It was reported he interviewed in San Diego so I’m assuming he wanted it.
On The Cheap
- Thread starter cougarmike
- Start date
We all need to look in the mirror because it is a reflection of us. We are back to the stone ages. Our are so cheap theybwont pay for content on a premium site about Cougs
For a bunch of capitalist we seem more socialist in yerms of how we want our departmen to operate. Unfortunately we are at the place where we were headed in late 70's early 80's... and beyond.
Dickert deserves a great deal of Cougar hate.
If you're going to bail... fine.
But he was a flat out liar and his actions/inactions put us in an extremely shitty and fragile position.
What did he do to help keep players at WSU after he announced? Nada.
Other than him flashing the Cougar Apple Cup victory, he can forever service Eric Cartmen's balls.
If only you had donated $5 million to the Athletic Department a month ago we could have paid $1 million more per year and gotten a much better coach. Or if you had bought tickets and won the Mega Millions lottery the other day we could even buy out the horrible coach we are now stuck with.
Sadly, neither of those things happened, and we are stuck in a situation where we are having a drastic reduction in annual revenue while at the same time having a very large debt burden from a previous commitment to support athletics by building the Football Operations Building. Then lay on top of that reality the fact that we are entering uncharted waters with trying to build a new conference and will have a schedule that is likely to draw a lot less people due to the much lower overall quality of the opponents and you have a situation that is harder to solve than nuclear Chinese algebra.
Now I don't have any magic solutions, but I do have a grasp of the situation, and it is not good. Did we make the absolute best decision by hiring Rogers? Time will tell. Should we have hired Vigen? Maybe, maybe not- no way to know for sure now. Again, time will tell. Maybe we should have taken a more radical approach, like only paying the HC $500,000 per year and dumping all available funds into getting the best assistants you can find. Or go the other way- hire a $4-5 million a year head coach and get assistants willing to work for peanuts in order to get exposure? Think outside the box, roll the dice!
Okay, crazy ideas, I know. All I do know for sure is that all I can do is sit back and hope for the best.
Pretty sure Jamey Vinnick or a Cougfan writer said he went to San Diego. And then it was reported our team knew Thursday night of the incoming staff/likely hire. So either they couldn’t come to an agreement and he turned it down and we moved to Rogers, or they preferred Rogers and Vigen didn’t get the offer. Should also note, I haven’t seen anything as far as a raise or pool increase for Montana State coaches. Maybe that comes out later….but with their bball coach they did it instantly.
Vigen's new contract is on the internet; its pretty safe assumption that WSU was the one who walked away, and if his agent was trying to get him a fat contract it would appear he failed.
Yes Cougfan has a one line comment in their initial "Rogers" article saying that Vigen flew to SD to interview. That is the ONLY source that I can find about this. Below is Vigen's just signed new contract. Only A little in it about assistants, but I imagine their individual contracts got a bump of some sort as well.
By-the-numbers look at Brent Vigen's new contract at Montana State
Montana State head football coach Brent Vigen will earn a base salary of $295,000 and at least $110,000 in easily attainable incentives as part of a new four-year contract with the university.
www.montanasports.com
There’s no way he walked away from $1.5M+ for $400K. If you have a competitive fiber in your body and can quadruple your salary you are gone. This more or less confirms he wasn’t our top choice.
Disagree. If he has a chance to repeat where he is, he could find himself with an offer from a school willing to fund more than 79 scholarships in a 105 scholarship world, one year from now.
You don't know that. So I fixed your post. He might have seen the WSU job as a premature career-ender. For 3 of our last 5 coaches, it was. Talk circumstances all you want, that is a fact. Or who knows.
If you are correct that he was not our top choice and the money was "enough" for him to say yes, then Anne and Schulz are stupider F's than even I thought. As I posted elsewhere, it is odd that Rogers was mentioned absolutely nowhere as a potential candidate. I'd like to know who the F was on the shortlist, if there even was one.
And I'll repeat another thought. I read in two different places that Rogers kept his whole team intact after 2023, and similarly that all 22 starters returned. That's great. So how well does that equip him to deal with the portal, as every sitting G5 Coach already has been? Hint - not well at all. SDSU had the same HC for 26 years. Rogers rose through the ranks at SDSU for 10 years. They came off of a Nat'l Title year. Not exactly a rebuild to step into. Contrast that with WSU. We are a flaming dumpster, and we hire a guy who has -0- experience dealing with any of WSU's issues.
Dickert walked into a “flaming dumpster” too and acquitted himself quite well.
Bottom line is there’s no guarantees these opportunities are gonna come back around. Speaking of Dickert he was one of the hottest names after we were 4-0 last season and ranked in the top 15 with rumors that MSU was sniffing around (they probably were)…then….we lose 6 straight. Things can change that fast in this business.
If Vigen passed up that opportunity, best of to him.
That offer would never make it past the candidate's agent. He'd never even get a chance to turn it down.
"premature career-ender" is an interesting way to describe WSU's head coaching position. It's fun to note that you are very selective on your cut off date. Looking at our coaches since Sweeney took over for Clark in 1968:
Sweeney - coached at Fresno State for almost 20 years after leaving WSU
Sherrill - coached for another 27 years at Pitt, Texas A&M and Mississippi State
Powers - coached at Missouri for 6 years after leaving WSU
Walden - coached 7 years at Iowa State
Erickson - won two national championships at Miami and coached in the NFL
Price - hired by Alabama...the rest.....well, that kind of doesn't fall under WSU's responsibility
Doba - 67 years old when he stepped down (he wasn't technically fired and he was used up) Definitely not a "premature career-ender".
Wulff - career died at WSU
Leach - hired by Mississippi State
Rolovich - made his own decisions
Dickert - hired by Wake Forest
So, going back to 1968, eight of eleven coaches were hired by other schools, one retired, one was let go because he didn't follow a state mandate and one actually got fired because of on-the-field performance. You can make the argument that Doba's career ended at WSU but to use the word "premature" creates the impression that you don't understand the English language very well. Wulff was a bad coach and he's had opportunities to remake his name and he's never done it. That says a lot more about Wulff than WSU. and Rolovich....f#cker will go down with Cam Ward as a self involved prick who put himself above everyone else.
I would challenge you to find another Power 5 program that has seen more coaches get hired away by other schools than WSU. Now, that also says a lot of bad things about the inherent long term cheapness of WSU, but only an uneducated fool looks at the WSU job and thinks that it is career suicide.
Basketball? That's a different story. Eastman, Graham, Bone and and Kent have all been fired in the past 30 years with only two coaches moving on to other jobs.
Dickert didn’t have to compete with 79 scholarships in a 105 scholarship world.
He also had more money to hire assistant coaches.
Unless, as stated, the interview was "We can talk again after the Championship game." You really think a guy with his resume goes 0-3 on interviews? Or do you just want to call the guy a loser?
FWIW, Vigen and Rogers are almost clones. The only real difference is Rogers' boss stayed at South Dakota State for life, and Vigen's boss went from NDSU to Wyoming.
Ok, calm down. I merely said "maybe", followed closely by "or who knows". Didn't need to read War and Peace in response.
How about taking a swing at the fact that Rogers was nowhere on anybody's radar as a candidate, then up he pops and he's the greatest thing since sliced bread?
Where the hell did I call him a loser, don’t put words into my mouth.
My point is clear, you never know what next season brings and these opportunities don’t grow on trees. He could go 6-6 next season and never sniff a $1.5M + job again. If he passed on WSU that’s a huge risk.
Yes I know there are other programs paying 3-4M or more. 1. Those jobs are even more rare and 2. It’s rare they are offered to FCS guys…usually they need a launching pad like WSU will be.
Perhaps he is waiting it out for a more favorable opportunity. If so as I said best of luck to him, an untimely injury bug could keep him in Montana a lot longer than he anticipated.
A question mark means I'm asking a question.
I'm doubt he went 0-3 on interviews. If I were him, I'd rather have a championship on my resume than not. Who knows, maybe he even practices what he preaches about commitment. Montana State will be fine next season. The worst he's ever done is 8-4.
2025 Football Schedule - Montana State University Athletics
The official 2025 Football schedule for the Montana State University Bobcats
msubobcats.com
All you can do is speculate who knows. Some people are great at their jobs and shitty interviews. Some people interview like legends and are piles of shit once hired. I’ve known plenty of both in my career.A question mark means I'm asking a question.
I'm doubt he went 0-3 on interviews. If I were him, I'd rather have a championship on my resume than not. Who knows, maybe he even practices what he preaches about commitment. Montana State will be fine next season. The worst he's ever done is 8-4.
2025 Football Schedule - Montana State University Athletics
The official 2025 Football schedule for the Montana State University Bobcats
I know Brand X had a story about a reduction from 85 to 79, but wasn't that just speculation on what Ann might do?
Haven't heard a thing about any other New Pac schools cutting football scholarships; hard to believe WSU would go it alone
Yeah this was my take too, didn’t sound like a done deal by any means.
That Bobcat 2025 schedule looks like 11-1 or 10-2 to me. Although D-II Mercyhurst could be a tough matchup!A question mark means I'm asking a question.
I'm doubt he went 0-3 on interviews. If I were him, I'd rather have a championship on my resume than not. Who knows, maybe he even practices what he preaches about commitment. Montana State will be fine next season. The worst he's ever done is 8-4.
2025 Football Schedule - Montana State University Athletics
The official 2025 Football schedule for the Montana State University Bobcats
"Mercyhurst University is a fully accredited, four-year, Catholic comprehensive institution, founded in Erie, Pa., by the Sisters of Mercy in 1926."
Is this like playing Little Sisters of the Poor?
An aside - I see that SDSU landed one First team FCS All-American nod in 2024, and 3 on the 2nd team. All Seniors BTW, unless they have redshirt years tucked in there. Future WSU QB Rob Gronowski from SDSU didn't even make honorable mention. MSU's QB was first team. Now I could have sworn that our resident expert waxed on and on about all the All-Americans that SDSU was producing. Hmm.
Ok, calm down. I merely said "maybe", followed closely by "or who knows". Didn't need to read War and Peace in response.
How about taking a swing at the fact that Rogers was nowhere on anybody's radar as a candidate, then up he pops and he's the greatest thing since sliced bread?
FWIW, I have no opinion on whether or not Rogers is going to be good or bad. It's obvious that the dude can coach because all BS aside, you don't go 27-3 if you suck as a head coach. And those three losses were all on the road to an FBS team and a perennial FCS power (twice). The dude knows how to coach. And contrary to what some people think....the rules are the same, the court is the same and the hoop is at the same height......errr.....sorry, got caught up in a Hoosiers moment.
The 1.57 million dollar question is whether or not he and his staff can recruit effectively at the FBS level. There's nothing that says that he can or can't do that. Nevertheless, I feel a lot better about going with a guy that looks like he can coach over a has-been FBS cast-off that may not really have his heart in it. I would love to know if Vigen was interested in the WSU job but I respect that he would want to finish his year at Montana State before making a move. He's got his whole life to go somewhere else if he is good. I also don't blame WSU for pulling the trigger on Rogers. We needed to stabilize our situation as soon as possible and Rogers looks like he might be a good hire. Time will tell if we should have waited.
You Are Really Turning Into ED. Letting your own personal agenda pollute reality. Not a good look.
1-AA version of the Heisman Trophy
South Dakota State QB Mark Gronowski Receives 2023 Walter Payton Award as the FCS Offensive Player of the Year
Which was STUPID that he Vigen wasn't WSU's top choice, that WSU turned him down, rejected him for Rogers.
Despite that, Rogers is a decent to semi good to semi great HC, that will probably work out well at, for WSU.
Thanks for the clarification A&M
Gronkowski could be yet ANOTHER game-changing Cougar QB if/when he follows his coach to Pullman.
With that National Player of the Year among his credentials, gotta figure some other FBS schools will be trying to pry him away from CJR with NIL $$$
I didn't say FCS.....but I was thinking of the morons over on Facebook pining for Rick Neuheisal or anyone on here saying that they think that FBS coaching experience is a primary requirement.
Two 1.57 million dollar questions for me because imo these are the two most important pieces to success at this level. Recruiting (including portal management and NIL dealings…basically being a GM) and 2. Bringing in the best assistants, because you’ll need to do it frequently if you’re good at it. For everything I liked about Dickert he struggled mightily with his coordinator hires (Arbuckle brought Ward, and that was it).
Oops - my bad - reread your post - yes you did say FBS castoff. Like Mullen at UNLV who was hired for $3.5M/year. Rebel fans are pretty excited. They are pining (again) for a Big-12 invite.
UNLV Football Faces Major Roster Rebuild Under New Head Coach Dan Mullen
The Rebels’ football program is at a crossroads, facing significant roster challenges after the departure of former head coach Barry Odom to Purdue and the arri
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I think you overlooked one-Sampson, Bennett, and Smith all moved on to "better" jobs.
Oops - my bad - reread your post - yes you did say FBS castoff. Like Mullen at UNLV who was hired for $3.5M/year. Rebel fans are pretty excited. They are pining (again) for a Big-12 invite.
UNLV Football Faces Major Roster Rebuild Under New Head Coach Dan Mullen
The Rebels’ football program is at a crossroads, facing significant roster challenges after the departure of former head coach Barry Odom to Purdue and the arriwww.si.com
Only time will tell if Mullen was a good hire. His arc at Florida was pretty freakin' terrible.
Shame on you for picking cherries! Do you have a green card? ;-)I cherry picked and started after Sampson.
Well, after giving out the 30 year interval, I just figured you had missed one.
Yep. 34=15 was a horrible flop if you are a Gator.
Another notable has-been was that Pete Carroll guy. Fired as HC by both the Jets and Patriots. What a washout. 4th! choice as HC by USC. He sucked there as well, then went on to suck as the Seahawks coach. (OK, not a very good comparison, it was all I have on short notice). I'll look some more.......
Mullen’s record at Florida:
2018: 10-3
2019: 11-2
2020: 8-4 (lost final 3 games of season…that seems familiar)
2021: 5-6….fired
Florida went 5-9 in his last 14 games as coach. He had one season with a winning conference record at Mississippi State. He had a good record at Florida but his arc was in clear decline and he was fired because of it.
It’s a bit telling that he stepped away from football for three years after his firing. Kind of feels like something a burnt-out has-been would do.
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