn't some buzz surrounding the guy. Do you want to be Tom Wistrcill trying to sell tickets to apathetic Akronites in February when Jimmy Coordinator from Nowhere State U has been named head coach? When is that next debt payment due again?UA has to decide what it wants to be. MAC meaty middle? They've already wasted a large fortune if they will settle for that. Do they want to be the best of the MAC, but still happy to stay in the MAC long term? Well then, Temple and Toledo have set the salary mark in the MAC at 575K and 450K. And again, PLEASE PLEASE before accusing me of wanting to blow an insane wad on the next head coach, educate yourself by looking at D-1 2009 coaching salaries. If you think that 250K, 350, even the 575K that Al Golden is making at Temple, are anything other than embarassingly low compared to AVERAGE D-1 coaching salaries, you are wrong. I want to see UA make a statement about their intentions to grow this program by hiring an impact head coach and staff and by paying them a salary that would at least be considered average in any D-1 conference OTHER THAN THE MAC.You find that unreasonable? I'll give you unreasonable: building a beautiful 62 million dollar stadium to compete in the doormat MAC long term, now THAT'S unreasonable.

[Zip Watcher]

You find that unreasonable? I'll give you unreasonable: building a beautiful 62 million dollar stadium to compete in the doormat MAC long term, now THAT'S unreasonable.

The man does have a point there. Now if the fallback is being the dominant team in a bad conference (see Boise St.), OK .. but you'd have to believe the vision looks outward and upward from here with that type of investment.Go Zips! B)

[Dr Z]

You don't have to worry, Tom emailed me today and wrote "we'll end up with a great coach"

[ctmjbowes@sbcglobal.net]

You don't have to worry, Tom emailed me today and wrote "we'll end up with a great coach"

Well then, it's settled. We can stop the conversation!

[GP1]

You don't have to worry, Tom emailed me today and wrote "we'll end up with a great coach"

Did he give you any indication on what the lottery numbers will be Saturday?