Rogers to WSU - next man up

[RahRahRabbits]

Chase Mason on a mini-Happy Hour with John Gaskins just uploaded to YouTube.

2:07 - Gaskins: "What made you decide to ultimately stay at South Dakota State?"

Mason: "Right away, I felt like a lot of guys thought that were going to go, and felt like it was the right thing to do. But the more I gave it time and thought about the whole situation, I didn't feel it was the best thing for me, and I didn't think I could do that to the Brookings community or even the guys there still. The thing that makes Brookings special, and it's said over and over and over again by anyone that comes in, anyone that gets recruited by SDSU, is the guys that make it special there. The more I thought about it , the coaches leaving wasn't going to change my mind how much Brookings meant to me, the guys there, the culture. So it might be different coaches this next year, but it's still going to be the same group of guys that are bought in just as much as has been in the past."

3:10 Gaskins: "Jimmy Rogers, we learned a week ago Saturday that he was leaving for Washington State. At what point were you contacted by a coach to come with the staff and some of the players that are going to Pullman, and who was it that called you?"

Mason: "It was that morning as well. First Coach Freund. I was actually out fishing in Mobridge, on the Missouri River actually, I was out ice fishing when this whole thing went down, which is kind of crazy for that weekend. Coach Freund called me and said what was all happening, and that everybody was going with, and that he wanted me to go with them. They didn't have a number, but said obviously there would be NIL money involved in it. At the time, that sounded pretty cool. I said before, everyone felt they were going, so we felt it would be essentially the 'Washington State Jackrabbits.' That's the way I termed it. That's what they were trying to do, is take the whole program. It didn't seem right to me after I got done talking to coaches and thought about it after that... but then shortly after, Coach Rogers called me and talked to me about it, and tried to convince me to go to there. I told him I was going to take my time and think about the decision. It's not an easy decision to make at that time. Then we had a team meeting on Zoom shortly after that, that he (Rogers) then said he was resigning and taking the job. Then Justin Sell and everyone took over after that."

5:12 - Gaskins: "Can you tell me what the nature was of what Justin Sell had to tell all you guys?"

Mason: "I think initially it was trying to keep the guys calm. There was a lot unknown right away, guys didn't know what to do honestly. None of the coaches were staying, so they couldn't really talk to them about it. They weren't really getting talked into staying at all. Literally the administration at SDSU, they've done a great job with this whole thing, keeping guys in the loop. Justin is a great dude and a fantastic AD." Justin gave out his phone number to everyone on the call, players and recruits, and told them to reach out at any time. "He did a good job of keeping us calm and reassuring us that he was going to hire someone that was familiar with our culture."

6:20 - Gaskins: "Walk me through the next few hours or a couple days. Who on the team you talked to, whether it was the guys that were shipping off to Washington State or guys that were staying. How often were you on the phone and what kind of conversations were you having?"

Out of time for a full transcript.... Go listen! I'm only part way through, but it's already a very insightful interview on this entire mess.

One thing is for sure.... Chase Mason is the man!

[Sodakbull]

Verified. "Burn the ships" means basically the same thing as "no retreat, no surrender."

I love seeing this attitude from our next presumptive starting quarter back.

[jacksfan29]

Interesting article from Tanner Castro on what has been going on behind the scenes. I'd say now we know why Kraft and Stig openly posted on X their feelings. I get it, college football is a dog eat dog world, but this is absolutely unseemly from the former staff. That said, it should drive all of us to support the incoming staff and remaining players that much more next season. Once rebuilt, I would love to see a game against WSU, won't happen.

https://medium.com/@Tannercastora/so...s-a8335d4936a8

[jakejc795]

Verified. "Burn the ships" means basically the same thing as "no retreat, no surrender."

Please tell me someone associated with the Jacks will be selling shirts with these slogans. Bonus points if shirt has a hideously mulleted green & yeller QB with a measly "I hate the Jackrabbits" placard around his Ungulate neck

[filbert]

Ahh, yes Cortés purportedly burned all but one of this ships the Spaniards had sailed to Mexico with so that he and his crew couldn't retreat.

Tweets like Jackson's increase my excitement about what next season brings, and I think that (and the outgoing regime's actions) could really galvanize fans.

Verified. "Burn the ships" means basically the same thing as "no retreat, no surrender."

[trueblue]

Ahh, yes Cortés purportedly burned all but one of this ships the Spaniards had sailed to Mexico with so that he and his crew couldn't retreat.

Tweets like Jackson's increase my excitement about what next season brings, and I think that (and the outgoing regime's actions) could really galvanize fans.

I hope our fans are galvanized and motivated by this. There really isn't any reason this program can't continue to take steps forward- great facilities, hopefully a great new staff with a great recruiter in the HC position. We need to continue to do things to grow the fan-base and continue to get bigger crowds for future playoff games. The players who have stayed will be highly motivated as well I would think. Hopefully, they can become to SDSU football what the "unforgettables" are to UK basketball.

[jakejc795]

I interpreted it as burn the ships [to stop everyone from leaving]. Mason's is a gif of a burning ship. Couldn't find the log one, might have imagined it. With Jackson's post, was a picture taken at night of the back of the stadium scoreboard.

Ahh, yes Cortés purportedly burned all but one of this ships the Spaniards had sailed to Mexico with so that he and his crew couldn't retreat.

Tweets like Jackson's increase my excitement about what next season brings, and I think that (and the outgoing regime's actions) could really galvanize fans.

[peavy]

I'd like to see those pictures.

How about angry Jack logo with an eye patch?

I interpreted it as burn the ships [to stop everyone from leaving]. Mason's is a gif of a burning ship. Couldn't find the log one, might have imagined it. With Jackson's post, was a picture taken at night of the back of the stadium scoreboard.

[Jackbacker123]

You would be seeing this incorrectly then. Facilities and NIL aid in recruiting. Coaches recruit and develop players. They form a relationship with the players. For the players the coach can be more important than the school. Not that the school is unimportant. A coach that moves from Ohio St to Northwestern might not be able to pull players with. On the other hand, a coach that moves from Northwestern to Ohio St can pull staff and players along.

Coaches at FBS schools with large collectives no longer have to be good recruiters or developer of players. They can just buy developed players from programs that they can offer more money to.

[Prairiehaas]

Then I guess its too bad we spent 100M on facilities, when we could have spent it on coaches salaries and NIL

You would be seeing this incorrectly then. Facilities and NIL aid in recruiting. Coaches recruit and develop players. They form a relationship with the players. For the players the coach can be more important than the school. Not that the school is unimportant. A coach that moves from Ohio St to Northwestern might not be able to pull players with. On the other hand, a coach that moves from Northwestern to Ohio St can pull staff and players along.

[Jackrabbit2012]

Players follow coaches, not schools.

Then I guess its too bad we spent 100M on facilities, when we could have spent it on coaches salaries and NIL

[Prairiehaas]

Saw a report today that they lost 36 to the portal, the most in all of FBS.

Players follow coaches, not schools.

[98Jackfarmer]

I don't think anyone has any reason to be mad at Roger's for leaving. If he is successful in getting that school to 6 wins and a Bowl game the next two seasons, I'd expect he will be leaving Pullman 2 or 3 years after arriving. There is no loyalty there, this is a stepping stone job and good for him. I wish him well. In all honesty, same with the older players who have two rings whether they followed Roger's to WSU or ended up elsewhere, I wish them all well and hope they have a lot of success, grab some NIL money, enjoy a year at a G5 school.

The issue for many is the openly trying to recruit as much young talent as he could before getting out the door. In Stig's interview he referenced talking to a freshman who was confused and hurt by the situation. It sounded like the young man was being pushed to enter the portal by the departing staff. That's not something Lujan did on his way out as an OC going to a Big 10 school, and he could have. I get that Jimmy took a crappy job, one that pays well though a million less than Dickert. WSU is a school and athletic dept in transition with an unknown future. I get the staff wanting to win, but WSU does have players who didn't leave. Why have your staff targeting kids and seemingly trying to manipulate them into leaving? That leaves a bit of a sour taste in how this all has gone down.

When I go to the field to work I always take extra parts with me. I hope I don't have to use them, but if I do, I have them "just in case". I suspect some of the players leaving here and going to WSU are going to be "extra parts". JMO

[discoDancinRabbit]

Player parents would know how it went down. Where do you think all the leaks were coming from the morning of the 28th reporting the Rogers was leaving and taking a bunch of players with him?

I don't know about TREACHERY. More like SKULLDUGGERY but if you paint with a broad brush, maybe TREACHERY.

Ok parents twitter posts. Doubt they have all the details of contracts and what not.

Treachery as in being a traitor. Like a bodyguard attacking the person they are supposed to stop others from attacking. Not just looting and plundering.

[bigticket1]

I don't think anyone has any reason to be mad at Roger's for leaving. If he is successful in getting that school to 6 wins and a Bowl game the next two seasons, I'd expect he will be leaving Pullman 2 or 3 years after arriving. There is no loyalty there, this is a stepping stone job and good for him. I wish him well. In all honesty, same with the older players who have two rings whether they followed Roger's to WSU or ended up elsewhere, I wish them all well and hope they have a lot of success, grab some NIL money, enjoy a year at a G5 school.

The issue for many is the openly trying to recruit as much young talent as he could before getting out the door. In Stig's interview he referenced talking to a freshman who was confused and hurt by the situation. It sounded like the young man was being pushed to enter the portal by the departing staff. That's not something Lujan did on his way out as an OC going to a Big 10 school, and he could have. I get that Jimmy took a crappy job, one that pays well though a million less than Dickert. WSU is a school and athletic dept in transition with an unknown future. I get the staff wanting to win, but WSU does have players who didn't leave. Why have your staff targeting kids and seemingly trying to manipulate them into leaving? That leaves a bit of a sour taste in how this all has gone down.

Saw a report today that they lost 36 to the portal, the most in all of FBS.