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UNIVERSITY NEWS Deputy AD Lee De Leon answers Raider Roundup mailbag questions!

Appreciate the time and willingness the gentleman has taken to respond. All good answers except the first one.

Deaf ears this one falls on…
Everyone in the athletics department, from Chris Massaro down, wants to win and compete for championships. Despite public opinion, no one around here is OK with mediocrity.

Because here’s the thing. I want to be a multi millionaire. But do I have the know how, intelligence, work ethic, and most importantly am I anti-risk enough to step out and do what needs to be done to make that a reality? These are pieces that are missing at MT. It’s a cultural thing. Always has been from before I arrived to when I worked in the same athletic dept to long after I’ve left. Chris may “want” to win. But does he expect to? Is he willing to do the things that are more plausibly to bring that to a reality or is he more apt to accept that we are who we are and where we are and everything beyond that is just dreamer talk? I think we already know these answers and don’t need a newcomer to the AD to validate what we all already know. Our football situation wouldn’t be like it is if the right culture and championship mentality were in place. I wish Lee luck. I really do. There is nothing more than I would like to see than MT rise up and be what I’ve always believe it can be. But it’s not going to happen under this leadership. And if it does it will happen without me and be nothing but an accident. I can’t support a culture and administration where there is no evidence of accountability and one that has allowed a fan based to be eviscerated to the point where football attendance is down to hundreds maybe a few thousand at best on a good day. It’s a telling as anything and if that doesn’t warrant serious changes I’m not sure what does. The people have already spoken. But no one is listening.
 
Good job on getting this done with Mr.DeLeon. I wish we had a better product to sell than what Stockstill is giving us. That type of engagement plus a quality on-field product and we could take off.

I'll keep that amazon store in mind, there's some neat stuff on there.

And FWIW, lest this somehow get back to Mrs.RaiderDoug and she murders Mr.RaiderDoug, neither she nor I are 3XLs. I just wanted to point out the dearth of MT stuff except for outlier type sizes.
 
Appreciate the time and willingness the gentleman has taken to respond. All good answers except the first one.

Deaf ears this one falls on…
Everyone in the athletics department, from Chris Massaro down, wants to win and compete for championships. Despite public opinion, no one around here is OK with mediocrity.

Because here’s the thing. I want to be a multi millionaire. But do I have the know how, intelligence, work ethic, and most importantly am I anti-risk enough to step out and do what needs to be done to make that a reality? These are pieces that are missing at MT. It’s a cultural thing. Always has been from before I arrived to when I worked in the same athletic dept to long after I’ve left. Chris may “want” to win. But does he expect to? Is he willing to do the things that are more plausibly to bring that to a reality or is he more apt to accept that we are who we are and where we are and everything beyond that is just dreamer talk? I think we already know these answers and don’t need a newcomer to the AD to validate what we all already know. Our football situation wouldn’t be like it is if the right culture and championship mentality were in place. I wish Lee luck. I really do. There is nothing more than I would like to see than MT rise up and be what I’ve always believe it can be. But it’s not going to happen under this leadership. And if it does it will happen without me and be nothing but an accident. I can’t support a culture and administration where there is no evidence of accountability and one that has allowed a fan based to be eviscerated to the point where football attendance is down to hundreds maybe a few thousand at best on a good day. It’s a telling as anything and if that doesn’t warrant serious changes I’m not sure what does. The people have already spoken. But no one is listening.

Maybe a little gaslighting going on? It’s actually offensive he could say they want to win championships when it obvious by the contract auto renewing with such a lower number of annual wins that it’s NOT important. It’s rewarding mediocrity.

Do they just think we are stupid? It’s been 17 years, how could you say you want to win championships? This is poor leadership. Take ownership for the lack of results.
 
I agree with MT01. Just look at the Thursday night crowd for this Troy / South AL SunBelt West Div. neighborhood rivalry game. Then go back and look at the pictures of our crowd for Homecoming, CUSA and longtime 100 Miles of Hate Rivalry game with WKU last weekend.

If the “leadership” in Murphy and Cope can’t see from this comparison that the fans have spoken then yes, they are definitely content with poor ticket sales, mediocrity and just being bowl eligible.
 
Thanks to the staff for making this happen first of all.

Next, this quote in response to my question struck me.

"....once heard an A.D. say that our job as administrators is to “match resources with expectations.” Right now, our primary focus is to generate revenue and invest in resources that will allow our teams to compete for championships."......

So my comments are this.
That to me essentially says we do not have the facilities, football especially, that allow us to compete for championships.

Are the expectations that we get these facilities and suddenly we get immediately better recruits and win a Champ right off the bat?

What about basketball? From what has been said, I don't know, but the facilities at the Murph are in dire need of upgrade as well. Yet we have a WBB coach who has won multiple conference champs and been in post season ever year. A former MBB coach that won multiple and a current that just won a regular season and division champ.

Tennis had awful facilities yet was able to recruit and be ranked before getting the new one have ground even be broken.

Baseball was upgraded, yet still in the gutter on that.

I still am of the mindset that new football facilities absolutely will help. Of course they will. But we aren't suddenly going to get OL guys with offers from Vandy, Mizzou, Illinois instead of Troy, Austin Peay, and Tulane. You can have the best recruits and still lose...because of coaching. T A&M anyone?
It feels they are using facilities as the excuse. What is the excuse going to be when Stock is still here and he still hasn't won a championship 3yrs after the facilities are finished?
 
Why did we wait 15 years for new facilities when this has been a known issue going on TWO DECADES? (Rhetorical question, we all know the real answer, this bum President doesn't take major athletics seriously and wants to do everything on the cheap)

Since joining D-1/FBS, our conference mates have by and large had better facilities than us, across the board. The only exceptions being the poor, crappy bottom feeders (Idaho, UL-Monroe, etc.). Coincidentally, all those teams we have shared conferences with that had crappy facilities like ours never had any real success, either. Hmmmm ?

MT has had issues with its facilities since at least 2006 but decided not to do anything until it got passed by in conference realignment due to poor results, poor fan support, poor community support, and the very clear lack of commitment to winning championships on the gridiron. Basketball falling off the biggest cliff in history didn't help, either. I still cannot believe McPhee had the nerve to go on record, after we got passed by for the AAC and SBC, that he "now understands the importance of facilites." GTFO here. EVERYBODY around the football program, including the head coach, have been complaining about our facilities since 2006/2007 when Troy was destroying us on the recruiting trail because they had far superior facilities. And regarding a commitment to excellence, look no further than our head coaches contract to see how "serious" our admins are about winning championships. He only has to win 6 games for an auto extension....?!!??!?! Words are not matching actions here....

How can you say in one sentence that mediocrity is not accepted despite public opinion, yet our head coaches contract LITERALLY rewards him for going .500 ??

I dare you to respond to this. I would love to hear a logical, HONEST response and assessment. I know you cannot give one, so I won't hold my breath.

The fact of the matter is, we have some of the dumbest, most out of touch people making decisions for this university and its athletics. The situation appears to be well above Lee's pay grade, and Massaro's pay grade for that matter too. He is clearly a pawn in all of this. The movers & shakers are McPhee and his puppet board, Steve Smith and his cronies, and the whole situation reeks of idiotic, delusional, possibly blackmailed groupthink.

Someone somewhere out there managed to convince all these idiots Rick Stockstill knows what he is doing, perhaps Rick Stockstill convinced them himself. Or there's some very compromising pictures sitting on Stock's laptop allowing him to keep McPhee and his cronies bent over a barrel.
 
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Why did we wait 15 years for new facilities when this has been a known issue going on TWO DECADES? (Rhetorical question, we all know the real answer, this bum President doesn't take major athletics seriously and wants to do everything on the cheap)

Since joining D-1/FBS, our conference mates have by and large had better facilities than us, across the board. The only exceptions being the poor, crappy bottom feeders (Idaho, UL-Monroe, etc.). Coincidentally, all those teams we have shared conferences with that had crappy facilities like ours never had any real success, either. Hmmmm ?

MT has had issues with its facilities since at least 2006 but decided not to do anything until it got passed by in conference realignment due to poor results, poor fan support, poor community support, and the very clear lack of commitment to winning championships on the gridiron. Basketball falling off the biggest cliff in history didn't help, either. I still cannot believe McPhee had the nerve to go on record, after we got passed by for the AAC and SBC, that he "now understands the importance of facilites." GTFO here. EVERYBODY around the football program, including the head coach, have been complaining about our facilities since 2006/2007 when Troy was destroying us on the recruiting trail because they had far superior facilities. And regarding a commitment to excellence, look no further than our head coaches contract to see how "serious" our admins are about winning championships. He only has to win 6 games for an auto extension....?!!??!?! Words are not matching actions here....

How can you say in one sentence that mediocrity is not accepted despite public opinion, yet our head coaches contract LITERALLY rewards him for going .500 ??

I dare you to respond to this. I would love to hear a logical, HONEST response and assessment. I know you cannot give one, so I won't hold my breath.

The fact of the matter is, we have some of the dumbest, most out of touch people making decisions for this university and its athletics. The situation appears to be well above Lee's pay grade, and Massaro's pay grade for that matter too. He is clearly a pawn in all of this. The movers & shakers are McPhee and his puppet board, Steve Smith and his cronies, and the whole situation reeks of idiotic, delusional, possibly blackmailed groupthink.

Someone somewhere out there managed to convince all these idiots Rick Stockstill knows what he is doing, perhaps Rick Stockstill convinced them himself. Or there's some very compromising pictures sitting on Stock's laptop allowing him to keep McPhee and his cronies bent over a barrel.
Appreciate the time and willingness the gentleman has taken to respond. All good answers except the first one.

Deaf ears this one falls on…
Everyone in the athletics department, from Chris Massaro down, wants to win and compete for championships. Despite public opinion, no one around here is OK with mediocrity.

Because here’s the thing. I want to be a multi millionaire. But do I have the know how, intelligence, work ethic, and most importantly am I anti-risk enough to step out and do what needs to be done to make that a reality? These are pieces that are missing at MT. It’s a cultural thing. Always has been from before I arrived to when I worked in the same athletic dept to long after I’ve left. Chris may “want” to win. But does he expect to? Is he willing to do the things that are more plausibly to bring that to a reality or is he more apt to accept that we are who we are and where we are and everything beyond that is just dreamer talk? I think we already know these answers and don’t need a newcomer to the AD to validate what we all already know. Our football situation wouldn’t be like it is if the right culture and championship mentality were in place. I wish Lee luck. I really do. There is nothing more than I would like to see than MT rise up and be what I’ve always believe it can be. But it’s not going to happen under this leadership. And if it does it will happen without me and be nothing but an accident. I can’t support a culture and administration where there is no evidence of accountability and one that has allowed a fan based to be eviscerated to the point where football attendance is down to hundreds maybe a few thousand at best on a good day. It’s a telling as anything and if that doesn’t warrant serious changes I’m not sure what does. The people have already spoken. But no one is listening.
"No one around here is ok with mediocrity" is a bold statement & a good line. Here's another bold line taken from an old movie Outlaw Josey Wales. "Don't piss down my back & tell me it's raining."
 
"No one around here is ok with mediocrity" is a bold statement & a good line. Here's another bold line taken from an old movie Outlaw Josey Wales. "Don't piss down my back & tell me it's raining."
One of the great movies of all time.

MT01 and Wiley are 100% correct. The only way to fix this mess is a complete house cleaning.
Mr. DeLeon is a huge improvement to our AD however, and with all due respect, he is simply a mouthpiece for this inept leadership.
 
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I agree with MT01. Just look at the Thursday night crowd for this Troy / South AL SunBelt West Div. neighborhood rivalry game. Then go back and look at the pictures of our crowd for Homecoming, CUSA and longtime 100 Miles of Hate Rivalry game with WKU last weekend.

If the “leadership” in Murphy and Cope can’t see from this comparison that the fans have spoken then yes, they are definitely content with poor ticket sales, mediocrity and just being bowl eligible.
The App State game Tuesday night was packed.
Watching some of the Sunbelt games I don't believe we could "compete" with any of them.
 
Thanks to the staff for making this happen first of all.

Next, this quote in response to my question struck me.

"....once heard an A.D. say that our job as administrators is to “match resources with expectations.” Right now, our primary focus is to generate revenue and invest in resources that will allow our teams to compete for championships."......

So my comments are this.
That to me essentially says we do not have the facilities, football especially, that allow us to compete for championships.

Are the expectations that we get these facilities and suddenly we get immediately better recruits and win a Champ right off the bat?

What about basketball? From what has been said, I don't know, but the facilities at the Murph are in dire need of upgrade as well. Yet we have a WBB coach who has won multiple conference champs and been in post season ever year. A former MBB coach that won multiple and a current that just won a regular season and division champ.

Tennis had awful facilities yet was able to recruit and be ranked before getting the new one have ground even be broken.

Baseball was upgraded, yet still in the gutter on that.

I still am of the mindset that new football facilities absolutely will help. Of course they will. But we aren't suddenly going to get OL guys with offers from Vandy, Mizzou, Illinois instead of Troy, Austin Peay, and Tulane. You can have the best recruits and still lose...because of coaching. T A&M anyone?
It feels they are using facilities as the excuse. What is the excuse going to be when Stock is still here and he still hasn't won a championship 3yrs after the facilities are finished?
Quite frankly, MT's resources don't match fan expectations. They don't match the AD's expectations. That's why they have to build SAPC asap. Phase 2 of BuildBlueNow (I believe) will address Murphy Center / MBB / WBB.

Why did we wait 15 years for new facilities when this has been a known issue going on TWO DECADES? (Rhetorical question, we all know the real answer, this bum President doesn't take major athletics seriously and wants to do everything on the cheap)

Since joining D-1/FBS, our conference mates have by and large had better facilities than us, across the board. The only exceptions being the poor, crappy bottom feeders (Idaho, UL-Monroe, etc.). Coincidentally, all those teams we have shared conferences with that had crappy facilities like ours never had any real success, either. Hmmmm ?

MT has had issues with its facilities since at least 2006 but decided not to do anything until it got passed by in conference realignment due to poor results, poor fan support, poor community support, and the very clear lack of commitment to winning championships on the gridiron. Basketball falling off the biggest cliff in history didn't help, either. I still cannot believe McPhee had the nerve to go on record, after we got passed by for the AAC and SBC, that he "now understands the importance of facilites." EVERYBODY around the football program, including the head coach, have been complaining about our facilities since 2006/2007 when Troy was destroying us on the recruiting trail because they had far superior facilities.
If you want to know the reason for the wait, just call the guys (or rather THE GUY) in Cope. I can't believe it took McPhee getting passed by in realignment to realize what every fan realizes. McPhee - not Massaro - is the issue, IMO.

Several years ago, I examined peer institutions & when they built new facilities : In ALMOST every circumstance, they built facilities after a period of sustained success, as part of a move to FBS, or because existing facilities needed serious repair / replacements. IIRC, there were few (if any) schools that built facilities before winning championships.

In other words, Ark State didn't drop $$$ on facility upgrades until after they had sustained success.

Facility upgrades are necessary. They are needed. But I'm not under the illusion that Rick Stockstill will suddenly go from .500 HC to a .750 HC. That's why I believe you build the facilities, play catch up, get ahead, and let Rick ride it out until the facilities are built for one reason : You probably can't land a Kendall Briles / Manny Diaz type with the facilities MT has. And, IMO, I'm not sure it's worth forking over $$$ to buyout Stock, pay a new HC, & and only land a TE coach from USC Jr. To land the BIG GUY you gotta invest. And be willing to invest.
 
Unless I missed it, he didn't address why Massaro hasn't made an announcement about the extension
 
Facility upgrades are necessary. They are needed. But I'm not under the illusion that Rick Stockstill will suddenly go from .500 HC to a .750 HC. That's why I believe you build the facilities, play catch up, get ahead, and let Rick ride it out until the facilities are built for one reason : You probably can't land a Kendall Briles / Manny Diaz type with the facilities MT has. And, IMO, I'm not sure it's worth forking over $$$ to buyout Stock, pay a new HC, & and only land a TE coach from USC Jr. To land the BIG GUY you gotta invest. And be willing to invest.

The problem with waiting until you have the facilities to make a change is that you may lose any chance you have had to make fans in the interim. And every year you lose chances to make fans, there's a chance you never get those people back. Or when you are ready to give someone new a chance 6+ years from now, then building the fan base back is going to be that much harder. There might come a point where the hole was dug too deep.

Suppose we find out Stock is out right now , say there's a 12pm press conference. By 4pm, I know i've joined the BRAA and bought season tix, and probably committed for 2023 as well. Based on what I see here and on facebook comments, I'm willing to bet a lot of "lost" fans are probably in the same boat - willing to give something/somebody new a shot.

That's all funding MT won't be getting by "riding it out" with Stock. And, suppose we can't afford a Briles/Diaz or some bigger name this go around. So what, at least we tried. If he's a dud, we boot him and try again. As long as MT is trying, they're going to be bringing in money. It's the lack of trying that's lost them so much.

Maybe, just maybe, the USC TE coach or whoever we hire is actually good.......then we're in business. You never know.

We do have 2 current facts:

1. Stock is not a good coach and the fans/alums have completely tuned out the current product and there's no reasonable expectation that anything will change, facilities or not.
2. We have a limited window to improve the total product if we want to avoid being left behind. It's not just facilities. It's on-field performance, it's fan engagement, it's donor base, it's season tix, it's merchandising sales, it's media relations, everything. We have to become the "hot" team so that the next go around of conference shuffling, we are not left behind in this trash pile of a conference. It needs to start now. It needed to start years ago. But it can't wait for "facilities" as if that's the only thing holding us back.


Granted, they've stuck themselves with the albatross of Stock's contract, so this is a moot discussion and they probably can't do anything even if they wanted to.
 
Quite frankly, MT's resources don't match fan expectations. They don't match the AD's expectations. That's why they have to build SAPC asap. Phase 2 of BuildBlueNow (I believe) will address Murphy Center / MBB / WBB.
........

Facility upgrades are necessary. They are needed. But I'm not under the illusion that Rick Stockstill will suddenly go from .500 HC to a .750 HC. That's why I believe you build the facilities, play catch up, get ahead, and let Rick ride it out until the facilities are built.....

Could CM have not started BuildBlue a long time ago? Even if McPhee "didn't understand" having a place in the facilities race? I don't know how it works but an AD has that power on his own, right? Or no? As we know even Stock called for improvements.

Your second point, I actually love that stance on Stock. I think you are like me Austin. We know he isn't going anywhere till he wants. And I'm not one to just walk away. Too blue. I'm at the point we do everything we can to help him, the school, and the students until he does move on (and absolutely push for position coach changes). And like you said, have it ready for a true already proven winner to come in.
 
The problem with waiting until you have the facilities to make a change is that you may lose any chance you have had to make fans in the interim. And every year you lose chances to make fans, there's a chance you never get those people back. Or when you are ready to give someone new a chance 6+ years from now, then building the fan base back is going to be that much harder. There might come a point where the hole was dug too deep.

Suppose we find out Stock is out right now , say there's a 12pm press conference. By 4pm, I know i've joined the BRAA and bought season tix, and probably committed for 2023 as well. Based on what I see here and on facebook comments, I'm willing to bet a lot of "lost" fans are probably in the same boat - willing to give something/somebody new a shot.

That's all funding MT won't be getting by "riding it out" with Stock. And, suppose we can't afford a Briles/Diaz or some bigger name this go around. So what, at least we tried. If he's a dud, we boot him and try again. As long as MT is trying, they're going to be bringing in money. It's the lack of trying that's lost them so much.

Maybe, just maybe, the USC TE coach or whoever we hire is actually good.......then we're in business. You never know.

We do have 2 current facts:

1. Stock is not a good coach and the fans/alums have completely tuned out the current product and there's no reasonable expectation that anything will change, facilities or not.
2. We have a limited window to improve the total product if we want to avoid being left behind. It's not just facilities. It's on-field performance, it's fan engagement, it's donor base, it's season tix, it's merchandising sales, it's media relations, everything. We have to become the "hot" team so that the next go around of conference shuffling, we are not left behind in this trash pile of a conference. It needs to start now. It needed to start years ago. But it can't wait for "facilities" as if that's the only thing holding us back.


Granted, they've stuck themselves with the albatross of Stock's contract, so this is a moot discussion and they probably can't do anything even if they wanted to.
That's fair. And the empty stands / seats should speak volumes re: how Stock is perceived by many fans.

And, RE: the USC TE comment I made. It's not that a USC Jr TE would be a bad choice, but hiring coaches who hovered around .500 (or less) in their previous stops (as is the case with both Andy Mac & Stock) is a bit concerning.

If you want to compete - actually compete - for championships, hire a winner. Someone who has proven they can build winners (either as a FCS HC or a part of a successful P5 staff).

Re : Fans returning to BRAA / stands if Stock leaves. I think many would come back. I keep hearing that from many fans. I'm just not sold there's $800k for the next 5 years worth of fans out there looking to return when Briles / Diaz / Golesh / Elarbee are named HC.

Could CM have not started BuildBlue a long time ago? Even if McPhee "didn't understand" having a place in the facilities race? I don't know how it works but an AD has that power on his own, right? Or no? As we know even Stock called for improvements.

Your second point, I actually love that stance on Stock. I think you are like me Austin. We know he isn't going anywhere till he wants. And I'm not one to just walk away. Too blue. I'm at the point we do everything we can to help him, the school, and the students until he does move on (and absolutely push for position coach changes). And like you said, have it ready for a true already proven winner to come in.
Let's put it this way : McPhee has final say re: facility spending & McPhee's revelation (at Build Blue Now announcement) is telling. He didn't understand facilities needed investment.
 
That's fair. And the empty stands / seats should speak volumes re: how Stock is perceived by many fans.

And, RE: the USC TE comment I made. It's not that a USC Jr TE would be a bad choice, but hiring coaches who hovered around .500 (or less) in their previous stops (as is the case with both Andy Mac & Stock) is a bit concerning.

If you want to compete - actually compete - for championships, hire a winner. Someone who has proven they can build winners (either as a FCS HC or a part of a successful P5 staff).

Re : Fans returning to BRAA / stands if Stock leaves. I think many would come back. I keep hearing that from many fans. I'm just not sold there's $800k for the next 5 years worth of fans out there looking to return when Briles / Diaz / Golesh / Elarbee are named HC.


Let's put it this way : McPhee has final say re: facility spending & McPhee's revelation (at Build Blue Now announcement) is telling. He didn't understand facilities needed investment.
Adding some thoughts that have been on my mind re : MT athletics for some time. Maybe I shouldn't share them, but here goes.

I don't expect to agree with MT officials on everything. There are times when I don't always agree with myself. My opinions change. My thoughts change. Honestly, some of my thoughts re: MT FB have changed in the last few months as I have gathered information, learned more, heard from new voices, etc.

So, while I may not always agree with every decision, I do want to see a positive direction. And BuildBlueNow is a step in the right direction.
 
Re : Fans returning to BRAA / stands if Stock leaves. I think many would come back. I keep hearing that from many fans. I'm just not sold there's $800k for the next 5 years worth of fans out there looking to return when Briles / Diaz / Golesh / Elarbee are named HC.

It's definitely a math equation:

Stock Buyout = X. If expected $$$'s from newly excited fans is <X, then we're stuck.

And I think you're right, I don't think we have $800k worth fans per year willing to jump back on board. So in one respect, the decision is that easy.

But on the other hand, what's the cost of sticking with Stock?

We have a fan base that's dwindling by the year game. If you get 6 more (or even more with the rolling contract) Stock type years, and MT gets left behind in any new conference shuffling, then I seriously question whether or not this program is a going concern in the FBS by the time that rolls around. If we're sitting here in 2030 in a conference with Tarleton and Murray and our games are only on some obscure blurry internet stream and there's 1,200 friends and family in the stands, then all the built blue facilities in the world won't be able to resurrect the program or attract a Briles-type coach.

I don't know if there's an easy answer here. The situation we find ourselves in is due to bad decisions that were made years ago that no one can seem to figure a way out of. I just feel like we're on a sinking ship, and we have a limited amount of time to plug the leaks....and the facilities are like the captain coming out and saying "good news! We've upgraded the buffet!".
 
That's all funding MT won't be getting by "riding it out" with Stock. And, suppose we can't afford a Briles/Diaz or some bigger name this go around. So what, at least we tried. If he's a dud, we boot him and try again. As long as MT is trying, they're going to be bringing in money. It's the lack of trying that's lost them so much.
This one too. It is why I stopped giving and buying season tickets. The perception is that a.500 record is good enough and there does not appear to be any additional effort put into the program to make it better than that. The dead horse example is the offensive line. How long has the OL been an extreme weak spot for this program? YEARS! Yet the same OL coach has been here the entire time. If the head coach was as passionate as the fans about WINNING, that spot alone would have had a change a few years ago.
 
It's definitely a math equation:

Stock Buyout = X. If expected $$$'s from newly excited fans is <X, then we're stuck.

And I think you're right, I don't think we have $800k worth fans per year willing to jump back on board. So in one respect, the decision is that easy.

But on the other hand, what's the cost of sticking with Stock?

We have a fan base that's dwindling by the year game. If you get 6 more (or even more with the rolling contract) Stock type years, and MT gets left behind in any new conference shuffling, then I seriously question whether or not this program is a going concern in the FBS by the time that rolls around. If we're sitting here in 2030 in a conference with Tarleton and Murray and our games are only on some obscure blurry internet stream and there's 1,200 friends and family in the stands, then all the built blue facilities in the world won't be able to resurrect the program or attract a Briles-type coach.

I don't know if there's an easy answer here. The situation we find ourselves in is due to bad decisions that were made years ago that no one can seem to figure a way out of. I just feel like we're on a sinking ship, and we have a limited amount of time to plug the leaks....and the facilities are like the captain coming out and saying "good news! We've upgraded the buffet!".
Just to point out we had our largest attended game in a long time with TSU. They brought a good amount of people but there were a lot more MT fans there imo. I think having those types of games will help attendance a lot. We need to be setting up FCS local teams and G5 H&H with regional opponents. Colorado St is cool but they aren’t going to draw as many fans next year as a Troy/App/ECU would.
 
This one too. It is why I stopped giving and buying season tickets. The perception is that a.500 record is good enough and there does not appear to be any additional effort put into the program to make it better than that. The dead horse example is the offensive line. How long has the OL been an extreme weak spot for this program? YEARS! Yet the same OL coach has been here the entire time. If the head coach was as passionate as the fans about WINNING, that spot alone would have had a change a few years ago.
Shoot! He wouldn't even change anything when it was his own son getting clobbered and given broken bones.


Just to point out we had our largest attended game in a long time with TSU. They brought a good amount of people but there were a lot more MT fans there imo. I think having those types of games will help attendance a lot. We need to be setting up FCS local teams and G5 H&H with regional opponents. Colorado St is cool but they aren’t going to draw as many fans next year as a Troy/App/ECU would.
I said this exact same thing to CM.
Perfect schedule
* Memphis or Vandy
* AP, ETSU, TSU, EKU, Murray, etc
* P5 $
* regional G5 or history G5 like Marshall, Troy, Southern Miss, GA State, etc. Or even a lower P5, which will be less and less as conferences grow, but still. Try to make those a 2 for 1 series.

Those are games...names...people would recognize and come see.
 
When he says that Massaro wants to win as badly as we do, I'm reminded of a well known saying. Money talks and b___s___ walks. Those auto extensions are the money talking clearly.
 
When he says that Massaro wants to win as badly as we do, I'm reminded of a well known saying. Money talks and b___s___ walks. Those auto extensions are the money talking clearly.

If McPhee inserted himself in to the MBB search, wonder if he flat out told CM to keep Stock? Just a thought.
 
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Here's one I want to ask for the next round. So we "exceeded expectations" at 7-5. Are Mark's eyes agreeing or shocked or?...

The expectation of 6-6 was set by this admin, not by fans and certainly not by what this school is capable of in the right circumstances...ie right people in place.

Does the outside world really think that is all we are capable of too? Are my blue googles taking over common sense?

 
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Here's one I want to ask for the next round. So we "exceeded expectations" at 7-5. Are Mark's eyes agreeing or shocked or?...

The expectation of 6-6 was set by this admin, not by fans and certainly not by what this school is capable of in the right circumstances...ie right people in place.

Does the outside world really think that is all we are capable of too? Are my blue googles taking over common sense?

If 7-5 is exceeding your expectations then your expectations are too low.
 
Here's one I want to ask for the next round. So we "exceeded expectations" at 7-5. Are Mark's eyes agreeing or shocked or?...

The expectation of 6-6 was set by this admin, not by fans and certainly not by what this school is capable of in the right circumstances...ie right people in place.

Does the outside world really think that is all we are capable of too? Are my blue googles taking over common sense?

All of media said we would win less than 5 games. The Miami game also threw it over the top.
 
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Yeah, so they're not beating *OUR* expectations, but we were predicted to finish 8th out of 11 in CUSA.

We ended up tied for 4th in conference record, and have the 3rd best overall record.
 
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