team strength's and weakness

[akron football]

What do you feel are our strength's and our weakness?

[Zipmeister]

What do you feel are our strength's and our weakness?

This is the best topic anyone has come up with all year. Congratulations.

Interesting that you asked for multiple strengths but only one weakness.

I would say that one of the team's strengths is the ability to take one pounding after another.

A weakness would be allowing one team after another to pound them.

[Kangaroo Craig]

Offense - Weakness

Defense - Weakness

Special Teams - Weakness

Coaching - Weakness

Facilities (In comparison to the rest of the MAC and other non-BCS) - Big Strength. Potential recruiting tool, but only if weaknesses improve.

[Wally B]

GLARING WEAKNESS!!!! - Community Relations

I know this has been discussed ad-naseum But as an out-of-state-roo it's seriousness has only recently come into focus dor me.

It's not about the cancelled golf outing, or the performance of the team, it's about iCoaches attitude.... PERIOD! He's made it clear that he's not invested in our school or community. THis isn't ND, Wisc, or any other stop he's had. I am proud to call Akron my hometown, and the Zips my team!!!! But unlike say an OSU or Mich or USC or UFlor fan my allegience isn't blind. There is no guarantee of tomorrow here and our players aren't "gods". But they do represent US and one of the best cities in the country right now (testament of a great city core, local nat. park, and prominent research) Display your disdain for the community, and students and we will not have faith in you. Win while pissing on us and we will not shed a tear when you move on.

Solution - Humble yourself! Support the students, institution and city and we'll adopt you as one of our own. Even if your teams fail on the field..... see: Jerry Faust

[skip-zip]

Sadly, a couple of things that we could call our strengths this year, such as our Sr. experience at RB and WR, might be added to our list of weaknesses come next year. But hopefully, we'll find out that those positions really weren't that strong to begin with.

[Dr Z]

Everything is a weakness right now, we won 1 game. I don't know if we have a "strength", but I'll try giving a few positives for 2011.

- The biggest positive for fans has to be a year of experience that was gained in 2010. Coaching, preparation, adjustments, play calling, all that should be expected to get better next year. We should not see our team electing to kick when we win the coin toss.

- Presumably, we are going to continue with the same offensive & defensive schemes. We had a major switch in both schemes this year. It takes awhile to find the proper players to play within that scheme and teach them their new responsibilities. That is true on both sides of the ball. We should see the effects of that taking place next year. I have seen the same thing happen in the NFL, so I hope it happens here too.

- We will have a new place kicker kicking extra points. Some claim we would have had two more wins if we could kick an extra point.

- We do not play GW.

[Dave in Green]

I agree on the community relations suggestion for Coach Ianello. At the very least, there's a strong perception that he's not as actively involved with the community as many Zips football fans think he should be. If he'd finished the season 11-1 instead of 1-11, he might get by with that in the euphoria over winning. But when a team is losing, fans tend to latch on to any negative, whether big, medium or small.

Ultimately this is a UA problem and not just a head football coach problem. It reflects on the whole university, not just the football program. Responsibility doesn't end with the athletic department. It goes all the way to the top.

This issue needs to be proactively addressed, either by the athletic department or whoever is responsible for UA's overall community relations.

[Zipmeister]

I agree on the community relations suggestion for Coach Ianello. At the very least, there's a strong perception that he's not as actively involved with the community as many Zips football fans think he should be. If he'd finished the season 11-1 instead of 1-11, he might get by with that in the euphoria over winning. But when a team is losing, fans tend to latch on to any negative, whether big, medium or small.

Ultimately this is a UA problem and not just a head football coach problem. It reflects on the whole university, not just the football program. Responsibility doesn't end with the athletic department. It goes all the way to the top.

This issue needs to be proactively addressed, either by the athletic department or whoever is responsible for UA's overall community relations.

:rofl:

[g-mann17]

Biggest weakness - Fans

[ValleyBoy]

Biggest weakness - Fans

I have been visiting this site for about 2 weeks and I can agree with the above statements from the post I have read over just a few weeks.

What do you want a PR coach or a football coach?

If what is important to you is that the coach is a good guy and everyone likes him, even the students and members of the community......

What has your coach done to distain the community?

I would hope that you would want a football program that other teams fear. A football team that is listed by everyone as the team you have to beat if you want to have any chance of winning the MAC.

A football coaches #1 priority is to win football games. From what Zip football history I have located, you have fielded a football team every year, might have won a few games, but that is all. Therefore, the Zip Nation has no idea what a winning football program looks like.

You want the local community to get excited about Zip Fooball. WIN

You want the student body to get excited. WIN

The best investment that a football coach can make for his University and community is, you got it "WIN BABY WIN"

The only one that a football coach has to run a PR program with is his football players. And what is that sales job. Getting the players to buy in to the believe that they can win each and every week no matter who the other team is.

[Lee Adams]

What do you feel are our strength's and our weakness?

Keeping this to on the field issues which seems to be the last thing many want to do for a number of reasons here we go.

Defense: 1) Secondary: huge weakness. Waller is fast but too small,can't cover big receivers and has difficulty supporting

the run. The other side of the field,who knows? Safeties had trouble in coverage most of the year. Tackling

was poor. Linebackers: They lose Thomas but Wagner is back. Wagner is obviously a plus but he will need

help. D-line: Huge loss with Lemon gone. Marcoux played well. Hazime at times also. Unless some new guys

step up probably a weakness.

Offense: Running back: Weak. The two guys who got most of the reps are gone. Nobody else played enough to be

seen as a positive coming back. QB: Who knows? If a year in the new system helped Nicely it could be a

positive. If not there is no proven starter. O-line: With some losses and some returns it might not be too bad.

They seemed to improve as the season progressed. Receivers: Weakness. The bunch thats leaving wasn't all

that good. But unless Sconiers and some of the freshman can step in and perform it has to be a weakness

going in. The tight ends were not much of a factor.

Coaching: Giving the benefit of the doubt which is hard,the jury is still out. However,there may be a position coach or two

who aren't invited back. We will see if one year with the new systems makes a difference.

Have at it.

[Wally B]

Biggest weakness - Fans

I have been visiting this site for about 2 weeks and I can agree with the above statements from the post I have read over just a few weeks.

What do you want a PR coach or a football coach?

If what is important to you is that the coach is a good guy and everyone likes him, even the students and members of the community......

What has your coach done to distain the community?

I would hope that you would want a football program that other teams fear. A football team that is listed by everyone as the team you have to beat if you want to have any chance of winning the MAC.

A football coaches #1 priority is to win football games. From what Zip football history I have located, you have fielded a football team every year, might have won a few games, but that is all. Therefore, the Zip Nation has no idea what a winning football program looks like.

You want the local community to get excited about Zip Fooball. WIN

You want the student body to get excited. WIN

The best investment that a football coach can make for his University and community is, you got it "WIN BABY WIN"

The only one that a football coach has to run a PR program with is his football players. And what is that sales job. Getting the players to buy in to the believe that they can win each and every week no matter who the other team is.

Valley Boy, welcome to the NATION. I agree with your sentiments on winning, i think we all do. However, since you are new let me fill you in on the details of our dissent. While there are plenty to ANNUAL golf outing and defamation of student supporters. To put these events in perspective, immagine the next Browns coach comes into town, refuses to associate himself with the leaders of the community, refuses to talk to the press and craps on the Dog Pound. You get Belicheck in Cleveland No one here is asking for a golden calf. We know the history of our program. It doesn't take much. Jusst a game of golf and shake a few hands... oh and don't crap on the students. They will simply go to the soccer match instead where they are recognized as the best in the nation!!! As for WINNING? I remember the Denison era!

Now back to the topic at hand....

Any news on next years kicking game?? Are there any redshirts from the soccer team that iCoach could borrow??

[RootforRoo44]

Strengths: Awesome stadium, Brian Wagner

Weaknesses: Rob Ianello, John Latina, Curt Mallory.

[ZipRoo]

How is investigative reporter Dave in Green's undercover work going, getting to the core of why our primary weakness, nonCoach I-a-smell-o, dared to utter the blasphemous---and confoundingly stupid---words: "I'm not impressed with the AKRowdies." ??

I truly want to know. What is the result of this covert fact-finding mission?

[Dave in Green]

How is investigative reporter Dave in Green's undercover work going, getting to the core of why our primary weakness, nonCoach I-a-smell-o, dared to utter the blasphemous---and confoundingly stupid---words: "I'm not impressed with the AKRowdies." ??

I truly want to know. What is the result of this covert fact-finding mission?

Blasphemous? Blasphemy is irreverence toward holy personages, religious artifacts, customs, and beliefs. The Rowdies are holy personages?

In any case, the Rowdies have been criticized by forum members right here on ZN.O for such things as not being able to turn out more than a small fraction of their 2,000 members for various Zips sports events. So it appears to be fair, for example, to say that one is not impressed with the Rowdies when it comes to turning out a larger percentage of their membership in support of Zips teams. That's an example of context.

I can say that I have gotten absolutely no help on the context of Coach Ianello's alleged remark from anyone on this forum. No one posted a public message or PM to me explaining any details. No one is able or willing to share any context.

I've gotten some preliminary input from some people at UA, but nothing definitive yet. I have some good leads on other people to speak with, and will continue to pursue this.

Fact finding is a little more time-consuming than just winging it.

[akronzips71]

We have no strengths

The only way is up

We can't go any lower.

[johnnyzip84]

We have no strengths

The only way is up

We can't go any lower.

0-12 would be lower

Strengths:

1) A high percentage of players from the 2010 class recruited solely by iCoach and staff contributed in their 1st year here (Bailey, Hall, Russell, Sconiers, Holmes, Miller, etc.). Other than Nico Caponi (who looks to have excellent potential at DE), I can't think of another of JD's original recruits who made much of a mark.

2) Wagner, Wagner, Wagner

3) Team didn't seem to be greatly affected by whether they played home or away.

4) Illegal procedures, silly decisions, etc. were minimized by the end of the season.

5) Rush defense was decent most of the year.

6) Team NEVER looked like they had given up.

7) PN7 threw some very nice deep balls towards the end of the year when he had a little more consistent pocket time.

8) Tailgating in Lot #9.

Weaknesses:

1) Very little experience at the skill positions in 2011.

2) Need to show that they can execute better in "crunch" time.

3) Need better decisions from the QB position, especially when under pressure.

4) The pass defense needs to improve dramatically. This may be the highest priority IMHO.

5) Need Hazime or a few others to display similar ability to track down the QB as Shawn Lemon. This one goes hand in hand with #4. Even a little improvement in one area will impact the other.

6) Gilmer, Little, or someone else needs to step up at linebacker. Any chance Fobbs gets a RS for this year?

7) Team needs to jump all over someone early in the 2011 schedule to instill the type of confidence that was lacking most of this year.

8) A dependable PK must be found.

9) Need to develop a back-up plan at QB.

10) HC is still "green". Would like to see offense in particular tailored a little more for talent that is on the field (ex. PN7 seemed to run the no-huddle pretty well, but we saw very little of this until Miami and no more of it against U@.

[RUMPLEMINTZ]

Ianello is the biggest weakness of this program.

Some helpfull hints for Rob Ianello for the coming year.

1. When speaking to people, try looking them in the eye. People like that coach, don't know exactly how you recruited that way in the past.

2. Stop walking around our town like you own it. The only thing you own is a shitty 1-11 record a bad attitude and terrible posture.

3. Stop saying "At Notre Dame we did it this way"....only thing you ever did there Rob was smell the place up. We don't want it like Notre Dame here, especially when you were there.

4. Stop talking to the players like they are garbage, they are all you have bro...love em up. Charlie did that at Notre Dame, look what happened to him! Your 2009 Notre Dame Team would not even play a Bowl game for you!

5. Learn to be nicer to the people that work on campus....I have never heard anyone that has run across you that has anything good to say about you, in fact you are not liked.

6. Maybe with the $350,000 you made this year go out and buy 'Coaching for Dummies" the newest version 2011 should be out by now.

7. Stop lying. You do that too much and your lucky Gafney is your beat reporter, because if it was me I'd expose you.

8. For God's sake and the team's...keep your mug off the billboards and posters....you do not exemplify the game of football. You my friend are no selling point and you never wore pads before so seperate yourself from actual players!

9. Never ever say learing experience again.

10. Do some thing about your special teams. You were ranked in average 100 places lower from last year. Maybe you should go get a guy who knows what the hell he is doing instead of having the dude kiss your ass 24/7!

[Dr Z]

Do some thing about your special teams. You were ranked in average 100 places lower from last year.

How do you "rank" special teams? Is there a formula between punting, kicking, tackling and returns I am unaware of?

Other than our place kicking game, I thought our special teams were adequate.

[RUMPLEMINTZ]

Do some thing about your special teams. You were ranked in average 100 places lower from last year.

How do you "rank" special teams? Is there a formula between punting, kicking, tackling and returns I am unaware of?

Other than our place kicking game, I thought our special teams were adequate.

Go to NCAA football stats. Every stat is located there for almost everthing. You can go back to compare for past years. The teams with the most favorable stats are all have winning records. Special teams is 1/3 of the game and if you ask Coach Tressel what the most important phase of the game is, he will always say, "The kicking game". Even if a team is sub par you can win games due to a solid special teams core. Most coaches look to fill depth while recruiting, but a kid that can nail a 45 yard fg and a punter that won't hurt you are so important!

[Dr Z]

Do some thing about your special teams. You were ranked in average 100 places lower from last year.

How do you "rank" special teams? Is there a formula between punting, kicking, tackling and returns I am unaware of?

Other than our place kicking game, I thought our special teams were adequate.

Go to NCAA football stats. Every stat is located there for almost everthing. You can go back to compare for past years. The teams with the most favorable stats are all have winning records. Special teams is 1/3 of the game and if you ask Coach Tressel what the most important phase of the game is, he will always say, "The kicking game". Even if a team is sub par you can win games due to a solid special teams core. Most coaches look to fill depth while recruiting, but a kid that can nail a 45 yard fg and a punter that won't hurt you are so important!

Okay, I'll entertain you. I'm not a very big stat guy, I go by what I see on the field. Maybe I'm taking your "do something about your special teams, you were ranked in average 100 places lower than from last year" post too literal. "Special teams" refers to place kicking, punting, kick offs, punt returns, kick off returns etc.. I took your advice, since you gave me no specific link to go to, I googled "NCAA football stats" and assumed you are referring to this site.

So I click on punting and see that Zach ranks 88th in average. That would mean last year he ranked better than first!?!?

Punt return yardage defense we ranked 37th in the country. 61 spots ahead of your buddy in Columbus.

Kickoff returns 109th.

Kickoff return defense 47th. 22 spots ahead of your buddy in Columbus.

In the other special teams categories I didn't see any "Akron" listed.

I'll stick with my original conclusion "Other than our place kicking game, I thought our special teams were adequate."

While I will agree that special teams are important, other than finding somebody that can make extra points, we have bigger issues. Offensive line play and our secondary should be our biggest concerns. We make those a strength next year instead of the weakness they were this year and we could see a winning ball team.

[Zipmeister]

Ianello is the biggest weakness of this program.

Some helpfull hints for Rob Ianello for the coming year.

1. When speaking to people, try looking them in the eye. People like that coach, don't know exactly how you recruited that way in the past.

2. Stop walking around our town like you own it. The only thing you own is a shitty 1-11 record a bad attitude and terrible posture.

3. Stop saying "At Notre Dame we did it this way"....only thing you ever did there Rob was smell the place up. We don't want it like Notre Dame here, especially when you were there.

4. Stop talking to the players like they are garbage, they are all you have bro...love em up. Charlie did that at Notre Dame, look what happened to him! Your 2009 Notre Dame Team would not even play a Bowl game for you!

5. Learn to be nicer to the people that work on campus....I have never heard anyone that has run across you that has anything good to say about you, in fact you are not liked.

6. Maybe with the $350,000 you made this year go out and buy 'Coaching for Dummies" the newest version 2011 should be out by now.

7. Stop lying. You do that too much and your lucky Gafney is your beat reporter, because if it was me I'd expose you.

8. For God's sake and the team's...keep your mug off the billboards and posters....you do not exemplify the game of football. You my friend are no selling point and you never wore pads before so seperate yourself from actual players!

9. Never ever say learing experience again.

10. Do some thing about your special teams. You were ranked in average 100 places lower from last year. Maybe you should go get a guy who knows what the hell he is doing instead of having the dude kiss your ass 24/7!

So Mintz I'm thinking if there was a "should iCoach get canned" survey, we should put you in the "yes" category.

I think we can fix two weaknesses if we get the doctor from "The Human Centipede" to sew together three or four of our undersized defensive backs to form a really impressive defensive lineman.

[Lee Adams]

Hey folks,you can do all the personal atacks you want. Nothing is going to change in the off season. Ianello is going to be back. Lets look at this team in regard to what they have on the field compared to what the rest of the MAC is going to have on the field. Frankly,some of the teams who performed well this year look like they have enough coming back so that its going to be real tough for Akron to make a lot of headway.

By the way,I got a wonderful letter from the Wistrcill/Ianello telling me they were sorry for this season but they really appreciate that I purchase season tickets. I wonder how much those cost?

[Dave in Green]

Dr Z does stats! I'm impressed. Really. Just relying on stats or just relying on what you see on the field each gives you a part of the picture. Taking both together gives you a more complete picture. Turns out the stats verify your impression that the Zips special teams were neither great nor awful, but just adequate. For sure there's room for improvement on special teams. But other areas of the Zips game need even more attention.