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Nine coaching positions filled- 5 openings left

rutgersdave

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Jan 23, 2004
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We aren't competing with South Carolina or Missouri. We are competing with Syracuse and Virginia for candidates. Both of the Ohio States Coordinators were mentioned with Cuse before Rutgers.
 
What on God's Green Earth would make anyone think that WE can compete with USCe OR Mizzou? One school plays in front of 80,000, win or lose, weekly, and the other has won conference titles and played in BCS games recently.
 
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Our old friend Craig Littlepage is the AD at Virginia. Yes, that Craig Littlepage.
 
I think Virginia might be more attractive than Rutgers. They don't have the crazy fans Rutgers has. We already hate all the coaching candidates and will not support him right from the beginning. They have a lot of good to great players in Virginia that are willing to go to an Ivy a league type school. Their expectation is very low considering they took 6 bad seasons to fire London.
 
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Why do so many people feel RU is a low level job? It is arguably the 2nd best division in the country behind the SEC west. Media capital of the world, solid recruiting base, football crazy area. Has had recent success. Decent talent in the program. Coming off a down year without it top offensive player for 1/2 the season, without it's best defensive player the whole year, started a first year QB who showed some flashes of being good. It isn't a hard fix back to bowl win. Or recruiting class is mid 40's, poach/turn a few top guys and you are top 30. A good coach can look good quickly. We need to stop the whoa is me thought process. This job is on par with Missouri and up until Spurrier was equal to South Carolina.
 
Why do so many people feel RU is a low level job? It is arguably the 2nd best division in the country behind the SEC west. Media capital of the world, solid recruiting base, football crazy area. Has had recent success. Decent talent in the program. Coming off a down year without it top offensive player for 1/2 the season, without it's best defensive player the whole year, started a first year QB who showed some flashes of being good. It isn't a hard fix back to bowl win. Or recruiting class is mid 40's, poach/turn a few top guys and you are top 30. A good coach can look good quickly. We need to stop the whoa is me thought process. This job is on par with Missouri and up until Spurrier was equal to South Carolina.
Mizzou....i'd sure hope were a better job.....the B1G didn't want them when they practically begged to get in.
 
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Why do so many people feel RU is a low level job? It is arguably the 2nd best division in the country behind the SEC west. Media capital of the world, solid recruiting base, PRO football crazy area. Has had recent success. Decent talent in the program. Coming off a down year without it top offensive player for 1/2 the season, without it's best defensive player the whole year, started a first year QB who showed some flashes of being good. It isn't a hard fix back to bowl win. Or recruiting class is mid 40's, poach/turn a few top guys and you are top 30. A good coach can look good quickly. We need to stop the whoa is me thought process. This job is on par with Missouri and up until Spurrier was equal to South Carolina.
FIFY (in bold). Otherwise I agree except the "top offensive player" won't be here next year, so that's not a plus; it's a minus.
 
Mizzou....i'd sure hope were a better job.....the B1G didn't want them when they practically begged to get in.
And yet the SEC took them. I'm not being contentious - I don't get their appeal either - but there must be something there.
 
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We aren't competing with South Carolina or Missouri. We are competing with Syracuse and Virginia for candidates. Both of the Ohio States Coordinators were mentioned with Cuse before Rutgers.
We are looking at the same level of candidate as SC and Missouri just with a different geographic focus.
 
Why do so many people feel RU is a low level job? It is arguably the 2nd best division in the country behind the SEC west. Media capital of the world, solid recruiting base, football crazy area. Has had recent success. Decent talent in the program. Coming off a down year without it top offensive player for 1/2 the season, without it's best defensive player the whole year, started a first year QB who showed some flashes of being good. It isn't a hard fix back to bowl win. Or recruiting class is mid 40's, poach/turn a few top guys and you are top 30. A good coach can look good quickly. We need to stop the whoa is me thought process. This job is on par with Missouri and up until Spurrier was equal to South Carolina.
Why? Because this board is full of self-loathers.
However, having lived outside of NJ (NC, Ohio, Indiana, and spend lots of time in Arizona), there is a generally bad perception about NJ.
When I explain to someone NJ is the Garden State, they do look at me like I am crazy.
 
Why do so many people feel RU is a low level job? It is arguably the 2nd best division in the country behind the SEC west. Media capital of the world, solid recruiting base, football crazy area. Has had recent success. Decent talent in the program. Coming off a down year without it top offensive player for 1/2 the season, without it's best defensive player the whole year, started a first year QB who showed some flashes of being good. It isn't a hard fix back to bowl win. Or recruiting class is mid 40's, poach/turn a few top guys and you are top 30. A good coach can look good quickly. We need to stop the whoa is me thought process. This job is on par with Missouri and up until Spurrier was equal to South Carolina.

When was the last time we won a division, an outright conference title, or played in a BCS game? When was the last time we had no problem selling out an 80,000 seat stadium? Until either of those are the case, as much as I WANT us to be an equal, or better opening, we're simply not.

Now, that doesn't mean we're a "low level" job, either, because of the reasons you point out. Just gotta find the right guy here, who fits in a myriad of ways, which makes it a lot more difficult than it should be.

BTW - our search has been going on for 3 days now. Maybe 4-5. Let's relax just a bit everyone.
 
We aren't competing with South Carolina or Missouri. We are competing with Syracuse and Virginia for candidates. Both of the Ohio States Coordinators were mentioned with Cuse before Rutgers.
BTW Virginia offered Richt $5M. I don't think you guys will go that far.
 
Rutgers is not as good/better option than the schools mentioned because of the lack of support from the state and university (financially and in general), the lack of fan support, and the lack of media support. It a bitch trying to get things done here! Could be a great place if things someday change.
 
BTW Virginia offered Richt $5M. I don't think you guys will go that far.

I've seen that as well. Miami was said to have $4mm tops for head coach, but with adequate money for assistants. Miami paid Golden $2.5mm.
 
Reports are surfacing that Rutgers may be willing to pay $4 million a year for a new coach.
 
Reports are surfacing that Rutgers may be willing to pay $4 million a year for a new coach.
Where in the world did you hear that? It was a rumor for a hot minute on Tuesday, but got squashed like a grape yesterday and I think it's pretty much understood that our max budget is 2-2.5 mil a year.
 
There are many aspects of RU that are more attractive than either Mizzou or USCe. Clearly Mizzou and USCe have better football histories, especially recently, but both are in backwoods areas, and nowhere near a major city, much less New York City. Also, the academic quality of RU is superior. For some coaches and their families, those would be important considerations.
 
And yet the SEC took them. I'm not being contentious - I don't get their appeal either - but there must be something there.
"Took them" as opposed to "wanted them". The SEC wanted Virginia Tech. The two programs that ready, willing, and able to move to the SEC other than Texas A&M were Missouri and West Virginia and the SEC had plans to create the SEC Network with ESPN.
 
Also, the academic quality of RU is superior. For some coaches and their families, those would be important considerations.

The elementary and secondary school quality in university towns is generally better than a state as a whole. And with a salary of a couple of million dollars per year, a coaches kids can easily go to the best school they can get admitted to.

What you left out, and was cited a few posts above yours, is the lack of university, alumni (financially), legislative, fan and media support for the team they coach. Those are important considerations as well.
 
When was the last time we won a division, an outright conference title, or played in a BCS game? When was the last time we had no problem selling out an 80,000 seat stadium? Until either of those are the case, as much as I WANT us to be an equal, or better opening, we're simply not.

Now, that doesn't mean we're a "low level" job, either, because of the reasons you point out. Just gotta find the right guy here, who fits in a myriad of ways, which makes it a lot more difficult than it should be.

BTW - our search has been going on for 3 days now. Maybe 4-5. Let's relax just a bit everyone.

The seats will fill back up once a winner's mentality culture can be reestablished. First the hype needs to be created and then follow through with a high level of competitiveness. We don't have to beat everybody (would be nice) but at least show we'll go blow for blow with all the other programs. Indiana plays incredibily well in conference for a team often viewed as a cellar dwellar. People will show up in droves for the chance to see RU take out OSU, MSU, Mich, or PSU in person. We just need a coach that can bring that winning culture with him.

At least that is what I believe.
 
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There are many aspects of RU that are more attractive than either Mizzou or USCe. Clearly Mizzou and USCe have better football histories, especially recently, but both are in backwoods areas, and nowhere near a major city, much less New York City. Also, the academic quality of RU is superior. For some coaches and their families, those would be important considerations.
I think some of you are vastly overrating how much anyone in the coaching profession cares about this. First, Tuscaloosa, Norman, Tallahassee, Gainesville, South Bend, and more are hardly cosmopolitan. Second, $4 million in Columbia, MO goes a lot further than $2 million in NYC.
 
We are not swimming in the same waters when they have no problem spending twice what we would on salary.

Rutgers will not be paying $4m for a new coach. We'll be lucky if they spend $2m.
 
Annually:

South Carolina: $21MM in ticket sales/$30MM in athletic department donations
Missou: $24MM in ticket sales/$20MM in athletic department donations
Rutgers: $10MM in ticket sales/$8MM in athletic department donations

We operate with $26MM/year less than Missouri BEFORE you factor in conference distribution.
 
BTW Virginia offered Richt $5M. I don't think you guys will go that far.
He's solid....but not Harbaugh great....5M is more than he's worth at least to start......4M is stretching it but in this market not out of line for the top tier candidates.
 
There are many aspects of RU that are more attractive than either Mizzou or USCe. Clearly Mizzou and USCe have better football histories, especially recently, but both are in backwoods areas, and nowhere near a major city, much less New York City. Also, the academic quality of RU is superior. For some coaches and their families, those would be important considerations.
If you don't know what you are talking about just don't type. Columbia SC is definitely a city, by all measures. Even Columbia, Missouri has over 100k.
 
Why? Because this board is full of self-loathers.
However, having lived outside of NJ (NC, Ohio, Indiana, and spend lots of time in Arizona), there is a generally bad perception about NJ
When I explain to someone NJ is the Garden State, they do look at me like I am crazy.
I
 
Annually:

South Carolina: $21MM in ticket sales/$30MM in athletic department donations
Missou: $24MM in ticket sales/$20MM in athletic department donations
Rutgers: $10MM in ticket sales/$8MM in athletic department donations

We operate with $26MM/year less than Missouri BEFORE you factor in conference distribution.

The ticket data seems old.
 
I believe it is from 2013 so, yes a bit dated. That said even if we went up 30%, which I doubt, I believe the point stands.
I think the point stands, but I think it's more like 100% increase.

Giving away tickets vs $200 for psu
 
I think the point stands, but I think it's more like 100% increase.

Giving away tickets vs $200 for psu

You think our ticket sales went from $10MM to $20MM? I can't see it. That would mean we generate similar revenue from ticket sales as USCe and their stadium seats 80,000+
 
If you don't know what you are talking about just don't type. Columbia SC is definitely a city, by all measures. Even Columbia, Missouri has over 100k.
Those arent cities. If you are a millinaire coach in Columbia where exactly do you spend your millions. The same two high end restaurants. The one decent country club golf course. The third rate orchestra?

Theres a reason that so many people continue to choose to live in NJ despite the expense, and all of the amenities nearby is certainly one of them. Other major cities can match those - but Columbia SC, or MO Might as well be Columbia MD (which itself has 100,000 people.) as far as being a real city.
 
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I believe it is from 2013 so, yes a bit dated. That said even if we went up 30%, which I doubt, I believe the point stands.


Actually, the point doesn't stand. It completely ignores the difference between revenue and budget (expenses). Even still, it only considers two sources of revenues rather than the whole picture.
 
Actually, the point doesn't stand. It completely ignores the difference between revenue and budget (expenses). Even still, it only considers two sources of revenues rather than the whole picture.

I am confused. I am admittedly showing just the two numbers that pretty much are directly in the fan base control. How much we are willing to pay for tickets and how much we donate. By those two metrics we trail schools like Missou and USCe by a significant margin. Is your point that USCe's "expenses" to generate the additional $11MM in ticket sales annually and $22MM in athletic donations annually are materially offset by the expenses it takes to generate that additional revenue? How much more do you think it costs to raise that $33MM annual difference? $2MM? $5MM?$10MM?

I still believe the intent of my point stands.
 
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Those arent cities. If you are a millinaire coach in Columbia where exactly do you spend your millions. The same two high end restaurants. The one decent country club golf course. The third rate orchestra?

Theres a reason that so many people continue to choose to live in NJ despite the expense, and all of the amenities nearby is certainly one of them. Other major cities can match those - but Columbia SC, or MO Might as well be Columbia MD (which itself has 100,000 people.) as far as being a real city.
And the best football coaches don't care about any of that.

With the exception of USC none of the best jobs are in major metropolitan areas. The next biggest area after that has one of the top jobs is probably Columbus. Ann Arbor is an hour from Detroit. Austin, Tuscaloosa, South Bend, Gainesville, Tallahassee...coaches care about where they can win and how much they're being paid. They don't care about restaurants and Orchestras.
 
I didn't realize the best part of the Rutgers football job was that you can take in a Broadway play every Sunday.... These guys work 18 hour days and sleep in their offices.
 
If you don't know what you are talking about just don't type. Columbia SC is definitely a city, by all measures. Even Columbia, Missouri has over 100k.
Columbia, South Carolina is the 195th largest city in the US. I said it is "nowhere near a major city," and undeniably it is not. The nearest major city is Atlanta, over 200 miles away.

Now, some folks like to live is more rural areas. After commuting to NYC 2 days a week for 20 years, I was happy to pick Dunedin, New Zealand over Auckland, New Zealand. Our town is about the same size as Columbia. And some people just don't like the idea of living in New Jersey, so we have that going against us.

However, what we do have going for us, which is what my previous point was, is that we are in the NYC metropolitan region, we have a high proportion of highly educated people, and a high quality university academically. USCe and Mizzou cannot come close to any of that (and Mizzou is my #2 team). Those are facts.

The point that quality of location doesn't matter to college coaches is true, to a degree. And in many rural areas, football is clearly king, and if you are a football guy, why wouldn't you want to be king? (I once was a finalist for a deanship at UNC and was asked why I would want to be dean there. Given my last name is Smith, my answer was simple: Just for restaurant reservations alone, who wouldn't want to be Dean Smith in Chapel Hill?)

But we shouldn't sell short the advantages of coming to Rutgers and making it a big time program. They would be astronomical.
 
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