Smaug
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RE: "Brown set foundation for both Vandy, UAB."
Because he'd never been a head coach before,and he's still learning on the job?
Just spitballing here.
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10-01-2013 06:42 AM |
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blazr
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RE: "Brown set foundation for both Vandy, UAB."
Again (yet again), I never said Callaway was a good hire. He wasn't a hire at all, he was an appointment. It sucked, I was as pissed as anyone else, and I know it was a battle we could not hope to win. But that increases my respect (respect, not admiration of his coaching abilities...there's a big difference) for Callaway simply because he could have sat on his thumbs and gone through the motions. And if he wanted to work hard, he could have worked just on the facade of the program while leaving things behind the scenes as they had become under Brown (players skipping workouts, not showing to voluntary workouts, claiming injuries and hanging out on the fence during practices, not attending classes or making grades, ...basically just doing whatever the hell they wanted to do).
But he didn't. He worked hard and the things he worked the hardest on in the first 2-3 years were things he had to know few of us in the fanbase would ever see or recognize (these threads, when they come back around, bear that out). Let's say he had 8 goals to accomplish with the last being win on the field (which wasn't going to happen until goals #1 thru #7 were accomplished). He busted his ass but ultimately couldn't reach that last goal which, a year later than it should have, cost him his job. I appreciate what he did do.
And, yes, there are tons of core values in the program that McGee hasn't had to go backwards and correct because they were at least put back on the tracks during Callaway's tenure.
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10-01-2013 09:53 AM |
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BlazerGreen
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RE: "Brown set foundation for both Vandy, UAB."
(10-01-2013 09:53 AM)blazr Wrote: Again (yet again), I never said Callaway was a good hire. He wasn't a hire at all, he was an appointment. It sucked, I was as pissed as anyone else, and I know it was a battle we could not hope to win. But that increases my respect (respect, not admiration of his coaching abilities...there's a big difference) for Callaway simply because he could have sat on his thumbs and gone through the motions. And if he wanted to work hard, he could have worked just on the facade of the program while leaving things behind the scenes as they had become under Brown (players skipping workouts, not showing to voluntary workouts, claiming injuries and hanging out on the fence during practices, not attending classes or making grades, ...basically just doing whatever the hell they wanted to do).
But he didn't. He worked hard and the things he worked the hardest on in the first 2-3 years were things he had to know few of us in the fanbase would ever see or recognize (these threads, when they come back around, bear that out). Let's say he had 8 goals to accomplish with the last being win on the field (which wasn't going to happen until goals #1 thru #7 were accomplished). He busted his ass but ultimately couldn't reach that last goal which, a year later than it should have, cost him his job. I appreciate what he did do.
And, yes, there are tons of core values in the program that McGee hasn't had to go backwards and correct because they were at least put back on the tracks during Callaway's tenure.
He worked hard according to you. The results don't really bear that out. He definitely didn't work hard out in the community boosting the program. His recruiting was atrocious, with folks now saying McGee will need at least two more classes to bring our D up to average. He didn't get any football facilities built.
He made guys show up for practice and go to class, the barest minimum expected of any college coach on any level in any sport. We should be so grateful for him establishing those critical core values. UAB had the privilege to pay him to firmly establish LOSING as the core culture and mindset of our program.
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10-01-2013 12:20 PM |
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the_blazerman
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RE: "Brown set foundation for both Vandy, UAB."
Just thinking out loud here, I have heard Callaway. Maybe it was better that he wasn't out talking in public that much.
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10-01-2013 12:27 PM |
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Smaug
Happnin' Dude
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RE: "Brown set foundation for both Vandy, UAB."
(10-01-2013 12:20 PM)BlazerGreen Wrote: (10-01-2013 09:53 AM)blazr Wrote: Again (yet again), I never said Callaway was a good hire. He wasn't a hire at all, he was an appointment. It sucked, I was as pissed as anyone else, and I know it was a battle we could not hope to win. But that increases my respect (respect, not admiration of his coaching abilities...there's a big difference) for Callaway simply because he could have sat on his thumbs and gone through the motions. And if he wanted to work hard, he could have worked just on the facade of the program while leaving things behind the scenes as they had become under Brown (players skipping workouts, not showing to voluntary workouts, claiming injuries and hanging out on the fence during practices, not attending classes or making grades, ...basically just doing whatever the hell they wanted to do).
But he didn't. He worked hard and the things he worked the hardest on in the first 2-3 years were things he had to know few of us in the fanbase would ever see or recognize (these threads, when they come back around, bear that out). Let's say he had 8 goals to accomplish with the last being win on the field (which wasn't going to happen until goals #1 thru #7 were accomplished). He busted his ass but ultimately couldn't reach that last goal which, a year later than it should have, cost him his job. I appreciate what he did do.
And, yes, there are tons of core values in the program that McGee hasn't had to go backwards and correct because they were at least put back on the tracks during Callaway's tenure.
He worked hard according to you. The results don't really bear that out. He definitely didn't work hard out in the community boosting the program. His recruiting was atrocious, with folks now saying McGee will need at least two more classes to bring our D up to average. He didn't get any football facilities built.
He made guys show up for practice and go to class, the barest minimum expected of any college coach on any level in any sport. We should be so grateful for him establishing those critical core values. UAB had the privilege to pay him to firmly establish LOSING as the core culture and mindset of our program.
He was a guy over 50 getting his first head coaching gig. It was his one shot.
You really think we didn't get his best effort (no matter how weak)? Just because a two year old can't lift a piano doesn't mean he's not going balls to the wall.
The results are what they are, but damn. Now we're impugning his effort?
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10-01-2013 12:52 PM |
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BAMANBLAZERFAN
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RE: "Brown set foundation for both Vandy, UAB."
As I recall, the annual report on UAB recruiting classes has generally been tantamount to a passing grade. The problem with some of them is that between February and August, many of the signees we were most proud of never set foot on campus or left soon after (like the QB from Russelville we were so proud of signing who went home 2 weeks after arriving). I can recall 6 JUCO signees, all of whom failed to make it into school in August. It illustrates the tendency for fans to question the coach's judgement when this happens at UAB while when it happens at a major BCS school, the fans question the kid's judgement.
I regret that UAB has had almost 20 years of football frustration, but I still believe much of it is due to the financial inability of UAB to afford to build the needed infrastructure to support a "midmajor" D1 program among competitors who had what we lacked. How often has the medical side of UAB had to "make do" with renovated facilities rather than building new? I hope UAB soon gets the new football facilities it needs to compete on a "level playing field" with its peers.
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10-01-2013 02:04 PM |
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BlazerGreen
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RE: "Brown set foundation for both Vandy, UAB."
(10-01-2013 12:52 PM)Smaug Wrote: (10-01-2013 12:20 PM)BlazerGreen Wrote: (10-01-2013 09:53 AM)blazr Wrote: Again (yet again), I never said Callaway was a good hire. He wasn't a hire at all, he was an appointment. It sucked, I was as pissed as anyone else, and I know it was a battle we could not hope to win. But that increases my respect (respect, not admiration of his coaching abilities...there's a big difference) for Callaway simply because he could have sat on his thumbs and gone through the motions. And if he wanted to work hard, he could have worked just on the facade of the program while leaving things behind the scenes as they had become under Brown (players skipping workouts, not showing to voluntary workouts, claiming injuries and hanging out on the fence during practices, not attending classes or making grades, ...basically just doing whatever the hell they wanted to do).
But he didn't. He worked hard and the things he worked the hardest on in the first 2-3 years were things he had to know few of us in the fanbase would ever see or recognize (these threads, when they come back around, bear that out). Let's say he had 8 goals to accomplish with the last being win on the field (which wasn't going to happen until goals #1 thru #7 were accomplished). He busted his ass but ultimately couldn't reach that last goal which, a year later than it should have, cost him his job. I appreciate what he did do.
And, yes, there are tons of core values in the program that McGee hasn't had to go backwards and correct because they were at least put back on the tracks during Callaway's tenure.
He worked hard according to you. The results don't really bear that out. He definitely didn't work hard out in the community boosting the program. His recruiting was atrocious, with folks now saying McGee will need at least two more classes to bring our D up to average. He didn't get any football facilities built.
He made guys show up for practice and go to class, the barest minimum expected of any college coach on any level in any sport. We should be so grateful for him establishing those critical core values. UAB had the privilege to pay him to firmly establish LOSING as the core culture and mindset of our program.
He was a guy over 50 getting his first head coaching gig. It was his one shot.
You really think we didn't get his best effort (no matter how weak)? Just because a two year old can't lift a piano doesn't mean he's not going balls to the wall.
The results are what they are, but damn. Now we're impugning his effort?
I impugn everything about the "Callaway Error": His hiring, his effort, and his results. Garrison at the podium declaring Callaway "the best coach in the world" is one of the darkest moments in UAB sports history. She might as well capped it with a big Roll Tide! You could hear the laughter all the way from Tuscaloosa. We're still recovering and look like we will be for quite some time.
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10-01-2013 03:06 PM |
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Smaug
Happnin' Dude
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RE: "Brown set foundation for both Vandy, UAB."
Um, okay.
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10-01-2013 03:18 PM |
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BAMANBLAZERFAN
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RE: "Brown set foundation for both Vandy, UAB."
We mentioned "coachspeak" on another thread. Dr Garrison's remark at that time should be taken as "President's speak". She had just survived the interference by the BOT with her job intact and an FBHC of unknown quality they had chosen for her school. I presume she was also familiar with the APR mess UAB was about to encounter which would limit our recruiting no matter who we hired. She could not have known Callaway would compound the problem by running a number of players off who could not be replaced quickly since many left in bad scholastic standing.
As I recall, many on BT applauded Callaway's stern stance that spring as we hoped for the best as we rebuilt.
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10-01-2013 07:33 PM |
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