The nusports site is so slow so I linked to the Indiana Rivals coverage of the post game presser below. Good stuff.
CCC, Alex, and Tre
CCC, Alex, and Tre
Post game press conference with CCC, Olah, and Tre
- Thread starter Gladeskat
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Re: Crean's post game press conference
Anyone know of any history between Collins and Crean? Collins seemed especially animated right after the win and Crean makes a point numerous times during his presser about how the previous coaching staff brought in Olah and Demps. Maybe I am just reading too much into things...
Anyone know of any history between Collins and Crean? Collins seemed especially animated right after the win and Crean makes a point numerous times during his presser about how the previous coaching staff brought in Olah and Demps. Maybe I am just reading too much into things...
Thanks.
The biggest difference between Collins and Fitzgerald? Collins is willing to completely change when results aren't there. He doesn't blame "execution", he changes the system. Maybe it is easier when just 12 player, fewer moving parts than football. But I really like the fact that he is willing to experiment and try things rather than being wedded to one way of thinking.
The biggest difference between Collins and Fitzgerald? Collins is willing to completely change when results aren't there. He doesn't blame "execution", he changes the system. Maybe it is easier when just 12 player, fewer moving parts than football. But I really like the fact that he is willing to experiment and try things rather than being wedded to one way of thinking.
Re: Crean's post game press conference
Yeah, they each took time with the opposing players and assistant coaches but couldn't even look at each other in the eye. And I have not seen Collins that fired up after a victory. He was calm the whole game and then looked like he was taunting someone (or celebrating with someone?) in the crowd. It was kind of strange for him.
Yeah, they each took time with the opposing players and assistant coaches but couldn't even look at each other in the eye. And I have not seen Collins that fired up after a victory. He was calm the whole game and then looked like he was taunting someone (or celebrating with someone?) in the crowd. It was kind of strange for him.
Re: Crean's post game press conference
Yeah, think I've seen this with Crean a number of times. Don't know the guy personally, but I've read or heard on multiple occasions that he is, to put it mildly, not terribly well-liked by his peers . . . and it's not like we can chalk it up to jealousy over his off-the-charts success. The guy just comes off as a petulant prick.
Football relies much, much more on proper execution for success. It also involves calling fixed plays, which opens up a coaching staff to second guessing. If a play doesn't work, then fans think it's the "wrong play" when execution could be the problem. Fitz has shown the ability to change when needed...the Outback Bowl and our 2-QB system is testament to that.
What's sucked is the execution, but that's what Fitz has said.
This post was edited on 2/26 2:04 PM by Gladeskat
I do think Collins is more straight forward with his answers than Fitz. Heck, I like Collins more than Fitz these days. However, Collins is still going through a honeymoon period where not too much is expected of his team right now. Let's see what he says in his fifth year as head coach during a rough stretch of losses.
10 game losing streak is a pretty rough patch. But I get what you mean, let's see how he handles extended success followed by extended failure. I'm curious too.
Difference in the here and now, CCC comes across very human. Fitz used to. Now he comes across much more like Crean - an arse.
Difference in the here and now, CCC comes across very human. Fitz used to. Now he comes across much more like Crean - an arse.
Fitz has been rather defensive lately. I think that he thinks that because he's had the same staff during good times and bad, that it's less likely a fault of him and his staff and more likely other problems like injuries and luck. There are other things that the public doesn't see and he cannot talk about much, like poor recruiting and injuries. Coaches HATE injuries but they cannot point to them or they'll get criticism for their failure to recruit and develop adequate back-ups. Also, just the nature of the game calling fixed plays opens him up to all sorts of criticism when games are lost. Every football coach, no matter how good they are, have to deal with this intense scrutiny and criticism. Coaching football is a very tough way to make a living. It may be even tougher at a developmental program that doesn't have the resources and fan base the traditional powers enjoy (though tell that to Bo Pelini). Fans think there's no reason for developmental programs to have down cycles after enjoying success under the same staff like Iowa and NU have had recently.
This post was edited on 2/26 4:27 PM by Gladeskat
True, and they'd better put that money away for a rainy day. Ron Vanderlinden went from a HC to now a position coach for the Air Force Academy. It still saddens me that he was fired for receivers dropping some sure TD's that cost them a bowl game and contract extension. Then look at what happened to his replacement, Friedgen! He gets fired after a 9 win season! At Maryland!
Yup - $2.2M a year eliminates the opportunity to whine. Even a position coach at AFA makes six digits. Plus, it is one of those careers that you choose to pursue and get to be if you are lucky. Many of us would like to get paid to coach, or paid to play, or be in movies, or play music to crowds of thousands. Few of us get the opportunities - and the world still needs more ditch diggers.
I could not care less about quality of life concerns for those in upper middle class and above any more than anybody would want to hear my gripes. Drop below the median and then my heart opens up to your plight.
Fitz is a football coach. He is paid to: 1. win games; 2. graduate players; 3. cultivate an environment that does not embarrass the university or its alum; 4. win games. When he fails to do some of the things he is paid handsomely to do, then he better figured it out and fix it - quickly. Many of us believe that some of the assistant coaches and S & C personnel are a big part of the problem. But we are jackarses on a message board - fine. If Fitz doesn't see it, fine. Win games or get fired. Win games or sell cars - nothing wrong with selling cars.
Don't stand up in front of the microphone with some asisine attitude and make excuses year after year. I don't need to have strapped one on to know a win from a loss.
I could not care less about quality of life concerns for those in upper middle class and above any more than anybody would want to hear my gripes. Drop below the median and then my heart opens up to your plight.
Fitz is a football coach. He is paid to: 1. win games; 2. graduate players; 3. cultivate an environment that does not embarrass the university or its alum; 4. win games. When he fails to do some of the things he is paid handsomely to do, then he better figured it out and fix it - quickly. Many of us believe that some of the assistant coaches and S & C personnel are a big part of the problem. But we are jackarses on a message board - fine. If Fitz doesn't see it, fine. Win games or get fired. Win games or sell cars - nothing wrong with selling cars.
Don't stand up in front of the microphone with some asisine attitude and make excuses year after year. I don't need to have strapped one on to know a win from a loss.
I agree with you in general. Starting off as an unpaid grad assistant and working your way up the ladder as a position coach at small schools is no picnic. Fitzgerald paid some dues at Idaho. But few head coaches have the low pressure job security and salary he currently has. To support your case, look at Bo Pelini, who was canned essentially for being a tool. Fitzgerald can be snarky like Pelini at times, although without whacking his players around on the sidelines. But he will serve out his contract as long as his kids graduate and he doesn't do anything to embarrass NU.
If these guys aren't stashing away every last after-tax dollar they can for a rainy day they're fools.
If these guys aren't stashing away every last after-tax dollar they can for a rainy day they're fools.
And those who have like Fitz don't have to pay attention to you, either. You're (and I'm) just a dog barking at a circus parade.
Ultimately he'll be judged on his record. He knows, and should do, what's best for the program or else he'll be fired.
This post was edited on 2/26 5:41 PM by Gladeskat
Then, at the end of the day, who cares about these boards. Seems a few people believe Fitz is aware of the rumblings around here and unhappy about them. Ultimately, that's what all these message boards are about - a place to post thoughts and discuss. I do not believe I impact Fitz's job security. But I enjoy discussing the topic as do others. So whether you, me, Fitz or Lou strapped one on - who cares. It will not change the discussion boards, it will not change Fitz' job status.
Now...if alumni that donate, buy STs, otherwise support the program diminish - maybe they won't openly say that it's about Fitz. If I'm a highly paid AD, I start researching the root cause for the exodus - then maybe these boards become relevant. But in the here and now - it's all intellectual jousting.
Fitz's picture went up at the basketball game last night and I heard fans cheering. And the posts denigrating him seem to come from the same few people. Not saying he hasn't made some mistakes the last two years, but after that gut-wrenching loss vs Michigan, he had the team rally to beat ND and rout Purdue before Siemian went down. I still think he's the ideal coach for NU and so do many others. Having said that, Stanford will be a huge early test of "staying the course."
But as Fitz stated himself, that has more to do w/ the personnel situation at QB and even then, the success of the season had a lot to do w/ Mark's heroics and the abnormal health of the team that season.
And even w/ the 2-QB system (which isn't new, just hadn't been done w/ any regular success), there were those of us who were puzzled by ad-hoc changes at QB.
I don't understand what you're trying to say here. First of all, I'm talking about criticism of football and basketball coaching in general. I'm not trying to dissect any particular season and judge the decisions made.
The more structured nature of football leaves coaches open to much more criticism than basketball, which is far more improvised. Just read the boards after a close football loss versus a close basketball loss. It's easy for Collins to make a major shift in defense from MTM to zone, not true for football where so much of a play's success depends on the minutia of proper execution, and one cannot make major changes in offense and defense smoothly. Regarding the 2-QB system, he could have just stayed with a single QB all season and moved Colter to WR, but instead, he went with the more difficult two QB system against convention and had success in 2012. Whether he made the right calls in certain situations points back to the second guessing dimension of coaching criticism that I mentioned above. It's damn difficult to make all the right calls.
What I see here are fans giving Collins all kinds of leeway that they don't give a football coach. NJCat was correct in that it's easier to make changes in basketball. Why weren't we using the zone more often during the first half of the Big Ten season? Did Collins reluctance to run a zone cost us a chance for post-season play? How much longer will fans cut him slack for 10-game losing streaks? I'm not necessarily being critical of Collins here or letting Fitz off the hook either...I'm just making an observation on the differences in critiquing coaches in different sports.
This post was edited on 2/28 5:36 PM by Gladeskat
Yes, I'm aware of all that, but Fitz and/or McCall have shown time and time - a slowness in making changes, if they make them at all.
Case in point - 2nd half of the NEB game w/ NU receivers dropping like flies and the O-line being what it was and Siemian playing on a bum ankle.
NEB played tight coverage on the receivers, stacked the box and dialed up the pass rush.
That was the time to put in Oliver and not rely on a QB who could not use his legs (Siemian didn't have much time to throw and when he did, he had to throw in tight windows w/ the NEB defender breathing down the NU receiver - hence the 2-3 yd gains on passes).
And then when they do get around to sticking Oliver in the 4Q of the Iowa game, they had Oliver stay deep in the pocket, basically what Siemian had been doing due to his bum ankle, so there was no point in making that change (if you make that change, let Oliver use his legs some on roll outs, etc.).
And for the UM game, I thought we were seeing the same ol', same ol' (Siemian playing deep in the pocket) due to Siemian's ankle still preventing him from using his legs, but then what did we see (all too late) in the 4Q?
Fitz/McCall actually moving the QB around - leading to 2 of the best drives the 'Cats have had all season.
Now, if that wasn't bad enough, Fitz stubbornly clung to his decision that was made 15 minutes prior to not go to OT (if that came to pass) - which was silly to not re-assess since that time, the NU O was moving the ball really well against the UM D.
And speaking of moving the QB around - yeah, Fitz/McCall were not able to do so when Siemian's injured ankle prevented them from doing so, but what about for the 1st 2 games of the season when Siemian had been healthy.
Even w/ all the receiver drops, moving Siemian around could have been the difference.
And this lack of ability in making quick assessments and adjustments is nothing new.
We saw the same thing for the loss to Army.
Army was stacking the box and playing disciplined D - preventing KC from doing his thing. That simply was not working (was pretty evident by the beginning of the 2nd Q), but Fitz didn't make the change until it was too late (esp. since Army's weakness on D was known to be its secondary).
Case in point - 2nd half of the NEB game w/ NU receivers dropping like flies and the O-line being what it was and Siemian playing on a bum ankle.
NEB played tight coverage on the receivers, stacked the box and dialed up the pass rush.
That was the time to put in Oliver and not rely on a QB who could not use his legs (Siemian didn't have much time to throw and when he did, he had to throw in tight windows w/ the NEB defender breathing down the NU receiver - hence the 2-3 yd gains on passes).
And then when they do get around to sticking Oliver in the 4Q of the Iowa game, they had Oliver stay deep in the pocket, basically what Siemian had been doing due to his bum ankle, so there was no point in making that change (if you make that change, let Oliver use his legs some on roll outs, etc.).
And for the UM game, I thought we were seeing the same ol', same ol' (Siemian playing deep in the pocket) due to Siemian's ankle still preventing him from using his legs, but then what did we see (all too late) in the 4Q?
Fitz/McCall actually moving the QB around - leading to 2 of the best drives the 'Cats have had all season.
Now, if that wasn't bad enough, Fitz stubbornly clung to his decision that was made 15 minutes prior to not go to OT (if that came to pass) - which was silly to not re-assess since that time, the NU O was moving the ball really well against the UM D.
And speaking of moving the QB around - yeah, Fitz/McCall were not able to do so when Siemian's injured ankle prevented them from doing so, but what about for the 1st 2 games of the season when Siemian had been healthy.
Even w/ all the receiver drops, moving Siemian around could have been the difference.
And this lack of ability in making quick assessments and adjustments is nothing new.
We saw the same thing for the loss to Army.
Army was stacking the box and playing disciplined D - preventing KC from doing his thing. That simply was not working (was pretty evident by the beginning of the 2nd Q), but Fitz didn't make the change until it was too late (esp. since Army's weakness on D was known to be its secondary).
Dissecting Fitz's mistakes was NOT the point of my post above and I have now posted that twice.
If you really cannot resist scratching this itch...then yes, Fitz and McCall clearly made some poor decisions through the years and particularly this past season. I agree he made poor decisions in (1) not pulling TS for Oliver in several games last year, and (2) McCall clearly should have dumped the pocket long passing game against Michigan this year for a quicker shorter passing game (the announcers kept repeating that), and 3) perhaps playing Colter too long against Army (though Siemian killed that game with a poor throwing decision; and our LB'ers played horrible to the point of costing us the game...probably the worst LB play I've seen in years).
How many football coaches make these dumb decisions in hindsight? Most, if not all, do! Watch other teams sometime and you'll see the same dumb clock management, poor play calling, and poor personnel moves. Anderson and Kelly both made horrible decisions which cost them huge upset losses to us. Ferentz does this all the time with horrible clock management and play and personnel decisions. Go to any team board after a loss and you'll read fans tearing apart the play calling and time management because the game is so structured and fans have the advantage of hindsight. Coaches will be criticized if they lose no matter how sound their decision making was. On the flip side, coaches are rarely given credit for making the decisions that result in wins. It's simply expected of them regardless of the fact that it's a zero-sum game.
Now go to our basketball board and there is hardly any criticism of Collins strategy. We had a ten game losing streak and hardly anybody complained about failure to call time outs to prevent turnovers, substitutions, play calling. etc. Those that did were pounced upon. Clearly tonight the zone did not stop Illinois from raining 3's down on us, yet there was no switch back to a man-to-man. Collins did little except substitute players. I like CCC a lot, think he's a great recruiter and motivator, but I don't see anything yet to indicate he's a great gameday strategist.
Again, I was neither defending Fitz nor attacking Collins in my original post comparing fan criticism, just pointing out the differences in criticism between the two sports. Sort of like a stephencat fan behavior, "holier than thou" post.
This post was edited on 3/1 7:56 AM by Gladeskat
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