Does Stockstill even like MT?

[TrueBlue147]

Does he care about the university or even the Middle Tennessee area? He comes off like he has been stationed at Fort Wainwright Alaska and can't wait for his tour of duty to be up so he can get the hell out of there. Why is so hard for him to go out and promote the university or for that matter his football team? He doesn't seem to like it here.

 

[MTTim]

My thought is he believed this to be his springboard to a better job. Problem is he hasn't performed well enough to move on and realizes he is not a good coach.

 

[FranklinRaider315]

He's made out better listening to Tommy West when he turned down Memphis even though he could have early retired on the guarantee the FedEx guys were offering if it didn't work out. If he survived the three years required to clean up Tommy's mess, he still would have to live in Memphis and move his son who was a rising HS star QB at Siegel. Plus Brent had the added benefit of playing QB for Steve Matthews.

Instead, elected to stay, got a really nice bump after that and the ECU offer. That's been 7 seasons ago at an average of around $650,000 for $4.7MM and still gets to live in Middle Tennessee. Then add in "the contract" additional three years now at $800,000 for 8 more years.

 

[AustinLewis]

Yes, I believe Stockstill likes it at MT.
Stockstill never has, and never will, be the rah-rah, James Franklin used-car salesman. That's not his personality. I'm fine with that. For him to be anything other than himself would be disingenuous and everyone would see through the hypocrisy.

Stockstill was exactly what MT needed in 2005/2006 when he was hired to stabilize the program after Andy Mac. While he did manage to stabilize the program, I'm not sure if he has elevated it.

 

[MidTennMtneer]

I was justin thinking about this exact thing this week.

When CRS was hired, our standard was bowl eligiblilty. Especially after that first season. We weren't even a decade into "1-A All the Way". Good goal to set that early on. However that became the permanent marker. I'm not sure if Stock is to a point he is just here or if that's the best that can be done.

To me, now, we are past that being the marker. Making a bowl should be the norm and winning expected. 9-10 wins every year. Anything less should be framed a failure. Yet somewhere along the way that bar wasn't set and here we sit today.

I posted on the other board wondering if the department thinks that is the bar that should be set. If they really believe that. To me this season will tell if apathy has set in with the department and with Stock too.

 

[blueraiderJT]

Stock is a lot more rah rah with his players than he is in front of the camera. I think the Vandy loss effected him though and he's not happy about it. He didn't say "we competed" or "we played hard". He used words like embarrassed and even just admitted that they were just better than us. This year's Stock is different. I think there is pressure on him and he even looks a bit tired.

It's going to be really interesting to see what happens this week.

 

[FranklinRaider315]

As a fan, what killed it for me was Stock hiring Tommy West, the contract extension, and WKU winning two outright CUSA Championships in their first three years in the conference ('14, '15,'16.

 

[blueraiderJT]

I do have to agree with that. I do think Massaro's contract structuring and some other decisions really put us in a rough spot financially. Now we have to run the gauntlet for the next few years to stay afloat. Stock should have re-evaluated every 2 years like most other coaches and then if they do something big like win a championship or a bowl game, then we can talk about a bonus not multiplying years.

WKU has had 3 good years but after looking at some of the EKU game stats, that run might be over. EKU got more first downs and held the ball longer than WKU did. EKU also threw like 320 yards on WKU and WKU's O only put up like 364 yards on EKU. They will have weaknesses this year. This week's Illinois game will be very telling.

 

[AustinLewis]

Stock is a lot more rah rah with his players than he is in front of the camera. I think the Vandy loss effected him though and he's not happy about it. He didn't say "we competed" or "we played hard". He used words like embarrassed and even just admitted that they were just better than us. This year's Stock is different. I think there is pressure on him and he even looks a bit tired.

It's going to be really interesting to see what happens this week.

In my 5 years working at GoMiddle, every player, coach, administrator has gone out of their way to give Stock credit for genuinely connecting with the players. Many players (and former players) view him as a mentor and a father figure. Young men - student and student-athlete - need mentors to guide them during this crucial period in their life.

I've also spoken with another CFB staffer source who spoke very highly about Stock's integrity. After the Baylor/Ole Miss debacles, integrity in college coaches is a necessity

Stock's decision to pass on "we competed" for "we got embarrassed" reflect his desire to win and a realization of the unique opportunity the 2017 season presents.

My gripe, however, is with Stock's X and O's. He's never struck me as a guy who can out-scheme his opponent, which is why, I believe he gives so much control to his coordinators.

 

[blueraiderJT]

I agree with this as well. If I was the coach and that was my son, I'd go straight up to TF and say "Can we stop with the empty back sets and adjust more to the pressure?" The X's and O's can be very good at times but the unwillingness to adjust the offensive game plan is what gets us beat as well. If you watch your QB get hammered 4 times and the OC calls yet another empty set, I would be livid and would call a timeout and ask him what the heck he was doing.

I also think Stock doesn't get the credit he deserves for the APR legacy he has built with one of the highest graduation rates in CFB. He took us from being the worst APR team in the nation to being in the top 10 just about every year. That is a accomplishment and many can't see that on the field. You gotta take the good with the bad. The really good coaches are usually complete sleaze balls that have their favorite hookers on speed dial and the guys with integrity are usually watching the sleaze ball score 50 on them on gameday. It is what it is.

 

[MidTennMtneer]

I wholly believe we are better now than when he got here. ANd as a man, a person, I respect the hell out of him. You never hear anyone say anything bad. His staff doesn't get in trouble. Players rarely do and if they do, he lets the law take course and dismiss them if needed.

I remember reading an article when Shafer got hired that he called other buddies in the coaching circle and not a soul had a bad word to say about Stock.

I will gladly take that and 8-5 over the messes at Baylor and Ole Miss. But still, as a fan and alumni, I of course want more. I do wish Stock would show a bit to us that he does with his players so we won't ask questions like this. But it is still better than the alternative.

 

[FranklinRaider315]

I wholly believe we are better now than when he got here. ANd as a man, a person, I respect the hell out of him. You never hear anyone say anything bad. His staff doesn't get in trouble. Players rarely do and if they do, he lets the law take course and dismiss them if needed.

I remember reading an article when Shafer got hired that he called other buddies in the coaching circle and not a soul had a bad word to say about Stock.

I will gladly take that and 8-5 over the messes at Baylor and Ole Miss. But still, as a fan and alumni, I of course want more. I do wish Stock would show a bit to us that he does with his players so we won't ask questions like this. But it is still better than the alternative.

You might want to rethink that "staff" statement. That's all I'm gonna say.

 

[Blueraider_Mike]

Personally, I hate the title of this thread...You don't spend 11 years, the prime of your life on something you don't like. While we can complain about the X's and O's, the idea that he doesn't care is just silly.

 

[MTTim]

I never mentioned Stock wasn't a good guy. Heck he's a fine person, father, husband and example for young men to follow. I know he likes it here.
His plan to grow in the coaching ranks has not panned out. He feels the pressure to win a championship. I know first hand he has 2 years to accomplish that.

 

[MTTim]

You might want to rethink that "staff" statement. That's all I'm gonna say.

You would have sympathy if you knew his other half.

 

[RaiderDoug]

There's no doubt that Stock is a quality individual and that he runs a quality program that we all can be proud of. But the undeniable fact is that the on-field product is not what it should be.

The question should be "Does Stock feel any pressure?".

I honestly don't think he does. I think it's completely clear that he's got himself a lifetime contract in a place he likes that has no demands for anything greater than bowl eligibility.

As MTMtneer said, the bar has changed. In 2006, just making a bowl was huge.

That's not good enough anymore. That's the absolute bare minimum for a successful season.

I honestly believe that the mindset in this program is "6 wins and mission accomplished". From the very top on down.

Stock coached and acted Saturday like this was already an L even before we went out there. As I said in my other post, they coach, play, and act like they just want to get to the 6 CUSA cream puffs in to get their 6, and they're done, shut it on down, it's Miller Time!.

And that doesn't even touch the ingrained problems with the program such as recruiting (not where it needs to be), development (not anywhere near where it needs to be), nor the ability to elevate the program's game in meaningful games (non-existent).

All of this is evidence of a staff that believes it can get by with minimal effort. And it can, because there's no demand for anything greater from above.

 

[FranklinRaider315]

Life is gooood!!!

 

[Predarat]

Life is gooood!!!

The look of someone about to get their Aloha Ass kicked, while 'competing'