northwestern.rivals.com
2 more wins probably gets us to a bowl game. If we make it to a bowl game, that is worthy of consideration, I would think.
Sorry but that accounts for just a couple aspects of the job. At this level they have to be able to evaluate and recruit and recruit and recruit and develop and do that with a level of athlete than can compete at the high D1 level. Add to that find and recruit assistant coaches that can get the job done. And hard to say whether he has the chops at this level
Uh, that wasn’t his point. He was saying the article should have mentioned those additional desirable attributes for an NU head coach.
I am saying just winning a couple more games isn't enough by itself to justify giving him the gig. But again at this point do you trust Gragg and Schill?
I just said it would make him worthy of consideration. If he wins a couple more games, would you not consider him?
To be fair, those items are somewhat discussed in the article. I am just saying that there is a lot more to the HC gig than just winning a couple more games. And as said it it a "tear down to the studs" type of rebuild and that is difficult for anyone let alone someone who has little if any experience with anything like this
While I want to root for the guy and like the feel-good story it creates when he wins, I just don't see how you can put a major corporation like a BIG football program into the hands of a guy with so little experience. As hdhntr said, we need someone to come in and rebuild this program from scratch. Braun is taking a system that is already fully in place and trying to keep it pointed in the right direction. While that is still a big challenge, it is a far cry from being the man who completely orchestrates the whole thing. He might make a great head coach someday, but no way is he truly ready yet.
Fitz was younger and less experienced. Similar first year scenario. Braun's is arguably tougher
Sorry but not really. Fitz was at P5 level and at the school and being groomed. That is a far cry from where Braun was
I am not sure I would NU Athletics in the same league as a "major corporation." Yes, a $112M operating budget is substantial, and the program serves as a flagship for a large institution, but let's not go overboard.
At a completely different level. Just saying FItz was already accustomed to dealing with the level of athlete needed and the unique challenges of NU including admissions., I am not against him in any way, Just recognizing that Fitz was already prepared for many of the issues that Braun is just beginning to experience. There was also experience on staff that Fitz was used to working with, Braun came into this in a different spot that Fitz did. Also there has been a pretty sizable exodus that Braun has had to deal with that Fitz did not. And he is having to deal with fallout of an administration that appears less supportive that what Fitz had to deal with., Fitz was better prepared and had less hurdles than what Braun is facing
Surprised you don’t have 100 likes.
NDSU is. Smaller division but elite level. They would have beaten us like a drum in 2021 and 2022
I agree with all of this and would like to add to it. Let's say Fitz had stuck with the previous staff and Braun wasn't here. July debacle occurs and Jake or JON are interim head coach. This team would have bled talent to the portal and we'd be 0-6. Possibly break our 34 game losing streak record. That's what Braun has meant to the program and the university
Doesn’t make him the best candidate for the job. He has done GREAT, but it is negligence to not kick the tires on what is reasonably an alternative option.
Agree with both of these statements, generally.
Agree with both takes.
To be clear, I am not campaigning for him. What I am saying is that this team was ass for 3 of the past 4 years, lost a lot of NFL and portal talent, had a gigantic scandal, lost more talent, and the guy was thrust into the role. Somehow, he has managed to field a reasonably competitive team. So @Sheffielder (I think?) We are not where we "should be". This team has already surpassed reasonable expectations, and Braun is the primary reason for it. Perhaps a better coach can be found, especially with recruiting chops and a staff to bring. I don't know. I am not one of those "who would come here??!" Handwringers. We have good facilities and a lot of money. And low expectations. But we also have these lawsuit turds floating in the punch bowl, and no stadium. This isn't 2020 any more
But how much of this success is Braun and how much of it is (I can't believe I'm saying this) Fitz doing a good job (got lucky) to bring in Ben "Braun" Bryant, Cam Johnson and AJ Henning from the transfer portal?
I guess you can consider an inability to recruit wide receivers and quarterbacks a good thing…
That's fair. If we crapped on fitz for HuJo and Hilinski, he needs credit for Bryant (sic). Like a glass coffin, remains to be seen where Bryant can take us. He's had about 4 good quarters of football in five games. He's clearly above Sullivan, but has been inconsistent, probably because of line play
Everyone beat us like a drum in 2021 and 2022 (including SIU) We did not have a good team those years. As far as NDSU it is not P5 and not even D1 Elite for where they are but still different level
Monies say it is but the way it is run doesn't indicate it. More like a small subsidiary. Of course much of it is funny money in that it pays for scholarships but that is more internal book keeping
Sorry but the decision to move on from JON had been made. There was no way he was sticking with him after the two seasons of D Disaster. So it might not have been Braun but it would have been someone not named JON. And if the debacle had happened and the D coordinator was not someone they could have put the reigns in the hands of, they would have gone outside to get someone on an interim or perm basis, Braun allowed them to postpone that decision. And Fitz brought him in.
We were already headed back to competitiveness and respectability after Fitz moved on from JON
Sorry but hard to see it as luck. Old definition of luck When preparredness meets opportunity.
I'm sorry, but beating UTEP and Howard does not constitute surpassing reasonable expectations to me.
Beating SIU and MOH last year were reasonable expectations, too, which we failed to do. Beating UTEP and Howard was significant because there's a good chance Fitz would've have lost to at least one of those two teams given his track record. Braun got it done. That's a step in the right direction. If Bryant stays healthy, we could win 3 or 4 more games this season.
