What I don't like about these threads is that EXPLICITLY forecasts that this season will be hopeless (why worry about replacing a coach if the season goes reasonably well? That would make no sense.).

If the forecast is that the season is hopeless then do we all pack it in and start thinking about basketball?

Why bother to watch during a hopeless season?

Dear steve,
Do you really think (I did at one time), this season has a chance of a winning record? Just looking at the schedule and what our future opponents have accomplished compared to us, I see at least four more losses, if not more. Toledo, Northern Illinois, Bowling Green, Ohio for starters. Everyone in the stands around me at the Ball State game, are calling for Eastern to open up the offense, to do a better job on defense (which is supposed to be English's strength), etc.
You may have a point about watching. If Eastern loses to both Army and Buffalo, there will be 2,000 fans for the next home game. In fact, if that happens, there will be more band members there than fans, since it's band day.
I've said it before, I have been attending Eastern football games since 1960, and was always optimistic about the next coming season, as I was about this one. However, after watching three games this year, we still just can't play a full game. Until that happens, this season will be lost.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/16425...ad-coaches

I do not foresee any circumstances outside of winning all the remaining games that would allow the AD to extend English's contract.
Its not just this year, its the four years plus this year and the resources that were given him. That's my opinion that English isn't the answer for coaching EMU football. Its a legitimate opinion and not mental j***king off as you characterize it. If you think English is the right choice to coach EMU football more power to you.

Me, I've seen enough already. The unknowns that were there at the beginning of the year ie special teams, defensive line offensive line negate most of the progress in other areas. Yes we may beat some weaker MAC teams but we're not at a level of competitive football we all thought we would see after almost five years of English.

Why support the team? Why do any of us after years and years of futile efforts? Because we care and every year we hope we succeed.

(09-23-2013 09:13 AM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear steve,
Do you really think (I did at one time), this season has a chance of a winning record? Just looking at the schedule and what our future opponents have accomplished compared to us, I see at least four more losses, if not more. Toledo, Northern Illinois, Bowling Green, Ohio for starters. Everyone in the stands around me at the Ball State game, are calling for Eastern to open up the offense, to do a better job on defense (which is supposed to be English's strength), etc.
You may have a point about watching. If Eastern loses to both Army and Buffalo, there will be 2,000 fans for the next home game. In fact, if that happens, there will be more band members there than fans, since it's band day.
I've said it before, I have been attending Eastern football games since 1960, and was always optimistic about the next coming season, as I was about this one. However, after watching three games this year, we still just can't play a full game. Until that happens, this season will be lost.

Guys, it is all about the 'psychology of hope'.

Does someone diagnosed with a bad cancer give up and start preparing for death?

Doesn't one hope and pray for something else?

If this season 'is down the toilet' than it probably is foolish to follow the season.

Maybe just tape the games and watch to see how the non-seniors play (i.e., the future of the team 2014 and beyond).

Man, if that is the case, EMU FB would be morbid. And really morbid for the 2013 seniors, especially.

BTW, didn't Hoopster in June 2012, with the Tigers UNDER .500 (I think 6 games) suggest on this board that Dombrowski should start selling off the valuable pieces of his team indicating if you aren't winning time to rebuild?

The Tigers went to the World Series after sweeping the N.Y. Yankees.

There is a time for hope and a time for despair.

Hoopster actually sent me a despair e-mail after the Tigers lost 2 of 3 to the Twins, the opening series of the year.

Yes, there were 159 more games to play. as the Tigers prepare for post season next week.

(For our baseball fans, how does one despair of a team with Cabrera, Prince, Hunter, Jackson, Infante, Peralta, Verlander, Sanchez, Scherzer, Fister, Benoit, etc.. And yet, Hoopster did).

(09-23-2013 10:21 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(09-23-2013 09:13 AM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear steve,
Do you really think (I did at one time), this season has a chance of a winning record? Just looking at the schedule and what our future opponents have accomplished compared to us, I see at least four more losses, if not more. Toledo, Northern Illinois, Bowling Green, Ohio for starters. Everyone in the stands around me at the Ball State game, are calling for Eastern to open up the offense, to do a better job on defense (which is supposed to be English's strength), etc.
You may have a point about watching. If Eastern loses to both Army and Buffalo, there will be 2,000 fans for the next home game. In fact, if that happens, there will be more band members there than fans, since it's band day.
I've said it before, I have been attending Eastern football games since 1960, and was always optimistic about the next coming season, as I was about this one. However, after watching three games this year, we still just can't play a full game. Until that happens, this season will be lost.

Guys, it is all about the 'psychology of hope'.

Does someone diagnosed with a bad cancer give up and start preparing for death?

Doesn't one hope and pray for something else?

If this season 'is down the toilet' than it probably is foolish to follow the season.

Maybe just tape the games and watch to see how the non-seniors play (i.e., the future of the team 2014 and beyond).

Man, if that is the case, EMU FB would be morbid. And really morbid for the 2013 seniors, especially.

BTW, didn't Hoopster in June 2012, with the Tigers UNDER .500 (I think 6 games) suggest on this board that Dombrowski should start selling off the valuable pieces of his team indicating if you aren't winning time to rebuild?

The Tigers went to the World Series after sweeping the N.Y. Yankees.

There is a time for hope and a time for despair.

Hoopster actually sent me a despair e-mail after the Tigers lost 2 of 3 to the Twins, the opening series of the year.

Yes, there were 159 more games to play. as the Tigers prepare for post season next week.

(For our baseball fans, how does one despair of a team with Cabrera, Prince, Hunter, Jackson, Infante, Peralta, Verlander, Sanchez, Scherzer, Fister, Benoit, etc.. And yet, Hoopster did).

Horrible analogy. The Tigers have one of the best rosters in all of baseball. EMU has one of the worst rosters in all of college football. The Tigers have a manager who has won a World Series. EMU has a coach who best’s season as a DC saw his defense implode in the final three games of the season.In no way are the respective teams comparable.

We have seen this before. We know how the script goes. EMU will win a couple of games and you will sing hosannas praising the genius of English and Parrish. Then they will lose games in an uncompetitive fashion and you will issue your usual Panglossian statement about hope, optimism and the foolishness of criticism.

It’s good to be loyal to a team when the road is rough. That is a truest measure of one’s loyalty. But it is quite another to ignore the very obvious just because you don’t like negativity. The truth is that EMU football has been God awful for 20 years. The negativity directed towards the program--like that directed towards the Lions--is well-earned. Until Eastern actually puts a quality product on the field this won’t change.

What about Dino Babers from Eastern Illinois? His team gave the Huskies quite a scare, and the Panthers have been a top 25 FCS team for a few years now. He also has a good background and has been around for a bit.

http://www.eiupanthers.com/staff.aspx?staff=181

Hate to say "I told you so" but I will.

Should have gone with Paul Winters (Wayne State) four years ago.

(09-26-2013 08:42 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  Hate to say "I told you so" but I will.

Should have gone with Paul Winters (Wayne State) four years ago.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

MajorHoople was the only person on the planet who thought that we should have gone with Paul Winters! You get nothing! You Lose! Good day Sir!

Yeah, maybe you guys should have went with Paul Winters too. But he might not have brought his oars with him so there's that.

(09-26-2013 08:42 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  Hate to say "I told you so" but I will.

Should have gone with Paul Winters (Wayne State) four years ago.

Is it too late?
http://wsuathletics.com/coaches.aspx?rc=...h=football

(09-26-2013 08:42 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  Hate to say "I told you so" but I will.

Should have gone with Paul Winters (Wayne State) four years ago.

I'm not a big fan of that kind of statement for the following reason:

You are saying two things:

1). English was not the right choice. You will probably get a lot of support for that statement on this forum.

2). Winters would have been the best choice. That is highly, highly debatable. And, of course, we'll never know.

I have a degree from WSU and have seen WSU play on television and in person (during the Joique Bell era) and I'm not convinced going from D-II to FBS is a good idea.

P.S. I have NO problems with a FCS HC. As fans across the country have learned FCS FB is good football. If a coach can coach in the CAA he can coach in the MAC.

Jim Harkema went from D-II to MAC.

(09-26-2013 09:34 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  Jim Harkema went from D-II to MAC.

GVSU has actually proved to be a cradle of coaches, e.g., Harkema, Brian Kelly and a few more came through there.

I'm not sure about Winters. He's accomplished a lot but hasn't reached the zenith that Kelly had.

(09-26-2013 10:22 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(09-26-2013 09:34 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  Jim Harkema went from D-II to MAC.

GVSU has actually proved to be a cradle of coaches, e.g., Harkema, Brian Kelly and a few more came through there.

I'm not sure about Winters. He's accomplished a lot but hasn't reached the zenith that Kelly had.

Winning at Wayne is a lot harder than at GVSU. Latter has lower admission standards, more schollies, bigger budget, better facilities.

Took Kelly 11 years to get Lakers to D-II NC game. Winters got there in his eighth.

And before he was a "D-II coach" he was assistant at Akron, Toledo, and Wisconsin.

Point is he had rebuilt a downtrodden program, whereas English had never been a head coach.

(09-26-2013 10:35 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(09-26-2013 10:22 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(09-26-2013 09:34 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  Jim Harkema went from D-II to MAC.

GVSU has actually proved to be a cradle of coaches, e.g., Harkema, Brian Kelly and a few more came through there.

I'm not sure about Winters. He's accomplished a lot but hasn't reached the zenith that Kelly had.

Winning at Wayne is a lot harder than at GVSU. Latter has lower admission standards, more schollies, bigger budget, better facilities.

Took Kelly 11 years to get Lakers to D-II NC game. Winters got there in his eighth.

And before he was a "D-II coach" he was assistant at Akron, Toledo, and Wisconsin.

Point is he had rebuilt a downtrodden program, whereas English had never been a head coach.

I don't really care what level a guy coached at previously. If a guy can coach...he can coach..

If EMU makes a change I prefer they get a guy that has experience with building up a struggling program rather than a guy that has only maintained an established program. The EMU job would not be starting at step 1. Resources are in place and enough talent is there to win more games now.

Nine (if my count is correct) coaches have been hired into the MAC since English took over at Eastern. None of them are named Paul Winters. Just saying, EMU isn't the only one to miss on him. OR there have been better candidates, including English at the time.

Maybe this time around, but Winters was not ready four years ago.

(09-26-2013 07:41 PM)TimBuck2 Wrote:  Winters was not ready four years ago.

And English WAS ready? How 'bout Genyk? Woodruff?

When you stop hiring BCS assistants who've never run a program much less rebuilt one and get a guy with background like Harkema's you might have a chance.

Winters turned down Akron job two years ago.

Dear MajorHoople,
I don't think anyone here thinks that English, Genyk, and especially Woodruff, were ready for prime time. Some coaches are happy where they are; example Winters. Most of us here, feel whomever the new coach will be, it should be with head coaching experience. We just hope that the athletic director and board of regents feel the same.

(09-27-2013 07:51 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(09-26-2013 07:41 PM)TimBuck2 Wrote:  Winters was not ready four years ago.

And English WAS ready? How 'bout Genyk? Woodruff?

When you stop hiring BCS assistants who've never run a program much less rebuilt one and get a guy with background like Harkema's you might have a chance.

Winters turned down Akron job two years ago.

Major:

I will have to explain what I have explained before.

English was EMU's first choice.

Genyk and Woodruff were NOT.

EMU has been turned down by a number of candidates the most noteworthy was Brian Kelly.

I believe Genyk was the AD's 3rd choice.

I believe the list was: Kelly (#1), UofM's Fred Jackson (#2) and Genyk was a fall back choice.

Coaches aren't stupid. They favor places were they are more likely to be successful.

No one has labled "EMU, the Cradle of (football) Coaches".

Matter of fact, EMU might be a graveyard...

(09-27-2013 09:04 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(09-27-2013 07:51 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(09-26-2013 07:41 PM)TimBuck2 Wrote:  Winters was not ready four years ago.

And English WAS ready? How 'bout Genyk? Woodruff?

When you stop hiring BCS assistants who've never run a program much less rebuilt one and get a guy with background like Harkema's you might have a chance.

Winters turned down Akron job two years ago.

Major:

I will have to explain what I have explained before.

English was EMU's first choice.

Genyk and Woodruff were NOT.

EMU has been turned down by a number of candidates the most noteworthy was Brian Kelly.

I believe Genyk was the AD's 3rd choice.

I believe the list was: Kelly (#1), UofM's Fred Jackson (#2) and Genyk was a fall back choice.

Coaches aren't stupid. They favor places were they are more likely to be successful.

No one has labled "EMU, the Cradle of (football) Coaches".

Matter of fact, EMU might be a graveyard...

I disagree on the graveyard phrase because you have to be someone first. EMU is a place where if you can't make it here you can't make it anyplace else. I would like our next to come in with one plan and that is to see what he has and build on that and the only plays is nothing but pure fundamentals and basic. I formation , power I, wish bone, option, student body left or right.