(08-10-2021 08:52 AM)emu79 Wrote:  For better or worse CC has been the face of EMU athletics for several years now. I can't think of any recent EMU coach that is so widely respected by his peers his players and by EMU students and,
fans.

I wholeheartedly agree with all of "79's comments! Creighton is and has been a gem.

I really dislike comparing his situation to that of Murphy. Rob had a better W-L record, was a superior recruiter and was not a horrible coach. Murph, however, never adopted EMU as his home, after all he was "recruiting to Afghanistan". His performance was respectable, but after 10 years, I think a change served both the coach and the University. Rob is talented, he will end up just fine.

CC by contrast, has invested himself into the University as a marketer of the program as well as deeply associating himself with EMU and Ypsilanti. Rob and Chris had different approaches, I much prefer that of CC and am willing to compensate him for that.

As far as a contract extension, I would be cautionary as to the dollar amount and length. Dan makes a great point, Chris would be a fool to turn down a Power 5 offer, Buffalo extended and made Nate Oats a 7 figure coach only to see their coach leave for Alabama for a much bigger 7 figures. CMU, by contrast, extended clueless Keno and fortunately had donors ready to open their wallets and negate that mistake.

I would suggest a modest pay bump as Creighton has not won or truly competed for a MAC championship and the money is truly not an issue. EMU is NOT going to compete with Vanderbilt, Kansas St, Nebraska etc...

No need for a beyond 2 year additional commitment either. I know it allegedly helps in recruiting but I will always remember what Lance Leopold said when he was coaching football at Buffalo. "When we were losing, competitors advised recruits that I would be fired and when we started winning, they insisted that I was heading off to a bigger program". The MAC is what it is.