Phillips and Coaches

[NJCat]

Dr. Jim has been at NU since April, 2008. Some (not me) are saying that stability of the football staff indicates that he doesn't want to win. I took a look at his hirings, which to me say anything but complacency.

Rock Solid Programs
LAX
- KAH was hired in 2002, signed contract extensions in 2010 (thru 2015) and 2014 (thru 2022). She must be convinced of NU's commitment to excellence because she could coach pretty much any place she wants.
W Tennis
- Claire Pollard, hired 1999. Millions of consecutive Big 10 titles, no plans to leave before retiring as all time best W Tennis coach
M Tennis
- Arvid Swan, hired by JP in 2009: 151-102 record, solid upper tier Big 10 performer
M Soccer
- Tim Lenahan, hired in 2001: 1-13-3 in first season, 15-6-2 in third year and NCAA 2nd round. Solid guy who could easily coach elsewhere.
W Golf
- Emily Fletcher, hired by JP in 2008, 3 consecutive NCAA finals and Big 10 champs 2 of last 3 years.
Softball
- Kate Drohan, hired 2002, JP signed her to a contract extension in 2013 thru 2018.

In all cases JP successfully retained winners, about all you could ask of an AD.

Now for the other sports. In all cases Phillips fired an underperforming incumbent and brought in his own coach:

W Basketball
- Joe McKeown, hired June 2008....first JP hiring, great recruiter, spotty record.
M Basketball
- Chris Collins, jury is out (don't want to restart the endless BC-CC debates)
Baseball
- Spencer Allen, hired 2016 to replace long time head coach Paul Stevens. Jury is out, but with a new $5 million field should start to see results.
W Soccer
- Michael Moynihan, hired 2012 to replace Stephanie Foster. Arow pointed upwards, 7-0 start is best in recent memory
W Swimming
- Abby Steketee, hired 2015 after being Mountain West COY. Jury is out
M Swimming
- Jarod Schroeder, hired 2009. Meh.
Cross Country
- 'A Havahla Haynes, hired 2015 after being assistant at New Mexico on a team that finished top 3 in the nation. Jury out.
Field Hockey
- Tracy Fuchs, hired 2009. 1st and 2 2nd last 3 years in Big 10, returns NU to former glory after the Kelly McCollum years (never won more than 7 games in a season). Great hire.
Volleyball
- Shane Davis, hired 2016 to replace Keylor Chan (16 years, 236-261, no championships). Jury is out, but holy crap, Davis won a National Championship in Men's VB at Loyola (Chicago)! Probably the best parallel to Men's BB and football.....
Wrestling
- Matt Storiolo, hired 2016 after previous coach fired under mysterious circumstances. Right now a train wreck of a program, National Champion transferred, many highly rated recruits transferred or quit.

On balance, I'd give Phillips pretty high marks. He has retained some excellent coaches and made moves to hire highly regarded coaches to fix underperforming programs (baseball, Field Hockey, Women's soccer, Basketball). One thing I'd say it that unless there is some scandal (wrestling?, Women's Basketball) he isn't quick to pull the trigger. Seems to know who he wants (Collins) and is willing to wait until the time is right to hire the right person. I'd say his record does not support the thesis that he accepts mediocrity in his head coaches.

 

[loyolacat]

So how do you think this evidence will translate to the Football Staff if things do not take a u-turn?

 

[Sheffielder]

Phillips' action or inaction when it comes to non-revenue sports yields no indication whatsoever about what he can or should (or should not) do about football.

My best guess is that he has an excellent relationship with Fitz and "I trust you" comes out of his mouth in almost every conversation about the direction and welfare of the football program. The problem is the fact that there's some blind trust there - Fitz literally lacks the experience even as a head coach to truly and effectively know when changes are necessary, or how to facilitate them. And why wouldn't he? He's human. Imagine being nagged to fire a guy who is your peer in almost every way - same age, started as position coaches together, been colleagues (and surely close friends) for over 10 years, families know each other, kids play together...and year after year a bunch of people you've never met want you to fire him? I can't imagine having to make that choice...but the difference is no one's offered me $2.5 million to do it.

 

[NJCat]

So how do you think this evidence will translate to the Football Staff if things do not take a u-turn?

I think he will wait until 2019 and if things don't turn around he will let Fitz go with a year remaining on his contract (a la BC). He will have done his homework and lined up his next coach.

 

[YesterdaysCat]

I think he will wait until 2019 and if things don't turn around he will let Fitz go with a year remaining on his contract (a la BC). He will have done his homework and lined up his next coach.

How do you define "don't turn around?"

What if NU football goes 7-5 and 8-4 in the '17 and '18 regular seasons and wins a bowl game in '18 (let's say it's the Foster Farms or New Era Pinstripe)? Let's say we finish 23rd in the AP Top 25 in '18. Is that "turned around"?

That would be 13 seasons with no Big Ten titles and two mid-tier bowl wins... but with sky-high grad rates, 3 seasons ending with an AP Top 25 ranking, 7 plus-.500 seasons, and lots of funds raised for NU athletics.

I think that would be good enough for the school to continue chasing a breakthrough season that will never come.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

How do you define "don't turn around?"

What if NU football goes 7-5 and 8-4 in the '17 and '18 regular seasons and wins a bowl game in '18 (let's say it's the Foster Farms or New Era Pinstripe)? Let's say we finish 23rd in the AP Top 25 in '18. Is that "turned around"?

That would be 13 seasons with no Big Ten titles and two mid-tier bowl wins... but with sky-high grad rates, 3 seasons ending with an AP Top 25 ranking, 7 plus-.500 seasons, and lots of funds raised for NU athletics.

I think that would be good enough for the school to continue chasing a breakthrough season that will never come.

Yes, it is.

Whether you like it or not (and clearly you don't), those kind of seasons are job security at NU.

 

[willycat]

I think he will wait until 2019 and if things don't turn around he will let Fitz go with a year remaining on his contract (a la BC). He will have done his homework and lined up his next coach.

Wait until 2019 and NU will have to pay people to park in the west lot. They will also have to have H.S. Band Day for every game to fill some seats or just by more tarps.

 

[YesterdaysCat]

Yes, it is.

Whether you like it or not (and clearly you don't), those kind of seasons are job security at NU.

That standard has changed many times over the decades. How does a HC go more than a decade without ever really sniffing a conference or even a division title? That would be Pat in a few years unless things change.

 

[NJCat]

How does a HC go more than a decade without ever really sniffing a conference or even a division title? That would be Pat in a few years unless things change.

2016 is his 11th year, so he has already gone over a decade.........

 

[FeralFelidae]

Phillips' action or inaction when it comes to non-revenue sports yields no indication whatsoever about what he can or should (or should not) do about football.

My best guess is that he has an excellent relationship with Fitz and "I trust you" comes out of his mouth in almost every conversation about the direction and welfare of the football program. The problem is the fact that there's some blind trust there - Fitz literally lacks the experience even as a head coach to truly and effectively know when changes are necessary, or how to facilitate them. And why wouldn't he? He's human. Imagine being nagged to fire a guy who is your peer in almost every way - same age, started as position coaches together, been colleagues (and surely close friends) for over 10 years, families know each other, kids play together...and year after year a bunch of people you've never met want you to fire him? I can't imagine having to make that choice...but the difference is no one's offered me $2.5 million to do it.

Can't Philips just bypass Fitz and replace the offensive coaches? Then Fitz doesn't have to be the bad guy.

 

[Deeringfish]

Can't Philips just bypass Fitz and replace the offensive coaches? Then Fitz doesn't have to be the bad guy.

I bet he could but seriously all this "I feel bad firing my friend." is weak sauce. That is why you get paid big money to coach in big time football. It is the bosses job to evaluate personal, set performance goals and make the tough choices when goals aren't met. I'm not a football expert but Fitz is and he has to set the goals and make it happen even if there are hurt feelings. This is a fair program but not a family business.

 

[pawildcat]

That standard has changed many times over the decades. How does a HC go more than a decade without ever really sniffing a conference or even a division title? That would be Pat in a few years unless things change.

If they all were still around, you could ask most of the Northwestern coaches from the end of World War II to 1995 that question.

 

[NJCat]

I'm not a football expert but Fitz is ....

Between you, me and Fitz as football experts, I think Fitz is the tallest midget............

 

[Deeringfish]

Between you, me and Fitz as football experts, I think Fitz is the tallest midget............

Well, the most football I have ever played is after school in the park. The thing is though, too much money is being spent on this program for it to fall flat like this against ISU. Most other B1G football programs are beating teams like that by 50 points. Something is not being done correctly. Recruiting has been judged ok by outside services and other program offers so development and preparation and schemes must be lacking. If Fitz can't see what is wrong he needs to hire people who can. People who know what is happening in more successful programs.

NU cannot afford to let this go on, not with the investment it is making with the facilities.

 

[YesterdaysCat]

If they all were still around, you could ask most of the Northwestern coaches from the end of World War II to 1995 that question.

Gee, between WWII and 1995, how many of our coaches were at NU for more than a decade?

 

[WoodersonCat]

I think he will wait until 2019 and if things don't turn around he will let Fitz go with a year remaining on his contract (a la BC). He will have done his homework and lined up his next coach.

The issue isn't Fitz's contract. How many years left on Phillips's contract?

 

[YesterdaysCat]

2016 is his 11th year, so he has already gone over a decade.........

Real Fitz Philes will say that we did sniff it in 2008 and '09. Hence 'more than a decade... in a few years.' Naturally Real Fitz Philes would say we almost won our division last year. So point taken. 3rd place in the old format isn't really sniffing it either, is it?

 

[NJCat]

The issue isn't Fitz's contract. How many years left on Phillips's contract?

JP was National AD of the year last year. NU isn't firing him.

 

[algoncat]

Fitz literally lacks the experience even as a head coach to truly and effectively know when changes are necessary, or how to facilitate them. And why wouldn't he? He's human. Imagine being nagged to fire a guy who is your peer in almost every way - same age, started as position coaches together, been colleagues (and surely close friends) for over 10 years, families know each other, kids play together...and year after year a bunch of people you've never met want you to fire him? I can't imagine having to make that choice...but the difference is no one's offered me $2.5 million to do it.

As an example of this point, please see Tracy Claeys who got hired as head coach at MN after Jerry Kill leaves. One of the first things he does as head coach? Fire former NU assistant and MN OC Matt Limegrover who Claeys had been coaching with for 17 years beginning with Emporia State then on to SIU, NIU and finally MN. Now I don't exactly know what the circumstances were surrounding Limegrover's termination, but it can't be easy firing a guy you've been with for 17 years but Claeys buckled down and did it.

Limegrover after termination:
"The other thing is, it’s corny and it sounds trite, but those guys [on the coaching staff] are like brothers, and the guys that I’ve worked with for 15, 16, 17 years. You can only imagine what we’ve gone through both good and bad and go through that and have those experiences. I’d never give them back for anything. And the things we did with Coach Kill, and all of us together. So it’s hard, you’re given that news and then you can hardly think straight."

As a man who makes $2+ million, Fitz needs to stop with the bs and make the necessary moves. I'm sure the coaches in question can land on their feet at smaller schools making decent money.

 

[Sheffielder]

As an example of this point, please see Tracy Claeys who got hired as head coach at MN after Jerry Kill leaves. One of the first things he does as head coach? Fire former NU assistant and MN OC Matt Limegrover who Claeys had been coaching with for 17 years beginning with Emporia State then on to SIU, NIU and finally MN. Now I don't exactly know what the circumstances were surrounding Limegrover's termination, but it can't be easy firing a guy you've been with for 17 years but Claeys buckled down and did it.

Limegrover after termination:
"The other thing is, it’s corny and it sounds trite, but those guys [on the coaching staff] are like brothers, and the guys that I’ve worked with for 15, 16, 17 years. You can only imagine what we’ve gone through both good and bad and go through that and have those experiences. I’d never give them back for anything. And the things we did with Coach Kill, and all of us together. So it’s hard, you’re given that news and then you can hardly think straight."

As a man who makes $2+ million, Fitz needs to stop with the bs and make the necessary moves. I'm sure the coaches in question can land on their feet at smaller schools making decent money.

Though I obviously don't know the nature of their relationship, Limegrover wasn't reporting to Claeys for 10 straight years. I bet the Limegrover firing was akin to Fitz's firing of Colby...was dying to do it long before he was able to do so.

The other big different between Claeys and Fitz: job security. Claeys is still auditioning and he knows it. There's no "tenure" at Minny for Claeys.

But yeah...we don't pay people $2MM+ for nothing...at least we shouldn't...

 

[cidsports]

Did anyone ever catch and episode of Being Bielema?

Apparently, coach BB doesn't hire friends. Further, he had to give some coaches bad news this off season.

Coaching decisions are best after the season, though, wasn't it coach BB last season at Wisconsin where he fired his O-Line coach in September?

peace

 

[stpaulcat]

Did anyone ever catch and episode of Being Bielema?

Apparently, coach BB doesn't hire friends. Further, he had to give some coaches bad news this off season.

Coaching decisions are best after the season, though, wasn't it coach BB last season at Wisconsin where he fired his O-Line coach in September?

peace

BB has been at Arkansas for several years.