Welcome to the FBS, James Madison: How two-time national champions are gearing up for move to big time
Curt Cignetti leads a JMU program used to title contention into an unprecedented FBS transition year
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How JMU is gearing up for FBS
- Thread starter SpaceRaider
- Start date
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I often wonder if our transition to 1-A FBS would've been different if we had replaced Boots with someone who had head coach experience (or even Mac). I know Andy had been here on Boots staff in the 80s but still. That actual experience as a head coach is invaluable.
Gee. Regional rivalries. What a concept. I don't think anyone would've guessed the SBC would wind up better than CUSA a decade ago when we left. JMU selling shows what excitement of the move can do, but more importantly, what winning can do. Same for App State. There is no easy way to get in and out of Boone.
Regionality? Pfft.
Who needs that when you can stretch from Miami to Las Cruces New Mexico.
Who needs that when you can stretch from Miami to Las Cruces New Mexico.
Last 3 years before coming to MT
Andy Mac : 8-25
Rick Stockstill : 14-21 (a 1-11 season at ECU really brought his down, his two seasons at USC Jr were 6-5 & 7-5). During Stock's last few years at Clemson, the Tigers hovered around .500 (a 9 win season and a few 6-7 win seasons. In other words, Stock is who he is. A high character guy that has hovered around .500 as HC (and asst) over the last 20 years.
When Stock does ride off into the sunset of retirement, MT MUST hire a guy who has won. A guy who was part of championships at the G5 level and produced at the P5 level.
I can’t be the only guy on this board who keeps a “short list” of potential coaches for FB in my mind at all times?
In no particular order
1) Manny Diaz : Massaro loves Manny.
2) Kendall Briles : Kendal won at Baylor as OC (not an easy place to win). He won at FAU (a fellow G5 school). He's put up great numbers at Ark. It's time for him to get a shot at HC
3) Jeff Lebby : He won at Baylor. He won at UCF. And his offense is just fun to watch at Ole Miss.
4) Glen Elarbee : Former MT player and assistant. He's been a part of winning staffs at UCF and is part of the rebuild at UT.
The new hire (whenever it is made) needs to make football fun again. It needs to grab attention of the community. It needs to make people want to say "wait, there's a game at MT. I'm cancelling my plans today."
I don't trust Massaro and McPhee to make a good hire. It will likely to be a crony from South Carolina and some one willing to work for a low ball offer. It won't be the best candidate for sure,
The rising price of P5 assts is going to make the next search challenging - with or without - Massaro / McPhee.
IIRC, Lebby & Briles are getting paid $1million+ (more than Stock as HC). Elarbee is somewhere in the neighborhood of 750k. Not sure about Manny's salary.
Lebby would absolutely 100% be my first call. But now that he is at his Alma Mater OU, it will be hard to pull him away. Wouldn't surprise me if they light it up a P5 comes calling.
I agree and have said before, we need a extrovert. We also need to show we are committed with facilities etc. I agree on the whole unsure of CM and McPhee thing as well. (McPhee more so)
I swear the NCAA is just ridiculous at this point. JMU would've played in the conf champ game last year if not for that stupid rule.
And I say this with two jumps in our conference this year. I get the initial reasoning years ago due to size, scholarships, etc. But that isn't as big a difference anymore, especially with 130 FBS teams. It's not like these schools transitioning are going straight to the B1G or SEC.
And I say this with two jumps in our conference this year. I get the initial reasoning years ago due to size, scholarships, etc. But that isn't as big a difference anymore, especially with 130 FBS teams. It's not like these schools transitioning are going straight to the B1G or SEC.
