[NU Sports] Re: Walker

[Michael Vance]

I don't think that the pros appeal to Walker, either.  Like JoePa, he has 
always said that he enjoys the teaching aspect of the game, and you don't 
get that in the pros.  You're more of a corporate manager and less of a 
teacher at that level, as it probably should be.

Illinois went after Ron Zook after Florida had fired him.  Walker has put 
down some pretty serious roots in Evanston in his seven years here.  His 
son graduated from NU last June and he lived there before when he was RB 
coach back in the 80s.  So I don't think that his connections to NU are 
that much different than Alvarez' to Wisconsin.

Not every coach gets poached every year.  As a matter of fact, most 
organizations are pretty professional about at least being discreet if 
they're talking to a guy who is under contract.  It seems to me that if it 
gets out to the public, it's usually either the current employer or the 
coach himself who blabs to the press, not the school that wants to hire him.

While you're not a party of one, I think that you're certainly in the 
minority.  I, for one, am willing to be patient as long as the program is 
trending in the right direction, which it is.  I agree that the recent 
states of the defense and kicking games have been troublesome, but there 
have been injuries and there are signs of improvement on the horizon.  I 
hope that I'm right and you're wrong, not so I can say "I told you so," but 
because coaching changes are inherently disruptive to a program.  I hope 
that you hope that I'm right, even if it means having to admit that you 
were wrong, because that would be better for the program.  I guess we'll 
just have to wait and see.

-Michael

At 11/28/2005 10:06 PM, John A. DeGroat wrote:
>The New England Patriots went after Paterno a few years ago and unless I'm 
>getting senile, always possibility, the Detroit Lions went after 
>Carr.  The pros didn't appeal to Paterno and probably not to Carr
>assuming the Lions rumor was true and f you think the Lions are a 
>professional team. Illinois went after Zook, Alvarez  was approached by 
>the University of MIami but chose to stay at Wisconsin for a lot of good 
>reasons, i.e. family considerations and his connections to Wisconsin, 
>school and state.
>
>If you think that Walker is a terrific coach, that's fine, I disagree with 
>that evaluation and apparently I'm not a national sampling of one.
>
>John DeGroat
>
>Michael Vance wrote:
>
>>I am also not aware of anyone -- pro, college, high school, or Pop Warner 
>>-- making any offers to Lloyd Carr, Jim Tressel, Kirk Ferentz, Terry 
>>Hoeppner, Ron Zook, Barry Alvarez (or Brett Bielema), or Joe 
>>Paterno.  That doesn't mean that these offers don't exist, nor does it 
>>confirm their existence.  My lack of awareness of any such offers could 
>>lead me to surmise any number of things, but it certainly does not lead 
>>me to anything resembling a firm conclusion.  It could mean:
>>
>>1) Contact has been made but immediately and quietly rebuffed.
>>
>>2) Contact has been made and welcomed.  Some negotiations have taken 
>>place and could have concluded without agreement, or they could still be 
>>taking place as I type, but either way it has been done (or is being 
>>done) discreetly and quietly.
>>
>>3) There is a strong perception that Randy Walker and Northwestern are 
>>extremely pleased with each other right now and as such there would be no 
>>point, so no contact has been made.
>>
>>4) There is a strong perception that Randy Walker is such a horrible 
>>coach that no one wants to talk to him.  He is a pariah in his field.
>>ADs and Presidents of other universities shun him for fear that whatever 
>>his affliction, it may be contagious and rub off on them and their 
>>programs, causing them to spiral into mediocrity.
>>
>>There, is that what you wanted to hear?
>>
>>The general public's lack of awareness of any such recruitment is 
>>completely and totally meaningless.  It's perfectly possible to be a good 
>>coach without being a "hot" coach.
>>
>>-Michael
>>
>>At 11/28/2005 10:00 AM, John A. DeGroat wrote:
>>
>>>To those who don't like to read complaints about Walker, does anyone 
>>>know of any school or pro team that has come after Walker?  If any have 
>>>tried to recruit him I'm not aware of it.  If none have, what does that 
>>>tell you?
>>>
>>>I agree that it is great that NU is going to a bowl game.
>>>
>>>John DeGroat
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
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