Who is head coach in 2014 ?

[paladin]

I'm afraid everyone is in panic mode. I'm not ready to fire Wolf just yet. Reasons ? --

1. Record has  improved  every year he has been here. Moving forward.

2. Despite the criticism, recruiting HAS improved    over Heacock ( you got a I-A win over Pitt with the best Juco class YSU ever recruited) and players often come with star ratings and lots of scholly offers rather than NO other offers. That alone is a huge improvement.

3.Tressel had a problem winning in this league. Its very competitive. We finished tied for 2nd. An improvement. And YSU finishes a Top 20 program that reached near Top 10. Hardly chopped liver.

4. When you average 36 pts a game, you got an Offense. Don't be stupid as no one pounds it out anymore. Its a wide-open game now.

5.Lets be truthful -- the playoff  committee tries  hard to keep YSU out because the stain of Tressel and cheating has carried over to now. First at YSU then at Ohio St. Criteria isn't followed. Not Wolf's fault.

6. Lets be critical -- Wolf isn't a Tressel. He is rough on the edges where Tressel was  smooth. Uses profanity ( I'm shocked , a coach cursing?) . Has a problem on D that is yet to be addressed, yet wins most games in spite of it.

7. NDS and SDS had the best players in the league, bar none. Yet we tied for 2nd. The rest of the league has some nice teams but success was limited with injuries and tough schedules. No Houston Baptist or Incarnate Word here. The league has I-A wins. Level of competition is high.   

8. I'll be blunt -- Firing a coach who wins and improves the record every year looks BAD ( 4 years). If I'm a coach and I'm good, I'm not taking a job for less than 5 years ( have a chance to build it my way, get retirement qualified  and put some stability in my family's lives in an otherwise gypsy profession). No way I look at YSU. The smart guys look for a down program who has lost, a lot, and tries to build with improved winning. This program improved every year. Missing ? The playoffs. I won't be com ing up. Too easy to lose again before winning and no playoffs. I'll look for a job with better long term outlooks.

[ScarletRook]

4.  Don't be stupid as no one pounds it out anymore. Its a wide-open game now.

Alabama seems to do well.

[SoupCity]

I'm afraid everyone is in panic mode. I'm not ready to fire Wolf just yet. Reasons ? --

1. Record has  improved  every year he has been here. Moving forward.
Do we excuse the meltdowns each and every year??  Or the lack of game managment??  Or the being outcoached multiple times during the year??

2. Despite the criticism, recruiting HAS improved    over Heacock ( you got a I-A win over Pitt with the best Juco class YSU ever recruited) and players often come with star ratings and lots of scholly offers rather than NO other offers. That alone is a huge improvement.
Has it really??  We're small, slow and not aggressive.

3.Tressel had a problem winning in this league. Its very competitive. We finished tied for 2nd. An improvement. And YSU finishes a Top 20 program that reached near Top 10. Hardly chopped liver.
I'll give you this one, but Wolford doesn't win the games he NEEDS to.

4. When you average 36 pts a game, you got an Offense. Don't be stupid as no one pounds it out anymore. Its a wide-open game now.
But in the games THAT REALLY COUNT, what is the average...how about 17pts this year.

5.Lets be truthful -- the playoff  committee tries  hard to keep YSU out because the stain of Tressel and cheating has carried over to now. First at YSU then at Ohio St. Criteria isn't followed. Not Wolf's fault.
Yet he leaves the decision in the committee's hands for a 3rd straight year.

6. Lets be critical -- Wolf isn't a Tressel. He is rough on the edges where Tressel was  smooth. Uses profanity ( I'm shocked , a coach cursing?) . Has a problem on D that is yet to be addressed, yet wins most games in spite of it.
I believe we all understand this statement.  No one on this board or any other really believes there will be a second coming of Jim Tressel to YSU.  What we gripe about is gameday preparation, gameday management, gameday adjustsments.  Having a bit of humility and understanding as the HC you take ALL the blame and deflect all the kudos to his staff and players.  Totally loses focus during multiple game stretches throughout the season.   

7. NDS and SDS had the best players in the league, bar none. Yet we tied for 2nd. The rest of the league has some nice teams but success was limited with injuries and tough schedules. No Houston Baptist or Incarnate Word here. The league has I-A wins. Level of competition is high.   
Those games weren't even close, period.  No one questions how good either of those teams are, yet all they do is ABSOLUTELY own us for 4 quarters.

8. I'll be blunt -- Firing a coach who wins and improves the record every year looks BAD ( 4 years). If I'm a coach and I'm good, I'm not taking a job for less than 5 years ( have a chance to build it my way, get retirement qualified  and put some stability in my family's lives in an otherwise gypsy profession). No way I look at YSU. The smart guys look for a down program who has lost, a lot, and tries to build with improved winning. This program improved every year. Missing ? The playoffs. I won't be com ing up. Too easy to lose again before winning and no playoffs. I'll look for a job with better long term outlooks.

Coaching is a dog eat dog world.  They all know that.  They know that you're only as good as your last playoff run or competitive year, comes with the turf.  And contrary to what anyone says, this team has not been competitive for 3 or 4 game stretches each year he's been the HC.  I don't have an issue with a 5yr contract, but I certainly don't feel as though he's earned an extension either.  If that affects recruiting, he only has himself to blame. 

[paladin]

I don't disagree. All I'm saying with one of my points is no coach who is good will come here if it looks like he won't get time to build his program, qualify for retirement benefits and have some security for his family. But you will find a flunky to take the $$$$$$$$$$$$ and run as soon as you fire him. Whats left of  the program is another matter.

While I'm not  here to sing Wolf's praises, I remind you -- it started at the top with an absolute terrible AD -- Strollo.

[SoupCity]

We definitely agree on that one!!!!   

[ysufan0505]

I'm afraid everyone is in panic mode. I'm not ready to fire Wolf just yet. Reasons ? --

1. Record has  improved  every year he has been here. Moving forward.

2. Despite the criticism, recruiting HAS improved    over Heacock ( you got a I-A win over Pitt with the best Juco class YSU ever recruited) and players often come with star ratings and lots of scholly offers rather than NO other offers. That alone is a huge improvement.

3.Tressel had a problem winning in this league. Its very competitive. We finished tied for 2nd. An improvement. And YSU finishes a Top 20 program that reached near Top 10. Hardly chopped liver.

4. When you average 36 pts a game, you got an Offense. Don't be stupid as no one pounds it out anymore. Its a wide-open game now.

5.Lets be truthful -- the playoff  committee tries  hard to keep YSU out because the stain of Tressel and cheating has carried over to now. First at YSU then at Ohio St. Criteria isn't followed. Not Wolf's fault.

6. Lets be critical -- Wolf isn't a Tressel. He is rough on the edges where Tressel was  smooth. Uses profanity ( I'm shocked , a coach cursing?) . Has a problem on D that is yet to be addressed, yet wins most games in spite of it.

7. NDS and SDS had the best players in the league, bar none. Yet we tied for 2nd. The rest of the league has some nice teams but success was limited with injuries and tough schedules. No Houston Baptist or Incarnate Word here. The league has I-A wins. Level of competition is high.   

8. I'll be blunt -- Firing a coach who wins and improves the record every year looks BAD ( 4 years). If I'm a coach and I'm good, I'm not taking a job for less than 5 years ( have a chance to build it my way, get retirement qualified  and put some stability in my family's lives in an otherwise gypsy profession). No way I look at YSU. The smart guys look for a down program who has lost, a lot, and tries to build with improved winning. This program improved every year. Missing ? The playoffs. I won't be com ing up. Too easy to lose again before winning and no playoffs. I'll look for a job with better long term outlooks.

Agree with everything you said.

[KilrpengWin]

I'm afraid everyone is in panic mode. I'm not ready to fire Wolf just yet. Reasons ? --

1. Record has  improved  every year he has been here. Moving forward.

2. Despite the criticism, recruiting HAS improved    over Heacock ( you got a I-A win over Pitt with the best Juco class YSU ever recruited) and players often come with star ratings and lots of scholly offers rather than NO other offers. That alone is a huge improvement.

3.Tressel had a problem winning in this league. Its very competitive. We finished tied for 2nd. An improvement. And YSU finishes a Top 20 program that reached near Top 10. Hardly chopped liver.

4. When you average 36 pts a game, you got an Offense. Don't be stupid as no one pounds it out anymore. Its a wide-open game now.

5.Lets be truthful -- the playoff  committee tries  hard to keep YSU out because the stain of Tressel and cheating has carried over to now. First at YSU then at Ohio St. Criteria isn't followed. Not Wolf's fault.

6. Lets be critical -- Wolf isn't a Tressel. He is rough on the edges where Tressel was  smooth. Uses profanity ( I'm shocked , a coach cursing?) . Has a problem on D that is yet to be addressed, yet wins most games in spite of it.

7. NDS and SDS had the best players in the league, bar none. Yet we tied for 2nd. The rest of the league has some nice teams but success was limited with injuries and tough schedules. No Houston Baptist or Incarnate Word here. The league has I-A wins. Level of competition is high.   

8. I'll be blunt -- Firing a coach who wins and improves the record every year looks BAD ( 4 years). If I'm a coach and I'm good, I'm not taking a job for less than 5 years ( have a chance to build it my way, get retirement qualified  and put some stability in my family's lives in an otherwise gypsy profession). No way I look at YSU. The smart guys look for a down program who has lost, a lot, and tries to build with improved winning. This program improved every year. Missing ? The playoffs. I won't be com ing up. Too easy to lose again before winning and no playoffs. I'll look for a job with better long term outlooks.

With all due respect, When do you suggest PANIC MODE should set in? Our prospects next year look worse than this.

[paladin]

I remind you that I warned early this year that next year would bring a "different" team. They can't run the O they ran this year with the current personnel. The D needs players. But there is a recruiting season coming up and the OC can change to take advantage of the players here. With what is coming back they need --

a QB........... preferably two with similar styles or abilities

several DL with pass rushing abilities and run stopping skills.

several CB and a S

[IAA Fan]

I'm afraid everyone is in panic mode. I'm not ready to fire Wolf just yet. Reasons ? --

1. Record has  improved  every year he has been here. Moving forward.

2. Despite the criticism, recruiting HAS improved    over Heacock ( you got a I-A win over Pitt with the best Juco class YSU ever recruited) and players often come with star ratings and lots of scholly offers rather than NO other offers. That alone is a huge improvement.

3.Tressel had a problem winning in this league. Its very competitive. We finished tied for 2nd. An improvement. And YSU finishes a Top 20 program that reached near Top 10. Hardly chopped liver.

4. When you average 36 pts a game, you got an Offense. Don't be stupid as no one pounds it out anymore. Its a wide-open game now.

5.Lets be truthful -- the playoff  committee tries  hard to keep YSU out because the stain of Tressel and cheating has carried over to now. First at YSU then at Ohio St. Criteria isn't followed. Not Wolf's fault.

6. Lets be critical -- Wolf isn't a Tressel. He is rough on the edges where Tressel was  smooth. Uses profanity ( I'm shocked , a coach cursing?) . Has a problem on D that is yet to be addressed, yet wins most games in spite of it.

7. NDS and SDS had the best players in the league, bar none. Yet we tied for 2nd. The rest of the league has some nice teams but success was limited with injuries and tough schedules. No Houston Baptist or Incarnate Word here. The league has I-A wins. Level of competition is high.   

8. I'll be blunt -- Firing a coach who wins and improves the record every year looks BAD ( 4 years). If I'm a coach and I'm good, I'm not taking a job for less than 5 years ( have a chance to build it my way, get retirement qualified  and put some stability in my family's lives in an otherwise gypsy profession). No way I look at YSU. The smart guys look for a down program who has lost, a lot, and tries to build with improved winning. This program improved every year. Missing ? The playoffs. I won't be com ing up. Too easy to lose again before winning and no playoffs. I'll look for a job with better long term outlooks.

I like these points, IF yo assume he is staying ...because they can sound like excuses.

1. Record has show little improvement & none over his predecessor.

2. I am tired of hearing how recruiting has improved ...it is has not. In 4 years I have seen only a couple of players that were better than what was already there. He refuses to play certain individuals for reasons that I can only see as a bias ...(isn't that right Carson Sharbaugh?). I will give Wolf credit for recruiting better athletes ...but he is far below his predecessor in terms of recruiting football players. I will further add that (on defense at least) coach H was the best molder of raw talent.

3. Agree 100%. Allow me to point out that had we faced this gauntlet (our last three losses) early in the conference schedule ...YSU never sees the top-25; we lose those narrow games to USD and SIU because our team is demoralized over the three losses. We finish with a 6-6 record.

4. I agree it is wide opened, but how can you not have a complete ball-control offense? If you are thinking we do not have the scholarships available ...I agree. So if forced to choose ...I choose a power game like SDSU and NDSU.

5. Do not believe in any way. I could be wrong ...just do not believe they ignore their success stories.

6. true, but again, excuses if you are going to keep him. Certainly not a reason to hire him, and THAT is how you grade a coach.

7. Agreed on level of competition, but not that the best players are on the xDSU's.

8. Again an excuse. How long was coach H here & you yourself talked about his inadequacies. If we extend Wolf ...he will be here no less than 9-years. Sound familiar? Justified or not; at least coach H gave us a semi-final appearance for his extension.

[paladin]

always like to hear from the  Heacock apologists.

Heacock's record declined each year he was here the first 4 years. Wolf has increased his record every year. Heacock was handed a Champion program. Wolf got what the disaster left.  No excuse, just the facts.

Seems we have a recruit of Wolf's playing for the Raiders this year. My opinion he wasd part of the best Juco class ever recruited here. Funny, but the rating systems show "stars" on many of our recruits now and most have more than one offer ( YSU). That is a BIG change over before. Fact. 

I talked for years about how poor Heacock was and he bore me out as correct. In fact, most finally agreed with me he had to go . Long over due as most now claim. Trouble is, the AD is still here and he is a  stinker.

Feel free to fire Wolf. See what you get under the circumstances. BTW, I don't and never have bought into your evaluation of this program. But its entertaining. Keep it up.

[ScarletRook]

The 24 hour rule has lapsed into the 24 year rule.
Nothing will change arguing about coach Heacock as he is gone so why beat a dead horse?
The problem is NOW.  The AD and all the assistants aren't doing their job.
Tresey and Montgomery seemed to lose control or interest as the season wore on.
Did Coach W also?  I don't know and will let those of you closer to the team argue it out.
The 2014 season started last Monday for coaches,players and the AD and assistants.
Either get things in gear or turn Stambaugh Stadium into a leper colony.

[ItalianPenguin]

I hate to be on Paladin's "team" but when statements are made like Heacock was one of the best molders of raw talent, it's time for the rubber room. It should be PAINFULLY obvious to all on this site that 1-AA's daily genuflecting at the framed photo he has above his fireplace of Heacock (with the gold-plated inscription "To 1-AA--thanks for sticking with me, after all I did make the playoffs once in NINE years, Love, Jon) isn't going to change. Now I'm not going to defend Wolford's late-season failures at all, but Paladin's statement that Heacock was handed a championship program and Wolford wasn't, rings true. Wolford felt he needed to basically purge the roster and so he did. And his wins have increased over the 4 year span. Just looks bad that there has been faltering at the end of the year. But, again, whether Wolford is the answer or not, Heacock needed to go--and before he actually did.

[Wick250]

I have been pondering robmat's tongue-in-cheek suggestion about Tressel, IP's assessment of the dilemma that Strollo faces about extending Wolford's contract, and Paladin's argument that it would be damaging to fire a coach that has increased his win total each year.  How about this.  Extend Wolford's contract by a year so that it expires precisely at the time that Jim Tressel's suspension ends.  That gives Wolford six years, plenty of time to make it happen if it ever will.  If he continues to fail, turn to Tressel who would be in his early sixties.  A lawyer told me that Tressel was approached about his interest in the presidency, but he responded that he wanted to coach again at some level.  So this is not totally unrealistic.  Tressel could name the length of his term, say 4 or 5 years before retirement.  In that interval, as robmat suggested, Tressel would find and add his eventual replacement to the staff.  Tressel could then save the program that he created in the short term and secure its prosperity in the long term.  And most importantly, it takes Ron Strollo out of the equation of finding the proper coach.

[ItalianPenguin]

Wick--I've never thought it was far-fetched that Tressel would coach again, and that it could very well be here. This is one place that would welcome him (for the most part) and I believe he would be successful again here.

[paladin]

I don't have any problem with Wick's outline. But keep in mind negotiations is a two way street. If I'm Wolf and they make an offer of one year extension & it pizzes me off, I might say let me think about it and  call Spurrier or any other coach he worked for and say he was looking to recruit & coach OL linemen again as a major college assist. I don't think he has any problem getting a job, especially with increased winning every year and then leaves YSU in a  serious pinch. Now who do you hire ?  The NCAA has no love affair with Tressel and not sure what they would do here. Want some one to take the reins for a year ? Who is stupid enough to do that ? I can tell you it won't do wonders for shopping for a future coach as stories like that make YSU toxic and people avoid getting into toxic situations. Grooming   Tressel's successor means someone gets to follow a legend again. How did that work out the last time. Any coach dumb enough to do that again ?