Game #3 Zips @ UAB - 8:30 pm September 13th: Catdaddyp July Preview → Official Game Thread

[MangoZip]

I think Joe walks away on his own after the season. He’s failed and he’s frustrated. He has no money to recruit, smallest budget in D1, no training table, etc etc. He can go somewhere else and make the same money, or more, as an OC. He resigns soon after the last game. 

[Lee Adams]

3 hours ago, kreed5120 said:

I haven't read the finer details of Joe's contract, but it appears his base salary is $620K and he still has two years left on his contract. That's 1.24 million in total. The buyout language in his contract says we would owe him 75% of that total. That would amount to $930K.

 

I can't see how Akron could financially afford to pay that when we couldn't even afford a training table that costs $3k-$5k. Furthermore, it's not like we have Nick Saban waiting on the sidelines wanting this job. The Akron job is among the bottom 5 jobs in all of FBS as we have poor funding and little to no NIL in a day and age where money means more than it ever did.

 

Hell, if the University just gave Moorhead $465k in NIL each of the next 2 years (amounts to what his buyout would be), Akron would probably be in a better position competitively than paying that to him to not coach. The reality is whatever coach we bring in is setup to fail and in 2 or 3 years we will be asking to pay his $1 million buyout as well. At some point this chain needs to be broken.

 

To clarify, I'm by no means trying to defend Moorhead. I just realize Akron has much deeper problems and trying to slap a bandaid on it by bringing in a new coach is simply not going to work. If they want to compete they need to better engage the community and in particular wealthy alumni and local businesses. These are 18-23 year old kids who are now hired mercenaries. They will go to the highest bidder and frankly we can't compete financially without external help.

Said it before say it again. The problems with this program go beyond 1 coach or a few players. This is and has been an organizational problem for literally decades. And now with the changes in DI college football, programs like Akron etc. are just going to fall further behind.

Agree with kreed  can't put lipstick on a pig.

A shame. A winnable game.

[72 Roo]

Against UAB the Special Teams did not show up and the defense showed up for only one half. That's disturbing, but I see three incidents in the game that are more troubling.

 

First, with the Zips driving at the three and the two minute timeout coming up the offense is clearly waiting for the timeout to plot their next plays. Yet at 2:02 the center snaps the ball. Finley was surprised and barely covered the snap. A probable touchdown was lost. A field goal resulted. The lost points were the  difference in the final score. Who was in control? Who was communicating?Who was listening?

 

Second, Durham took the bait when a UAB O-lineman pulled him down after the whistle. Durham responded with a forearm shivers to the UAB player's chin. Right in front of a ref.  We were hit with a personal foul and the drive, that may have been stopped, was renewed. On the sideline after the play Joe high-fived Durham, put his arm around him and joked. Where was the accountability?

 

Finally, after a failed second half drive Joe tried to talk with a frustrated Finley. Joe walked after Finley talking while Finley walked away, never turning to his head coach. It took an assistant coach to turn Finley around to face Joe. An argument followed. Where is the respect for the head guy? Do these guys even believe in Joe?

 

Joe may be an offensive genius, but there is not much evidence he is a capable head coach. 

[GP1]

1 hour ago, AkronAlumnus said:

I agree that Joemo is a cancer and needed canned yesterday (said so since 2023) but I also understand the financial predicament...  I still think we have to find a way to cut ties and not spend $$ doing it.  Maybe have a 3L comb over the contact or something, idk.  He needs to go though and I'm glad that's now obvious

This is the day every coach firing fan lives for. 

[exit322]

1 hour ago, MangoZip said:

I think Joe walks away on his own after the season. He’s failed and he’s frustrated. He has no money to recruit, smallest budget in D1, no training table, etc etc. He can go somewhere else and make the same money, or more, as an OC. He resigns soon after the last game. 

4-6 D3 schools don't pay that much for coordinators, and what he's doing with this offense isn't going to get him interest from anything better than that

[GP1]

3 minutes ago, exit322 said:

4-6 D3 schools don't pay that much for coordinators, and what he's doing with this offense isn't going to get him interest from anything better than that

If Joe leaves, he'll be on staff somewhere as a coordinator or assistant making as much as he does at Akron. 

[exit322]

2 minutes ago, GP1 said:

If Joe leaves, he'll be on staff somewhere as a coordinator or assistant making as much as he does at Akron. 

Well I hope so.  But I think the Zips are going to have to fire him. 

 

The new AD has his opportunity to prove he's serious about improving the program.

[GP1]

10 minutes ago, exit322 said:

Well I hope so.  But I think the Zips are going to have to fire him. 

 

The new AD has his opportunity to prove he's serious about improving the program.

Agreed. There is too much in it for him to resign. 

[ZippyDoo]

Not trying to stir the pot at all, but why would anyone think that getting rid of joe is going to solve anything?

 

the players that can are going to go where they can get money. until akron starts having money to pay the players akron will be a stepping stone. kids will come here because "it's D1" and they will hope to get film to bounce as soon as they can. 

 

example marcus moore left being a starter to get "paid" and is fourth string at purdue- hasn't played a snap. 

 

over half of Akrons team wasn't even on the roster last year. 

 

i don't agree with some player decisions that are playing and getting an absurd amount of playing time, there is only one starter from last on offense 2 if u count polk... an entirely new defensive line except bruno who stands out because nobody is doing anything. he is barely average to D1 ends. there are only 99 d ends in ALL of D1 who are ranked LOWER than Durham, yet he has more snaps than anyone on defense.

 

it is a very tough position for any coach

Edited yesterday at 08:58 PM by ZippyDoo

[clarkwgriswold]

I'm thinking old Joe's value in the college football universe has taken a nosedive after leading one of the most inept programs in the nation.

[GP1]

12 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

I'm thinking old Joe's value in the college football universe has taken a nosedive after leading one of the most inept programs in the nation.

Meaning what?  How will failing at the Graveyard of Coaches hurt his career or money making potential? Keep in mind Arth is the passing coordinator for an NFL team. 

Edited yesterday at 09:12 PM by GP1

[kreed5120]

27 minutes ago, GP1 said:

Meaning what?  How will failing at the Graveyard of Coaches hurt his career or money making potential? Keep in mind Arth is the passing coordinator for an NFL team. 

 

It probably hurts it some. Like I'm not sure if OSU, Texas, LSU, etc OC vacancy opened up that he would be in the running. At the same time I'm sure he could land an OC position at a Purdue, Minnesota, Boston College, etc. He's been in the business for a long time so he has connections.

[MangoZip]

50 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

I'm thinking old Joe's value in the college football universe has taken a nosedive after leading one of the most inept programs in the nation.

I really don’t think so, I’m sure he would get a power five OC job easily. Despite what we think, he is still very well respected as a good offensive mind. Akron’s budget (or lack thereof), lack of any NIL money, and overall lack of hope actually works in his favor because all coaches know how hard it is to win here.  They know he’s in a hopeless situation so his value isn’t diminished. 

[GP1]

1 hour ago, MangoZip said:

They know he’s in a hopeless situation so his value isn’t diminished. 

Bingo. It's pretty well known around college football that Akron is pretty close to impossible to win at. 

[clarkwgriswold]

1 hour ago, MangoZip said:

I really don’t think so, I’m sure he would get a power five OC job easily. Despite what we think, he is still very well respected as a good offensive mind. Akron’s budget (or lack thereof), lack of any NIL money, and overall lack of hope actually works in his favor because all coaches know how hard it is to win here.  They know he’s in a hopeless situation so his value isn’t diminished. 

Fair enough.  I just think that if a potential hiring program looked at the game film and saw some of the play calling and lack of fundamentals and discipline they be a little apprehensive.

[Let'sGoZips94]

8 hours ago, kreed5120 said:

 

I still think that donor money would be better spent on NIL. Donors only have a finite amount of money they're willing to give. $1 million in additional NIL could greatly revamp our offensive and defensive lines. Probably make both units at or near the top of the MAC.

2 hours ago, ZippyDoo said:

Not trying to stir the pot at all, but why would anyone think that getting rid of joe is going to solve anything?

 

 

The issue with JoeMo goes beyond the X's and O's. He's a poor leader of men, doesn't adapt, and seemingly has zero issue using excuses as a crutch. NIL won't help with the intangibles he lacks as a head coach. @catdaddyp has broken down the talent on this roster that JoeMo consistently underachieves with. We need a coach to say to Hell with the BS, we're going to win some damn football games. Someone has to possess this type of attitude that's required to hold those above him and around him accountable, and turn around this program. 

 

7 hours ago, GP1 said:

You spend others money so easily. 

 

That's an absurd statement. The University of Akron is a public higher education institution that literally does nothing but spend others' money, and they do it poorly. I was merely pointing out the importance of a donor stepping up and funding the termination of JoeMo so the program can move forward, just like we've seen at a number of other schools. It would be awesome if the football program could find their Bud Wentz, someone who is so passionate about the Zips that he does whatever it takes and is creative in boosting the football program.

[Zippy87]

Akron needs a HC that needs Akron as much as we need them. A D1 gig that will serve as a stepping stone something bigger. Someone young, hungry, willing to truly accept what the situation is and work tirelessly to somehow overcome it. 

 

Joe Moorhead isn't that. He knows if/when this doesn't work out, he'll have a soft landing with a coordinator gig. That isn't to say he isn't and hasn't worked hard, I'm sure he has. But he's just not what Akron needs at this point in time IMO. 

[ZippyDoo]

If the talent is not there it doesn't matter who the coach is. If the players are getting paid to go to other colleges why would they come to akron?

 

bring in your young coach full of pee and vinegar maybe the best mind in coaching if he cannot bring in the talent it isn't going to matter at all.  

 

as soon as the last game ended last year, instead of celebrating the players were immediately talking about how it was time to get paid and they were gone. that's the mentality of the college athletes with NIL now. There is no loyalty to the university it's show me the money. 

 

Jomoe doesn't need the money, why stay if he didn't care? Especially since the majority of the posts in here say he can go elsewhere?  Maybe what he complains about aren't excuses it's him trying to point out what needs to change so they program can recruit the better talent and convince it to stay so they can build a program.

[GP1]

8 hours ago, ZippyDoo said:

If the talent is not there it doesn't matter who the coach is. If the players are getting paid to go to other colleges why would they come to akron?

 

bring in your young coach full of pee and vinegar maybe the best mind in coaching if he cannot bring in the talent it isn't going to matter at all.  

 

as soon as the last game ended last year, instead of celebrating the players were immediately talking about how it was time to get paid and they were gone. that's the mentality of the college athletes with NIL now. There is no loyalty to the university it's show me the money. 

 

Jomoe doesn't need the money, why stay if he didn't care? Especially since the majority of the posts in here say he can go elsewhere?  Maybe what he complains about aren't excuses it's him trying to point out what needs to change so they program can recruit the better talent and convince it to stay so they can build a program.

This is a good post and paints a clear view of the reality. 

 

We need two things badly. They are problems 1A and 1B. We need a coach who can both make it attractive for people to spend money on NIL and manage turnover in large numbers up front. A smart guy once told me about being a manager is that the two most important things to manage are safety and turnover. If you can't manage those, you can't manage. Same for college football coaches. 

 

We don't need some child with a lot of energy but no experience. We don't need a money guy who has no experience in dealing with turnover. We need guys like Dieon Sanders and Eddie George. Their names attract money and the NFL is a great place for people to learn about turnover as NFL rosters are relatively fluid from year to year. They weren't in the NFL for five minutes. Their long careers exposed them to a great deal and they seem like smart guys. God knows they don't need the money. Is it impossible for us to get someone like this?  I don't think so. Jackson State and BG did it. Colorado quickly went from a laughing stock to some level of respectability. BG is playing well. 

 

Former NFL players are chomping at the bit for a college head coaching gig. The problem many have is they don't want to work their way up the ladder, and I'm not sure they are wrong about that. I'm not sure I would want to make $100 million and then work as a grad assistant or low level assistant for someone I would be confident I understood more about football and the organizational structure of what has now become professional football than they do. 

 

What are we waiting for?

[exit322]

3 minutes ago, GP1 said:

What are we waiting for?

Clearly we're waiting for Moorhead 's contract to expire so we can hire a 6-5 FCS coach whose school is glad to get rid of him.  That'll get excitement back to the program.

[GP1]

2 hours ago, exit322 said:

Clearly we're waiting for Moorhead 's contract to expire so we can hire a 6-5 FCS coach whose school is glad to get rid of him.  That'll get excitement back to the program.

We've been waiting a lot longer than that. 

 

The question I have is this. Are the people managing the coach good at managing based upon the two criteria I was presented when I was younger?

 

It seems to me that when there is coaching turnover, the response to it by upper management is almost always the same in college sports, although we didn't do this when hiring Joe. When there is turnover or a desire to make a change, the ADs reach in to their tired bad of tricks and call an overpriced coaching recruiting firm to do a search. That firm reaches into their tired bag of recycled hacks and pulls out some names. A new head coach is hired. This all sounds to me like a collosal and lazy waste of money. 

 

Do any of the dummies who run athletic departments ever reach out to an organization like the NFL Players Association?  The NFL PA is in charge of managing retiree benefits so they are probably regularly in touch with former players. I would think the nflpa would want to help their members in this way. Here, I'll write the letter to the NFLPA for every AD in America since most are not even slightly this creative, and what I'm doing isn't all that creative to begin with. Here it goes. 

 

Dear Mr. Reeves-Maybin,

 

I am the Athletic Director at School X. School X has many active and retired members of your organization as former players. Included in this group are Chase Blackburn of the NY Giants Super Bowl winning team, Victory Green of the Jets and Patriots, and Hall of Famer Jason Taylor. Currently , I am conducting a search for a new Head Coach for our football program.and am looking for networking support.

 

I believe former NFL players could provide great value to School X and the young men they would lead, and I would respectfully request that you make your retired members and their representatives aware of this great opportunity. The changing landscape of college football presents many possibilities for former professional players and if any of them are interested in talking with me, I'm interested in talking to them. 

 

Below are links to the job description and application. 

 

Link to job description. 

 

Link to application. 

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me. My contact information is below. 

 

Sincerely,

 

Blah blah blah

 

Then Akron could do something like posting the letter to social media and tagging the NFLPA along with the NFL itself and any other party of interest. 

Edited 6 hours ago by GP1

[Lee Adams]

5 hours ago, GP1 said:

We've been waiting a lot longer than that. 

 

The question I have is this. Are the people managing the coach good at managing based upon the two criteria I was presented when I was younger?

 

It seems to me that when there is coaching turnover, the response to it by upper management is almost always the same in college sports, although we didn't do this when hiring Joe. When there is turnover or a desire to make a change, the ADs reach in to their tired bad of tricks and call an overpriced coaching recruiting firm to do a search. That firm reaches into their tired bag of recycled hacks and pulls out some names. A new head coach is hired. This all sounds to me like a collosal and lazy waste of money. 

 

Do any of the dummies who run athletic departments ever reach out to an organization like the NFL Players Association?  The NFL PA is in charge of managing retiree benefits so they are probably regularly in touch with former players. I would think the nflpa would want to help their members in this way. Here, I'll write the letter to the NFLPA for every AD in America since most are not even slightly this creative, and what I'm doing isn't all that creative to begin with. Here it goes. 

 

Dear Mr. Reeves-Maybin,

 

I am the Athletic Director at School X. School X has many active and retired members of your organization as former players. Included in this group are Chase Blackburn of the NY Giants Super Bowl winning team, Victory Green of the Jets and Patriots, and Hall of Famer Jason Taylor. Currently , I am conducting a search for a new Head Coach for our football program.and am looking for networking support.

 

I believe former NFL players could provide great value to School X and the young men they would lead, and I would respectfully request that you make your retired members and their representatives aware of this great opportunity. The changing landscape of college football presents many possibilities for former professional players and if any of them are interested in talking with me, I'm interested in talking to them. 

 

Below are links to the job description and application. 

 

Link to job description. 

 

Link to application. 

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me. My contact information is below. 

 

Sincerely,

 

Blah blah blah

 

Then Akron could do something like posting the letter to social media and tagging the NFLPA along with the NFL itself and any other party of interest. 

College football is a business. Whether its Ohio State, Akron or Indiana PA. Businesses fail all the time. Why? Isn't it usually because the people with the corner offices on the 24th floor make bad business decisions? They hire bad personnel. They present a bad product. They don't correct problems when they present themselves. Who hires the AD? Who hires the coaches? Who 'hires' the players? When the folks at the top keep making bad decisions again and again you get the same results again and again. The effects trickle down. 

The definition of insanity? We all know it. Time to make some bold decisions about the direction of this football program.

[GP1]

21 minutes ago, Lee Adams said:

They don't correct problems when they present themselves.

It's worse than this. In many cases, managers can't accurately define the problems, so they can't fix what is wrong. Look at it this way. The lack of money at Akron is a symptom of a larger problem (s). I am of the opinion that Akron does not do enough to benefit the athletes students alumni fans and general community around Akron. Those are five problems impacting a lot of people. The football program is a product to sell and only people can spend money. A person has to buy a ticket. A person has to authorize corporate sponsorship money. People have to authorize tax dollars being spent. Akron isn't doing enough to satisfy the needs of these people so no money is spent. 

 

My biggest problem is this. I'm a guy living in the Carolinas and I really have no idea how to fix the problems. I have ideas, but I don't know enough to actually fix the problems. My worry is that the people who are supposed to know, don't know much more than I do. I'm also worried that they don't actually know how to go about finding the answers so they do the same things I've and over again. 

[Blue & Gold]

@catdaddyp Game Three Thoughts?

[Captain Kangaroo]

I thought is would be interesting to compare the coaching staffs and budget between UAB and Akron. From what I can tell, UAB's football budget is roughly 11 million dollars...about double that of the Zips

 

UAB has 24 football coaches and 18 support staff.

Akron has 12 coaches and 6 support staff.

 

And we only lost by 3 to them, on the road.