Better recruits and better coaching (was [NU Sports] Who cares abo ut bias?)

[mlinhardt at netzero.net]

The ideal scenario for a young inexperienced head coach is strong coordinators.  

Fitz has plenty to deal with without having to be a control freak in regards to offense and defense.  He needs to sell the program to recruits, media, and most especially the big dollar alumni.  He is the face of Northwestern football and for him that is a full-time job.

Unfortunately McGhee is almost as green as Fitz and although Colby is a veteran I don't believe he is regarded as "the answer" or if he is then it is a very silly question.

If we can find an older, retired DC that is big on fundamentals and get a 2-3 year committment where he an mentor some young guy into that position it would be perfect.

The recruiting is going in the right direction, which makes me confident for the future.  Rumors floated that many IL HS coaches did not like RW and whether true or not we must be accessible to all HS coaches that have intelligent good citizens who play quality football.

-- "Jeff Beamsley" <jeff.beamsley at hilgraeve.com> wrote:
<snip>
As best as we've been able to figure in past years, NU has been willing to pay at least RW a competitive salary, but I suspect that Fitz is probably the lowest paid coach in the BT right now.  That is likely going to make it more difficult to attract "star quality" assistants because their salary to some degree is set by what you are paying the HC.

I also suspect the current problem with attracting "star quality" coaching is that Fitz is so young and inexperienced, and at the same time also coach for life.  Assistants with ambition have two ways to advance, either they move up when the head coach leaves, or they move out when they have demonstrated success at their current job.  Fitz isn't going to be fired any time soon, so NU isn't going to attract guys ready to make the next step to HC.  But it appears that it is those sorts of guys that Fitz really needs right now.

Fitz also hasn't demonstrated, yet, that he knows how to win.  So any new coaching blood is really going to have to be convinced that Fitz is the guy that can get them to the next level.  He doesn't have the network or the track record that RW did when he came here, so he doesn't have many of those "experienced" hands to call on either.  So Fitz's only options are to work with what he has, or look to take bigger chances with unproven assistants who are willing to take a chance on him.  The former strategy doesn't appear to be working.  It will be interesting if we start to see some evidence of the later strategy.

Jeff

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