If someone new, then who?

[91rabbit]

Re: If someone new, then who?

I think calls for Stig's head are way premature.  Hasn't he earned more respect than this?

[jackphd]

Re: If someone new, then who?

I think calls for Stig's head are way premature. Hasn't he earned more respect than this?

Filbert started by "wondering". Everybody sort of played off of that. Stig has a .551 winning percentage, certainly not bad. And many of us do like the way he runs his program, with an emphasis on academics and responsibility. Good stuff. But yesterday's loss, no matter how you parse it (bad field, bad game, bad whatever) is one of the worst in the history of this program. If this doesn't turn around, you have to, as Filbert says "wonder", particularly if he can only coax a historically bad 3-8 or even 2-9 season out of these guys.

But as several people have said: Win one or two of the next four, and you turn the season around and make all this discussion moot. And I don't think there is anything disrespectful about people on a discussion board who find a loss to a DIII team gives them pause about the direction of the program.

[filbert]

Re: If someone new, then who?

[quote author=91rabbit link=1157256939/15#15 date=1157312658]I think calls for Stig's head are way premature. Hasn't he earned more respect than this?

Filbert started by "wondering". Everybody sort of played off of that. Stig has a .551 winning percentage, certainly not bad. And many of us do like the way he runs his program, with an emphasis on academics and responsibility. Good stuff. But yesterday's loss, no matter how you parse it (bad field, bad game, bad whatever) is one of the worst in the history of this program. If this doesn't turn around, you have to, as Filbert says "wonder", particularly if he can only coax a historically bad 3-8 or even 2-9 season out of these guys.

But as several people have said: Win one or two of the next four, and you turn the season around and make all this discussion moot. And I don't think there is anything disrespectful about people on a discussion board who find a loss to a DIII team gives them pause about the direction of the program.[/quote]

Actually, JackMD and I basically posted the same thought in the game thread at almost the exact same time, so I'd call it a tie in the desperation/panic/throw'em overboard race.

I've calmed down a lot. There's lots of football yet to play this year. I hope this last game was an aberration, and that we're a much better team than the one that sank in the mud last night. The boys in blue will have an opportunity to atone in Missoula.

Like I said in another thread, the sun managed to come up this morning. Tossing Stig overboard now would be foolish, IMHO. Let's see how the rest of the season plays out and make good, rational, informed decisions then.

[jackrabit1]

Re: If someone new, then who?

I'm hoping that the team just "stubbed its toe" last night, and this isn't an indication of the season in general. I'm sure if Stig is worth his salt (and I'm pretty sure he is), he'll have the boys ready to rock and roll against the Grizz.

One thing to remember, the team took a shot to its pride last night. And I think they'll be out on Saturday in Missoula with something to prove, and nothing to lose (after losing to a DIII team, would you have anything to lose?)

[jackphd]

Re: If someone new, then who?

I'm hoping that the team just "stubbed its toe" last night, and this isn't an indication of the season in general. I'm sure if Stig is worth his salt (and I'm pretty sure he is), he'll have the boys ready to rock and roll against the Grizz.

One thing to remember, the team took a shot to its pride last night. And I think they'll be out on Saturday in Missoula with something to prove, and nothing to lose (after losing to a DIII team, would you have anything to lose?)

We're doing a nice job of talking ourselves out of being concerned about yesterday's game. I'm still concerned. If we were in D2 and could look ahead to the Minnesota State or St. Cloud game, I'd be calmer. But we have Montana, UNI, McNeese, Nicholls, Cal Poly, UC-Davis, and NDSU ahead. And the jury is out on whether the team will come out with something to prove or will come out with no confidence after having their rear-ends handed to them by a D3 team.

I sat there last night and watched a listless, lifeless team that couldn't do much of anything right all night against a sub-par opponent. I saw very little emotion, frustration, intensity, or anything else from anybody (including the coaching staff) as the worst loss in memory just sort of happened to them.

I hope as much as anyone that they're able to turn it around. If they do, it'll be a testament to Stig's ability to motivate and get 100 percent effort out of his teams (his trademark... that somehow deserted him last night.) But if anyone can figure out how we're going to finish better than 4-7, I'm listening. They'll have to steal one from a California team, win at SUU, win both home games against lesser opponents, and beat one of these four tough teams on the road. I'm hoping for 5-6, but I'm expecting 3-8. And should we still be happy with 5-6? Do we have to wait to be fully funded before we expect to get 7 wins? Will we ever expect 8 or 9?

[MountainDewMan]

Re: If someone new, then who?

Why doesn't everyone just face facts and realize that SDSU is light years away from where they should be at right now. We are a D1 team...D1...we got beat by a D3 school. That's pathetic. You can sit here and blame Stig but at the end of the day a real D1 school with real D1 talent could sleepwalk all over a D3 school. D3 is garbage... That's lower than NAIA. There's not enough talent on this team to be a good D2 school much less D1AA. We don't have the facilities to attract better talent. The school itself is decent but nothing special. You want team speed you gotta recruit the warmer states so they'll hate the winters. Brookings the town definetly won't attract better talent. SDSU will always be a 5-6 win team MAX. Are any of us delusional enough to believe that we can compete in our new conference year in and year out? Probably. But we can't now and we never will be able to. It's not the coaches fault...it's not the players fault...it's just how it is.

[jivebunny]

Re: If someone new, then who?

I think calls for Stig's head are way premature.  Hasn't he earned more respect than this?

I hate to say it, but if we win just one or two games, the answer is no. That's IF, of course. We can't be as bad as we looked last night. If we are ... the whole coaching staff should go. The game was a low point in SDSU football history. I thought having to schedule an NAIA team (William Penn) this year was embarassing. Maybe we need another such game, though. Many of the games we've won in the past few years have been against Division II or III or non-scholarship programs (Valpo). That's how we've managed above .500 "D-I" records. But, again, there is time to salvage this season. I hope we do, but I'm not going to lie ... I'm very worried. One or two wins and there will be pressure to make a move. And valid pressure, I think. People were very angry at the game last night. There really aren't any excuses for what happened. It was the worst outting I've seen in all my years of watching SDSU football. Even very level-headed fans were yelling and screaming. Ug. Ick.

[jackrabit1]

Re: If someone new, then who?

And it's that small-minded, fatalistic attitude that will keep this program from ever improving.

No one said this was going to be a cakewalk. No one came into this with delusions of grandeur that we were going to be world-beaters (as awesome as that woud be, though!) Last night's performance shows we have a ways to go. Granted we've made some strides (as a transisitional team, mind you), but there's a lot of room for improvement.

I think with the fact we have a new conference to join, as well as the improvements we have made (and continue to make), we'll be a solid, D-I member for many, many years to come.

[jackphd]

Re: If someone new, then who?

Why doesn't everyone just face facts and realize that SDSU is light years away from where they should be at right now. We are a D1 team...D1...we got beat by a D3 school. That's pathetic. You can sit here and blame Stig but at the end of the day a real D1 school with real D1 talent could sleepwalk all over a D3 school. D3 is garbage... That's lower than NAIA. There's not enough talent on this team to be a good D2 school much less D1AA. We don't have the facilities to attract better talent. The school itself is decent but nothing special. You want team speed you gotta recruit the warmer states so they'll hate the winters. Brookings the town definetly won't attract better talent. SDSU will always be a 5-6 win team MAX. Are any of us delusional enough to believe that we can compete in our new conference year in and year out? Probably. But we can't now and we never will be able to. It's not the coaches fault...it's not the players fault...it's just how it is.

Our facilities are an issue, but from where I sit (about the 50 yard line, 11th row) we have some talent on this team. Regarding the school, having taught at Iowa, Purdue, and Oklahoma, I would stack SDSU up pretty well with those schools. I think you're being kind of hard on the school. The fact is that there are a few really amazing universities in incredible towns. Then there are the other 500, and SDSU/Brookings measure up OK in that tier. Nobody expects us to be perennial contenders in 1AA (I don't think I've heard anyone talking like that here). We do expect a competitive program with a very good year now and then. We certainly don't expect losses to zero scholarship teams. I certainly understand your frustration, but I think you're a little off on the criticism.

[SoDak]

Re: If someone new, then who?

When I posted earlier, I wasn't calling for Stig's head, and I don't think most folks in this thread are either. That being said, we have to make sure that South Dakota nice doesn't doom our teams forever to mediocrity. Coaches are let go every year, it's the nature of the job, and what I think is that a determination needs to be made this year as to whether or not Stig has the wherewithal to turn this team into a playoff contender or not. We've had some good years under Coach, but we haven't won anything, and he's got much less past glory to ride on than Nagy for example. Our teams have been in the upper half of whichever division they've played in, but that's about it. If you look at the premier programs in D1-AA, can you imagine any of them swallowing a DIII loss well, and not questioning the coaching? Imagine that happening in Fargo, which is theortically in the same place as we are vis-a-vis transition. Some might blame that on tradition, or lack of football tradition, but you create tradition, it doesn't just drop from the sky. If State puts the real deal on the field, CAS will fill up, and it will feed off of itself.

Mainly, I guess, I just can't stand languishing too awfully long in a 5-6 or 6-5 world, we ought to expect the best. There's nothing wrong with expecting the best. I disagree that we will have trouble recruiting, because many of the academic programs offered at SDSU are among the best in the country, and that counts for something, because most of these athletes know they will face a life after college athletics.

SDSU is going to have it's detractors in the state, and in the SF media until one of the two high-profile mens sports reports success. Nothing will shut the yapping mouths up like being in the playoffs when we have the eligibility. Let's git-r-done.

[rabidrabbit]

Re: If someone new, then who?

[quote author=jackrabit1 link=1157256939/15#18 date=1157324378]I'm hoping that the team just "stubbed its toe" last night, and this isn't an indication of the season in general. I'm sure if Stig is worth his salt (and I'm pretty sure he is), he'll have the boys ready to rock and roll against the Grizz.

One thing to remember, the team took a shot to its pride last night. And I think they'll be out on Saturday in Missoula with something to prove, and nothing to lose (after losing to a DIII team, would you have anything to lose?)

We're doing a nice job of talking ourselves out of being concerned about yesterday's game. I'm still concerned. If we were in D2 and could look ahead to the Minnesota State or St. Cloud game, I'd be calmer. But we have Montana, UNI, McNeese, Nicholls, Cal Poly, UC-Davis, and NDSU ahead. And the jury is out on whether the team will come out with something to prove or will come out with no confidence after having their rear-ends handed to them by a D3 team.

I sat there last night and watched a listless, lifeless team that couldn't do much of anything right all night against a sub-par opponent. I saw very little emotion, frustration, intensity, or anything else from anybody (including the coaching staff) as the worst loss in memory just sort of happened to them.

I hope as much as anyone that they're able to turn it around. If they do, it'll be a testament to Stig's ability to motivate and get 100 percent effort out of his teams (his trademark... that somehow deserted him last night.) But if anyone can figure out how we're going to finish better than 4-7, I'm listening. They'll have to steal one from a California team, win at SUU, win both home games against lesser opponents, and beat one of these four tough teams on the road. I'm hoping for 5-6, but I'm expecting 3-8. And should we still be happy with 5-6? Do we have to wait to be fully funded before we expect to get 7 wins? Will we ever expect 8 or 9?[/quote]

Some coaches seem to have the ability to create the teamwork, motivate the players and make things happen with the same talent pools that we have to work with. At State, Aaron Johnston is a shining example. Is Stig our guy that can make that happen? His track record is average, not excellent. We are in a super football conference, with teams that are our peers. We'll have our off years, and this is likely to be one. However, I also expect to be challenging for the title most years, and be on the bubble for the play-offs 3 of 10 years. NDSU has a history of great football teams, but we should be with them most years. Davis has no more schollies than we do, yet they seem to field extremely competitive teams each year. SUU doesn't support their football, and they are in Timbuctu, and that translates into a "Morningside" image for them. Yet, even Morningside had years when they'd play well and end in the upper half of the NCC. Should this be Stig's last year if Jacks go 3-8 or 2-9, 1-10? I'll let somebody else make that decision. Personally, I hope that this Wis-LaX loss motivates the team and they knock off 3 play-off quality teams this year.

[CatchEmAll]

Re: If someone new, then who?

1. A high school coach would not be a good replacement no matter what the track record of said coach. At this level success is as much a matter of X's and O's as it is recruiting network and the coaches you bring in.
2. I'm a big fan of Eric Eidsness. Only reason I bring this up is because someone already mentioned him. He's still getting SMSU on it's feet. Until he proves himself there he's not ready for SDSU. Sorry Eric.
3. I was on the committee that hired Stig. He was my third choice. Can't change the past, but at the time I felt there were two other coaches that were better to lead our then DII program.
4. My wife is suprised I didn't start this thread...two years ago.

[91rabbit]

Re: If someone new, then who?

I am in complete agreement with MountainDewMan that the Jacks should have crushed any D3 team but I must disagree with his assessment of D3 football in general. The Upper Midwest is blessed with some of the finest D3 programs in the country (WIAC, MIAC). There are some tremendous athletes and impressive programs in the area. Read The Sweet Season by Austin Murphy. Murphy knows a thing or two about football and was roundly impressed by what he saw in meager D3 land. D3 lower than NAIA? Put UW-Lacrosse against Dakota State or St John's against Valley City State and see who wins.

[MountainDewMan]

Re: If someone new, then who?

JackPHD...did you really just say that this teams talent stacks up to an Iowa...Oklahoma...somebody like that.....and we just got beat by a D3 team? How'd you get your PHD...correspondence classes? Seriously, this was an embarassment. The players and coaches should be outright embarassed. You can't put State's talent with even a D2 team. We didn't even play well against D2 competition but now you want to compare us to a top tier D1 team? Changes need to be made.

[jackrabbit1979]

Re: If someone new, then who?

JackPHD...did you really just say that this teams talent stacks up to an Iowa...Oklahoma...somebody like that.....and we just got beat by a D3 team?  How'd you get your PHD...correspondence classes?  Seriously, this was an embarassment.  The players and coaches should be outright embarassed.  You can't put State's talent with even a D2 team.  We didn't even play well against D2 competition but now you want to compare us to a top tier D1 team?  Changes need to be made.

I am pretty sure he was talking academically.