[NU Sports] OSU game highlighted Randy Walker's shortcomings

[cherron604 at aol.com]

To address some of Harry's points: 
 
"But one has to look at our overall record and graduation rates as being the key measurement of his success or not--and as  has been hashed about before, Walker passes here."
 
Overall record, 36-45 through 7 seasons, 9 games under .500.  It had been observed before that almost no D-I coaches were as many games under .500 after as many as 7 seasons.  About the only two I could recall were Ken Hatfield of Rice (34-42-1 through 7, 54-68-1 through 2004) and Dan McCarney at Iowa State (29-50 through 7, 45-72 through last year).
 
Graduation Rate, the NU web site popularizes the AFCA Academic Achievement Award.  The Big Ten schools have only participated in this award since 1998.  NU has won the 100% honor 4 times (1998, Gary Barnett, and 2002, 2004 and 2005 Randy Walker).  In 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2003 they were in the 'Honorable Mention' category (70% or greater graduation).  I would characterize this measure as a 'bare minimum' requirement to coach at Northwestern, and I would credit the Academic and Student Services Staff for achieving these kind of results across ALL athletic programs, so I would not give the football coach too much of the credit here.
 
"On top of that would we as alums feel good, that in order to acheive the lofty goal, we probably would have to spend a ton of money on a football coach and staff  salaries?  I for one think it would send the wrong message about what NU is about --academics first."
 
While the University does not say much about their coaches salaries, we can safely assume that it is in a range of his Big Ten peers (Ferentz, $500,000 base, Carr $300,000+ base).  We are probably, by definition, spending a ton of money on football coach and staff salaries (or else we would not have any football coaches).  And don't forget that, in August, the University wrote a check for $16 MILLION to settle the wrongful death claim of a football player - money that could have paid the full $29,940 2004-2005 NU tuition for 534 students.
 
"yes on average we will be in the middle of the pack under Walker"
 
Under Walker, our 7 finishes have been 10th, 1st, 10th, 10th, 7th, 4th and 5th, for a mean finish of 6.7 and a median finish of 7th - more toward the lower end of the pack.  What Walker would have to prove is that the 4th and 5th place finishes the last two years were his doing, or just the good fortune of having Bret Basanez around.
 
Chuck Herron   Tech '85
 



-----Original Message-----
From: Hakirsch at aol.com
To: johnadeg at bellatlantic.net; nwu-sports at tssi.com
Sent: Wed, 16 Nov 2005 08:29:57 EST
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] OSU game highlighted Randy Walker's shortcomings


Well I am sure John's note will elicit a lot of responses including mine.

A few thoughts--

Walker is not a player's coach --and I am not sure how much any school wants 
a player's coach--particularly with the NU football player, who on average is 
more intelligent than the average NCAA football player. They probably more 
than others understand that not everyone is goinhg to love his coach.  

I think John is right that Walker and NU had had a lot of luck the past 
several years-(Mich 2000, Iowa 2005,OSU 2004 to name a few) and with a few plays 

going the other way we could easily have been  at 4-7 some of the bowl years 
under Walker.  While some games have gone the other way, (PSU 2005 quickly comes 

to mind), it seems with have had more of the former than the latter. 

Yes our defense and special teams have been our weak spots under Walker and 
of course it would be great to improve there.  But one has to look at our 
overall record and graduation rates as being the key measurement of his success 
or 
not--and as  has been hashed about before, Walker passes here.

It would be great to go to a good name bowl every year, but I am skepitcal if 
that is an acheivable goal.  It is a worthy goal , but extraordinary tough 
when if you don't finish in the top 3 or 4 in the conference it won't happen. 
When you have OSU , Mich and PSU in the conference it is tough to consistently 
surpass Minn, Wisc, and Iowa And the recent also rans of MSU, Ill and Purdue do 
not sit quietly.  On top of that would we as alums feel good, that in order 
to acheive the lofty goal, we probably would have to spend a ton of money on a 
football coach and staff  salaries?  I for one think it would send the wrong 
message about what NU is about --academics first.


In short , yes on average we will be in the middle of the pack under Walker- 
or probably any coach (remember if they get good they leave for more money or 
more opportunity to win big --ala Ara, Agase and,Barnett-) but this should 
allow us to go to a name bowl every few years and a lesser name bowl in others-I 

can be happy with that- (Maybe I am biased because i was at NU in the late 
70's early 80's when going -1-10 and 0-11 and getting blown out every game by 
half time was the norm-)

-Now if we could only make the NCAA's in hoops ... 

Harry


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