Early HC Scouting

[ZachTheZip]

No to Fickell. His recruiting ability has been destroyed thanks to this season.

[Captain Kangaroo]

University of Akron Athletic Director Tom Wistrcill might be wise.

"Tom Wistercill", and "wise" in the same sentence?

[skip-zip]

No to Fickell. His recruiting ability has been destroyed thanks to this season.

No kidding.

Some people are blind. They had this previous infatuation with Fickell, and they still don't want to let it go. He's shown he's capable of a .500 record, with Ohio State's talent, with Akron, Toledo, and Miami as their OOC schedule. I think his best chance of having a job next year is to hope the new OSWho coach keeps him on the staff.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Tressel could donate the money required to buy out Ianello's contract.

You can overlook the circumstances Fickell faced this year. I'd take him in a heartbeat.

[bobbyake]

If tickets are sold for $10 with $5 parking and the average fan spending $2 at concessions (some spend 0 so 2 seems conservative), then it would require 3,676 fans per game, or 22,058 for one game to pay Ianello's contract.

An honest estimate for real attendance this year would be in the range of 4,000 - 6,000. I don't believe a single game this year had more than 10,000, while some games looked like there were no more than 2,000 at the game.

There is a lot of money to be made to pay for Ianello's buyout from bringing in a coach that can put butts in the seats.

Anyone that can't stomach the costs to buyout Ianello, remember that an increase of 3,676 people per game pays for it.

The serious problem Akron will face not firing Ianello is bringing people back in the future. Firing Ianello now sends a clear message to the community that losing isn't tolerated. Tom Wistrcill needs to fire Ianello on Saturday and apologize to the Akron community.

[ZachTheZip]

I doubt that Wistrcill has the authority to fire or hire anyone right now. Just a hunch.

[Lee Adams]

I doubt that Wistrcill has the authority to fire or hire anyone right now. Just a hunch.

Por que?

[Blue & Gold]

No to Fickell. His recruiting ability has been destroyed thanks to this season.

I work in Marlington & there are 3 D-1 players on this years' team - 2 seniors, 1 junior. One senior is going to Michigan State, 1 is going to Tennessee and the junior has already committed to Michigan.

Word on the street was none of them liked Fickell & Co. very much. Thought they were too pushy to get commitments and downright arrogant/mean-spirited when the kids were looking @ other schools. Just a rumor, but I'm sure there's some fire here.

[ZachTheZip]

No to Fickell. His recruiting ability has been destroyed thanks to this season.

I work in Marlington & there are 3 D-1 players on this years' team - 2 seniors, 1 junior. One senior is going to Michigan State, 1 is going to Tennessee and the junior has already committed to Michigan.

Word on the street was none of them liked Fickell & Co. very much. Thought they were too pushy to get commitments and downright arrogant/mean-spirited when the kids were looking @ other schools. Just a rumor, but I'm sure there's some fire here.

I'm willing to believe that. Kids and parents would overlook any recruiting "flaws" if it meant a chance to play for Tressel. But now that he's gone, things like this come under more scrutiny by the prospects.

A similar effect happened with Ianello when he came here.

[LosAngelesZipFan]

Just a thought, but the penn state situation is so vile that i'd contend it makes anything that Tressel accommodated look insignificant. And from what I can gather, Tressel's big sin was not reporting his players small time commerce like selling meaningless trinkets, right? I haven't seen anything that implicates Tressel in major recruiting violations (not doubting that they occur at a program like OSU but I haven't seen those specific allegations come up against Tressel at this point).

So, I think we should be making an all-out play for Tressel. He is a man on a mission of redemption. His honor has been sullied but he is not an inherently bad guy. What he did at YSU and OSU in terms of on field performance says it all. He would provide an instant jolt of support to our football program, completely transcending the current abysmal state of things. Best of all, he is an Akron alum returning to the place of his first coaching job, his last stop and only hope to redeem a great career. He could create an amazing program here, one built on high ideals (because he know he would have to be beyond reproach) and performance (because he is an excellent coach). He would attract great talent (We would have an instant recruiting advantage over any other school- play for Tressel with no worries of him moving on). He would attract amazing coaches and set up a great successor.

We are adrift and at rock bottom. We don't need a hot shot bcs asst that breaks rules and uses Akron as a step ladder. We can't attract a quality hc at this point because the program is so horrid. We need a coach that needs redemption as much as we do. That we could get that in someone that has a deep connection to Akron and that has no need to move on to greener pastures seems as good a situation as we might ever find. It might even be sufficient to win a show cause argument.

[skip-zip]

So, I think we should be making an all-out play for Tressel.

Again, Tressel is going to have a coaching ban, and many people are speculating that it will be about 5 years. So, even if you can see past all of the negatives, it isn't going to matter. He is going to be unavaliable for at least several years.

[Buckzip]

Tressel could donate the money required to buy out Ianello's contract.

You can overlook the circumstances Fickell faced this year. I'd take him in a heartbeat.

Fickell has looked like a deer in the head lights all season.

Sure he was placed in a bad position, but he is totally lost.

Even the defense, which is his specialty has regressed.

No to Fick.

[Buckzip]

No to Fickell. His recruiting ability has been destroyed thanks to this season.

I work in Marlington & there are 3 D-1 players on this years' team - 2 seniors, 1 junior. One senior is going to Michigan State, 1 is going to Tennessee and the junior has already committed to Michigan.

Word on the street was none of them liked Fickell & Co. very much. Thought they were too pushy to get commitments and downright arrogant/mean-spirited when the kids were looking @ other schools. Just a rumor, but I'm sure there's some fire here.

From everything I have ever heard it is the recruits and players love Fick. He is just not a very good coach right now.

Pittman is 1 guy down there that will probably change his mind back when UM is announced as HC.

Strobel is over rated and was afraid of sanctions. Dunn may change against OSU when UM is announced as HC. UM doesn't use big backs.

Luke is a great recruiter. His problem lies in experience and handling pressure.

I would pass on Luke right now.

[GP1]

Even the defense, which is his specialty has regressed.

No to Fick.

I agree, but for different reasons. Before I do that though, this ASSUMES the Zips are going to have a new coach next year. I'm not ready to believe that is going to happen, but it is fun discussion.

A quick glance at the MAC shows it is a high scoring league at the top. We want to get to the top. Bringing in a defensive coach is not what the Zips need. Guys who coach defenese never take offense very seriously and their offenses and teams fall apart because of it. In many ways, they aren't very smart. The Zips aren't even going to hit their point total of 187 from last season. Sad is the only word to describe it/them. We would need a guy who could throw some points up on the board and get some interest in the program again.

I'm not even going to make fun of the Zips at this point and I have a serious reason for not doing it. Making fun of the Zips right now is like making fun of a retarded person. There is nothing funny AT ALL about it. It's just mean spirited.

[Hilltopper]

A quick glance at the MAC shows it is a high scoring league at the top. We want to get to the top....... We would need a guy who could throw some points up on the board and get some interest in the program again.

I heard Urban Meyer might be available.

[LosAngelesZipFan]

So, I think we should be making an all-out play for Tressel.

Again, Tressel is going to have a coaching ban, and many people are speculating that it will be about 5 years. So, even if you can see past all of the negatives, it isn't going to matter. He is going to be unavaliable for at least several years.

Given that the permissive and entitled culture endemic to a program like OSU bears almost no resemblance to the situation at Akron, maybe there is a "show cause" argument to be made. As in, Akron's program is so incredibly pathetic right now that trying to turn it around would be a more severe punishment for him. Can't had to wait for Senderoff's ban to expire, so it can be done. I also think it's worth noting that Tressel's violations were not tied to recruiting or cheating per se. He clearly still has the fire in him to coach-- well, let's put that to good work by having him make something of this program. Kind of like working on a chain gang.

[Buckzip]

A quick glance at the MAC shows it is a high scoring league at the top. We want to get to the top....... We would need a guy who could throw some points up on the board and get some interest in the program again.

I heard Urban Meyer might be available.

Nope, he's very, very close to being off the market.

[BirdZip]

No to Fick.

So our voting choices are "Fick yes" or "Fick no"?

[johnnyzip84]

No to Fick.

So our voting choices are "Fick yes" or "Fick no"?

Or we could borrow Corso's line: Fick That!

[Z.I.P.]

From everything I have ever heard it is the recruits and players love Fick. He is just not a very good coach right now.

Pittman is 1 guy down there that will probably change his mind back when UM is announced as HC.

Strobel is over rated and was afraid of sanctions. Dunn may change against OSU when UM is announced as HC. UM doesn't use big backs.

Luke is a great recruiter. His problem lies in experience and handling pressure.

I would pass on Luke right now.

So, tell me Buckzip, are you suggesting that OSWho's record would be completely different if just Sweatervest were still in charge? You're NOT saying that! Please tell us.

I think I have to go with the Cap'n -- I'd jump on Luke in a heartbeat! If Akron doesn't, somebody bigger and better will. Fick is better than any position coach in existence, and now has BigTen HC experience. Can you say that about any other serious candidate?

An aside, you'll notice that this is about my first FB post of the season -- and this could be my last one -- as I have about lost all interest in the sport thanks to ICoach's destruction of the program. I'm sure there are thousands like me in NE Ohio, for whom this may be the last chance to hook their waning interest up to a defibrilator. Does Wistercil care enough to do what's required?

[Dave in Green]

..... I'm not even going to make fun of the Zips at this point and I have a serious reason for not doing it. Making fun of the Zips right now is like making fun of a retarded person. There is nothing funny AT ALL about it. It's just mean spirited.

Classy statement. Seriously.

[Zipmeister]

From everything I have ever heard it is the recruits and players love Fick. He is just not a very good coach right now.

Pittman is 1 guy down there that will probably change his mind back when UM is announced as HC.

Strobel is over rated and was afraid of sanctions. Dunn may change against OSU when UM is announced as HC. UM doesn't use big backs.

Luke is a great recruiter. His problem lies in experience and handling pressure.

I would pass on Luke right now.

So, tell me Buckzip, are you suggesting that OSWho's record would be completely different if just Sweatervest were still in charge? You're NOT saying that! Please tell us.

I think I have to go with the Cap'n -- I'd jump on Luke in a heartbeat! If Akron doesn't, somebody bigger and better will. Fick is better than any position coach in existence, and now has BigTen HC experience. Can you say that about any other serious candidate?

An aside, you'll notice that this is about my first FB post of the season -- and this could be my last one -- as I have about lost all interest in the sport thanks to ICoach's destruction of the program. I'm sure there are thousands like me in NE Ohio, for whom this may be the last chance to hook their waning interest up to a defibrilator. Does Wistercil care enough to do what's required?

Fick no.

[GP1]

I'd jump on Luke in a heartbeat!

IF the Zips look for a new coach, I would at least interview him.

Winning at Akron isn't easy. LF at least coached at Akron and understands the difficulties. IMO, the understanding is a huge benefit for any coach coming to Akron. If the coach knows what he is facing, he can deal with it. I don't think Coach I had any idea coming here what he was getting himself into.

Can't brought in a no name assistant with no head coaching experience and only a couple of years as coordinator at Oberlin of all places. He is 5-6 with one game to go. That is a miracle turnaround at Can't. LF and a lot of other guys could do the same thing at Akron.

As a disclaimer, LF is personal friends with a brother of mine and gives him tickets to OSU games. He would do just fine at Akron. I read on a lot of blogs, after OSU loses...never after a win, he looks like a deer in headlights. Those are just comments by people who don't know what else to say so they all become like dogs barking. It's just noise. I'm not saying Akron should hire him just to hire him, but I would say he is good enough for the MAC and turning around a program like Akron. More than anything, I'm against defensive coaches being head coaches in the MAC. It could be LF or Joe Blow Coordinator.

[skip-zip]

So, I think we should be making an all-out play for Tressel.

Again, Tressel is going to have a coaching ban, and many people are speculating that it will be about 5 years. So, even if you can see past all of the negatives, it isn't going to matter. He is going to be unavaliable for at least several years.

Given that the permissive and entitled culture endemic to a program like OSU bears almost no resemblance to the situation at Akron, maybe there is a "show cause" argument to be made. As in, Akron's program is so incredibly pathetic right now that trying to turn it around would be a more severe punishment for him. Can't had to wait for Senderoff's ban to expire, so it can be done. I also think it's worth noting that Tressel's violations were not tied to recruiting or cheating per se. He clearly still has the fire in him to coach-- well, let's put that to good work by having him make something of this program. Kind of like working on a chain gang.

Playing 5 of your star players who you know committed violations that make them ineligible is not cheating?

I do agree with you that making Tressel coach at our team would be severe punishment.

[Zipmeister]

I'd jump on Luke in a heartbeat!

IF the Zips look for a new coach, I would at least interview him.

Winning at Akron isn't easy. LF at least coached at Akron and understands the difficulties. IMO, the understanding is a huge benefit for any coach coming to Akron. If the coach knows what he is facing, he can deal with it. I don't think Coach I had any idea coming here what he was getting himself into.

Can't brought in a no name assistant with no head coaching experience and only a couple of years as coordinator at Oberlin of all places. He is 5-6 with one game to go. That is a miracle turnaround at Can't. LF and a lot of other guys could do the same thing at Akron.

As a disclaimer, LF is personal friends with a brother of mine and gives him tickets to OSU games. He would do just fine at Akron. I read on a lot of blogs, after OSU loses...never after a win, he looks like a deer in headlights. Those are just comments by people who don't know what else to say so they all become like dogs barking. It's just noise. I'm not saying Akron should hire him just to hire him, but I would say he is good enough for the MAC and turning around a program like Akron. More than anything, I'm against defensive coaches being head coaches in the MAC. It could be LF or Joe Blow Coordinator.

Who would do just fine at Akron; LF or your brother?

As a disclaimer, I don't know the difference between a personal friend and a friend either.