If Stitt ends up a bust next season, who would you hire?

[GrizRanger]

When (If) Haslam gets a brain, he should try to hire Beau Baldwin from EWU. Don't know why UM is wasting more time with Stitt, who has proven he can't do it? Go after Baldwin now.

 

[kemajic]

When (If) Haslam gets a brain, he should try to hire Beau Baldwin from EWU. Don't know why UM is wasting more time with Stitt, who has proven he can't do it? Go after Baldwin now.

Haslam may have been seduced by Stitt, but he does have a brain and is a very good AD. Baldwin also has a brain and has no need for a lateral move.

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

When (If) Haslam gets a brain, he should try to hire Beau Baldwin from EWU. Don't know why UM is wasting more time with Stitt, who has proven he can't do it? Go after Baldwin now.

You do realize that he went hard after Baldwin before he turned to Stitt. Baldwin told him to take a hike.

 

[Gaeilge1]

If UM decides, as is being suggested, that they do want to go with a pro set offense instead of a spread then I am compelled to alter my previous post on who I would think the school should hire as their next staff. I humbly submit the following:

Marty Morningwheg - HC
Brent Pease - OC/QB
Tim Hauck - DC/DB

After that, who cares?!

 

[kemajic]

If UM decides, as is being suggested, that they do want to go with a pro set offense instead of a spread then I am compelled to alter my previous post on who I would think the school should hire as their next staff. I humbly submit the following:

Marty Morningwheg - HC
Brent Pease - OC/QB
Tim Hauck - DC/DB

After that, who cares?!

That group makes at least a million combined.

 

[George Ferguson]

If UM decides, as is being suggested, that they do want to go with a pro set offense instead of a spread then I am compelled to alter my previous post on who I would think the school should hire as their next staff. I humbly submit the following:

Marty Morningwheg - HC
Brent Pease - OC/QB
Tim Hauck - DC/DB

After that, who cares?!

The ONLY place that's being suggested is on a fan message board where most people don't even offer their real names.

 

[mtgrizrule]

Amazing, how so few people are offering suggestions. It has turned into another thread of mostly opinions about Stitt.

 

[UMGriz75]

Amazing, how so few people are offering suggestions. It has turned into another thread of mostly opinions about Stitt.

It is possibly reasonable on discussing possible replacements, it is always useful to discuss what is being replaced. This season turned into a dumpster fire, torching in the process several posters' high opinions of themselves. Naturally, having been humiliated in a big way, they make all sorts of noise now about "extensions" as though their opinions retain any validity whatsoever.

But, as the thread implicitly acknowledges, another season like this one, and Stitt is likely gone. But, that doesn't explain why. What went wrong? That needs to be identified before a reasonable idea of a replacement can be advanced.

Is it the coach, the strategy, or the transition? Each of those requires an assessment of "Stitt," doesn't it? If it's just him and his inability to effectively coach, adapt and game plan, then the list of possible replacements is lengthy.

If its his particular strategy, ineffective at the DI level, perhaps we need to reassess what UM is trying to do as a strategy and, as one poster effectively argued, hire around that strategy. That narrows the list.

If its just a matter of transition handicaps, are there coaches that manage transitions better, or is there even such a thing as a transition handicap? UM's record shows some of individual coach's best seasons have been their first and second. Despite searching, I can find no statistical support for the notion that coaches get better after their second years -- notwithstanding that some do, many don't. There is simply no predictive value to be found there.

If its a matter of the base concept of hiring DII coaches with middling to OK backgrounds in DII to coach at an elite DI level, against coaches with years and years of experience at the DI FCS and FBS levels, maybe we need to rethink that approach. And never do it again.

Our problem now is that for recruiting, both coaches and players, Stitt has lit the dumpster on fire, and if there is a replacement coach, who would want to clean up the mess? For Stitt, his job is much more difficult now than when he first arrived. He made it so; it is unlikely he can suddenly figure out why with a sudden revelation during the off-season about the essence of coaching football. But, even if mirable dictu, perhaps reading Coach Ash's tome, he discovers something, is it now more or less likely that key recruits would want to come to the UM program after this year's very public fiascoes? There can be no doubt he has made that job much more difficult. Would we need to look at a candidate with specialized "turnaround" skills? A "Heatchote" or "Read" with outsized personalities that attracts young players to want to play the game for them?

Likely, a viable candidate would be a talented assistant coach at the FBS level looking for a challenge and to make a name. Precisely the kind of coach we will need, and which, for starters, identifies the recruitment pool. Look there.

 

[spsyk]

Amazing, how so few people are offering suggestions. It has turned into another thread of mostly opinions about Stitt.

After coach Stitt's finale In the Brawl, and humiliated by lesser teams in four of the last five games by being out coach, coach Mick Delaney even looks good at this point.

There are high school coaches, in West Texas and Ohio that could mentor coach Stitt.

Even with a extension of fifteen years, the offensive genius of the offense being displayed at this point in time, will not win a BS or NC.

And I did make a suggestion, along with my coach Stitt rant

Mediocrity is his Standard Barrier, and the 2016 season he even went below that.

JUST MY OPINION.

 

[UMGriz75]

If UM decides, as is being suggested, that they do want to go with a pro set offense instead of a spread then I am compelled to alter my previous post on who I would think the school should hire as their next staff. I humbly submit the following:

Marty Morningwheg - HC
Brent Pease - OC/QB
Tim Hauck - DC/DB

After that, who cares?!

The ONLY place that's being suggested is on a fan message board where most people don't even offer their real names.

And neither did you, havgrizfan, until recently when you decided to use your real name to announce to another poster, quite belligerently, that the Cats were by far the worst team in the conference and you were so certain of your analytical skills of football that you offered a "paycheck to paycheck" bet that the Griz would wallop the Cats.

How did that turn out?

 

[AZGrizFan]

As someone here famously predicted when Stitt was at the apogee of the fan hero-worship, "Stitt is going to recruit quarterbacks that are fast and smart!!!" as though this thought verified what many were trying to claim, that "Stitt was an offensive genius" and that recruiting "fast and smart" quarterbacks was this amazing new thing that had been discovered at the DII level in Colorado!

You should seek a counselor about this....you're like a fucking dog with a bone that just will NOT let it go. :roll: :roll: :roll:

 

[kemajic]

All this talk about continuity and providing a longer stint to learn how to coach has really changed my thinking. I would suggest no less than a 10 year contract. The first two years the coach would simply be required to learn Griz tradition and not be required to actually appear on the field. The team could just draw up plays with sticks during that time. I mean how can we really expect a coach to mold somebody else's recruits. The next three years expectations should only be for a couple wins each season. Coaches' recruits will be so young and still learning the system. However the next four years (6 through 9) we should be able to reasonably expect 5-6 seasons moving toward 6-5 when a bold innovative offensive genius system is in place. Finally in the tenth year our "new" coach should realize a playoff berth although there could be extenuating circumstances (changes in administration for example) that may warrant a couple of more years of extensions sans the playoff invite.

Outside of the first two years learning Griz tradition, you basically just described the Don Read tenure here. :lol: :lol:

Not even close, so keep laughing. Read was in the playoffs 5 of his 10 years, including year 3 and semis year 4. Three trips to the semis and a NC. All starting from nothing.

Well, my comment was mostly tongue-in-cheek, but since you asked, AFTER that semi's year he followed it up with two less-than-stellar 7-4 seasons, capped off by an even less stellar 6-5 season...a period in which he went 0-3 against no less than Eastern f***[*] Washington. Let's give Bob 7 years and see where he stands, hmmm?

Read was competing against Nevada, BSU and Idaho while building a program along the way. 10-0 vs. MSU. Stitt just lost 4 of 5 to the likes of UNC and a 1-6 MSU team, in his second year walking into an established program. In year two Read beat Nevada, UNI, BSU, EWU and MSU 55-7. Other than his similar win vs. UNI indicate Stitt's other notable year two wins.

 

[horribilisfan8184]

Outside of the first two years learning Griz tradition, you basically just described the Don Read tenure here. :lol: :lol:

Not even close, so keep laughing. Read was in the playoffs 5 of his 10 years, including year 3 and semis year 4. Three trips to the semis and a NC. All starting from nothing.

The uptempo west coast-based offense that Stitt runs is more likely to result in big wins but also is less consistent than a power offense. An example of a big win is the first NDSU game last year. There's no way we win that game with a power offense. Edwards at BYU and Walsh with the 49ers created the west coast O to defeat bigger teams. In power football, the more talented team almost always wins, but the Stitt / west coast system disrupts that equation. The already discussed key seems to be QB play - a very good QB will vastly improve the W-L record in Stitt's system (think of the great QB's with BYU and the Niners - they weren't necessarily physical standouts, but they made great decisions).

Since Stitt is going to be dealing with a new QB this year, I'd roll the dice and give him 2 more years to prove himself. He was doing pretty well until the midpoint of this season, even without one of his own QB recruits. A return to power football may result in more immediate wins, but will lower the chances of the Griz ever bringing home another national trophy. Disappoint over the season ending aside, I have believed, and continue to believe, that Bob Stitt gives us a pretty good shot eventually, even though our team may never be the most physically talented FCS team.

I guess I look at the teams that have playoff success and have championships at both the FBS and FCS level. It is hard to argue with the success of NDSU but I think that is due to consistency in the offense and defense they have chosen to play. Klieman just extended Bohl's style and has done so with success. It appears that Bohl is taking his style and doing well with it at Wyoming.
I am not convinced the up tempo west coast offense will lead to success and league dominance. I think it is too QB dependent. Here is an interesting read:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2417925-do-high-tempo-offenses-equal-more-wins-in-college-football#
My main point is that the Griz program as a whole needs to establish what style of play they want and stick to it. I would caution against the west coast up tempo though.

NDSU has built its resume on consistently landing recruits in the trenches and at skill positions that, maybe not star, but could start in the Big 10 or Big 12, in power football offenses and defenses. NDSU's systems are relatively easier to execute than west coast offenses and defenses, leading to less mistakes. If we could consistently land o-line and d-line and skill players (like that 6-2 235 fast, quick powerful running back dreamed about on other threads) who would start in the Pac 12, we could do what NDSU does and still have exciting football to watch. Our o-line recruits look like they could foot the bill, but I'd like to see more Pedro's at interior line so we can kill run games, particularly Poly.

 

[AZGrizFan]

Outside of the first two years learning Griz tradition, you basically just described the Don Read tenure here. :lol: :lol:

Not even close, so keep laughing. Read was in the playoffs 5 of his 10 years, including year 3 and semis year 4. Three trips to the semis and a NC. All starting from nothing.

Well, my comment was mostly tongue-in-cheek, but since you asked, AFTER that semi's year he followed it up with two less-than-stellar 7-4 seasons, capped off by an even less stellar 6-5 season...a period in which he went 0-3 against no less than Eastern f***[*] Washington. Let's give Bob 7 years and see where he stands, hmmm?

Read was competing against Nevada, BSU and Idaho while building a program along the way. 10-0 vs. MSU. Stitt just lost 4 of 5 to the likes of UNC and a 1-6 MSU team, in his second year walking into an established program. In year two Read beat Nevada, UNI, BSU, EWU and MSU 55-7. Other than his similar win vs. UNI indicate Stitt's other notable year two wins.

What about his year ONE wins? NDSU....EWU....MSU....or don't those count?

 

[kemajic]

Not even close, so keep laughing. Read was in the playoffs 5 of his 10 years, including year 3 and semis year 4. Three trips to the semis and a NC. All starting from nothing.

Well, my comment was mostly tongue-in-cheek, but since you asked, AFTER that semi's year he followed it up with two less-than-stellar 7-4 seasons, capped off by an even less stellar 6-5 season...a period in which he went 0-3 against no less than Eastern f***[*] Washington. Let's give Bob 7 years and see where he stands, hmmm?

Read was competing against Nevada, BSU and Idaho while building a program along the way. 10-0 vs. MSU. Stitt just lost 4 of 5 to the likes of UNC and a 1-6 MSU team, in his second year walking into an established program. In year two Read beat Nevada, UNI, BSU, EWU and MSU 55-7. Other than his similar win vs. UNI indicate Stitt's other notable year two wins.

What about his year ONE wins? NDSU....EWU....MSU....or don't those count?

A perfect illustration of the Stitt trend line. It isn't pretty.

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

After coach Stitt's finale In the Brawl, and humiliated by lesser teams in four of the last five games by being out coach, coach Mick Delaney even looks good at this point.
JUST MY OPINION.

Even though it is just your opinion, the bolded part is wrong.

 

[PlayerRep]

After coach Stitt's finale In the Brawl, and humiliated by lesser teams in four of the last five games by being out coach, coach Mick Delaney even looks good at this point.
JUST MY OPINION.

Even though it is just your opinion, the bolded part is wrong.

Says who?

 

[GeauxGriz]

Amazing, how so few people are offering suggestions. It has turned into another thread of mostly opinions about Stitt.

It is possibly reasonable on discussing possible replacements, it is always useful to discuss what is being replaced. This season turned into a dumpster fire, torching in the process several posters' high opinions of themselves. Naturally, having been humiliated in a big way, they make all sorts of noise now about "extensions" as though their opinions retain any validity whatsoever.

But, as the thread implicitly acknowledges, another season like this one, and Stitt is likely gone. But, that doesn't explain why. What went wrong? That needs to be identified before a reasonable idea of a replacement can be advanced.

Is it the coach, the strategy, or the transition? Each of those requires an assessment of "Stitt," doesn't it? If it's just him and his inability to effectively coach, adapt and game plan, then the list of possible replacements is lengthy.

If its his particular strategy, ineffective at the DI level, perhaps we need to reassess what UM is trying to do as a strategy and, as one poster effectively argued, hire around that strategy. That narrows the list.

If its just a matter of transition handicaps, are there coaches that manage transitions better, or is there even such a thing as a transition handicap? UM's record shows some of individual coach's best seasons have been their first and second. Despite searching, I can find no statistical support for the notion that coaches get better after their second years -- notwithstanding that some do, many don't. There is simply no predictive value to be found there.

If its a matter of the base concept of hiring DII coaches with middling to OK backgrounds in DII to coach at an elite DI level, against coaches with years and years of experience at the DI FCS and FBS levels, maybe we need to rethink that approach. And never do it again.

Our problem now is that for recruiting, both coaches and players, Stitt has lit the dumpster on fire, and if there is a replacement coach, who would want to clean up the mess? For Stitt, his job is much more difficult now than when he first arrived. He made it so; it is unlikely he can suddenly figure out why with a sudden revelation during the off-season about the essence of coaching football. But, even if mirable dictu, perhaps reading Coach Ash's tome, he discovers something, is it now more or less likely that key recruits would want to come to the UM program after this year's very public fiascoes? There can be no doubt he has made that job much more difficult. Would we need to look at a candidate with specialized "turnaround" skills? A "Heatchote" or "Read" with outsized personalities that attracts young players to want to play the game for them?

Likely, a viable candidate would be a talented assistant coach at the FBS level looking for a challenge and to make a name. Precisely the kind of coach we will need, and which, for starters, identifies the recruitment pool. Look there.

Ain't nobody got time for that...

 

[Blgs Griz Fan]

Not even close, so keep laughing. Read was in the playoffs 5 of his 10 years, including year 3 and semis year 4. Three trips to the semis and a NC. All starting from nothing.

The uptempo west coast-based offense that Stitt runs is more likely to result in big wins but also is less consistent than a power offense. An example of a big win is the first NDSU game last year. There's no way we win that game with a power offense. Edwards at BYU and Walsh with the 49ers created the west coast O to defeat bigger teams. In power football, the more talented team almost always wins, but the Stitt / west coast system disrupts that equation. The already discussed key seems to be QB play - a very good QB will vastly improve the W-L record in Stitt's system (think of the great QB's with BYU and the Niners - they weren't necessarily physical standouts, but they made great decisions).

Since Stitt is going to be dealing with a new QB this year, I'd roll the dice and give him 2 more years to prove himself. He was doing pretty well until the midpoint of this season, even without one of his own QB recruits. A return to power football may result in more immediate wins, but will lower the chances of the Griz ever bringing home another national trophy. Disappoint over the season ending aside, I have believed, and continue to believe, that Bob Stitt gives us a pretty good shot eventually, even though our team may never be the most physically talented FCS team.

I guess I look at the teams that have playoff success and have championships at both the FBS and FCS level. It is hard to argue with the success of NDSU but I think that is due to consistency in the offense and defense they have chosen to play. Klieman just extended Bohl's style and has done so with success. It appears that Bohl is taking his style and doing well with it at Wyoming.
I am not convinced the up tempo west coast offense will lead to success and league dominance. I think it is too QB dependent. Here is an interesting read:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2417925-do-high-tempo-offenses-equal-more-wins-in-college-football#
My main point is that the Griz program as a whole needs to establish what style of play they want and stick to it. I would caution against the west coast up tempo though.

NDSU has built its resume on consistently landing recruits in the trenches and at skill positions that, maybe not star, but could start in the Big 10 or Big 12, in power football offenses and defenses. NDSU's systems are relatively easier to execute than west coast offenses and defenses, leading to less mistakes. If we could consistently land o-line and d-line and skill players (like that 6-2 235 fast, quick powerful running back dreamed about on other threads) who would start in the Pac 12, we could do what NDSU does and still have exciting football to watch. Our o-line recruits look like they could foot the bill, but I'd like to see more Pedro's at interior line so we can kill run games, particularly Poly.

The key word in your post concerning NDSU success is ..."consistently." NDSU has developed a plan, a strategy, that has allowed them to dominate their conference and the FCS. They did this by setting an offensive and defensive strategy and sticking with it. Klieman was most likely hired because he would carry on the work of Bohl. I doubt the NDSU AD hired him because he heard he had a "good offense."
I do think their offense is more likely to achieve conference and FCS excellence than the up tempo but that is just my opinion.
I think their success has been running a stable consistent program. Refining and perfecting that program as much as possible. That allows them to recruit the best talent possible to fit their program because of their success. A successful dominant program will attract the right talent.
This is the last time I will mention this in a post because I have mentioned it enough.

 

[spsyk]

After coach Stitt's finale In the Brawl, and humiliated by lesser teams in four of the last five games by being out coach, coach Mick Delaney even looks good at this point.
JUST MY OPINION.

Even though it is just your opinion, the bolded part is wrong.

So, I will assume that in your opinion, the last five games where played against superior teams compared to the Griz. And coach Stitt was overwhelmed playing against better athletes, and coaches.

Do you really want to get into this debate...

Jerome Sours and Tye Gregorak, schooled coach Stitt, and I don't need to go any further on the other games.

Coach Stitt's apology tour and end of the season, is not going to change anything about his genius offense, he will need to modify to improve the teams game time performance.

Up till now, athletes are not the problem, the Griz are fielding some of the best athletes in the Big Sky, the problem lies elsewhere, that elsewhere is for you and coach Stitt to figure out.