Thoughts on this season

[untjim1995]

1.) Seth Littrell is the real deal. He led a collection of players who don't fit into his scheme and with subpar QB play and still saw us win 2-4 more games than almost everyone thought. Yes, Bethune-Cookman,, Marshall, USM, Army, and Rice aren't exactly Murderer's Row, but he led a collection of kids who lost 11 games last year, including one by 59 points to a FCS team at home on Homecoming just a year earlier in the worst loss in modern college football history, to 5 wins and a chance at a 6th win. That is a MASSIVE improvement--one of the biggest of alltime, actually. We aren't UCF, where the talent in the state that doesn't go to UF, FSU, or Miami usually finds its way there and they have a brand that recruits flock to, which is what Scott Frost has enjoyed in his first year of taking over a winless team from last year. This was Littrell picking up a team from the ashes and saying that we will fight anyone, even if it is a stacked deck.

2.) The season ended in disappointing fashion, especially at UTEP, but that type of game was what almost everyone thought we would endure almost every week this season. Instead of focusing on that, focus on the fact that we beat USM at home, one year removed from winning CUSA West, and a week before they destroyed the current CUSA West Champ, La Tech. USM also beat Kentucky, who just beat Louisville. Yes, we got crushed by MUTS, WKU, LTU, and UTEP, as well as pretty bad losses against SMU and UTSA. But in Year One of the Rebuild, we just saw a lot of reasons to believe we are about to see a lot of greater success in the upcoming seasons ahead. We have a brighter future if Littrell can get recruits to listen to him and learn about #newdenton.

3.) Recruiting here is still a tough gig until proven otherwise. It shouldn't be--the facilities, the academics, the location, and the coaching staff are light years better than they were a decade ago--but it just is until we make in-roads with the TX HS coaches and the parents of recruits. That will take more years of solid improvement like we just showed this past year. It will take coaches who can sell this place and stay here for a few years to build things up. However,...

4.) If Littrell leads us to a winning season next year, when the CUSA schedule gets MUCH easier when we play 2 or 3 games next year against FAU, FIU, Charlotte, and UAB. Add in that we get the three Texas CUSA teams here, as well as Army and FCS spare, it's not inconceivable to see us get to 7 or more wins in 2017 and get a sizeable raise....somewhere else. As someone mentioned, Coach Bro's time in Lubbock is not going to be beyond 2017--Mahomes is almost certainly going pro this year and they have no defense at all. That means that Tech would be on the hook for about $6.5 million to buy out Kingsbury, but they could get a rising coaching star from the Leach coaching tree who has actually accomplished something as a head coach before they hire him for a nice price of close to $2 million per year, getting a guy in SL that would have built up those TX HS ties and would take over an entire roster made up of offensive talent recruited and built for the Leach spread offense. Its what happens to G5 programs--see Herman at UH, see SMU's Morris and his negotiations with Baylor--when they win and the bigger money programs come calling. When Littrell leaves here, I want it to be to go to a P5 program, not a MWC/AAC team that is just one rung above us on the CFB ladder. And I bet that is what Littrell thinks, too. He knows he has it good here if he can get the talent here. But you never know what a coach thinks if someone dangles millions in front of them, even from a G5 place like UH or SMU, where they have the money that we don't have. It would be awesome if Graham Harrell can take this offense and turn it into something great, as that would be the ideal candidate to be your next head coach if he can do that. But that remains to be seen and we know that his results this year weren't good at all. We just have to believe it is because he inherited receivers that were recruited here to block and not catch a lot of passes, as well as an OL that was low in talent and was built to run block. We will know in the year ahead if he can coach up this offense to produce more punch or if he is just rising SL's coattails. If its the latter, then you have the reality that SL might not get to 7+ wins next year and this is a moot point.

 

 

[NorthTexan95]

Good post.

The day Graham Harrell was hired I said he could be our next head coach.  I'm not sure if that'll work out.  We maybe in a better spot to hire someone with more experience.  

 

[Got5onIt]

4 minutes ago, NorthTexan95 said:

Good post.

The day Graham Harrell was hired I said he could be our next head coach.  I'm not sure if that'll work out.  We maybe in a better spot to hire someone with more experience.  

 

 

That's about my only real concern moving forward. 

[NorthTexan95]

Just now, Got5onIt said:

 

That's about my only real concern moving forward. 

My big concern is if Graham will slow down his speech during half time.  Normally he talks at a normal pace but I guess the adrenaline gets going during a game and he's talking a mile a minute.  He'll eventually learn to slow down a bit and he'll say more by saying less. 

[Wag Tag]

26 minutes ago, untjim1995 said:

1.) Seth Littrell is the real deal. He led a collection of players who don't fit into his scheme and with subpar QB play and still saw us win 2-4 more games than almost everyone thought. Yes, Bethune-Cookman,, Marshall, USM, Army, and Rice aren't exactly Murderer's Row, but he led a collection of kids who lost 11 games last year, including one by 59 points to a FCS team at home on Homecoming just a year earlier in the worst loss in modern college football history, to 5 wins and a chance at a 6th win. That is a MASSIVE improvement--one of the biggest of alltime, actually. We aren't UCF, where the talent in the state that doesn't go to UF, FSU, or Miami usually finds its way there and they have a brand that recruits flock to, which is what Scott Frost has enjoyed in his first year of taking over a winless team from last year. This was Littrell picking up a team from the ashes and saying that we will fight anyone, even if it is a stacked deck.

2.) The season ended in disappointing fashion, especially at UTEP, but that type of game was what almost everyone thought we would endure almost every week this season. Instead of focusing on that, focus on the fact that we beat USM at home, one year removed from winning CUSA West, and a week before they destroyed the current CUSA West Champ, La Tech. USM also beat Kentucky, who just beat Louisville. Yes, we got crushed by MUTS, WKU, LTU, and UTEP, as well as pretty bad losses against SMU and UTSA. But in Year One of the Rebuild, we just saw a lot of reasons to believe we are about to see a lot of greater success in the upcoming seasons ahead. We have a brighter future if Littrell can get recruits to listen to him and learn about #newdenton.

3.) Recruiting here is still a tough gig until proven otherwise. It shouldn't be--the facilities, the academics, the location, and the coaching staff are light years better than they were a decade ago--but it just is until we make in-roads with the TX HS coaches and the parents of recruits. That will take more years of solid improvement like we just showed this past year. It will take coaches who can sell this place and stay here for a few years to build things up. However,...

4.) If Littrell leads us to a winning season next year, when the CUSA schedule gets MUCH easier when we play 2 or 3 games next year against FAU, FIU, Charlotte, and UAB. Add in that we get the three Texas CUSA teams here, as well as Army and FCS spare, it's not inconceivable to see us get to 7 or more wins in 2017 and get a sizeable raise....somewhere else. As someone mentioned, Coach Bro's time in Lubbock is not going to be beyond 2017--Mahomes is almost certainly going pro this year and they have no defense at all. That means that Tech would be on the hook for about $6.5 million to buy out Kingsbury, but they could get a rising coaching star from the Leach coaching tree who has actually accomplished something as a head coach before they hire him for a nice price of close to $2 million per year, getting a guy in SL that would have built up those TX HS ties and would take over an entire roster made up of offensive talent recruited and built for the Leach spread offense. Its what happens to G5 programs--see Herman at UH, see SMU's Morris and his negotiations with Baylor--when they win and the bigger money programs come calling. When Littrell leaves here, I want it to be to go to a P5 program, not a MWC/AAC team that is just one rung above us on the CFB ladder. And I bet that is what Littrell thinks, too. He knows he has it good here if he can get the talent here. But you never know what a coach thinks if someone dangles millions in front of them, even from a G5 place like UH or SMU, where they have the money that we don't have. It would be awesome if Graham Harrell can take this offense and turn it into something great, as that would be the ideal candidate to be your next head coach if he can do that. But that remains to be seen and we know that his results this year weren't good at all. We just have to believe it is because he inherited receivers that were recruited here to block and not catch a lot of passes, as well as an OL that was low in talent and was built to run block. We will know in the year ahead if he can coach up this offense to produce more punch or if he is just rising SL's coattails. If its the latter, then you have the reality that SL might not get to 7+ wins next year and this is a moot point.

 

 

Saw where Harrell is n this year and as stated without Mahomes they could really suck! Wait Harrell is going to help on D! Yea right! Our expectations for next year will definatly be higher with a 7 or 8 win season. That along with a good recruiting class and Seth would be the top candidate for Tech. Once the hires were made I thought we had 2 head coaches in waiting with Ek and Graham! Ek to me at this time would be ahead in this category! Graham needs to show improvement as an OC and recruiter! I feel real good with Wren and the new leadership handling this situation well! Let's now get an IPF and show how committed we really are! GMG 

[EagleMBA]

18 minutes ago, Wag Tag said:

Saw where Harrell is n this year and as stated without Mahomes they could really suck! Wait Harrell is going to help on D! Yea right! Our expectations for next year will definatly be higher with a 7 or 8 win season. That along with a good recruiting class and Seth would be the top candidate for Tech. Once the hires were made I thought we had 2 head coaches in waiting with Ek and Graham! Ek to me at this time would be ahead in this category! Graham needs to show improvement as an OC and recruiter! I feel real good with Wren and the new leadership handling this situation well! Let's now get an IPF and show how committed we really are! GMG 

My prediction for this year was four wins; I am very pleased with five. Looking back on the season, it might have been eight wins if not for some "can't stand prosperity" games and a fart coming out of the gate. With a decent recruiting season at need positions, coupled with continued player development, this can be an eight-win team next year.

[KingDL1]

1 hour ago, untjim1995 said:

3.) Recruiting here is still a tough gig until proven otherwise. It shouldn't be--the facilities, the academics, the location, and the coaching staff are light years better than they were a decade ago--but it just is until we make in-roads with the TX HS coaches and the parents of recruits. That will take more years of solid improvement like we just showed this past year. It will take coaches who can sell this place and stay here for a few years to build things up. However,...

The report on the AD said something about we had the least amount of money spent on recruiting of any school on earth, I am sure someone can fix that with the real words, but point being that kind of makes it tough to recruit to start with. I am willing to bet that ship has already been righted with Wren and his crew running the AD.

[kj86]

The five wins are certainly more than I would have ever expected.  For that, I'm thrilled.  However, I really hate what happened on Saturday.  That's a real head-scratcher and a bit of a concern to me as far as this staff is concerned.  

[Christopher Walker]

Hey now, the season ain't over yet, compadre.

[THOR]

2 hours ago, NorthTexan95 said:

My big concern is if Graham will slow down his speech during half time.  Normally he talks at a normal pace but I guess the adrenaline gets going during a game and he's talking a mile a minute.  He'll eventually learn to slow down a bit and he'll say more by saying less. 

He is the only one I've heard speak on btg that I am no impressed with. Love the D line coach (I think)...LeBlanc or something...but Harrell seems so generic and "like, ya know what I mean"

[DeepGreen]

1 hour ago, KingDL1 said:

The report on the AD said something about we had the least amount of money spent on recruiting of any school on earth, I am sure someone can fix that with the real words, but point being that kind of makes it tough to recruit to start with. I am willing to bet that ship has already been righted with Wren and his crew running the AD.

You can go back over the years and I've said this very thing.  We need more money to recruit with.  I know there are top players in the Metroplex and it's probably cost effective to only recruit there.  But so many other FBS schools recruit DFW too.  You M'fers can say a lot of bad things about Dickey, but he did recruit more of the state than anyone since his tenure.  When did we last recruit and get players out of the Odessa area?  Beamont-Port Arthur, SE Texas? The Valley?  You get the point.

[Cerebus]

3 hours ago, untjim1995 said:

. Yes, Bethune-Cookman,, Marshall, USM, Army, and Rice aren't exactly Murderer's Row

That is two bowl teams.  When the last time we beat two bowl teams in the same season?  

[Mean Green 93-98]

6 hours ago, NorthTexan95 said:

My big concern is if Graham will slow down his speech during half time.  Normally he talks at a normal pace but I guess the adrenaline gets going during a game and he's talking a mile a minute.  He'll eventually learn to slow down a bit and he'll say more by saying less. 

He cracks me up when he is screaming at his players with veins popping out of his neck, "JUST RELAX!!  YOU GOTTA RELAX!!!!!"

[MeanGreenTexan]

9 hours ago, Mean Green 93-98 said:

He cracks me up when he is screaming at his players with veins popping out of his neck, "JUST RELAX!!  YOU GOTTA RELAX!!!!!"

lol.  ...fumbling his tiny little paper with notes.