Some very disturbing comments from Coach Pees contained here:
The delusions of Dean:
<a href='http://dept.kent.edu/athletics/football/fb102803.htm' target='_blank'>http://dept.kent.edu/athletics/football/fb102803.htm</a>
Besides the Blackney-esque excuses, the thing that stands out to me is how he thinks his team is going to be "hyped up" next year. Kennedy should get this guy out ASAP and build anew. I can't totoally knock him given he's a BG guy, but he has clearly lost perspective of where the program he's built is located on the MAC food chain.
On our board, some Flash fans have had similiar discussions about needing a change. I am leaning that way myself.
I think Pees has done a good job at Kent. Other coaches in the conference have a lot of respect for him. I think it would be foolish for you not to give him at least two more years.
How long did it take Frank Beamer to win at Virginia Tech?
What, you think there are problems with our football program?!?!
:eek:
It's no big deal--nothing 7 more wins and 50,000 more fans each year wouldn't cure! How hard could that be to do?
:wave:
BobCobb Wrote:I can't totoally knock him given he's a BG guy, but he has clearly lost perspective of where the program he's built is located on the MAC food chain.
So now the BG fans dictate the MAC food chain? Where was BG in this hierarchy just a few years ago?
I don't see anything wrong with his comments. What do you want him to say? Something like "We are MAC bottomfeeders, we're terrible, we should give up on the rest of the season and call it quits." There are still 100 or so kids on this team he has to motivate after a series of close losses. Not an easy job....
How is his wife doing? Was she not very sick last year? I admired some of his honesty and courage(and hers) on the heels of her illness.
Number one, I'm not dictating the food chain. I'm merely pointing out that making excuse after excuse, year after year might not be the best path to take. Frustrated Kent fans are probably tired of hearing the same old injuries/youth/played well enough to win spin as well.
Secondly, he's been given ample time to build the program. I doubt the administration is willing to wait an additional two years while other Ohio MAC programs like BG and Toledo continue to rise and Miami keeps their 7-4 streak chugging along
BobCobb Wrote:Number one, I'm not dictating the food chain. I'm merely pointing out that making excuse after excuse, year after year might not be the best path to take. Frustrated Kent fans are probably tired of hearing the same old injuries/youth/played well enough to win spin as well.
Secondly, he's been given ample time to build the program. I doubt the administration is willing to wait an additional two years while other Ohio MAC programs like BG and Toledo continue to rise and Miami keeps their 7-4 streak chugging along
Pees is defintitely in the Greg White Groove. Has to resort to coach speak cause there are no upsides to anything, even when you win a few.
<span style='font-family:Impact'><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:blue'>I know Frank Beamer; Frank Beamer is a friend of mine; and believe me Mr. Pees, you are no Frank Beamer.</span></span></span> :withstupid:
No offense to Kent, but you don't exactly have a football tradition. Overall athletic tradition? Yes. Football tradition? No.
Pees has made your program competitive. You have been a few plays away from winning some big games. However, with no "vibe" going on at Kent -- mediocre football facilities, horrible attendance, and no tradition -- I would say that Pees has done a pretty good job. You've gotten a great QB and very talented receivers to sign with Kent. You've also gotten some decent team speed.
I also think you should question who else is out there.
It's kind of like in Atlanta with Bobby Cox -- half the town wants him fired because he can't seem to win the World Series. But then, I always ask, "Alright, who is better out there who you'd want to replace him with."
With Kent, it's not just who would be better, but who would actually take that job. Sure, you could get a position coach from a Big East school, but that approach hasn't worked out too well for Buffalo.
For Kent to have ANY chance at surviving the attendance requirements, there has to be some interest developed in this program. Some fire to pump up the alumni and students. Dean Pees is a great guy and has saved a dismal program. However, he is not a salesman and that's what Kent needs now. Selling the idea of winning to recruits and potential fans. Dean Pees is not that guy. He has lost too much and appears to have given in to mediocraty. I believe a change is needed or Dean Pees will be coaching in 1-AA in a couple of years or not at all because KSU will have no football at all.
Quote:No offense to Kent, but you don't exactly have a football tradition. Overall athletic tradition? Yes. Football tradition? No.
Lou Holtz, Nick Saben, Gary Pinkel, Jack Lambert and Eric Wilkerson would all be interested in learning Kent has NO football tradition.
Quote:Pees has made your program competitive
How many of you with a coach that's won 17 games in six years think your program is competitive? A show of hands, please. After rebuilding from no wins, he is up to a 3 win season six years later.
Quote:However, with no "vibe" going on at Kent -- mediocre football facilities, horrible attendance, and no tradition -- I would say that Pees has done a pretty good job.
Well, there were regularly 20,000-25,000K seats of "vibe" in the '70's and '80's when Kent fielded decent teams. Maybe you "Kent Read, Kent Write folks" think we are not all that bright, but we ken count. Let your program deteriorate to the point that you have ONE barely .500 season out of the last SIXTEEN and see how many fans are left to show up for your games. I am sick of being lectured for lack of support after all the awful seasons I've suffered through. IMO, there are not 10K in attendance at Kent games. There are 20K boycotting mediocracy because we deserve better. And we know it.
[quote]I also think you should question who else is out there.
Dude, don't jump my @ss. I'm about the only freakin' one on this board who defends Kent State when everyone says to kick them out of the conference.
An all-time winning percentage in the .300s is hardly "tradition." Pees took you to your first winning season in 13 years. You've had two winning seasons in 25 years. You've had 17 winning seasons since WWII.
Don't kill the messenger.
I see Kent's potential. Why don't some of your alums step up and give some money to upgrade your stadium? You'd think with all these researchers and entrepreneurs at Kent that someone would be unhappy about the athletic demise. I love how so many people want to fire their coach when things go wrong, when they haven't stopped to look at the other MAJOR problems in the program.
As far as hiring him is concerned, Pees used to work at Miami. He was the defensive coordinator, I believe, when Hoepp came to Miami. I understand that they are good friends. We could do a lot worse than Pees (as a coordinator).
I'm not jumping you, Dodo, Only quoting your words.
This is Dean Pees' record in the last five years:
'98 0-11
'99 2-9
'00 0-11
'01 6-5
'02 3-6
Yes, sir, alums should be lining up to support Dean's five year turnaround plan by all means. Who would fail to see progress in results like these? Who would not invest in this success?
Our facilities are fine. Not the best in the MAC, but not the worst. BG deserves all the credit in the world for their dramatic turn around in the past few years, and I doubt many were attracted to their facilities. The prospects were attracted to winning.
Dean always plays with young teams. His rationale is "the young guys leave the program."
Lot's of people like Dean. He's a nice guy. He even says he doesn't want to point ouit mistakes on the film because " the players will feel bad."
Please, welcome him back to Miami. Or EMU.
We deserve better.
Dodo Wrote:Why don't some of your alums step up and give some money to upgrade your stadium?
Your inference that Kent has inadequate athletic facilities is confusing to me. The only stadiums that I have seen in the MAC are Peden at OU, Yager at Miami, and Doyt Perry at BG. And frankly, I don't see how these other stadiums are that much better than Dix. Please explain to me why you think that Dix needs to be upgraded. Just this year Kent put in new bleachers on the visitor's side of the stadium and has made many other improvements over the years. As far as fieldhouses are concerned, I believe that Kent's Fieldhouse is probably as good as you will find in the MAC. It is my understanding that representatives from the University of Kentucky came to Kent when UK wanted to gets ideas for building its fieldhouse. Of course that was several years ago, but at the time Kent was thought to have had one of nicer fieldhouses around. What other MAC schools have fieldhouses as nice as Kent's? When making your suggestions for upgrading Dix Stadium, please be specific.
FlashFan--kinda see your point. Before the relative success of the Jim Grobe era, OHIO FOOTBALL had won only 17 games in 10 years. We haven't been to a bowl game in 36 years (counting this year) and have probably had only 3 or 4 winning seasons in those 36 years. Ridiculous. We Knorr.
By the way, your team stinks. Which is to say that you'll probably only beat us by about 14 this week.
Yes, OF, Kent's football superiority is clear--it's only been 30 years since our last bowl game.
We two had that stretch in the pre-Grobe years where we consistently battled for the nation's longest losing streak, and when Iowa State was having similar success, we both at least had the sense to schedule them--at one point I think Akron got in on this round robin of hell, too, and took the mantle for a while.
It's the same old same old this year, except that Central Florida has joined the mix with us, you, Akron, UB, EMU and CMU. I believe none of us any wins this year except against each other and 1-AA teams. Akron's been the lucky one: they had all 5 of our lowly friends on the schedule this year. The rest of us only had 3.
Saturday's game will come down to who wants it least.
The Bobs are having the mid-game total meltdowns like we had last year. Either team could win by 20. Only a fool would predict or bet this one. :rolleyes:
FlashFan Wrote:IMO, there are not 10K in attendance at Kent games. There are 20K boycotting mediocracy because we deserve better. And we know it.
I like your thinking!
I'm not sure you can put the blame on Pees. Alot of this is because he doesn't get support from higher up. Maybe Kent does deserve better, but it's the admin who's not getting it for them. And maybe that's because they've excelled in research and other sports. That's fine, w/ a limited budget.
Pees may not be perfect, but he's improved your team. I saw Kent the season before he arrived, they didn't even try against navy.
I don't understand the defections of the youth...maybe that's Pees' fault, maybe it's because he's recruiting kids w/ talent but no heart. I don't know...but I've seen worse teams than this year's Kent, far worse.
DrTorch Wrote:I'm not sure you can put the blame on Pees. Alot of this is because he doesn't get support from higher up. Maybe Kent does deserve better, but it's the admin who's not getting it for them.
I see the administration lack of pressure on Pee's to produce is another sign of there neglect, I'd be very encouraged if I saw any signs of adminstrative dissatisfaction. Everyone seems to be content that someday Pees might bring about a consistantly mediocre program that will at least not embarass the University. There's no expectation that KSU can win.