So let me ask you this...

[Dave in Green]

Dave in Green is quite the Ianello apologist.

You'll need to be more original than that to gain traction on ZN.O.

I'll stand by it. Every one of Dave in Green's posts defends the coach/program. Strange.

You're obviously misinterpreting my position on the coaching staff, which is consistent with my position on the QB situation.

Last year when some fans began advocating that Rodgers be replaced by Nicely, I expressed the position that while it might be the best move at some point, Rodgers should be given a reasonable opportunity to prove himself. That debate ended when Rodgers' season ended with the leg injury.

This year when some fans began advocating that Nicely be replaced by Rodgers, I initially expressed the same position.

I've expressed exactly the same position on Ianello. He may or may not be capable of turning the Zips into consistent winners. But we'll never know for sure unless he's given a reasonable opportunity to prove himself.

This consistent position does not fit the label of "apologist" for Rodgers, Nicely or Ianello, and it won't for anyone else I may take the same position on in the future.

[ZipRoo]

.

In terms of Coach I's future, if he goes 0-12, there isn't a program in the country that would hire him in D-I or even I-AA. He may be a good assistant, but he'll never get another head coach job again. That's just the reality of college football.

Please name me one other D-1 school in the country that would've hired Ianello TO BEGIN WITH, other than Akron, the 120th worst team. If Ianello was in such "demand," surely *someone* at the D-1 or D-2 level would've snatched him up, right? But no. For some reason, UA always thinks it knows best...and brings in unqualified assistants or recroooters to...what (?), "learn on the job?" Just what we didn't need.

[GP1]

Please name me one other D-1 school in the country that would've hired Ianello TO BEGIN WITH, other than Akron, the 120th worst team.

I can't. I also don't remember who was looking for coaches last season.

The real question is, "Who else was interested?" There are always discussion on this board about who we should hire. The more important question is, "Who is interested?" Hire Bowden?....What if he isn't interested? etc.

[bobbyake]

..... People don't want to be wrong or want "their guy" to fail. They will apologize for him whatever way they can. .....

By that logic, those who predicted Ianello would fail before he coached his first game also don't want to be proven wrong and do want the guy to fail. They will rip on him whatever way they can.

Then there are those who never took a hard pro or con position, but only hoped that Ianello would become a good head coach and turn the Zips around from their downward spiral of the last few years if given a fair opportunity to do so.

Reasonable people can disagree on how much time a new head coach should be given to stop a losing team's slide. But most reasonable people will agree that one year or less is not adequate.

Whether the Ianello lovers or the Ianello haters eventually prove to be correct in their assessment of his ability to succeed, the most important thing is for the Zips to start winning, whether under Ianello or whoever might ultimately replace him.

Who really cares who "wins" a stupid sports forum debate?

Is there anyone here that seriously thought Ianello would be a good coach here? Ianello would go 0-12 coaching at Mount Union

[ZachTheZip]

Please name me one other D-1 school in the country that would've hired Ianello TO BEGIN WITH, other than Akron, the 120th worst team.

I can't. I also don't remember who was looking for coaches last season.

The real question is, "Who else was interested?" There are always discussion on this board about who we should hire. The more important question is, "Who is interested?" Hire Bowden?....What if he isn't interested? etc.

Despite there being twenty-two FBS schools looking for a new coach after last season, only two were interested in Ianello: Akron and San Jose State.

[RootforRoo44]

Dave in Green is quite the Ianello apologist.

You'll need to be more original than that to gain traction on ZN.O.

I'll stand by it. Every one of Dave in Green's posts defends the coach/program. Strange.

Wait until you read some of his basketball posts. He is a valued member of ZNO.

I was going to say the same thing. Defending ICC so vehemently is not normal "Dave".

Usually we agree on things!

Your explanation above is alright though, i just dont see anything in this coach and I dont believe it's worth wasting multiple years on something that we can pretty much see has failed already.

[GP1]

Please name me one other D-1 school in the country that would've hired Ianello TO BEGIN WITH, other than Akron, the 120th worst team.

I can't. I also don't remember who was looking for coaches last season.

The real question is, "Who else was interested?" There are always discussion on this board about who we should hire. The more important question is, "Who is interested?" Hire Bowden?....What if he isn't interested? etc.

Despite there being twenty-two FBS schools looking for a new coach after last season, only two were interested in Ianello: Akron and San Jose State.

I didn't state the questions clearly enough. I should have said, "Who else was interested in Akron?" I know because of confidentiality reasons they can't say, I'd like to know who else was interested or even who else was contacted to see if they were interested. You can only hire someone who wants to be hired.

[ZachTheZip]

Please name me one other D-1 school in the country that would've hired Ianello TO BEGIN WITH, other than Akron, the 120th worst team.

I can't. I also don't remember who was looking for coaches last season.

The real question is, "Who else was interested?" There are always discussion on this board about who we should hire. The more important question is, "Who is interested?" Hire Bowden?....What if he isn't interested? etc.

Despite there being twenty-two FBS schools looking for a new coach after last season, only two were interested in Ianello: Akron and San Jose State.

I didn't state the questions clearly enough. I should have said, "Who else was interested in Akron?" I know because of confidentiality reasons they can't say, I'd like to know who else was interested or even who else was contacted to see if they were interested. You can only hire someone who wants to be hired.

Sorry. I misread that.

According to Rivals' Tom Deinhart, "in addition to Rob Ianello, Akron interviewed Wayne State's Paul Winters; Elon's Pete Lembo; Kansas' Ed Warinner; Arizona's Mark Stoops." I would have taken any of those over Ianello. At least they have coordinator or head coach experience. We picked the one guy who had never been anything more than a position coach.

No word on who else was interested but didn't get an interview, although Jim Tressel's protégé Luke Fickell was rumored to be interested but got rebuffed by the athletic director.

[GP1]

No word on who else was interested but didn't get an interview, although Jim Tressel's protégé Luke Fickell was rumored to be interested but got rebuffed by the athletic director.

This rumor is false.

[ZipsAlum92]

No word on who else was interested but didn't get an interview, although Jim Tressel's protégé Luke Fickell was rumored to be interested but got rebuffed by the athletic director.

This rumor is false.

No, it is not.

[scottditzen]

I'd say JD's recruiting fell off...I never did buy the idea that we really had any talent on this team. And that is not to in any way forgive the 3-3-5! However, anyone who witnessed the GWeb game saw firsthand that for the most part, our players were neither especially bigger nor faster than theirs. The talent just isn't there.

So no it's not all Ianello's fault. But so what. He needs to go asap. No way will I tolerate giving him several years to see if he pans out.

We have to end this lightning in a bottle approach to hiring coaches.

We need to bring in someone who has shown proven LEADERSHIP qualities at the collegiate level. The hiring of Ianello was met with a collective sigh is because Northeast Ohio is a football literate region. Even the casual observer knew it was a stretch.

Is it "possible" that JD not only left after a horrible year, but also failed to do any proper recruiting? I mean, is it possible that iCoach got screwed by fate - after all, we didn't have a QB last year, so what do we have this year? The same PN who could not play last year? After they had to put an ad in the paper begging for anyone with QB experience to come forward (laughingstock of the entire country by the way) they could not go out and find someone anyplace to play QB for us?

This just reminds me of when I came to Akron in the fall of 1967. We were coming off GREAT basketball seasons (read Turner, Williams and a game against a guy named "the pearl") and there were NO replacements. We were HORRIBLE. The strategy was SLOW DOWN and try to win 2 - 0. Of course that didn't work. I think the coach was Tony Laterza (or maybe not, it was a long time ago, most of youse were not a gleam in your fathers eye yet), and the AD was Red Cochrane (I think).

But the next year we got a new coach, Wyatt Webb??? And a new cast of players - suddenly there was LEN PAUL and LARRY QUARLES and JINX JENKINS. And a trip to Evansville. And eventual D1 league play. And the unforgettable Harvey Glover (WHO??).

The point I think I am trying to make is simply this:

Is iCoach a total failure, or is he eating JDs' shit for not recruiting any quality players?

[Dave in Green]

Dave in Green is quite the Ianello apologist.

You'll need to be more original than that to gain traction on ZN.O.

I'll stand by it. Every one of Dave in Green's posts defends the coach/program. Strange.

Wait until you read some of his basketball posts. He is a valued member of ZNO.

I was going to say the same thing. Defending ICC so vehemently is not normal "Dave" .

Usually we agree on things!

Your explanation above is alright though, i just dont see anything in this coach and I dont believe it's worth wasting multiple years on something that we can pretty much see has failed already.

The key point is that I'm not vehemently defending Ianello. I'm merely stating the other side of the argument for consideration. There are already many people posting the "off with his head" side of the argument, often multiple times per day in multiple threads. Some of those posts might be considered vehement, or maybe even venomous. I thought my posts on the subject were pretty laid back. I certainly didn't feel vehement (or venomous) while writing them.

[GP1]

I'd say JD's recruiting fell off...I never did buy the idea that we really had any talent on this team.

We have basically the same level of talent that won three games last year. They shouldn't go winless.

[RUMPLEMINTZ]

There are some great players on this squad and some great underclassmen, the fact is that Ianello has no clue about the game of football. He never played the game or experienced being a coordinator. Ianello must of paid for lunch everytime he and Tom went out. Come on, Luke Fickell wanted this job upon Jim Tressel's advice, a no-brainer, unless someone owes you a couple hundered lunches!

[GP1]

There are some great players on this squad and some great underclassmen,

There is no great anything on this team. However, there is a lot of "good enough"....good enough not to go winless.

[zipboy]

We have basically the same level of talent that won three games last year. They shouldn't go winless.

I agree. 3 wins last year and most games were competitive. They at least had a shot in the 4th quarter. We are getting drilled by 40+ to 2nd tier MAC teams now.

[ZachTheZip]

Take a look at this list. It's a list of "defensive-minded" coaches who will likely be hired in the near future.

Mark Stoops is there, as is Luke Fickell.

Was Ianello on any "soon to be a head coach" list before we hired him?

[Buckzip]

Take a look at this list. It's a list of "defensive-minded" coaches who will likely be hired in the near future.

Mark Stoops is there, as is Luke Fickell.

Was Ianello on any "soon to be a head coach" list before we hired him?

Why go for any of them when we can go for a friend of the AD?

[zen]

Take a look at this list. It's a list of "defensive-minded" coaches who will likely be hired in the near future.

Mark Stoops is there, as is Luke Fickell.

Was Ianello on any "soon to be a head coach" list before we hired him?

Why go for any of them when we can go for a friend of the AD?

FTW

[Lee Adams]

Please name me one other D-1 school in the country that would've hired Ianello TO BEGIN WITH, other than Akron, the 120th worst team.

I can't. I also don't remember who was looking for coaches last season.

The real question is, "Who else was interested?" There are always discussion on this board about who we should hire. The more important question is, "Who is interested?" Hire Bowden?....What if he isn't interested? etc.

Despite there being twenty-two FBS schools looking for a new coach after last season, only two were interested in Ianello: Akron and San Jose State.

I didn't state the questions clearly enough. I should have said, "Who else was interested in Akron?" I know because of confidentiality reasons they can't say, I'd like to know who else was interested or even who else was contacted to see if they were interested. You can only hire someone who wants to be hired.

Sorry. I misread that.

According to Rivals' Tom Deinhart, "in addition to Rob Ianello, Akron interviewed Wayne State's Paul Winters; Elon's Pete Lembo; Kansas' Ed Warinner; Arizona's Mark Stoops." I would have taken any of those over Ianello. At least they have coordinator or head coach experience. We picked the one guy who had never been anything more than a position coach.

No word on who else was interested but didn't get an interview, although Jim Tressel's protégé Luke Fickell was rumored to be interested but got rebuffed by the athletic director.

IF this is accurate,I would like to know why those were the only guys interviewed. Seems like a pretty weak list with or without Fickell.

[ZipRoo]

Clearly, Wistrcill came in and pulled the wool over a lot of eyes at UA. Does anyone seriously believe anyone at Akron had ever even "heard" of Rob Ianello, much less considered him to lead the morose program back from the abyss? How very interesting that Mark Stoops was interviewed and not hired. If he would've accepted this job, and we selected Ianello instead, heads should roll...yesterday.

I'm also still waiting for the explanation on why Fickell was not even given the opportunity to interview.

Ohio-ties are, for better or worse, important to people in NE Ohio. Both Stoops and Fickell had the ties and both would've been widely-popular choices. You pick the guy nobody wants, and you get exactly what you paid for....on the field, and in the stands. Failure. That goes for double for the AD, who masterminded this coaching debacle.

[ZachTheZip]

Hire Bowden?....What if he isn't interested? etc.

Sorry, Zips fans, for dredging up some bad memories, but I just wanted to quote this bit of prescience.

[GP1]

Sorry, Zips fans, for dredging up some bad memories, but I just wanted to quote this bit of prescience.

So, what's your point other than bringing up a question someone asked?

[ZachTheZip]

So, what's your point other than bringing up a question someone asked?

If you remember, Bowden approached Akron instead of the other way around because someone in the administration asked that exact question. I feel like some of the newer posters on ZNO kind of take the fact that he's our coach for granted, even though just two years ago he seemed unapproachable despite being a D-II coach.

Also, I was kind of impressed that you predicted the future.

[Zipmeister]

If you remember, Bowden approached Akron instead of the other way around because someone in the administration asked that exact question. I feel like some of the newer posters on ZNO kind of take the fact that he's our coach for granted, even though just two years ago he seemed unapproachable despite being a D-II coach.

Also, I was kind of impressed that you predicted the future.

To celebrate the July 4th holiday correctly, be sure to remember the Alamo (and your meds).