A total hypothetical, but I wanted to see the opinions of the nation on a Mike Houston revival. I’m not trying to trash Cig, but I have witnessed some questionable coaching decisions made during his tenure (Sam Houston). If Cig doesn’t survive the (B)east division the next couple years and Houston gets the boot from ECU. Would our admin flirt with bringing him back? I mean I know there are some hurt feelings from the way he left and some question marks to what his JMU tenure would’ve have ended up being after all the Withers talent graduated, but his ability to form the cohesiveness of those JMU squads is unquestioned.

No.

Houston gave us a boost, but primarily by fixing a broken Withers defense and locker room cohesion. Trott was a big part of that. He also left us with an OL that couldn't protect DiNucci or run the ball well.

If Houston can't succeed at ECU in a weakened AAC, there is no reason to think he would be more successful at JMU in the SBC.

(08-07-2022 01:40 PM)JMURocks Wrote:  No.

Houston gave us a boost, but primarily by fixing a broken Withers defense and locker room cohesion. Trott was a big part of that. He also left us with an OL that couldn't protect DiNucci or run the ball well.

If Houston can't succeed at ECU in a weakened AAC, there is no reason to think he would be more successful at JMU in the SBC.

Good point. Though I do prefer Houston’s offensive play calling to Cigs, which in my opinion is stubborn and at times out of touch.

(08-07-2022 01:48 PM)Bjmaddy12 Wrote:  

(08-07-2022 01:40 PM)JMURocks Wrote:  No.

Houston gave us a boost, but primarily by fixing a broken Withers defense and locker room cohesion. Trott was a big part of that. He also left us with an OL that couldn't protect DiNucci or run the ball well.

If Houston can't succeed at ECU in a weakened AAC, there is no reason to think he would be more successful at JMU in the SBC.

Good point. Though I do prefer Houston’s offensive play calling to Cigs, which in my opinion is stubborn and at times out of touch.

Yeah, I agree with your take on Cig's stubborn and "out of touch" playcalling. And, I also agree with Rocks on Houston's inability to coach a very talented O-line (Cig took the identical O-line he inherited from Houston and made them super-effective - Nooch is with the Cowboys as a result).

Houston's offensive playcalling was whacky too. The most dangerous offensive weapon we had was Nooch's running ability. He could freeze defenses with it. They had to respect it. Except, Houston made Nooch a pocket passer behind a terrible O-line, so Nooch spent most of his time running for his life in the backfield. Defenses didn't have to respect Nooch's running ability because they knew that Houston wasn't going to use it. He was a sitting duck. With a few designed runs, especially the quarterback draw, Houston's last season would have been a much better one. We should have had a solid RPO offense, but Houston couldn't see it.

Bringing Houston back would be ten steps backwards. He had a very lucky year last year. Most predictions I have seen have ECU finishing in the bottom of their division.

(08-07-2022 02:26 PM)Purple Wrote:  

(08-07-2022 01:48 PM)Bjmaddy12 Wrote:  

(08-07-2022 01:40 PM)JMURocks Wrote:  No.

Houston gave us a boost, but primarily by fixing a broken Withers defense and locker room cohesion. Trott was a big part of that. He also left us with an OL that couldn't protect DiNucci or run the ball well.

If Houston can't succeed at ECU in a weakened AAC, there is no reason to think he would be more successful at JMU in the SBC.

Good point. Though I do prefer Houston’s offensive play calling to Cigs, which in my opinion is stubborn and at times out of touch.

Yeah, I agree with your take on Cig's stubborn and "out of touch" playcalling. And, I also agree with Rocks on Houston's inability to coach a very talented O-line (Cig took the identical O-line he inherited from Houston and made them super-effective - Nooch is with the Cowboys as a result).

Houston's offensive playcalling was whacky too. The most dangerous offensive weapon we had was Nooch's running ability. He could freeze defenses with it. They had to respect it. Except, Houston made Nooch a pocket passer behind a terrible O-line, so Nooch spent most of his time running for his life in the backfield. Defenses didn't have to respect Nooch's running ability because they knew that Houston wasn't going to use it. He was a sitting duck. With a few designed runs, especially the quarterback draw, Houston's last season would have been a much better one. We should have had a solid RPO offense, but Houston couldn't see it.

Bringing Houston back would be ten steps backwards. He had a very lucky year last year. Most predictions I have seen have ECU finishing in the bottom of their division.

Absolutely not. I agree Cig has had some questionable coaching decisions, but overall I think he’s a better coach than Houston. Houston was the right guy for the job at the time and imo inherited a more talented roster. Cig has dealt with a lot in terms of transfer portal, stars transferring due to no fall season because of Covid. The last season of Houston was almost equivalent to the Wither’s seasons. Cignetti hasn’t had that. Cignetti should be more risky on offensive play calling and take a few more chances/trickery, but I remember Houston kicking field goals from the 2 or 3 yard line many times. Cignetti is the right guy for now and the grass ain't always greener on the other side. Cignetti should be given at least 3 seasons in the FBS to see what he can do, unless the second season goes horribly wrong and we end up 3-9 or worse. I also think Cignetti is a very underrated recruiter, especially when it comes to QBs. He recruited Davis Cheek to Elon, Billy Atkins and Alonzo Barrett to JMU. Those guys are battling a 5th year FBS starter as R-Freshman and true freshman. Cignetti is a QB whisperer. Look at Cheek’s production as a freshman compared to the second half of his career. Look at DiNucci’s and Cole’s stats with the previous coaching staff versus with Cig. Coach Cig gets more hate than he deserves imo. He’s not perfect, but he is good.

(08-07-2022 02:50 PM)Jmufan2018 Wrote:  Cignetti is the right guy for now and the grass ain't always greener on the other side. Cignetti should be given at least 3 seasons in the FBS to see what he can do, unless the second season goes horribly wrong and we end up 3-9 or worse.

Completely agree, and we may be lucky to keep him this long. Highly successful G5 coaches are hunted by the P5. See Louisiana.

(08-07-2022 02:59 PM)JMURocks Wrote:  

(08-07-2022 02:50 PM)Jmufan2018 Wrote:  Cignetti is the right guy for now and the grass ain't always greener on the other side. Cignetti should be given at least 3 seasons in the FBS to see what he can do, unless the second season goes horribly wrong and we end up 3-9 or worse.

Completely agree, and we may be lucky to keep him this long. Highly successful G5 coaches are hunted by the P5. See Louisiana.

Agree, Cig is the right man, and he’s in the right place at the right time at JMU. Cig is 61, however, and I doubt he’s going anywhere, even if he knocks it out of the park in the SBC.

The premise of the “hypothetical” is, to put it mildly, off-base.

(08-07-2022 03:11 PM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(08-07-2022 02:59 PM)JMURocks Wrote:  

(08-07-2022 02:50 PM)Jmufan2018 Wrote:  Cignetti is the right guy for now and the grass ain't always greener on the other side. Cignetti should be given at least 3 seasons in the FBS to see what he can do, unless the second season goes horribly wrong and we end up 3-9 or worse.

Completely agree, and we may be lucky to keep him this long. Highly successful G5 coaches are hunted by the P5. See Louisiana.

Agree, Cig is the right man, and he’s in the right place at the right time at JMU. Cig is 61, however, and I doubt he’s going anywhere, even if he knocks it out of the park in the SBC.

The premise of the “hypothetical” is, to put it mildly, off-base.

I like Cig, but to say it’s an off base hypothetical is a stretch. We are all in off season heaven where the hopes are sky high. Let’s not forget our sentiments following the SHSU & NDSU games toward the playcalling. There’s evidence that during the biggest games we stalled due to ineffective Offensive playcalling which we all know is run by Cig. I love Cigs devotion to the university and his ability to recruit, but almost every game is going to be a big game and I hope we are able to start winning these games or we will be searching for a new HC.

I'm probably one of the bigger "Houston > Cignetti" believers here(though obviously hope to change my mind) but it's still a no from me. I think Houston is going to turn the corner at ECU, but like JMURocks said if he can't succeed at ECU in a weakened AAC then I'm wrong about him and he isn't the guy for a G5 job. If Cignetti isn't successful then let's grab someone we wouldn't have been able to hire as a CAA program.

The guy that I would like to see return of his position opens up though is Bob Trott. I also think that if the turnaround at ECU falls flat then not being more patient with Trott will be a big part of why.

(08-07-2022 05:22 PM)KickItToScotty Wrote:  I'm probably one of the bigger "Houston > Cignetti" believers here(though obviously hope to change my mind) but it's still a no from me. I think Houston is going to turn the corner at ECU, but like JMURocks said if he can't succeed at ECU in a weakened AAC then I'm wrong about him and he isn't the guy for a G5 job. If Cignetti isn't successful then let's grab someone we wouldn't have been able to hire as a CAA program.

The guy that I would like to see return of his position opens up though is Bob Trott. I also think that if the turnaround at ECU falls flat then not being more patient with Trott will be a big part of why.

Trott was a great coach with a wealth of experience. We were fortunate to have him. FWIW, he is 68 now, and not sure what his desire/drive for coaching is going forward.

Houston's coaching ability became crystal clear in his last year at JMU. The offensive line was screwed up, the playcalling was screwed up, and the biggest head-scratcher of all was forcing a very good dual-threat quarterback to become a pocket passer behind a line that was so poorly coached. For that reason, I predicted when Houston left that he was going to suck at ECU. So far, he has (14-19 overall), and this year, I believe, is not going to be a lot better for ECU.

The Pirates have a schedule front-loaded with cupcakes. The second half of the season is going to be brutal. Overall, their schedule is pretty easy with a lot of teams that had horrible records last year.

I wish Houston well, but I just don't see him turning ECU around. I expect they will finish around .500 this season.

(08-07-2022 08:04 PM)Purple Wrote:  Houston's coaching ability became crystal clear in his last year at JMU. The offensive line was screwed up, the playcalling was screwed up, and the biggest head-scratcher of all was forcing a very good dual-threat quarterback to become a pocket passer behind a line that was so poorly coached. For that reason, I predicted when Houston left that he was going to suck at ECU. So far, he has (14-19 overall), and this year, I believe, is not going to be a lot better for ECU.

The Pirates have a schedule front-loaded with cupcakes. The second half of the season is going to be brutal. Overall, their schedule is pretty easy with a lot of teams that had horrible records last year.

I wish Houston well, but I just don't see him turning ECU around. I expect they will finish around .500 this season.

Houston is a great leader, but an average coach. He was perfect for us when we had a very talented roster and the locker room was disconnected. He is a player’s coach. He can recruit and build a roster, but the roster development lacks for my liking. To be fair, the ECU team he inherited was awful. He has improved the team and roster to be somewhat respectable.

(08-07-2022 03:44 PM)Bjmaddy12 Wrote:  

(08-07-2022 03:11 PM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(08-07-2022 02:59 PM)JMURocks Wrote:  

(08-07-2022 02:50 PM)Jmufan2018 Wrote:  Cignetti is the right guy for now and the grass ain't always greener on the other side. Cignetti should be given at least 3 seasons in the FBS to see what he can do, unless the second season goes horribly wrong and we end up 3-9 or worse.

Completely agree, and we may be lucky to keep him this long. Highly successful G5 coaches are hunted by the P5. See Louisiana.

Agree, Cig is the right man, and he’s in the right place at the right time at JMU. Cig is 61, however, and I doubt he’s going anywhere, even if he knocks it out of the park in the SBC.

The premise of the “hypothetical” is, to put it mildly, off-base.

I like Cig, but to say it’s an off base hypothetical is a stretch. We are all in off season heaven where the hopes are sky high. Let’s not forget our sentiments following the SHSU & NDSU games toward the playcalling. There’s evidence that during the biggest games we stalled due to ineffective Offensive playcalling which we all know is run by Cig. I love Cigs devotion to the university and his ability to recruit, but almost every game is going to be a big game and I hope we are able to start winning these games or we will be searching for a new HC.

My point stands. This topic is not only off-base, it’s completely absurd to suggest Cig doesn’t win big games. Yeah, Cig isn’t “undefeated”…deal with it.

One day, when Cig retires, or after 3-4 years of sub-par seasons, and then Cig “retires” JMU will search for a new HC. That’s not this year, or the next, or any of the next 3-4 seasons. In any case, Cig’s replacement will not be Mike Houston. Nor will it be MM, Everett Withers, Bob Trott or Rip Scherer. In the meantime, please, just stop with the inane hypotheticals.

The next HC of JMU FB is out there in the great unknown. Let’s just hope they’ll keep the program moving forward.

Let's not forget that Cignetti actually beat Houston when Elon came to JMU. So... scoreboard.
Cignetti also broke down (not sure if it was after he was hired or before) that game and his strategy, which obviously worked!
While I was a huge fan of Houston at the time, the way he left really left a sour taste. The way I see it, he doesn't deserve us again. His loss, not ours.
There are plenty of coaches as good or better than him out there. He's no hall of famer at this point.
In regards to wanting Cignetti gone, be careful what you wish for. The grass always look greener on the other side. And then when you get there, it's a lawn full of crab grass and ticks.
Cignetti actually wants to be here. He's saying the right things and appears to be doing the right things.
But, sure, let's talk about bringing in another guy who didn't want us.

(08-08-2022 07:09 AM)JMad03 Wrote:  Let's not forget that Cignetti actually beat Houston when Elon came to JMU. So... scoreboard.
Cignetti also broke down (not sure if it was after he was hired or before) that game and his strategy, which obviously worked!
While I was a huge fan of Houston at the time, the way he left really left a sour taste. The way I see it, he doesn't deserve us again. His loss, not ours.
There are plenty of coaches as good or better than him out there. He's no hall of famer at this point.
In regards to wanting Cignetti gone, be careful what you wish for. The grass always look greener on the other side. And then when you get there, it's a lawn full of crab grass and ticks.
Cignetti actually wants to be here. He's saying the right things and appears to be doing the right things.
But, sure, let's talk about bringing in another guy who didn't want us.

Some people don’t realize how fortunate we are to have had multiple consecutive coaches in a row that all move the program forward. Who’s the last coach we had that didn’t make a positive impact? It was before Mickey, so it predates me. These folks will be crying for a Cignetti caliber coach to come to JMU after eventually one of the new coaching hires goes 3-9 in their first year and 2-10 in their second year. Be thankful we have a quality coach. He’s not perfect, but who is? Hindsight in tight games is always 20/20 and we could have won a couple of the games we lost, but we also could have lost a few of the games we won. Sometimes, you just get beat, but 33-5 isn’t even close to a fireable record, or even one that deserves a “warm seat.” As long as Cignetti doesn’t take a job elsewhere he’s going to be here for a few years. Get over yourselves.

(08-08-2022 07:41 AM)Jmufan2018 Wrote:  

(08-08-2022 07:09 AM)JMad03 Wrote:  Let's not forget that Cignetti actually beat Houston when Elon came to JMU. So... scoreboard.
Cignetti also broke down (not sure if it was after he was hired or before) that game and his strategy, which obviously worked!
While I was a huge fan of Houston at the time, the way he left really left a sour taste. The way I see it, he doesn't deserve us again. His loss, not ours.
There are plenty of coaches as good or better than him out there. He's no hall of famer at this point.
In regards to wanting Cignetti gone, be careful what you wish for. The grass always look greener on the other side. And then when you get there, it's a lawn full of crab grass and ticks.
Cignetti actually wants to be here. He's saying the right things and appears to be doing the right things.
But, sure, let's talk about bringing in another guy who didn't want us.

Some people don’t realize how fortunate we are to have had multiple consecutive coaches in a row that all move the program forward. Who’s the last coach we had that didn’t make a positive impact? It was before Mickey, so it predates me. These folks will be crying for a Cignetti caliber coach to come to JMU after eventually one of the new coaching hires goes 3-9 in their first year and 2-10 in their second year. Be thankful we have a quality coach. He’s not perfect, but who is? Hindsight in tight games is always 20/20 and we could have won a couple of the games we lost, but we also could have lost a few of the games we won. Sometimes, you just get beat, but 33-5 isn’t even close to a fireable record, or even one that deserves a “warm seat.” As long as Cignetti doesn’t take a job elsewhere he’s going to be here for a few years. Get over yourselves.

Another thing that people probably don't consider is when a guy gets fired with a good record... that isn't a good selling point to bring in the next guy.
Good news is that our admin is smart enough to know that.

Side note, I have definitely been extremely critical of Withers, but there's not doubt that he did a lot of good things for JMU. He certainly left at the perfect time as I think his stock would have fallen significantly had he stayed. Texas State did us a HUGE favor.
We have been lucky.

(08-08-2022 07:41 AM)Jmufan2018 Wrote:  

(08-08-2022 07:09 AM)JMad03 Wrote:  Let's not forget that Cignetti actually beat Houston when Elon came to JMU. So... scoreboard.
Cignetti also broke down (not sure if it was after he was hired or before) that game and his strategy, which obviously worked!
While I was a huge fan of Houston at the time, the way he left really left a sour taste. The way I see it, he doesn't deserve us again. His loss, not ours.
There are plenty of coaches as good or better than him out there. He's no hall of famer at this point.
In regards to wanting Cignetti gone, be careful what you wish for. The grass always look greener on the other side. And then when you get there, it's a lawn full of crab grass and ticks.
Cignetti actually wants to be here. He's saying the right things and appears to be doing the right things.
But, sure, let's talk about bringing in another guy who didn't want us.

Some people don’t realize how fortunate we are to have had multiple consecutive coaches in a row that all move the program forward. Who’s the last coach we had that didn’t make a positive impact? It was before Mickey, so it predates me. These folks will be crying for a Cignetti caliber coach to come to JMU after eventually one of the new coaching hires goes 3-9 in their first year and 2-10 in their second year. Be thankful we have a quality coach. He’s not perfect, but who is? Hindsight in tight games is always 20/20 and we could have won a couple of the games we lost, but we also could have lost a few of the games we won. Sometimes, you just get beat, but 33-5 isn’t even close to a fireable record, or even one that deserves a “warm seat.” As long as Cignetti doesn’t take a job elsewhere he’s going to be here for a few years. Get over yourselves.

Alex Wood. His name was Alex Wood.

lol houston will not be welcomed back due to his personal indiscretions

I don't even understand the premise of this post.

Should we extend this inane post to multiple choice and add it:
- Rip Schrer
- MM
- EW

Why on god's green earth would JMU even remotely consider this......unless there is some huge Houston man-crush.