HR:

Are you saying because Wither's is black and a former football player that the black players relate to him better? If yes, I don't have any issue with that statement. Common sense would say that would be the case. Add the NFL part and that is another plus for all of his players. Coaching staffs are interacial so I see sports as a place where there are less racial tensions then in society as a whole. I honestly believe sports have helped to break down racial barriers.

It is hard to bring a group of five people to a consensus. Can you imagine bringing 90 men from different backgrounds together toward a common goal? Coaching is one tough gig.

I am not excited about the winning. I am excited about how Withers prepares his players for success on the field, in the classroom and in life. I have found personal motivation from his words and actions. He has engaged players, students and alums in meaningful and positive activities. In some ways, he has made JMU better as a whole.

I was talking with a friend in the club level at the Elon game. He said he loved MM. I asked him why? He said MM would come by P lot post game and drink beer with the folks who stayed late after games. On the surface, I guess this is enduring to people and they connected with him. For me, I don't want to see my head coach in the tailgating lots partying post game with students and alums. MM and his staff were also partying at the hotel bar the night before the a Hofstra game years ago with the players outside witnessing. Again, not the image I want folks to have of my head coach and not the right example to set for his players.

MM was a good ole boy. That is why some supported him to the very end. I get it. For me, I like a guy like Withers and I hope he can continue to live up to the high standard he has set for himself and his players. As a father, I would want my son to play for a coach like him because I feel he is preparing his players for life after football. Over time, we may discover that it is window dressing but I don't feel like it is. I think it is genuine.

(12-16-2014 02:06 PM)JMUNation Wrote:  HR:

Are you saying because Wither's is black and a former football player that the black players relate to him better? If yes, I don't have any issue with that statement. Common sense would say that would be the case. Add the NFL part and that is another plus for all of his players. Coaching staffs are interacial so I see sports as a place where there are less racial tensions then in society as a whole. I honestly believe sports have helped to break down racial barriers.

It is hard to bring a group of five people to a consensus. Can you imagine bringing 90 men from different backgrounds together toward a common goal? Coaching is one tough gig.

I am not excited about the winning. I am excited about how Withers prepares his players for success on the field, in the classroom and in life. I have found personal motivation from his words and actions. He has engaged players, students and alums in meaningful and positive activities. In some ways, he has made JMU better as a whole.

I was talking with a friend in the club level at the Elon game. He said he loved MM. I asked him why? He said MM would come by P lot post game and drink beer with the folks who stayed late after games. On the surface, I guess this is enduring to people and they connected with him. For me, I don't want to see my head coach in the tailgating lots partying post game with students and alums. MM and his staff were also partying at the hotel bar the night before the a Hofstra game years ago with the players outside witnessing. Again, not the image I want folks to have of my head coach and not the right example to set for his players.

MM was a good ole boy. That is why some supported him to the very end. I get it. For me, I like a guy like Withers and I hope he can continue to live up to the high standard he has set for himself and his players. As a father, I would want my son to play for a coach like him because I feel he is preparing his players for life after football. Over time, we may discover that it is window dressing but I don't feel like it is. I think it is genuine.

Yep , I dont think anyone believes MM was ever a athlete , esp based on the stories he would tell.

I understand why you like Withers , thats all good. Sidenote MM would sit me in his office and talk to me about how to prepare for my life after football. He was the reason I started my savings account and would give me his perspective on life , family and finances , and how to be successful. But I do like that Withers is making it public what he expects , so the public knows the expectations of the team. And that puts pressure on the players to be better.

Is it not possible that both guys were good people (generally speaking, relax we all have short comings, glass houses and all) good coaches (Withers has a one season resume, so far so good) and are/were responsible for giving a TON of young men an education they may have never otherwise received, guidance they may have never otherwise received, opportunity, opened doors, provided stability, lessons that will serve them the rest of their lives and a million other tangibles and intangibles?

One needn't be bad or lacking for the other to be good and successful. Simply different coaches, different people, different philosophies, hopefully similar results.

Some, if not many felt it was time for a change and that Coach Mathews had run his course. Those in the Admin clearly agreed. So we had that change, for better or worse, and the jury is still out for many others.

I find this entire us vs. them, MM Camp (supposedly) v Withers Camp to be just silly. We all want the Dukes to be successful on the field and off, we're all shooting for the same things.

(12-16-2014 05:13 PM)Hotrod829 Wrote:  Yep , I dont think anyone believes MM was ever a athlete , esp based on the stories he would tell.

MM liked to tell a good story, and I can't say MM was anything particularly special as an athlete, but when MM played at West Texas there were some athletes on that team, including at least three that went on to have pretty fair careers in pro wrestling (Tully Blanchard, Tito Santana and Ted DiBiase).

I'd have to say any comments MM may have shared about his skills as a FB player were purposely self-effacing to elicit a laugh or two.

(12-16-2014 07:39 PM)JMUDunk Wrote:  Is it not possible that both guys were good people (generally speaking, relax we all have short comings, glass houses and all) good coaches (Withers has a one season resume, so far so good) and are/were responsible for giving a TON of young men an education they may have never otherwise received, guidance they may have never otherwise received, opportunity, opened doors, provided stability, lessons that will serve them the rest of their lives and a million other tangibles and intangibles?

One needn't be bad or lacking for the other to be good and successful. Simply different coaches, different people, different philosophies, hopefully similar results.

Some, if not many felt it was time for a change and that Coach Mathews had run his course. Those in the Admin clearly agreed. So we had that change, for better or worse, and the jury is still out for many others.

I find this entire us vs. them, MM Camp (supposedly) v Withers Camp to be just silly. We all want the Dukes to be successful on the field and off, we're all shooting for the same things.

Well put. Two guys can be good coaches which seems to be a completely foreign concept to some people.

interesting takes on this...withers message is solid - and i think he is talking as much (if not more) to the PARENTS of recruits...connecting with them that this is more developing as a whole-person, than just as a player. moms and dads like it, and it's spot on.

Dunk comes in with the "can't we just all get along speech". You da man Dunk!

As the years go by, it might be hard to compare coaches. A lot of the players are the same this year. Same conference and same division. If JMU makes the jump, everything changes. It will be impossible to compare based on results unless Wither's does very well in FBS right out of the shoot.

I have been watching JMU football for 30+ years. In terms of setting an expectation and a culture for the team, Wither's has been tops to me. Over time, we may find out other coaches were better X and O guys. Withers is exactly what JMU needs right now. He is a very good CEO in my opinion. If he can fill his staff with quality assistants and back fill once they leave for better opportunities, we are going to enjoy some good football teams at JMU.

(12-16-2014 08:56 PM)JMUNation Wrote:  Dunk comes in with the "can't we just all get along speech". You da man Dunk!

As the years go by, it might be hard to compare coaches. A lot of the players are the same this year. Same conference and same division. If JMU makes the jump, everything changes. It will be impossible to compare based on results unless Wither's does very well in FBS right out of the shoot.

I have been watching JMU football for 30+ years. In terms of setting an expectation and a culture for the team, Wither's has been tops to me. Over time, we may find out other coaches were better X and O guys. Withers is exactly what JMU needs right now. He is a very good CEO in my opinion. If he can fill his staff with quality assistants and back fill once they leave for better opportunities, we are going to enjoy some good football teams at JMU.

I have one thing that I would like to see EW work on, his response to media questions and throwing up a smokescreen when he doesn't like a question. MM was not good at handling difficult or poorly asked questions either.

Agree. EW seemed to pick his spots to be ornery to the media, but there were some times when it felt just like MM!

(12-16-2014 09:38 PM)HyperDuke Wrote:  Agree. EW seemed to pick his spots to be ornery to the media, but there were some times when it felt just like MM!

They both are terrible with the media. They are both arrogant and treat the writers with disdain. You would think they would kill them with kindness. I get embarrassed at times by they way they act. Brady on the other hand is always a great interview with the media. Don't always agree with how he talks about some of his players at times, but he always treats the interviewer/questioner with respect.

I see Withers as being rude to the DNR guy and with good reason. The dude is always trying to stir things up or push Withers to say something juicy. The DNR is all about creating drama and using JMU to do so. I cancelled my subscription to the DNR because they are anti-JMU IMO.

If you notice, Withers is very polite and even expands on his answers when anyone but the DNR reporter asks a question. The DNR has made its bed with JMU. If it were me, I would not even allow them to attend a press conference. I noticed the DNR is no longer the first reporter to ask a question at the Monday luncheon.

MM and Withers both have/had every right to feel the way they do about the DNR. JMU has tried the best they can to build a bridge with that newspaper but the ownership doesn't want to change a thing. They look to sell newspapers at JMU's expense.

I think arrogance and being a head football coach go hand in hand. Some are just better at hiding it.

(12-16-2014 11:50 PM)JMUNation Wrote:  I see Withers as being rude to the DNR guy and with good reason. The dude is always trying to stir things up or push Withers to say something juicy. The DNR is all about creating drama and using JMU to do so. I cancelled my subscription to the DNR because they are anti-JMU IMO.

If you notice, Withers is very polite and even expands on his answers when anyone but the DNR reporter asks a question. The DNR has made its bed with JMU. If it were me, I would not even allow them to attend a press conference. I noticed the DNR is no longer the first reporter to ask a question at the Monday luncheon.

MM and Withers both have/had every right to feel the way they do about the DNR. JMU has tried the best they can to build a bridge with that newspaper but the ownership doesn't want to change a thing. They look to sell newspapers at JMU's expense.

I think arrogance and being a head football coach go hand in hand. Some are just better at hiding it.

My poster boy for coaching arrogance has always been Brian Billick. I think this saying must have been invented for him: "Arrogance requires advertising; Confidence speaks for itself"

I like where the program is headed and am happy that Withers is running the show. That said, EW has had a problem with both DNR reporters this year. He is not being asked anything he wouldn't be asked if he were coaching elsewhere. I'm sure he had worse at UNC.

Reporters ask questions, good reporters gets answers. Otherwise, you become a shill for the coach. Lobbing softball questions does nothing for accountability.

In the end though, I'll take whatever coaching peccadillos get me a winning team every year.

(12-16-2014 11:50 PM)JMUNation Wrote:  ... If it were me, I would not even allow them to attend a press conference. ...

Good grief.

Bottom line, this whole subject doesn't correlate with reality. Did Mickey not make the playoffs (in a smaller field) and get knocked out in the first round in his first year at JMU also?

MM sure did. The Dukes lost two out of their last three and limped into the playoffs losing big on the road to Troy in the first round. MM also went 6-5 the following year and 2-9 the year after that.

Withers team won 7 straight to make the playoffs. Do you honestly believe Withers will go 6-5 next year? How about 2-9 in year three?

I am willing to bet you whatever amount you wish to wager that Withers record after three years (assuming he is at JMU for three years) will be better than MM.