Another Portal Entry
- Thread starter WASH ST A&M FAN
- Start date
Anything less than 6 wins this season I would consider a colossal failure and I would be very weary of the future. Especially at $3M.
Rolo has done a ton for the community of Pullman and that is great to see. Hoping that community success mirrors the football program as well.
What's significant about $3M/year as a Power 5 conference head football coach? I think Rolo's salary ranks something like 55th in the Nation and 10th in the P12 conference.
If the expectation is 6 wins minimum, then we should probably be paying our head coach at least the 6th highest salary in the P12.
I think $3M to win 6 football games minimum is more than enough, especially as there was a good foundation set he came into (yes, the D was leaky, but overall the cupboard wasn't completely bare by any means). If Rolo wins 8-9 a year, a pay raise will reflect that success.
I understand the concern, but another young player buried on the depth chart (didn't play a snap) and from Texas.
I have seen this posted before, but I don't see it in the numbers. Is this more of an eye test? Are we looking at 2017-18 only? Serious question as I just don't see it. Looking at the player who are here still here from the 2019 season most have had incremental gains. Ryan and Lucas have lost a around 10 pounds and Rogers and Woods a couple. The position groups average weight and height is around the same. OL is 10 pounds lighter. RB and most of defense seen gains. During the Crimson and Grey game Dillard talked positively about the size of the team.
As far as I remember there really wasn’t too many starters out there, so I didn’t see those guys, but just what I did see did not look good. Pure eye test. Almost everything thing we have to go on right now is anecdotal and clouded. Maybe in fall, after they’ve had normal time in the gym and at the table it will be totally fine.
Definitely weird spring game. I went off the first depth chart that came up from google. Names look about right so used it. Just curious as I have seen the comment used before.
Seven wins based on what ? Experience a s stellar qb play ? Gordon led the conference in passing and they were 6-7 and only three wins in conference . I fully expect this team to be 4-8 or 5-7 . Not sure why you believe it is a seven win team when Leach with Gordon couldn’t win 7 .
Ed, I'll give you a couple of reasons why I think 7 is realistic. First, I think the D will be better. You may disagree; if so, that is fine; but I think they will be better. The bowl loss to Air Force showed that not only did our D not have a real D coordinator, we also were short on some players. That D cost Leach some wins, even with Gordon. This year looks to be better in both coaching and players. The second reason is that we have two great RB's, a solid O line, and an offense that actually runs the ball. I think our over/under is 6.5 games. Flip a coin between 6 and 7, depending on how things go. But 7 is certainly realistic.
Pretty much. Look at the schedule. Three winnable non-conference games. Arizona and Oregon St on the schedule. This 5 we should. Stanford, Cal, ASU, and UW don't look great either. It's not a stretch to expect to win two of these. Then there is always the longshot wins against Utah, Oregon, and USC to make up for a hiccup along the way.
A lot to respond to.
When Rolo was hired, I was happy with the Hire. Now I am neutral.
There is, are both reasons for both good things to happen, and to be concerned.
The Good: Despite what Naysaying NEGA Cougs say, Leach left PLENTY for the CUPBOARD.
A lot of that has TRANSFERED away. But enough remains for WSU/Rolo/Dickert to win about 5,6,7,8 games as a realistic range.
1. GUARANTANO, A Top 10 HISTORICAL Tennessee Passer that statistically rubbed elbows with Peyton Manning, a 5 star, #2 QB in Nation out of HS, and when Transfered to WSU, had a LOT OF BIG TIME OFFERS, competition for him, that WSU beat out.
2. A NFL Borghi, Deon McIntosh
3. A NFL WR Travel Harris and Renard Bell, 4 star WR CJ Moore, Calvin Jackson, Hobert, etc, a Semi near Semi NFL Quality WR Corp, that is still one of the better WR Corps in Pac 12
4. A NFL QUALITY O LINE, 1st Round Draft pick of NFL Draft Abe Lucas.
5. Schedule.
That should win 5,6,7,8 wins. But that said, I can theoretically see Rolo semi squandering that and only winning 4,5, 4.5 games, as a range.
The Neutral, Bad:
1. THE TRANSFERS.
Yes its normal to have some roster turnover, etc. Its normal to have about 9 to 12 to 15 to 18 as a range, with 9 at minimum, 18 at max, transfer.
The problem is that about 23 to 25 to 27 to 29 to 31 as a range has transfered. And I expect about 2,3,4,5,6 more as a range will transfer pushing the total transfer range from 27 to 30 to 33 to 35 transfers.
Now is SO MANY LOTS OF TRANSFERS NORMAL? HELL NO.
Some may wonder then with so many transfers, then how can WSU win 5,6,7,8 games.
Thats because Leach has left Rolo with enough to weather the transfers.
The problem is not winning 5,6,7,8 this year. The problem is winning in the future once all that Leach left is GONE, and there is no to little depth, and no good starters in the future, BECAUSE OF ALL THE TRANSFERS, GUTTING the Roster for the FUTURE.
Like Etown, I see Rolo ending up a lot like Doba. And winning 4,5,6 games a season, as a range, after this 5,6,7,8 win season.
Thats what Rolo's recruiting, or lack thereof, semi bad roster management, and all the lots of Transfering can, could, would, should, will probably lead to.
Can Rolo learn, change, adapt, adjust, and thus change that future? Maybe, Maybe not, dont know, will see.
As others have said, Rolo should get the benefit of the doubt, because of the Covid Shortened season, no spring ball, no fall camp, no time to install run and shoot, injuries, cancelations, and TOUGHEST SCHEDULE, all combined together to cause only winning about 1,2,3 games in a Covid Shortened FIRST season.
So Rolo gets a pass for that.
What Rolo does not get a pass for is not very good recruiting, semi bad roster management, and the LOTS of TRANSFERING.
If Rolo only wins 0,1,2 games, NOT BLOODY DAMN LIKELY, he should be IMMEDIATLY FIRED.
If he, WSU only wins 3 games(Again not likely) his seat should be extremely HOT for a possible firing the next season.
If Rolo only wins 4 games, seat should be WARM to Semi Hot.
If Rolo wins 5 games, seat should be semi warm to semi barely ok.
If Rolo wins 8 wins, then great, but I could see a Doba like drop to 4,5,6,7 wins as a range per season.
But if Rolo only wins 4 games this season, then I think 4,5,6,7 wins would be the CEILING, and and 3 wins would be the norm, and the floor would be 2 wins
This season will probably define how good or bad Rolo is or will be, and what he will do in the future.
There are 2 extremes:
1 extreme thinks Rolo is Terribly bad.
The other extreme is that Rolo is supposedly doing a awesome job, or will do a awesome job.
The reality is probably in the middle
Rolo is likeable. I get why he is liked. Doba was also liked.
When Rolo was hired, I was happy with the Hire. Now I am neutral.
There is, are both reasons for both good things to happen, and to be concerned.
The Good: Despite what Naysaying NEGA Cougs say, Leach left PLENTY for the CUPBOARD.
A lot of that has TRANSFERED away. But enough remains for WSU/Rolo/Dickert to win about 5,6,7,8 games as a realistic range.
1. GUARANTANO, A Top 10 HISTORICAL Tennessee Passer that statistically rubbed elbows with Peyton Manning, a 5 star, #2 QB in Nation out of HS, and when Transfered to WSU, had a LOT OF BIG TIME OFFERS, competition for him, that WSU beat out.
2. A NFL Borghi, Deon McIntosh
3. A NFL WR Travel Harris and Renard Bell, 4 star WR CJ Moore, Calvin Jackson, Hobert, etc, a Semi near Semi NFL Quality WR Corp, that is still one of the better WR Corps in Pac 12
4. A NFL QUALITY O LINE, 1st Round Draft pick of NFL Draft Abe Lucas.
5. Schedule.
That should win 5,6,7,8 wins. But that said, I can theoretically see Rolo semi squandering that and only winning 4,5, 4.5 games, as a range.
The Neutral, Bad:
1. THE TRANSFERS.
Yes its normal to have some roster turnover, etc. Its normal to have about 9 to 12 to 15 to 18 as a range, with 9 at minimum, 18 at max, transfer.
The problem is that about 23 to 25 to 27 to 29 to 31 as a range has transfered. And I expect about 2,3,4,5,6 more as a range will transfer pushing the total transfer range from 27 to 30 to 33 to 35 transfers.
Now is SO MANY LOTS OF TRANSFERS NORMAL? HELL NO.
Some may wonder then with so many transfers, then how can WSU win 5,6,7,8 games.
Thats because Leach has left Rolo with enough to weather the transfers.
The problem is not winning 5,6,7,8 this year. The problem is winning in the future once all that Leach left is GONE, and there is no to little depth, and no good starters in the future, BECAUSE OF ALL THE TRANSFERS, GUTTING the Roster for the FUTURE.
Like Etown, I see Rolo ending up a lot like Doba. And winning 4,5,6 games a season, as a range, after this 5,6,7,8 win season.
Thats what Rolo's recruiting, or lack thereof, semi bad roster management, and all the lots of Transfering can, could, would, should, will probably lead to.
Can Rolo learn, change, adapt, adjust, and thus change that future? Maybe, Maybe not, dont know, will see.
As others have said, Rolo should get the benefit of the doubt, because of the Covid Shortened season, no spring ball, no fall camp, no time to install run and shoot, injuries, cancelations, and TOUGHEST SCHEDULE, all combined together to cause only winning about 1,2,3 games in a Covid Shortened FIRST season.
So Rolo gets a pass for that.
What Rolo does not get a pass for is not very good recruiting, semi bad roster management, and the LOTS of TRANSFERING.
If Rolo only wins 0,1,2 games, NOT BLOODY DAMN LIKELY, he should be IMMEDIATLY FIRED.
If he, WSU only wins 3 games(Again not likely) his seat should be extremely HOT for a possible firing the next season.
If Rolo only wins 4 games, seat should be WARM to Semi Hot.
If Rolo wins 5 games, seat should be semi warm to semi barely ok.
If Rolo wins 8 wins, then great, but I could see a Doba like drop to 4,5,6,7 wins as a range per season.
But if Rolo only wins 4 games this season, then I think 4,5,6,7 wins would be the CEILING, and and 3 wins would be the norm, and the floor would be 2 wins
This season will probably define how good or bad Rolo is or will be, and what he will do in the future.
There are 2 extremes:
1 extreme thinks Rolo is Terribly bad.
The other extreme is that Rolo is supposedly doing a awesome job, or will do a awesome job.
The reality is probably in the middle
Rolo is likeable. I get why he is liked. Doba was also liked.
Why the hate? The great thing about sports is that you can be optimistic all off-season, then if it goes good or bad, nobody is dead and you get to do it all over again. It’s not real life for fans, which is why you probably should be more of a fan than a fanatic! BTW, once again, I will assure you that the locker room is just fine.
A prompt and a thought exercise.
First, the prompt. Look at the history of WSU football and other have-not programs. I won't go into it all now. Just a few anecdotes, though. First, with some relevance here, a lot of Tech fans thought it was time for Leach to go. That didn't go well. They have sucked ever since, even with a short-term wunderkind in Kliff K. Any Oregon State message board denizen thought they were in for doing well post-Riley when they managed to land a then-well regarded Gary Andersen. Few fans ever think "oh man, I guess we have a 95% likelihood of going to our historical norm, reflecting our resources and standing in the recruiting pecking order, with the benefits brought by the new guy bringing in his players and adjustments to his schemes being offset to a great extent by both acute attrition in the coaching change and a general roll-off in talent over the next few years." But that's what usually happens.
Second, imagine you are an Oregon State fan. Maybe a Cal or Stanford fan if they had any. Maybe a UW fan, but that's a loaded concept. The point is that it can be any conference school. So you're a Beavs fan. You look at WSU. It had some pretty good teams, then was 6-7 in Mike Leach's last year. They were 1-3 last year in an admittedly questionable set of data. The new head coach and DC were both pretty good in the Mountain West in small samples. They generally are recruiting in the bottom quartile of the conference, as they almost always do and have done for years. Anything about that cause you to say "oh man, look out for those guys in coming years" any more than, say, we would do with regard to looking at Smith and Oregon State? How many of you can even name Oregon State's DC without looking it up? Well, it's DeRuyter, and there's a lot of reason to think he's pretty damned good. But do the Beavs make you think they'll be anything other than mediocre most years, maybe hitting 7-5 here and there?
Now go back to the Beavs fan perspective looking at WSU. Anything about our roster or program make you look at it and think it's in for something other than oscillating between 4-8 and 7-5, probably with a heavy dose of 5-7?
I'm not shitting on our program or coach. As I've written, I hope he's the best coach we've ever had and there's a statue of him in front of the stadium entrance in 20 years. He seems like a good guy. He's running an offense nobody else is and has shown a willingness and ability to learn and adapt. There are reasons to believe our DC can be quite good, including getting some Wyoming players to the NFL. These guys will get a shot. It's just hard to win, and to do so at a high level, at WSU, and you need to be borderline elite in some ways (as Leach was, despite his flaws, at maximizing wins with a given set of talent and resources), have the conference be way down, and/or catch a lot of breaks. We'll see how it goes.
First, the prompt. Look at the history of WSU football and other have-not programs. I won't go into it all now. Just a few anecdotes, though. First, with some relevance here, a lot of Tech fans thought it was time for Leach to go. That didn't go well. They have sucked ever since, even with a short-term wunderkind in Kliff K. Any Oregon State message board denizen thought they were in for doing well post-Riley when they managed to land a then-well regarded Gary Andersen. Few fans ever think "oh man, I guess we have a 95% likelihood of going to our historical norm, reflecting our resources and standing in the recruiting pecking order, with the benefits brought by the new guy bringing in his players and adjustments to his schemes being offset to a great extent by both acute attrition in the coaching change and a general roll-off in talent over the next few years." But that's what usually happens.
Second, imagine you are an Oregon State fan. Maybe a Cal or Stanford fan if they had any. Maybe a UW fan, but that's a loaded concept. The point is that it can be any conference school. So you're a Beavs fan. You look at WSU. It had some pretty good teams, then was 6-7 in Mike Leach's last year. They were 1-3 last year in an admittedly questionable set of data. The new head coach and DC were both pretty good in the Mountain West in small samples. They generally are recruiting in the bottom quartile of the conference, as they almost always do and have done for years. Anything about that cause you to say "oh man, look out for those guys in coming years" any more than, say, we would do with regard to looking at Smith and Oregon State? How many of you can even name Oregon State's DC without looking it up? Well, it's DeRuyter, and there's a lot of reason to think he's pretty damned good. But do the Beavs make you think they'll be anything other than mediocre most years, maybe hitting 7-5 here and there?
Now go back to the Beavs fan perspective looking at WSU. Anything about our roster or program make you look at it and think it's in for something other than oscillating between 4-8 and 7-5, probably with a heavy dose of 5-7?
I'm not shitting on our program or coach. As I've written, I hope he's the best coach we've ever had and there's a statue of him in front of the stadium entrance in 20 years. He seems like a good guy. He's running an offense nobody else is and has shown a willingness and ability to learn and adapt. There are reasons to believe our DC can be quite good, including getting some Wyoming players to the NFL. These guys will get a shot. It's just hard to win, and to do so at a high level, at WSU, and you need to be borderline elite in some ways (as Leach was, despite his flaws, at maximizing wins with a given set of talent and resources), have the conference be way down, and/or catch a lot of breaks. We'll see how it goes.
Leach punched a hole in what your saying.
I get that Leach is, was a elite coach. If I am understanding you right, it seems like you are saying that a Elite Coach like a Leach, can only get WSU to a OCCASIONAL 6,7,8,9 win season.
You compare WSU to Tech. That is a good comparison. Leach had 10 straight BOWLS at Tech, and 4,5 straight bowls, and 6,7 bowls overall in the 8,9 years he was at WSU.
Thats fairly comparable, similar results. And WSU, Tech are similar level colleges. A good comparison.
WSU, Tech are not Poor Ole little Ole Aww Shucks, Lovable Losers WSU, Tech.
WSU used to be that. But Erickson, Price, and now Leach has changed that.
WSU is not a BIG Have, Big Boy program either.
Truth be told, WSU is BETWEEN being a Have and a Have not, Big time, and small time college. WSU is a average, mediocre, mid level, tier college between tbe Haves and Have nots, big timers, little timers.
WSU has overtaken, surpassed Ore St. A Elite Coach at Ore St only gets Ore St a occasional bowl season. But a Elite coach at WSU gets WSU multiple straight winning seasons, bowl games. Thats better then Ore State.
If I had to rank the Pac 12, tier wise. Tier 1: would be USC, Oregon. Tier 2: UCLA, UW, Stanford. Tier 3: Cal, WSU, ASU. Tier 4: Arizona, Colorado. Tier 5: Ore St.
WSU clearly is a semi mid Pac 12 level team that with a Elite Coach can win multiple winning seasons in a row, unlike Arizona, Colorado, Ore St, that can only have a OCCASIONAL good year with a Elite Coach.
Also throwing out Paul Wulf, and only counting Walden, Erickson, Price, Doba, Leach, WSU has had a LOT of SUCCESS from 1980 to 2020. Now pre that time period, in the 50's, 60's, 70's WSU wasnt that good, and was more like what your thinking, and a Elite Coach got WSU the rare, uncommon, OCCASIONAL semi good to good year.
WSU is not like that 50's, 60's, 70's WSU anymore. WSU is more like the Leach WSU now, because of Floyd, Moos, Chun, Leach, Erickson, Price, etc, who have built WSU into a mid level program, up from being the bottom level program WSU used to be.
Others can think WSU is a BOTTOM PROGRAM. But WSU is a semi mid level program now.
Usually when 23 to 33, about 17% to 25% to 33% of the whole team transfers, usually thats not a good sign of a good locker room. Usually thats a sign of a bad locker room, or else so many, lots wouldnt transfer that much.
Last edited:
Also I'll trust Etowncoug and his sources over yours anyday, as he is usually, altho not always right.
And he has been here longer then you. Your new, so your going to either have to end up being right or reveal your sources, etc, for me to believe you over Etown.
Now this is strange . Has Etown ever shown you his “sources”? You do get Etown is a new poster , or better put he has history on this board, just not under Etown .
According to 247 Sports:
Washington State: 23 players in Transfer Portal
Mississippi State: 21 players in the Trans Portal
Tennessee: 34 players in the Portal
Missouri: 17
Kansas: 26
My un-scientific analysis tells me that a coaching change is the driving factor for transfers.
Also, 10 of the WSU transfer portal players were “walk-ons.” I think in the past, a walk-on leaving went unnoticed. Before social media and the portal, these players were unknown to fans and left because they got tired of playing scout team.
Rolo will be fine....Go Cougs and “Lighten up Francis”
This is the UW way. Think of yourself as national championship contenders 360 or so days a year only to be contradicted by a few "unfortunate" and "fluke" losses. But if the goal is to spend the off-season thinking positively about the future, that's your right. If that's your motivation, however, it's going to cloud your reasoning.
I grew up in Iowa, seen a fan base similar to WSU. 4 Rose Bowls in 40 years, but a consistently winning program. WSU needs a coach that wants to stay for 20+ years. Iowa has had 2 coaches since 1979 and it has worked. I think Rolo is here to stay...support him, be patient, and it will hopefully payoff.
Rolo was asked what his favorite state was this spring and said Hawaii. Leaving his alma mater, the people he loved, and paradise in his mind for Pullman doesn't strike me as a guy who is sticking around for the long haul if he has options.
Mike Price was the one guy I thought would stick around forever. It genuinely seemed like he wanted nothing more than to coach the Cougs. Then he jumped for Bama right before a golden opportunity to win a Rose Bowl. It's made me re-evaluate how much of his desire to stay here was genuine and how much was a lack of options to go elsewhere.
I will say this: if Rolo goes to a bowl game every year, I won't complain about kids in the portal, water balloon fights at spring games, his hat, or anything short of a major scandal harming the university. Consistency is important going forward. It's probably more important to win 6-7 games a year for five years straight than it is to have one 10 win season surrounded by some 5 win seasons.
Rolo loves Hawaii, but he left because there is no P5 opportunity there. He’s a west coast guy and WSU allows him to recruit the big talent in Hawaii and elsewhere. He’s got young kids, so guessing Pullman is attractive for raising a family. Ferentz at Iowa raised 4 kids (3 eventually on the team at Iowa) and stayed even with multiple NFL offers over the years. Rolo is unique and loves family, hear me now, he’s going to stay and be successful
If he wins, he'll have my loyalty.
Saying Rolo is going to be here in 10+ years is a bold call. We'll see.
I am not going to go to the mat here about how WSU is a bottom-tier program in terms of what I expect as a fan, in part because that's not what I'm arguing here. I'm not saying WSU is going to become current-day Kansas, Duke at various times, or Pettibone-era Oregon State. Rather, I'm saying that WSU pretty much is current-day Oregon State, Texas Tech, or something in between that shares key characteristics of each. It's not impossible to win at one of these places, but the baseline is at a lower level within the conference absent something extraordinary, with that usually being changed in short order by market forces.
WSU didn't become a "semi-mid program" due to Mike Leach or any of those earlier guys from 20 or more years ago any more than Texas Tech did under Mike Leach or Spike Dykes, Oregon State did due to Reilly, or any number of other schools in disadvantageous situations did under coaches who did OK there for a period of time, left, and the school reverted to mediocrity (which should be distinguished from being utterly terrible).
I just think we're likely in for something like what Tech has experienced post-Leach, or what we can expect from Oregon State in coming years after it recovered from the Andersen nadir. Lower Power 5-level performance that includes winning some conference games here and there, having some good players and getting some guys drafted, but topping out at something like 8-5 here and there, maybe 9-4 in the best of times, but almost always being about .500, down to 4-8 if particularly bad. Here's Tech after Leach:
2020: 4-6
2019: 4-8
2018: 5-7
2017: 6-7
2016: 5-7
2015: 7-6
2014: 4-8
2013: 8-5
2012: 8-5
2011: 5-7
2010: 8-5
Not saying this is a map by year or anything, but directionally, what I expect.
I think TV money becoming more significant, and being distributed relatively evenly, has raised the floor for WSU and some other schools in that being objectively terrible, like Pettibone-era Oregon State or Wulff-level WSU, wouldn't really be tolerated in today's era and isn't all that reasonable to expect in an era of at least moderate investment by most Power 5 programs in facilities, coaches, recruiting, and so on. At the same time, that just creates a slightly higher floor, but doesn't remove the gradations between stories in the building, so to speak.
What the Leach era taught me is that money is an even bigger factor than I would have thought as a younger fan. If you achieve a level of success and the richer, better-situated program whose ass you are kicking can come in and hit you in two ways by poaching your best assistants (they get better while gutting the team that is beating them, year after year), it's almost impossible to overcome. The only way I can see that happening is having a very good coach who commands extreme loyalty from assistants (like Petersen had from some guys) and who stays at a place like WSU, and manages to keep his assistants doing the same, for a very long period of time despite them both having the ability to make a lot more money and be in a better situation in terms of ease of recruiting, keeping a spouse happy, and all that stuff elsewhere. That only seems likely if there is some unicorn coach who just really loves stability, has Eastern WA ties, or something like that, which isn't something I'd bet on.
I know it sounds defeatist, and it is in terms of my expectations for a sustained, significant change in status for WSU. It's not becoming a semi-blue blood or any shit like that, probably ever. It will have some good times as a program, though (some Apple Cup wins, hopefully more than under Leach), and some bowl wins, and that's why those have to be enjoyed and why those good times under Leach really should have been enjoyed more than they were, IMO.
We are all Cougs. That means we've lived through both highs and lows. Those of us who are old enough have been through multiple cycles between the two. Here is where I land after all of that...
1.) I don't care who coaches, so long as they do their job well. Any PAC team can go to a bowl consistently if the HC is good and does his job well.
2.) Some coaching personalities fit some programs better than others. And some programs are more willing to bend to fit a good coach than others. I consider WSU to be among the more flexible in terms of who & how than most.
3.) The single most important thing in selling anything is being able to differentiate yourself from the competition. Sure, there are other factors. But it is the kiss of death to look really similar to all your major competitors. WSU has advantages and disadvantages, like every other school. I consider our greatest single advantage when competing for personnel (whether coaching staff or players) to be the fact that it is EASY to differentiate WSU in a positive way. We can freely admit that it is not for everybody...but we are not trying to recruit everybody. Some Presidents, some AD's and some HC's have understood how to sell our differentiation better than others. Right now we appear to have as good a Pres/AD/football HC trio as we've had in a long time from the standpoint of "getting it" in this area.
4.) After a lot of thought over many years, I think the single most important factor where money comes into play is assistant coach salaries, and the stability that brings. That appears to me to have been our biggest albatross over time. If I could snap my fingers and scarf up a couple of million $, with the ability to direct it, I'd put most of it toward assistant coach salaries. Most for football, since that is the revenue sport, but some to other sports as well. The foundational benefits to a program of keeping your assistant staff consistent year after year and only having to restock when they are either promoted or fail (rather than making lateral moves for more money) are evident.
5.) Finally, if our HC is successful and eventually leaves, that is fine. I'll appreciate what he brought to Pullman and hope that we get another good HC to take his place.
Covid created a lot of problems, schedule changes, unavailable players, anxiety and irrational behavior. I expect us all to be past that by the time this football season rolls around. At that time, our team will have to execute the complete R&S. And other teams will have to prepare to defend the complete R&S. The only team on our schedule who has played the R&S for the last 2 consecutive seasons is OSU, and they lost both games, so I look forward to the league having to learn how to stop a fully functional R&S (bearing in mind that last season we were probably only clicking on 60-ish% of our offensive cylinders). I am equally interested to see our D perform. I may have crimson colored glasses; there have certainly been seasons in the past 50 years where I was more optimistic than events showed was warranted (though we've exceeded expectations almost as often as we have not lived up to them). It is also possible that some of the bowl games will have gone out of business by next season, and that may impact how many PAC teams go to a bowl. None the less, if 6 wins still gets you into a bowl game, I think we are going. And 7 wins seems a bit more likely to me than 6, so I'm thinking "Bowl" this winter.
1.) I don't care who coaches, so long as they do their job well. Any PAC team can go to a bowl consistently if the HC is good and does his job well.
2.) Some coaching personalities fit some programs better than others. And some programs are more willing to bend to fit a good coach than others. I consider WSU to be among the more flexible in terms of who & how than most.
3.) The single most important thing in selling anything is being able to differentiate yourself from the competition. Sure, there are other factors. But it is the kiss of death to look really similar to all your major competitors. WSU has advantages and disadvantages, like every other school. I consider our greatest single advantage when competing for personnel (whether coaching staff or players) to be the fact that it is EASY to differentiate WSU in a positive way. We can freely admit that it is not for everybody...but we are not trying to recruit everybody. Some Presidents, some AD's and some HC's have understood how to sell our differentiation better than others. Right now we appear to have as good a Pres/AD/football HC trio as we've had in a long time from the standpoint of "getting it" in this area.
4.) After a lot of thought over many years, I think the single most important factor where money comes into play is assistant coach salaries, and the stability that brings. That appears to me to have been our biggest albatross over time. If I could snap my fingers and scarf up a couple of million $, with the ability to direct it, I'd put most of it toward assistant coach salaries. Most for football, since that is the revenue sport, but some to other sports as well. The foundational benefits to a program of keeping your assistant staff consistent year after year and only having to restock when they are either promoted or fail (rather than making lateral moves for more money) are evident.
5.) Finally, if our HC is successful and eventually leaves, that is fine. I'll appreciate what he brought to Pullman and hope that we get another good HC to take his place.
Covid created a lot of problems, schedule changes, unavailable players, anxiety and irrational behavior. I expect us all to be past that by the time this football season rolls around. At that time, our team will have to execute the complete R&S. And other teams will have to prepare to defend the complete R&S. The only team on our schedule who has played the R&S for the last 2 consecutive seasons is OSU, and they lost both games, so I look forward to the league having to learn how to stop a fully functional R&S (bearing in mind that last season we were probably only clicking on 60-ish% of our offensive cylinders). I am equally interested to see our D perform. I may have crimson colored glasses; there have certainly been seasons in the past 50 years where I was more optimistic than events showed was warranted (though we've exceeded expectations almost as often as we have not lived up to them). It is also possible that some of the bowl games will have gone out of business by next season, and that may impact how many PAC teams go to a bowl. None the less, if 6 wins still gets you into a bowl game, I think we are going. And 7 wins seems a bit more likely to me than 6, so I'm thinking "Bowl" this winter.
Last edited:
I’d agree the jury is still out on Rolo. I have my concerns too, biggest being the 3rd quarter meltdowns we saw in the exhibition season.
Rolo aside, my optimism comes more from the talent I know is there at key positions, and I am all in on Dickert from the strides I saw in the defense last year. It may not have shown statistically, but my eyeball test says they made a huge leap as a unit and there are multiple all-conference guys on that side of the ball. They have two potential lockdown corners...when was the last time we had that? The DLine is always a question mark but it appears they have some bodies and depth at least. On offense it starts with Borghi and McIntosh, the transfer is promising as he has big game experience, and the OLine should be solid again. Add all that up and I don’t think it’s crimson colored glasses to think this team can win 7 games. As for Doba, he was truly a D Coordinator but he at least momentarily succeeded with the talent that was leftover from Price. I think Rolo should be able to make this team competitive even if he doesn’t pan out long term.
I like defenders who, you know, defend.
Wrapping up and tackling is so night and day from during the 'speed D' days, it's not even funny. Clearly the staff can coach the fundies. Now they need to bring in the horses to execute.
I am just happy to see that we can see our defenders in the TV screen where the ball is.
I was really impressed that they were in a position to make plays time after time...and without the benefit of spring ball.
Too bad we didn't have Dickert on the 2019 staff.
They truly were sooo close to being a top half defense last year. Plenty of times they were in the right position and was just bad luck. With everything they have coming back and Dickert coaching them up another full year, I’m shocked if they are not a breakout unit in the conference. Offense needs to help them out though. 5 or 6 empty possessions in a row can’t happen.
I think it was more about depth than luck. Hard to be in the top half of the league defensively when you need to call timeouts to figure out who the 4th string guy is so you have properly rotate. I expect this to improve with time, maybe not by the end of this year, but give Dickert a few classes and he'll have things humming along.
Agree. The large numbers of "unavailable", covid exposed folks for the last 3 games was the biggest single factor in what you are describing. Won't have that this coming season.
We just need to emphasize the Run part of the run and shoot. That should open it up for some easier throws down field.
It also seemed like after the first game that we just threw way too many 4 yd outs with no opportunity for YAC.
Will be interesting to see how the offense evolves during the season. I think it will be some fun football.
JDL needs to find the wide open kids right in front of him. He needs to keep throwing to the spaces they are supposed to be in and force them to get better instead of bailing them out with his legs. It'll suck in the short term, but that's how you build long term success.
JDL needs to sit on the bench, and get back up playing time, until the SHOULD BE STARTER Guarantano is gone after the season.
Then Next season after this coming season, IF JDL beats out Cooper he starts. If not he JDL waits until he is a Junior, Senior, and Cooper is gone, to be the starter.
You dont bring in a comparable QB to Peyton Manning in College, that put up TOP 10 rub elbows with Peyton Manning, STATS, against the best defenses in the country in the SEC, only to not start them, not start a Peyton Manning(College).
And if you do not start a Peyton Manning Stat Wise, and Start a True Sophmore JDL instead, you better be right, and JDL had better not be bad again, be the cause of lots of losses, or its your BUTT on the EXTREME HOT SEAT.
