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"Yeah, some of those are really hard to swallow. You’re on the 1-yard line against Northern Illinois, you’ve got ’em down 21-3, you’re gonna make it 28-3, and you fumble. We hit the upright in overtime against Toledo. We returned a punt for a touchdown to go up in the bowl game and it gets called back. You look at some of the ways that we lost some of the big games, and we could’ve very easily been 11-1 or 10-2 on the year.

But you know what? We weren’t. Period. “If only” doesn’t exist in our program. We were 8-5; we deserved to be 8-5. We played like an 8-5 football team. We were a team this year, but we didn’t have the chemistry within the team, and that’s the goal for Year 3. Year 1 was to dig a foundation as deep as we could build it, and then Year 2 was all about becoming a team. Year 3 is about, OK, how we’re putting in the air-conditioning, putting in the lights."

Well... we were up 19-7 with a chance to go up 26-7, but his point is taken.

(01-30-2015 04:49 PM)Hoekjeness Wrote:  Well... we were up 19-7 with a chance to go up 26-7, but his point is taken.

Details, details.

If only....

How about if he doesn't decide to go for it on 4th down? Throw your kids under the bus, Peej!

(01-30-2015 05:14 PM)7 Wrote:  How about if he doesn't decide to go for it on 4th down? Throw your kids under the bus, Peej!

How many MAC coaches with career losing records have been on Jim Rome and Grantland? How many MAC coaches period?

He does have that special thing.

Next couple of years are gonna be a real trip.

(01-31-2015 09:59 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  How many MAC coaches with career losing records have been on Jim Rome and Grantland? How many MAC coaches period?

Ones that go 1-11 and 8-5 in the following year.

I've read quite a few books on leadership and culture as they apply to businesses and organizations and I have to say... PJ's honed in on some important concepts here. He really appears to be doing things the right way, a way that will lead to long-term success and push the players to achieve more than they ever could in a different culture.

Quote:Among recruits, is there a personality type you’ve fixed on as your particular “type” of kid?

It goes back to “the how.” It’s not what a kid accomplishes. It’s not where he went to school. It’s how he got there. I want to know the process of a young man’s life. And if he’s never struggled, he’s probably not right for my program. And if he’s never had successes, he’s probably not right for my program. And it’s about the how to us. The nekton mentality, always attacking, never full. The Prefontaine pace — gotta be urgent, can’t be lazy. And then you look at the farmers’ alliance. I’ve got to be able to trust him. So you look at that first, then you go height, weight, speed, all that other stuff, which is really a bunch of baloney at times, because you win with people.

Meh.

I'm going to reserve judgement until we see some real results. He's set some goals for his program and needs to actually reach them before I am going to say that PJ's approach worked better than the approach taken by other coaches around the league and nation.

While we were all happy to see a big improvement this season, the improvement is not unlike what other new coaches have done here. THIS is where we need to see the PJ difference - in the next two or three seasons. A MAC west divisional title and MACC appearance. A MAC Championship. Repeated bowl trips.

Accomplish all that and I'll be willing to say that PJ's approach has paid off. Otherwise, it's just more self promotion by the master.

While I liked the general direction of things this season, the sample size is much too small yet to make a determination about PJ's methods.

One positive is it appears we're bringing back entire coaching staff.

Often after a season like ours last Fall - staff (especially coordinators) gets poached by bigger programs.

(01-31-2015 04:07 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  One positive is it appears we're bringing back entire coaching staff.

Often after a season like ours last Fall - staff (especially coordinators) gets poached by bigger programs.

Heck. A couple were poached after last season. I don't think we are out of the woods on this yet. There is usually some movement after signing day.

I'm pretty impressed with the quality of assistants WMU has right now.

As much as I didn't overreact to the horrible Season 1, I want to temper enthusiasm a bit following Season 2. It's the whacky MAC and anything can happen. Beating CMU at their place was great and was something that hasn't happened often in the past couple decades.

But as MHB pointed out, the greater goal here is needing to get over the "Toledo/NIU hump," build a sustained winning culture, and winning our first bowl game would be a nice milestone (if they want to serve up a 6-6 Sun Belt team someday to make it easier, hey, I won't complain).

And needless to say, just like with our HC predecessor, keep running a clean program with good kids on the field and in the classroom, and discipline where needed even if it may result in a lower chance of winning.

Things are looking up, but using some caution in the optimism.

(01-31-2015 04:38 PM)Stampede your face!! Wrote:  Heck. A couple were poached after last season.

After 1-11, you don't get poached - you get out.

(02-01-2015 10:37 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(01-31-2015 04:38 PM)Stampede your face!! Wrote:  Heck. A couple were poached after last season.

After 1-11, you don't get poached - you get out.

Luke Getsy "got out" by moving up to the Green Bay Packers?

Charles Huff and Anthony Crespino "got out" by moving up to Penn State?

Ok.

(02-01-2015 12:04 PM)Hoekjeness Wrote:  

(02-01-2015 10:37 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(01-31-2015 04:38 PM)Stampede your face!! Wrote:  Heck. A couple were poached after last season.

After 1-11, you don't get poached - you get out.

Luke Getsy "got out" by moving up to the Green Bay Packers?

Charles Huff and Anthony Crespino "got out" by moving up to Penn State?

Ok.

Maybe those are considered "lateral" moves in the coaching circle.

(02-01-2015 12:15 PM)ChuckNorris Wrote:  

(02-01-2015 12:04 PM)Hoekjeness Wrote:  

(02-01-2015 10:37 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(01-31-2015 04:38 PM)Stampede your face!! Wrote:  Heck. A couple were poached after last season.

After 1-11, you don't get poached - you get out.

Luke Getsy "got out" by moving up to the Green Bay Packers?

Charles Huff and Anthony Crespino "got out" by moving up to Penn State?

Ok.

Maybe those are considered "lateral" moves in the coaching circle.

Hoople's coaching circle of one.

All three of those coaches had opportunities to move up because of previous experience and contacts, not because they were on our staff in 2013.