Looking Forward

[Wxcpanther]

I don’t blame him either. It sounds like he’ll be fairly picky about where he goes, and those jobs would have to open for him to be a candidate. He’d also have to put together a couple of recent really good seasons (Sweet 16 or better) to be a really serious candidate. That’s a lot of variables that need to come together. Not impossible, but it’s not happening overnight either.

Ya, I don't buy that last part at all. He has shown what he's capable of over the past 15 years. He would get one of those jobs as long as the program is still solid, and it will be unless something drastic happens

[Username]

Even crazier Ben really isn't that old.

He's 50 so he still has quite a bit left in him.

[SteinPizza]

Ya, I don't buy that last part at all. He has shown what he's capable of over the past 15 years. He would get one of those jobs as long as the program is still solid, and it will be unless something drastic happens

There was a lot of negative reaction from the Minnesota fan base when his name was on a list of potential candidates this past year. A couple more recent good NCAA appearances would’ve helped. Based on that, he’d need a recent nice tourney run to mute the “he hasn’t beaten higher level competition lately” argument.

[A Fan In Lean Years]

There was a lot of negative reaction“he hasn’t beaten higher level competition lately” argument.

Exactly two games in the illustrious 61% winning career.

I never have much good to say about my home state of MN, but, in this, case they're dead on right.

[Newsbreaker]

I agree with whomever said it's a lifetime deal, and we might as well set it up as such. At a small school with fewer resources, like ours, you have to find your small strategic advantages. Ours can be stability - a certain football program down the interstate from us has used exactly that to their substantial advantage.

Jake is young. He should be keeping his options open. His kids will be grown, eventually, but to get a Minnesota - Wisconsin tier job, he's going to have to win a bunch of games between now and then. If he does, this program will be very well positioned in any case.

['70 Grad]

Exactly two games in the illustrious 61% winning career.

I never have much good to say about my home state of MN, but, in this, case they're dead on right.

My state of birth too. It does not surprise me that those type of comments were made. But what in Ben Johnson's head coaching resume were better?

That first sentence, however, was a real amazing one. I have been sitting on the sidelines watching this downgrading of one of two good people for a long time, but that "takes the cake" of ridiculousness.

First, the two wins. Kansas: that was like beating Alabama in football when they were number one in the polls. North Carolina: that was like beating Ohio State (or at least Michigan). Granted, the scholarships in football aren't as equal as in basketball, but the gulf in players is huge.

But there are many other wins besides those two. Texas and UNLV are the first to come to mind. Colorado and Indiana are two others without looking anything up. Maybe Ben and Mark have a similar winning percentage against Iowa State. How about Iowa?

Our football resume/reputation is getting diluted. It has been on a generally downward trend lately, unfortunately. Still, I am not giving up on Farley, especially with his recruiting. That is always the necessary first step.

Hoping that both teams make a splash this year. Keep it up, softball & wrestling. Get back to form, volleyball. Go all Panther teams! And no ridiculous statements on the forum. (Ha!)

[BCPanther]

Ben Jacobson has 28 wins against Power 6 schools. He's beaten 19 different programs. (Games against Creighton excluded)

He's also got 4 wins against the AAC.

[Schack]

Which winning percentage is better? 61% or 66%?


It looks like you have included last years basketball record of 10-15 in the 61% but you have not included last years football record of 3-4 in the 66%. If last years football results are included the football % goes down to 65%. Not much difference but it does close the gap some. Maybe just leave out both of last years results and the percents are 63% for basketball and 66% for football. That makes it even closer.

[DownGoesKansas]

Ben Jacobson has 28 wins against Power 6 schools. He's beaten 19 different programs. (Games against Creighton excluded)

He's also got 4 wins against the AAC.

But 61% bro..... jk jk

The real annoying part of this is I am not a huge Jake fan. Not anti Jake by any means I just would have liked more success,. But the absurdity of some of these arguments is just too much....

[BCPanther]

The argument with Jake and Farley is that, yes, in both cases you're probably overpaying them but how on earth do you ever do any better than either one of them?

You either get older guys that have aged out of that 'ambition period' or you're a revolving door trying to find the next big thing every 4 years. Neither one of those is a real healthy situation. They both raise money, they both win more than the resources they have say they should, they both graduate kids and keep them out of trouble for the most part, they are both active in the community in really positive ways and the list goes on and on and far outweighs the head scratching losses both of them seem to rack up on occasion.

[A Fan In Lean Years]

And no ridiculous statements on the forum. (Ha!)

Facts are not ridiculous statements, sir.

[A Fan In Lean Years]

Which winning percentage is better? 61% or 66%?


It looks like you have included last years basketball record of 10-15 in the 61% but you have not included last years football record of 3-4 in the 66%. If last years football results are included the football % goes down to 65%. Not much difference but it does close the gap some. Maybe just leave out both of last years results and the percents are 63% for basketball and 66% for football. That makes it even closer.

Thanks for the update. It's now displayed in my signature.

All well and good to not include this year's results, but, thee fact is, for the UNI football critics on here, they never stop harping about the last decade. That's why I include all of their records.

[A Fan In Lean Years]

But the absurdity of some of these arguments is just too much....

61 IS higher than 65?!

[A Fan In Lean Years]

The argument with Jake and Farley is that, yes, in both cases you're probably overpaying them but how on earth do you ever do any better than either one of them?

You either get older guys that have aged out of that 'ambition period' or you're a revolving door trying to find the next big thing every 4 years. Neither one of those is a real healthy situation. They both raise money, they both win more than the resources they have say they should, they both graduate kids and keep them out of trouble for the most part, they are both active in the community in really positive ways and the list goes on and on and far outweighs the head scratching losses both of them seem to rack up on occasion.

I thought the exact same thing at the end of Penrith's run at UNI. How in the world are we going to get the money to pay a suitable coach to replace him, and how can we draw a top coach in with the facilities that we had at that time.

Well, we now know that that "gamble" paid off. So, there IS a way, but, with that said, I'm not a believer that firing coaches is necessarily a panacea either.

[Born-a-Panther]

The argument with Jake and Farley is that, yes, in both cases you're probably overpaying them but how on earth do you ever do any better than either one of them?

You either get older guys that have aged out of that 'ambition period' or you're a revolving door trying to find the next big thing every 4 years. Neither one of those is a real healthy situation. They both raise money, they both win more than the resources they have say they should, they both graduate kids and keep them out of trouble for the most part, they are both active in the community in really positive ways and the list goes on and on and far outweighs the head scratching losses both of them seem to rack up on occasion.

Good job.