Robb Smith out as D Coordiantor

Ok, so he fired a coach we were told repeatedly (for about a month) was more or less “schematically ok”? But today, apparently, not so much? Either we are or we are not “ok”; which is it? This has really become quite the carnival. “Year One” Looks a lot like “Year Zero”, which are codes for “don’t look too hard at what’s really going on here please”. It’s fine if a percentage of Fleck die hards want to keep believing this nonsense, it’s only football/entertainment and minuscule in terms of life - but, if this is the “sales plan” - it’s going to be a tough sell going forward in terms of attendance. At $3.5 Million for four more years, there’s probably not much choice, unfortunately. It’s too bad we’re back in this same scenario again. Unbearable and embarrassing beat downs in BIG games, then looking for rationalizations why it’s not so bad and “wait until 2021 - we’ll be soooo good then.” Oh well, maybe PJ is a mad scientist genius and it will all work out this way, but, there’s nothing I see here that looks like we’re just two years away from being a lights out team. We will see; he’s not going anywhere in the next two years I don’t think.

I think this is yet another lesson in coach speak. You have to take what a coach says to the public with a grain of salt. Fleck was never going to say "Smith needs to get his $hit together" to anyone other than Smith himself.
 

I remember when Arkansas fans thanked us for taking him. His record there was giving up 19.2 pts per game in 2014, 27.4 in 2015 and 31 pts per game in 2016 (including giving up 45, 49, 56 and 42 in four of those games). A trend?
 

I think this is yet another lesson in coach speak. You have to take what a coach says to the public with a grain of salt. Fleck was never going to say "Smith needs to get his $hit together" to anyone other than Smith himself.

We want it all, we want to be told the truth, and we freak out when we learn the truth.

It's not going to do anyone any good "Oh man he's so on his last leg, I hope we don't suck next week!"

Fans be crazy.
 

I’ll take it for 3 weeks

Let's hope it's only three weeks - we need a top guy (as Claeys was here and now is at WSU). When Salem began firing his assistants, including DC, he began losing, losing, losing.
 

I don't think this DC is going to get the job.

Fleck will have a couple months to recruit a new DC now and conveniently he has about 15 d-lineman (some highly rated) who will all be RS or pure freshmen next year to start building with.
 


Is is normal to not have a Press Conference for the firing of a coordinator mid-season, or have I just missed it?
 

Dcoordinator choices
Potential replacements in no particular order. What do you all think? They are all currently dcoordinator at given school except for Chris Ash

1. David Reeves UAB
2. Bert Watts. Fresno
3. Paul Shaffer Colgate 2.9 ppg
4. Bryan Brown. App State
5. Troy Reffett. North Texas
6. Jay Batemann. Army
7. Zach Arnett. San Diego State
8. Scot Sloan. Georgia Southern
9. Keith Patterson Utah State
10. Adam Fuller Marshall
11. Greg Schiano. Ohio State
12. Chris Ash. Rutgers Head Coach
13. Steve Verbit Princeton
14. Brian Newberry. Kennesaw State
15. Matt Entz NDSU
 

Is is normal to not have a Press Conference for the firing of a coordinator mid-season, or have I just missed it?

I'm not sure what would be gained by having one. What would be discussed? How terrible Robb Smith was at his job? PJ had a few quotes and we're moving on.
 

Dcoordinator choices
Potential replacements in no particular order. What do you all think? They are all currently dcoordinator at given school except for Chris Ash

1. David Reeves UAB
2. Bert Watts. Fresno
3. Paul Shaffer Colgate 2.9 ppg
4. Bryan Brown. App State
5. Troy Reffett. North Texas
6. Jay Batemann. Army
7. Zach Arnett. San Diego State
8. Scot Sloan. Georgia Southern
9. Keith Patterson Utah State
10. Adam Fuller Marshall
11. Greg Schiano. Ohio State
12. Chris Ash. Rutgers Head Coach
13. Steve Verbit Princeton
14. Brian Newberry. Kennesaw State
15. Matt Entz NDSU

Dude, where is Jeff Knowles NIU? Illinois native like Fleck.


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Best choice = best recruiter. Check the recruits and commitments. Easy to coach top recruits. Most schemes work. As such, eliminate all the “small” school mentions. Patterson, Reeves, Arbeit would make the cut.
 

That would also be a good choice. I went by top scoring defenses and didnt look too much in depth. I believe I did like top 35ish scoring mid major and some fcs
Dude, where is Jeff Knowles NIU? Illinois native like Fleck.


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Best choice = best recruiter. Check the recruits and commitments. Easy to coach top recruits. Most schemes work. As such, eliminate all the “small” school mentions. Patterson, Reeves, Arbeit would make the cut.
Bert Watts at Fresno wouldn’t make the cut? Also I do believe you need talent to win. By claeys had good defenses here and he wasn’t a good recruiter by any means
 

Does anyone know if we lost any commitments because Smith was fired?
 



I remember when Arkansas fans thanked us for taking him. His record there was giving up 19.2 pts per game in 2014, 27.4 in 2015 and 31 pts per game in 2016 (including giving up 45, 49, 56 and 42 in four of those games). A trend?

Here: 22.8 ppg (0 games giving up more than 40) last year, and 31.8 ppg (4 games 40+) this year. I'd say it's a clear pattern.
 

If the boat doesn't change course, I don't think it's at all unlikely that PJ is gone after next season. Ticket sales are going to take another huge hit next year. (Yeah, the home schedule improves a bit, but who is going to care?)

It may be my imagination, but I've thought the last 2-3 weeks that Fleck's sideline demeanor has changed considerably. Less swagger, more anxious. I strongly suspect admin has been turning up the heat. If not, he at least senses that the honeymoon is over. Hence Smith's firing.

I don't think the offense is that far away from becoming a "lights out" unit. The defense, on the other hand ...

JTG

Zero chance he is gone after 3 years. Coyle's guy and football build takes longer than basketball and the basketball coach goes into year 6 with a historically bad 5 year record while other coaches get huge results by year 4. Fleck is getting at least 5 years.
 

Does anyone know if we lost any commitments because Smith was fired?

Not yet. Someone whose opinions I trust wholeheartedly when it comes to Gopher football said something that I believe to be accurate when I asked about the possibility of losing recruits. Even though Smith may be listed as the primary recruiter, not one of these guys is committing to play for Robb Smith. They're committing to Fleck.
 

Not yet. Someone whose opinions I trust wholeheartedly when it comes to Gopher football said something that I believe to be accurate when I asked about the possibility of losing recruits. Even though Smith may be listed as the primary recruiter, not one of these guys is committing to play for Robb Smith. They're committing to Fleck.

I would believe that.

Next DC might be a better recruiter than Robb. Who knows.
 

If the boat doesn't change course, I don't think it's at all unlikely that PJ is gone after next season.

JTG

Fleck will not be fired after next season.



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Highly unlikely Fleck has anything to worry about until 2020.

Be patient folks.
Coyle isn't going to can his star hire prematurely.
 

Not yet. Someone whose opinions I trust wholeheartedly when it comes to Gopher football said something that I believe to be accurate when I asked about the possibility of losing recruits. Even though Smith may be listed as the primary recruiter, not one of these guys is committing to play for Robb Smith. They're committing to Fleck.

Yes. Fleck/RTB/Minnesota/"the program" first, their position coach second (who is usually their real recruiter and football mentor). Coordinator somewhere well down the list -- the only guys who care much about this as recruits are offensive skill players like QB or RB who want to get opportunities. Defensive talent shines in any scheme, more or less.
 




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