You all are my sleeper pick for the East this year. How do you feel things are going with your new coach? Just from looking on 24/7 sports it looks like you have picked up some nice transfers, QB (Mack) and RB (Slade).

Also saw some pictures of your renovated stadium and it looks great. I’m glad you all didn’t over expand, it seems like 22-23K is about the right size.

(06-24-2021 02:13 PM)HTOWN_HERD Wrote:  You all are my sleeper pick for the East this year. How do you feel things are going with your new coach? Just from looking on 24/7 sports it looks like you have picked up some nice transfers, QB (Mack) and RB (Slade).

Also saw some pictures of your renovated stadium and it looks great. I’m glad you all didn’t over expand, it seems like 22-23K is about the right size.

They ain't goin from no football to championship in one year. Who do you think they are, UAB?

(06-24-2021 02:13 PM)HTOWN_HERD Wrote:  You all are my sleeper pick for the East this year. How do you feel things are going with your new coach? Just from looking on 24/7 sports it looks like you have picked up some nice transfers, QB (Mack) and RB (Slade).

Also saw some pictures of your renovated stadium and it looks great. I’m glad you all didn’t over expand, it seems like 22-23K is about the right size.

Well, Slade’s not on the team anymore. No official explanation. Overall our roster will be much improved but young. Still remains to be seen if Rahne can coach in game. We’re cautiously optimistic but not expecting huge gains in year 1. Maybe ‘22 is a more realistic year for a sleeper pick but we’ll see.

Slade left school, plenty of young kids and transfers, very little OL DL depth/known quantities...Mack will probably lead in rushing and passing (see Tarkenton, Fran). 10 returning starters from 2019. New QB, new coaching staff, hopefully 4 wins this year. Recruiting at the highest level in school history (having a P5 coach is so different).
Legitimately 2 years away from division winning level.

I think we will be better, but so will everyone else so it may not translate into more Ws. I anticipate three wins this year. Two of them in CUSA. More than that and Ill feel we are ahead of schedule. 2022 is when I think we make the jump. Just my opinion.

(06-24-2021 02:13 PM)HTOWN_HERD Wrote:  You all are my sleeper pick for the East this year.

Do you mean you saw them winning the East in a dream? No offense ODU but realistically that's the only possibility for 2021.

I thought the stadium was pretty much NEW-- not "renovated".

(06-24-2021 04:02 PM)Dusky Wrote:  

(06-24-2021 02:13 PM)HTOWN_HERD Wrote:  You all are my sleeper pick for the East this year.

Do you mean you saw them winning the East in a dream? No offense ODU but realistically that's the only possibility for 2021.

No, it was a poor choice of words. I meant I saw them as being the most improved, and was gauging their feelings about the Coach Rahnes. Also wanted to congratulate them on their stadium renovation. It’s the first I really had seen pictures of it and it looks great. Them being the most improved is strictly a gut feeling I have.

I would guess the East title will actually come down to Marshall and FAU. However, if WKU’s new offense pans out then they maybe tough to stop.

(06-24-2021 04:20 PM)TOPSTRAIGHT Wrote:  I thought the stadium was pretty much NEW-- not "renovated".

Is it? I know it had a makeover but didn’t think they completely rebuilt it?

(06-24-2021 04:23 PM)HTOWN_HERD Wrote:  

(06-24-2021 04:02 PM)Dusky Wrote:  

(06-24-2021 02:13 PM)HTOWN_HERD Wrote:  You all are my sleeper pick for the East this year.

Do you mean you saw them winning the East in a dream? No offense ODU but realistically that's the only possibility for 2021.

No, it was a poor choice of words. I meant I saw them as being the most improved, and was gauging their feelings about the Coach Rahnes. Also wanted to congratulate them on their stadium renovation. It’s the first I really had seen pictures of it and it looks great. Them being the most improved is strictly a gut feeling I have.

I would guess the East title will actually come down to Marshall and FAU. However, if WKU’s new offense pans out then they maybe tough to stop.

I understand, my attempt at humor.

I agree with the whole last sentence.

Both sidelines rebuilt (most seats are chairbacks); added elevators and concessions; added a huge press box, TV loves their new open air box with adjoining open air camera area; a few suites; coaches boxes and a preferred donor seating/hospitality area. The opposite side has space for expansion. New LED lighting is nice addition with a better scoreboard and ribbon panels. There is only 12 feet of space between seats and the sidelines of the field in the corners, maybe 30 feet at midfield between seats and the playing surface. Season tickets are as low as 99 bucks for 6 games on the sidelines.
The north end is still early 1980s aluminum erector set benches, money is tight with Virginia's restrictions on tax dollars for college athletics.
I'm on the field post-game and can attest that the place is extremely loud with the very tight configuration. The top rows of seats might be only 80 feet from the sideline, very vertical design.

After a winless 2020, will Ricky Rahne's seat heat up if he doesn't make a big jump in the W column this season?

(06-24-2021 05:22 PM)HeadsetGuy Wrote:  Both sidelines rebuilt (most seats are chairbacks); added elevators and concessions; added a huge press box, TV loves their new open air box with adjoining open air camera area; a few suites; coaches boxes and a preferred donor seating/hospitality area. The opposite side has space for expansion. New LED lighting is nice addition with a better scoreboard and ribbon panels. There is only 12 feet of space between seats and the sidelines of the field in the corners, maybe 30 feet at midfield between seats and the playing surface. Season tickets are as low as 99 bucks for 6 games on the sidelines.
The north end is still early 1980s aluminum erector set benches, money is tight with Virginia's restrictions on tax dollars for college athletics.
I'm on the field post-game and can attest that the place is extremely loud with the very tight configuration. The top rows of seats might be only 80 feet from the sideline, very vertical design.

Definitely my top contender for the annual away game in 2023.

Father of a kid on our baseball team went to Penn and is a big fan. He said "you guys should be really excited about your future with Rhane." Easy to say but that gives me optimism.

In my opinion the biggest problems with 1st time coaches is their lack of willingness to trust the people they hire. Want to put their nose into every part of the game instead delegating. When they do that and dont change it can be a train wreck.

You can usually look at the staff they hired to see if they are a control freak. If they hired young asst coaches. And coaches that moving up from FCS or lower. They are looking for yes men and going to try and control everything.

I knew from the get go that was going to be the case with "boy idiot" when Western hired him. Didnt make many older hires with a lot of experience. Other than his father. He dreamed his "plan" for the previous 8 years and wasnt going to let anyone say this might not work or this might work better.

If the head coch doesnt learn to trust their staff its going to cause a lot of problems. That's going to trickle down to players. Most first time coaches will cost their team 2 to 3 losses by their game calling...

Willie T
Brohm
Boy Idiot
Helton

Everyone should have won 1 to 3 more games if not for rookie mistakes. Those that hire good staffs and learn to trust them the quickest will grow out of it with the least damage. Those that dont runs a program into the ground.

(06-24-2021 04:23 PM)HTOWN_HERD Wrote:  I would guess the East title will actually come down to Marshall and FAU. However, if WKU’s new offense pans out then they maybe tough to stop.

If Huff has the new guys ready and the old guys buy in to the new coach then we may be there. We lost a lot of skill guys and an all-American lineman. And we don't know what our D looks like without Beckett. I also am hoping Cramsey is a different guy under Huff than he was with Doc. He wasn't impressive as an OC under Doc, for certain. I think Huff will make our players better than they were, but until we've seen the plan and gameday coaching, I'm not crowning us anything. Not in year one. And I am a full supporter of the regime change and behind Huff, all the way. But I am realistic.

(06-25-2021 04:32 AM)MUther Wrote:  

(06-24-2021 04:23 PM)HTOWN_HERD Wrote:  I would guess the East title will actually come down to Marshall and FAU. However, if WKU’s new offense pans out then they maybe tough to stop.

If Huff has the new guys ready and the old guys buy in to the new coach then we may be there. We lost a lot of skill guys and an all-American lineman. And we don't know what our D looks like without Beckett. I also am hoping Cramsey is a different guy under Huff than he was with Doc. He wasn't impressive as an OC under Doc, for certain. I think Huff will make our players better than they were, but until we've seen the plan and gameday coaching, I'm not crowning us anything. Not in year one. And I am a full supporter of the regime change and behind Huff, all the way. But I am realistic.

I’m glad Huff retained Cramsey. I wish he’d have gone after Heater for DC.

(06-24-2021 09:57 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  In my opinion the biggest problems with 1st time coaches is their lack of willingness to trust the people they hire. Want to put their nose into every part of the game instead delegating. When they do that and dont change it can be a train wreck.

You can usually look at the staff they hired to see if they are a control freak. If they hired young asst coaches. And coaches that moving up from FCS or lower. They are looking for yes men and going to try and control everything.

I knew from the get go that was going to be the case with "boy idiot" when Western hired him. Didnt make many older hires with a lot of experience. Other than his father. He dreamed his "plan" for the previous 8 years and wasnt going to let anyone say this might not work or this might work better.

If the head coch doesnt learn to trust their staff its going to cause a lot of problems. That's going to trickle down to players. Most first time coaches will cost their team 2 to 3 losses by their game calling...

Willie T
Brohm
Boy Idiot
Helton

Everyone should have won 1 to 3 more games if not for rookie mistakes. Those that hire good staffs and learn to trust them the quickest will grow out of it with the least damage. Those that dont runs a program into the ground.

Well we'll have one of if not the youngest overall coaching staffs in the country. Rahne is only 40 yo himself though. He's definitely smart and seems humble when you hear him speak but I have no insights into how he runs the program as far as micromanaging.

2 to 3 losses due to game calling will be an improvement from Wilder.

(06-25-2021 09:14 AM)mturn017 Wrote:  

(06-24-2021 09:57 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  In my opinion the biggest problems with 1st time coaches is their lack of willingness to trust the people they hire. Want to put their nose into every part of the game instead delegating. When they do that and dont change it can be a train wreck.

You can usually look at the staff they hired to see if they are a control freak. If they hired young asst coaches. And coaches that moving up from FCS or lower. They are looking for yes men and going to try and control everything.

I knew from the get go that was going to be the case with "boy idiot" when Western hired him. Didnt make many older hires with a lot of experience. Other than his father. He dreamed his "plan" for the previous 8 years and wasnt going to let anyone say this might not work or this might work better.

If the head coch doesnt learn to trust their staff its going to cause a lot of problems. That's going to trickle down to players. Most first time coaches will cost their team 2 to 3 losses by their game calling...

Willie T
Brohm
Boy Idiot
Helton

Everyone should have won 1 to 3 more games if not for rookie mistakes. Those that hire good staffs and learn to trust them the quickest will grow out of it with the least damage. Those that dont runs a program into the ground.

Well we'll have one of if not the youngest overall coaching staffs in the country. Rahne is only 40 yo himself though. He's definitely smart and seems humble when you hear him speak but I have no insights into how he runs the program as far as micromanaging.

2 to 3 losses due to game calling will be an improvement from Wilder.

No kidding. Wilder would go for it on 4th and 42 in the first quarter.

(06-25-2021 01:32 PM)THUNDERStruck73 Wrote:  

(06-25-2021 09:14 AM)mturn017 Wrote:  

(06-24-2021 09:57 PM)WKUYG Wrote:  In my opinion the biggest problems with 1st time coaches is their lack of willingness to trust the people they hire. Want to put their nose into every part of the game instead delegating. When they do that and dont change it can be a train wreck.

You can usually look at the staff they hired to see if they are a control freak. If they hired young asst coaches. And coaches that moving up from FCS or lower. They are looking for yes men and going to try and control everything.

I knew from the get go that was going to be the case with "boy idiot" when Western hired him. Didnt make many older hires with a lot of experience. Other than his father. He dreamed his "plan" for the previous 8 years and wasnt going to let anyone say this might not work or this might work better.

If the head coch doesnt learn to trust their staff its going to cause a lot of problems. That's going to trickle down to players. Most first time coaches will cost their team 2 to 3 losses by their game calling...

Willie T
Brohm
Boy Idiot
Helton

Everyone should have won 1 to 3 more games if not for rookie mistakes. Those that hire good staffs and learn to trust them the quickest will grow out of it with the least damage. Those that dont runs a program into the ground.

Well we'll have one of if not the youngest overall coaching staffs in the country. Rahne is only 40 yo himself though. He's definitely smart and seems humble when you hear him speak but I have no insights into how he runs the program as far as micromanaging.

2 to 3 losses due to game calling will be an improvement from Wilder.

No kidding. Wilder would go for it on 4th and 42 in the first quarter.

Brohm went for it on 4th and 2 from our own 38 on the first drive after halftime....Western was up 14.

Boy Idiot went for it 4th and 1 on our own 15 middle of 3rd up 7 or maybe 3 on a DCS school

Both totally changed the game and outcome.

On the other hand Willie would hardly ever go for it on 4th down even when you were on the other side of the 30. If he did it was right up the middle. The one time I remember it cost Western a SBC championship...along with the replay.

I believe good coaches learn the balance after a couple years. But growing pains can make you say "what the hell". But that's what you get with first timers. Rarely dose one make all the good moves, out of the gate.

Once they do get to that point...time to find another coach. That's the good and bad of winning and replacing coaches every 3 years. Since Western moved up (2009) we are on the 6th head coach