Early Football Previews and Predictions: Game Twelve at Bowling Green

[exit322]

4 minutes ago, clarkwgriswold said:

They're not firing JoMo.  The days of paying multiple head coaches at the same time are over.  Hell, they won't fund the training table.  They're certainly not funding 2 head coaches.

 

Yes, he has to leave on his own.  It's just...kinda feels like he's going to do that.

[exit322]

3 minutes ago, Captain Kangaroo said:

I have no clue what Goodrich will do regarding football. Maybe he spends a year crafting a new logo, quits his job and moves on to the next rung on his AD ladder? Maybe he’s empowered, independent of thought, and implements a plan to elevate Zips football to respectability? That would be awesome.

 

Historically new AD’s "check their box" and hire “their guy” to run either the football or basketball program. On paper, Joe is on the hot seat. It it were me, I would fix the budget BS, show Joe a little love, and see what transpires in 2026. Joe took over a 1-11 Fordham team and went 38-13 during his tenure, winning 11 and 12 games in successive seasons. The guy can win big at the FCS/G5 level. It’s proven. But not when he’s hamstrung and unsupported. No one can.

 

I don't know what Goodrich's plans are with football, but it doesn't feel that this would be.

 

New logo wouldn't be awful, though, the A is incredibly uninspiring.  Maybe Goodrich could also work on getting some Akron gear that's available for purchase anywhere that people might want to buy, too...

 

The marketing and crowd they did get for the Wagon Wheel game last week gives me hope that they are finally starting to get serious about the program...and if they are going to at least even get a little closer on the budget BS...maybe you just ride it with everyone and see what happens.  Guess I shouldn't be angry at that; it does make sense.

[GP1]

18 minutes ago, Captain Kangaroo said:

 

The University has never once publicly mentioned any of the crippling limits placed on the football program in the name of budget cuts. They’ve hung Joe out to dry with a historic lack of support, whistling through the graveyard, and by their silence painting Zips football as having the same resources as every other MAC program. It isn’t fair to Joe, and I expect that grates on him. And it should. 

 

Bobby Knight once famously said - "If you're getting raped, you might as well lay back and enjoy it."  Joe has bit his tongue 95% of the time, but who can blame him if, when pressed, he vents on his lack of recruiting budget, training tables, staff, and on and on? UA isn’t holding any pressers stating “You gotta understand the situation we’ve placed Joe Moorhead in. I can’t believe the guy won 3 games, let alone 5.” It's Zips Football against the world. 

 

Maybe the same geniuses at UA who’ve blundered every football-related decision since Jim Dennison’s firing will identify a "unicorn" coach that only wants a $300,000/year salary, that flits about Summit and Stark counties with a wicker basket collecting NIL money from scores of donors happily willing to fill it up, while also coaching Akron to MAC Championships and bowl victories. Wish in one wicker basket and poop in the other...see which fills up first.

 

I have no clue what Goodrich will do regarding football. Maybe he spends a year crafting a new logo, quits his job and moves on to the next rung on his AD ladder? Maybe he’s empowered, independent of thought, and implements a plan to elevate Zips football to respectability? That would be awesome.

 

Historically new AD’s "check their box" and hire “their guy” to run either the football or basketball program. On paper, Joe is on the hot seat. It it were me, I would fix the budget BS, show Joe a little love, and see what transpires in 2026. Joe took over a 1-11 Fordham team and went 38-13 during his tenure, winning 11 and 12 games in successive seasons. The guy can win big at the FCS/G5 level. It’s proven. But not when he’s hamstrung and unsupported. No one can.

Great post.

 

The link below is what it looks like when an athletic department runs itself in the interest of the University and not the next rung on a ladder. That endowment probably provides approximately $200,000 per year to the coach's salary forever. It's real money and not an initiative that will lead to real money some day (logo). 

 

https://bgsufalcons.com/news/2025/6/26/generous-gift-from-alumni-raises-prominence-of-bgsu-football-program

 

In addition, they hire a big name coach and sell out two games. I know this will be shocking for some, but one of these games was at the exact same time as an OSU game. Apparently, getting 0.2% of the population of Ohio to show up for a football game isn't that hard if you show some competence. 

 

In 2020, BG, Akron and many other MAC schools had large budget cuts to athletics. BG got to work and tried to make a bad situation better, and it appears to be working. Their football results this year are a fluke caused by unfortunate luck with injuries. Akron, on the other hand, did what they normally do. Akron sits around wallowing in misery, self pity and failure while what appears to be planning their next misstep. 

[Let'sGoZips94]

Legitimate question: what are the financial/resource differences between Akron football and Kent football?

[kreed5120]

13 minutes ago, GP1 said:

Great post.

 

The link below is what it looks like when an athletic department runs itself in the interest of the University and not the next rung on a ladder. That endowment probably provides approximately $200,000 per year to the coach's salary forever. It's real money and not an initiative that will lead to real money some day (logo). 

 

https://bgsufalcons.com/news/2025/6/26/generous-gift-from-alumni-raises-prominence-of-bgsu-football-program

 

 

BGSU seems to have always done a better job than Akron at keeping their alumni involved in athletics. The Stroh Center was built 15 years ago at a cost of $30 million. Half or more of that money came from alumni. The Stroh family alone gave $8 million. Several other donors gave over $1 million. They also sold bricks that way they could gather money from the everyday fan, which also made them feel invested. 

 

Some here have criticized the Stroh Center for not being elegant enough, but honestly for being a rural MAC school it fits what BGSU needed. They could have handicapped themselves financially by taking the $15-$20 million they got from alumni to build a $75 million 8k arena that would sit mostly empty. They were smart enough to not financially handicap themselves.

[GP1]

1 hour ago, kreed5120 said:

 

BGSU seems to have always done a better job than Akron at keeping their alumni involved in athletics. The Stroh Center was built 15 years ago at a cost of $30 million. Half or more of that money came from alumni. The Stroh family alone gave $8 million. Several other donors gave over $1 million. They also sold bricks that way they could gather money from the everyday fan, which also made them feel invested. 

 

Some here have criticized the Stroh Center for not being elegant enough, but honestly for being a rural MAC school it fits what BGSU needed. They could have handicapped themselves financially by taking the $15-$20 million they got from alumni to build a $75 million 8k arena that would sit mostly empty. They were smart enough to not financially handicap themselves.

One of the smartest things UofA has done in relation to a new basketball arena is NOT partner with the City of Akron to build it. 

[GP1]

2 hours ago, Reslife4Life said:

I can't imagine what the response would be if we fired Moorhead after having the most wins in 8 years. If he takes another job so be it, but firing a coach because we didn't go .500 hasn't fared too well in the history of Infocision Stadium. 

I totally understand the thought of we can find a new coach that fires up the team and we go to the top of the MAC out of nowhere, but I think that is pretty risky to go all in on considering we have made progress the last 2 seasons. We lost almost all our skill players last year, and this year we developed a great group of them. I have a hard time believing we just stumbled on to players like Williams, Gant, Polk (2 year track) because no one wanted them. Most of them will leave again this year even if we don't fire the coach. But I trust this current regime to develop players, which is very important with the current state of college football. You are only living a year at a time so you need someone to be quick to mold a team together. I am sure other coaches can do that, but is there going to be someone like that available this offseason and are they going to want to come to Akron?

I wouldn't call The University of Akron athletic department a big risk taker. If that was the case then I would imagine we would have a different soccer coach after not living up to UA standards from 2019-2021

 

Good post. By the end of next week, the final MAC standings will be available. Akron probably will finish in the middle of the pack in conference wins and overall wins. That's what 5 wins gets you in the MAC. We are out of the basement and with all things considered, it's a pretty good finish. 

 

Some believe shaking up the coaching staff and bringing in a no name who only has youth and energy on his side. Like all bad ideas, this will result in failure. 

 

With that said, Joe should leave and should have after last season. The leadership of the University isn't capable of developing a winning program. His time here will become pointless if it hasn't already. He should leave the leadership to their ultimate failure. It is inevitable. 

[Hilltopper]

1 hour ago, GP1 said:

Great post.

 

The link below is what it looks like when an athletic department runs itself in the interest of the University and not the next rung on a ladder. That endowment probably provides approximately $200,000 per year to the coach's salary forever. It's real money and not an initiative that will lead to real money some day (logo). 

 

https://bgsufalcons.com/news/2025/6/26/generous-gift-from-alumni-raises-prominence-of-bgsu-football-program

 

In addition, they hire a big name coach and sell out two games. I know this will be shocking for some, but one of these games was at the exact same time as an OSU game. Apparently, getting 0.2% of the population of Ohio to show up for a football game isn't that hard if you show some competence. 

 

In 2020, BG, Akron and many other MAC schools had large budget cuts to athletics. BG got to work and tried to make a bad situation better, and it appears to be working. Their football results this year are a fluke caused by unfortunate luck with injuries. Akron, on the other hand, did what they normally do. Akron sits around wallowing in misery, self pity and failure while what appears to be planning their next misstep. 

We have donors who have contributed that much to Akron Athletics to create endowments. Just not for football. BTW, if you could share with me where I can get a guaranteed 10% return on my $2 million please send me a DM.

[GP1]

3 minutes ago, Hilltopper said:

We have donors who have contributed that much to Akron Athletics to create endowments. Just not for football. 

Parade someone like Eddie George through their door and see what happens. 

[Hilltopper]

No other MAC school has a $5 million note payment every year for a facilitie that sits empty for 90% of the year. Multiple administration's have tried everything you could think of to create interest. A nice 15,000 seat stadium would have been perfect. Mack Rhoades and others were sure if we built it, they would come. They didn't come. JoMo knew what he was getting into when he agreed to be the man. There is plenty of blame to go around. Hopefully Goodrich can find a different type of unicorn. A rich donor who is willing to give millions to support football. Odds are that guy is going to want some input on who is running  the program. People with that type of money expect a return on their investment.

[Hilltopper]

Double post

Edited 1 minute ago by Hilltopper