Let me state first off, I am not a Cat hater. My best buds from high school, both "brains" with high IQ's and off-the-chart test scores, went to Montana State. And while we retain a rivalry, it's always friendly, never hateful. As my Dad once told me, "Hate will eat you up." So what I'm about to say is not to roil our rivalry or ruffle feathers.
Which is, I think Brian Fish is in a lot of trouble at Montana State. I think he gets one more year to turn it around, and that's all. And given the talent we have returning, there is no chance he beats us next year.
But more important, Fish has failed on two key recruits, Brendan Howard and Mack Anderson. Howard is Montana State legacy, brother Bobby played for the Cats, while his Mom played for their women's team. Instead he signed with Eastern Washington, which could come back to haunt us as well. And of course, Mack Anderson was a star at Bozeman High, and a guy the Cats critically wanted and needed. In fact, the Howard/Anderson duo may have been as important to Montana State as Ray Howard and Zip Rhoades were for us back in the day. That's how much those signings might have meant to the Cats, had Fish closed the deal. That he didn't indicates to me that there is something afoul in that program.
Which is, I think Brian Fish is in a lot of trouble at Montana State. I think he gets one more year to turn it around, and that's all. And given the talent we have returning, there is no chance he beats us next year.
But more important, Fish has failed on two key recruits, Brendan Howard and Mack Anderson. Howard is Montana State legacy, brother Bobby played for the Cats, while his Mom played for their women's team. Instead he signed with Eastern Washington, which could come back to haunt us as well. And of course, Mack Anderson was a star at Bozeman High, and a guy the Cats critically wanted and needed. In fact, the Howard/Anderson duo may have been as important to Montana State as Ray Howard and Zip Rhoades were for us back in the day. That's how much those signings might have meant to the Cats, had Fish closed the deal. That he didn't indicates to me that there is something afoul in that program.