Critiquing Coach Bowden

[Lee Adams]

1 hour ago, NWAkron said:

He's moved around quite a bit and hasn't been a head coach even at a small college.  Can someone enlighten me on whether this is a normal track?

He went into coaching at IUP, winning D-II program. People have thought enough of him to give him positions at the Pro and Major College level. He was a Pitt recruit. He is from Western PA as I understand. Yep,I would like to see a candidate from a winning FCS or D-II program at least. But, Getsy has seen a lot at every level since 2006. At least give him a look.

[kreed5120]

50 minutes ago, zipsoutsider said:

Lol, I am amused with your definition of bei g take. to task.....almost I am by the poster who think that UA is likely to attract a better coach. None of the names mentioned provide a lot to look forward to, honestly. 

Is your opinion that low of Akron that you don't think they can attract someone who can win 50% of their games? That's all it would take to be better than Bowden. 

[Zip JD]

15 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

Is your opinion that low of Akron that you don't think they can attract someone who can win 50% of their games? That's all it would take to be better than Bowden. 

41%  beats TB

[clarkwgriswold]

1 hour ago, Spin said:

How long does Vince Kehres' have left on  his contract?

 

Might as well be a lifetime contract.  I suspect he's cut from the same cloth as his dad and content to be dominant in that spot as long as he wants rather than take on the uncertainty of Zips football.

[clarkwgriswold]

Top notch facilities in the number 5 state for top notch high school talent.  That should be enough to attract some very worthwhile candidates.  It's the very same reason that being average in the MAC shouldn't be the Zips high point.

[ZipsVoice]

4 hours ago, zipsoutsider said:

Firing a coach two weeks before signing day. Brilliant. Unless they have a ringer lined up, this should have waited until Janiary.

Respectfully disagree.  I think it should have and could have happened after the EMU game, but I think Williams respected TB enough to let the season end and ask for his retirement.  I  think he may actually have and TB said "fire me".  Just my guess.  Putting this off until Jan 2019 would have dulled the senses of most involved.

[LZIp]

Zipsoutsider is on here actively suggesting that players transfer away from our program. Outsider indeed.

[UA1987]

2 hours ago, Zip JD said:

You might be rigth as to coaching, but we certainly had no depth in terms of guys ready to step up when someone was injured.  We never had next man up as part of our program.  

I think I proved my point (you may want to try to spell correctly in yours). 'Next man up' is coach speak that has found its way to the bar. I don't like cliches. Good luck to the next coach - let's hope it's not an Iannello type hire.  

Edited December 3, 2018 by UA1987

[Zip JD]

8 minutes ago, UA1987 said:

I think I proved my point (you may want to try to spell correctly in yours). 'Next man up' is coach speak that has found its way to the bar. I don't like cliches. Good luck to the next coach - let's hope it's not an Iannello type hire.  

Take it easy.   A typo doesn't negate an opinion or create the need for snide comments.  Your argument as to the coaching could be correct or we may have just recruited bad lineman.  A list of potentials doesn't mean depth.  Instead of cliches, I will leave it at this.  During the Bowden era everytime one starting lineman got injured, our running game fell apart.   It may have been coaching, recruiting, game plans or most likely a combination of all of them.   We are in agreement that Larry needs to make a good hire.

[zipsoutsider]

2 hours ago, kreed5120 said:

Is your opinion that low of Akron that you don't think they can attract someone who can win 50% of their games? That's all it would take to be better than Bowden. 

You obviously have not read my other comments. G5 football is going down the toilet. I don't think we will attract recruits that can get us there.

[Blue & Gold]

2 hours ago, clarkwgriswold said:

Top notch facilities in the number 5 state for top notch high school talent.  That should be enough to attract some very worthwhile candidates.  It's the very same reason that being average in the MAC shouldn't be the Zips high point.

What are the top states?  My guess would be...

1. Florida

2. California

3. Texas

4. ?????

5. Ohio

 

I would have pegged Ohio at #4.  Apparently I would have been wrong. Lol

[kreed5120]

1 hour ago, zipsoutsider said:

You obviously have not read my other comments. G5 football is going down the toilet. I don't think we will attract recruits that can get us there.

I've read them, they just don't make any sense. Nobody here is expecting Akron to contend with Ohio State, Clemson, or Alabama for national championships. We play 8 games against other MAC teams, 1 against a FCS, and typically another 1-2 games against other G5 OOC opponents. If we were Rutgers and had to play Penn State, Michigan, and Ohio State on a weekly basis, your post might actually make some sense, but we don't. We play PCCC, Miami (the crappy one), and a host of other extremely winnable games against G5 competition.

 

Please explain to me why NIU or Toledo as a G5 school can recruit players that can win the MAC, but by your logic Akron can't?

[kreed5120]

31 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

What are the top states?  My guess would be...

1. Florida

2. California

3. Texas

4. ?????

5. Ohio

 

I would have pegged Ohio at #4.  Apparently I would have been wrong. Lol

Georgia passed Ohio

[UA1987]

11 hours ago, Zip JD said:

Take it easy.   A typo doesn't negate an opinion or create the need for snide comments.  Your argument as to the coaching could be correct or we may have just recruited bad lineman.  A list of potentials doesn't mean depth.  Instead of cliches, I will leave it at this.  During the Bowden era everytime one starting lineman got injured, our running game fell apart.   It may have been coaching, recruiting, game plans or most likely a combination of all of them.   We are in agreement that Larry needs to make a good hire.

You are conveniently missing the possibility that maybe our running backs were the problem. Akron has had a difficult time recruiting top running backs until the 2018 class. So bad that I think our lowly rival has had better players at RB over he last couple of decades. Grading lineman is difficult and usually only coaches have this info. Darryl Funk upgraded our line play when he came here from Michigan, but the question is did Ekkens maintain the level of play. I think he did a good job. The point is now moot - lets hope we get a good hire, the recruiting class stays in place, and players don't transfer.        

[kreed5120]

4 minutes ago, UA1987 said:

You are conveniently missing the possibility that maybe our running backs were the problem. Akron has had a difficult time recruiting top running backs until the 2018 class. So bad that I think our lowly rival has had better players at RB over he last couple of decades. Grading lineman is difficult and usually only coaches have this info. Darryl Funk upgraded our line play when he came here from Michigan, but the question is did Ekkens maintain the level of play. I think he did a good job. The point is now moot - lets hope we get a good hire, the recruiting class stays in place, and players don't transfer.        

 

It was most likely some sort of combination of the two. 

[zipsoutsider]

On 12/2/2018 at 10:43 PM, kreed5120 said:

I've read them, they just don't make any sense. Nobody here is expecting Akron to contend with Ohio State, Clemson, or Alabama for national championships. We play 8 games against other MAC teams, 1 against a FCS, and typically another 1-2 games against other G5 OOC opponents. If we were Rutgers and had to play Penn State, Michigan, and Ohio State on a weekly basis, your post might actually make some sense, but we don't. We play PCCC, Miami (the crappy one), and a host of other extremely winnable games against G5 competition.

 

Please explain to me why NIU or Toledo as a G5 school can recruit players that can win the MAC, but by your logic Akron can't?

Neither team has had three consecutive 1-11 years to recover from. I think, you, among others, greatly underestimate the damage done to the brand by those years. If you compare those teams 20 year records, neither team was close to being as bad as Akron was. If you go back to 1997, NIU was bad, but overall, there is no comparison.

 

Good luck to the Zips. IMHO, Williams is interested in making a name for himself. He will take a gamble on coaches until he finds one or gets fired, himself. He does not have the chops for the job. Maybe he will find a PJ Fleck, who has a good year and then drains the pipe on his way to a P5 program. A new coach may di OK for a year or two with the talent ,here, but years 3 or 4 (if he is still here) will not be pretty.

[kreed5120]

13 minutes ago, zipsoutsider said:

Neither team has had three consecutive 1-11 years to recover from. I think, you, among others, greatly underestimate the damage done to the brand by those years. If you compare those teams 20 year records, neither team was close to being as bad as Akron was. If you go back to 1997, NIU was bad, but overall, there is no comparison.

 

Good luck to the Zips. IMHO, Williams is interested in making a name for himself. He will take a gamble on coaches until he finds one or gets fired, himself. He does not have the chops for the job. Maybe he will find a PJ Fleck, who has a good year and then drains the pipe on his way to a P5 program. A new coach may di OK for a year or two with the talent ,here, but years 3 or 4 (if he is still here) will not be pretty.

It's the MAC, there are no blue bloods here relegating us to an eternity of mediocrity. Any team is capable of winning as well as they have a quality run program. Today's recruits were in elementary school when RI was running the program. Do you think they even remember those 1-11 teams? 

 

It's a very real possibility that Larry Williams would like to eventually go to a bigger program where he'd make more money. Idk if that's the case, but it wouldn't surprise me. Hell even Dambrot left Akron, his alma mater, to get a bigger pay day elsewhere. It's just the nature of being a G5 program. Overall, IMO he's done a mighty fine job. If he keeps performing the way he has it wouldn't surprise me if some larger program tries to lure him away. If our coaches and AD are getting poached that means we're winning. The problem comes when they underperform so much that we have to fire them.

 

 

[zipsoutsider]

7 hours ago, kreed5120 said:

It's the MAC, there are no blue bloods here relegating us to an eternity of mediocrity. Any team is capable of winning as well as they have a quality run program. Today's recruits were in elementary school when RI was running the program. Do you think they even remember those 1-11 teams? 

 

It's a very real possibility that Larry Williams would like to eventually go to a bigger program where he'd make more money. Idk if that's the case, but it wouldn't surprise me. Hell even Dambrot left Akron, his alma mater, to get a bigger pay day elsewhere. It's just the nature of being a G5 program. Overall, IMO he's done a mighty fine job. If he keeps performing the way he has it wouldn't surprise me if some larger program tries to lure him away. If our coaches and AD are getting poached that means we're winning. The problem comes when they underperform so much that we have to fire them.

 

 

They may not remember the 1-11 seasons, but the reputation has stuck. It is not like the Zips have a large following that has helped change the perception and if you do not follow Akron, some of the team's accomplishments likely went unnoticed. 

 

Second, the recruits might not remember 1-11 but their parents and coaches do. 

 

Lastly, is the university going to limit the budget for out of state recruiting like they have recently announced? I know people, here, have a high opinion of Ohio high school football, it is the kids from CA, TX, and FL that are generally the highest recruited kids each year. 

[Blue & Gold]

A nugget from GT's article on the coaching search.

 

According to those with knowledge of the situation, Bowden may not be done at UA. He could take another assignment to fulfill his contract.

 

That's good to hear.  I like Bowden and hope he's still around campus.  Former HC Gerry Faust doesn't have any hard feelings after being replaced by Lee Owens and is still on campus just about every day (from what I hear).

Edited December 4, 2018 by Blue & Gold

[Captain Kangaroo]

18 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

A nugget from GT's article on the coaching search.

 

According to those with knowledge of the situation, Bowden may not be done at UA. He could take another assignment to fulfill his contract.

 

That's good to hear.  I like Bowden and hope he's still around campus.  Former HC Gerry Faust doesn't have any hard feelings after being replaced by Lee Owens and is still on campus just about every day (from what I hear).

Scarborough stuck around and taught a class while completing his President's contract, so why not? I think Faust also had the title of "Fundraiser" as he completed the balance of his coaching contract?

 

Bowden's new wife is from the Akron area, so maybe he'd want to stick around UA in some capacity.  

[kreed5120]

1 hour ago, zipsoutsider said:

They may not remember the 1-11 seasons, but the reputation has stuck. It is not like the Zips have a large following that has helped change the perception and if you do not follow Akron, some of the team's accomplishments likely went unnoticed. 

 

Second, the recruits might not remember 1-11 but their parents and coaches do. 

 

Lastly, is the university going to limit the budget for out of state recruiting like they have recently announced? I know people, here, have a high opinion of Ohio high school football, it is the kids from CA, TX, and FL that are generally the highest recruited kids each year. 

It's the MAC, pretty much everyone has a small niche following.

 

Their parents and coaches were watching Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan, Florida, Texas, etc. Do you honestly know what Rice, UTEP, and Arkansas State's record was during the 2009-2011 seasons without looking them up? I certainly don't. There is no Ohio State or Michigan of the MAC. Our scholarship is just as good as everyone else in the MAC. It's a matter of bringing in someone who can sell the kids on the school.

 

Regardless of how you feel about the players Ohio produces there is no denying the fact we need to do a better job of recruiting Ohio. In the 2017 recruiting class we only signed 3 players who were rated as among Ohio's top 100 recruits. None of them were ranked higher than 89. Meanwhile, Toeldo, Buffalo, and a host of other MAC teams were taking more highly rated players in our own backyard. Bowden was able to recruit freely in Florida. I'd be shocked if heavy restrictions were placed on the mens basketball, football, and mens soccer programs.

 

[ZipsVoice]

11 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

Our scholarship is just as good as everyone else in the MAC. It's a matter of bringing in someone who can sell the kids on the school.

What I wish someone would sell these kids on, and not just here but other non-P5 coaches, is why go to Big-Time State where you are going to be one of 8 QBs or 16 RBs, not even close to being the #1, #2 or #3 on the depth chart, getting your butts kicked daily in practice on the scout team, when you have a better chance of starting for  Smaller-Time U, where you will get visibility and also the same or better education....

 

Not worded as best as I could but you get the drift.... 

[UA1987]

43 minutes ago, Captain Kangaroo said:

Scarborough stuck around and taught a class while completing his President's contract, so why not? I think Faust also had the title of "Fundraiser" as he completed the balance of his coaching contract?

 

Bowden's new wife is from the Akron area, so maybe he'd want to stick around UA in some capacity.  

I agree. Bowden could possibly stay in the players lives by doing something with Christian Fellowship for all sports on campus, while attempting to keep players on the football team and retaining the 2019 recruiting class during the transition.     

[LZIp]

9 minutes ago, ZipsVoice said:

What I wish someone would sell these kids on, and not just here but other non-P5 coaches, is why go to Big-Time State where you are going to be one of 8 QBs or 16 RBs, not even close to being the #1, #2 or #3 on the depth chart, getting your butts kicked daily in practice on the scout team, when you have a better chance of starting for  Smaller-Time U, where you will get visibility and also the same or better education....

 

Not worded as best as I could but you get the drift.... 

I would bet they do. The problem is these kids have been on a pedestal all of their life and believe they can all be the star at these big time universities and make millions in the nfl as a result. Of course reality is that isn't the case, but why wouldn't they believe it? 

[kreed5120]

I'm surprised you don't see more players transfer tbh. When you're a junior and still 3rd on the depth chart odds are you won't be seeing the field much outside of maybe special teams.