Well, I guess this means I'm no longer an NU Gridiron member

[EvanstonCat]

Because there is no way in effing hell that I am donating a dime to a program that is going to pay money for coordinators that presided over this ******** season, and a head coach that refuses to do what any other self-respecting coach in the country would do and effing throw in his cards and play a different hand. I'm watching Tom Allen take a pay cut and can his OC, Ryan Day made his change mid-season. Every program that had clear need for change makes the right move because they give a ****, and we effing stand pat???? What in the effing eff-face ******** mothereffer?

I'm gonna divert my donation to double up on the hoops program. At least CCC gives a damn and is trying. Or at least he makes me feel like it.

This is total ********.

Eff Fitz. I'm sure he doesn't give a crap, as my tiny check means nothing when he's got Pat Ryan backing him, but for peace of mind, I'm not going to be a part of this ******** and make myself an accessory to this crime.

 

[franknufan2]

ECat well put. Thank you.

 

[Harris_Island]

Can we be certain, at this time, that Fitz is not making any staff changes? I believe he announced McCall the day after the last game in 2019, so it seems likely that we'd have heard by now if he was making changes.

2022 is looking rough. It is crazy that we are tied for last in the division with Nebraska, playing them in the first game next year, and they completely obliterated us this year.

 

[EvanstonCat]

Can we be certain, at this time, that Fitz is not making any staff changes? I believe he announced McCall the day after the last game in 2019, so it seems likely that we'd have heard by now if he was making changes.

2022 is looking rough. It is crazy that we are tied for last in the division with Nebraska, playing them in the first game next year, and they completely obliterated us this year.

Lou says there will be changes, just not at the coordinator level. And that's ******** to me. No coordinator anywhere else survives what we just went through on both sides of the ball. They both should be gone, but I'll settle for one.

We've demonstrated to be competitive with an explosive offense and a ****** defense during the Colby years. And we've demonstrated the opposite during the Hankwitz years. I still wish for the day when we are competent on both sides of the ball, but maybe that's just asking for too much at this point. Let's first strive not to be a downright embarrassment on one side of the ball. Is that asking for too much?

 

[DaCat]

Because there is no way in effing hell that I am donating a dime to a program that is going to pay money for coordinators that presided over this ******** season, and a head coach that refuses to do what any other self-respecting coach in the country would do and effing throw in his cards and play a different hand. I'm watching Tom Allen take a pay cut and can his OC, Ryan Day made his change mid-season. Every program that had clear need for change makes the right move because they give a ****, and we effing stand pat???? What in the effing eff-face ******** mothereffer?

I'm gonna divert my donation to double up on the hoops program. At least CCC gives a damn and is trying. Or at least he makes me feel like it.

This is total ********.

Eff Fitz. I'm sure he doesn't give a crap, as my tiny check means nothing when he's got Pat Ryan backing him, but for peace of mind, I'm not going to be a part of this ******** and make myself an accessory to this crime.

+1
Vote with your wallet.

By the way, I think you coined a new nickname for Fitz: Stand Pat Fitzgerald.

 

[stpaulcat]

Because there is no way in effing hell that I am donating a dime to a program that is going to pay money for coordinators that presided over this ******** season, and a head coach that refuses to do what any other self-respecting coach in the country would do and effing throw in his cards and play a different hand. I'm watching Tom Allen take a pay cut and can his OC, Ryan Day made his change mid-season. Every program that had clear need for change makes the right move because they give a ****, and we effing stand pat???? What in the effing eff-face ******** mothereffer?

I'm gonna divert my donation to double up on the hoops program. At least CCC gives a damn and is trying. Or at least he makes me feel like it.

This is total ********.

Eff Fitz. I'm sure he doesn't give a crap, as my tiny check means nothing when he's got Pat Ryan backing him, but for peace of mind, I'm not going to be a part of this ******** and make myself an accessory to this crime.

Don't want to agree with you, but I do. It is tough being an armchair Fitz.

 

[Sheffielder]

Honestly, I don't know what to think. I'm as unhappy as anyone with what we saw this season, but I am also a believer that CFB has become unreasonably impatient and demanding when it comes to results. I agree that this year's performance would get half the staff fired anywhere else...does that mean we should be just as trigger-happy? Many of us often point out how Northwestern is different...can/should this be a part of our identity as well?

I'm wondering out loud here, just to be clear...not making a case for saving everyone's job...just acknowledging that fire/hire isn't always the answer - Fitz could keep his staff intact and we go 8-4 next year...or bring in two new coordinators and go 2-10 - just as much could depend on our recruiting and the portal - if on paper I told you we could have a QB from Indiana, or a 5-star prospect transfer from Clemson, or a 5-star prospect transfer from South Carolina, who would you have picked?

 

[Seattle_Cat]

With the current staff I don't believe that bringing in top prospects would do any good. The staff is the problem, not our players. I love Fitz, but if he is not willing to make changes then he needs to go.

 

[stpaulcat]

Honestly, I don't know what to think. I'm as unhappy as anyone with what we saw this season, but I am also a believer that CFB has become unreasonably impatient and demanding when it comes to results. I agree that this year's performance would get half the staff fired anywhere else...does that mean we should be just as trigger-happy? Many of us often point out how Northwestern is different...can/should this be a part of our identity as well?

I'm wondering out loud here, just to be clear...not making a case for saving everyone's job...just acknowledging that fire/hire isn't always the answer - Fitz could keep his staff intact and we go 8-4 next year...or bring in two new coordinators and go 2-10 - just as much could depend on our recruiting and the portal - if on paper I told you we could have a QB from Indiana, or a 5-year prospect transfer from Clemson, or a 5-star prospect transfer from South Carolina, who would you have picked?

I don't know what to think either--we don't know what is going on inside the program. But when a team that was within our recent lifetimes, the B1G West champion twice with one of the best defenses in the country, one probably doesn't have to look to far to answer what the problem is. It is apparent the entire defense was tripping on acid and therefore not able to make a tackle because of being confused and in the wrong place at the wrong time. The question is, who bought the acid?

 

[Bweiny]

I still wish for the day when we are competent on both sides of the ball, but maybe that's just asking for too much at this point. Let's first strive not to be a downright embarrassment on one side of the ball.

2017 was the only season with a remotely complete team. Over 400ypg total offense, and a defense that allowed over 50ypg less than that. The no-show at Duke was the only bad game. Both Wisconsin and Penn St were elite teams, even if we didn't have our best effort for those games. So the recipe is just having the best NU player since Autry/Fitz in his final year, with a 3rd year starter at QB. The defense wasn't even all that veteran aside from Igwebuike-Quiero at safety. That team probably goes 4-8 or 5-7 with O'Neil instead of Hankwitz.

 

[Ryanfield124]

Honestly, I don't know what to think. I'm as unhappy as anyone with what we saw this season, but I am also a believer that CFB has become unreasonably impatient and demanding when it comes to results. I agree that this year's performance would get half the staff fired anywhere else...does that mean we should be just as trigger-happy? Many of us often point out how Northwestern is different...can/should this be a part of our identity as well?

I'm wondering out loud here, just to be clear...not making a case for saving everyone's job...just acknowledging that fire/hire isn't always the answer - Fitz could keep his staff intact and we go 8-4 next year...or bring in two new coordinators and go 2-10 - just as much could depend on our recruiting and the portal - if on paper I told you we could have a QB from Indiana, or a 5-year prospect transfer from Clemson, or a 5-star prospect transfer from South Carolina, who would you have picked?

I think we have more security from home grown talent than living of the transfer portal roulette wheel. Yes some kids will fall in your hands but the core of the program should be developed in your system. And why commit to NU when anybody can take the bus into Evanston and start? Then why stay so loyal to your "seniors" as Fitz claims?

How does that work this Spring when he is in some high school senior's living room?

 

[NUCat320]

Honestly, I don't know what to think. I'm as unhappy as anyone with what we saw this season, but I am also a believer that CFB has become unreasonably impatient and demanding when it comes to results. I agree that this year's performance would get half the staff fired anywhere else...does that mean we should be just as trigger-happy? Many of us often point out how Northwestern is different...can/should this be a part of our identity as well?

I'm wondering out loud here, just to be clear...not making a case for saving everyone's job...just acknowledging that fire/hire isn't always the answer - Fitz could keep his staff intact and we go 8-4 next year...or bring in two new coordinators and go 2-10 - just as much could depend on our recruiting and the portal - if on paper I told you we could have a QB from Indiana, or a 5-year prospect transfer from Clemson, or a 5-star prospect transfer from South Carolina, who would you have picked?

The problem is that JON has always been a bad coordinator. That was a bad hire on day one. He should be gone because he’s only ever failed at the job he was hired to do and, in this case, he failed historically (I’m assuming the year over year drop in defense ranking broke some sort of record, but who actually knows…)

Bajakian has more of a case to stay, given the quarterback challenges he faced coming in. However, he hasn’t helped that at all.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

can anyone link this Lou comment? or is it in one of the stories? No way in he11 am I listening to post game presser

 

[NUCat320]

can anyone link this Lou comment? or is it in one of the stories? No way in he11 am I listening to post game presser

We had a good run on the free Rock month, didn’t we?

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

We had a good run on the free Rock month, didn’t we?

Personally, I was about ready to start taking Xanax after a month over there.

 

[Curdog7]

Honestly, I don't know what to think. I'm as unhappy as anyone with what we saw this season, but I am also a believer that CFB has become unreasonably impatient and demanding when it comes to results. I agree that this year's performance would get half the staff fired anywhere else...does that mean we should be just as trigger-happy? Many of us often point out how Northwestern is different...can/should this be a part of our identity as well?

I'm wondering out loud here, just to be clear...not making a case for saving everyone's job...just acknowledging that fire/hire isn't always the answer - Fitz could keep his staff intact and we go 8-4 next year...or bring in two new coordinators and go 2-10 - just as much could depend on our recruiting and the portal - if on paper I told you we could have a QB from Indiana, or a 5-year prospect transfer from Clemson, or a 5-star prospect transfer from South Carolina, who would you have picked?

I think you bring up good points about programs being trigger happy but JON is a whole different animal. He has been terrible
Everywhere he has been and it’s clear he is in way over his head. Canning him wouldn’t be an example of being trigger happy but rather acknowledging a mistake was made

 

[CatManTrue]

Because there is no way in effing hell that I am donating a dime to a program that is going to pay money for coordinators that presided over this ******** season, and a head coach that refuses to do what any other self-respecting coach in the country would do and effing throw in his cards and play a different hand. I'm watching Tom Allen take a pay cut and can his OC, Ryan Day made his change mid-season. Every program that had clear need for change makes the right move because they give a ****, and we effing stand pat???? What in the effing eff-face ******** mothereffer?

I'm gonna divert my donation to double up on the hoops program. At least CCC gives a damn and is trying. Or at least he makes me feel like it.

This is total ********.

Eff Fitz. I'm sure he doesn't give a crap, as my tiny check means nothing when he's got Pat Ryan backing him, but for peace of mind, I'm not going to be a part of this ******** and make myself an accessory to this crime.

What if… Long retires and JON replaces him as DL coach and we hire a new DC?

Or if MacPherson gets a head coaching job somewhere and JON replaces him as the DB coach?

There are ways to make big changes without firing JON. Fitz could tell him his options are to become a position coach or resign. That’s more than fair.

And I think Bajakian got killed by injuries and the lack of a true B1G QB like Ramsey. Porter, Franks, Kirtz, and others being out or playing hurt killed our offensive chances. We don’t have enough depth on offense and that’s a recruiting issue that I would pin more on Fitz and the other coaches who have been around longer.

Keep the faith @EvanstonCat ! Whatever else Fitz is, he’s a guy who hates losing. I find it hard to believe that he is happy to run things back after what we all just saw.

 

[freewillie07]

What if… Long retires and JON replaces him as DL coach and we hire a new DC?

Or if MacPherson gets a head coaching job somewhere and JON replaces him as the DB coach?

There are ways to make big changes without firing JON. Fitz could tell him his options are to become a position coach or resign. That’s more than fair.

And I think Bajakian got killed by injuries and the lack of a true B1G QB like Ramsey. Porter, Franks, Kirtz, and others being out or playing hurt killed our offensive chances. We don’t have enough depth on offense and that’s a recruiting issue that I would pin more on Fitz and the other coaches who have been around longer.

Keep the faith @EvanstonCat ! Whatever else Fitz is, he’s a guy who hates losing. I find it hard to believe that he is happy to run things back after what we all just saw.

JON isn't getting demoted if he stays. Just not going to happen.

We all have to live with the fact that based on what we know right now, he will be the DC for at least another season.

Fitz basically had to have made up his mind after the Nebraska loss, and affirmed it after the blowout to Wisconsin when the RB said we had given up on defense.

The priority now is not to lose commits and to hit the transfer portal HARD.

 

[CatManTrue]

JON isn't getting demoted if he stays. Just not going to happen.

We all have to live with the fact that based on what we know right now, he will be the DC for at least another season.

Demotions happen all the time in just about every industry. He had NFL DB position experience after failing as a NFL DC, and he landed Anto Saka as a recruit thanks to his energy. He also connected with BJo in some capacity, but his defensive system was an abject failure.

If we roll it back with him as our DC, I’ll find other things to focus on with my 2022 Saturdays - much like I would have in 2020 had McCall returned.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

What if… Long retires and JON replaces him as DL coach and we hire a new DC?

Or if MacPherson gets a head coaching job somewhere and JON replaces him as the DB coach?

There are ways to make big changes without firing JON. Fitz could tell him his options are to become a position coach or resign. That’s more than fair.

And I think Bajakian got killed by injuries and the lack of a true B1G QB like Ramsey. Porter, Franks, Kirtz, and others being out or playing hurt killed our offensive chances. We don’t have enough depth on offense and that’s a recruiting issue that I would pin more on Fitz and the other coaches who have been around longer.

Keep the faith @EvanstonCat ! Whatever else Fitz is, he’s a guy who hates losing. I find it hard to believe that he is happy to run things back after what we all just saw.

Every team has injuries, although we never actually know about ours. But - that's a different gripe.

Injuries on offense cost us: Cam Porter - huge loss but the guys behind him did ok. Not like when TJ Green when down v Stanford and any semblance of QB competence went with him for 11.5 games. Gerak - played a lot, missed a lot. Priebe, but don't think he missed much until toward the end. ICR the OL guy that was announced as hurt at the same time as Porter, but I do remember a collective shrug from the fan base. . Kirtz - big loss. Malik stepped up eventually and became 2nd receiver but nobody really then stepped up as #3. Robinson missed a game and a half, I think.

What else? Notably, we lost only Marty for a few games, and were otherwise largely healthy at QB. They just didn't perform.

These aren't enough injuries for us to be 125th of 130 in ppg.

https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/northwestern/2021.html

 

[freewillie07]

Demotions happen all the time in just about every industry. He had NFL DB position experience after failing as a NFL DC, and he landed Anto Saka as a recruit thanks to his energy. He also connected with BJo in some capacity, but his defensive system was an abject failure.

If we roll it back with him as our DC, I’ll find other things to focus on with my 2022 Saturdays - much like I would have in 2020 had McCall returned.

Not talking about every industry, talking about college football specifically.

Has there ever been a DC that became a position coach on the same team? Semi-retired analyst roles don't count. I genuinely don't know but I'd be very surprised.

 

[CatManTrue]

Not talking about every industry, talking about college football specifically.

Has there ever been a DC that became a position coach on the same team? Semi-retired analyst roles don't count. I genuinely don't know but I'd be very surprised.

Jerry Brown.

 

[freewillie07]

Jerry Brown.

Oh yeah, whoops.

 

[NREPP Fraud]

Lou says there will be changes, just not at the coordinator level. And that's ******** to me. No coordinator anywhere else survives what we just went through on both sides of the ball. They both should be gone, but I'll settle for one.

We've demonstrated to be competitive with an explosive offense and a ****** defense during the Colby years. And we've demonstrated the opposite during the Hankwitz years. I still wish for the day when we are competent on both sides of the ball, but maybe that's just asking for too much at this point. Let's first strive not to be a downright embarrassment on one side of the ball. Is that asking for too much?

Qb play was not good this year! Ramsey would have helped

 

[xxxbobxxx]

Honestly, I don't know what to think. I'm as unhappy as anyone with what we saw this season, but I am also a believer that CFB has become unreasonably impatient and demanding when it comes to results. I agree that this year's performance would get half the staff fired anywhere else...does that mean we should be just as trigger-happy? Many of us often point out how Northwestern is different...can/should this be a part of our identity as well?

I'm wondering out loud here, just to be clear...not making a case for saving everyone's job...just acknowledging that fire/hire isn't always the answer - Fitz could keep his staff intact and we go 8-4 next year...or bring in two new coordinators and go 2-10 - just as much could depend on our recruiting and the portal - if on paper I told you we could have a QB from Indiana, or a 5-year prospect transfer from Clemson, or a 5-star prospect transfer from South Carolina, who would you have picked?

You will get your wish. And we will see the results. And the fire PF will grow and the clique will shrink. There will be more aggressive posts along with louder defenses of graduation rates, participation trophies and doing it right (which I think must mean losing the right way ).

Attendance will grow thinner and folks will blame the fans. Recruiting quality will diminish and folks Will blame admissions. And in the brief instances the professional media shows up, an angry, arrogant little man will snap at them, bringing a great image of NU to the nation.

Go Cats

 

[stpaulcat]

The problem is that JON has always been a bad coordinator. That was a bad hire on day one. He should be gone because he’s only ever failed at the job he was hired to do and, in this case, he failed historically (I’m assuming the year over year drop in defense ranking broke some sort of record, but who actually knows…)

Bajakian has more of a case to stay, given the quarterback challenges he faced coming in. However, he hasn’t helped that at all.

In his favor, he did muster an offense good enough to win the B1G West a year ago (yes a year, almost to the day). And trust me, when you are my age, a year isn't very long, which is why I am so dismayed at the fall from grace of our beloved defense.

 

[Alaskawildkat]

From the parent of a past player on the defense it was fully expected by him and others that when Hankwitz left that there would be a big drop in the performance of the defense. Reportedly it was uncanny how Hank would know what the other team's next play would be. He was just that good.

The same parent is optimistic that we will see improvement and eventually get back to where we were.

 

[peatymeanis]

The same parent is optimistic that we will see improvement and eventually get back to where we were.

Ah, belief without evidence

 

[Gocatsgo2003]

What if… Long retires and JON replaces him as DL coach and we hire a new DC?

Or if MacPherson gets a head coaching job somewhere and JON replaces him as the DB coach?

There are ways to make big changes without firing JON. Fitz could tell him his options are to become a position coach or resign. That’s more than fair.

And I think Bajakian got killed by injuries and the lack of a true B1G QB like Ramsey. Porter, Franks, Kirtz, and others being out or playing hurt killed our offensive chances. We don’t have enough depth on offense and that’s a recruiting issue that I would pin more on Fitz and the other coaches who have been around longer.

Keep the faith @EvanstonCat ! Whatever else Fitz is, he’s a guy who hates losing. I find it hard to believe that he is happy to run things back after what we all just saw.

JON isn’t going to be demoted to a position coach. Just not gonna happen.

 

[Sheffielder]

JON isn’t going to be demoted to a position coach. Just not gonna happen.

I agree this seems highly unlikely; equally unlikely that JON gets his walking papers after a single season. For better or worse, Fitz is extremely predictable.

 

[Turk_rivals223269]

can anyone link this Lou comment? or is it in one of the stories? No way in he11 am I listening to post game presser

Lou confirmed that hefner was what he heard. And that they will replace hefner with a cornerbacks coach, and keep mcpherson w safeties. JON is a db coach by trade so Lou seems to think these 3 coaches is overkill for dbs.

Thats the only changes. Everyone else is back. Ned was right.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

Lou confirmed that hefner was what he heard. And that they will replace hefner with a cornerbacks coach, and keep mcpherson w safeties. JON is a db coach by trade so Lou seems to think these 3 coaches is overkill for dbs.

Thats the only changes. Everyone else is back. Ned was right.

Our only hope is that this Kremlin-like secrecy masks a demotion like Ryan Day did. While not entirely successful, OSU's D was better than earlier in the year - most of the time. They had their Trey Sermon moment last weekend vs Hairball and Co. It's obvious to the entire population of Earth except Fitz that JON can't cut it.

We, as fans, have two choices - give up, or wait-and-see. I'll wait. Let them lick their wounds, and see if they come back better. None of the excuses - youth, weight room (WTF????) - make any sense, let's see what the actual product looks like. Hold the recruits, get a ton of transfers, including a QB, maybe the team can turn it around. Tucker did. Meantime, we are left with what looks like a decent CCC crew.

 

[xxxbobxxx]

JON isn’t going to be demoted to a position coach. Just not gonna happen.

Let’s go a step further and demote PF to DC and bring in a new coach. Then he can outright fire JON and the other underperforming coaches…

 

[Curdog7]

I agree this seems highly unlikely; equally unlikely that JON gets his walking papers after a single season. For better or worse, Fitz is extremely predictable.

I’m sure you are right because Fitz is stubborn but on the flip side, if he were to be demoted, would he leave? Who would hire him?

 

[Ryanfield124]

You will get your wish. And we will see the results. And the fire PF will grow and the clique will shrink. There will be more aggressive posts along with louder defenses of graduation rates, participation trophies and doing it right (which I think must mean losing the right way ).

Attendance will grow thinner and folks will blame the fans. Recruiting quality will diminish and folks Will blame admissions. And in the brief instances the professional media shows up, an angry, arrogant little man will snap at them, bringing a great image of NU to the nation.

Go Cats

My only regret is that I can only like that last paragraph once...

 

[Sheffielder]

I’m sure you are right because Fitz is stubborn but on the flip side, if he were to be demoted, would he leave? Who would hire him?

I don't know enough about the guy to have any educated guess...if he were to stay I am very certain Fitz would defend him fiercely in the media and spin it to protect his rep - he'd acknowledge this bad season but call it a team effort and point to Mac or whomever as taking a greater role based on his experience blah blah blah, I could probably write what he'd say almost ver batim.

If he were to leave...there's always a job somewhere for someone with decades of experience in college and the pros. I feel bad for these guys for about five minutes before I realize 1) they knowingly chose a nomadic career where they'd have to go where the job takes them in good times and bad, and 2) they are making much, much, much more money than a plebe like me, even when they prove to be fundamentally terrible at their jobs.