Terry Bowden Interview on 92.3

[scottditzen]

Replay Here

Guest hosts are Ken Carmen and Jeff Thomas....Both Akron grads!!!!

p.s. right now they are discussing how horrible the Rubber Bowl was lol

[scottditzen]

Update: playing Akron fight song is a nice touch!

1. Recruiting will focus on OH/PA...huge talent base here.

2. His brand of football will be exciting

3. The facilities here provide a "Wow Factor" that will win over recruits; shows UA committed to football

4. The U wants to boost enrollment by 10,000!!

5. Tressel is NOT barred from football activity. Terry will actively work with him in talking to recruits and discussing football strategy.

[Dr Z]

Thanks for posting, I would have never heard this if you didn't.

I think the most interesting part of the interview was the Jim Tressel stuff and what his involvement is going to be.

Jim is allowed to talk to football recruits on campus, and TB about recruiting.

He has to get 10 thousand more students by 2020, & raise money for basketball arena.

TB suggested that Tressel should dot the "I" in Z-I-P-S at halftime. I would actually watch the band if he did that.

Best idea I heard so far for Tressel.

I like how coach tried to cross sell Browns fans Zips tickets.

Buy 3 game Zips pack when Browns are away, & ol' man Weeden ran the same offense that we are going to run.

Can you run the interview without a loooong commercial break in the middle 92.3? Bad programming.

I'm guessing this is the article TB was referring to when asked how he would do a playoff system.

He said he had the answer years ago and wrote about it.

Coach expects 20,000 opening night against CFU, but realizes that he needs to win to continue big crowds. He said NEO football fans are educated and they don't put up with bad football. I kind of disagree with that (see decades of losing with the Browns), but I like his attitude.

He really gives a great interview. A great spokesman for Akron.

[scottditzen]

Great summary Dr Z!

I missed the part about JT dotting the I...hilarious (damn work interfering with my radio listening ha ha).

[Dave in Green]

Really interesting point that Tressel is not totally barred from all connections to the football program. There's probably a detailed NCAA description somewhere outlining exactly what he can and can't do that would take a team of attorneys to decipher. But the important point is that Tressel can coordinate with Coach Bowden in at least some ways that might benefit the football program.

[Class of 82]

I heard the lion's share of the interview on my drive in to the office this morning, and I can't really add much to the excellent summaries from Dr Z and scott above.

I'd just say that Terry Bowden impresses me more and more every time I hear him speak. Articulate, intelligent, engaging and enthusiastic without being over-the-top in any way. I know Akron has a big hole to climb out of, but I am more certain every day that we have the guy who can finally get this program on a solid and sustainable footing. Listening to Bowden, you get the unmistakeable feeling that he is just one of those guys that players, parents and coaches, and certainly fans, would just naturally want to be around and be associated with. Without even playing a game yet, the whole vibe/aura of UA football has completely changed.

I know we have to see that change play out on the field this fall, but here's to the better days we know are coming, Zips fans!

[Captain Kangaroo]

I missed the interview. At any point did Bowden say "It's a process..."?

[Dr Z]

But the important point is that Tressel can coordinate with Coach Bowden in at least some ways that might benefit the football program.

After letting the interview sink in for a few hours. I think coach said he was going to sit down with Jimmy in a few weeks (somebody correct me if I'm wrong). If he would have already met with Jimmy and requested some input on recruits, would he have not mentioned it? So I'm assuming he hasn't. At any rate, that would have been a great follow up question by those interviewers. On a scale of one to ten, I wonder how much Jimmy will help bring an athlete to the progrum. I hope 10, but fear (the roo) 2. I guess we'll have a better idea next time this year. I'm guessing his name recognition (with a potential recruit) has about a three year window, after that, it won't mean as much. Hopefully by then, we won't need it. In the interview coach Bowden said he recognizes that Jimmy's name means a lot in the State of Ohio.

[Dr Z]

I missed the interview. At any point did Bowden say "It's a process..."?

He did say "the last two years were hard for the diehard fans to process" (no joke)

During the interview it almost seemed like everyone went out of their way to say "the diehard fan",

while carefully not referring to us as "Zips Nation." Probably just my paranoia.

[scottditzen]

Sinking in...one important thing I should mention.

The interviewers (who again, Jeff and Ken are Akron alumni/fans) were very deferential, and lobbed more than a few softballs. Anyway, Coach answered each question in such a way that was refreshingly humble, reasonable and respectful. Not a trace of arrogance or overconfidence. I didn't come away with any negative inclination whatsoever. He sounds like a leader; a guy that's easy to rally around.

[Buckzip]

Not sure how much JT will help with individual recruits, but he may be able to help get Bowden into some of the coaches or schools that haven't been UA friendly in the past.

Egos are involved and I am sure JT won't be that much of a difference maker if any at all.

[K92]

Thank you very much for the reports from those of us who missed the interview. I hope new recruits are as impressed with Coach Bowden as I have been so far.

[Dr Z]

Two more things I remembered from the interview.

On recruiting in the area: "We need to put up a fence around the Akron, Canton, Cleveland and Youngstown area. Any recruit not going to OSU, should be coming to Akron."

On his father: "Everything I do is the Bobby Bowden style. The way I organize, I do the Bobby Bowden way. The way I hire coaches, I do the Bobby Bowden way. The way I run offense, I do the Bobby Bowden way. I talk to him once or twice a day. Expect to see him at a few games this year."

[akzipper]

Replay Here

[skip-zip]

He did say "the last two years were hard for the diehard fans to process" (no joke)

Ok. I get it now. So THAT'S what I-Coach meant when he used the word "Process". And he was right.

[LZIp]

Listening to that interview gets me excited. Can't wait for the home opener against UCF.

As for JT, I really wouldn't be surprised if he was involved in getting Jamel Turner.

[Zips Win!]

http://player.radio.com/player/RadioPlayer...amp;station=113

Guest hosts are Ken Carmen and Jeff Thomas....Both Akron grads!!!!

p.s. right now they are discussing how horrible the Rubber Bowl was lol

Enough with the Ken Carmen and Jeff Thomas are Akron grads nonsense.

They are idiot buckeye honks. Both can go away and return their UA degrees.

[akronzips71]

Add 10,000 students?

That would make Akron a MAJOR University, and I don't mean in athletics.

I assume that also means building more dorms, because we won't draw another 10,000 local students. AND don't want to!!!

All the big name schools have:

*Most of their students living on campus (or upperclassmen in off campus housing).

*A resident audience (see above) for their teams.

The biggest problem with Akron, all the way back to 1967, has always been APATHY. All the "townie" students just go home after classes. And can't bother returning to campus for a football or basketball game.

They need to change the culture. A resident student population sees Football and Basketball as a social event. Akron has just never had that.

And out of town Alumni gives you a national fan base.

Ever jump onto I80 Eastbound after a Penn State Football game? A giant traffic jam all the way back to New York. THAT is what makes an athletic program work.

[ZippyRulz]

Two more things I remembered from the interview.

On recruiting in the area: "We need to put up a fence around the Akron, Canton, Cleveland and Youngstown area. Any recruit not going to OSU, should be coming to Akron."

So much for the lack of hyperbole...now we expect to outrecruit the Big-xx in NEO (other than Tosu)? But at least with a good coach (and VPSE) we can hope for some incremental improvement in local recruiting.

[akzipper]

Add 10,000 students?

That would make Akron a MAJOR University, and I don't mean in athletics.

I assume that also means building more dorms, because we won't draw another 10,000 local students. AND don't want to!!!

All the big name schools have:

*Most of their students living on campus (or upperclassmen in off campus housing).

*A resident audience (see above) for their teams.

The biggest problem with Akron, all the way back to 1967, has always been APATHY. All the "townie" students just go home after classes. And can't bother returning to campus for a football or basketball game.

They need to change the culture. A resident student population sees Football and Basketball as a social event. Akron has just never had that.

And out of town Alumni gives you a national fan base.

Ever jump onto I80 Eastbound after a Penn State Football game? A giant traffic jam all the way back to New York. THAT is what makes an athletic program work.

Well currently the new south campus residence hall is being completed, along with the 2 other buildings being built to replace the gooch and grant halls. Add the other housing options being built (Envision, 22 exchange, etc) there is plenty of room to expand our enrollment and stray away from the commuter school past.

[LZIp]

Well currently the new south campus residence hall is being completed, along with the 2 other buildings being built to replace the gooch and grant halls. Add the other housing options being built (Envision, 22 exchange, etc) there is plenty of room to expand our enrollment and stray away from the commuter school past.

I believe the new south campus resident hall will be named grant, thus replacing the old grant. Surely they wouldnt tear the old one down??? (even though its pretty crappy)

[akzipper]

I believe the new south campus resident hall will be named grant, thus replacing the old grant. Surely they wouldnt tear the old one down??? (even though its pretty crappy)

I haven't been to campus in a while, but I thought they were tearing down Grant, Gallucci, and the townhouses. Replacing them all with buildings similar to Exchange.

[Spin]

The first thing I caught from the interview goes back to our discussion on the new arena.

It has to be O N C A M P U S. "When you bring the alumni back for games, you want them to see the buildings you want them to pay for." They will want the same thing with the basketball arena.

Right smack on campus. Not across Exchange. Not across Market. Not across from Polsky. On campus.

[skip-zip]

Enough with the Ken Carmen and Jeff Thomas are Akron grads nonsense.

They are idiot buckeye honks. Both can go away and return their UA degrees.

Which explains why some people could listen to them, and get all wrapped up in their Godly image of Tressel all over again.

[Hilltopper]

Add 10,000 students?

That would make Akron a MAJOR University, and I don't mean in athletics.

I assume that also means building more dorms, because we won't draw another 10,000 local students. AND don't want to!!!

A sizable portion of those 10k will be online students. Think University of Phoenix.