Blade Reports Brandon Extension Likely

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 11:34 am

You guys are confusing

"Best Coach at BG"

with

"Accomplished the most while at BG"

As DD said, Urban changed the football culture of BG. I knew a lot of players on that team when he took over, and the change in their attitude & workethic was a HUGE change. Still, he didn't accomplish many on the field goals at BG. Didn't win the division, conference, or make a bowl game.

That's besides the point. He was a young coach who still made some mistakes, but just watching those games that team was better coached than Gregg Brandon's teams and if you cannot see that then this conversation is pointless.

Urban has gone on to achieve the first ever BCS bid by a non-BCS school, and a BCS national title. Those are two pretty good accomplishments and he's only 7 years into his career as a head coach. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets NFL HC job offers at some point. If he stays in the college ranks, however, I would fully expect him to make the college hall of fame alongside Doyt Perry. The guy has a 82% winning percentage for his career. That's with every team he's ever coached coming off down seasons and needing rebuilt when he got there.

The guy is a phenomenal coach, and is probably the best we've ever had here. I'm not going to argue that he's accomplished the most while employed at BG, Doyt obviously did that, but I believe Urban will go on to have the better career. My point was that comparing Brandon to Urban is not really fair to Brandon. They're not in the same league.

1987alum · Post by **1987alum** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 11:46 am

hammb wrote:You guys are confusing

"Best Coach at BG"

with

"Accomplished the most while at BG"

Great point.

JoeFalcon · Post by **JoeFalcon** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 12:07 pm

hammb wrote:As DD said, Urban changed the football culture of BG. I knew a lot of players on that team when he took over, and the change in their attitude & workethic was a HUGE change. Still, he didn't accomplish many on the field goals at BG. Didn't win the division, conference, or make a bowl game.

That's besides the point. He was a young coach who still made some mistakes, but just watching those games that team was better coached than Gregg Brandon's teams and if you cannot see that then this conversation is pointless.

I also think we're confusing "Was Meyer a great coach?" vs. "Was Meyer the best coach ever, and that bum Gregg Brandon doesn't even belong in the discussion?"

My Cliff notes opinion is

a) he's shown himself to be a fine coach so far
b) he's a bug Doyt Perry would swat away with his panama hat, and
c) Gregg Brandon is not chop liver, has done things Urban hasn't and called the plays for the walking genuis when he was here.

I'm certainly not going to argue Meyer wasn't a good coach who brought needed change, but his very real shortcomings and failings at BG can't be simply ignored or whitewashed if we're getting into a "Greatest Ever" argument. Naturally, his coaching looked great in the games we won and pretty bad in the games we lost, the 2002 NIU, South Florida and Toledo games in particular. The context of his success was also addressed in my previous post.

Globetrotter · Post by **Globetrotter** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 12:42 pm

Flipper wrote:Excellent points Karl...not a dumb idea in the lot ...I might take the time to add that no one was talking about a contract extension when the team was sitting at 3-1 after beating Temple either...

Additionally...if you think holding a gun to your coach's head is the tool to motivate your team, you might just as well fire that coach right now. A team that is focused on winning a title, a bowl game and fisnishing the year nationally ranked should not need any additional motivation. Under that scenario, the status of the coach would be regarded as a HUGE FRICKING DISTRACTION.

Globetrotter has made a few revealeing comments...he's 27....so he was probably a student during Meyer's tenure. He LOVED chanting the name Urban Meyer ...Urban Meyer was more visible than Gregg Brandon...Urban Meyer was this...Urban Meyer was that...Globetrotter, get over the romanticised view of your college days and Urban Meyer...He ain't coming back...

I was here from 1998-2003. I was certainly spoiled with Meyer and the Stacey and McLeod basketball squads.

transfer2BGSU · Post by **transfer2BGSU** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:25 pm

hammb wrote:You guys are confusing "Best Coach at BG" with "Accomplished the most while at BG"

No confusion at all. Meyer fits neither bill.

Warthog · Post by **Warthog** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:29 pm

JoeFalcon wrote:I'm certainly not going to argue Meyer wasn't a good coach who brought needed change, but his very real shortcomings and failings at BG can't be simply ignored or whitewashed if we're getting into a "Greatest Ever" argument.

And his short comings are exactly why he was able to move up to Utah and Florida and win a national championship in just 6 years of coaching.

Oh by the way, the incredibly great coach Gregg Brandon is still at BG after five years because he isn't good enough to get an offer from a bigger school.

Warthog · Post by **Warthog** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:30 pm

transfer2BGSU wrote:
hammb wrote:You guys are confusing "Best Coach at BG" with "Accomplished the most while at BG"
No confusion at all. Meyer fits neither bill.

How about Best Coach to have ever coached at BG, not necessarily the best coach of BG? Why do you guys want to cut on Meyer so much? Still bitter he left?

Falconfreak90 · Post by **Falconfreak90** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:51 pm

Personally, I wish Urban all the success in the world. Seeing him rip apart the Buck$ last January was great...and he is a VERY good coach. His record speaks for itself. But he hasn't coached a game at BGSU since Nov 2002.

At this time, Gregg Brandon is the Head Coach of the Bowling Green State University Falcons and he has my support, 110%. If he's so bad, feel free to contact Moe Ankney and see if he'd like to come out of retirement. Moe was the coach when I was enrolled at BGSU so I've seen the bad times...and Brandon has had ONE poor season. Coach B also rebounded with an 8-4 record this year and has a hell of a loaded team coming back in 8 months.

Comparing Brandon and Meyer is useless, IMO. Meyer definitely turned the program around and for that, I will always be grateful.

GO FALCONS!!! ROLL THE HURRICANE!~

1987alum · Post by **1987alum** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 3:07 pm

It's definitely time to put the Meyer/Brandon comparisons to rest. Two different coaches, two very different situations. Meyer was here two years and turned things around. Brandon has been here 5 full seasons as HC and can now call BG "his" program. His legacy is still a work in progress, but the man deserves to be judged not against Meyer, but against other MAC coaches and, ultimately, against BG history. As I pointed out in another thread, he is so far stacking up well in the latter. As for the former, I believe he is stacking up very well.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 3:09 pm

1987alum wrote:It's definitely time to put the Meyer/Brandon comparisons to rest. Two different coaches, two very different situations. Meyer was here two years and turned things around. Brandon has been here 5 full seasons as HC and can now call BG "his" program. His legacy is still a work in progress, but the man deserves to be judged not against Meyer, but against other MAC coaches and, ultimately, against BG history. As I pointed out in another thread, he is so far stacking up well in the latter. As for the former, I believe he is stacking up very well.

That was my entire point. I'm not a huge fan of coach Brandon, but I think a lot of my opinion is probably because I'm comparing him to Urban instead of his peers. Urban was special, and likely a once in a lifetime find. Despite how I feel about coach Brandon, I don't think there are any other coaches in the MAC that are any better.

Flipper · Post by **Flipper** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 3:10 pm

Urban changed the culture from an acceptance of mediocrity towards demand for higher standards. Brandon took the program over from there and has finished the actual "gut work" of building a program capable of being in the thick of things from year to year. I don't think we should try to diminish the important work that Meyer did here, but I also don't think we should overlook the work Brandon has done here or (much worse) try to assign credit for it to Meyer.

Meyer has gone on to do some fantastic things, but Brandon has accomplshed things here that his predecessors did not and the foundation of the program (specifically the facilites and the quality of the athletes) is far stronger than it was when he took over.

To put it another way, Meyer took the program out of it's little box, and Brandon has built the frame work for a larger expanse that transcends the limitations of anything the program has been under before.

Who's the best? We are...we know all the answers...

transfer2BGSU · Post by **transfer2BGSU** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 3:13 pm

Flipper wrote: To put it another way, Meyer took the program out of it's little box, and Brandon has built the frame work for a larger expanse that transcends the limitations of anything the program has been under before.

QUICK! EVERYBODY GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!!!

Flipper is talking about building and frame work. Only a matter of time before some power tool gets in there and you all know Flipper and power tools....

1987alum · Post by **1987alum** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 3:38 pm

OK, the geek in me won't let this rest. Here's a little more context, comparing Brandon to the rest of the MAC Head Coaches:

The MAC title goose egg is tough to swallow, but he & Hoke are now #2 in coaching tenure and Brandon is #2 in wins (also note that Amstutz is averaging 7.9 wins per season and Brandon is averaging 7.6).

transfer2BGSU · Post by **transfer2BGSU** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 3:54 pm

1987alum wrote:OK, the geek in me won't let this rest. Here's a little more context, comparing Brandon to the rest of the MAC Head Coaches:

Looks like someone learned how to use Excel!

Dayons_Den · Post by **Dayons_Den** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 4:09 pm

It is interesting to look at it all laid out like that. Puts things in perspective rather than just spewing out jabs and barbs here and there.