Thank you Coach Creighton for coming to EMU and for making this program respectable. You have already accomplishd what no other coach since Harkema could: You are winning in a nearly impossible situation.

HBO targeted our program for shutdown. You all shrugged your shoulders and kicked ass.

A year ago, I didn't think you were the man for the job. I thought you were too conservative* and gimmicky. I questioned your recruiting. I was dead wrong. Thank you for taking a chance on us.

*I kinda sill think you're too conservative on offense, but I'm hoping I'm wrong about this too.

A-men......now how are we going to keep him.

(10-15-2016 05:01 PM)Luckeyone Wrote:  A-men......now how are we going to keep him.

Good question.

Good MAC coaches eventually leave when they have an opportunity, and CC is only 47...

I think it depends on how we finish. If WMU is the last loss we have this year, he's gone for sure. If we finish, say, 6-6 or 7-5, I think he stays.

But I think 6-6 would be a bit of a disappointment at this stage...I never thought I'd ever say that. I expect this team to win 2-3 more games. Who knows, maybe even 4.

One game at a time men.

Dear Friends,
I think he stays regardless of how Eastern ends the season. There is the possibility that we could end 9-3, however, that would mean Coach Creighton's overall record would be 10-26 after three years. I think other schools want to see if the winning can continue.

(10-15-2016 06:02 PM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear Friends,
I think he stays regardless of how Eastern ends the season. There is the possibility that we could end 9-3, however, that would mean Coach Creighton's overall record would be 10-26 after three years. I think other schools want to see if the winning can continue.

Good point, Ken. What was Ron Cooper's record before he bolted for Louisville?

Dear Luckeyone,
You have a point with Cooper. He never had a winning record in his two years at Eastern. That's why, at the time, I thought it strange that another school would want him as their coach, when he accomplished nothing spectacular.

Also I believe CC has a six year contract and this is year 3. He'd be the first one to tell you there's alot of work still to be done this season and going forward to rebuild EMU football. Also I think CC and his family like this area and CC is a very loyal person and grateful for this opportunity. I assume his contract has bonus provisions and I'm assuming his assistants contracts do as well. My concern is about guys like Reed, Neathery and Bullough leaving, they've had alot to do with turning this defense around. I'm assuming we have these group at below market rate contracts. One would hope all three stick around for another season just when EMU football is getting fun. Are the Regents and alums going to pony up $$$ to support facility improvements and higher salaries if CC and staff can prove the program now has legs? And yes it will take more than one season to prove that. And can CC and staff move EMU up in the recruiting rankings?

All of this may be premature, lots of football to be played this year.

(10-16-2016 08:07 AM)emu79 Wrote:  Also I believe CC has a six year contract and this is year 3. He'd be the first one to tell you there's alot of work still to be done this season and going forward to rebuild EMU football. Also I think CC and his family like this area and CC is a very loyal person and grateful for this opportunity. I assume his contract has bonus provisions and I'm assuming his assistants contracts do as well. My concern is about guys like Reed, Neathery and Bullough leaving, they've had alot to do with turning this defense around. I'm assuming we have these group at below market rate contracts. One would hope all three stick around for another season just when EMU football is getting fun. Are the Regents and alums going to pony up $$$ to support facility improvements and higher salaries if CC and staff can prove the program now has legs? And yes it will take more than one season to prove that. And can CC and staff move EMU up in the recruiting rankings?

All of this may be premature, lots of football to be played this year.

I agree with everything you said.

You raise several points which are tangible:

1). Keeping CC and his top assistants including pay raises from an athletic department trying to cut, not increase, expenditures.

2). I'm hopeful that in the near future we'll hear more about facility improvements.

(10-16-2016 10:49 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(10-16-2016 08:07 AM)emu79 Wrote:  Also I believe CC has a six year contract and this is year 3. He'd be the first one to tell you there's alot of work still to be done this season and going forward to rebuild EMU football. Also I think CC and his family like this area and CC is a very loyal person and grateful for this opportunity. I assume his contract has bonus provisions and I'm assuming his assistants contracts do as well. My concern is about guys like Reed, Neathery and Bullough leaving, they've had alot to do with turning this defense around. I'm assuming we have these group at below market rate contracts. One would hope all three stick around for another season just when EMU football is getting fun. Are the Regents and alums going to pony up $$$ to support facility improvements and higher salaries if CC and staff can prove the program now has legs? And yes it will take more than one season to prove that. And can CC and staff move EMU up in the recruiting rankings?

All of this may be premature, lots of football to be played this year.

I agree with everything you said.

You raise several points which are tangible:

1). Keeping CC and his top assistants including pay raises from an athletic department trying to cut, not increase, expenditures.

2). I'm hopeful that in the near future we'll hear more about facility improvements.

Creighton is not the concern, Neathery is.

Until we challenge for a MAC championship, Creighton isn't going anywhere. And we're nowhere near a MAC championship team right now. Need to string together at least 2 or 3 years of really good football for anybody to even consider any MAC coach promotions. Ours is nothing but a feel good story at this point.

Yes, it feels really, really good, but let's tap the brakes a little.

One game at a time, enjoying each and every one.

Still smiling from yesterday's great win! Kudos to the entire team.

I could see a scenario where EMU finishes 8-4.
If that happens, I believe Creighton will get looks and probably get hired away.

(10-16-2016 07:26 PM)KPJ Wrote:  I could see a scenario where EMU finishes 8-4.
If that happens, I believe Creighton will get looks and probably get hired away.

A coach with only 3 years of FBS experience, with a 3 year track record of 2-10, 1-11, and 8-4, who's recruiting classes rank in the bottom quarter of his conference, who has never won a Division championship (let alone a conference championship), is going to get looks from P5 schools?

Compare that to what Fleck has done to finally get his shot, not even in the same universe. Or the previous 2 MAC coaches to move up, from BG and Toledo, not even close to their level of success or resume's.

Love the enthusiasm for our tiny bit of success so far this year, but talk of our coach getting hired away at this point is crazy talk.

And I don't believe the dollar sign is the most important thing in cc life he had alot of successful years at drake before he decided to move

Might make fbs coach of the year

(10-17-2016 12:30 AM)EagleTough Wrote:  

(10-16-2016 07:26 PM)KPJ Wrote:  I could see a scenario where EMU finishes 8-4.
If that happens, I believe Creighton will get looks and probably get hired away.

A coach with only 3 years of FBS experience, with a 3 year track record of 2-10, 1-11, and 8-4, who's recruiting classes rank in the bottom quarter of his conference, who has never won a Division championship (let alone a conference championship), is going to get looks from P5 schools?

Compare that to what Fleck has done to finally get his shot, not even in the same universe. Or the previous 2 MAC coaches to move up, from BG and Toledo, not even close to their level of success or resume's.

Love the enthusiasm for our tiny bit of success so far this year, but talk of our coach getting hired away at this point is crazy talk.

We'll see how things go. Creighton to PJ is not an Apples to Apples comparison. WMU has had much success over the last two decades. The expectation in Kalamazoo is Bowl eligibility. WMU was also able to give PJ a much larger contract than anything EMU could afford.

The talk isn't as crazy as you make it sound.

(10-17-2016 05:19 AM)KPJ Wrote:  

(10-17-2016 12:30 AM)EagleTough Wrote:  

(10-16-2016 07:26 PM)KPJ Wrote:  I could see a scenario where EMU finishes 8-4.
If that happens, I believe Creighton will get looks and probably get hired away.

A coach with only 3 years of FBS experience, with a 3 year track record of 2-10, 1-11, and 8-4, who's recruiting classes rank in the bottom quarter of his conference, who has never won a Division championship (let alone a conference championship), is going to get looks from P5 schools?

Compare that to what Fleck has done to finally get his shot, not even in the same universe. Or the previous 2 MAC coaches to move up, from BG and Toledo, not even close to their level of success or resume's.

Love the enthusiasm for our tiny bit of success so far this year, but talk of our coach getting hired away at this point is crazy talk.

We'll see how things go. Creighton to PJ is not an Apples to Apples comparison. WMU has had much success over the last two decades. The expectation in Kalamazoo is Bowl eligibility. WMU was also able to give PJ a much larger contract than anything EMU could afford.

The talk isn't as crazy as you make it sound.

Matt Campbell, Dino Babers, Darrell Hazell, the last 3 MAC promotions, prior to Fleck? Hazell most similar maybe, and look how that turned out for Purdue.

Like you said, we'll see how things go, I suppose anything could happen. Just don't see a P5 AD putting his neck on the line like that, or any alumni or big boosters getting excited about that type of resume at this point.

Let's start with a good showing in Kalamazoo!

Fleck will get a job in a power 5 this year if he wants it. Not many high-profile candidates out there this cycle. Having said that, Purdue is an awful program, and would certainly be a death sentence.