Wolford gets extension

[Penguin Nation]

The previous coach took over a worse program.

The most insane comment ever posted on this message board.


I agree, although reluctantly, with the extension.  Wolford's trajectory is one of continual improvement, although painfully slow.  IMO, to be honest, there is likelihood of a plateau or decline in the future.  But  the fact that there is an improvement in the W-L each year deserves him an extension.

Heacock's trajectory was one of progressive failure.  His contract extension was an act of insanity, and IMO is scandalous.  I feel like saying Heacock sucked at HC is like arguing the obvious (like water is wet), and yet there still is mind-boggling praise for him.

[Pita]

Just a reminder in the Heacock era.  For the    FIRST TIME, YSU won the Gateway Conference
And secondly we went to playoffs at Appy in 2006 after his contract extension...Paladin!!!!!

[paladin]

I do agree that Wolf had to be given an extension. Yet the guy giving them out has shown poor judgment    in that and running the athletic dept. As I pointed out, it hilarious that we still have people who bad mouth a winning coach and still worship a loser and the reasons are ................. Well, you fill in the blank. 

Candidly, Wolf 's mouth gets him in trouble. He's an azz at times. A master recruiter but a clown at PR. Yet while not getting to the playoffs, you have to give credit where the talent base has improved to produce a record setting pass O while suffering with a lame D. There I blame poor coaching, poor DC and talent good but not on par with the O. That's his responsibility. Overall ?  Night and day difference  between the two coaches.  You can't can a winning coach who improves the record every year, brings in better talent, beats a real D-I ( Pitt), has a winning record and displays discipline when needed.  8  wins any year is usually the playoffs. And 7 wins could be sometimes.

Has the program improved over the last coach ?  That's why an extension had to be given. No question at all.

 
 

[HappyPenguin]

If his record improves this season, with the presumed holes in the lineup, I will be truly impressed. As we all should be.

This will truly be his team this year...we'll see how it goes.

[ScarletRook]

Would appreciate some honest comments.
The discussions about the current AD or Coach H vs Coach W doesn't resolve the problems at hand.
Almost like arguing Ali vs Holmes; good cannon fodder, but no resolve as each
had their own qualities.
The posters here seem to have a great knowledge of YSU athletics.  Is there a way we can
use this to improve on where we are lacking?
Every time I visit a place of business near YSU <and I admit, I don't get there too often> I ask
the manager why they don't show support of the university.  I get the fact that some restaurants and
bars are "themed", but if they can display Browns & Steelers, they can display YSU.
I keep writing the Trustees and asking them for more TV advertisement.  I see ads for Ohio U., Akron, Kent, B.G. and Marshall and WVU for crying out loud.  Why no YSU?  If nothing else, the University has excellent camouflage paint.
YOUNGSTOWN STEALTH UNIVERSITY

[IAA Fan]

I will offer praise to Strollo for the length of the extension ...very wise move in any sport. Here is the crux of my problem.

1. We continue to field the best players, which sounds fine on the surface ...your best guys are playing. Except Wolf thinks we are an SEC or Big-10 staple program, with highly-skilled recruits coming in each year. This is not the case at the I-AA/FCS level ...these recruits are either:
1a) raw & gifted. (needing a couple years scout and reserve play). Or,
1b) skilled and deficient in some minor aspect. (Let's face it, if they were gifted and without deficiency they would be on an SEC or Big-10 staple program).

So if you can recruit that kid that might be a bit smaller & build him up. Or a bit slower, but knows how to cover. Or that RB that is just a bit small, but has eyes. That WR that might be a bit shorter, or maybe not overly heavy, but can catch ...you are going to have a good football team in 2-3 years. Well we do not have that now.

2. However, factor in the 3 changes in DC over 4-years, along with our continued starting of underclassmen and JUCOs ...we do not have any player-educators on the field other than one or two position coaches. All of our previous coaches (well I cannot speak for Beede, I was not around) could count on experienced upperclassmen to help out with the vast-majority of the on-field education. It is these upperclassmen that do the bulk of the coaching. This is why we worry if there will ever be any improvement. Or even if we do make the post-season ...can we go anywhere?

[guinpen]

I can live with the extra 2 years, this year will tell the tale if he has been building a program or not. Will we have players step up and fill in the holes in the lineup? If not we are not going in the direction we need to. Money to support the program will be harder and harder to find. Staff is making more money if they do not produce then at the end of his contract he needs to go.

[YSUinBoston]

Count me as one against the extension.  I know Strollo was painted into a corner with having a lame duck coach and what it would mean for recruiting.  The problem, though, is Wolford has demonstrated his ceiling already.  This guy simply is not a championship level coach.  If you don't see that, you are kidding yourself.  He definitely does a good job getting skilled athletes.  Without getting into the Heacock v. Wolford thing, the Heacock teams looked so slow and badly overmatched in their BCS games.  Wolford's teams look reasonably competitive in these games and, of course, even won one of those games.

Wolford, though, seems to be a homeless man's version of Les Miles.  He gets good players, but is actually kind of stupid and over-emotional on the sidelines.  The team in the Wolford years plays exactly like their coach.  The team is undisciplined, most notably in their sloppy special teams play and problems with blowing leads and winnable games.  I think Wolford is probably well-suited as a coordinator.  He can probably continually produce winning seasons here----just of the 7-4 variety.  I don't think he has the intellect or X and O chops to win 4 playoff games in a row.  I don't see the point in keeping a guy if this is evident already.