Good Job JD...

[timmyboy]

The Sporting News mentioned J.D. Brookhart in its list of the top five coaches who are 45 and younger. The magazine also said Brookhart is the 17th-best non-BCS coach overall. He has done a great job since he arrived at Akron with recruiting and winning. Glad that he is here, hope we can keep him for a very long time.

[zipsbandman]

Jury is still out on JD as far as I'm concerned. Just ask Mike Thomas.

[UA Fan]

It's tough to judge Akron coaches fairly & accurately with the current stadium situation. When the new one is complete that evaluation will become much easier (another reason to get it built asap)

[Buckzip]

Jury is still out on JD as far as I'm concerned. Just ask Mike Thomas.

I agree, He hasn't done that much really. Yes, he won the MAC championship, but he backed into it. I guess for a program that has been struggling like US, that still is a positive thing though. As for recruiting, his qualification percentage is terrible. Over 1/3 of the players he signs never see the field.I agree the new stadium is needed, but that is also a little bit of an excuse. I agree that the jury is still out on him.I think he is still learning and will be ok.

[Zipsrifle]

I'm looking to this year to give me a feel for how good JD really is. We all thought he was a god at the end of the '05 season. After NC State last year, people were standing in line at Hopkins airport wishing him farewell, then....... He's got his 3rd great recruiting class in a row. I expect to be watching the Zips in Detroit at least once in the next two seasons. He's got the program built the way he wants it, now, will it win Championships?

[Z-P]

My 2 cent.................I'm pulling like a mutha for him to succeed, but I'm leary he got famous before he got good.Keep in mind, the 3 workhorses for the club the past few seasons were known quantities he brought over, not recruited and developed (Brett B., Andy and Luke).This year is the real test.

[Captain Kangaroo]

The magazine also said Brookhart is the 17th-best non-BCS coach overall.

17th Best Non-BCS Coach!!! Do you get a trophy for that? If I thought that anyone from The Sporting News did more than 12 seconds of research on that one, I'd be concerned.

[skip-zip]

I also wonder how much Sporting News even knows about non-BCS coaches.Here's my opinion.Let's see what JD can do the next couple of years. We keep hearing about all these great recruiting classes, and now is the time to show it on the field. Last year ended up being a flop, and a couple of those big-time recruiting classes were already here. If that happens again, we'll have to really start questioning. I really think he has quite a bit of work ahead of him in the next few months to get the offense going for this year.

[GP1]

Yes, he won the MAC championship, but he backed into it.

I see this comment more and more often on the board and I find it just silly. We won all the games that needed to be won to get into the MACC. How is that backing in?The fact is, once in the MACC, we won the game on the field against a really good NIU team. Coaching and the play of Getsy had a lot to do with winning the MACC.Enough with the backing in already.

[Dr Z]

Jury is still out on JD as far as I'm concerned.  Just ask Mike Thomas.

I agree, He hasn't done that much really.

Without mentioning LO & PW (we been down that road about a jillion times),who do you think would being doing a better job at Akron than JD? Just curious.Before you answer, ask yourself if this person would coach at AKRON under the same conditions.Then tell me how much you are going to pay this coach (is it in Akron's budget).Then tell me if you think the program was better off before JD or after JD (for the love of god don't mention LO)What do you think JD's goals were when he came to Akron in the years that he has been here?Do you think he has met his goals? Fell short? Exceeded? If you are not happy with JD, I would be interestedin reading what exactly you expected from him and where he is falling short.

[zen]

Jury is still out on JD as far as I'm concerned.  Just ask Mike Thomas.

I agree, He hasn't done that much really.

Without mentioning LO & PW (we been down that road about a jillion times),who do you think would being doing a better job at Akron than JD? Just curious.Before you answer, ask yourself if this person would coach at AKRON under the same conditions.Then tell me how much you are going to pay this coach (is it in Akron's budget).Then tell me if you think the program was better off before JD or after JD (for the love of god don't mention LO)What do you think JD's goals were when he came to Akron in the years that he has been here?Do you think he has met his goals? Fell short? Exceeded? If you are not happy with JD, I would be interestedin reading what exactly you expected from him and where he is falling short.

I was thinking the same thing when I was reading some posts in this thread, but I think you put it in perspective very well. I'd like to hear some well-thought out responses to your questions.

[akronad]

I said this at the end of last season & I will repeat it now, JD is an average coach. Look at his record. Why are we making him into a demigod? Agreed, that he was the coach when we won the MACC and took us to our first ever D1 bowl game, however what did that prove? Nothing! If he had followed that up, with a decent season last year, my outlook light be different. This is a pivotal year the Zips and JD. I wish them well, but I have this knot in my stomach telling me that it is going to be worse than last year. I certainly hope not!Go Zips

[GP1]

Agreed, that he was the coach when we won the MACC and took us to our first ever D1 bowl game, however what did that prove?

Actually, it proves he can win the MAC Championship and take us to a bowl game.

[zippyrifle32]

you know, after listening to jd speak in one of my classes i realized that he's still learning and trying to figure things out. what i mean is, he talked about how the team this past season was it's own worst enemy especially with regards to cohesion and stuff. he's brought in outside help to get people back on the same page, but i think he's also changed some of his coaching philosophy. not that that's a bad thing. in fact i like the idea of a flexible coach. it means that he's going to find a solution even if it means thinking outside of the box, instead of one who's just going to try to jam the square peg into a round hole.

[johnnyzip84]

JD is an average coach. Look at his record.

If the inference is that an 18-18 overall record is, by definition "average" (equal number of wins and losses), then I think this overlooks the obvious "skewing" in MAC (not just Akron) schedules. Every single MAC school, with the possible exception of Toledo, is basically forced to play more away games against difficult opposition in order to help offset ever-present concerns over budget shortfalls. I personally think an 18-18 overall record at the typical MAC school is actually "pretty good" and not just "average".

[a-zip]

Actually, it proves he can win the MAC Championship and take us to a bowl game.

That is good enough for me. Seriously, I do not understand how anyone could question J.D. For those that want the facts - here you go..................During the last 20 yearsJ.D. Brookhart - 13W-11L - MAC Champion, Motor City Bowl - .542 winning %Lee Owens - 40W-61L - no MAC Champion, No Bowl appearance - .396 winning %Gerry Faust - 43-W-53L-3T - No Bowl appearances - .449 winning %U of A has an all-time winning % of .513, J.D. is above it.The highest winning percentage was John Heisman at .750, with a record of 8-6. He has a cool trophy named after him.

[a-zip]

J.D. Brookhart - 13W-11L - MAC Champion, Motor City Bowl - .542 winning %

I missed last season, but he is still .500 and above his two predecessors.

[Big Zip]

If we're judging him on the two previous coaches -- it's not tough to look like Lombardi. How about we compare him to other MAC Coaches who took over struggling programs and succeeded -- how about Urban Meyer's stay at BG?

[Dr Z]

If we're judging him on the two previous coaches -- it's not tough to look like Lombardi.  How about we compare him to other MAC Coaches who took over struggling programs and succeeded -- how about Urban Meyer's stay at BG?

Seems like a good benchmark. Did Urban win the MAC when he was at BG?In 2001 Urban was 5-3 in the MAC tied for 2nd. In 2002 he was 6-2 in the MAC finished 3rd.JD's first two years at Akron in comparisonIn 2004 he was 6-2 in the MAC and finished 2ndIn 2005 he was 5-3 in the MAC and won a MAC Championship and went to a bowl game.

[Captain Kangaroo]

How about we compare him to other MAC Coaches who took over struggling programs and succeeded -- how about Urban Meyer's stay at BG?

JD isn't quite the coach that Urban Meyer is. Hmmmm..let's see...counting on my fingers and toes...dividing by Boltzman's constant...multiplying by the altitude of the Rubber Bowl...cosine theta...let's see...that would put JD in the company of approximately 115.9 other D1-A coaches. Let's round it up to an even 116.

[GP1]

As many of you know, I see a lot of the sports world through the eyes of a Steelers fan. There have been many times in my life when I looked at them and thought to myself, "Self, they have no idea what they are doing". I was almost always proven wrong. There were years when I loved Cowher, and years when I hated him. Not until last year did I not care whether he stayed or left. In the end, he won 149 games in 15 years (more than any other team during that 15 years), many AFC Championship Games, two Super Bowl trips and one championship. His first two years were very difficult and he also had many difficult years and the team stuck with him for what I think was for the better. Back to the Zips.Unless there is an absolute implosion the next couple of years, it is best to stick with JD. JD inherited a program that was flat on it's back when he took over and it wasn't until he decided to start Biggs that things turned around for them. Switching coaches constantly is not the way to build a good program. Sometimes it is best to stick with what you have because the saying "the grass isn't always greener on the other side" exists for a reason.If you need another NFL analogy to make up your mind, look at the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones has taken what was once an ass kicking machine in the 1990s and basically turned it into...take your pick between the Giants, Dolphins, Panthers or Chiefs. He did it all because he couldn't stay in the shadow of a great coach like Johnson and he changed coaches constantly. Stability is the key.

[Zips Win!]

If you need another NFL analogy to make up your mind, look at the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones has taken what was once an ass kicking machine in the 1990s and basically turned it into...take your pick between the Giants, Dolphins, Panthers or Chiefs. He did it all because he couldn't stay in the shadow of a great coach like Johnson and he changed coaches constantly. Stability is the key.

Amen. Although Johnson quit on the team as well and shoulders part of the blame.As for JD, I don't think many on this board are asking for him to be replaced. They just aren't ready ready to annoint him the next great BCS-type coach.While the "backing-in" comments are actually incorrect as it relates to getting into the 2005 MACC, "back(ing)-down is more appropriate. He went from 6-2 to 5-3 to 3-5 to who knows what after watching the spring game. Many fans are concerned, as I am.Someone on this board made the comment 15 minutes after the 2004 season concluded "with JD, we can look forward to a minimum of 7 wins a season". Well, he got to 7 in 2005 with 2 extra games, and back to 5 last year.I hope your right, I just don't quite see it yet.....For my money and support, JD gets several more years to get it done.

[InTheZone]

Yes, he won the MAC championship, but he backed into it.

I see this comment more and more often on the board and I find it just silly. We won all the games that needed to be won to get into the MACC. How is that backing in?The fact is, once in the MACC, we won the game on the field against a really good NIU team. Coaching and the play of Getsy had a lot to do with winning the MACC.Enough with the backing in already.

I still find it ironic that JD was promoted to the Jesus Christ of Akron football for the same record (7-5, 5-3) that Lee Owens was fired for. Yes, he won the games that he needed to obviously, but a lot of teams also lost games when he needed them to, ALOT. If you remember the scenario for how we got into the MACC after the loss to Ball St, it took a lot of luck. If LO had had that same luck, would he have deserved another year? I'm obviously biased because I played for Lee O, and I don't think he was the greatest coach to ever walk the sidelines, but JD hasn't showed that he's any better yet in my opinion. I hope he does, but look at what he's done.... he hasn't. You can point to recruiting, but how many of those 3-stars that made his recruiting classes ranked so high ever found their way onto campus? I've said it before, but he's also recruiting with a shiny new on campus practice facility that LO never had, and say what you will, but I know that has a huge effect on kids coming here. I'm still in JD's corner, but he's got to show me a lot more this season to keep me there.

[GP1]

I'm obviously biased because I played for Lee O, and I don't think he was the greatest coach to ever walk the sidelines, but JD hasn't showed that he's any better yet in my opinion.

The way the MAC Championship game was won was evidence of JD being a better coach than LO. LO's teams were comically unorganized and timeouts were frequently misused in order to straighten out the mess. Being unorganized is largely the fault of the coaches. His team would have never been in a position to use all three timeouts to hold NIU to three and out and make a last minute drive to win.It's all about stability.In LO's last year, two of the seven wins were against I-AA teams. Cal Poly was terrible and we could have gotten 22 guys off of this web page to beat a dreadful Howard. Given how we schedule now, Cal Poly would be replaced by Michigan taking that team to 6-6 and another I-A team would have been added that we would have stood a good chance to lose to taking the team to 5-7. There is really no comparison between LO's last year any year since JD took over.

[skip-zip]

In evaluating our coaches, I like to give a little bit of a break to Gerry Faust since he was the one who had to start the 1-A program from scratch. And he still did decent. Not that I think he's a great coach or anything. I'm going to look at JD objectively over the next couple of years. He has indeed won a championship for us. But after last year, I'm not quite sure where he's going from here.I do have to agree with some people that are saying that this year might even be worse than last year. I think everyone has to admit that the 2006 team looked better on paper than the 2007 team. But lets hope he can start to make use of some good recruiting classes, and pull these guys together and turn it back around.