It's all about coaching

[Styre]

Mulligan year. That was an excellent FCS team and the first season for Fitz. Given the circumstances it was a miracle they won 4 games. No shame in anything that season.

I'm not disputing any of that. However, the claim that we never dipped below 5 wins while losing to an FCS team is incorrect.

 

[hdhntr1]

I'm not disputing any of that. However, the claim that we never dipped below 5 wins while losing to an FCS team is incorrect.

Fitz got a mulligan for that year being thrust into the position. And the statement was in 10 years which did not include that year.

 

[freewillie07]

The factor separating the great coaches from lifetime mediocre to above-average coaches is their ability to recruit. While Fitz has borne the various NU burdens well, he seems to have a philosophy that the recruiting world is full of players like himself. Rankings be damned, the "fit" players he recruits can be built into all-conference level players and more. Not happening to date.

With the facilities burden out of the way and replaced with the Taj adjacent to the lakeview practice field, I'm hoping Fitz can start to land about 4+ 4-star recruits per year. That should be enough to make NU consistently competitive.

If not, let's accept phat's conclusion that we've already seen what Fitz can do and we're gonna see a lot more of it.

Certainly 4-star recruits are good to get. Just see Thorson, Jackson and Dickerson this year.

But NU has also done a great job finding players who were somewhat underrated by the recruiting services. I'd consider Anthony Walker among them. Also Dean Lowry. Trevor wasn't in the top 25 at the QB position. I'm sure I'm missing others.

Getting the new facilities will hopefully get NU some blue-chip recruits (maybe they already have in O'Rourke) to supplement the "fits" that Fitz likes so much.

 

[stpaulcat]

Occasionally, a handful of exceptional players can raise a team to new heights. Perhaps they are particularly diligent, develop simultaneously, or there is some other idiosyncratic event (Walker spread offense, Moneyball).

But in the medium term, it's about coaching. There is a reason that they make so much money. Alabama was mediocre (albeit great history), prior to Saban. Likewise Oklahoma before Stoops, Stanford before (gritting my teeth) Hard-blow.

Coaches recruited the players, condition them, train them, mentor them, teach them, direct them in practice and in games. This means, that teams I dislike like Mich and Clemson, with loathsome coaches, will continue to succeed due to coaching quality. ND will continue to wallow until they get a home-run hire.

Lifetime mediocre to above average coaches like Ferentz will have occasional good years, then revert to the mean. They never get fired and no one will hire them away.

We've seen the best and worst of Fitz. Hoping for multiple B1G championships is a (crack) pipe dream. His range is 7-5, plus/minus three. That's it. He is a lot younger than me, so this is the NU football that I will get for the rest of my life. I've come to accept it

You, like me, suffer from '95itis. The only cure that is believed to work is a Rose Bowl.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

Certainly 4-star recruits are good to get. Just see Thorson, Jackson and Dickerson this year.

But NU has also done a great job finding players who were somewhat underrated by the recruiting services. I'd consider Anthony Walker among them. Also Dean Lowry. Trevor wasn't in the top 25 at the QB position. I'm sure I'm missing others.

Getting the new facilities will hopefully get NU some blue-chip recruits (maybe they already have in O'Rourke) to supplement the "fits" that Fitz likes so much.

Ratings be damned, I hope the facilities help Fitz get the players he wants.