What USF being in the spotlight reminded me...

cyclonenum1 · 10-19-2007, 07:27 AM

...how critically important it is to hire the right FB coach!

Leavitt was hired in 1996 by USF. They fielded their first team in 1997. Their first year playing D-I was 2001. Today (2007) they are a BCS bowl contender (even after the loss last night). Leavitt has won over 60% of the games he has coached at USF during his time there.

ISU hired a new coach in 1995 (roughly the same time as USF did). Our football program has been around for a 100 years and we have been a member of a major conference for nearly that entire time. Today we are generally recognized as being one of the worst teams in D-I and have never sniffed at the BCS. The coach we hired in 95 lost over 60% of the games he coached for ISU during his time here.

I submit to you that the right coach makes all the difference in the world. Anyone who thinks it can't be done in Ames should look at USF (and not just because of McCarney) and see what they have done in a very short period of time with far less resources than ISU has. Or look at what happened at K-State in the early 90s where they had far more to overcome than ISU does right now.

I sincerely hope that Chizik is the man to put us on the CFB map! GO CYCLONES!!

thunderdave · 10-19-2007, 07:29 AM

Leavitt may be a good coach, but his sideline antics remind me of an 8 year girl throwing a hissy fit. I was waiting for him to hold his breath until he turned blue.

Dude needs to be a little more even keeled.

tigershoops31 · 10-19-2007, 07:46 AM

Originally Posted by cyclone#1

...how critically important it is to hire the right FB coach!

Leavitt was hired in 1996 by USF. They fielded their first team in 1997. Their first year playing D-I was 2001. Today (2007) they are a BCS bowl contender (even after the loss last night). Leavitt has won over 60% of the games he has coached at USF during his time there.

ISU hired a new coach in 1995 (roughly the same time as USF did). Our football program has been around for a 100 years and we have been a member of a major conference for nearly that entire time. Today we are generally recognized as being one of the worst teams in D-I and have never sniffed at the BCS. The coach we hired in 95 lost over 60% of the games he coached for ISU during his time here.

I submit to you that the right coach makes all the difference in the world. Anyone who thinks it can't be done in Ames should look at USF (and not just because of McCarney) and see what they have done in a very short period of time with far less resources than ISU has. Or look at what happened at K-State in the early 90s where they had far more to overcome than ISU does right now.

I sincerely hope that Chizik is the man to put us on the CFB map! GO CYCLONES!!

I guess to me you kind of have conflicting points here...sure Leavitt has won 60% of his games, but only 50% of those have been at the D1 level...so it's kind of hard to compare the two situations.

JJ4ISU · 10-19-2007, 07:48 AM

Our situation is a little more like Rutgers, actually. With South Florida, they are in a great location for recruiting, population, weather, etc...With Rutgers, they have a losing reputation, similar to Iowa State. But your point is the same, they hired the right coach and he has turned it around...

throwittoblythe · 10-19-2007, 07:54 AM

Originally Posted by thunderdave

Leavitt may be a good coach, but his sideline antics remind me of an 8 year girl throwing a hissy fit. I was waiting for him to hold his breath until he turned blue.

Dude needs to be a little more even keeled.

Yeah, I wonder if he realizes he looks like an idiot when he does that. I recall one play his defense forced a 3 and out late in the game and he sprinted over to one of his defensive players, with that poutty bottom lip, and screamed at him for what seemed like no reason.

He's goofy looking enough as it is...doesn't need to contort his face and make it worse. Great coach though!

MNclone · 10-19-2007, 08:14 AM

Starting a program from scratch is far easier than resurrecting one in the cellar. Not only that, but they are doing it in the heart of Florida. All the talent they need is sitting in their backyard. USF had everything going for them when they began their football program.

In 95 we had an entire football program to overhaul, and we are in far better shape now than we were then. I’m not talking about the result of the team on the field, rather the direction of the program. I know we look like one of the worst teams in the country on the field right now, but the pieces are in place for us to be successful here in the near future. Don’t forget, we were ranked in the top ten just a few years ago as well. Our success on the field may have waned a bit over the last couple years, but we are poised to strike again. This year’s Colorado team is a great example of how quickly things can turn around with the right pieces in place.

McCarney didn’t take us to where we wanted to go, but he sure took us a long way from where we were. I think a lot of fans here don’t really realize that because they became fans after we had turned a corner. We had the right coach to the program to where it is today, and now I believe we have the right coach to take us to the next level.

Cyclone_Power · 10-19-2007, 08:15 AM

Do you forget though? Coach Mac is the one who led USF to a nearly perfect season, not Leavitt.

jdoggivjc · 10-19-2007, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by JJ4ISU

Our situation is a little more like Rutgers, actually. With South Florida, they are in a great location for recruiting, population, weather, etc...With Rutgers, they have a losing reputation, similar to Iowa State. But your point is the same, they hired the right coach and he has turned it around...

Rutgers, although similar to us, really isn't a fair comparison either as New Jersey/Long Island are also hotbeds for talent (Typically mined by the Big 10, the northern half of the ACC, and the Big East). Granted, they're not Florida, Texas, or California, but traditionally they're right up there as well (just remember where Ace Bowen came from).

cybsball20 · 10-19-2007, 09:23 AM

Anyone else think USF was outcoached? Rutgers blitzed the crap out of USF and they couldn't do anything about it...

cyclonenum1 · 10-19-2007, 09:24 AM

Originally Posted by tigershoops31

I guess to me you kind of have conflicting points here...sure Leavitt has won 60% of his games, but only 50% of those have been at the D1 level...so it's kind of hard to compare the two situations.

He's won 62% of his games at the D-I level...and that doesn't count this year.

cyclonenum1 · 10-19-2007, 09:25 AM

Originally Posted by JJ4ISU

Our situation is a little more like Rutgers, actually. With South Florida, they are in a great location for recruiting, population, weather, etc...With Rutgers, they have a losing reputation, similar to Iowa State. But your point is the same, they hired the right coach and he has turned it around...

Actually, I think our situation is most like K-State.

jdoggivjc · 10-19-2007, 09:33 AM

Originally Posted by cyclone#1

Actually, I think our situation is most like K-State.

And that I'd agree with 100%.

cyclonenum1 · 10-19-2007, 09:39 AM

Originally Posted by MNclone

Starting a program from scratch is far easier than resurrecting one in the cellar. Not only that, but they are doing it in the heart of Florida. All the talent they need is sitting in their backyard. USF had everything going for them when they began their football program.

In 95 we had an entire football program to overhaul, and we are in far better shape now than we were then. I’m not talking about the result of the team on the field, rather the direction of the program. I know we look like one of the worst teams in the country on the field right now, but the pieces are in place for us to be successful here in the near future. Don’t forget, we were ranked in the top ten just a few years ago as well. Our success on the field may have waned a bit over the last couple years, but we are poised to strike again. This year’s Colorado team is a great example of how quickly things can turn around with the right pieces in place.

McCarney didn’t take us to where we wanted to go, but he sure took us a long way from where we were. I think a lot of fans here don’t really realize that because they became fans after we had turned a corner. We had the right coach to the program to where it is today, and now I believe we have the right coach to take us to the next level.

So, you think that if the gig at ISU and the gig at USF would have both been open at the same exact time instead of one year apart that a coach that got offered both jobs would have taken the USF slot over ISU...NO WAY!!

I think you are just trying to rationalize away why they are BCS contenders and we are still doormats over a decade later. Starting from scratch is tough...no facilities, no stadium, no alumni base with a passion for football, having to recruit against Florida, Florida St. and Miami on their home turf...not to mention nearly every other school in America that tries to mine some talent in Florida. No one knows who you are because you don't even have a team. It's pretty easy to look back now and say..."well, how tough can it be to start a team at USF"...mark my words, it was pretty damned tough.

Regarding the direction of our program...what signs indicate that our program is heading in the right direction other than the hiring of Chizik? Yeah, I think we were in the top 10 for a week. And don't look now but that was more than a few years ago now. McCarney's record and average attendance would indicate that we are in about the same place we were when he took over. The only saving grace is that our facilities have been upgraded some (not as much as many others) and that we have an administration that understands the importance of having a successful FB program.

tigershoops31 · 10-19-2007, 09:43 AM

Originally Posted by cyclone#1

So, you think that if the gig at ISU and the gig at USF would have both been open at the same exact time instead of one year apart that a coach that got offered both jobs would have taken the USF slot over ISU...NO WAY!!

I think you are just trying to rationalize away why they are BCS contenders and we are still doormats over a decade later. Starting from scratch is tough...no facilities, no stadium, no alumni base with a passion for football, having to recruit against Florida, Florida St. and Miami on their home turf...not to mention nearly every other school in America that tries to mine some talent in Florida. No one knows who you are because you don't even have a team. It's pretty easy to look back now and say..."well, how tough can it be to start a team at USF"...mark my words, it was pretty damned tough.

Regarding the direction of our program...what signs indicate that our program is heading in the right direction other than the hiring of Chizik? Yeah, I think we were in the top 10 for a week. And don't look now but that was more than a few years ago now. McCarney's record and average attendance would indicate that we are in about the same place we were when he took over. The only saving grace is that our facilities have been upgraded some (not as much as many others) and that we have an administration that understands the importance of having a successful FB program.

As tough as it was, Leavitt better be thanking his lucky stars that Mac decided to come down and turn it around for them this year

(Slips on the Ring for the Mac-Seeking Eye of Sauron to find me)

cyclonenum1 · 10-19-2007, 09:49 AM

Originally Posted by jdoggivjc

Rutgers, although similar to us, really isn't a fair comparison either as New Jersey/Long Island are also hotbeds for talent (Typically mined by the Big 10, the northern half of the ACC, and the Big East). Granted, they're not Florida, Texas, or California, but traditionally they're right up there as well (just remember where Ace Bowen came from).

You know, unless we plan on transplanting ISU to another state we really need to quit using the "their school is in a FB hotbed with tons of talent" excuse as to why we cannot win and others are able to. How did Nebraska do it? How did K-State do it? How is KU doing it now? How did Boise St. do it? How did Utah do it? Your school doesn't have to be in Florida or Texas or California to be successful. Hell, if that was the requirement why does Stanford suck? Why does Baylor suck? Why does San Jose St. suck? Why does Rice suck? Why does Florida International suck?