OT- UMass Fires Molnar

[FDNY99]

You are out of your mind. If he has a MAC offer then his next best offer could be anything from a P5 team to FCS to even Division II. There is no hard and fast rule.

I never said that he was a Messianic figure. I just said that he wins football games. Which is factual.

Your posts about him are borderline worship. Like you have the autographed Ambrose poster in front of your computer as you write them. Are you mad that Diaco beat him out for the UCONN job? For a guy who had history here with the program, a proven record as a HC he sure impressed the AD during his interview huh. Yeah he does win...and he builds his team like Keeler did at UD..with FBS kids who want to get on the field. Is that bad..nope not at all...but look at the guys that have won at that level and failed at the FBS level...for every Brian Kelly there is a Mark Duffner and a Mike London. And best of all he isn't our HC!

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Your posts about him are borderline worship. Like you have the autographed Ambrose poster in front of your computer as you write them. Are you mad that Diaco beat him out for the UCONN job? For a guy who had history here with the program, a proven record as a HC he sure impressed the AD during his interview huh. Yeah he does win...and he builds his team like Keeler did at UD..with FBS kids who want to get on the field. Is that bad..nope not at all...but look at the guys that have won at that level and failed at the FBS level...for every Brian Kelly there is a Mark Duffner and a Mike London. And best of all he isn't our HC!

If anyone has an extreme view on Ambrose, no offense but it's you.

 

[ZooCougar]

Your posts about him are borderline worship. Like you have the autographed Ambrose poster in front of your computer as you write them. Are you mad that Diaco beat him out for the UCONN job? For a guy who had history here with the program, a proven record as a HC he sure impressed the AD during his interview huh. Yeah he does win...and he builds his team like Keeler did at UD..with FBS kids who want to get on the field. Is that bad..nope not at all...but look at the guys that have won at that level and failed at the FBS level...for every Brian Kelly there is a Mark Duffner and a Mike London. And best of all he isn't our HC!

Please just stop reading my posts. Seriously. I am starting to think you are a complete wackjob, it's more like you have some irrational blood hatred for the guy. Any rational person would see that he has done a good job down there, and he has a good chance at winning at higher levels given the opportunity. Plus he has UConn in his career DNA. Silly me for taking joy in success.

Not mad at all about Diaco. He is the better hire and getting a guy from a Top 25 program is what this place needs. Plus he looks like Archer. I just wish he had gone to boarding school and played Lax.

 

[FDNY99]

If anyone has an extreme view on Ambrose, no offense but it's you.

I'll take that as a compliment Jimmy!!

 

[ZooCougar]

If anyone has an extreme view on Ambrose, no offense but it's you.

He needs to go see someone.

 

[Colt house75]

Shaughnessy weighs in (love the Cheatin Coach Cal comment)

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2...ss-football/8Zh7LNm9RkrxgumwLLZOkO/story.html

Agree with everything in this great article as it sums it all up in MASSachusetts, well except this:
"...But FBS football is folly in New England. ".
Shaughnessy does not get Connecticut sports scene....
I do think that the entire UCONN athletic scene is different than in rest of New England and Eastern MA.
UCONN athletics is our professional sports franchise. Caught in between 2 pro sports towns of NYC and Boston, the climate has been right here for a long time. JC & GA proved it.
With the right hire, HCBD, interest in our pro sports team(s), UCONN FB, can parallel UCONN BB & WBB, and will continue to grow on a path that stopped
three years ago. We have GREAT freakin passionate, knowledgable sports crazy FANS in a sports crazy state ....
Build it, build it right, ...meaning win and they will come......in Connecticut...as opposed to the remainder of N.E. ....as JC said: "It's Doable".

 

[SAMCRO]

Ambrose did a great job at Towson. I don't care if it was on the back of transfers or not. He's playing by the same rules as very other FCS coach. He may be the biggest horses arse in the world, or the nicest guy out there (I've heard the former from people that coached with him), but he is effective and has done a great job at Towson. I'm glad he's not our next coach, but give credit where it is due.

 

[FDNY99]

Ambrose did a great job at Towson. I don't care if it was on the back of transfers or not. He's playing by the same rules as very other FCS coach. He may be the biggest horses arse in the world, or the nicest guy out there (I've heard the latter from people that coached with him), but he is effective and has done a great job at Towson. I'm glad he's not our next coach, but give credit where it is due.

I give him credit for winning and playing by the transfer rule. I have heard different from you from a guy he coached at UCONN with..but that is neither here or there. I actually posted earlier that I thought he should wait for the MD job to open instead of jumping at the UMass job. He has a TON of support in MD and would be a logical fit there. For the record my position on him comes from 2 people I think VERY highly of...one who played at Towson when he was a grad Asst there the other who worked with him at UCONN.

 

[ZooCougar]

I give him credit for winning and playing by the transfer rule. I have heard different from you from a guy he coached at UCONN with..but that is neither here or there. I actually posted earlier that I thought he should wait for the MD job to open instead of jumping at the UMass job. He has a TON of support in MD and would be a logical fit there. For the record my position on him comes from 2 people I think VERY highly of...one who played at Towson when he was a grad Asst there the other who worked with him at UCONN.

Well, many notable alums that played at UConn while he was here, publically endorsed him. So obviously he clicks with some people and doesn't with others. Towson was dreck before he took it over. You don't turn a place around like that without making some people upset and uncomfortable. It takes a more substantial level of commitment to compete at a truly elite level like they are this season.

 

[FDNY99]

Well, many notable alums that played at UConn while he was here, publically endorsed him. So obviously he clicks with some people and doesn't with others. Towson was dreck before he took it over. You don't turn a place around like that without making some people upset and uncomfortable. It takes a more substantial level of commitment to compete at a truly elite level like they are this season.

I agree with you...and that is why I think he fits well at MD. He is from MD and has a TON of contacts there as well as in the metro DC area...they have the facilities there to support him...UMass job would be like going into a black hole. He would be better to stay at Towson and continue his run there..further build his rep as a program builder.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Right now it's 50/50 whether UMass even fields a football team in 5 years.

 

[FDNY99]

Right now it's 50/50 whether UMass even fields a football team in 5 years.

That would be a shame!

 

[junglehusky]

Shaughnessy weighs in (love the Cheatin Coach Cal comment)

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2...ss-football/8Zh7LNm9RkrxgumwLLZOkO/story.html

That's a bit over the top but probably accurate. Taking UConn to the top 25 as an AAC member is a major challenge for Diaco but doable. Getting UMass to even tread water will take nothing short of a miracle whoever they hire. If I'm a UMass fan, I would pray the administration had Orgeron lined up before they made the decision to fire Molnar.

 

[SAMCRO]

I agree with you...and that is why I think he fits well at MD. He is from MD and has a TON of contacts there as well as in the metro DC area...they have the facilities there to support him...UMass job would be like going into a black hole. He would be better to stay at Towson and continue his run there..further build his rep as a program builder.

I think we heard similar things, I may have mis-typed in my prior post. The person I knew on the staff was not a huge fan of RA. Still doesn't minimize the success he's had at Towson, and I am still thrilled he's not our coach. Diaco (auto-correct keeps changing it to Disco) and Narduzzi were top of my wish list, along w/ the guy at Ball St and Herman at tOSU.

 

[weyuo]

They are dumping money into their on campus stadium and building training facilities. They just need to find the right program builder and everyone up there needs to chill till he builds it. Gee... that sounds awfully familiar.

 

[junglehusky]

They are dumping money into their on campus stadium and building training facilities. They just need to find the right program builder and everyone up there needs to chill till he builds it. Gee... that sounds awfully familiar.

Well the one thing that's different - UConn had the opportunity to upgrade into a BCS conference. That's gone but at least we now have a shot at the contract bowls if our conference can consistently out-compete the MWC. Umass never had that shot. Though as a university, they're doing okay academics and research-wise, they don't have the level of state support and focus that UConn enjoys and they have a lot more in-statecompetition for brand space. It'll take more than the right program builder for UMass football to survive, unfortunately.

 

[UMass]

Well the one thing that's different - UConn had the opportunity to upgrade into a BCS conference. That's gone but at least we now have a shot at the contract bowls if our conference can consistently out-compete the MWC. Umass never had that shot. Though as a university, they're doing okay academics and research-wise, they don't have the level of state support and focus that UConn enjoys and they have a lot more in-statecompetition for brand space. It'll take more than the right program builder for UMass football to survive, unfortunately.

This is a great post and sums up the UMass situation quite nicely. UMass needs to decide exactly what their end-game is going to be. If they believe this hire will put them up there with UConn, BC, etc. then they are setting themselves up for disappointment. If their goal is to build a good solid MAC product, move back to Amherst, add a few seats to get McGuirk up to maybe 25,000, then I think they can be very successful within those objectives. UMass came to this FBS party way too late and I don't believe they have the resources to get to be "big time" in the foreseeable future.
That being said, I'm an alum, season ticket holder, maroon bleeding fan an supporter. I will be hoping we hire the next "Chip Kelly" and UMass becomes the next NIU in the MAC.

 

[BlueMAB]

NSFW

 

[MattMang23]

Those are the same guys who made the fox video, no?

 

[weyuo]

This is a great post and sums up the UMass situation quite nicely. UMass needs to decide exactly what their end-game is going to be. If they believe this hire will put them up there with UConn, BC, etc. then they are setting themselves up for disappointment. If their goal is to build a good solid MAC product, move back to Amherst, add a few seats to get McGuirk up to maybe 25,000, then I think they can be very successful within those objectives. UMass came to this FBS party way too late and I don't believe they have the resources to get to be "big time" in the foreseeable future.
That being said, I'm an alum, season ticket holder, maroon bleeding fan an supporter. I will be hoping we hire the next "Chip Kelly" and UMass becomes the next NIU in the MAC.

UMass came to the big party a little over a decade after UConn. If UConn can make it so can UMass. The vote is still out on that for both and will be till one or both starts winning and winning big. Winning solves everything. Winning makes believers out of doubters. Look what happened at UConn. Do you think for one minute that if the basketball wasn't so successful that there would have been a UConn 2000? If there was no Jim Calhoun UConn would be in the A-10 and they would still be playing NH and Maine in football. Get the right people in place and good things can happen...even to UMass.

 

[freescooter]

I think UMass can have some success. They have a lower maximum, but also lower expectations. In many respects they are comparable to Buffalo in what they can be given time and a somewhat expanded/upgraded campus stadium. They turned their backs on their long time supporters to try and appeal to their admittedly large but non-football alumni. Plus 15,000 in a 70,000 seat venue will always seem disappointing. 15,000 in a 22,000 seat venue seems like a solid crowd. They need to focus on 3 things I think. First, getting games back on campus. 2nd putting together some wins. 3rd develop UMass football fans among the current student body. If they have to travel 2 plus hours on a Saturday morning that won't happen. Come back in a decade and play the odd one off in Foxborough and attract a new group of alums who have grown up as UMass football fans.

 

[UMass]

UMass came to the big party a little over a decade after UConn. If UConn can make it so can UMass. The vote is still out on that for both and will be till one or both starts winning and winning big. Winning solves everything. Winning makes believers out of doubters. Look what happened at UConn. Do you think for one minute that if the basketball wasn't so successful that there would have been a UConn 2000? If there was no Jim Calhoun UConn would be in the A-10 and they would still be playing NH and Maine in football. Get the right people in place and good things can happen...even to UMass.

As a UMass guy I certainly hope you are right, however I don't think it is quite that simple. If winning were the sole determining factor, you guys would be in the ACC by now. There is no conceivable way to justify Louisville, BC, and Rutgers being in power conferences over UConn if having a proven winner is the ticket in. Yeah, I get that whole football driving the bus stuff, but even with that criteria in place, UConn has a higher ceiling than the schools I just mentioned.

 

[huskymedic]

Blaud pushing Whipple:

UMass needs to make move on Whipple
http://ajerseyguy.com/?p=8751

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Hey, no one else bought the Charmin ...

 

[UMass]

I was kind of hoping for Ambrose, but maybe his success the last couple of years put him out of our price range. Whipple did lead us to a 1AA National Championship though, so getting him back may energize the fan and alumni base, something UMass desperately needs. Now if there really is a Santa Clause, Don Brown comes back with him to be the DC