[NU Sports] Penn State and Bowl hopes

[hakirsch at aol.com]

Folks--I am not suggesting we get rid of him now--just saying that if we have 2 more years like this one is turning out to be, he will have had 5 years of of  sub medicore performance  with one strong year--If that is his record, i would suggest that he be replaced--

Harry

-----Original Message-----
From: Jonathan Hodges <jonathanwhodges at gmail.com>
To: Dennis W. Brandt <tbng at comcast.net>
Cc: nwu-sports at tssi.com
Sent: Tue, Oct 27, 2009 11:12 am
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Penn State and Bowl hopes



>
 Don't even think about it.  He's not had enough time to turn the program
 around.  No less than five years and probably more is necessary.

 agree, anyone even thinking of firing Fitz at this point is nuts, and
hankfully the NU administration would never consider such a move.  He's in
he midst of his fourth season at NU and has a 24-21 record (12-16 Big Ten
ecord) with one bowl berth and one year of bowl eligibility with no berth
o far.
He knows the right way to do things, he's an energetic, and he's shown he
an recruit the types of student-athletes that NU wants.  Yes, he's taken
is lumps, particularly over his first two years when he was basically
hrown into the fire with a coaching staff that wasn't fully his, but he's
lso learning and improving.
Thankfully the NU administration (now, at least) has its head on straight
nd is doing things for the long-term.  Attendance may still be an ongoing
ssue, but they have found the right guy to lead the football program and
ave scheduling set up to allow NU to stay competitive.
Regarding scheduling, NU is doing the right thing by scheduling an FCS/I-AA
eam, 2 "mid-majors", and a "peer" (i.e. BCS conference academic-focused
chool) each season in nonconference play.  Yes, playing the traditional
owers brings some excitement and can help fill the stands, but the fact is
hat most don't want to play NU in a home-and-home series since they can now
ust bring in a lower level team who they can pay off for a home game.  This
eans that if NU wanted to play a schedule that some here are calling for,
hey'd be playing top teams on the road every year and have just 4 or 5 home
ames, which won't work to keep the athletic department afloat.
The scheduling philosophy NU is using now allows them to get 7 home games
er year, which brings in the revenue needed to keep NU athletics going.  It
lso allows NU to get to a bowl, which means more money, attention,
ecruiting advantages, and the extra 20 practices after the season.
Hopefully Fitz can lead NU to a second straight bowl berth (for only the
econd time ever) and win one (for only the second time ever) which will
opefully quiet any rumblings going on.
Jonathan
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