The unofficial online home for fans of the Old Dominion University Monarchs. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

8-1 record, 6-0 in the league, receiving Top 25 votes. I don't mind saying I'm jealous of their success. Can anyone on this Board weigh in as to how they have done it. This is a program that was shut down just a few years ago. What have they done that ODU hasn't?

Easy, they have coaches that can coach and recruit

(11-04-2018 07:42 PM)cmett003 Wrote:  Easy, they have coaches that can coach and recruit

+1

Spent money on legit facilities, hired good coaches. All the press they got for shutting down probably actually helped them too.

(11-04-2018 10:37 PM)monarx Wrote:  Spent money on legit facilities, hired good coaches. All the press they got for shutting down probably actually helped them too.

The only thing I don't agree with you on is the facilities point. From looking at the UAB football complex, outside of the covered field, what they have is not any better than what we have at L. R. Hill. Their stadium will end up being nicer sure but they are not going to own it and it will not be on campus. Those are two big negatives to me. I think the biggest difference between ODU and UAB is we have Bobby and they have Bill Clark.

Bill Clark

(11-04-2018 07:36 PM)NC Monarch Wrote:  8-1 record, 6-0 in the league, receiving Top 25 votes. I don't mind saying I'm jealous of their success. Can anyone on this Board weigh in as to how they have done it. This is a program that was shut down just a few years ago. What have they done that ODU hasn't?

They are an experienced team despite the year off. They were able to keep a few guys on the roster and apparently added some successful JUCO guys (I'm not sure we've been able to do that).

They have also had some really good success and I wonder if the defensive coordinator will be looked at. No denying their defensive ability.

They have also had a favorable schedule. Savannah State, Coastal, Tulane, Charlotte, Rice, UTEP, UTSA. They won the 2 most difficult games on schedule so far tho (@LT and home to North Texas). Im really interested to see how they match up down the stretch (Southern Miss, @tX a&m, @MTSU)

Very successful season. We should be patient to see if they can build off of that with consistency.

Should we take a year off to regroup?

(11-05-2018 07:45 AM)ODU2K1 Wrote:  I think the biggest difference between ODU and UAB is we have Bobby and they have Bill Clark.

And they are in a college football-rich state with an appetite for pushing through challenges where we are in a college football-starved region with very little confidence in our upside. And yes, they have Bill Clark too.

(11-05-2018 10:29 AM)ODUODUODU Wrote:  Should we take a year off to regroup?

Best thing they did was shut down the program and restart it.

Bill Clark and 37 seniors. Oldest team in college football.

(11-05-2018 11:51 AM)DaBigBlue Wrote:  Best thing they did was shut down the program and restart it.

Gave them time to mature while practicing (and did a boatload of scrimmages). It actually worked out perfectly for them.

(11-05-2018 12:05 PM)Gilesfan Wrote:  

(11-05-2018 11:51 AM)DaBigBlue Wrote:  Best thing they did was shut down the program and restart it.

Gave them time to mature while practicing (and did a boatload of scrimmages). It actually worked out perfectly for them.

The risk there would have been that they would take a while to get their sea legs under them after two years of no intercollegiate play and a number of their top players leaving. Fair play to them, they've done far better than I think anyone reasonably could have expected them to given the circumstances. But it could have also turned ugly quickly if they struggled to recruit (as other coaches wondered about their viability to prospects) and the community's interest in the revived team returned to its normal apathy a few games in.

By the way, anyone thinking facilities has had an impact on them winning are clearly overlooking their awful off-campus stadium. Foreman is a beaut compared to that dump.

It is a very old and out-of-date stadium, however to any recruit, the difference between talent and history playing at Foreman Field vs Legion Field is not comparable at all. Legion Field with about 4x the capacity and all of its bowl games (including many high stakes Iron Bowls) is still a much better sale to recruiting football players, IMO. Even as a very old, off-campus dump of a stadium.

(11-05-2018 01:45 PM)FearTheLion Wrote:  It is a very old and out-of-date stadium, however to any recruit, the difference between talent and history playing at Foreman Field vs Legion Field is not comparable at all. Legion Field with about 4x the capacity and all of its bowl games (including many high stakes Iron Bowls) is still a much better sale to recruiting football players, IMO. Even as a very old, off-campus dump of a stadium.

You think Bill Clark is recruiting using the history of the Tide and Barners? And how is a lot of excess capacity a positive?

I've been to games there. It should have been hit with a wrecking ball a decade ago.

(11-05-2018 01:28 PM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  By the way, anyone thinking facilities has had an impact on them winning are clearly overlooking their awful off-campus stadium. Foreman is a beaut compared to that dump.

Yeah, but in addition to the covered practice field, they have a sweet $90million dollar facility coming soon.

https://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2018...ignal.html

(11-05-2018 03:40 PM)monarx Wrote:  

(11-05-2018 01:28 PM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  By the way, anyone thinking facilities has had an impact on them winning are clearly overlooking their awful off-campus stadium. Foreman is a beaut compared to that dump.

Yeah, but in addition to the covered practice field, they have a sweet $90million dollar facility coming soon.

https://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2018...ignal.html

Yes, that is a beautiful facility. But we're talking about why UAB is where they are right now. That facility announced after signing day, had zero impact on the team this year. For the 19 class, sure it will have an impact.

(11-05-2018 01:57 PM)ODUDrunkard13 Wrote:  You think Bill Clark is recruiting using the history of the Tide and Barners? And how is a lot of excess capacity a positive?

I've been to games there. It should have been hit with a wrecking ball a decade ago.

No I don't. I know that stadium well also. Maintenance has been completely ignored for years. But I do think what Coach Clark is able to sell to recruits is working well. And if all he had was our 20k seat stadium about to go to 21k, he'd be working with a lot less than he is right now.