Fanhouse/McManamon with Ianello, Wistrcill

[Captain Kangaroo]

Finding out where quotes came from is no longer the challenge it used to be before internet search engines.

"We're just re-arranging chairs on the Titanic."

-- ZipsWin!

October 2010

[ZipRoo]

"Quotes? What quotes? Is that Rasor kid writing nasty things about me again? Martha, get away from the window. Those AK-Rowdie punks know where we live and I don't trust 'em."

[ZippyforPresident]

Finding out where quotes came from is no longer the challenge it used to be before internet search engines.

My thoughts exactly. I typically just type them into that Google machine.

[Zipmeister]

Ummmm. . . Yeah, totally. . . That was really perceptive?

That makes sense given your emboldened words. . .

Hint: "whoever knows WHAT that quote came from."

That quote came from your Dad's mouth.

[xu9697]

I know that I've been as critical of Ianello as anyone, but I actually think I've come full circle at this point and after some observations I'm in the camp that Ianello needs more than one season to prove himself.

Here's why:

After ten weeks into the season, observing everything that has gone on, including Ianello's reactions to the losses, the numbers of players either quitting or being removed from the team and if there is even the slightest shred of truth to the content of both his and AD Wistrcill's interviews with the media, it leads me to believe one thing:

I believe that they absolutely expected the season we're having. I think probably starting with Rob's interview for the coaching position he had it outlined in his "master plan" of building/re-building Akron football that he was just going to have to implode the entire thing and start from scratch. Sure, I bet Rob thought it probably would have been great if we could have won 3 or 4 games along the way, but this season is a result of the radical changes (both off the field and schematically on the field) and weeding out of whatever undesirable aspects Ianelllo felt still remained as part of the program. (just look at some of the talent in key positions that has vacated).

I think he absolutely saw this coming and from what I've observed as far as his expectations of the players, their conduct, their academics, their respect for the community and the resulting mass exodus of players from the team, I think that goes a long way in supporting this hypothesis. The guy just isn't going to tolerate players that are unwilling to respect his rules and maybe those guys just couldn't hack it as far as what his demands are. Maybe that's a good thing?

Take Senior Linebacker Mike Thomas's comments from the Fanhouse article (link posted in thread previous).

- Mike said players had to adjust, but he said he respects Ianello's approach because it will help in the long run:

"Having a strict system that we have to abide by every day," Thomas said "That's going to help out a lot. That's something that we kind of didn't have before. ... (Is he) tougher? Yes. Demanding? Yes. That's just his style. I respect him. I respect that."

I also think that Ianello is really looking toward Al Golden as far as what he is trying to "build" here.

After 10 weeks of suffering through this garbage I'll leave you all with this: "Well, you know what my dad always said, having dreams is what makes life tolerable."

Ten "scene/fan" points to whoever knows what that quote came from. Hint: I'll be taking a road trip to that college town for a football game this weekend while the zips are on their 11 day "bye week" or whatever. I'm actually pretty stoked, as the Zips have never given me occasion to travel to this historic stadium.

See y'all at the Basketball home opener on Friday!

Great post...and "Rudy".

I will also be @ ND this weekend. Probably seeing as bad of a blowout as I have seen at Info!!!

[you am i]

I know that I've been as critical of Ianello as anyone, but I actually think I've come full circle at this point and after some observations I'm in the camp that Ianello needs more than one season to prove himself.

Here's why:

After ten weeks into the season, observing everything that has gone on, including Ianello's reactions to the losses, the numbers of players either quitting or being removed from the team and if there is even the slightest shred of truth to the content of both his and AD Wistrcill's interviews with the media, it leads me to believe one thing:

I believe that they absolutely expected the season we're having. I think probably starting with Rob's interview for the coaching position he had it outlined in his "master plan" of building/re-building Akron football that he was just going to have to implode the entire thing and start from scratch. Sure, I bet Rob thought it probably would have been great if we could have won 3 or 4 games along the way, but this season is a result of the radical changes (both off the field and schematically on the field) and weeding out of whatever undesirable aspects Ianelllo felt still remained as part of the program. (just look at some of the talent in key positions that has vacated).

I think he absolutely saw this coming and from what I've observed as far as his expectations of the players, their conduct, their academics, their respect for the community and the resulting mass exodus of players from the team, I think that goes a long way in supporting this hypothesis. The guy just isn't going to tolerate players that are unwilling to respect his rules and maybe those guys just couldn't hack it as far as what his demands are. Maybe that's a good thing?

Take Senior Linebacker Mike Thomas's comments from the Fanhouse article (link posted in thread previous).

- Mike said players had to adjust, but he said he respects Ianello's approach because it will help in the long run:

"Having a strict system that we have to abide by every day," Thomas said "That's going to help out a lot. That's something that we kind of didn't have before. ... (Is he) tougher? Yes. Demanding? Yes. That's just his style. I respect him. I respect that."

I also think that Ianello is really looking toward Al Golden as far as what he is trying to "build" here.

After 10 weeks of suffering through this garbage I'll leave you all with this: "Well, you know what my dad always said, having dreams is what makes life tolerable."

Ten "scene/fan" points to whoever knows what that quote came from. Hint: I'll be taking a road trip to that college town for a football game this weekend while the zips are on their 11 day "bye week" or whatever. I'm actually pretty stoked, as the Zips have never given me occasion to travel to this historic stadium.

See y'all at the Basketball home opener on Friday!

"They absolutely saw this coming"??? Are you saying when they hired Ianello they expected to be winless? With one humiliating blow-out loss after another? A loss to a DII team? Ranked as the worst D1 team in football? Well, if that's what they saw coming, their plan is working out to perfection.

[UAZipster0305]

Al Golden is the only exception that I am aware who violates my belief that good coaches are able to turn around a program with players from the previous regime. Urban Meyer and Brian Kelly are quintessential examples. Like great teachers, solid coaches maximize the potential of the players regardless of who initially recruited them.

My outlook on iCoach is not good. Right now, he seems to be an alpha male lion who just obtained rights to a new pride and has tried to diminish prior influence and maximize his own by killing the cubs of the previous father.

However, I will be the first to admit if/when I am wrong. Here's to hoping that I am.

[Big Zip]

If that was what they expected why would they have built the entire marketing plan around the coach?

[Dave in Green]

Finding out where quotes came from is no longer the challenge it used to be before internet search engines.

My thoughts exactly. I typically just type them into that Google machine.

Copy and paste makes it even easier.

[zippy5]

Al Golden is the only exception that I am aware who violates my belief that good coaches are able to turn around a program with players from the previous regime. Urban Meyer and Brian Kelly are quintessential examples. Like great teachers, solid coaches maximize the potential of the players regardless of who initially recruited them.

My outlook on iCoach is not good. Right now, he seems to be an alpha male lion who just obtained rights to a new pride and has tried to diminish prior influence and maximize his own by killing the cubs of the previous father.

However, I will be the first to admit if/when I am wrong. Here's to hoping that I am.

Brian Kelly, really? Have you watched a Notre Dame game this year?

[UAZipster0305]

Al Golden is the only exception that I am aware who violates my belief that good coaches are able to turn around a program with players from the previous regime. Urban Meyer and Brian Kelly are quintessential examples. Like great teachers, solid coaches maximize the potential of the players regardless of who initially recruited them.

My outlook on iCoach is not good. Right now, he seems to be an alpha male lion who just obtained rights to a new pride and has tried to diminish prior influence and maximize his own by killing the cubs of the previous father.

However, I will be the first to admit if/when I am wrong. Here's to hoping that I am.

Brian Kelly, really? Have you watched a Notre Dame game this year?

Given the talent at ND, I'd say he has maximized their potential. And to think, iCoach is partly responsible for that.

[Captain Kangaroo]

If that was what they expected why would they have built the entire marketing plan around the coach?

Love the observation.

[zippy5]

Al Golden is the only exception that I am aware who violates my belief that good coaches are able to turn around a program with players from the previous regime. Urban Meyer and Brian Kelly are quintessential examples. Like great teachers, solid coaches maximize the potential of the players regardless of who initially recruited them.

My outlook on iCoach is not good. Right now, he seems to be an alpha male lion who just obtained rights to a new pride and has tried to diminish prior influence and maximize his own by killing the cubs of the previous father.

However, I will be the first to admit if/when I am wrong. Here's to hoping that I am.

Brian Kelly, really? Have you watched a Notre Dame game this year?

Given the talent at ND, I'd say he has maximized their potential. And to think, iCoach is partly responsible for that.

Their last 3 recruiting classes are ranked #14, 21, and 2, respectively, according to Rivals. They have talent.

[Big Zip]

I don't want to state the obvious here Zippy5, but HS prognostications don't always equal College level talent.....it is all a crap shoot. If I recall correctly JD"s recruiting classes were most always in the top of the MAC and now I'm being told we have no talent on our roster....In fact I think I'm being told he didn't even know what Div. 1 talent looked like for the most part. Never mind the fact that the guy coached two Biletnekoff Award Winners in Antonio Bryant and Larry Fitzgerald while at Pitt. Being annually ranked as a top recruiting class doesn't always translate to a top football team.

[UAZipster0305]

Recruited class rankings don't indicate anything talent-wise They are just a means of continuing to talk college football in the offseason and generating hype. Many of JD's recruiting classes were ranked best in the MAC and look where that got us.

The point remains that if iCoach knows what he is doing, he'd be coaching-up our talent. Our team is underachieving. GW, Can't, and BSU were all games that should have been won. That is what we get for hiring a "recruiter."

Al Golden is the only exception that I am aware who violates my belief that good coaches are able to turn around a program with players from the previous regime. Urban Meyer and Brian Kelly are quintessential examples. Like great teachers, solid coaches maximize the potential of the players regardless of who initially recruited them.

My outlook on iCoach is not good. Right now, he seems to be an alpha male lion who just obtained rights to a new pride and has tried to diminish prior influence and maximize his own by killing the cubs of the previous father.

However, I will be the first to admit if/when I am wrong. Here's to hoping that I am.

Brian Kelly, really? Have you watched a Notre Dame game this year?

Given the talent at ND, I'd say he has maximized their potential. And to think, iCoach is partly responsible for that.

Their last 3 recruiting classes are ranked #14, 21, and 2, respectively, according to Rivals. They have talent.

[Blue & Gold]

Many of JD's most highly-touted recruits never made it to UA. They were intriguing talents that most others schools were leary of due to off-field issues; similar to Erik Howard from iCoach's 1st recruiting class.

I'm still getting over being jilted by Giorgio Bowers.

[Lee Adams]

I know that I've been as critical of Ianello as anyone, but I actually think I've come full circle at this point and after some observations I'm in the camp that Ianello needs more than one season to prove himself.

Here's why:

After ten weeks into the season, observing everything that has gone on, including Ianello's reactions to the losses, the numbers of players either quitting or being removed from the team and if there is even the slightest shred of truth to the content of both his and AD Wistrcill's interviews with the media, it leads me to believe one thing:

I believe that they absolutely expected the season we're having. I think probably starting with Rob's interview for the coaching position he had it outlined in his "master plan" of building/re-building Akron football that he was just going to have to implode the entire thing and start from scratch. Sure, I bet Rob thought it probably would have been great if we could have won 3 or 4 games along the way, but this season is a result of the radical changes (both off the field and schematically on the field) and weeding out of whatever undesirable aspects Ianelllo felt still remained as part of the program. (just look at some of the talent in key positions that has vacated).

I think he absolutely saw this coming and from what I've observed as far as his expectations of the players, their conduct, their academics, their respect for the community and the resulting mass exodus of players from the team, I think that goes a long way in supporting this hypothesis. The guy just isn't going to tolerate players that are unwilling to respect his rules and maybe those guys just couldn't hack it as far as what his demands are. Maybe that's a good thing?

Take Senior Linebacker Mike Thomas's comments from the Fanhouse article (link posted in thread previous).

- Mike said players had to adjust, but he said he respects Ianello's approach because it will help in the long run:

"Having a strict system that we have to abide by every day," Thomas said "That's going to help out a lot. That's something that we kind of didn't have before. ... (Is he) tougher? Yes. Demanding? Yes. That's just his style. I respect him. I respect that."

I also think that Ianello is really looking toward Al Golden as far as what he is trying to "build" here.

After 10 weeks of suffering through this garbage I'll leave you all with this: "Well, you know what my dad always said, having dreams is what makes life tolerable."

Ten "scene/fan" points to whoever knows what that quote came from. Hint: I'll be taking a road trip to that college town for a football game this weekend while the zips are on their 11 day "bye week" or whatever. I'm actually pretty stoked, as the Zips have never given me occasion to travel to this historic stadium.

See y'all at the Basketball home opener on Friday!

So with that line of thinking the AD was basically saying to the FANS 'screw you' for the foreseeable future. Too bad if you pay hundreds of dollars for season tickets. Too bad if you have to sit in the rain and cold. Too bad if the product you are paying for is defective. We don't give refunds. We will treat you with indifference. We can't tell you if or when the quality of the product will improve. We do it because we don't have to worry about the cosequences right now.

Sounds like General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. Kept churning out crap until it finally caught up with them.

I'll bet the AD wants us to renew season tickets for next year. Hell, I can't give 'em away. I'll bet he wants us to send our yearly contribution to the Z-Fund. I am long past getting that warm fuzzy feeling about supporting the program with my dollars.

[ZipRoo]

RE: So with that line of thinking the AD was basically saying to the FANS 'screw you' for the foreseeable future. Too bad if you pay hundreds of dollars for season tickets. Too bad if you have to sit in the rain and cold. Too bad if the product you are paying for is defective. We don't give refunds. We will treat you with indifference. We can't tell you if or when the quality of the product will improve. We do it because we don't have to worry about the cosequences right now.

Sounds like General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. Kept churning out crap until it finally caught up with them.

I'll bet the AD wants us to renew season tickets for next year. Hell, I can't give 'em away. I'll bet he wants us to send our yearly contribution to the Z-Fund. I am long past getting that warm fuzzy feeling about supporting the program with my dollars.

"As an A.D., I'm a hockey puck."

[zen]

JDs recruits suked so bad that he managed to win at least 3 games each year with them.

If it's all about the talent, then why the significant drop off?

Perhaps it's some sort of perfectly timed culmination of JD's bad recruiting that finally manifest this year?

[Captain Kangaroo]

JDs recruits suked so bad that he managed to win at least 3 games each year with them.

If it's all about the talent, then why the significant drop off?

Perhaps it's some sort of perfectly timed culmination of JD's bad recruiting that finally manifest this year?

Being fair to Ianello -- If the Zips convert two extra points, we're sitting at 2-7, with Buffalo still remaining.

[akron football]

ahh the eternal optimist, I wish i could reveal what I know. Stay strong zip fan it has to get better...

[ZachTheZip]

ahh the eternal optimist, I wish i could reveal what I know. Stay strong zip fan it has to get better...

I'll reveal what I know. I know that we're winless with only two games to go. I know that we have a coach who the players hate and who resents his players. I know that our coordinators don't know how to call plays. I know that our position coaches have made the players at their positions worse than they were last year. I know that the athletic director doesn't care about the few hardcore fans that remain. I know that Akron will not be able to sell any football tickets next year. And I know that absolutely none of this bothers the AD or head coach.

[RootforRoo44]

ahh the eternal optimist, I wish i could reveal what I know. Stay strong zip fan it has to get better...

I'll reveal what I know. I know that we're winless with only two games to go. I know that we have a coach who the players hate and who resents his players. I know that our coordinators don't know how to call plays. I know that our position coaches have made the players at their positions worse than they were last year. I know that the athletic director doesn't care about the few hardcore fans that remain. I know that Akron will not be able to sell any football tickets next year. And I know that absolutely none of this bothers the AD or head coach.

Couldn't have said it better.

Today I heard exactly what you are saying from a contributing player on the team. He has already decided to leave after this season ends due to the coaching situation. I fear that it may be far worse than any of us can imagine.

It's really too bad.

[ZipRoo]

"Are you saying I don't CARE?! Well, okay. The ruse is up."

--Love, Tom

[zen]

JDs recruits suked so bad that he managed to win at least 3 games each year with them.

If it's all about the talent, then why the significant drop off?

Perhaps it's some sort of perfectly timed culmination of JD's bad recruiting that finally manifest this year?

Being fair to Ianello -- If the Zips convert two extra points, we're sitting at 2-7, with Buffalo still remaining.

understood.......

then again, how many games of JDs can we do that with?

... more pointedly, which games in his 3win season could we give him with some missed kicks?

It's started to sound like I'm a JD fangirl (lol), but that's not it at all. I just don't know how it gets this bad this year when it seems like only one thing has really changed...