Coaching Search...who's next? lets hear all the wild speculation

[Wxcpanther]

I’ve forgotten more than you’ll ever know. You are an internet warrior. You are just some punk that hasn’t played, coached or given real money or time to this school or program. And until you do, shut your pie hole.

How do we know that isn't exactly what you are, too? You're an anonymous troll on message boards, nothing more.

[kochrab]

Sounds like most of the big-name candidates dropped out due to financial issues. They didn't think UNI has what it takes ($$$) to compete in the FCS.

Do you have a reliable source on that or just assuming that? From my understanding, we have some pretty decent donors behind our football program.

Regardless, I wish him all the best. There's been plenty of guys come up from lower levels to have success. Drake's current MBB coach has seemingly done one heck of a job so far.

What type of offense did Stepsis run? I know nothing about him.

[MVCBeat]

Do you have a reliable source on that or just assuming that? From my understanding, we have some pretty decent donors behind our football program.

Regardless, I wish him all the best. There's been plenty of guys come up from lower levels to have success. Drake's current MBB coach has seemingly done one heck of a job so far.

What type of offense did Stepsis run? I know nothing about him.

Drake’s basketball coach had won four of the last six D2 national championships and had won 81% of his games over 15 years.

This guy has a below .500 career record.

[BCPanther]

Drake’s basketball coach had won four of the last six D2 national championships and had won 81% of his games over 15 years.

Yep. Apples and Volkswagens.

McCollum wasn't 29-31 with nothing about him standing out in any way.

['70 Grad]

Well, this doesn't change my opinion of search firms at all. Money-sucking parasites. How much money did we give them for investigating & keeping this under wraps?
Until I am convinced otherwise, I would have rather scheduled a game with Drake than get their head coach. D+ strikes again.
Welcome, Todd, and get to work!

[UNIpanther99]

The quietness of the search makes sense when the negotiations are between two colleagues who are already in each other’s phones.

[CletusCat]

I wasn't impressed with the AD hire initially but Dr.Franklin seems to be getting things moving. I'll give this decision and Coach Stepsis a fair shake, as any true Panther fan should.
That being said we are really embracing the red headed step child persona to Iowa/ISU with a coach named Stepsis.

[kochrab]

Drake’s basketball coach had won four of the last six D2 national championships and had won 81% of his games over 15 years.

This guy has a below .500 career record.

Fair point. I was more so getting at the idea that there's been plenty of people to move up in the athletics world and see success. Maybe that was a bad example, but the point still stands.

[Born-a-Panther]

Sounds like most of the big-name candidates dropped out due to financial issues. They didn't think UNI has what it takes ($$$) to compete in the FCS.

For those who think all Megan did was go to her buddy, please read this comment. And then remember we don't just need to fund a salary. Money has to go to other things, as well. There absolutely was a national search and there absolutely were bigger names who stepped away.

[ronfitch]

For those who think all Megan did was go to her buddy, please read this comment. And then remember we don't just need to fund a salary. Money has to go to other things, as well. There absolutely was a national search and there absolutely were bigger names who stepped away.

That would be my suspicion as well. And there was likely a payout to Mark (whose contract was for two more years).

[BCPanther]

That would be my suspicion as well. And there was likely a payout to Mark (whose contract was for two more years).

There was a settlement with Mark. Not a full buyout from what I've heard but still a chunk.

[clenz]

That would be my suspicion as well. And there was likely a payout to Mark (whose contract was for two more years).

Also, remember that we have the smallest budget in the Valley at this point. Thank you, Troy and David.

So even compared to others in our league any coach coming in has less to work with, even if Megan told them "We are committing an extra 25% to next year" (which I'm not saying happened, just an example) we would still be 10th or 11th in league budget.

The pay might have been good enough, but if they couldn't get there on the recruiting budget, assistant budget, etc. coaches would likely back out as well. We don't pay enough (no one at the FCS does) to make a coach step into a no-win situation from a backing standpoint because they know they are paid and set either way. Stepping in here means you are assuming the risk of the budget and making things happen in that scope. If one doesn't think they can do that/aren't willing to risk their reputation on that then they likely would back out as well.

I have no idea what the budget discussions were, but even in best-case scenario, we are asking someone to step into a job with one of the two smallest budgets in the Valley, behind on facilities, and with an apathetic fanbase. It takes a certain kind of coach to be willing to do that. An established coach looking for one final check in their resume before a bigger job isn't taking that risk. Someone fighting to prove they belong and hungry for the challenge will. You could also spin it as wise vs naive if you wish.

If we don't want Stepsis to fail we need to do our part, as fans and donors, to help him succeed and support him. Otherwise, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy of we didn't think he was a good hire, so we didn't support him, so he was set up to fail no matter what, thus proving us as fans right.

[06panther10]

Matt Drinkall was named HC at Central Michigan FYI

Shows he was probably out of the question for us.

[BCPanther]

The reality of what FCS football really is is hitting some people pretty hard right now.

Thinking we were going to get a 'name' was pretty shortsighted.

[QCPanther05]

Matt Drinkall was named HC at Central Michigan FYI

Shows he was probably out of the question for us.

Wow. They’re probably paying twice as much money. We couldn’t possibly compete with that. Good for Matt though.