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Post by jim64 on Oct 14, 2018 15:16:19 GMT -5
What I am about to say is my opinion and everyone has a right to their opinion. First of all I want to say that I believe coach Spier is one heck of a spokesman for WCU. I really like the man. Two years ago when people were saying he needed to be fired I felt these people were crazy. Fast forward to last year and I started really paying attention to the coaching and I started to realize we were getting out coached in most all the games. We had experienced players that overcame a lot of bad decisions in my opinion by the coaches. One that we couldn't overcome was the Mercer game that really cost us. There were bad decisions in play calling, defensive coverage, special teams etc. This year when the experienced players left on the defensive side we have been pathetic. I grant you admin. could care less and that's where the problem starts but they are not the ones making the adjustments during the game or getting out coached. This year my opinion is that coach Spier is not ready to be head coach material. He seems to be lost when things break down. I feel this is a realistic view of what is happening and what will continue to happen with the administration and coaching staff until real changes are made from the top down. Hampton, your comments are exactly what I have been trying to tell people on this Board for the last 3 years. I made many posts talking about Coach Speir not being ready or qualified to run a Football Program that was a dumpster fire. He came to WCU with NO HC EXPERIENCE, NO DC EXPERIENCE and NO OC EXPERIENCE. What really got me was the Candidates that were passed over to hire him. Because of his lack of HC Experience, it made his hiring of assistant coaches limited. That is why we have so many App State Rejects. He is a salesman & could sell ice to Eskimos. I talked about the OC’s play calling, predictability & the fact that Speir would never make a change at that staff position. The worse things a coach can do is to hire relatives or his buddies on his Staff. Therefore, Coach Speir has put himself in a box & made it a difficult task for him to terminate anyone on his Staff. It is very important to me that you have noticed some of my concerns & I may not be as crazy as some people thought I was in the past few years.
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Post by jim64 on Oct 14, 2018 15:30:13 GMT -5
After listening to Coach Speir’s assessment of the Samford Game today, he is the greatest BSer that I have ever listen to. Once again, he said his coaches did a terrible job preparing the Cats for Samford. How many times are the Cats’ Fans going to accept this excuse. Fans need to keep in mind that UTC’s Coach was a D2 coach 2 years ago. What else can he say? He can't blame the players so he and his staff are taking the blame instead. Not sure what you are looking for The problem is why are the coaches not preparing the team for the games. This excuse has been used numerous times by Coach Speir since he has been at WCU. If I had assistant coaches not doing their job preparing the team, I would bite the bullet & make some coaching changes.
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Post by wcu72 on Oct 14, 2018 16:38:19 GMT -5
To me, Coach Speir can see his mistakes, a week after the game was played. But he can not, go into a game with a good plan or make the adjustments once it's apparent their game plan is not working.
In talking about his mistakes, several times last week, he talked about how it was a mistake (on his part), to start Tyrie in the Samford game. He repeatedly said he should have started Will Jones, and then brought Tyrie in, to spark the offense if it didn't work out with Jones.
Then, what did he do yesterday, under almost the same pregame circumstances?
He started a clearly, not ready to play Tyrie. Then brought in Will Jones when it was apparent that Tyrie was not going to get a score, just as he did in the Samford game. The results were also the same, not quite as bad a score, but a loss is a loss.
This is a guy that does not learn from his own mistakes. I don't understand this.
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Post by catamountalum04 on Oct 14, 2018 20:10:41 GMT -5
I think this is very telling. This man is a players dad so he is at every game and knows football. Why is it so hard to admit Mark is a great guy but not a great coach Coach Speir is a great man, not a great coach. That is my opinion. I’ve seen better coached teams in HS in North Georgia. A great coach, and Western Alum, is coaching only an hour away from Cullowhee. Go watch Rabun County play.
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Post by mtncat1 on Oct 15, 2018 15:29:36 GMT -5
Let's face it folks, until things change at the VERY top and until WCU has a COMPLETE paradigm shift in thinking about athletics, we are going to be as good as we've been and nothing will change.
I've accepted this fact. I don't like it, but I've accepted it. I'll still give my money, show up to games and try not to be too rowdy or cheer too loud until things change at the top. Show me some major changes at the top, then I'll have different expectations. Until then, I'm not going to go down the path of this bitter and hateful scapegoating that rears its ugly head up each time WCU has a bad loss or a losing season.
I totally agree with your first sentence mtncat1, you are spot on. I also understand your second sentence, "I've accepted this fact." - many, many Catamount fans have accepted the athletic program at WCU are what they are, that's the way it's always been and will always be. There certainly has been enough history to understand how you and many others feel that way. It's your final two sentences that seems contradictory to me, "Show me some major changes at the top, then I'll have different expectations. Until then, I'm not going to go down the path of this bitter and hateful scapegoating that rears its ugly head up each time WCU has a bad loss or a losing season." The reason I say contradictory, you state, "you'll give our money, show up at games and try not to be rowdy". Don't you see, Catamount fans have done just that for the past 40 years? Sitting on their hands, resulting in an athletic program, (specifically football) that has created the paradigm that nothing should change in athletic funding by the administration. Until you (and most Catamount fans) have different expectations (the expectation of competitive, winning football), that paradigm shift will NEVER happen. Don't you see, that if the entire fan base goes down that "path of bitter and hateful scapegoating that rears its ugly head up each time WCU has a bad loss or a losing season." is one of the many things that can cause a paradigm shift with the BOT, and the next chancellor. If everyone just sits there, fat, dumb and happy - nothing will change, just as nothing has changed in athletics since the university became members of the Southern Conference over 40 years ago. So, you can go ahead, make no waves, give your money, show up at games, and look down your nose at those that want more for athletics. You'll have WCU football, just like the WCU football of the past 40 years, while you count the number of winning season in both hands, and no conference championships. Thanks for your response. I know we all want changes to happen. I just don't know what else to do. I've voiced my concerns in a positive and constructive way to anyone and everyone that would listen to me in the AD and Admin staffs. My clarification on my comment about the "path of bitter and hateful scapegoating" is it that the problem goes way beyond one coach or one AD. The problem starts at the top, to which, I think most of us agree. This point seems to be underscored even more by the recent news posted about how much money ASU will be getting for facility and stadium upgrades. WCU is just not placing any priority or emphasis on improving our best marketing tool, Football and athletics.
I have a question for those on this board. Are we in a situation where something really drastic is going to have to happen before staffing changes take place at the BOT, Chancellor, and Admin levels such as some form of "petition contract" signed by members of the top 4 or 5 levels of giving? Basically, one that states if a plan is not laid out to improve athletics then donations will be held back for the upcoming fiscal year? Yes, things might get really, really bad before they get better, but I don't know what else could send the message that a TON of folks are sick and tired of the same old results we've had for 40+ years.
Beliefs turn to behaviors and behaviors turn into results. I don't think the beliefs need to change with the fans, I think the beliefs need to change with those who are running WCU. Again, until I see that the belief system and culture changes at the top, then my expectations for the behaviors and results to change will not change. That's all I was trying to convey.
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Post by mtncat1 on Oct 15, 2018 15:41:02 GMT -5
What part was BS? Or, is what you are trying to say is that the very fact that the coaches are blaming themselves is just BS and Speir is "just saying that and lying"? Are you saying that it is the players fault and by Speir saying it is the coaches fault, that this is just him "BS'ing". By saying how many times are the fans going to accept this excuse, what do you mean? What difference does it make whether excuses are accepted or not? Since when at WCU has the fact that fans didn't accept excuses EVER changed anything? So, you can blame the coaches all you want, blame the players all you want but the REAL issue we've got on our hands is a systematic lack of support for WCU football and overall athletics by WCU Admin, WCU board of directors, WCU Cat Club fundraising, UNC Admin, business and local community. PERIOD. I've stepped up my game and level of support for the past 15 years in the Cat Club, so have many others, but we are STILL WAY BELOW others in our conference. I give enough to "Scmooze" with the top donors in the Purple Zone, but stopped attending because I'm tired of listening to a bunch of old farts complain. Maybe I'm just too young to hang out with this type of crowd, but dang what a sour bunch to be around. I'll just hang out at a local brewery or tailgate with friends before the game, much more positive experience. I sit near a lot of these same folks in the stadium and get odd looks when I stand up on 3rd down and cheer. I get the "sit down, I can't see" request from these chromogens that literally have the cat club shirts and purple zone passes. UNREAL (and I don't curse, scream, or say anything derogatory about refs or players). I'm not even going to list off the issues with WCU Admin and UNC admin, that dead horse has been beaten in other posts.
Simpleton's like to not think about deep issues and like to find easy scapegoats, then b*&^ch and complain about that person or set of person(s), whether it be the topic of socioeconomic disparity, #metoo movement, or whatever the topic. It's easy, it requires little thought, yet it yields an immediate satisfaction that the "culprit" has been identified and progress is being made by picking apart the identified "culprit" or problem whilst shifting the focus away from the REAL problem and advancing an agenda. You can hire Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Dabo Sweeney and all the Stoops brothers to coach WCU and we'd still have the same issues we've got today. Let's face it folks, until things change at the VERY top and until WCU has a COMPLETE paradigm shift in thinking about athletics, we are going to be as good as we've been and nothing will change.
I've accepted this fact. I don't like it, but I've accepted it. I'll still give my money, show up to games and try not to be too rowdy or cheer too loud until things change at the top. Show me some major changes at the top, then I'll have different expectations. Until then, I'm not going to go down the path of this bitter and hateful scapegoating that rears its ugly head up each time WCU has a bad loss or a losing season.
I never said anything about the players. I was talking about the statement Coach Speir made about his staff not preparing the players for the Samford Game. He has used that excuse numerous times in the past & it is getting old. I have not gotten to the point that I’m willing to accept failure in the Athletic Programs like you have at this point. Unlike you, I will not down you or your comments in your post. I think the people on here that are upset with the Football Program love WCU just as much as you do. You nor they should be attacked for their opinions. You have a nice weekend & pull the Cats to victory over UTC. Jim64, My post was not meant to be an attack on anyone expressing their thoughts and ideas. If the post came across that way to you or anyone else that way, then I want to offer my apology. It is of my humble view that the problems with our football program do not end and begin with the current coaching staff or players. The problems stem from an overall lack of vision, plan, and support by the folks who administer the overall business affairs of the university. I could very well be wrong, but I don't think any other coaching staff in our conference could sustain a winning program at WCU due to the aforementioned problem WCU has at the admin level.
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Post by jim64 on Oct 19, 2018 12:09:39 GMT -5
I never said anything about the players. I was talking about the statement Coach Speir made about his staff not preparing the players for the Samford Game. He has used that excuse numerous times in the past & it is getting old. I have not gotten to the point that I’m willing to accept failure in the Athletic Programs like you have at this point. Unlike you, I will not down you or your comments in your post. I think the people on here that are upset with the Football Program love WCU just as much as you do. You nor they should be attacked for their opinions. You have a nice weekend & pull the Cats to victory over UTC. Jim64, My post was not meant to be an attack on anyone expressing their thoughts and ideas. If the post came across that way to you or anyone else that way, then I want to offer my apology. It is of my humble view that the problems with our football program do not end and begin with the current coaching staff or players. The problems stem from an overall lack of vision, plan, and support by the folks who administer the overall business affairs of the university. I could very well be wrong, but I don't think any other coaching staff in our conference could sustain a winning program at WCU due to the aforementioned problem WCU has at the admin level.
I have always heard that Administrations win Championships & Coaches win games.
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