Can we stop with the false narrative of "Hobbs had no plan"?

[NickRU714]

Just say "Hobbs was supposed to have hired Schaino already!"
It's what you really mean.

There was zero chance a new HC was being hired mid-season.
I repeat: ZERO.ZERO chance Schiano or anyone else was being hired mid-season.

The only alternative plan this year would have been not firing Ash until later in or after the season
Just image this board if Ash was still HC and we continued losing:
"Hobbs has no plan"
"Rutgers is national embarassment"
"Recruiting is decimated - no player will sign up for this while Ash is still here"
"No reasonabld coach will come here"

Or do people think Ash wouldn't have continued to be a total disaster?

 

[RUScrew85]

Just say "Hobbs was supposed to have hired Schaino already!"
It's what you really mean.

There was zero chance a new HC was being hired mid-season.
I repeat: ZERO.ZERO chance Schiano or anyone else was being hired mid-season.

The only alternative plan this year would have been not firing Ash until later in or after the season
Just image this board if Ash was still HC and we continued losing:
"Hobbs has no plan"
"Rutgers is national embarassment"
"Recruiting is decimated - no player will sign up for this while Ash is still here"
"No reasonabld coach will come here"

Or do people think Ash wouldn't have continued to be a total disaster?

All of these still seem true.

"Hobbs has no plan"
"Rutgers is national embarrassment"
"Recruiting is decimated - no player will sign up for this while we have no coach"
"No reasonable coach will come here"

 

[bitnez]

Hobbs is the face and voice of the athletic department. While he did state that he expected to make a hire at the end of the season he did a poor job of explaining the process. He should have laid out the plan clearly and concisely:

I will assemble a list of candidates, I will use a search firm to help supplement and/or vet those candidates, I may speak to certain candidates before the end of the season but that’s unlikely because the list of candidates is likely to include current coaches, and whether I speak with someone now, in a few weeks or at the end of the season, it will not reflect on my interest in the candidate as I intend to be deliberate and speak to a pool of candidates.

 

[T2Kplus10]

All of these still seem true.

"Hobbs has no plan"
"Rutgers is national embarrassment"
"Recruiting is decimated - no player will sign up for this while we have no coach"
"No reasonable coach will come here"

+1
These seem very reasonable and accurate.

 

[T2Kplus10]

I will assemble a list of candidates, I will use a search firm to help supplement and/or vet those candidates, I may speak to certain candidates before the end of the season but that’s unlikely because the list of candidates is likely to include current coaches, and whether I speak with someone now, in a few weeks or at the end of the season, it will not reflect on my interest in the candidate as I intend to be deliberate and speak to a pool of candidates.

Wow, simple and elegant! Well done.

 

[MrsScrew]

Just say "Hobbs was supposed to have hired Schaino already!"
It's what you really mean.

There was zero chance a new HC was being hired mid-season.
I repeat: ZERO.ZERO chance Schiano or anyone else was being hired mid-season.

The only alternative plan this year would have been not firing Ash until later in or after the season
Just image this board if Ash was still HC and we continued losing:
"Hobbs has no plan"
"Rutgers is national embarassment"
"Recruiting is decimated - no player will sign up for this while Ash is still here"
"No reasonabld coach will come here"

Or do people think Ash wouldn't have continued to be a total disaster?

this. totally this.

 

[RUnTeX]

He should have laid out the plan clearly and concisely:

I will assemble a list of candidates, I will use a search firm to help supplement and/or vet those candidates, I may speak to certain candidates before the end of the season but that’s unlikely because the list of candidates is likely to include current coaches, and whether I speak with someone now, in a few weeks or at the end of the season, it will not reflect on my interest in the candidate as I intend to be deliberate and speak to a pool of candidates.

While it might be nice from where we sit to get an explanation/statement like that, however clear and concise, it's not something I'd expect beyond what his remarks actually were. To stakeholders internal to the organization, yes, to the media/fans/general public, not likely.

 

[rurichdog]

It's basically the same path followed by Purdue in 2016.
Fired Darrell Hazell mid-season. Promoted Gerad Parker to be a punching bag for the remainder of the season. Hired Brohm in the off-season.

I'm not exactly sure why Rutgers fans thought we'd handle it any differently. We're not special.

 

[anon_ivydyf0amkzay]

In the big cosmic scheme of things this may have happened:

Rutgers was settled over the holiest of Native American burial sites

Some higher power got cute and entered the following into the big cosmic calculator

RUTGERS
__________

0

:Shocked

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

Just say "Hobbs was supposed to have hired Schaino already!"
It's what you really mean.

100% Nailed It!

 

[Knight Shift]

Just say "Hobbs was supposed to have hired Schaino already!"
It's what you really mean.

There was zero chance a new HC was being hired mid-season.
I repeat: ZERO.ZERO chance Schiano or anyone else was being hired mid-season.

The only alternative plan this year would have been not firing Ash until later in or after the season
Just image this board if Ash was still HC and we continued losing:
"Hobbs has no plan"
"Rutgers is national embarassment"
"Recruiting is decimated - no player will sign up for this while Ash is still here"
"No reasonabld coach will come here"

Or do people think Ash wouldn't have continued to be a total disaster?

Oh look, a Hobby Horse rider.

(kidding). Good post.

 

[mikeru]

It's basically the same path followed by Purdue in 2016.
Fired Darrell Hazell mid-season. Promoted Gerad Parker to be a punching bag for the remainder of the season. Hired Brohm in the off-season.

I'm not exactly sure why Rutgers fans thought we'd handle it any differently. We're not special.

Ah, yes. We, as RU fans, should always check to see what...(checks notes)...Purdue did prior. Who could forget (or care)!

 

[RUInsanity]

Ah, yes. We, as RU fans, should always check to see what...(checks notes)...Purdue did prior. Who could forget (or care)!

What Purdue did seems to be standard for in-season HC firings in pretty much any sport at both college and pro level. Fire the HC, put an interim in place and perform a search. Hire the new guy in the offseason. What would you suggest be done differently?

 

[NickRU714]

All of these still seem true.

"Hobbs has no plan"
"Rutgers is national embarrassment"
"Recruiting is decimated - no player will sign up for this while we have no coach"
"No reasonable coach will come here"

Exactly. You proved the point.
Regardless of plan "Fire Ash in week 4" or "Fire Ash after season ends" all those thing were going to be present.

But with Ash fired already, it takes the "will he or won't he be fired" off the table and saves us 8 more Ash post game press conferences.

Would you rather Hobbs not have fired Ash?
That would be going over really well around here.
And before you say "No. Fire Ash and hire a new coach immediately" - that was never happening.

 

[mdh2003]

This season was always going to be train wreck. Except now, it’s a spectacular one, instead of just a plain ole regular one.

 

[Ridge 22]

While it might be nice from where we sit to get an explanation/statement like that, however clear and concise, it's not something I'd expect beyond what his remarks actually were. To stakeholders internal to the organization, yes, to the media/fans/general public, not likely.

That's fine and his prerogative I guess. However, if you choose to poorly articulate your position on the hiring process, then be prepared to deal with lots of questions from people who do not understand how you plan to handle the process and/or who may think you have no plan. Just seems like typical RU behavior where we let the narrative control us instead of the other way around.

 

[srru86]

The same people complaining about a lack of a plan would be demanding immediate action if Ash were still on the sidelines.

 

[Knight Shift]

That's fine and his prerogative I guess. However, if you choose to poorly articulate your position on the hiring process, then be prepared to deal with lots of questions from people who do not understand how you plan to handle the process and/or who may think you have no plan. Just seems like typical RU behavior where we let the narrative control us instead of the other way around.

Didn't he lay out his plan in his press conference (taken from ScarletKnights.com) (he delivered the search firm right on schedule):

Q. The process, it's a two-month process. I assume you're not going to hire anyone before the end of the season?
PAT HOBBS: My intention right now is that we would hopefully be in a position to announce at the end of the season.

You asked about a search committee. Probably will employ a search firm. We'll probably start having some conversations with some of those organizations late this week, next week, before we make a decision. But they can be invaluable in the process. They act as a funnel for information. Obviously if football coaches want to reach out, either themselves or through intermediaries, I would rather not be handling that part of the process, because we want to use all of our efforts and our time to make a considered decision to bring the very best coach here to Rutgers University.

 

[Ridge 22]

Didn't he lay out his plan in his press conference (taken from ScarletKnights.com) (he delivered the search firm right on schedule):

Q. The process, it's a two-month process. I assume you're not going to hire anyone before the end of the season?
PAT HOBBS: My intention right now is that we would hopefully be in a position to announce at the end of the season.

You asked about a search committee. Probably will employ a search firm. We'll probably start having some conversations with some of those organizations late this week, next week, before we make a decision. But they can be invaluable in the process. They act as a funnel for information. Obviously if football coaches want to reach out, either themselves or through intermediaries, I would rather not be handling that part of the process, because we want to use all of our efforts and our time to make a considered decision to bring the very best coach here to Rutgers University.

You keep posting that, but it doesn't take away from the fact that it is a generic statement which says very little beyond 'despite firing our coach mid-season we haven't done anything yet and this is going to take a really long time....).

 

[Knight Shift]

You keep posting that, but it doesn't take away from the fact that it is a generic statement which says very little beyond 'despite firing our coach mid-season we haven't done anything yet and this is going to take a really long time....).

Do you expect him to provide a detailed timeline of his hiring process? Why do fans need to know this? He gave his starting point (hiring a search firm) and an end date with the deliverable of hiring the head coach.
Not really sure what you are looking for from him in this regard.

 

[RUScrew85]

Exactly. You proved the point.
Regardless of plan "Fire Ash in week 4" or "Fire Ash after season ends" all those thing were going to be present.

But with Ash fired already, it takes the "will he or won't he be fired" off the table and saves us 8 more Ash post game press conferences.

Would you rather Hobbs not have fired Ash?
That would be going over really well around here.
And before you say "No. Fire Ash and hire a new coach immediately" - that was never happening.

Fair enough.

 

[Ridge 22]

Do you expect him to provide a detailed timeline of his hiring process? Why do fans need to know this? He gave his starting point (hiring a search firm) and an end date with the deliverable of hiring the head coach.
Not really sure what you are looking for from him in this regard.

As I said, that is his prerogative. He is not required to elaborate. But when you fail to effectively communicate your plan, be prepared for people to question whether you have a plan, which is where we find ourselves now. Can't have it both ways. Especially when the person directing the process failed in his first attempt and is backed by a University with a longstanding history of poor leadership, questionable decision making, ineptitude, and a penchant for trying to always to do things as cheaply as possible. Add to the fact that there are lots of rumblings coming from the more informed that Hobbs ego may be playing a factor, and I think it becomes clear why people are expressing concern about how this process is being handled and what the potential outcome might be

 

[Knight Shift]

As I said, that is his prerogative. He is not required to elaborate. But when you fail to effectively communicate your plan, be prepared for people to question whether you have a plan, which is where we find ourselves now. Can't have it both ways. Especially when the person directing the process failed in his first attempt and is backed by a University with a longstanding history of poor leadership, questionable decision making, ineptitude, and a penchant for trying to always to do things as cheaply as possible. Add to the fact that there are lots of rumblings coming from the more informed that Hobbs ego may be playing a factor, and I think it becomes clear why people are expressing concern about how this process is being handled and what the potential outcome might be

I suggest you read the On the Banks blog post I posted in another thread.
I think "failed in his first attempt" is completely accurate, but not really fair considering (from OTB):

"Hobbs also was one week on the job when he hired Ash. It was a chaotic time at Rutgers with the many scandals and missteps of Julie Hermann and Kyle Flood. In retrospect, the rush to replace Flood so quickly was a mistake, but we don’t know if Hobbs had a mandate to do so or if that was his decision. We also don’t know what legitimate candidates would have been willing to take the job at Rutgers with NCAA sanctions looming."

I also think that based on what you posted, you are letting rumblings, rumors and innuendo get the best of you. I am tuning that stuff out, mainly because it has been proven false so many times before. Case in point--Flood was going to be fired after the 2013 USF game. Case in point--Ash's name came from out of nowhere when he was hired.

Finally, don't think you are accurate when you say "questionable decision making, ineptitude, and a penchant for trying to always to do things as cheaply as possible."

Other than the Ash hire (and what some think the firing timeline), where has Hobbs shown questionable decision making? And he said there will be money there to hire a top coach. Again, think that you are letting things in the past creep into what you think might happen now. Things are different now. Look at all the money that has been raised and the athletics facilities being built. It is hard to forget the past, because there have been many mis-steps. But in my opinion (and many others), it is a new day, and we have money and resources, and a plan.

 

[Mr Magoo]

It's basically the same path followed by Purdue in 2016.
Fired Darrell Hazell mid-season. Promoted Gerad Parker to be a punching bag for the remainder of the season. Hired Brohm in the off-season.

I'm not exactly sure why Rutgers fans thought we'd handle it any differently. We're not special.

makes sense...but we do seem pretty “special”.

 

[Ridge 22]

I suggest you read the On the Banks blog post I posted in another thread.
I think "failed in his first attempt" is completely accurate, but not really fair considering (from OTB):

"Hobbs also was one week on the job when he hired Ash. It was a chaotic time at Rutgers with the many scandals and missteps of Julie Hermann and Kyle Flood. In retrospect, the rush to replace Flood so quickly was a mistake, but we don’t know if Hobbs had a mandate to do so or if that was his decision. We also don’t know what legitimate candidates would have been willing to take the job at Rutgers with NCAA sanctions looming."

I also think that based on what you posted, you are letting rumblings, rumors and innuendo get the best of you. I am tuning that stuff out, mainly because it has been proven false so many times before. Case in point--Flood was going to be fired after the 2013 USF game. Case in point--Ash's name came from out of nowhere when he was hired.

Finally, don't think you are accurate when you say "questionable decision making, ineptitude, and a penchant for trying to always to do things as cheaply as possible."

Other than the Ash hire (and what some think the firing timeline), where has Hobbs shown questionable decision making? And he said there will be money there to hire a top coach. Again, think that you are letting things in the past creep into what you think might happen now. Things are different now. Look at all the money that has been raised and the athletics facilities being built. It is hard to forget the past, because there have been many mis-steps. But in my opinion (and many others), it is a new day, and we have money and resources, and a plan.

Got it. It is a new day. Our leadership is strong, the entire university supports athletics and is behind RU football, money is a non-issue, and we are just a hair away from glory with the right hire, which surely we will make. The future is bright and the plan to get there has been well articulated. I look forward to it.

 

[AreYouNUTS]

Can’t argue with the OP!

 

[Knight Shift]

Got it. It is a new day. Our leadership is strong, the entire university supports athletics and is behind RU football, money is a non-issue, and we are just a hair away from glory with the right hire, which surely we will make. The future is bright and the plan to get there has been well articulated. I look forward to it.

Excellent! You got it!!! But I never said we would "surely" make the right hire. But the chances are certainly better than the way we made the last two hires--which was hurried and haphazard. Would love to know why we were in such a hurry with the last hire--OTB raises a good point there. The fact that Rutgers is taking its time with this hire should be viewed as a positive.

 

[Ridge 22]

Excellent! You got it!!! But I never said we would "surely" make the right hire. But the chances are certainly better than the way we made the last two hires--which was hurried and haphazard. Would love to know why we were in such a hurry with the last hire--OTB raises a good point there. The fact that Rutgers is taking its time with this hire should be viewed as a positive.

I just booked airfare and hotel for the Rose Bowl next year. Can't wait!

 

[G- RUnit]

AD has never met the most successful football coach in RU history who is available. Three weeks after a firing we hire a search committee... Sounds like a plan.

 

[NotInRHouse]

People are upset because Ash should have been fired last year

People are upset because firing him 4 games in allowed for redshirting and transferring

And because every indication from the rumor mill is that Hobbs is ready to not hire GS or someone else with a P5 resume

All pretty solid reasons in my view.

 

[Knight Shift]

I just booked airfare and hotel for the Rose Bowl next year. Can't wait!

I'll buy you a beer or your favorite beverage!
My snark meter is detecting sarcasm. Nobody said that we were going to the Rose Bowl this year on in the next three years.
I will keep pointing to Indiana. Indiana has had one winning record dating back to 1995:
https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/indiana/index.html

This is not going to be easy. As others have said, getting back to respectability is step 1. RU should be in a better position than Indiana considering our location, but one thing I do not agree with Hobbs is his desire to see RU go the Rose Bowl. Sorry, that is setting expectations too high. That statement could come back to haunt him.

 

[scarletbergen]

I wonder.....hmmmm...Did Hobbs give this any thought at the end of last season....how about during the off season...maybe he put his ear to the tracks....maybe he made his plan after spring practice....maybe after summer camp...maybe after the BC game...or maybe...oh well...
at least Ventura is providing “deliverables”

 

[Dpgru]

Excellent! You got it!!! But I never said we would "surely" make the right hire. But the chances are certainly better than the way we made the last two hires--which was hurried and haphazard. Would love to know why we were in such a hurry with the last hire--OTB raises a good point there. The fact that Rutgers is taking its time with this hire should be viewed as a positive.

Knight, you are spitting into the wind. The Schiano people want him hired yesterday. If Hobbs hires Urban Meyer several of them will demand Hobbs be fired.

 

[MrsScrew]

People are upset because Ash should have been fired last year

People are upset because firing him 4 games in allowed for redshirting and transferring

And because every indication from the rumor mill is that Hobbs is ready to not hire GS or someone else with a P5 resume

All pretty solid reasons in my view.

1. Ash should have been fired last year but that's water under the bridge and no sense talking about it anymore

2. Firing after 4 games and not 5....calculated move for the players or uneducated move on Hobbs' part? not sure we'll ever know

3. Rumor mill....is a freaking rumor mill. I heard Hobbs' is going to hire a 3 legged purple monster as HC,...doesn't make it true.

4. Hobbs made a spur of the moment decision to fire Ash after seeing him on the plane, on his laptop hitting play....stop...rewind...over and over. He got home. He called Barchi and the BOG and he fired Ash. there was no time for a well thought out plan. The fans and the donors were calling for Ash's head on a platter...Hobbs' delivered it to them. Anyone, other than GS, who has a shot at this job already has a job...Hobbs can't talk to any coach who has a job. P5 or otherwise until the end of the season. period. There is no reason for Hobbs or anyone else to put out a list of who RU is interested in because their current schools, if they are liked, will automatically just extend their current contract (see: Matt Ruhle).

5. Hobbs interviewed ONE person for the last job....Ash. we all know how that went. He needs to talk to more than just GS this time around and make sure he is hiring the right person for the job.

The fans and donors asked for Ash's head on a platter. We got it. ...Careful what you wish for.

 

[RU848789]

5. Hobbs interviewed ONE person for the last job....Ash. we all know how that went. He needs to talk to more than just GS this time around and make sure he is hiring the right person for the job.

At the end of the day, this is all that matters with regard to Hobbs and the perception many of us have with respect to his ability to make a good hiring decision for football. A huge, huge strikeout, after a thoroughly inept hiriing process is all we have to go by. Doesn't mean he hasn't done well elsewhere in his job and that he can't do better the 2nd time around, but because of his football history, until we know who the new coach is, we're going to continue to see people questioning, if not hammering, Hobbs.

 

[RUInsanity]

People are upset because Ash should have been fired last year

People are upset because firing him 4 games in allowed for redshirting and transferring

And because every indication from the rumor mill is that Hobbs is ready to not hire GS or someone else with a P5 resume

All pretty solid reasons in my view.

At some point it becomes unproductive to keep pointing fingers backwards. I'm actually looking forward to this coaching hire and a fresh start.

• Ash was not fired after last season and we're not really sure why. One thing I do know is that RU historically has been reluctant to fire the head coaches quickly based on poor performance - no matter who the AD was/is. I tend to think that this speaks more to the money factor and relative anti-RU athletics sentiment in NJ in managing the associated cost backlash. In the case of Ash, we had sunk even lower this year, so maybe it finally became a point of no return for not only Hobbs but the BOG etc.

• Regarding Redshirting/Transferring, I'm not really sure what the fuss is all about. This is a strip-down rebuild which will take multiple years to re-establish a foundation. This season is a wash with or without Blackshear/Sit......players who want out after 4 weeks will likely want out after the season....and in the unlikely chance that they stay, they will have extra eligibility to play for RU.

• Being upset based on the rumor mill started by guys like Politi does not seem to healthy to me.

 

[ru-baby]

Doesn't mean he hasn't done well elsewhere in his job and that he can't do better the 2nd time around, but because of his football history, until we know who the new coach is, we're going to continue to see people questioning, if not hammering, Hobbs.

Of course. Given all that's occurred, and the football history, including last seasons tweet, it is to be expected, until some clarity is laid out.

And from what we see on this board routinely, including this thread, the ph group will shout it down with multiple postings in every thread, as if the right to question whether and what the plan is, shouldn't exist. It in many ways brings more attention to the lack of clear articulation.

While there is always fierce debate about coaches and programs, this is perhaps the most divisive RU period I can recall. The debate seems to have devolved to attempts to justify positions to some degree as opposed to this is what i feel best for RU.

 

[Knight Shift]

^^^because only your opinion is best for RU. LOL.

 

[Ridge 22]

4. Hobbs made a spur of the moment decision to fire Ash after seeing him on the plane, on his laptop hitting play....stop...rewind...over and over. He got home. He called Barchi and the BOG and he fired Ash. there was no time for a well thought out plan. The fans and the donors were calling for Ash's head on a platter...Hobbs' delivered it to them. Anyone, other than GS, who has a shot at this job already has a job...Hobbs can't talk to any coach who has a job. P5 or otherwise until the end of the season. period. There is no reason for Hobbs or anyone else to put out a list of who RU is interested in because their current schools, if they are liked, will automatically just extend their current contract (see: Matt Ruhle).

The bold part of this statement doesn't make sense. It was clear after last season that Ash was not the answer. Whether Hobb's couldn't muster the support to make it happen then or he wanted to try and provide Ash with more time to show something this year doesn't change the fact that Ash's employment here has not been on solid footing for a long time now. Firing Ash has been a likely, if not inevitable, outcome for awhile. There is no reason Hobb's shouldn't have been prepared and had a well thought out plan in place at the time of Ash's firing. That should have been the case since at least last year, if not earlier. And if he didn't, he surely should have put one together after the first few games this year based on how things were going. I am guessing you just misspoke and that isn't really what you meant to say. But if you truly believe that this was all done so impromptu simply to appease the fans, and because of that Hobb's was caught off-guard and therefore couldn't have had a well thought out plan in place, then that is so damning of his abilities that he should resign now.

 

[NotInRHouse]

1. Ash should have been fired last year but that's water under the bridge and no sense talking about it anymore

2. Firing after 4 games and not 5....calculated move for the players or uneducated move on Hobbs' part? not sure we'll ever know

3. Rumor mill....is a freaking rumor mill. I heard Hobbs' is going to hire a 3 legged purple monster as HC,...doesn't make it true.

4. Hobbs made a spur of the moment decision to fire Ash after seeing him on the plane, on his laptop hitting play....stop...rewind...over and over. He got home. He called Barchi and the BOG and he fired Ash. there was no time for a well thought out plan. The fans and the donors were calling for Ash's head on a platter...Hobbs' delivered it to them. Anyone, other than GS, who has a shot at this job already has a job...Hobbs can't talk to any coach who has a job. P5 or otherwise until the end of the season. period. There is no reason for Hobbs or anyone else to put out a list of who RU is interested in because their current schools, if they are liked, will automatically just extend their current contract (see: Matt Ruhle).

5. Hobbs interviewed ONE person for the last job....Ash. we all know how that went. He needs to talk to more than just GS this time around and make sure he is hiring the right person for the job.

The fans and donors asked for Ash's head on a platter. We got it. ...Careful what you wish for.

This is a message board. We all discuss things that happened before that shape our fandom. The botched Ash hire and fire are among them.

Rumors are part of the message board.

I agree he should talk to more than GS. But there are definitely other coaches he can talk to now. Jones is getting like 35k/year at Bama to be a consultant, I'm sure he could take a few hours, for example.