CSNbbs

https://theathletic.com/2291643/2020/12/...-mike-neu/

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Quote:...It took five years for Neu to achieve his first winning season. That kind of time rarely exists in the sport anymore — not when almost half of the 130 FBS head coaches have been hired since the end of the 2018 season. At a time when the pressure to win has never been higher and some recently hired head coaches have been fired after just two seasons, Goetz gave Neu an extension after four losing seasons. She saw progress, and that faith in Neu and the process paid off.

“That was one of my first conversations after the (MAC championship) game,” Neu said. “I thanked her for all sticking with me, because I know she didn’t have to do that.”

Neu didn’t even apply for the Ball State job when it opened after the 2015 season. Two years after a 10-win season, head coach Pete Lembo left to be an assistant at Maryland. It was a shot to the pride of a program that had stumbled to 3-9. Ball State and then-athletic director Mark Sandy wanted someone who loved the place, so school officials turned to Neu, who quarterbacked the Cardinals from 1990-93, winning a MAC title and conference MVP in 1993. By 2015, Neu was the New Orleans Saints’ quarterbacks coach, and he spent 12 years in New Orleans during stints with the Arena Football League, Tulane and the Saints.

Lembo has bounced around to like five special teams coordinator positions since leaving Muncie. Maybe he’s making bank, but I don’t know that it was a great career path for that toolbox.

I'm not sure what happened with Lembo. Maybe some Ball State fans and insiders can give the true story but to me it seemed like he couldn't cut it as a FBS head coach and bailed before he could get fired.

He could not recruit at all. He was always going after FCS players or guys with a lower level FBS offer and a bunch of FCS offers. You can't build a team like that. He brought a decent staff and when some of those guys left, the ones he hired couldn't recruit either. His teams got worse and worse. He saw the writing on the wall and bolted. He could not have left the cupboard more bare.

Rumor has it that he and the staff were on the phone the entire time at the St. Pete bowl years ago because he thought he had the NC State job when they were really wanting Dave Doeren. He thought he had the job and left the team unprepared for UCF and got blasted.

As for coaching style, it's my understanding he's a screamer which is fine and good if your players respect you. It says a lot when you leave an FBS head coaching position for an asst head and special teams coord. The money was probably close or better at Maryland but that spoke volumes.

Same thing happened under Hoke as well, he bumbled around for a few seasons before winning big if I recall.

(12-31-2020 12:17 PM)Love and Honor Wrote: [ -> ]Same thing happened under Hoke as well, he bumbled around for a few seasons before winning big if I recall.

Hopefully the ending is a bit different this time