Do you wait for the entire program to implode prior to making a coaching change?

[AirWalke]

Manhattan, Kansas - Bill Snyder, the only coach on this list who had multiple conference championships. It still took him 9 seasons to win his first conference championship

I should also point out that Kansas has some of the best JUCO teams in the nation. It wasn't too hard to lure these guys into an up and coming, in-state team like K-State.

[Cyclonesrule91]

Ames is perceived to be a poor football town because we celebrate mediocrity, even though we should be well past that. We don’t demand success. We hope for it.

You are full of yourself. You are damn right we celebrate mediocrity!!!!! WE JUST GOT THERE IN THE LAST 5 YRS!!!!!!! What the heck are you expecting, some needle in the haystack season like your 4 examples. Did you happen to watch the mediacom broadcast of the 1992 Iowa-ISU game last night? You watch one quarter of that game and compare it to any quarter in the last 5 seasons and see where we have come. I am getting sick and tired of hearing all you people ******** about the coaching job Mac is doing. And then once we chime in to defend him, you come up with the same lame excuse that we're drinking the koolaid or celebrating mediocrity bulls**t. Why don't you email or call Pollard and tell him how YOU would do it. I'll bet you he'll fire Mac within 5 minutes of your conversation and you will BE THE MAN, you'll coach one game and you'd better keep off the message boards because other armchair coaches are going to complaining because of your coaching. Get over yourselves!!!!

What do you think the 18-21yr old players are thinking about some of their fans when they read this CRAP??? I hope they don't read it because that would make me second guess myself every step on the field trying to keep the complaining morons happy........

Come back at the end of the season if we go 2-10, Maybe then your arguments will mean something. Until then, show some support for our team and quit second guessing everything they do that you would have done differently. This is not necessarily just directed to CLONE2THEBONE, but all the constant negative posters who constantly have to start posts about getting rid of coaches. Supportive criticism is OK, but quit being a bunch of lynchman.....

[AlanAldaClone]

I'm just curious. Many people have given Mac yet ANOTHER year to prove himself (assuming this one goes in the crapper).

How long is too long? We're always going to have a good group of players returning which is a credit to Mac, so do we have to go 2-10 to justify a change to many of you?

With the very young defense we have, I don't think it would be a horrible time for a coaching change afte this season.

Our offense should be exactly as it is now, less the most important piece in Austin Flynn.

When is it time to cut bait????

This is just ridiculous. Why do you assume the season is going to implode? We are 2-1 with NINE games left. It's sure a good thing you weren't around for WWII, becuase you would have given up after Pearl Harbor.

[ISUFan22]

Just when I thought clone2thebone could not get any more...well...I won't say.

He goes "above" expectations and continues to flame D-Mac at any cost...regardless of most of it not making much rational sense.

Dude...do us all a big favor. Donate your Cyclone gear to a try Cyclone fan, go into Scheels, buy a bunch of Hawkeye crap and become a Hawk fan.

That is...if you are not already....

[darts180]

This is just ridiculous. Why do you assume the season is going to implode? We are 2-1 with NINE games left. It's sure a good thing you weren't around for WWII, becuase you would have given up after Pearl Harbor.

I will admit that I am not a Mac guy, he lost me at the Texas A & M game in 2000, but I think that the fact of the matter after 12 years we know what we have on our hands. He is what he is, a defensive coordinator.
We watched him learn on the job, and make all of the mistakes that people do when they move up the food chain. Then we watched as he had a breakout year in 2000 9-3 (of course they lost to the three GOOD teams on their schedule).
Now we see what he is, a 7 win football coach, the NCAA is full of 7 win football coaches. He will never change, and he will never recruit well enough to play the way he wants to, so this is it folks. We will lose 1-3 games each year that we should win. We NEVER will upset a top team, unless of course they are having a down year (see Nebraska), but boy we'll sure come close SOMETIMES.
I love Iowa State sports, always have, always will.
You know I find ironic with a lot of the Cyclone fans that I meet, we are all excited about Jamie Pollard, and the vision that he brings to the athletic department. "It's about time" we say, funny we don't say that about our football program

[Cyclonepride]

Here's an example from around the country that caught my attention this weekend. Someone is always out there talking about the hot coach who is taking a program to new heights. But a few years later, we find that the program and coach have not become the next USC or Notre Dame. But noone talks about it then. My example (and I'm going to kill the name) is Ralph Freighen of Maryland. He brought Maryland a couple 10 win seasons a few years ago, but then they dropped back a little and had two 5-6 seasons in a row. That kind of thing happens all over the place, and we have seen it in the Big 12 many times in McCarney's tenure. The thing I like about McCarney is that Iowa State consistently gets and deserves respect. Maybe not on Sportscenter every night, or in the national news, but from coaches and people who know football. My hopes for ISU are that they can consistently put themselves in a position to go to a bowl game, or can be in contention for the Big 12 north, and when things come together...have a truly special season.

In this season, I feel that the Cyclones have shown that they can beat decent football teams while not at their best, and that they can go in and look respectable against a top 20 team, while still not playing their best. I'd love to see them in the Big 12 championship every year, and I'd love to see them in a great bowl every year. Realistically, McCarney gives ISU the chance to do these things, but almost every good team in the NCAA is a couple injuries, or a recruiting class that doesn't pan out- away from mediocrity.

[ISUFan22]

"It's about time" we say, funny we don't say that about our football program

What so many of you fail to realize or just refuse to...is D-Mac and the football program lack the tools almost all of the other Big 12 schools have that lead to success. Big budget, great facilities, etc.

The "it's about time" for Pollard is 100% accurate. He's making changes to improve all of Cyclone athletics, especially the football program. So as these things get better, improving our national recognition and giving a boost to recruiting - I would expect D-Mac's record on the field to get better.

Now don't think for a second I'm satisfied with our results the past few years...yet I know it takes time and I do see improvement in the program.

[cyclonewino]

This is just ridiculous. Why do you assume the season is going to implode? We are 2-1 with NINE games left. It's sure a good thing you weren't around for WWII, becuase you would have given up after Pearl Harbor.

Not after Peral Harbor, but if after 12 years we hadn't won I would be looking for new management. This discussion is NOT that of giving up, but one of CHANGE!!!

I do agree discussing Mac's job at this time of year is silly, I expect Mac to be here next year if we go 7-5 without any blowouts. I don't believe we will be in the Big12 championship game anytime soon with Mac. If we couldn't do last year when? We outplayed every team and choked. I will not blame the players after we have seen this for several years.

[JokersWild]

I would love to have a different gameday coach. Let Mac do all the motivating and recruiting. Just get a guy with a football mind. We've all seen what's in Mac's mind and all the coaches have to. Guess what, it's not fooling anyone.

Oh, I would also like to feel like we have a chance against anyone. Not a chance if the moons and stars align just right.

Has anyone thought about the fact that maybe some of the reason that we've gotten "better" is that some of the Big 12 North teams (Kstate, NU) have gotten worse.

[darts180]

In this season, I feel that the Cyclones have shown that they can beat decent football teams while not at their best, and that they can go in and look respectable against a top 20 team, while still not playing their best. I'd love to see them in the Big 12 championship every year, and I'd love to see them in a great bowl every year. Realistically, McCarney gives ISU the chance to do these things, but almost every good team in the NCAA is a couple injuries, or a recruiting class that doesn't pan out- away from mediocrity.

OK here we go, UNLV sucks, Toledo got blown out by Western Michigan, but they beat Kansas (doesn't bode too well for the Big 12 North). I would say it is still debateable whether or not they are decent.
Why do you say that "realistically McCarney gives us the chance to do this." what have you seen in 12 years that makes you believe this to be true??? And I disagree, politely, about the "good team" comment, because in most situations, any coach with Dan's tenure will have recruited enough quality depth that injuries won't cripple them.[/quote]

[bootcy]

This is not the time of year that this crap should come up. We are in the middle of the season and we need every fan rooting for the Cyclones, Dan and all. The day after the season ends, CLONE2THEBONE and the rest of you can talk all you want about firing Dan or any other changes to the staff. The fact is that at this point in time we need to back the WHOLE team, which include Mac and Barney.

[bootcy]

For all of you anti-Macs I have not heard one mention of who you would ant to bring in that you are so positive would win us the Big 12 North in the first year.

[ericlambi]

I'm just curious. Many people have given Mac yet ANOTHER year to prove himself (assuming this one goes in the crapper).

How long is too long? We're always going to have a good group of players returning which is a credit to Mac, so do we have to go 2-10 to justify a change to many of you?

With the very young defense we have, I don't think it would be a horrible time for a coaching change afte this season.

Our offense should be exactly as it is now, less the most important piece in Austin Flynn.

When is it time to cut bait????

I would give my left nut for Mac and/or Barney Cotton to be replaced with Steve Loney. But ISU isn't a school that can replace a coach after going to a bowl game -- so at the very least, Mac will have to have another season where we don't go to the bowl game. Other than that, I guess it is up to JP if Mac earns a pink slip if we were to go 6-6 or 5-7 this year. I'm pretty sure that if we go 4-8 or worse, some major changes would occur.

[JokersWild]

Yeah, I really can't help but think that JP has the bar set in his mind. He's already stated that the last game of the season needs to mean something.

So, I say we just leave it up to him. Shoot, he's got to be hoping for a GREAT season this year after his big push for all the cyclone faithful to buy season tickets. If there's not a winning program on the field, not a high % will renue that season ticket package (that will cost more).

[darts180]

Dude...do us all a big favor. Donate your Cyclone gear to a try Cyclone fan, go into Scheels, buy a bunch of Hawkeye crap and become a Hawk fan.

That is...if you are not already....[/quote]

This is what I love about the Mac people, if you don't like Mac then you aren't an Iowa State fan.

HOW DARE YOU QUESTION MY LOYALTY AS A FAN?!?!?!?!? You don't know me, and I don't know you, but if we disagree about the direction we see the program going, or not going, that is one thing. But you have to turn this into a "I'm more of a fan than you are," debate.

On the surface, I can tell that you are a big Iowa State fan, and I appreciate that. The reason that I want a new coach is because I feel like we aren't going any further than where we are now, 5 years ago this was acceptable, now it isn't.

I show up every game, hoping that I see something that will make me change my mind, but I have yet to see that.

I know he won't be fired, they'll win 6-7 games, make a low level bowl, and we'll be in the same boat next year having the same conversations.

Why can't we dare to dream big???