Forget the losses - Howard has a larger plan

MeanGreen61 · September 25, 2006

Orlando Sentinental article posted by SpaceRaider on the Muts board.

Forget the losses - Schnellenberger has a larger plan

Published September 24, 2006

COLUMBIA, S.C. · There were no miracles for Florida Atlantic here Saturday evening. Jubilation hasn't introduced itself this year to the Owls.

Another Saturday, another loss. Another city, another blowout. This time it was South Carolina beating up on the Owls 45-6 at Williams-Brice Stadium to provide coach Steve Spurrier some false hope before facing No. 2 Auburn next week.

The bad news is the Owls are 0-4 and have been outscored 192-20. The good news? These games mean little and the numbers are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Get real. The Owls were supposed to get flattened and they did. So move on and understand the bigger picture.

Six years ago, Owls coach Howard Schnellenberger began molding a football program from nothing at FAU. The fact Schnellenberger has brought this program to Clemson, Louisville and South Carolina -- and next year to Florida and the year after to Michigan State -- is rather remarkable when you consider the Owls are probably the only Division 1-A school playing in a high school stadium.

So the Owls got blown out four consecutive games? What did you expect? Not only did FAU pick up $1.8 million over the past month, but Schnellenberger's players have picked up valuable experience and can still salvage the season once they begin Sun Belt conference play Saturday. It's like a clean slate.

Smack in the middle of this is Schnellenberger, who dares to dream of bowl games and a 40,000-seat domed stadium in Boca Raton. Crazy, you say? Like a fox.

The University of Miami's football program was dying when Schnellenberger arrived. He turned the Hurricanes into a national brand like Pepsi or Coke. He arrived in Louisville to a football team playing in a dilapidated baseball stadium. Today, the Cardinals are ranked No. 8 and Papa John's Cardinal Stadium is affectionately known as the house Howard built.

The Cardinals moved from No. 103 in the country to No. 11 under Schnellenberger in less than six years. Progress is going to be slower at FAU. He inherited programs at Miami and Louisville. At FAU, he's started from scratch. Still, they've been to the playoffs, set a record for becoming the fastest team to defeat a 1-A opponent (22nd game), and Schnellenberger has gotten much-needed recognition for the program by playing big-time teams.

Have the Owls struggled? Mightily. But after working with the same players for the team's first five seasons, Schnellenberger is in the process of rebuilding. "The only way not to lose all the seniors at the same time was to run them off," he said.

Schnellenberger has one senior on defense, two on offense. He's rotating quarterbacks who have never started before. "People don't understand how young we are ... and they don't care to learn," he said.

What they may also not realize is the potential of this school's program. Losing can cloud your thinking and allow trepidation. That would be a shame. Everyone wants immediate satisfaction, but imagine the possibilities at Florida Atlantic with a domed stadium on campus in the center of South Florida's population.

Imagine Schnellenberger bringing recruits there rather than Lockhart Stadium. Imagine the benefits to the basketball program. Doesn't it make sense the Big East would want to take a long look at including FAU in its conference?

You see, even on nights like this, when he's pacing the sidelines in his suit and tie, Schnellenberger sees the potential. "I'm looking for us to be able to play the teams we are playing now and having a legitimate chance of winning within the next three to four years," he said. "Louisville gives me a lot better barometer as to what can be done, what will be done [at FAU]."

The road ahead for FAU is going to demand patience and commitment, but it's not one Schnellenberger hasn't been down before. The trick is going to keep believing even on nights like these.

Dave Joseph can be reached at djoseph@sun-sentinel.com.

Coffee and TV · September 26, 2006

apples meet oranges.

And no, I won't go into a whole "but Dickey does need to be fired" debate, I will point out there while they're are similarities, these are two completely different scenarios.

PlummMeanGreen · September 26, 2006

BECAUSE HOWARD SCHNELLENBERGER'S AN OLD FART NOW AND AIN'T 40'ish LIKE HE WAS WHEN HE WAS TURNING FOOTBALL PROGRAMS AROUND, PERHAPS? style_emoticons/ JUST A THEORY.....THAT'S ALL.

And TTG, hate to be the one who reminds you of this sad fact, but we have yet to beat a Howard Schnellenberger-coached FAU in 2 attempts with one of the years he beat us was a year we went bowling; but as far as our getting beat by a Howie'-coache FAU would some of you want to know why that most likely happens? I will only defer to what Silver Eagle told the UNT "offensive" coord. in the stands of Fouts Field last Fall for that answer.

NOTE: Had new SBC members-elect Troy U and FAU been elgible for the NO's Bowl their respective lame duck years as SBC members-in-waiting, it would have been those 2 schools down in the Big EZ over UNT and DD Ball as they both beat us in those lame duck years. So that would take yalls boy DD down to 2 bowl appearances instead of 4. style_emoticons/

TTG, I think a large portion of us want to know what trends you are apparently onto at UNT that has you (seemedly) thinking we might need to just keep on hanging onto all this? And where but but NORTH TEXAS could this kind of athletic management be pulled off (because its for damn sure not going to happen at other NCAA D1-A program that aspire being inside the Top 25 to Top 50 nor would any of their key leaders pull this kind of tommyrot on their own fans and alumnus base and then try to package it up as chicken salad that we all know isn't anywhere close to being that).

So do we just continue with our present "BUSINESS AS USUAL" approach ie, with our low profile athletic program with all its varsity coaches under .500 save one? I am trying to remember any business I've ever been a part of or read about that operates any thing like UNT athletics is allowed to operate at the level of NCAA we co-exist--anyone want to enlighten many of us if that has happened anywhere else except Denton? style_emoticons/

I don't know what era your from TTG, but give yourself about 3 more decades of UNT leadership that has regularly not hired the right coaches, the right marketing people (for crissakes people, Denton County has over a half million population now) OR...............the right fundraisers who will quit going to the same people yet find fundraisers who know some of the Big Fish out there who can give such donations that might actually help us rise above ourselves? style_emoticons/

And since when is criticizing long term results of some pretty well paid state of Texas employees the same thing as name-calling(?) if that is what you were defering to in another of your posts?

The posts that really make me do my Norm Hitztges style "giggle" are the ones posted by posters who apparently don't have the intelligencia to discuss a given post's subject but rather the poster and that with sophmorish' kinds of comments.

Hayden Fry can only be shaking his head about why this UNT football program cannot get airborne to the level he had it going on after all these years. Of course, the politician and PR-minded Hayden Fry has to say nice things about some of our UNT sports personalities when asked by Vito'type sports reporters because what the hell else can he say about those in the same coaching fraternity that he was in? style_emoticons/

And to a couple of other posters, what the hell is wrong with re-fried beans? style_emoticons/

PlummMeanGreen · September 26, 2006

TTG, quite frankly, it is no secret that Coach Howie does not like FAU being in the Sun Belt Conference. UCF and USF did not have to start their ascension up the NCAA D1-A ladder with the disavantage of starting out as SBC members.

I think all that the reason Coach Howie was quoted couple years ago that they will try to get out of the SBC as soon as they can. IMHO and another sad thing style_emoticons/ I have to say here..................but since FAU has become a well entrenched member of the Sun Belt, there own recruiting seems to have spirraled in a downward mode.

TTG, I think the "ONLY" thing that will help schools such as UNT, FAU, FIU, etc, etc, etc, have any semblance of a chance of moving up (other than top personnel) is in the building of a real bonafide (& don't cut any corners) NCAA D1-A football stadiums and just merely recruit toward those facilities that may even help said schools improve and move to new conference neighborhoods.

It is the concern of many I've spoken with in recent months that even if CUSA were to suddenly have an opening for a new member, that it still wouldn't be UNT as the shoo-in but now such schools as Troy U and ULaLa who have big time non BCS football stadiums. I (as well as many others) really do think Fouts Field has killed us on more than just one occasion to better our conference neighborhood.

Name Coach? What can they do? They can (most of the time) cut to the chase of instant recogntion rather than having to spend their first 5 years at a school like UNT introducing themselves to Texas HS coaches and potential Texas HS recruits. Name Coach? What can they do? They can walk into any DFW area HS with a swagger and introduce themselves as the new head football coach at the largest university this side of Austin, Texas, and "we want you to feel welcome to come up and see our new 35-40,000 seat stadium at the juncture of I35-E and I35-W." style_emoticons/

It has also been my observation thru the decades as to where I've observed many (not all) such coaches with the name ID impact to (in fact) become "impact coaches" and start delivering high profile results almost immediately after their hiring. Didn't even those good ol' Idaho Vandals set season ticket sales records the first few weeks last Winter after they hired their coach (Erickson) who does have the nationally known name ID?

CaribbeanGreen · September 26, 2006

Remember, FIU is in a similar situation -- new program, major metro area, hotbed of talent, name coach (Don Strock)... all the same questions apply to the Golden Panthers as well.

CMJ · September 26, 2006

NOTE: Had new SBC members-elect Troy U and FAU been elgible for the NO's Bowl their respective lame duck years as SBC members-in-waiting, it would have been those 2 schools down in the Big EZ over UNT and DD Ball as they both beat us in those lame duck years. So that would take yalls boy DD down to 2 bowl appearances instead of 4.

Yes because they would have immediately run the table. Troy beats us LAST year and did what exactly in conference. Same goes with FAU. We probably still would have won the league Plumm.

CaribbeanGreen · September 26, 2006

Schnelly has SOME of the elements some posters want in a coach.. living here, I can attest to what it is -- the FU's get MAYBE 1/8th the coverage NT does. You think we have it bad?? It is a MAJOR uphill battle in South Florida. It's a VERY fickle market to begin with (see empty seats at the damn good Marlins games over the past few years), and there is next to zero coverage about the SBC bunk mates here. Its even tough for UCF and USF to draw -- and UCF has an enrollment that if not larger than, is equivalent to NT's. It's an uphill climb, but there are some pieces in place.

Back to uncle Howie, what you all would LIKE about him is his big talk. He wants to shake up the world, get FAU in the ACC, build an on-campus Carrier Dome clone, blah blah blah. He's visible, he stumps everywhere he can. You would love the big ideas and thoughts.

What you wouldn't love is that NOTHING EVER HAPPENS. Everyone stopped paying attention, because his words just got redundant and hollow. Maybe if the Owls won (or even COMPETED for) a SBC title or two or won some big OOC games, people would notice more and get active - but there never seems to be any follow up. This is where PMG's point becomes even more valid - Howard's age just won't allow him to stay the course on this thing, and I think that adds to the lethargy.

Strock at FIU has been much more even-keeled, and seems to have a firm grip on the reality of the challenges he faces. He's not a fireball and isn't demanding BCS or on-campus domes, but I think his team has made some remarkable progress and is headed in the right direction, even without some of the advantages his wealthier, flashier neighbors in Boca have.

Baby Arm! · September 26, 2006

Everyone stopped paying attention, because his words just got redundant and hollow.
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Are you referring to Schnellenberger here or PMG???

Monkeypox · September 26, 2006

Exactly... he was winning in the BIG 10, we're doing it in the SBC. And I'm willing to bet Michigan today would fire a coach well before they reached 10 bowl losses in a row.