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Let’s keep our eyes on the ball (pun intended) my friends! Our buddy from DeKalb said it best… yes, it stings to lose a HC after one losing season… especially someone who, has committed the better part of his life to our University. Big respect to Coach Lester. But, AD Dan said exactly what I suggested in a different post. There’s nothing wrong with EXPECTING THE BEST! (Love him or hate him) didn’t PJ at least teach us that? It’s ok to be ELITE! It’s ok NOT to settle for mediocrity (and, this is also a Lions fan talking here).

As a faithful alum, I have NO problems expecting 9 wins out of my university’s football team. I want energy, I want success, I want community excitement, I want P5 wins, I want tradition, I want trust, I want respect, I want revenue, and I want the same “FAME” we all together cheer about in the WMU Fight Song! “Over one over all WE will reign…” right? Thats not too much to ask! At least I hope it isn’t.

Thank you AD Dan for setting the bar HIGH! The bar should be set high! Toledo should be chasing us at the end of the season, not vise versa. The hottest, most coveted college football ticket west of I-69 should be in Kalamazoo, NOT Allendale or Big Rapids!

I called for expecting no less than 9 wins a season in my last post and I was shot down… because some said we can’t be expected to beat the P5 teams. SCREW THAT!! WHO SAYS? Why should Coastal Carolina have all the fun? Look at how much fun it was to have College Gameday in Kalamazoo!

With the right hire, Western can do this! AD Dan doesn’t expect less and neither should we!

GO BRONCOS!!

(11-29-2022 08:50 AM)ktotten Wrote:  

(11-29-2022 08:45 AM)moe24 Wrote:  

(11-29-2022 12:07 AM)WMU2013 Wrote:  

(11-28-2022 11:39 PM)ktotten Wrote:  Who is he saying accepted mediocrity?

He was taking a shot at Coach Lester.

Dan Bartholomae is Classless. Not a great sign taking a shot at a former coach that put so many hours and dedicated his last 6 years to WMU.

Um, no.

Why do you say that?

Because it was in the context of athletic leadership not accepting mediocrity as it historically has. He's saying the standard needs to be raised from "just don't completely suck" to some form of greatness. If it was a shot at anyone, and I don't think it was, it would be previous athletic department leadership and not TL.

(11-29-2022 10:13 AM)moe24 Wrote:  

(11-29-2022 08:50 AM)ktotten Wrote:  

(11-29-2022 08:45 AM)moe24 Wrote:  

(11-29-2022 12:07 AM)WMU2013 Wrote:  

(11-28-2022 11:39 PM)ktotten Wrote:  Who is he saying accepted mediocrity?

He was taking a shot at Coach Lester.

Dan Bartholomae is Classless. Not a great sign taking a shot at a former coach that put so many hours and dedicated his last 6 years to WMU.

Um, no.

Why do you say that?

Because it was in the context of athletic leadership not accepting mediocrity as it historically has. He's saying the standard needs to be raised from "just don't completely suck" to some form of greatness. If it was a shot at anyone, and I don't think it was, it would be previous athletic department leadership and not TL.

One could argue that hiring an AD with no previous AD experience is the very definition of "mediocre".

In the end, I think we've discussed this to ad nauseam by now. We just disagree. I'm fine with that.

(11-29-2022 10:17 AM)ktotten Wrote:  

(11-29-2022 10:13 AM)moe24 Wrote:  

(11-29-2022 08:50 AM)ktotten Wrote:  

(11-29-2022 08:45 AM)moe24 Wrote:  

(11-29-2022 12:07 AM)WMU2013 Wrote:  He was taking a shot at Coach Lester.

Dan Bartholomae is Classless. Not a great sign taking a shot at a former coach that put so many hours and dedicated his last 6 years to WMU.

Um, no.

Why do you say that?

Because it was in the context of athletic leadership not accepting mediocrity as it historically has. He's saying the standard needs to be raised from "just don't completely suck" to some form of greatness. If it was a shot at anyone, and I don't think it was, it would be previous athletic department leadership and not TL.

One could argue that hiring an AD with no previous AD experience is the very definition of "mediocre".

In the end, I think we've discussed this to ad nauseam by now. We just disagree. I'm fine with that.

Wasn't he a deputy AD at Oregon State and Pitt?

(11-29-2022 10:21 AM)ColinApocalypse Wrote:  

(11-29-2022 10:17 AM)ktotten Wrote:  

(11-29-2022 10:13 AM)moe24 Wrote:  

(11-29-2022 08:50 AM)ktotten Wrote:  

(11-29-2022 08:45 AM)moe24 Wrote:  Um, no.

Why do you say that?

Because it was in the context of athletic leadership not accepting mediocrity as it historically has. He's saying the standard needs to be raised from "just don't completely suck" to some form of greatness. If it was a shot at anyone, and I don't think it was, it would be previous athletic department leadership and not TL.

One could argue that hiring an AD with no previous AD experience is the very definition of "mediocre".

In the end, I think we've discussed this to ad nauseam by now. We just disagree. I'm fine with that.

Wasn't he a deputy AD at Oregon State and Pitt?

Yep, that's all.

(11-29-2022 10:17 AM)ktotten Wrote:  In the end, I think we've discussed this to ad nauseam by now. We just disagree. I'm fine with that.

Fair.

Having lofty goals and aiming for an expanding CFP is admirable, but it is going to take a total commitment. Are we willing to spend $1M, $2M; $3M for our new coach? I don’t believe that $800k will probably cut it. I think PJ was lightning in a bottle and everything aligned with the right person at the right time. If we want to consistently be a contender, it is going to take $$$.

(11-29-2022 02:36 PM)Bronco XXVIII Wrote:  Having lofty goals and aiming for an expanding CFP is admirable, but it is going to take a total commitment. Are we willing to spend $1M, $2M; $3M for our new coach? I don’t believe that $800k will probably cut it. I think PJ was lightning in a bottle and everything aligned with the right person at the right time. If we want to consistently be a contender, it is going to take $$$.

And even that doesn't guarantee anything. The problem at WMU has consistently been paying the HC buttloads but forcing him to hire assistants with no money left to give... So we end up with a bunch of young, mediocre or otherwise inexperienced position coaches who either wash out or move on quickly.

We need to pay the entire staff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9DKvvvABo8

Link to presser

(11-29-2022 02:47 PM)flushtheherd Wrote:  

(11-29-2022 02:36 PM)Bronco XXVIII Wrote:  Having lofty goals and aiming for an expanding CFP is admirable, but it is going to take a total commitment. Are we willing to spend $1M, $2M; $3M for our new coach? I don’t believe that $800k will probably cut it. I think PJ was lightning in a bottle and everything aligned with the right person at the right time. If we want to consistently be a contender, it is going to take $$$.

And even that doesn't guarantee anything. The problem at WMU has consistently been paying the HC buttloads but forcing him to hire assistants with no money left to give... So we end up with a bunch of young, mediocre or otherwise inexperienced position coaches who either wash out or move on quickly.

We need to pay the entire staff.

I've seen this mentioned a couple times on the board, but the ESPN article I read yesterday indicates our entire staff is among the best paid in the MAC (if that's accurate):

"Western Michigan is one of the higher-resourced jobs in the MAC, with one of the top salary pools for both head coach and assistant coaches".

And, most of G5 is going to try and raise the bar to reach for that golden ring now. I’m not saying we couldn’t - or shouldn’t - I’m just saying it wil not be easy. There is going to be a G5 arms race now. Will we have guts and $$$ to play the long game?

(11-29-2022 09:30 AM)ColinApocalypse Wrote:  I think you're all being a little sensitive right now. And I get it, the firing of Tim Lester is still raw.

This, very true.

Now it's not like this actual firing changes anyone's mind, fundamentally. If you wanted TL gone, you still do. If you wanted him to stick around, you still wished that happened.

But the transition from those ongoing "Fire Lester/Thorne/Lou" vent-threads to real life can be a bit jarring. A good person and alum lost their job, key players jump in the portal, recruiting is negatively affected, the future is suddenly unknown.

Now we've had a string of good luck with new coaches. Molde, Darnell, Cubit and Fleck all had very good seasons in either Year 1 or 2 of their tenures. But sure... the risk of another 2013 is there next year, with no guarantee of anything thereafter. If we thought this season had new faces, we ain't seen nothing yet.

Darnell's firing was universally expected and accepted. He really melted down at the end. But Lester's dismissal is probably more like Cubit's. Decent, middle of the road seasons; no MAC West title, but no "terrible" Akron-like seasons. The 'should've given him 1 more year' camp vs. the 'let's rip off the Band-Aid now' camp. So these threads, here and on social media in general, take on an eerie resemblance to 9 years ago.

TL-DR: Letting Lester go now likely didn't change anyone's mind either way. But reality can sure be a splash of cold water, at least in the upcoming short term.

(11-29-2022 05:34 PM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  (snip)

But the transition from those ongoing "Fire Lester/Thorne/Lou" vent-threads to real life can be a bit jarring. A good person and alum lost their job, key players jump in the portal, recruiting is negatively affected, the future is suddenly unknown.

(snip)

I think the elephant in the room is the transfer portal, and its effect on the players when you fire the head coach. We haven't been through this yet, and it looks like it could set back the program more than a season. Recruting was never the problem Western has had in the last decade+, but now it is fully on the table, and it is terrifying. If the right person isn't put in place then WMU will be a cellar dweller for 4-5 seasons until we find a new AD and head football coach again.

(11-29-2022 10:09 AM)anthonybronco Wrote:  Let’s keep our eyes on the ball (pun intended) my friends! Our buddy from DeKalb said it best… yes, it stings to lose a HC after one losing season… especially someone who, has committed the better part of his life to our University. Big respect to Coach Lester. But, AD Dan said exactly what I suggested in a different post. There’s nothing wrong with EXPECTING THE BEST! (Love him or hate him) didn’t PJ at least teach us that? It’s ok to be ELITE! It’s ok NOT to settle for mediocrity (and, this is also a Lions fan talking here).

As a faithful alum, I have NO problems expecting 9 wins out of my university’s football team. I want energy, I want success, I want community excitement, I want P5 wins, I want tradition, I want trust, I want respect, I want revenue, and I want the same “FAME” we all together cheer about in the WMU Fight Song! “Over one over all WE will reign…” right? Thats not too much to ask! At least I hope it isn’t.

Thank you AD Dan for setting the bar HIGH! The bar should be set high! Toledo should be chasing us at the end of the season, not vise versa. The hottest, most coveted college football ticket west of I-69 should be in Kalamazoo, NOT Allendale or Big Rapids!

I called for expecting no less than 9 wins a season in my last post and I was shot down… because some said we can’t be expected to beat the P5 teams. SCREW THAT!! WHO SAYS? Why should Coastal Carolina have all the fun? Look at how much fun it was to have College Gameday in Kalamazoo!

With the right hire, Western can do this! AD Dan doesn’t expect less and neither should we!

GO BRONCOS!!

This. Onward and upward.

Kudos to Dan for striving for more. Any momentum from the previous regime is completely gone. It was never more apparent than at the Eastern game this year. Beautiful day, horrible crowd, limited tailgating...pure apathy. While this is not solely on the HC, he certainly plays a huge part. I wish TL the best but this is a tough business. It's time for a pivot. Go Broncos!