(10-31-2024 12:31 PM)Pan95 Wrote:  I may be in the minority, but of the purported $150-200 million to be allocated for facilities, I would rather put that money towards the program w.r.t. to coaching, support personnel, player academic support, as well as anciliary programs (e.g., the MOB) and then use a portion of those funds to support the Olympic sports. The facilities, while not state of the art, are fine. Between HRS and Tudor, I would upgrade Tudor (and parking) so that Tudor could also be used as a venue.

On the other hand, if we insist in using those funds for HRS, then we should emulate what Cypress Fairbanks ISD has done with the Berry Center

The Berry Center

My wife and I have watched several concerts there (Third Day, Switchfoot, Jeremy Camp, etc.). And the football stadium is more in line with the calls to downsize HRS.

Just my thoughts.

Curiously, the Berry Center website says that one of the their first aid stations is located "inside of Arena West Vomitory". I'm not sure what to make of that.

See https://www.berrycenter.net/a-z --> First Aid

(11-03-2024 08:02 AM)georgewebb Wrote:  Curiously, the Berry Center website says that one of the their first aid stations is located "inside of Arena West Vomitory". I'm not sure what to make of that.

First time I ever saw the term vomitory was the first year that the SWC basketball tournament was played at Reunion Arena in Dallas. The arena guide referenced the term in describing where several things were located. Turns out it’s the place where you enter the arena from under the stands.

I always thought that it was theater slang for runways under the audiences where actors could gain access to the stage (the Alley Theater has a couple). I was told the name came from a place where actors could run to if stomach or nerves got to them. Apparently I was about half right.

From Wikipedia "A vomitorium is a passage situated below or behind a tier of seats in an amphitheatre or a stadium through which large crowds can exit rapidly at the end of an event. They can also be pathways for actors to enter and leave stage.[1] The Latin word vomitorium, plural vomitoria, derives from the verb vomō, vomere, "to spew forth". In ancient Roman architecture, vomitoria were designed to provide rapid egress for large crowds at amphitheatres and stadia, as they do in modern sports stadia and large theatres."

Come to think of it, that all rings a bell from my Latin classes years ago -- but I had no idea the word was still in use in the theater world. Neat to know!

(11-03-2024 08:21 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  

(11-03-2024 08:02 AM)georgewebb Wrote:  Curiously, the Berry Center website says that one of the their first aid stations is located "inside of Arena West Vomitory". I'm not sure what to make of that.

First time I ever saw the term vomitory was the first year that the SWC basketball tournament was played at Reunion Arena in Dallas. The arena guide referenced the term in describing where several things were located. Turns out it’s the place where you enter the arena from under the stands.

The Summit used the term.

If Alamar wants to stay on the new staff at Rice, he should absolutely be retained.

At first I was put off by his stint at Stanford, but after learning that he was a head coach in MEXICAN college football, I want him retained. Guys like Bloomgren who started out with NFL assistant/support roles that they didn’t deserve whatsoever are usually soft, but someone who went down to Mexico to pursue their dream, now that’s rare.

(11-03-2024 06:11 PM)OwlWKIF Wrote:  If Alamar wants to stay on the new staff at Rice, he should absolutely be retained.

At first I was put off by his stint at Stanford, but after learning that he was a head coach in MEXICAN college football, I want him retained. Guys like Bloomgren who started out with NFL assistant/support roles that they didn’t deserve whatsoever are usually soft, but someone who went down to Mexico to pursue their dream, now that’s rare.

My hesitation is that he was the position coach of a unit that has been a complete train wreck this year (special teams).

(11-03-2024 06:13 PM)Rice93 Wrote:  

(11-03-2024 06:11 PM)OwlWKIF Wrote:  If Alamar wants to stay on the new staff at Rice, he should absolutely be retained.

At first I was put off by his stint at Stanford, but after learning that he was a head coach in MEXICAN college football, I want him retained. Guys like Bloomgren who started out with NFL assistant/support roles that they didn’t deserve whatsoever are usually soft, but someone who went down to Mexico to pursue their dream, now that’s rare.

My hesitation is that he was the position coach of a unit that has been a complete train wreck this year (special teams).

Special teams hasn’t been great, but most G5 teams have pretty crappy special teams. Straight up, there’s only so many ‘lights out’ punters and kickers in the world, and they are recruited by P5 teams early or portal to the P5 after their freshman year. I don’t think we have the personnel to have an impressive special teams showing week after week. When it comes down to punting and kicking, the players have to execute - a lot of the blame should be on them.

I feel like our return defense has been fine, and Jackson did run one back against UConn, but special teams definitely doesn’t stand out, you’re right.

I do not want Rice to hire anybody's offensive cooordinator. Defensive coaches have done better at Rice since Neely. Consider the coaches that have been hired from offensive backgrounds:

Bo Hagan 12-27-1
Bill Peterson 3-7-1
Al Conover 14-28-2, 1 .500 season
Homer Rice 4-18-0
Watson Brown 4-18-0
Jerry Berndt 6-27-0
Mike Bloomgren 22-46-0, 2 bowls
TOTALS 65-171-4 0.279

Compare coaches from defensive backgrounds:
Fred Goldsmith 23-31-0 2 6-win seasons (first winning seasons in 28 years)
Todd Graham 7-6-0, 1 bowl, 1 7-win season
David Bailiff 57-80-0, 1 conference championship, 4 bowls, 2 10-win seasons
TOTALS 87-117-0 0.426,

While neither group set the world on fire, one is clearly better than the other.


I excluded Ray Alborn and Ken Hatfield from this list because both had backgrounds on both sides of the ball before becoming head coaches. While Hatfield is mostly associated with the flexbone triple option, he actually had more year as a defensive assistant (7) than as an offensive assistant (4).
Alborn 13-53-0 .197, 1 5-win season (only one between 1973 and 1990)
Hatfield 55-78-1 .414, 1 conference co-championship, 1 8- win season, 2 7-win seasons

I prefer defensive minded coaches.

Shannon Dawson, OC at Miami, expressing interest.

Sent from my Pixel 8a using Tapatalk

(11-07-2024 11:17 AM)loki_the_bubba Wrote:  Shannon Dawson, OC at Miami, expressing interest.

Bring on the convicts?

Bill Clark (who retired from UAB due to back problems) also in the mix.

(11-07-2024 12:48 PM)NYNightOwl Wrote:  Bill Clark (who retired from UAB due to back problems) also in the mix.

If we landed Bill Clark I would be absolutely ecstatic. Jacked! Where did you hear this? That guy can flat out coach. He has every bit of his act together. I hope this is true. He'd probably stay long term and make Rice his last coaching stop.

Here we go...

https://www.on3.com/news/rice-head-coach...on-dawson/

(11-07-2024 01:15 PM)Ourland Wrote:  

(11-07-2024 12:48 PM)NYNightOwl Wrote:  Bill Clark (who retired from UAB due to back problems) also in the mix.

If we landed Bill Clark I would be absolutely ecstatic. Jacked! Where did you hear this? That guy can flat out coach. He has every bit of his act together. I hope this is true. He'd probably stay long term and make Rice his last coaching stop.

Here we go...

https://www.on3.com/news/rice-head-coach...on-dawson/

https://x.com/PeteNakos_/status/1853883607355388006

I expect ECU to go after him hard.

I too like the Mexico stint by Alamo mentioned by OwlWKIF. Anything unconventional about a coach can be an advantage at Rice. He's different from the impression Bloomgren (and our former AD) gave. Not every scheme works here, experience plus a willingness to adapt can go a long way. Something to consider in the coach search. Young coaches bring some advantages, but veteran coaches that have a shorter learning curve have seen enough to know how to problem solve for different situations vs a young coach learning in the process. The problem with veteran coaches is usually they've lost a step, or have failed somewhere else, but a career assistant who is finally gets his shot could be (in a dream scenario) football's version of WG (already a great veteran manager but at Rice he finally coached at highest level).

Special teams looked very good under Alamar as HC and glimpses like the Uconn TD return had been seen with him as a ST coach. @Memphis is a great/tough test for this team under Alamo. Saw improved discipline with penalties and good execution overall in all phases vs Navy. It will take a similar effort.

The NCAA-provided team statistics shed some light on where the program is this season. Regarding our current strengths, we are 23rd in total defense, 37th in first down defense, 7th in kickoff returns, 7th in passing yards allowed, 10th in sacks allowed, 11th in total sacks, and 14th in total TFLs.

Yes, Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon, etc. are going up against notably tougher competition than us, but they are also much more talented than the teams they face each week and have overflowing NIL.

Moral of the story? Brian Smith is not the problem. Pete Alamar is not the problem.

Because the defense looks good under Brian Smith, I don’t think Rice should have an obsession with hiring a defensive-minded HC. Especially nowadays, the HC is a CEO (see Ryan Day reluctantly giving up playcalling), fundraiser, and promoter, not the chief-OC.

Perhaps the new coach retains Brian Smith and John Kay.

or perhaps the new coach IS Brian Smith or John Kay

It's all about putting together a great team... and I don't think we need to be 'married' to the idea that a HC can't mostly be a position coach who also handles 'the big picture' and gives a lot of free reign to his coordinators.... within his structure.