Realistic coaching options for 2025...

[bcoach]

If SE was still in town he probably would be packing up this morning. He will need a Bowl win to salvage another year. I don’t see six wins on the schedule based on last night.BOT meets today.

Will a bowl win be enough? We've been told since 2022 that this is THE YEAR. It's already very clear that this isn't the year. Will 7-6 be good enough when the expectations were so high heading into the season?

Short of a donor writing the check , which could happen. Could happen today.

I never felt this was going to be the year, but I also never thought we could be this bad.

[311neers]

Andy Capone needs to get a call to be on staff at App.

He played QB at Sun Valley HS, was very good.
Played baseball at App for a couple years.

Is now the HC at Weddington High in Charlotte. He’s won 3 state titles in 6 years. Has an overall record of 77-8! But he’s an App guy…

(Yes, I’m semi joking, but he’s a great young coach and could be on staff on the mountain)

[ASU2012]

I'll take anyone who will have a team prepared to play from the opening snap. That's a really low bar, I know.

[DenverOfTheEast]

hey #TeamClark I cannot defend that comment regarding the effort, I have went as far as I can go.

Clark needed to have more say in his non conference schedule in order to coach long term and clearly he has no say in that - it partly cost Jim Fox his job and will partly cost Shawn Clark his job(he should let Kerns do his non conference scheduling honestly)

I honestly don't see any growth in Clark as a Head Coach, not sure he has gotten better in his position -
The team is failing in personnel decisions(recruiting) - failing in tackling - failing in running the ball - failing in motivating = 3 poor starts - failing in making plays on 3rd downs - failing in being the CEO of the program - Portal guys don't work at App State - it's not the foundation of the program.

Satt won with HS kids growing up at App within the program and obviously Drink inherited those kids, Clark had them for first 2 seasons, but the game has changed and traditional coaches like Clark are not use to that are NOT good with portal kids, it's just the way it is.

Need to find a guy like Curt Cignetti --- that won at different smaller places and worked his way up the ladder, look what he's doing now at Indiana, not sure its sustainable but he's kicking the sh*t out of teams so far. A P5 OC's and DC's candidates make too much money unless they are bottom of the P5 programs.

Gillin needs to go as well, here is why. Everts never wanted Clark, Gillin listened to the players, it was good for 2 seasons, BUT incomes the Portal and NIL and Gillin refused to help the program behind the scenes in areas that needed it in the new landscape. Plus Gillin listens to Ricks and Sofield way to much - that whole incest situation needs to be removed.

Outsider as the Head Coach
New voice as the head of athletics
New Chancellor

The whole place needs a new energy!!

Entitlement has crept in from the fan base as well.

I predicted in 2015 (verbally told Randy Jackson) that after the excitement of FBS wears off App would turn into a purgatory of football like a MAC school or Marshall did, and look where we are.

Can someone please tell me what specifically are the complaints with the schedule? I don’t get it. Yes thev4 day turnaround isn’t ideal but Doug can’t control that we are the marquee brand (for now) in the sunbelt and ESPN is going to pick us for games. Another year or 2 of this and we won’t have to worry about being picked for Thursday night national tv games.

I simply do not accept your defeatism on Apps future. There is a place in college football for App to not be blown out by south Alabama.

We are a growing university in a growing state with a top 5 g5 fanbase. There is zero reason to resign ourselves to a Mac future

It is the placement of where you put these games on the calendar and who you have following those games....

yesterday pregame ESPN article from 2 seasons ago said after the Texas A M in and college game day and hail marry to beat Troy the team was mentally exhausted.

last season fly to Wyoming come home, fly to Monroe

this year play Clemson and ECU back to back and now short week for USA

See my point the "placement' of these games....

being a growing university has nothing to do with it - App State is not on a NFL cushy 787 jet traveling these places either.

[appgrad95&97]

This isn't out of nowhere. Sure we turned it around and finished a respectable 8-4. But a 50 some yard FG to beat ULM, and personally, I'm not sure that was really a TD at the end of the JMU game. A lot of this has been made to look better than it was.

[ASUFan4863]

What is the buyout right now?

[ASUFan4863]

hey #TeamClark I cannot defend that comment regarding the effort, I have went as far as I can go.

Clark needed to have more say in his non conference schedule in order to coach long term and clearly he has no say in that - it partly cost Jim Fox his job and will partly cost Shawn Clark his job(he should let Kerns do his non conference scheduling honestly)

I honestly don't see any growth in Clark as a Head Coach, not sure he has gotten better in his position -
The team is failing in personnel decisions(recruiting) - failing in tackling - failing in running the ball - failing in motivating = 3 poor starts - failing in making plays on 3rd downs - failing in being the CEO of the program - Portal guys don't work at App State - it's not the foundation of the program.

Satt won with HS kids growing up at App within the program and obviously Drink inherited those kids, Clark had them for first 2 seasons, but the game has changed and traditional coaches like Clark are not use to that are NOT good with portal kids, it's just the way it is.

Need to find a guy like Curt Cignetti --- that won at different smaller places and worked his way up the ladder, look what he's doing now at Indiana, not sure its sustainable but he's kicking the sh*t out of teams so far. A P5 OC's and DC's candidates make too much money unless they are bottom of the P5 programs.

Gillin needs to go as well, here is why. Everts never wanted Clark, Gillin listened to the players, it was good for 2 seasons, BUT incomes the Portal and NIL and Gillin refused to help the program behind the scenes in areas that needed it in the new landscape. Plus Gillin listens to Ricks and Sofield way to much - that whole incest situation needs to be removed.

Outsider as the Head Coach
New voice as the head of athletics
New Chancellor

The whole place needs a new energy!!

Entitlement has crept in from the fan base as well.

I predicted in 2015 (verbally told Randy Jackson) that after the excitement of FBS wears off App would turn into a purgatory of football like a MAC school or Marshall did, and look where we are.

Can someone please tell me what specifically are the complaints with the schedule? I don’t get it. Yes thev4 day turnaround isn’t ideal but Doug can’t control that we are the marquee brand (for now) in the sunbelt and ESPN is going to pick us for games. Another year or 2 of this and we won’t have to worry about being picked for Thursday night national tv games.

I simply do not accept your defeatism on Apps future. There is a place in college football for App to not be blown out by south Alabama.

We are a growing university in a growing state with a top 5 g5 fanbase. There is zero reason to resign ourselves to a Mac future

It is the placement of where you put these games on the calendar and who you have following those games....

yesterday pregame ESPN article from 2 seasons ago said after the Texas A M in and college game day and hail marry to beat Troy the team was mentally exhausted.

last season fly to Wyoming come home, fly to Monroe

this year play Clemson and ECU back to back and now short week for USA

See my point the "placement' of these games....

being a growing university has nothing to do with it - App State is not on a NFL cushy 787 jet traveling these places either.

The scheduling of this conference game is on the conference for being a money hungry SOB. They put us on a short week after 2 road games when South Al got a full week from last Thursday. They wanted a primetime brand on primetime TV, but instead we are now a primetime embarrassment.

Regardless, scheduling isn't an excuse (not that you are saying it is) for the effort shown last night.

[t4pizza]

To answer the original prompt--
I like Dan Mullen as a coach a lot. He has plenty of money from UF, so I don't think we need to worry about that and he is a proven builder of programs.

I also like Kervin Bell, anyone that can win at Western is a good coach.

[canes_mj]

The most unfortunate thing is that probably 100 of us would need to win the lottery and become mega donors to buy the team we need. I'm affraid that we are not going to keep up recruiting or coaching at what we got right now. We won't compete as long as NIL is around. Those So AL kids didn't just show up, that's a decent squad that will compete this year. No idea what players are getting paid.

Guys , were in the top 20% of g5 programs for donations and ticket sales. Maybe top 10%. You can look this up we have to report every year as well as every other public school.
South Alabama reported $2MM in donations and $1MM in ticket sales. We reported $10 and $7. We did 5x them in organic revenue. We probably made more in ticket sales tonight than they will all year.

We’re not at a disadvantage in the g5 these are our peers there’s not some shadowy cabal giving them tons of funds to buy players. They got a good coach and he picked the right coaches and players. We don’t.

Great post; everyone take a breath, and let's not be so disheartened....some were blindsided by last night I guess, but many have known for several years that we've been in a steady decline, masked by some inflated records of FCS and sub .500 FBS wins....but, as bad as it is now, if we get the right guy in there, use the portal, with our resources and brand and history and fanbase and stadium, etc, it won't take us long to get back to being a top G5 team. And that needs to be the goal....we have to stop comparing ourselves to Power schools in terms of TV deals, NIL, and the portal....CFB is changing, yes...but it's changing for all the other G5 schools that are our peers...and we're in a better position than most other G5 to have continued success at OUR level...yes it's nice to beat a P4 school every once in a while, but we need a realistic concept of where we fit and what our place is in the college football universe and ladnscape...NOT having that perspective is why so many were so shocked and upset that Drink left, and on the heels of that, acting hastily and irrationally when emotions were high and hurt was fresh is what led us to be in the current state that we're in. My goals for App on a yearly basis are 1. conference title 2. be one of the top G5 teams to where we could get the G5 playoff spot. That is still available in the future, IF we 1. act to change things , and 2. when/if we do make a change, DG (and many in the fanbase) learned from what's happened and not repeat it.

[mtoddsolomon]

The most unfortunate thing is that probably 100 of us would need to win the lottery and become mega donors to buy the team we need. I'm affraid that we are not going to keep up recruiting or coaching at what we got right now. We won't compete as long as NIL is around. Those So AL kids didn't just show up, that's a decent squad that will compete this year. No idea what players are getting paid.

Guys , were in the top 20% of g5 programs for donations and ticket sales. Maybe top 10%. You can look this up we have to report every year as well as every other public school.
South Alabama reported $2MM in donations and $1MM in ticket sales. We reported $10 and $7. We did 5x them in organic revenue. We probably made more in ticket sales tonight than they will all year.

We’re not at a disadvantage in the g5 these are our peers there’s not some shadowy cabal giving them tons of funds to buy players. They got a good coach and he picked the right coaches and players. We don’t.

Great post; everyone take a breath, and let's not be so disheartened....some were blindsided by last night I guess, but many have known for several years that we've been in a steady decline, masked by some inflated records of FCS and sub .500 FBS wins....but, as bad as it is now, if we get the right guy in there, use the portal, with our resources and brand and history and fanbase and stadium, etc, it won't take us long to get back to being a top G5 team. And that needs to be the goal....we have to stop comparing ourselves to Power schools in terms of TV deals, NIL, and the portal....CFB is changing, yes...but it's changing for all the other G5 schools that are our peers...and we're in a better position than most other G5 to have continued success at OUR level...yes it's nice to beat a P4 school every once in a while, but we need a realistic concept of where we fit and what our place is in the college football universe and ladnscape...NOT having that perspective is why so many were so shocked and upset that Drink left, and on the heels of that, acting hastily and irrationally when emotions were high and hurt was fresh is what led us to be in the current state that we're in. My goals for App on a yearly basis are 1. conference title 2. be one of the top G5 teams to where we could get the G5 playoff spot. That is still available in the future, IF we 1. act to change things , and 2. when/if we do make a change, DG (and many in the fanbase) learned from what's happened and not repeat it.

Smoking that Boone Bud?

[Yosef1986]

Buyout?? App State has made a living doing more with less. The win now mentality does not match the win with less. We need a new mentality to move this program forward. For App to survive in the new age of college football - we need to adapt and adjust. Win with less might not be possible.

[BallantyneApp]

hey #TeamClark I cannot defend that comment regarding the effort, I have went as far as I can go.

Clark needed to have more say in his non conference schedule in order to coach long term and clearly he has no say in that - it partly cost Jim Fox his job and will partly cost Shawn Clark his job(he should let Kerns do his non conference scheduling honestly)

I honestly don't see any growth in Clark as a Head Coach, not sure he has gotten better in his position -
The team is failing in personnel decisions(recruiting) - failing in tackling - failing in running the ball - failing in motivating = 3 poor starts - failing in making plays on 3rd downs - failing in being the CEO of the program - Portal guys don't work at App State - it's not the foundation of the program.

Satt won with HS kids growing up at App within the program and obviously Drink inherited those kids, Clark had them for first 2 seasons, but the game has changed and traditional coaches like Clark are not use to that are NOT good with portal kids, it's just the way it is.

Need to find a guy like Curt Cignetti --- that won at different smaller places and worked his way up the ladder, look what he's doing now at Indiana, not sure its sustainable but he's kicking the sh*t out of teams so far. A P5 OC's and DC's candidates make too much money unless they are bottom of the P5 programs.

Gillin needs to go as well, here is why. Everts never wanted Clark, Gillin listened to the players, it was good for 2 seasons, BUT incomes the Portal and NIL and Gillin refused to help the program behind the scenes in areas that needed it in the new landscape. Plus Gillin listens to Ricks and Sofield way to much - that whole incest situation needs to be removed.

Outsider as the Head Coach
New voice as the head of athletics
New Chancellor

The whole place needs a new energy!!

Entitlement has crept in from the fan base as well.

I predicted in 2015 (verbally told Randy Jackson) that after the excitement of FBS wears off App would turn into a purgatory of football like a MAC school or Marshall did, and look where we are.

Can someone please tell me what specifically are the complaints with the schedule? I don’t get it. Yes thev4 day turnaround isn’t ideal but Doug can’t control that we are the marquee brand (for now) in the sunbelt and ESPN is going to pick us for games. Another year or 2 of this and we won’t have to worry about being picked for Thursday night national tv games.

I simply do not accept your defeatism on Apps future. There is a place in college football for App to not be blown out by south Alabama.

We are a growing university in a growing state with a top 5 g5 fanbase. There is zero reason to resign ourselves to a Mac future

It is the placement of where you put these games on the calendar and who you have following those games....

yesterday pregame ESPN article from 2 seasons ago said after the Texas A M in and college game day and hail marry to beat Troy the team was mentally exhausted.

last season fly to Wyoming come home, fly to Monroe

this year play Clemson and ECU back to back and now short week for USA

See my point the "placement' of these games....

being a growing university has nothing to do with it - App State is not on a NFL cushy 787 jet traveling these places either.

DG only has control over non conference games and this is done years in advance. He can't tell ESPN or the sunbelt when to schedule conference games. Wyoming was a good series nearly everyone applauded, same with Boise State. We have to play someone when we get back. I'm sure he tried to schedule an easy home game after each, but sometimes it doesn't work out. at clemson and at ecu are almost universally applauded series, and clemson is literally the only buy game we have scheduled (although after that and last night these might be easier to schedule).

its a shame that ESPN values our brand so much, but theres not an athletic department in the G5 that can afford to turn down ESPN.

[EastHallApp]

I would call Scott Saterfield and ask him who we should hire and I would hire that person.

Or just bring Satt back. He ain’t gonna last another season in Cincy anyways.

Not every show needs to be rebooted and not every coach needs to be brought back. Don’t bring Satt back. We’d literally be his last choice after he’s flopped at UL and Cincy.

It’s time for new, fresh blood, not to hire another App guy just because he’s an App guy. Times have changed and we need to change with them.

In Satt's case, you wouldn't be hiring an App guy because he's an App guy. You'd be hiring him because he's proven he can win very big at App. And, getting him on the downside of his P5 shot, there'd be a real chance he'd stay 15+ years this time even if he did win big again.

I do agree with you that times have changed, and I'm not sure I'd consider bringing back Satt to be the no-doubt, grand slam hire I would have said it was two years ago. But he'd still be near, if not at, the top of my list.

That said, I don't think the timing would work out this year, given he's only in year 2 at Cincy and his buyout is likely too big for us.

[BallantyneApp]

The most unfortunate thing is that probably 100 of us would need to win the lottery and become mega donors to buy the team we need. I'm affraid that we are not going to keep up recruiting or coaching at what we got right now. We won't compete as long as NIL is around. Those So AL kids didn't just show up, that's a decent squad that will compete this year. No idea what players are getting paid.

Guys , were in the top 20% of g5 programs for donations and ticket sales. Maybe top 10%. You can look this up we have to report every year as well as every other public school.
South Alabama reported $2MM in donations and $1MM in ticket sales. We reported $10 and $7. We did 5x them in organic revenue. We probably made more in ticket sales tonight than they will all year.

We’re not at a disadvantage in the g5 these are our peers there’s not some shadowy cabal giving them tons of funds to buy players. They got a good coach and he picked the right coaches and players. We don’t.

Great post; everyone take a breath, and let's not be so disheartened....some were blindsided by last night I guess, but many have known for several years that we've been in a steady decline, masked by some inflated records of FCS and sub .500 FBS wins....but, as bad as it is now, if we get the right guy in there, use the portal, with our resources and brand and history and fanbase and stadium, etc, it won't take us long to get back to being a top G5 team. And that needs to be the goal....we have to stop comparing ourselves to Power schools in terms of TV deals, NIL, and the portal....CFB is changing, yes...but it's changing for all the other G5 schools that are our peers...and we're in a better position than most other G5 to have continued success at OUR level...yes it's nice to beat a P4 school every once in a while, but we need a realistic concept of where we fit and what our place is in the college football universe and ladnscape...NOT having that perspective is why so many were so shocked and upset that Drink left, and on the heels of that, acting hastily and irrationally when emotions were high and hurt was fresh is what led us to be in the current state that we're in. My goals for App on a yearly basis are 1. conference title 2. be one of the top G5 teams to where we could get the G5 playoff spot. That is still available in the future, IF we 1. act to change things , and 2. when/if we do make a change, DG (and many in the fanbase) learned from what's happened and not repeat it.

Smoking that Boone Bud?

this is all very reasonable given our tangibles and intangibles. Yes we have to make changes and adjust to the new world of college football, but we're not some hapless program with 5k in the stands playing in a rust belt town in a state dominated by a blue blood college football program.

We have one of the largest fanbases in the G5 thats actively engaged and has actually grown in the past decade. Our instate P4 programs are the very definition of mediocre and we have thousands of our fans that haven't even hit peak earning potential due to our growth in the mid 2000s through now.

We can get 34k on a short week on Thursday 2 weeks after getting blown out and 1 week after a largely poor performance that thousands also traveled several hours too.

We can get a hungry coach to turn this around.

[Mjohn1988]

We need to at least contact Scott Frost.

[311neers]

The sad thing is, this is Year 3 of talking about buyouts. 2022 were rumblings. 2023 serious buyout talks well into October. 2024 seems like it's over.
3 years of buyout chatter, it's probably past due.

[Saint3333]

Got to give DOTE credit, didn't expect to see him here today and with reasonable posts.

[AppStFan1]

The sad thing is, this is Year 3 of talking about buyouts. 2022 were rumblings. 2023 serious buyout talks well into October. 2024 seems like it's over.
3 years of buyout chatter, it's probably past due.

Buyout drops 50% on Dec 2 I think and because he is an alumni they will want to see if there is a turnaround. I would be surprised if Clark can overcome this. I sure hope he can but I don't see it.

[AppStFan1]

hey #TeamClark I cannot defend that comment regarding the effort, I have went as far as I can go.

Clark needed to have more say in his non conference schedule in order to coach long term and clearly he has no say in that - it partly cost Jim Fox his job and will partly cost Shawn Clark his job(he should let Kerns do his non conference scheduling honestly)

I honestly don't see any growth in Clark as a Head Coach, not sure he has gotten better in his position -
The team is failing in personnel decisions(recruiting) - failing in tackling - failing in running the ball - failing in motivating = 3 poor starts - failing in making plays on 3rd downs - failing in being the CEO of the program - Portal guys don't work at App State - it's not the foundation of the program.

Satt won with HS kids growing up at App within the program and obviously Drink inherited those kids, Clark had them for first 2 seasons, but the game has changed and traditional coaches like Clark are not use to that are NOT good with portal kids, it's just the way it is.

Need to find a guy like Curt Cignetti --- that won at different smaller places and worked his way up the ladder, look what he's doing now at Indiana, not sure its sustainable but he's kicking the sh*t out of teams so far. A P5 OC's and DC's candidates make too much money unless they are bottom of the P5 programs.

Gillin needs to go as well, here is why. Everts never wanted Clark, Gillin listened to the players, it was good for 2 seasons, BUT incomes the Portal and NIL and Gillin refused to help the program behind the scenes in areas that needed it in the new landscape. Plus Gillin listens to Ricks and Sofield way to much - that whole incest situation needs to be removed.

Outsider as the Head Coach
New voice as the head of athletics
New Chancellor

The whole place needs a new energy!!

Entitlement has crept in from the fan base as well.

I predicted in 2015 (verbally told Randy Jackson) that after the excitement of FBS wears off App would turn into a purgatory of football like a MAC school or Marshall did, and look where we are.

Can someone please tell me what specifically are the complaints with the schedule? I don’t get it. Yes thev4 day turnaround isn’t ideal but Doug can’t control that we are the marquee brand (for now) in the sunbelt and ESPN is going to pick us for games. Another year or 2 of this and we won’t have to worry about being picked for Thursday night national tv games.

I simply do not accept your defeatism on Apps future. There is a place in college football for App to not be blown out by south Alabama.

We are a growing university in a growing state with a top 5 g5 fanbase. There is zero reason to resign ourselves to a Mac future

It is the placement of where you put these games on the calendar and who you have following those games....

yesterday pregame ESPN article from 2 seasons ago said after the Texas A M in and college game day and hail marry to beat Troy the team was mentally exhausted.

last season fly to Wyoming come home, fly to Monroe

this year play Clemson and ECU back to back and now short week for USA

See my point the "placement' of these games....

being a growing university has nothing to do with it - App State is not on a NFL cushy 787 jet traveling these places either.

Definitely agree on the schedule aspect but other teams have the issue as well. I did think it would have been nice to have a bye week or at least play on Saturday but this is how it is in the Sun Belt. The schedule had nothing to do with the quit we saw on the field though.

[EastHallApp]

If SE was still in town he probably would be packing up this morning. He will need a Bowl win to salvage another year. I don’t see six wins on the schedule based on last night.BOT meets today.

Will a bowl win be enough? We've been told since 2022 that this is THE YEAR. It's already very clear that this isn't the year. Will 7-6 be good enough when the expectations were so high heading into the season?

Can't see the bowl result (should we make one) making any difference, because the decision will almost certainly be made prior to bowl season, at the conclusion of the regular season.