Our OC has shown some elements of creativity in 4thQ vs Minni and.first half vs Wisconsin.. Can he do this for the next two games? If he can, it might make a case for retention
Next two games an audition for Coach Jake?
- Thread starter mesacat
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Unlike many on this board, and no disrespect intended, I think Jake deserves one more year. I hope the offense does terrific in the next two games.
I will partially agree with you --- I hope the offense does terrific in the next two games
I suspect that most of the coaching staff, including Bajakian will be retained. The only coaches who might not are those too closely connected with the hazing issues. I don’t know if Bajakian falls into that category.
I suspect that each Fitz legacy coach will be gone. How can you retain them when the special investigation report found evidence of a culture of hazing. If Fitz was fired because of that culture, how can you keep any coach who was around unless the report specifically found that the hazing occurred before any particular coach was hired. The 5 coaches hired by Fitz, including Braun, after last season are safe.
I believe two years and ten games has been a sufficient audition.
Bajakian has not successfully recruited a quarterback to Evanston. I’d imagine, even with the spurts of productivity we saw from Sullivan, that NU will be looking for a quarterback or two in the transfer market starting in December.
Bajakian has not successfully recruited a quarterback to Evanston. I’d imagine, even with the spurts of productivity we saw from Sullivan, that NU will be looking for a quarterback or two in the transfer market starting in December.
Bajakian without handcuffs is an above average OC. I want him to drop 35 on Purdue and Illinois and stick around
Dang, why does he choose to wear handcuffs and score single digit points in conference games then?
If he drops 35 on Illinois and Purdue, we will have finished the regular season averaging 22.9 points per game…good for 99th in the country! Yippeeeee!!!
I will partially agree with you --- I hope the offense does terrific in the next two games
I hope to see you tomorrow. It all depend on how my scope goes in the AM.
For the first time since 2020, he has a quality qb and good receivers. Next year will be more challenging unless Braun can land some talent in the portal. Is having MB around next year a help or a hindrance?
So if the team goes 8-5 and the offense looks good for the last four games of the season, under normal circumstances he would have "earned" the job. However, the long history of below-average performance before that in addition to the hazing stuff (and I'm not saying he was involved - merely guilt by association) makes it really hard to retain him. I won't go so far as to say he's gotta go, more like he's gonna go.
If the offense does play well the last quarter of the season however, I think he'll land on his feet and find an OC job that isn't a huge step down.
If the offense does play well the last quarter of the season however, I think he'll land on his feet and find an OC job that isn't a huge step down.
In 2020, we scored 24.7 points/game, good enough for 93rd of 128 nationally and 10th of 14 in conference. That was the high water mark!!
To equal that for this year, we'd need to score 39 points/game in the last two plus bowl game, or 58 points/game if we don't make a bowl. He's not good!
As I failed to mention earlier - hope it all goes well!!! Good luck!!
(As a random aside, I remember going to a med conf with my dad ~45yrs ago where the discussion was this hot new procedure -- arthroscopic surgery)
I want a job where I can suck for 3.8 years and be able to save the job with 2 weeks good performance against mediocre competition. Just go hire the Toledo OC
As I hope is the repeated pattern of holding on to incompetent coaches year after year after year. It’s been so ingrained into the program that we actually have fans defending Bajakian despite putrid offenses throughout his tenure, because what? We aren’t as bad as the 129th ranked offense that he fielded the previous year? I mean what bar are you people using? Even this year’s offense is downright poor.
Just this. Anybody who thinks Bajakian deserves to be retained should read this and think twice. Read it again and tell us that he will have earned anything.
I could see McGarigle sticking, as I’m not sure if there will be a sweeping mandate to clean house due to the hazing. Lou’s prediction or what he heard was 3-4 will be gone so that says at least one will stick. McGarigle wins out on production alone and I hadn’t heard his name connected directly to the hazing like MacPherson. If a second Fitz coach sticks, not sure who it would be. Maybe Genyk? I think you fire all the offensive guys just for the putrid performances alone. Except the WR coach who looks like he’s a keeper, and maybe the new RB coach (though our rush game is horrid). Keep the defense except MacPherson who was implicated in the hazing scandal and who the players supposedly hate anyways. Bring in a kick ass OC and let him fill all the spots (except WR) with his own guys
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This is correct, legacy Fitz Coaches are history.
Genyk will retire.
So I think most reasonable people are expecting Bajakian and others to be relieved of their duties, but now that NU is going bowling, do we really think it's going to happen eight days from now or will they wait until after the bowl game?
I would do it before the bowl game.
None of the recruits that have stuck around are going to waver because Bajakian is gone. Can him Monday after Illinois and get the search going.
If Jake isn’t gone I will purchase FireDavidBraun.com and partially mean it. He’s an awful OC and has been for years… and now some people are getting excited when he looks borderline middling? We need an actual good and creative guy running the offense. Bajakian ain’t it.
I have no meaningful guesses on who goes/who stays, but I would not assume all the "Fitz Legacy Coaches" go on the basis of his own firing and the hazing allegations. The sad truth is, the media is no longer interested. They don't care who Matt MacPherson is...they never really did. I think Schill and Gragg are content avoiding any decisions they aren't being forced to make.
As for Braun himself, this will be his first big test as a head coach - on his limited experience, does he have the stones to follow whatever instincts he has about retaining or firing anyone on this staff? Or is he more compelled to avoid being the grim reaper in an industry where that is basically a pre-requisite for success?
As for Braun himself, this will be his first big test as a head coach - on his limited experience, does he have the stones to follow whatever instincts he has about retaining or firing anyone on this staff? Or is he more compelled to avoid being the grim reaper in an industry where that is basically a pre-requisite for success?
Nothing about the win today dissuades my opinion about Bajakian and Anderson. Great first drive followed by horribly inconsistent play, inability to sustain drives and take time off the clock and inability to capitalize on TWO huge momentum flipping turnovers at Purdue’s 20 yard line both times netting a total of 3 points.
Then the inability to get one more first down giving Purdue plenty of time for a trout touchdown and relying on the D again to create a turnover to clinch the W.
The drive killing sacks and penalties were almost as bad as the Nebraska game and we could’ve possibly lost this game against Purdue’s scrub QB platoon had we not gotten those key turnovers.
Then the inability to get one more first down giving Purdue plenty of time for a trout touchdown and relying on the D again to create a turnover to clinch the W.
The drive killing sacks and penalties were almost as bad as the Nebraska game and we could’ve possibly lost this game against Purdue’s scrub QB platoon had we not gotten those key turnovers.
Because you are going to want him to coach through the bowl game. Why fire him before that? The Bowl game will be after the first signing day.
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