Inside Northwestern's plan for a 15,000-seat home stadium in the heart of the Big Ten
Still scrambling for a field this spring, the school came up with a unique solution perhaps only it could pull off.
Rittenberg reports Braun family made significant donation to push temp venue over finish line
- Thread starter mshelton33
- Start date
Maybe it should be called the “Braun Family Lakefront Football Structure”?
As we all have known for about nine months, NU got the right guy through all this mess.
As we all have known for about nine months, NU got the right guy through all this mess.
Utter BS that a school with a multi-billion dollar endowment needs money from a first year coach to complete the temporary stands.
Makes the school look like a mom and pop grocery store.
If true, anyone in the administration who green-lit acceptance of the offer needs to be shown the door out of his/her office at NU.
Makes the school look like a mom and pop grocery store.
If true, anyone in the administration who green-lit acceptance of the offer needs to be shown the door out of his/her office at NU.
Braun is awesome for doing this as I said in my post, but I realize you’re right, this article is a bit embarrassing to NU, that your brand new head coach who hasn’t even gotten a big contract yet is having to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars for glorified bleachers.
[REDACTED]
Seriously though, if Braun put up more money than Gragg and Schill, I think I might Schill my pants.
And then I'll Gragg at the stench.
Seriously though, if Braun put up more money than Gragg and Schill, I think I might Schill my pants.
And then I'll Gragg at the stench.
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I see that Braun made a six-figure "commitment." I suspect that he won't have to make good on the pledge because enough money was raised from others to build the stadium and cover his tab. His pledge is mostly a marketing move, but he probably had to sweat it out for a while.
Man, we got lucky to get a guy like Braun here.
How can you not like a guy like that: He's on his first year of his first HC contract and he's putting up money for a facility to keep the team on campus for the next 2 years?
Obviously, I hope/imagine his part of the tab will be covered as @KramerCat91 mentions; there's no reason the few million for this can't be found when we're in the midst of an $800 stadium build, but still it's great to have somebody that cares at this level.
How can you not like a guy like that: He's on his first year of his first HC contract and he's putting up money for a facility to keep the team on campus for the next 2 years?
Obviously, I hope/imagine his part of the tab will be covered as @KramerCat91 mentions; there's no reason the few million for this can't be found when we're in the midst of an $800 stadium build, but still it's great to have somebody that cares at this level.
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He brought his whole family to Brooklyn for March Madness to support the Cats. He’s a perfect fit for NU.
I can imagine Braun wanting it to happen, Gragg hemming and hawing and making it hard to do get it done (while trying to sell the players down the river with a Lambeau deal). And then Braun coming to the boil and deciding to put skin in the game. Putting aside the fact that Braun should not have ever had to do this, it was a master stroke in demonstrating intent. It likely shamed the last holdouts into getting on board.
One can well imagine the daily frustration Braun felt with Gragg, and how hard it must have been to keep things restrained and civil while putting up with the leadership vacuum.
It's quite a story - only makes me more confident in Braun as a coach and a leader.
One can well imagine the daily frustration Braun felt with Gragg, and how hard it must have been to keep things restrained and civil while putting up with the leadership vacuum.
It's quite a story - only makes me more confident in Braun as a coach and a leader.
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Then I guess we were simply "unlucky" when we hired Jim O'Neil?
Gotta give credit and blame where it is due...
Fitzgerald hit a home run with Braun after whiffing with O'Neil.
Unlucky was the Bajakian hire not working if we want to term it that way. Bajakian was a whiff; a hire that looked like a fine choice at the time but didn't work out... That's okay, it happens. Braun was an absolute home run by any measure; we expected him to be capable as DC, but to step into the HC job immediately and succeed the way he did is far beyond the imagination.
On the other hand, O'Neil was eminently unqualified for the position he was offered based on the history of his defenses as DC. Luck or lack thereof had nothing to do with his lack of success; he never should have been given the chance, and he wouldn't have been given the chance anywhere else.
O'Neil is the only hire that Fitz made that I think we'd have to term an outright bad hire that shouldn't have been made. Others may not have worked out but were fine or qualified choices at the time they came here.
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Best never to bring up that name.
But since you did…
the hiring of O’Neil represents a terrible mistake borne of Fitz’s arrogance and compete freedom to do whatever he wanted. O’Neil was such an objectively bad hire that we were looking back to Towson to try (unsuccessfully) to find data that he was good at his job. It was indefensible the day it was announced. Even more indefensible when the first play of his tenure went 75-yards past a confused defense for a running touchdown.
The hiring of O’Neil should have (and in a way, was) what sunk the legend of Fitz.
Hankwitz was an excellent hire that fell into Fitz’s lap. O’Neil was a favor for an incompetent friend.
And Braun was a home run hire, thankfully. Gosh, how lucky we are.
You guys are using a bit of Pretzel Logic, although I agree that Bajakian looked better on paper than what we got.
Fitzgerald hired O'Neil. Bad hire. His continued failure was not "unlucky."
Fitzgerald hired Braun. Good hire. His continued success was not "lucky."
When O'Neil was on his way out, I opined "Forget about the pros or Power 5 coaches, we need to look at winning programs in FCS and find a young, successful defensive coordinator with ties to the Midwest." Just a general suggestion to bring in some creativity. Put pressure on the quarterback.
Fitzgerald went into the FCS ranks, looked at one of the dominant programs, hired their young DC and (no surprise) it worked out well. (well, not for Fitz)
I agree that it was lucky (especially for Schill) that Braun grew into the head coaching role as quickly as he did, although there were plenty of missteps early on. If Mr Magoo is running the university we'll need plenty of luck down the road.
Fitzgerald hired O'Neil. Bad hire. His continued failure was not "unlucky."
Fitzgerald hired Braun. Good hire. His continued success was not "lucky."
When O'Neil was on his way out, I opined "Forget about the pros or Power 5 coaches, we need to look at winning programs in FCS and find a young, successful defensive coordinator with ties to the Midwest." Just a general suggestion to bring in some creativity. Put pressure on the quarterback.
Fitzgerald went into the FCS ranks, looked at one of the dominant programs, hired their young DC and (no surprise) it worked out well. (well, not for Fitz)
I agree that it was lucky (especially for Schill) that Braun grew into the head coaching role as quickly as he did, although there were plenty of missteps early on. If Mr Magoo is running the university we'll need plenty of luck down the road.
Damn straight they did. They got exactly what I wanted anyway. A young guy that is a proven winner, who is hungry and wants to take it to the next level. Fitz lost the"eye of the tiger" and got a bit too complacent in my eyes. Hiring mediocre assistants hurt the cause even more. Coach Braun seems focused and has a plan. We need a coach like him to stay competitive in the new B1G. The ride on the Braun train should be fun!!!!
NU needs to not take a cent from the Braun family for this. That being said, I like him even more now.
"Northwestern began its pre-sale for season-ticket holders June 10 and quickly reported more revenue -- with renewals still ongoing -- than it generated for the 2023 season."
I was looking for a ticket for the Hydroxide game today on Stubhub, and the get-in price is >$200......
Prices for Puke are even higher.
Very embarrassing. Shows how ill prepared they were. They had years to prepare and secure a venue and did not and then were backed into a corner
Fine choice is a stretch. His background didn’t project the disaster that would follow, but I’d hardly say he had the incredible track record and accomplishments of Hank or the exciting and stellar record of success albeit at a lower level steeped in promise of bcBraun. He wasn’t nearly the mind boggling and screaming red flags choice that JON was, but I think there was little to be excited about. Maybe nothing to be too alarmed about like with JON, but definitely not a wow hire at the time.
It almost makes it look like Schill was trying to get rid of the football program entirely.
"Wait? What? We don't have a field? Better shut it down Derrick. Why don't you head to Beijing and schedule a Zoom call with the team."
He probably was the best that Fitz could get to be honest. If I remember correctly Bajakian's offenses at BC averaged over 400 yards and like 30 points a game. I could very be wrong about the ppg, but the ypg was rather impressive. Bajakian was probably the best available so, Fitz went for it. It obviously didn't pan out.
You’re right which makes his record with NU all the more infuriating.
7 notes on Northwestern’s offense in Mike Bajakian’s first season
Football Needless to say, Northwestern’s offense last season was unacceptable by all standards. The Wildcats played four different quarterbacks last season who combined for six touchdowns, 15 interceptions and completed exactly 50 percent of their passes as a group. NU averaged just under 300...
dailynorthwestern.com
Maybe people are right that it was Fitz, and not the OC’s. Given McCall’s relative success before NU, that does indeed appear to be the case.
Maybe we should hope he lands at Iowa afterall.
Who knows if it was entirely Fitz, I don't know, but the HC is directly responsible for his coordinator and assistant coaching hires. He also is directly responsible for the systems he wants in place. I can understand his philosophy in terms of ball control as the 'Cats were outgunned in terms of talent but after Coach Walker passed I was hoping that Fitz would keep his offense. The game has changed, and the ball control stuff of 60's and 70's has gone the way of the dinosaur. It also won't bring in top talent either in terms of skilled players. I liked Fitz, but he put his career on coast mode after 2018, and it caught up with him rather quickly. It doesn't matter really anymore. Braun is exactly what the program needed, a new vision, and a new energy that wants to win and get the program to the next level. Fitz took the money after 2018 and just coasted on his past laurels. In the end he proved not to be the coach everyone thought he was.You’re right which makes his record with NU all the more infuriating.
7 notes on Northwestern’s offense in Mike Bajakian’s first season
Football Needless to say, Northwestern’s offense last season was unacceptable by all standards. The Wildcats played four different quarterbacks last season who combined for six touchdowns, 15 interceptions and completed exactly 50 percent of their passes as a group. NU averaged just under 300...
Maybe people are right that it was Fitz, and not the OC’s. Given McCall’s relative success before NU, that does indeed appear to be the case.
Maybe we should hope he lands at Iowa afterall.
In all fairness to Fitz, he probably tried to model his philosophy based on the successful 1995-6 seasons of a ball control offense and hard nosed defense. Walker got off the pickle boat and quickly realized during the 1999 season how difficult that was to do at NU, and to his credit, radically changed his approach in 2000. Fitz tried to resurrect the smash mouth brand but didn't have the horses for sustainable success.
This article is completely embarrassing to every representative of northwestern except Braun, who it makes seem like a real salt of the earth badass.
I still cannot believe, however, that we’re choosing to put so many seats in the south end zone instead of keeping that relatively open and just having the field hockey team move. It’s not fair, but it would be in the best interest of everyone except the field hockey team.
I still cannot believe, however, that we’re choosing to put so many seats in the south end zone instead of keeping that relatively open and just having the field hockey team move. It’s not fair, but it would be in the best interest of everyone except the field hockey team.
My Uncle did that at OSU( lean towards the run), but he always had an All American lineman or two and a huge back like Tim Spencer or Keith Byars to make it work. NU doesn't have that luxury. Smash mouth has been out of style since the early 90's. A balanced attack should be the best choice. That sounds like what Coach Braun is wanting.
I thought the same thing until I understood just how specialized the field hockey field really is. There’s a special turf, specialized mega-sprinklers to water down the turf before games, etc. It would be no simple task to find something comparable in the vicinity.
Even Ohio State has evolved from 3 yards and a cloud of dust to an explosive and prolific spread. Looks a lot like what we ran (and essentially pioneered) in 2000. Ironic that we were the pioneers of the modern spread offense but somehow gave it all up for the craptasticism we have witnessed under the previous regime.
Statistically speaking Earle was almost 50/50 pass/run in terms of end of the year stat line, but 1984 was insane. Byars was averaging 6 yds a carry, and his backup John Woolridge had a 7 yds per run average. That is what happens when you have multiple All Americans on your offensive line. Going back to the spread would be fun!!!
Had also opined at the time that Fitz needed to stop hiring retreads/buddies and change his philosophy by hiring a young, successful HC or coordinator from the lower ranks.
Considering the success of coaches like DeBoer (and his long time OC, Grubb, who is now coaching in the NFL), Lance Leipold, Chris Klieman, Dave Clawson, etc - these types of hires were not "lucky."
Think Cignetti will bring IU football back to respectability.
Coach Walk went to the spread after realizing that the program didn't have the talent to compete via "old school" B1G football.
If you can't match them in talent, then have to use superior schemes/playcalling to help bridge that gap.
Look at what happened to the Eagles O and the play of Hurts last season.
Had the same talent as before (with Hurts being more experienced) but the Eagles O went backwards due to predictable, uninspired playcalling (and that's despite having one of the best O-lines in the league).
Fitz never had the "horses" since he never could get the O-line right.
A better coach would (eventually) get the O-line right or decide to change schemes/playcalling to better suit the personnel ( a better coach also would not take half a season of seeing failure to convert on 3rd/4th and short when handing off deep in the backfield before changing things; this is also on McC since any OC worth his salt would have convinced his boss to change tack earlier).
Case in point, the Rams had to basically rebuild their O-line, and they did so via the draft (not particularly high picks) and FA.
The change in personnel did improve things a little, but it still wasn't where they needed it to be, that is, until they changed the blocking scheme to what better suited the guys up front and away they went.
Anyhow, liked the Braun hire when it was first reported and liked Braun since his very first press conference (where he was the "sacrificial lamb" since you know who was in hiding).
Like him even more now (not to mention his wife).
Makes me dislike you know who even more for having zero fortitude - where it took a young HC to get the ball rolling...
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I agree with this comment 100%. To some degree it defines Northwestern football.
But (and I'm being serious) NU does have an advantage in complicated schemes because our players are always smarter and therefore more coachable than our opponents.
The right quarterback can make a huge difference.
