Here's my perspective for whatever it's worth.
College football has changed dramatically over the last few years. With NIL and the transfer portal, the gap between FCS and FBS will change and has changed.
We lost a lot of key players to the transfer portal last year, especially on defense. We have a new DC (my understanding) too. The defense is a mess as a result. We also have a limited QB (probably a good kid, but no threat to throw).
Unless we spend a lot of money on the roster, this will continue. We are a developmental program. We develop people only to have them transfer. The game is far different than it was in the 1990's in terms of recruiting. It's way different today than it was only a few years ago with the NIL and portal.
Youngstown has averaged a loss of 6% of the population every year since the late 1960's. We no longer have the talent pool to recruit "the state of Youngstown" and remain relevant. Recruiting is a national thing now if you want to be competitive.
We probably should have tried to join an FBS conference years ago when we had the fan base.
I don't know what the answer is except financial resources. The problem is that things cost a hell of a lot more today due to USD devaluation, and it's impacted every person and corporation. We need billionaire money to improve the quality of coaching and recruiting. I can't blame Phillps for all of this. I can, however, pin some of the stupid mistakes that high school teams make and possibly some personnel decisions on him. But that's to be expected.
If we want to complete, we are really competing against the transfer portal, NIL, and FCS teams. To me it's an almost impossible situation to be a coach at our level. Phillips has always stated that he has a developmental program. That means since he can't compete for the college ready athlete, he is creative and finds kids that need development. Some don't have much football experience. But once they're ready and have good film, they're poached.
How many key people did we lose to the portal? He demonstrated that he can get some great recruiting classes, and my current understanding is that the kids like him. But the problem is that it's every person for themselves in today's day and age, and they will transfer because the grass appears to be greener on the other side of the fence. Many have aspirations of NFL careers regardless of the actual probabilities of achievement.
How is this problem solved?
We were outmatched in size, something that Phillips corrected when he came here after Pellini terrible recruiting. I think Phillips is really trying to recruit the size we need, but he doesn't have it, because the kids that are currently playing aren't supposed to be playiing yet. He just cannot fill the holes left from the portal that quickly. I think his strategy try to get a few kids that are immediate difference makers to anchor a recruiting class. That's to be expected at our level. We will never be able to recruit to the likes of Ohio State, but most good teams at our level have a few key players. Many key players left because of the portal. We have several FBS players that transfered in, but are they going to be good enough to be key players at the FCS level? Transfers also affect team dynamics when you have such an influx because it can disrupt culture objectives.
Not trying to black pill everyone here, but the issue is a resource problem from my point of view. The coach has demonstrated he can get the kids, but we need more money to recruit and retain talent. And we need more money to get better coaches that can also be retained. The administration's goal should be that YSU is a place where you can develop a coaching staff as well as the players. And just like players, the coach and it's staff should be measured on their ability to leave for biggerFBS power 5 programs once they demonstrate they're a marketable item. Instead, we have a coach that cannot obtain or retain great coaches and players and it's because we pay under market values. We need more money. The only strategy that could work is the promise of greener pastures for the coach and it's staff but money is still needed to retain current players. For coaches, a single contract in power 5 can be life changing.....so out in the work here for less and move on once you become marketable. Basically what I'm trying to convey is that our coaching staff should be graduating to FBS programs just like NDSU and JMU has been doing. They are replaced with the next generation that wants to build a staff they can take with them. Look at the coaches on Tressel's staff when he was here. Many of them were FBS coaches after going to Ohio State. They came here to perfect their craft and then make it ....and there's a lot of egos in the coaching profession l, chance takers that would take this kind of risk, especially with younger ranks of the coaching fraternity.
Also, I watched Narduzzi's post game press conference. He told the players this was personal and to win this game for his dad and said that he "tattooed" YSU pretty good and it was as they scripted and his dad is smiling down on the win. Not that it mattered but he would have hung 100 on us if he could have.
