FAU Connoisseur

It's never happened. Kiffin was close. I met the guy he's impressive. How old was Bill Gates when he started Microsoft or Zuckerberg and Facebook. Doesn't matter how he got the opportunity he took advantage of it and it has paid off. I hope he is successful. Why are we so concerned about why people got their opportunities. No one gave me anything, I worked hard and success fortunately followed. I don't begrudge someone because they got an opportunity that I didn't get from name or family if they are good. I doubt Kiffin hired him to get in good favor with SR.

I think your name only gets you so far in a win or you are fired profession (aren't all professions that way when you really think about it). If the kid didn't have the stuff Kiffin wouldn't have hired him. Like it or not the coaching community seems to like Kiffin and there is no shortage of coaches who would like to work for him. Especially when his coaches leave for bigger and better jobs (3 left this year but 1 might be coming back due to the Arizona fiasco).

I don't think this guys daddy loved him. Probably had a family business that daddy didn't want him involved in. I don't think Kiffin cares about his last name, if he thinks he can contribute and help the team win is the only reason he hired him.

I trust Kiffin, kid has credentials. He was an analyst at Alabama with Kiffin. Kiffin hired him last year as TE coach, but then he got hired to be an assistant coach with the Falcons. I met him last year at a cocktail party (not sure he was drinking) at the presidents mansion. He was one of those people that after you talk to you just leave impressed. We were disappointed he went to the Falcons last year. Everything I read is he has an offensive mind that exceeds his years. I think it is obvious that Kiffin will be heavily mentoring him, but I am pretty sure Weis will be calling the plays. Very mature for his age, already married.

FIU will regress. They have NO viable QB on the roster. Go to their board and you will read the same stuff about the QB.

Some reason people think Kiffin is nothing without Briles, not sure why. We will be ok. FIU has no QB. They are going to have a fall back season next year. They have a lot good things but they have ZERO QB talent at the moment. Hard to overcome.

An allegation. If it was recorded ok, but its hearsay with no tangible proof. I have spoken several times with KB, I just don't believe the allegation. It's such a silly comment it is beyond comprehension that it could be true. But if he did? What does it mean.

It's KB's offense and KB is calling the plays. Kiffin commented that had KB been hired away that he could call the plays but not as effectively as KB. There's no playbook.

If we go undefeated next year or you I am all for declaring us the national championship. The second they let us in, the recruiting will be wide open once you show you can win the whole thing anywhere. And then opps, there goes the money for P5. I hate cartels.

We should drop a money loser and build the rest of the athletic program. Nice deal!

I can list 2 (maybe 3 if you are on the inside of the program). Please list the roster of checkered past individuals. 1 guy I would have kicked off the team. The rest of the roster has some high character guys who are graduating.

When do you guys add baseball?

I have no idea how you would know that. Are you aware of his relationship with Dr. Kelly? The board? The community? His history isn't filled with NCAA violations, he's inherited violations at USC. He left Tenn after one year for his dream job and who wouldn't think they could conquer the world and accept an NFL head coaching job in his early 30's. He's guilty of being confident. I love the enjoy him while he is there or he will leave your program in shambles. He has fixed our program and has proven you can win at FAU. The next hire (which I think is on staff) will be a lot easier. We don't have sell what we are doing anymore and it doesn't hurt we start breaking ground on a $50 mil football/academic center next Monday. Kiffin will be here longer than you think and if he goes, there won't be one angry FAU fan.

Hate his sideline presence and interviews. I just LOVE his wins. Who cares about silly things. Not sure why the cards will fall? Is he here long term, probably not. But the biggest thing that he's done for us, is that it has educated our Board of Trustees that the money has to be there for a qualified coach and more importantly the assistant coaches pool. Prior years they tried do it on the cheap and the results showed, 3 3-9 seasons in a row. But according to most, he is already here twice as long as anyone expected.

Who needs Troy in their conference when you have Marshall. If you're breathing you're in and more than questionable recruiting practices.

Yeah but you have to be in Jonesboro.

Do you think UNT would have fared better over FSU compared to Troy?

Exactly! My point is FSU did not have a lot of options, BUT the Independence Bowl was going to do everything they can to accommodate them and there wishes. FSU did not want to play FAU and take a chance of losing to an in-state school (not sure we would have won, but we would have given a better game than USM). They had the power to say we don't want Conference USA school A over B. FSU just finished their worst season in 35 years they didn't want to roll the dice with FAU. If they lose, its disastrous, if they don't win by enough its disastrous. No win situation for FSU. A long way from Howard Schnellenberger's mantra of we will play you anywhere anytime.

It mattered what FSU wanted, they had enough cache to tell the Indy who they did or did not want to play from the available pool. Which 2 schools did the commish let down?

I agree with that...I think the conference commissioner is a joke. I think they were more concerned about geography than matchups that would have made conference competitive. On a side note, I don't necessarily think we would have beaten FSU, but I think we would have given a competitive game. Word is FSU didn't want to play us in a down year in a bowl that 4 of their players chose not to play.

My point exactly...they don't buy the luxury for the tax deduction, that's just a bonus. And when you think about it with the craziness of the P5 and there palaces and crazy salaries maybe time to pull the reins back a little. College sports has become so corrupt with cash no need to give a deduction for people supposedly trying to help a kid go to college. Time for ESPN to pay up. For the Boca Bowl they pay FAU $25k to rent the stadium, we get a commercial but they are the only ones making any money off it. The teams are lucky to break even (maybe with the exception of this year).

I am not sure this will have such a huge effect on ticket sales. Maybe it will affect some corporate donations or large donations for sports palaces. My primary reason for making my donations for my seats is to get the good seats not necessarily to affect my tax situation. Rich people want to be seen in the best places; and a country club section of a premier sporting event is a nice place to brag about your returns in the market with your buddies.

They really should end this bowl (no name sponsor). No operable play clocks; and the score board isn't working. To only hope for 600 fans from both schools shows no one wants to go there. It's a 3rd world country. PLUS the stadium sucks. I rather goto New Mexico Bowl than the Bahama Bowl and I am in South Florida.

For all the reasons mentioned for optimism for your 2018 season this may be the most important one. You defended the home turf creating a fun environment to watch a game. If you can go 6-0 or 5-1 at home it sure makes 9 or 10 wins a heck of a lot easier. I would say that everything that happen in 2017 that your ability to replicate winning at home may be the most likely thing to repeat. Those close wins have a lot to do with culture and coaching but no matter how great your team is they are like playing with fire. If you keep doing it you will get burned eventually. We had some excruciating losses in the last 3 years that were by less than 7 points. By the way, I am already planning a trip to Denton depending on when the game is scheduled (assuming the conference continues the same scheduling pattern). How's your recruiting going? Defensively focused? Or just load up on offense and we will see what will happen approach. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!!

We had great recruiting for the last 4 years, but it took a great coaching staff to win. You might be wrong.