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(03-31-2023 03:06 PM)UAB Schnauzer Wrote:  

(03-31-2023 09:41 AM)BatesUAB Wrote:  

GreenFreakUAB Wrote:  was Vincent > Callaway? I'd say of course, but perhaps a bit more interesting comparison than it looks on the surface

Be a good thought experiment. If you take into account their results combined with potential and resources at hand, answer might not be so obvious.

Callaway also had strict recruiting restrictions due to the Watson Brown penalty no other coach had to deal with.

Coach Callaway also did a good job getting off the field issues he inherited under control.

I really hope with Calloway back in USFL he comes back to UAB football as a fan. I know the real fans will embrace him. He isn't as hated as he was or thinks he was. He was given raw deal and did all he could do

Callaway was a real G when he told Sumlin to F off and left the field without shaking his hand when Case Keenum aired it out late to break the passing record.

Callaway giving a bunch of us the finger when we shouted "Resign!" is still one of my favorite UAB moments.

"Fire Schumann!" was pretty good, too.

This thread turn into a McGee/Callaway memories instead of Dilfer's interview

My nagging issue with HCTD’s interviews is he uses a lot of “marketing” terms (for lack of a better word).

“How do you respond to critics that point to the fact that you’ve never coached college football?”
HCTD: “I have a strong idea of what I like to call ‘figure-it-out-ism’”

“What can we look for in your offense?”
HCTD: “I like to use the label ‘get-the-dude-the-ball’”

“Those are great answers! But seriously…”

(04-01-2023 01:13 PM)blazr Wrote:  My nagging issue with HCTD’s interviews is he uses a lot of “marketing” terms (for lack of a better word).

“How do you respond to critics that point to the fact that you’ve never coached college football?”
HCTD: “I have a strong idea of what I like to call ‘figure-it-out-ism’”

“What can we look for in your offense?”
HCTD: “I like to use the label ‘get-the-dude-the-ball’”

“Those are great answers! But seriously…”

I think you would enjoy his first interview on Mac & Cube if you have listened to it yet. He went pretty in depth about his schemes but I agree he does repeat a lot. If that's his one coaching red flag then I think we'll take it. Also isn't it Junior Day? I ask because we could be getting some commitments

(04-01-2023 01:13 PM)blazr Wrote:  My nagging issue with HCTD’s interviews is he uses a lot of “marketing” terms (for lack of a better word).

“How do you respond to critics that point to the fact that you’ve never coached college football?”
HCTD: “I have a strong idea of what I like to call ‘figure-it-out-ism’”

“What can we look for in your offense?”
HCTD: “I like to use the label ‘get-the-dude-the-ball’”

“Those are great answers! But seriously…”

I hear ya...but really, is there a better answer. I understand that they are questions that need to be asked, but there really isn't much of a non-fluff answer

What is he supposed to say?

(04-01-2023 06:54 PM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  What is he supposed to say?

I agree, generally, and take a coach’s comments with a huge amount of salt. But it’s just a trend for me. Every position group is one of the best he’s seen. Every obstacle the team faces is dismissed by a new colloquialism that will allow them to overcome. Just makes one feel that the cover of the book is better and better and better, but how good is the book inside? I’m sure I’m overthinking it…

(04-01-2023 09:09 PM)blazr Wrote:  

(04-01-2023 06:54 PM)ATTALLABLAZE Wrote:  What is he supposed to say?

I agree, generally, and take a coach’s comments with a huge amount of salt. But it’s just a trend for me. Every position group is one of the best he’s seen. Every obstacle the team faces is dismissed by a new colloquialism that will allow them to overcome. Just makes one feel that the cover of the book is better and better and better, but how good is the book inside? I’m sure I’m overthinking it…

Considering he’s coached in high school, I’d hope every position group is one of the best he’s seen.

We don’t know how good the book is inside, and we won’t until a game is played. You can try and figure it out on your own between now and then, but you won’t have a clue until you actually see the team playing against another college team. One thing I’m certain of is this team will take its lumps. I’m not sure how big those lumps will be, but they will be there.

Dilfer is positive and he talks his guys up. I like that. I’ll wait and hold any sort of judgement until the end of the season, but he could quickly become the second greatest coach in UAB history if he learns on the job quickly.

(04-01-2023 09:17 PM)BlazerMatt Wrote:  

"Just gonna take it one game at a time..."

"I want to do whatever I can to help the club..."

Dilfer doesn’t sound like Coachspeak to me. He sounds like someone who had ESPN training. He sounds like someone who has an ego big enough to think he can pull off big things but also someone who has experienced humility at the highest levels of it. All of that serves him well, and could potentially serve the Blazers exceptionally well as far as what is needed to achieve the next rung of success.

But it all comes down to winning. All words ring hollow pretty quickly when Ls stack up.

(04-02-2023 10:04 AM)DuelingDragon Wrote:  Dilfer doesn’t sound like Coachspeak to me. He sounds like someone who had ESPN training. He sounds like someone who has an ego big enough to think he can pull off big things but also someone who has experienced humility at the highest levels of it. All of that serves him well, and could potentially serve the Blazers exceptionally well as far as what is needed to achieve the next rung of success.

But it all comes down to winning. All words ring hollow pretty quickly when Ls stack up.

This. It’s not the normal coach’s speak. It sounds like a plan to succeed by sheer force of will. I hope “figure-it-out-ism” translates to actually figuring it out and excelling. Maybe it works and I hope it does. Maybe he can translate all of that to the system, game, and support for FBS college players. He swings for the fences so I hope he connects.

I'm confused, is this an issue? Dilfer has a plan and is working towards executing it. He has surrounded himself with a staff and players his is confident in. He has high expectations and expects to win. We all knew this hire was going to be boom or bust, but I want him to be who he is.

(04-03-2023 07:08 AM)blazers9911 Wrote:  I'm confused, is this an issue? Dilfer has a plan and is working towards executing it. He has surrounded himself with a staff and players his is confident in. He has high expectations and expects to win. We all knew this hire was going to be boom or bust, but I want him to be who he is.

Not an issue. I was just responding to the article out loud on the UAB forum. It’s just a nagging tic.

At 32:45, they talk about the hiring of Dilfer and that after Clark retired and he was interested in the GA Tech this year. They bring up how he and Ingram were butting heads.
They also have repeatably talked about how Ingram mismanaged the search (which we've heard other pundits say before). Talk about how he brought in people to have a meeting and was going going to bring in a big fish, but he never showed up (in previous rumors, that big fish was Dan Mullen).
Steven Godfrey is in the know in coaching searches circles. If you all remember, earlier on he said the top 3 were Fuente, Helton, and Holtz.

As we lead into the Spring Game tomorrow (hopefully the weather cooperates), I wanted to see what your thoughts are. And if any of those in the know can talk about the season long search and supposed fumbles.

I hope Dilfer proves all of those people wrong, but the discussions on behind the scenes are interesting.

I don't think that discussion revealed anything we already didn't know or suspect.

While I don’t doubt that some people held those views, and shared them in gossip circles, I also take a good bit of that chatter with the grain of salt it deserves. People, especially agents, have agendas. This search wasn’t conventional and didn’t kiss the rings of a few of those folks