Utah State Head Coach Rips Sun Belt

[Pen Yan Fan]

It isn't hard to find a critic of the USU football program.

With only six wins in the past three years and players being kicked off the team in that time span for various problems, one can understand this.

How does head coach Brent Guy, who just completed the third season of his five-year contract, handle the firestorm of criticism?

"To be quite honest with you, I don't," Guy said Tuesday. "People have a hard time believing that I (only) read USA Today, and if it's in USA Today I know about it. Other than that, I don't really read local (newspapers). I don't listen to any kind of talk radio, and I don't even know how to get on to the chat rooms."

He pointed to the current situation at the University of Arkansas, where Houston Nutt - a former teammate and friend of Guy - resigned Monday as head coach to help correct a division among fans after the off-the-field problems were compounded by a difficult season. The Arkansas Razorbacks had begun the year ranked but failed to win a Southeastern Conference game.

"I have seen it tear coaches apart, families apart," Guy said. "Nutt basically destroyed a good legacy there ... I don't get involved with (criticism). I really can't affect people's opinion other than winning and losing. I have to concentrate on making the team better and keeping the team together.

"It's America," Guy continued. "They have a right to their opinion. I just hope that anybody that's a critic is also a donor. That would be the only thing I would say is I don't think you have a voice unless you donate money and have season tickets. As long as you do that, you have every right to criticize me in any kind of form you want. If you don't, I would think you'd have a hard time criticizing someone if you don't have a vested interest."

Another important aspect Guy pointed out is the difference in the degree in difficulty between the Western Athletic Conference and the Sun Belt Conference, where the Aggies competed in during the 2003 and 2004 seasons.

"I don't think people realized how far we were away from being a WAC team," Guy said. "I mean that by the level of play. I don't think we'll ever see a Sun Belt team play in the BCS. They're champion doesn't break the Top 25."

The Aggies, who ended the 2007 season with two consecutive road victories, are the first USU team to win back-to-back games in the WAC, home or away. Even so, Guy said the nature of his profession makes it nearly impossible to feel a sense of job security.

"You never really feel secure in coaching because anything can happen," Guy said. "You don't coach out of fear, you coach what you believe in and your fundamental philosophies. The administration came to me well into the season and said keep doing what you're doing."

http://media.www.utahstatesman.com/media/s...e-3119721.shtml

[CMJ]

They were a helluva long way from being a Sun Belt team as I recall. Did they ever seriously compete in this league?

Nope.

[Eagle1855]

They were a helluva long way from being a Sun Belt team as I recall. Did they ever seriously compete in this league?

Well, here's how they've fared the past 10 years (Sunbelt in bold)...

The Dave Arslanian years

1998, 3-8

1999, 4-7

The Mick Dennehy years

2000, 5-6

2001, 4-7

2002, 4-7

2003, 3-9

2004, 3-8

2005, 3-8

The Brent Guy years...

2006, 1-11

2007, 2-10 (with wins over NMSU and Idaho)

So it's easy to see why Brent is crying- I'm guessing his ass is about to get fired.

[UNTFan23]

I don't see USU competing in a B©S Bowl for at least a decade given the sad state of their program, so what's his point?

[JesseMartin]

32 wins in 10 years...3.2 wins per year...I don't think he should be judging much of anybody's ability to attain success. Unless his idea of "success" is "more than 2 wins".

[Mean Green 93-98]

The Arkansas Razorbacks had begun the year ranked but failed to win a Southeastern Conference game.

This article is terrible. Arkansas was 4-4 in the SEC this year, including last weekend's win over #1 LSU.

[Eagle1855]

This article is terrible. Arkansas was 4-4 in the SEC this year, including last weekend's win over #1 LSU.

yeah it really is... it's also full of grammatical errors.

And what the hell does this mean?

"Nutt basically destroyed a good legacy there ...

Im almost 100% sure that Nutt did more at Arkansas than Brent Guy has done in his entire career.

Ok, Im done with this. sorry, everything about this article annoyed me on many levels.

Edited November 28, 2007 by Eagle1855

[UNTflyer]

"I don't think we'll ever see a Sun Belt team play in the BCS. They're champion doesn't break the Top 25."

And there's really nothing we can say to that other than C-USA is in the same boat.

[BeanCounterGrad'03]

And there's really nothing we can say to that other than C-USA is in the same boat.

And the MAC as well?

[CMJ]

And there's really nothing we can say to that other than C-USA is in the same boat.

We can also say they aren't aware of the differences between -

there

their

they're

[ADLER]

Well, all I can say for him is that Guy now has a lot of idiotic statements to go along with his history of idiotic decisions.

Oh, and other than his on-field futility and having his ass about to be canned, isn't Utah State about to pe placed on NCAA probation for not making minimum attendance requirements? Wow, that eliminates them from post-season eligibilty for several years (like that really matters for USU) but it also eventually forces their program back into the 1AA ranks. The SKY is now starting to look pretty darn BIG in Logan.

This rant couldn't have been more entertaining unless his OC had felt the need to repeat his infamous "Division from Within" speech or an announcement that former USU AD Rance Pugmire had rolled another vehicle. These jackasses have created their own hell; let them stew in it.

Hey Guy!

Wait, I can't stop!

Dislike the Sun Belt? The Sun Belt rescued USU when the WAC was trying it's hardest to kill it. Wright Waters should never have stooped to help those turds.

[NT80]

Guy said ... I don't get involved with (criticism). I really can't affect people's opinion other than winning and losing."

He's done plenty of losing and should start looking for some packing boxes.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

Misery loves company.... His program is bad.... so he tries claim a lot of other programs are as bad or worse.

His credibility is even worse.. inaccurate statements and poorly written... not exactly a ringing endorsement for that college.

[GreenBat]

It would be worth putting $5 dollars in an envelope to call the dude a dumb a$$ for hiring DD.

[emmitt01]

I've got your solution Guy. Call RV and tell him you'd love to have a home and home. Come play a lowly Sun Belt team to try to pad your pathetic win/loss record.

[JesseMartin]

Oooh I love you, Emmitt...lol

[greenminer]

I've got your solution Guy. Call RV and tell him you'd love to have a home and home. Come play a lowly Sun Belt team to try to pad your pathetic win/loss record.

Take Mandy back home with him?

[NT03]

If u want a good laugh check out the Utah State message boards , most HATE the guy. Funniest thing I've read so far :

" Brent Guy said he was impressed how DD's running game looked this season "

.... Utah State is 116th in ToTaL OFFeNse this year

[Rudy]

USUcks already pads their schedule with WAC teams. Oh wait. That didnt work for them either.