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Collins Agrees to "Lengthy" Contract Extension

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Really great news, on both counts. Stability is hard to find and a point of differentiation on today's college games.
 
I'm surprised both coaches received extensions. I barely pay attention to football, but wasn't Fitz generally wrapped up for a while before the extension?

My cheap guess is this is the beginning of the end for Phillips and he's making sure his guys are taken care of.
 
Joint news conference at 2pm EDT/1pm CDT tomorrow (Tuesday) at the Under Armour store in downtown Chicago, according to Daily Northwestern and Philip Rossman-Reich.
 
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I'm surprised both coaches received extensions. I barely pay attention to football, but wasn't Fitz generally wrapped up for a while before the extension?

My cheap guess is this is the beginning of the end for Phillips and he's making sure his guys are taken care of.

What input signals are you using to make this assertion? Everything on the up and up with NU Athletics... tons of hard work now coming to fruition. Why would he bail just as its all coming together? I think you desperately need a Happy Meal.
 
What input signals are you using to make this assertion?

You've really never seen Phillips' name associated with another job? If you don't understand the signals, you might want to limit the comments.

Here's a little hint: his next job will not be at a university. There are bigger things than NU and he has the obvious talent to do it.
 
I think Fitz is a real blockhead. I think he would agree. I"d prefer a blockhead more than an asshole coach. I'm an asshole but I'm not a coach.
That said, he is good for College Football, a great coach, and damn good for NU. Kudos to Dr Phillips.

Collins seems like an academic type coach, smart guy. Toss in passion and intensity and we have a coach who is driven to excellence and probably sometimes wakes up with nightmares of mediocricity. What he did was phenomenal and what he is doing makes me feel great to be along for the ride. Dr Phillips did well for locking him up. We have a great AD and a solid guy in Morty. Steve {the money guy} is a big supporter as well. It's good to see all the pieces in place instead of jerkoffs like Rick Taylor who tried to take credit for 1994 & 1995 as if he was some sorta Theo Epstein. Dr Phillips doesn't have to take credit, doing his job with his passion and beliefs is what he does.

We have a really interesting future at this school with the BB and FB programs. I'm tentatively optimistic and only so due to the negative history. But it does seem like the school is moving out of the geek/caveman era and finally supporting its kids, coaches and programs. It may be a bit purple of me but I think last year will be the minimum bar for BB and FB moving forward. Don't get me wrong, I'd love even a NIT appearance and think it to be success as a cat fan, and winning any bowl in football would be fine by me and not a disappointment, but I think both programs are actually on to better and bigger things. If they can accomplish that without getting some terrible bad eggs then that will be the Holy Grail. I've just often seen teams start doing great and then some kid, who is wrong for the program, bites them, the fans, and the school, in the ass.

Hopefully, Fitz and Collins don't compromise on 5 stars that don't fit here. Thus far, both coaches seem as if they have integrity and are driven to academic excellence as well. For that reason, color me a solid cat fan. But if we start allowing our success to go after punk kids who get in trouble then I might as well follow OSU again.

I'm a cat fan due to my desire to follow programs that don't compromise. Granted, there are some thin years but I would lose all interest if Fitz or Collins compromised and we decided to do it like other coaches like Tressel, Calipari, etc.

Go Cats!
 
You've really never seen Phillips' name associated with another job? If you don't understand the signals, you might want to limit the comments.

Here's a little hint: his next job will not be at a university. There are bigger things than NU and he has the obvious talent to do it.

Any sources you care to cite? I haven't seen Dr Jim in the news of late, but I also haven't been searching for I think.

Also, ease up on the tone... I think we're in the same side here. We'd love to see Dr Jim at NU for a long time.
 
Joint news conference at 2pm EDT/1pm CDT tomorrow (Tuesday) at the Under Armour store in downtown Chicago, according to Daily Northwestern and Philip Rossman-Reich.
Oh man... I was just staying in a hotel right around the corner from there. Now I'm at the airport getting ready to leave this great city. I would have gone for sure.
 
Teddy says Chris got more than $3M/year. That's eye-popping money for NU ... credit to Dr. Jim for coming up with it.
And the infinity billion dollars a year they get from the Big Ten Network. We should remember that next time we have a weird start time I guess.
 
And the infinity billion dollars a year they get from the Big Ten Network.

Must make up for the lost revenue in capacity of the new 6,800 seat WRA......some were saying that there was no way NU could afford to pay CCC competitively with this mistake by Ashland Ave!
 
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I think Fitz is a real blockhead. I think he would agree. I"d prefer a blockhead more than an asshole coach. I'm an asshole but I'm not a coach.
That said, he is good for College Football, a great coach, and damn good for NU. Kudos to Dr Phillips.

Collins seems like an academic type coach, smart guy. Toss in passion and intensity and we have a coach who is driven to excellence and probably sometimes wakes up with nightmares of mediocricity. What he did was phenomenal and what he is doing makes me feel great to be along for the ride. Dr Phillips did well for locking him up. We have a great AD and a solid guy in Morty. Steve {the money guy} is a big supporter as well. It's good to see all the pieces in place instead of jerkoffs like Rick Taylor who tried to take credit for 1994 & 1995 as if he was some sorta Theo Epstein. Dr Phillips doesn't have to take credit, doing his job with his passion and beliefs is what he does.

We have a really interesting future at this school with the BB and FB programs. I'm tentatively optimistic and only so due to the negative history. But it does seem like the school is moving out of the geek/caveman era and finally supporting its kids, coaches and programs. It may be a bit purple of me but I think last year will be the minimum bar for BB and FB moving forward. Don't get me wrong, I'd love even a NIT appearance and think it to be success as a cat fan, and winning any bowl in football would be fine by me and not a disappointment, but I think both programs are actually on to better and bigger things. If they can accomplish that without getting some terrible bad eggs then that will be the Holy Grail. I've just often seen teams start doing great and then some kid, who is wrong for the program, bites them, the fans, and the school, in the ass.

Hopefully, Fitz and Collins don't compromise on 5 stars that don't fit here. Thus far, both coaches seem as if they have integrity and are driven to academic excellence as well. For that reason, color me a solid cat fan. But if we start allowing our success to go after punk kids who get in trouble then I might as well follow OSU again.

I'm a cat fan due to my desire to follow programs that don't compromise. Granted, there are some thin years but I would lose all interest if Fitz or Collins compromised and we decided to do it like other coaches like Tressel, Calipari, etc.

Go Cats!
Good to have u back Turk! Both are great coaches! We ain't ever beating Alabama,but I love Fitz and Collins. In hoops,we can win it all! Collins is awesome
 
... ease up on the tone ...

So you think the statement, "I think you desperately need a happy meal," was filled with positivity?

There's a grade school cliche that fits wonderfully here.

Move along.
 
I'm surprised both coaches received extensions. I barely pay attention to football, but wasn't Fitz generally wrapped up for a while before the extension?

My cheap guess is this is the beginning of the end for Phillips and he's making sure his guys are taken care of.

I believe Fitz was signed to 2021, same with Phillips.

Two reasons to extend both now. First, $$$$$. Collins needed a big raise and you can't pay him more than Fitz. Rumor is Collins got more than Illini coach and that deal is very public. Fitz was increased above that level form wherever he was at.

Next, recruiting. Collins and Fitz now have contracts where they can talk to freshman and sophomores in high school and say they are under contract for their entire college career. This is more pressing for Collins than Fitz.

The only question regarding Collins tenure in my mind is if Baldwin's kid becomes the No. 1 recruit in the country, does NU fire Collins to promote Baldwin to secure him coming to NU in four years :cool:
 
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So you think the statement, "I think you desperately need a happy meal," was filled with positivity?

There's a grade school cliche that fits wonderfully here.

Move along.
Was intended humorously, but I can see how it might offend. I apologize.
 
Was intended humorously, but I can see how it might offend. I apologize.

That's a rare classy act out here. Thanks. I'm also sorry for being an online d*ckhead. It's a side I like to embrace ... probably a little too often.
 
That's a rare classy act out here. Thanks. I'm also sorry for being an online d*ckhead. It's a side I like to embrace ... probably a little too often.

Thanks as well! I'll check out the sources. Really hope he stays... he's been a godsend for NU.
 
Any sources you care to cite? I haven't seen Dr Jim in the news of late, but I also haven't been searching for I think.

Also, ease up on the tone... I think we're in the same side here. We'd love to see Dr Jim at NU for a long time.
There will always be sources. He has accomplished a great deal while here and as long as CCC stays, how much is there left? Maybe upgrading the FB stadium but everything else has been accomplished. Winning FB program and HC locked up, check, new FB practice facilities bringing us up to average or above so we can actually compete in recruiting, check, hiring BB coach for the future and get to NCAA check, new BB facilities check. Do we upgrade Ryan field? That is about all that is left of a major nature for the next 20 years in sports, so Phillips is left with either resting on his laurels or looking for bigger fish. Basically he will soon outgrow us. He is still a relatively young man so I can see a time when it is appropriate for him to move on. He still has 3 years to move toward getting things done with Ryan Field if BIG commissioner is his next position. I think that the only way NU holds on to him for much more than 3-5 years is as Morty's replacement
 
Thanks as well! I'll check out the sources. Really hope he stays... he's been a godsend for NU.
I agree he has been great for NU but with almost everything major, done, I am not sure how he stays more than another 3-5 years unless he is named as Morty's replacement because after that, the position will be more that of a caretaker and I do not see him as being satisfied with that role.
 
Don't get me wrong. I don't want to see Phillips leave. He's brought NU into the real world of college athletics, especially after the do-nothing Murphy years.

But he also has bigger and better talent.
 
This is really great to get him. This will make NU a destination school. The $ will go up for basketball and football tix. I am not enthralled with Pat. I never thought I would say this, but I would dump my football tix to pay the extra $ for b-ball tix if the boss, da wife, limits my spending.
 
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Don't get me wrong. I don't want to see Phillips leave. He's brought NU into the real world of college athletics, especially after the do-nothing Murphy years.

But he also has bigger and better talent.

I was under the impression that Mark Murphy was instrumental to the creation of the Big Ten Network. I recall him saying how good it would be for the league, but specifically for Northwestern in terms of exposure and generating revenue. Of course, I have no idea what Murphy actually had to do with the BTN--just a reaction to your comment. The Murphy years were indeed pretty mediocre to lean years for NU hoops and football.
 
To do a Trump and double-down on my lack-of-insider-knowledge theory, anybody else think Fitz sounded like an AD-in-training yesterday?
 
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To do a Trump and double-down on my lack-of-insider-knowledge theory, anybody else think Fitz sounded like an AD-in-training yesterday?
I thought he was very nervous. Rambling answers to questions. Collins seemed much more confident.
 
I thought he was very nervous. Rambling answers to questions. Collins seemed much more confident.

I also thought Fitz was just a tad of fun his normal self in the media session yesterday. I've heard him in much better form before. Can't have "it" every day.

I'm not worried about Fitz designing on becoming an AD. I get the impression that he really relishes the direct relationships with his kids and developing them into great men. He's a football coach.

I did, however, get the strong feeling that Dr Jim is every bit as committed to NU as Fitz and CC. Our own Three Amigos. (if you don't get this reference, I'm gonna feel really old...)
 
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