Don't know how they can justify this, given the budget fiasco in the state of Ohio right now. Whacking a coach after a winning season....hmmm. Could there be more to this story than we know?

AKRONS AD IS A JOKE.....PLAIN AND SIMPLE.....

who fires a coach after a 7-5 season besides Ohio State or Nebraska???????? :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :biggun: :biggun: :biggun: :cuss: :cuss:

Akron could not be that stupid. Well, it is Akron, so maybe they did. I will not believe it until I see it. The guy did a great job this year.

GFlash68 Wrote:Akron could not be that stupid. Well, it is Akron, so maybe they did. I will not believe it until I see it. The guy did a great job this year.

Believe it.

<a href='http://gozips.ocsn.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/111603aaa.html' target='_blank'>http://gozips.ocsn.com/sports/m-footbl/spe.../111603aaa.html</a>

I have to wonder, was this a shock for Owens? The Beacon Journal described him as "upbeat" after the Ohio win:

<a href='http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/sports/7275273.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/sports/7275273.htm</a>

If I'm a Zip fan, I don't know if I agree with this decision.

I think you have to support this decision for the same reason Ohio made the right decision in firing Larry Hunter several years back. It's obvious to anyone who follows MAC football that Lee Owens is not going to win Akron a MAC title. He's had 9 years to build a program, and he can't do better than 7-5.

The point of competing is winning. Some people may be content with a 3rd place finish, but I'm glad that some in the MAC are striving for more. Afterall, these coaches are making entirely too much money for fans to be content with mediocrity. Hopefully Ohio follows suit, and fires Coach Knorr after the season.

BobcatFan Wrote:I think you have to support this decision for the same reason Ohio made the right decision in firing Larry Hunter several years back.&nbsp; It's obvious to anyone who follows MAC football that Lee Owens is not going to win Akron a MAC title.&nbsp; He's had 9 years to build a program, and he can't do better than 7-5.&nbsp;

The point of competing is winning.&nbsp; Some people may be content with a 3rd place finish, but I'm glad that some in the MAC are striving for more.&nbsp; Afterall, these coaches are making entirely too much money for fans to be content with mediocrity.&nbsp; Hopefully Ohio follows suit, and fires Coach Knorr after the season.

I'm not saying you are wrong.

But I actually wonder if there are a couple of seasons in which Lee Owens could have won the MAC with that team he has right now. I'm thinking of the 1980s, when it seemed like the MAC couldn't buy nonconference wins.

The whole league is much better now, which may mask the progress Owens may have made in Akron.

I also look at it this way: It would be unfair to fire Dean Pees. Why? Kent State was so far gone when he got started there that he deserves credit for getting them to where they are.

Not everyone can catch fire like Gary Blackney and Urban Meyer did at Bowling Green. The Falcon football program was never nearly as far gone as Kent State has been for most of its history.

Maybe Owens deserved the same benefit of the doubt that I would give a guy like Pees.

And maybe not. I'm curious what Zip fans think (if we have any around).

I'm both upset and disappointed...as are most of the players. There is going to be some serious renovations going on in that program...I'm talking losing not only just coaches but players too.

IMO, its a ridiculous and stupid decision.

In Akron everything is 2nd rate....whether its the facilities, the support, etc.

Maybe one of the reasons that Owens was fired was Akron's abysmal graduation rate. Is it possible that UA's President is trying to establish some academic integrity to its athletic department?

Lee Owens had more "Moral Victories" than real wins in his tenure. If you believed his spin they were always just a couple of little breaks away from winning something(MAC east,non-conf games etc). The fact is that the Zips never won anything or were even in the hunt except for 1 season.This guy was nothing but a major BS artist. I have been a Zips season ticket holder for 33 yrs and it had come to the point that it wasn't any fun to go watch them. Now there is hope again for Zips football. :D :D :D :D

If Byron hadn't put together a late 4th quarter drive in our '00 game they would have won the east that year.

As a Miami fan, I support the firing of Lee Owens because of the way he improved the Akron football program ( and he did improve it). I look forward to seeing a hardhitting, clean playing, non trashtalking Akron team as a rival. It would be nice to see them play the game the way the rest of the MAC does. Owens always used negatives to fire up his team and to create rivalry, I look forward to a much healthier rivalry with the Zips in the future. Other than that, I think Owens did a fine job at Akron. They do not have the recruiting advantages enjoyed by many other MAC schools, and they have been a pretty solid team in recent seasons. One more year with Charlie Frye at QB, the Zips will be dangerous next year.

Now I believe it! I have to believe that the decision was 90% made after the first game of the year. KSU was not the best team on the field that night. However, Kent State stole one and Lee's fate was just about sealed. In fairness to Lee, anything above 500 at Akron is good. How can anyone expect a MAC title at AU. Speculate, who will Akron hire? Will she be better?

Owens was critical of Dan Macon for signing with BG out of Nardonia last winter. I thought it was a pretty tacky thing to do.

Frye won't be back next season if Owens isn't

Maybe this had something to do with it...

41-38!41-38!41-38!41-38!41-38!41-38!41-38!41-38!41-38!41-38!

:D

I don't know that could be - but 6 years in a row and 7 out of 9 seems to stand out in my mind. :ownd:

"Lee Owens has given his best efforts and has brought good students who also are good citizens to our campus," said Thomas. "The University is thankful for his hard work and dedication in bringing our football program to this point. Now, it is time to seek out new leadership that will accelerate our progress toward creating the outstanding football program that our University and our community deserve and will support."

"We have been moving forward aggressively and visibly on many fronts to realize the great potential of our institution," said University of Akron President Luis Proenza. "We have high expectations for every aspect of our institution, including intercollegiate athletics, which is both a rallying point for, and a public symbol of, the University as a whole."

While you're at it maybe you want to fire that underachiever Hipsher as well. Based on the comments above, he's officially on the hot seat.

I bet Dan is a little nervous. He's gotten all of this pre season hype, loaded with talent, it's supposed to be the Zips year in the East.

One more thing...Dean Pees may be available if the Flashes lose to Buffalo next week.