rick stuckstill, last three seasons:
Mason took over a better situation at MT than Curt Cignetti did at Indiana
I disagree.
Indiana, for all it's faults in the last 3 years, is a program with Big 10 money, Big 10 resources, a deep(-ish) NIL fund. Tom Allen, the guy Cignetti replaced, led them to a top 10 ranking just 4 years ago, and another top 20 ranking. They've also had a top 25 recruiting class in 2022. There are players on that Indiana roster now that were part of that top 10 team from 2020 thanks to Covid years, and there are players that are part of that top 25 recruiting class on that roster.
Also, the cumulative record of teams he's faced is 8-11.
Big 10 money, infrastructure, and resources + recent track record of success + veteran roster of kids who know what it's like to win + easy schedule vs losing teams = some early wins.
That's not to take away the job Cignetti's doing - he was impressive at JMU and good for him at IU. He looks like the next superstar coach. But what he's facing isn't remotely what Mason is having to tackle (and I'm not saying what Mason has produced on the field in the first 5 is great, just understandable).
Also, what you did with the MT record comparison is a little disingenuous. MTSU's total season record isn't that bad in your stats (it's not competitive for championships, but it's mediocre) - but for the first 4 games of those seasons, we didn't get off to a great start either - our record in the first 5 games of the last 3 seasons was 6-8, a losing record. Those wins in that comparison were built off of late season surges against conference competition - which we haven't seen if we can do this year. Hence, my constant refrain of "let's see where we are at the end of the year to really judge the job we're doing".
If you want to compare it to Mason:
Mason's FBS opponents are 16-4, an .800 winning percentage. I don't have time to look at it, but .800 might be the most difficult first 4 FBS games in college football this year. It is 100% certainly a more difficult early season slate than anything that MT has faced in the last 3 years of your comparison.
The rest of the G5 has 17 new coaches. 11 of them have losing records right now. CUSA has 3 new coaches, they are a combined 2-11. Scotty Walden, everyone's favorite runner up - is 0-4 at UTEP (they lost to an FCS program).
Anyone who took this job was walking into a job that, in his first year:
1. A roster that had little talent to begin with that was decimated by the portal.
2. An almost impossible early season schedule (see 16-4 above).
3. Has no infrastructure built - literally, they are building it now. The new coach actually had to paint the walls of the nutrition station himself.
4. No fan support.
5. Little to no NIL.
6. A tiny budget.
7. No recruiting pipelines or relationships to rely on to restock the roster.
No one has to be happy with where we are today. And if you're still angry at the mismanagement of the past 20 years, sure, totally valid.
But if we're talking about the 2024 season, I think if we're going to be fair and honest with ourselves and our program and coaches - we have to recognize the challenges above.
