The unofficial online home for fans of the Kent State University Golden Flashes. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

(03-27-2024 01:19 PM)Older and Older Wrote:  

(03-27-2024 08:34 AM)AlphaFlash Wrote:  

(03-27-2024 07:08 AM)anti-zip Wrote:  

(03-27-2024 06:58 AM)Polish Hammer Wrote:  

(03-26-2024 11:14 PM)thanksjim Wrote:  Hey good news. Just realized Kent State will host a FBS game! The 2026 game against Kennesaw St. Was scheduled prior to move to FBS, but believe they transition this year or next.

Until the other KSU asks to be let out of the contract since now that they are transitioning to FBS they can get a bigger payday game elsewhere and we backfill them with some poor FCS program.

Is that good news? No FCS opponent could mean no wins.

I believe our fans will turn out in dozens and give us a solid home field advantage.

Buy your lottery tickets gentlemen because unless
One of us wins the lottery we may live to see KSU football go bankrupt.
Rumor has it SDTR is in a very deep hole. They are looking to get
out of the housing and parking business as enrollment
is way down. They still owe a ton on their empty stadium also.
KSU in better shape financially but still in a hole. Athletics has been told to cut way back.

I’ve heard the athletics “cut back” story for years now at KSU. What’s left to cut except some programs?

Hate to say it but so few students care about KSU athletics that further cut backs would probably not raise an eyebrow.

With all the talk these days about student debt, I’m surprised that students and parents don’t object to the $445 / semester “student activity” fee. A big part of this money goes to support athletics. $990’a year to a student struggling to pay for school is significant.

I love KSU sports, but for most students (paying the bills), is it worth it?

(03-27-2024 07:48 PM)Old Man Flash Wrote:  

(03-27-2024 01:19 PM)Older and Older Wrote:  

(03-27-2024 08:34 AM)AlphaFlash Wrote:  

(03-27-2024 07:08 AM)anti-zip Wrote:  

(03-27-2024 06:58 AM)Polish Hammer Wrote:  Until the other KSU asks to be let out of the contract since now that they are transitioning to FBS they can get a bigger payday game elsewhere and we backfill them with some poor FCS program.

Is that good news? No FCS opponent could mean no wins.

I believe our fans will turn out in dozens and give us a solid home field advantage.

Buy your lottery tickets gentlemen because unless
One of us wins the lottery we may live to see KSU football go bankrupt.
Rumor has it SDTR is in a very deep hole. They are looking to get
out of the housing and parking business as enrollment
is way down. They still owe a ton on their empty stadium also.
KSU in better shape financially but still in a hole. Athletics has been told to cut way back.

I’ve heard the athletics “cut back” story for years now at KSU. What’s left to cut except some programs?

Hate to say it but so few students care about KSU athletics that further cut backs would probably not raise an eyebrow.

With all the talk these days about student debt, I’m surprised that students and parents don’t object to the $445 / semester “student activity” fee. A big part of this money goes to support athletics. $990’a year to a student struggling to pay for school is significant.

I love KSU sports, but for most students (paying the bills), is it worth it?

I agree old man flash. Sad, but true.

Looking for a Defensive Coordinator as we just lost ours to a high school job.

https://kentstatesports.com/news/2024/4/...nator.aspx

Our volleyball coach was 6-23 last year and 2-16 in the conference and she got a one year extension. I guess our football coach started a trend.

Give the Volleyball coach time. She has gives me Starkey kind of vibes in her own way. Lot of potential with her.

Edit: Sure glad Lewis wasn't fired after year 1 (2-10)

(04-04-2024 03:25 PM)thanksjim Wrote:  Give the Volleyball coach time. She has gives me Starkey kind of vibes in her own way. Lot of potential with her.

Edit: Sure glad Lewis wasn't fired after year 1 (2-10)

Lewis also wasn't extended after 1 year.

(04-04-2024 06:53 PM)anti-zip Wrote:  

(04-04-2024 03:25 PM)thanksjim Wrote:  Give the Volleyball coach time. She has gives me Starkey kind of vibes in her own way. Lot of potential with her.

Edit: Sure glad Lewis wasn't fired after year 1 (2-10)

Lewis also wasn't extended after 1 year.

No Lewis was not extended. Extending coaches after one year is yet another “head scratcher” coming from Kent’s AD. Especially extending them after such poor 1st seasons. I just don’t get these decisions at all…

I have no idea what the parameters were on Burns extension, but they are usually done for recruiting purposes. The buyout is also typically lowered with the extension. Again, I don’t know if that was the case here, but I’d guess it was.

Edit: Just scrolled back a bit and looks like Polish Hammer also mentioned this.

(04-04-2024 03:25 PM)thanksjim Wrote:  Give the Volleyball coach time. She has gives me Starkey kind of vibes in her own way. Lot of potential with her.

Edit: Sure glad Lewis wasn't fired after year 1 (2-10)

Starkey was 19-13 (13-5) in his first year and turned Lurken into one of the best scorers in the country.

(04-04-2024 10:56 AM)Polish Hammer Wrote:  Looking for a Defensive Coordinator as we just lost ours to a high school job.

https://kentstatesports.com/news/2024/4/...nator.aspx

No matter how they spin it. This is a really bad look.

Says a lot about state of program and our salaries for
Asst coaches.

Will be interesting to see if we elevate another staff
member or actually search for a quality DC

Budget crunch is hitting Athletic Dept hard

I understand the need to get back home, as Kent is a long way from Jackson, MS, so I get it. I'd be more concerned if we took a DC from the high school ranks.

Looked at Roster have 12 OL with 6 over 300lb, including 305lb transfer from Boise St (Nikolai Bujnowski).

Would love to find 3-4 more before season at the 300+ range.

Most 300lb OL under Lewis was 7-8 I believe

(04-07-2024 05:37 PM)thanksjim Wrote:  Looked at Roster have 12 OL with 6 over 300lb, including305lb transfer from Boise St (Nikolai Bujnowski).

Would love to find 3-4 more before season at the 300+ range.

Most 300lb OL under Lewis was 7-8 I believe

He walked on at Virginia Tech then transferred to Boise St.; he’s from NJ so at least now he’ll be closer to home.

(04-06-2024 08:47 AM)Older and Older Wrote:  

(04-04-2024 10:56 AM)Polish Hammer Wrote:  Looking for a Defensive Coordinator as we just lost ours to a high school job.

https://kentstatesports.com/news/2024/4/...nator.aspx

No matter how they spin it. This is a really bad look.

Says a lot about state of program and our salaries for
Asst coaches.

Will be interesting to see if we elevate another staff
member or actually search for a quality DC

Budget crunch is hitting Athletic Dept hard

Actually, I'm pretty sure that KSU football assistant coach Jack Rose left for HS in the late 80s or very early 90s, so it's not without precedent.

I hear some coach from one of those southern schools is available. I think his name is Brick Laben.. Sick Naben... Or something like that. Supposedly had good defenses

(04-07-2024 10:13 PM)ilovegymnast Wrote:  I hear some coach from one of those southern schools is available. I think his name is Brick Laben.. Sick Naben... Or something like that. Supposedly had good defenses

I'm sure Randale mulled that one over, extend Kenni before a P5 program comes calling or make an offer to Nick Saban...

(04-07-2024 10:13 PM)ilovegymnast Wrote:  I hear some coach from one of those southern schools is available. I think his name is Brick Laben.. Sick Naben... Or something like that. Supposedly had good defenses

Dick Laban is rich. If he wanted to coach KSU he would probably do it for minimum wage. But I doubt any 72-year-old man would want to take on such a Herculean task, even for his alma mater,

(04-08-2024 07:25 AM)Muskrat Wrote:  

(04-07-2024 10:13 PM)ilovegymnast Wrote:  I hear some coach from one of those southern schools is available. I think his name is Brick Laben.. Sick Naben... Or something like that. Supposedly had good defenses

Dick Laban is rich. If he wanted to coach KSU he would probably do it for minimum wage. But I doubt any 72-year-old man would want to take on such a Herculean task, even for his alma mater,

You don't quit the best job in college football because you secretly want the worst job in college football.

(04-08-2024 08:26 AM)anti-zip Wrote:  

(04-08-2024 07:25 AM)Muskrat Wrote:  

(04-07-2024 10:13 PM)ilovegymnast Wrote:  I hear some coach from one of those southern schools is available. I think his name is Brick Laben.. Sick Naben... Or something like that. Supposedly had good defenses

Dick Laban is rich. If he wanted to coach KSU he would probably do it for minimum wage. But I doubt any 72-year-old man would want to take on such a Herculean task, even for his alma mater,

You don't quit the best job in college football because you secretly want the worst job in college football.

I don't know if he is ready for the head coach position but we should offer the DC position. Maybe do a coach in waiting type situation.

A couple of years ago a friend offered me his opinion on what was one of the issues with the administration. Approximately 8 teams use the indoor practice facility, fund raising project for new tuff resulted in 100% raised by football. Enhancements to weight room same results 100% of funding raised by football.
Hard to fund an athletic program when there's not a lot of effort within the department.