It should've been done a decade ago. Prefab metal, throw some brick around it 4ft high and boom. Wouldn't have been super expensive.
Facilities Ground Breaking Announced!!!
- Thread starter ewglenn
- Start date
I don’t think the IPF is a top priority imo. Not everyone in the G5 has them. We’re in a good weather environment. The SAPC should have been number 1 imo. We needed a ton of help with the weight room and all things associated with getting the players in the best shape. We were way behind there. The Murphy Center needs help too. It is extremely dated and feels like we’re clinging to the past.
You know, after being two decades behind in facilities, I have to ask the question, with all this money being spent, are we now just playing catch up or any of our so-called peers be saying looking at what Middle has now, we got to get something like that. If not, we're always going to be playing catch up. I don't know if anything that is planned that gets us beyond that.
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It'll all depend on how close the actual finished product is to the renders. I remember back when Floyd was updated for the 1-A jump some things had to be cut.
If it ends up like the renders, I really think it'll be top notch and better than many G5 programs.
I really hope they do tours at the ribbon cutting, especially for those of us that donated specifically to Build Blue. CM said currently over 300 different donors as of now.
To answer that Space I’ll use UNT (everyone in CUSA raved about their facilities). They are investing heavily to get about where this facility is for the move to the AAC (see link for similar build blue project). We’re building a top notch facility assuming they do not scale it back. I’m in construction management and love to dive into facilities. We will be towards the top for SAPC like facilities in the G5.
lightthetower.com
Light the Tower – The Future for Mean Green Athletics
lightthetower.com
I played there in ‘78. The cinder block stands reminded me of my high school stadium in Jackson. The natural grass field was pitiful.
But FAU beat Memphis, Tennessee, and Kansas State. I don't know much about FAU facilities, but I'm willing to bet they don't have the facilities those 3 programs have - Facilities didn't help the Tigers, Vols, and Wildcats very much.
Facilities are part of the package that helps good coaches win. They are important.
But they're can't turn a bad coach into a good coach.
Geez. Showing Bball recruits the Fball stadium instead.
Facilities don't help a bad coach. It's why I've said it won't make CRS suddenly win 10 games. It may add 1 game to make an 7-5 become an 8-4, but that's it.
But....not having them will make it significantly harder to find a good coach to replace him.
Facilities don't help a bad coach. It's why I've said it won't make CRS suddenly win 10 games. It may add 1 game to make an 7-5 become an 8-4, but that's it.
But....not having them will make it significantly harder to find a good coach to replace him.
That was my point when I posted this. Everyone I’ve heard here say they want to get rid of Rick or Nick and hire an up and coming coach isn’t taking into account what facilities mean to those coaches. It’s really hard to get good coaches if they see poor facilities. A great coach can overcome bad facilities (FAU MBB is the example) but it’s really hard to get those guys to the campus if the infrastructure isn’t there because it’s their career and it makes their job a lot harder. I certainly don’t think facilities will make a bad coach good but it doesn’t hurt in any way having them.
This is why #BuildBlueNow is such a big deal for MT Athletics.
IMO, MT fans have a real, justifiable reason to be a frustrated at CRS and hesitant to go "all in" with McD.
Even if you move on from Stock after 2023 (and McD after 2024), facility improvements will be a critical part of the recruiting pitch for the next HC. I think every MT fan wants to hire the next Jeff Brohm, Josh Huepel, or Dusty May the program, but it's going to be HARD to do with facilities that are 20 years behind.
That's exactly why I'm proud to say when they put up the plaque of donors or list it in the game guide on opening day, my name will be on that list and I'll proudly be there. I want to be part of the growth and improvement.
No I didn't donate thousands, but my several hundred bought something for the locker room or the lights in a hallway. Every bit helps. And I don't feel I'm done yet as this will be a several year project till all phases are done. I can probably convince the wife of a bit more. Plus I've already promised Lee and he's waiting for my call when I win the lottery to make the endzone club named after me. 😄
A perfect example of facility impact is the MT baseball stadium. The team won far more games in the old rinky-dink park than in the new facilities. Of course facilities help but a good coach will win regardless (Dusty May) and a bad coach will make excuses.
vanderbilt is another example. They have the worst football facilities in the $ec yet James Franklin won.
vanderbilt is another example. They have the worst football facilities in the $ec yet James Franklin won.
Vandy has nice facilities but compared to Miss St, LSU and others in the SEC, they are middle of the pack at best and yet, still have a NC.
Hiring mistakes are fairly common. What is uncommon is not correcting those mistakes and stubbornly sticking with coaches who can't get it done.
Specifically, after nearly two decades without winning a conference football championship, the chances are very good and predictable that he will not. In fact, even in a conference of FBS newbies, those new schools will be extremely likely to win a conference championship before MT does, and that sadly still won't make a difference to the PTB ensconced on campus.
I think that just proves who you hire matters.
MT BB has struggled since the renovation to the ballpark because of coaching.
Vandy FB enjoyed success under Franklin because of ... coaching. They haven't replicated it since because they hired guys who couldn't get it done.
I get that facilities are going to play a part in attracting a new coach. If we want a high end assistant or someone in demand like that, then we're going to have to be competitive in compensation, facilities, opportunity, everything.
The problem with that is, we don't really have any idea when that might occur.
There's every possibility that Stockstill is here for another 10 years. If that's the case, then any new facilities built now will be dated by the time we're in the market for another coach. Then what? I'm ready to kick in my part, but I just can't shake the feeling that we're throwing good money on an already bad investment.
I'm open to the possibility that this will make a difference, but they're going to have to show me some results before I get back on board.
The problem with that is, we don't really have any idea when that might occur.
There's every possibility that Stockstill is here for another 10 years. If that's the case, then any new facilities built now will be dated by the time we're in the market for another coach. Then what? I'm ready to kick in my part, but I just can't shake the feeling that we're throwing good money on an already bad investment.
I'm open to the possibility that this will make a difference, but they're going to have to show me some results before I get back on board.
It's not rocket science. No FBS program should hire an assistant to be a head coach. You hire a coach who built a championship team at a lower level. When you hire someone with no head coaching experience you might end up with a Nick Saban or Rick Stockstill. You don't know. It's an unnecessary risk.
the stuff we are building should have been built some 10 years ago. Sorry. The ship has sailed.
Agree. Are we to believe after 17 years these so called leaders suddenly became smart and forward thinking. We are still led by a bunch of idiots.
And yet, some previous HC have failed at the next gig (CKD, for example).
There's no clear-cut, fool-proof formula for hiring a HC. It's a gamble. It's always a gamble.
Right, but you want to stack the deck in your favor as much as possible.
For example, Jim Tressel built Youngstown State into a four-time 1-AA national champion before moving on to Ohio State.
Charlotte thought they struck gold with Will Healy but cut ties after 3 years. Now he’s an analyst at UCF for Malzahn.
We do things differently though, lifetime contracts are the MT way. 😂😂
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And they think they struck gold with Biff now. Time will tell.
I look at it though that previous head coaching experience is extremely important. I'm beyond impressed with Marshall's new hire of Kim Stephens. And look what K-State did with Clieman. We may lose a HC to a P5 but there are plenty of FCS and D2 coaches to go after next.
I will say Biff has upgraded that roster, now can he coach since every coach seems like they came from his private school and a lot of the transfers they took came from St. Frances. He bought the job, he is supposedly donating his salary back to the school and raising money to help fund the athletics programs.
And Josh Huepel was the OC at Mizzou when MT beat them (they went 11-14 during Huepel's time in Columbia). He went 28-8 at UCF before making the jump to UTK. I think that worked out pretty well for UCF
And Scott Frost was OC at Oregon. Things worked out pretty well for Frost at UCF too.
Neal Brown went 35-16 at Troy, but he's 22-25 as HC at WVU.
Sure, in a perfect world, you want to stack the decks in your favor as much as possible. So you're probably not hiring a TE coach from a middle-of-the-pack program in the SEC, but there's still no fool-proof way to stack the decks.
FCS HC have bombed at the FBS level. And so have coordinators.
It's about timing, fit, staff, and a handful of other things.
You can list successful coordinators who went on to become successful head coaches all day long, as well as unsuccessful ones (Will Muschamp, Watson Brown, Jeremy Pruitt, etc.), but that's not the point.
The point is that if a university hires someone who has built a national championship-winning program at a lower level (Jim Tressell, Chris Klieman, Lance Leipold, etc.), they have a greater likelihood of hiring a coach who will build a winning program.
You can also point out guys like Mike Houston, Todd Dodge, Chad Morris, and Craig Bohl who struggled when they went up a level.
HC success at a lower level doesn’t necessarily mean success at the next level.
Sure, there are some things that may gives better indicator of future success (for both coordinators and HC) but it’s still an educated guess.
Mike Houston won one national championship and is having success at ECU.
Todd Dodge was a high school coach. Never won a national championship.
Chad Morris was a high school coach. Never won a national championship.
Craig Bohl won multiple national championships and he is more successful at Wyoming than his predecessor. He has had winning seasons five out of the past seven years. Will he continue to build the program or has he peaked? I don't know.
All that said, I'm choosing a coach who has won multiple national championships over someone who has won only one, a high school coach who has won a bunch of state championships, an unproven coordinator, and the absolute worst choice would be a position coach.
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and the guy who was at the same college the AD was as at as a department staffer...
Houston and Bohl both have losing records after several years at their next program.
I’m not limiting the field when it comes time to hire the next coach. If he’s a coordinator, great! Previous HC. That’s cool too!
Best guy for the job. Period. The end.
Houston and Bohl both took over train wrecks. I’d take those over our current situation.
First off, no coach who has a couple of national championships at any level is coming here. Period! He will have options besides us. Not with a comatose AD, out-of-date facilities, and an aging, apathetic fan base. A coach coming from the FCS or lower likely won’t have as much experience with the portal. The ability to manage the portal will be crucial for any HC, in any sport.
Secondly, our ability to pay a HC and what his assistant coaches salary pool will be, will dictate our viable candidates. You need to get up-to-speed on what Coordinators & assistant coaches in the SEC/ACC are currently making. To say the absolute worst choice would be a position coach may, in fact, be correct. It may also be all we can afford.
In a perfect world when Stock moves on, there will be a young Coordinator from the SEC/ACC who would be willing to take a cut in pay to run his own program for 2-3 years and move on up.
We can live in hope!
I honestly believe a podcast series could be done on the ineptness of MT athletics.
PJ Fleck, Dabo Swinney, Urban Meyer, Jim Harbaugh all have never been coordinators. You never know.
