BRAUN AS PERMANENT HC PER PETE THAMEL

[gocatsgo2003]

Seemed the most likely outcome based on everything I was hearing lately. Though the timing is a bit earlier than I expected, I can see how this could/should help with recruiting and team continuity.

Should be fascinating to watch the staff decisions he makes. Pretty sure at least Bajakian is toast, wouldn’t be surprised to see at least the entire offensive staff out the door as well. I would personally like to see extensive changes to the recruiting and S&C staffs, but don’t know that Braun will go that far.

Either way… we’ve got our guy, let’s see where he can take us.

 

[WildScott54]

I assume that the "Fitz legacy coaches" will be all gone

 

[NUCat320]

What a season! Congrats to coach Braun!

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

I assume that the "Fitz legacy coaches" will be all gone

Doubtful. I’d expect some to be retained.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

Doubtful. I’d expect some to be retained.

Probably depends mostly on what you consider a “Fitz Legacy Coach.” Likelihood of departures from Bajakian, Anderson, Genyk, McGarigle and MacPherson much higher than Foster, Binns, Smith, or Vokolek.

 

[Eurocat]

Why fire Tim McGarigle? The LB play has been good. Frankly I would think twice and thrice about firing anyone after a season like this but of all coaches I don't see a reason to fire McGarigle who is part of the long term NU family (as is Genyk when you remember he was part of the coaching on the Rose Bowl team).

 

[mshelton33]

WildcatReport - Report: Northwestern to hire David Braun as permanent head coach

Northwestern is expected to remove the interim tag from David Braun and make him the permanent head coach.

northwestern.rivals.com

Here's our quick story on David Braun's promotion from interim to permanent head coach.

 

[NUCat320]

McGarigle’s unit has been great this year. I can see him staying.

MacPherson has been specifically named in complaints. I’d expect him gone.

Anderson, Bajakian need to go. We lost our QB for a month because of those guys.

Genyk almost certainly needs to go; the unit has been better than under the ‘don’t make mistakes’ approach of the previous head coach, but also cost the Iowa game.

Binns and Foster might be good coaches with bad timing. Could you get an OC if he could also only bring in an OL and a QB coach?

Defensively, I’d imagine Smith and Hicks stay. Great years from their units. Nobody knows what Vokolek does, but I’m assuming he stays as well.

 

[NJCat]

THE ESPN RITTENBERG/THAMEL STORY

Northwestern's staff was informed Wednesday afternoon that Braun would be promoted, sources told ESPN. An official announcement is expected by Thursday, and a news conference to introduce Braun could happen that day, sources said.


Sources told ESPN that the search committee for Fitzgerald's successor, which included athletic director Derrick Gragg and several trustees, had been impressed not only with the team's on-field performance amid adversity but also with Braun's approach with the players and in news conferences.

Sources: Northwestern set to retain coach Braun

Northwestern is expected to hire interim football coach David Braun as the school's permanent head coach, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel.

www.espn.com

 

[gocatsgo2003]

Why fire Time McGarigle? The LB play has been good. Frankly I would think twice and thrice about firing anyone after a season like this but of all coaches I don't see a reason to fire McGarigle who is part of the long term NU family (as is Genyk when you remember he was part of the coaching on the Rose Bowl team).

Because 1) Braun will probably want “his guys” in there with a chance to actually hire and 2) I wouldn’t be at all surprised if there’s a mandate to clear out the more tenured ”Fitz guys.”

 

[Eurocat]

His guys might very well be the guys he coached with this season that gave the team a record which made him head coach. Time will tell of course, but just saying....

 

[cattul]

Dare I say…the university seems to have handled this well?

(Ducks down, hoping to avoid a fusillade of marshmallows.)

After the Pac-12 got blown up, and (stuff I won’t rehash), I was so disgusted with NCAA football that I just didn’t want to watch anymore. (I know the money made the changes inevitable, but that doesn’t make them less distasteful to me.)

Then a nuke hit the program this summer, and it was difficult seeing something I cared about so much, for so long, getting attacked. So I got pulled back in.

Then the team pulled off this season, and I realized I could never truly walk away. I might be a particularly dense moth, but I can’t resist that ol’ flame.

Lou, sorry about the couple months of lost subscription time. It was never about this site, just the state of the sport. I started the season with one foot in, and one foot out. But no longer.

With Braun, I am 100% in. I can’t help it.

Go Cats! I am a very proud fan of this team.

 

[DocCat2]

"Life is 10% about what happens to you and 90% how you react to it".

I don't think I've ever seen someone take advantage of an opportunity that life handed them quite like this. He took a 1-11 team that had many players defect in the aftermath of an embarrassing scandal and has won 5 games.

I just hope he can recruit and build this up from the ashes....

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

"Life is 10% about what happens to you and 90% how you react to it".

I don't think I've ever seen someone take advantage of an opportunity that life handed them quite like this. He took a 1-11 team that had many players defect in the aftermath of an embarrassing scandal and has won 5 games.

I just hope he can recruit and build this up from the ashes....

Well head coach David Braun and the team did benefit immensely from having David Braun replace Jim O'Neil as defensive coordinator.

I'd be a little surprised if he fired Bajakian now. In a year, sure. Braun doesn't know what he doesn't know. He also may not have a ton of candidates - he would probably prefer someone young and on the upswing.

Of course, thats assuming he get to do what he wants to do, without interference. Thats probably a big assumption. He already has a baby sitter named Skip keeping tabs on him.

 

[BosCat]

Good for HC Braun!

This take may be way out there -- Do you think a seed of the player support might have been planted at the end of the Rutgers game? Braun took those TOs to get the team a score and avoid a shutout. That had to mean something to the players. Obviously, things started in "training camp", but now looking back at that game, I wonder...

 

[zeek55]

He's obviously done an amazing job here of stabilizing the program and providing a massive lift in competence on the defensive side of the ball.

Well earned. I felt that the Wisconsin game sealed it, and it was hard to imagine this going any other way.

Clearly the players have responded well to him, and he wants to be here.

Obviously there's still questionmarks on how long Bajakian will be around. Bajakian probably should be done, but I agree that Braun may want to give him another season after this to see if the better offensive play that we've seen this year is sustainable.

That's fine. Feels like this year has been a decade for NU football, but it's really just been less than a year since he got here. Give him time if he needs it to shape the program. He's earned this shot, and I'm 100% for his success.

 

[Sheffielder]

Braun is an easy guy to root for, so while I'm a little disappointed they made the call now, I'm not disappointed in the decision...especially knowing NU and the people in charge could do way, way, way worse. I'm not surprised if only because I've always perceived Braun to be the "easiest" pick on the table, and I expected NU to do what was easiest.

And there are certainly benefits - recruiting and otherwise - to end all speculation sooner rather than later.

All in on Braun.

 

[AstroCat]

I agree with the move. While there is a an argument to wait until the end of the season to make a decision, he has already done enough to justify it. Also, it would be nice to give the fans an opportunity to welcome him as HC this Saturday (and this is the last true home game for a long time).

I think Braun has shown he can do the job. The only questions remaining are (1) can he recruit and (2) can he evaluate and hire good coaching talent. There are many fine coaches who stumble in those areas.

I wish him the best and am happy to welcome him to Northwestern.

- Astro

 

[SimpsonElmwood]

Well head coach David Braun and the team did benefit immensely from having David Braun replace Jim O'Neil as defensive coordinator.

I'd be a little surprised if he fired Bajakian now. In a year, sure. Braun doesn't know what he doesn't know. He also may not have a ton of candidates - he would probably prefer someone young and on the upswing.

Of course, thats assuming he get to do what he wants to do, without interference. Thats probably a big assumption. He already has a baby sitter named Skip keeping tabs on him.

He rarely, if ever, mentions Bajakian by name in the press conferences. I have not heard him do so, and I have listened to all of the press conferences after victories.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

I agree with the move. While there is a an argument to wait until the end of the season to make a decision, he has already done enough to justify it. Also, it would be nice to give the fans an opportunity to welcome him as HC this Saturday (and this is the last true home game for a long time).

I think Braun has shown he can do the job. The only questions remaining are (1) can he recruit and (2) can he evaluate and hire good coaching talent. There are many fine coaches who stumble in those areas.

I wish him the best and am happy to welcome him to Northwestern.

- Astro

The way I see it, the decision to make Braun head coach is not a disaster and anything the administration does that isn't a disaster is a big win.

 

[Eurocat]

He rarely, if ever, mentions Bajakian by name in the press conferences. I have not heard him do so, and I have listened to all of the press conferences after victories.

I have heard him talk about "Jake", he doesn't use his full name but his apparent in-house nickname. "Jake made a good call on that one" type stuff. But then again he doesn't refer to any of his assistants, I don't recall him naming McGargle or Anderson either.

 

[NJCat]

I have heard him talk about "Jake", he doesn't use his full name but his apparent in-house nickname. "Jake made a good call on that one" type stuff. But then again he doesn't refer to any of his assistants, I don't recall him naming McGargle or Anderson either.

He has specifically mentioned "Coach Smith" many times in the pressers.......

 

[WestCoastWildcat]

I think our win over Wisconsin must have pushed the administration forward in removing the interim tag from Coach Braun. Well-deserved for the coach given the circumstances and the disruption to the program. It makes sense to have certainty for recruiting and to look at potential assistant coaching changes. This is a positive move and I have to believe there would have interest and offers from other programs waiting for him given his success this season.

I also have to go back and compare the upbeat performance of the Wildcats compared to the lackluster downbeat performance by the Badgers under an “experienced well-regarded coach”. I’m still amazed that Wisconsin players demonstrated so little emotion in this game. Their fans must be confused and concerned. Meanwhile I have been so impressed with Coach Braun and the team this year.

I also have to wonder why the team performed so poorly esp the last 2 seasons under Fitz and why he seemed so disengaged. Braun has been a breath of fresh air and he has (hopefully) rejuvenated the program that had been sliding downhill. Let’s win out and earn an invite to a decent bowl game! Go Cats!!

 

[gocatsgo2003]

Well head coach David Braun and the team did benefit immensely from having David Braun replace Jim O'Neil as defensive coordinator.

I'd be a little surprised if he fired Bajakian now. In a year, sure. Braun doesn't know what he doesn't know. He also may not have a ton of candidates - he would probably prefer someone young and on the upswing.

Of course, thats assuming he get to do what he wants to do, without interference. Thats probably a big assumption. He already has a baby sitter named Skip keeping tabs on him.

I feel pretty safe saying that Bajakian will not be back in 2024.

 

[Figrating]

"Braun inherited a program in disarray..."

What an understatement. "Screamin' f'g disaster" is more like it.

When the season ends, I would hope to completely replace the OC and his existing staff. They're too much part of the past and they have a dismal history in recruiting and on the field. NU should get the search firm to ID OC candidates and let Coach Braun choose from them. Or maybe Coach Braun already has someone in mind. Unlike his predecessor and the AD, he has already proven he knows coaching talent with the success of the NU D.

As the days go by, recruiting opportunities slip away, so at least now the recruiters can say NU HAS a HC. Congratulations, Coach Braun, a coach equal to the challenge of NU football. There are damn few of those.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

I feel pretty safe saying that Bajakian will not be back in 2024.

Oh he was wearing that T-shirt supporting Fitzgerald, wasn't he...
Thats the kind of thing that is beyond Braun's control (vendettas by the administration).
My inclination is to think Braun would normally have built a relationship with Bakajian, given that Braun basically has to trust him to call plays. Such a relationship, forged under duress, wouldn't normally be tossed to the curb right away.

But if Gragg demands it because Bakajian wore a T-shirt, that says a lot about Gragg.

 

[Eurocat]

I disagree that we need to fire the OC and the staff under him. I am sorry to repeat but this message board is filled with posts that say we could be looking at a 9 or 10 win season if only Bryant had not gotten hurt. If that is the case, and we would have gotten 9 or 10 wins, would it not follow that the offensive coaches played a big part in these 9 or 10 wins? That maybe they actually do know what they are doing but find it tough to do when the key man gets hurt?

In any event it is up to coach Braun. If he fires everyone or keeps everyone I will trust his judgement which is probably a thousand times smarter than mine about these things.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

Oh he was wearing that T-shirt supporting Fitzgerald, wasn't he...
Thats the kind of thing that is beyond Braun's control (vendettas by the administration).
My inclination is to think Braun would normally have built a relationship with Bakajian, given that Braun basically has to trust him to call plays. Such a relationship, forged under duress, wouldn't normally be tossed to the curb right away.

But if Gragg demands it because Bakajian wore a T-shirt, that says a lot about Gragg.

Not because of that.

 

[SimpsonElmwood]

He has specifically mentioned "Coach Smith" many times in the pressers.......

Hicks is the other coach he mentions regularly.

 

[cat inkansas]

Hicks is the other coach he mentions regularly.

Hicks has done good job, Christian Smith as well.

 

[zeek55]

I think only coach whose spot is untenable because of the scandal is MacPherson who was explicitly named in the complaint(s).

MacPherson status would be the one decided by Gragg/Schill if any.

Doubt the t-shirt stuff matters.

Bajakian's issue is offensive performance over the past 3 seasons although obviously the offense has been a fair bit better this year at times.

But we'll see what happens. Braun being named HC at this point is a good signal that he's the head of the program and we'd expect him to shape it how he sees fit.

 

[wicker]

Now young David Braun
Is named the permanent coach.
But how permanent?

 

[FanatiCat]

I think only coach whose spot is untenable because of the scandal is MacPherson who was explicitly named in the complaint(s).

MacPherson status would be the one decided by Gragg/Schill if any.

Doubt the t-shirt stuff matters.

Bajakian's issue is offensive performance over the past 3 seasons although obviously the offense has been a fair bit better this year at times.

But we'll see what happens. Braun being named HC at this point is a good signal that he's the head of the program and we'd expect him to shape it how he sees fit.

Bajakian’s issue is not only offensive production but QB development. He hasn’t developed a QB since he got here. We had Ramsey and Bryant who were already fully developed and productive college QBs. Then we had regression of Hunter Johnson and Ryan Hilinski and subpar high school QB recruiting and development. That is reason to let him go, or you have to get a separate QB coach somehow.

 

[TheC]

Bajakian’s issue is not only offensive production but QB development. He hasn’t developed a QB since he got here. We had Ramsey and Bryant who were already fully developed and productive college QBs. Then we had regression of Hunter Johnson and Ryan Hilinski and subpar high school QB recruiting and development. That is reason to let him go, or you have to get a separate QB coach somehow.

This is the issue for me too

 

[FeralFelidae]

Bajakian’s issue is not only offensive production but QB development. He hasn’t developed a QB since he got here. We had Ramsey and Bryant who were already fully developed and productive college QBs. Then we had regression of Hunter Johnson and Ryan Hilinski and subpar high school QB recruiting and development. That is reason to let him go, or you have to get a separate QB coach somehow.

I think Sullivan has shown improvement from last season. Certainly he throws better.

 

[peatymeanis]

Not because of that.

It's because Bajakian sucks

 

[clarificationcat]

Bajakian’s issue is not only offensive production but QB development. He hasn’t developed a QB since he got here. We had Ramsey and Bryant who were already fully developed and productive college QBs. Then we had regression of Hunter Johnson and Ryan Hilinski and subpar high school QB recruiting and development. That is reason to let him go, or you have to get a separate QB coach somehow.

How many Power 5 offers have the quarterbacks recruited by Bajakian received? And please don’t use the “early commitment discouraged other teams from offering” excuse. We’ve had several teams swoop in and change some of our top commits’ minds. It seems like we have whiffed on all of our top targets and the next level as well.

 

[zeek55]

Bajakian’s issue is not only offensive production but QB development. He hasn’t developed a QB since he got here. We had Ramsey and Bryant who were already fully developed and productive college QBs. Then we had regression of Hunter Johnson and Ryan Hilinski and subpar high school QB recruiting and development. That is reason to let him go, or you have to get a separate QB coach somehow.

Oh I agree 100%; QB development was a complete black hole prior to this year though recruiting that position has been extremely tough the past few years partially for factors outside of our staff's control (except maybe shades of Andrew Marty's spurts here and there that were hopeful). We've gotten big name transfers though, so that's a plus; 2 appear to have worked in my mind.

Maybe we've seen something with Sullivan although who knows. Bryant has been strong when healthy obviously, though he came in as a finished product like Ramsey.

Regardless, I do think Braun will retool the staff at some point, just hard to tell how quickly he wants to do that.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

It's because Bajakian sucks

Correct

 

[gocatsgo2003]

Oh I agree 100%; QB development was a complete black hole prior to this year though recruiting that position has been extremely tough the past few years partially for factors outside of our staff's control (except maybe shades of Andrew Marty's spurts here and there that were hopeful). We've gotten big name transfers though, so that's a plus; 2 appear to have worked in my mind.

Maybe we've seen something with Sullivan although who knows. Bryant has been strong when healthy obviously, though he came in as a finished product like Ramsey.

Regardless, I do think Braun will retool the staff at some point, just hard to tell how quickly he wants to do that.

Quickly.