Blade Reports Brandon Extension Likely

orangeandbrown · Post by **orangeandbrown** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 9:09 am

Rightupinthere · Post by **Rightupinthere** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 9:11 am

I'm fine with it and I'm one of his detractors.

He's earned it.

Flipper · Post by **Flipper** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 9:21 am

Yep...I hope they can come to an agreement quickly. Michigan is having a tough time finding a BCS guy to take that job....

VDub26Falcon · Post by **VDub26Falcon** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 9:32 am

Great to see Brandon getting some recognition for the great job he did this year and the way he was able to bring this team back from a tough season last year. Congrats GB!

Schadenfreude · Post by **Schadenfreude** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 12:05 pm

This is good.

Globetrotter · Post by **Globetrotter** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 12:25 pm

Week 8 everyone was calling for his firing this year.

Week 12 we are excited about an extension?

I think an extension is a horrible idea. This is still the same man who threw his freshman kickers under the bus as often as possible, still the same horrible second half adjustments coach, still the same coach that would not get away from the punting formation from hell, still the same coach that does not inspire the community to come out for this team and who I get the feeling does not relate well to players ( I could be wrong here).
What was the combined record of teams we beat this year?

He is also the coach that did a magnificent job in the last 4 games, has been a stellar recruiter, has done a magnificent job with personnel management in terms of putting athletes in a spot to contribute, had an 8-4 GMAC season after replacing nearly his entire coaching staff, The same coach who has went to 3 bowls in 5 years.

Unlike Curt Miller this is not a clear situation where an extension is due....and Brandon is still under contract. Extending him in 2008 wont make a real difference in anything but recruiting after this next season. Something he is very good at, and something that is not as important with a young talented team.

Dr. Reality · Post by **Dr. Reality** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 3:42 pm

He is also the same man that came up with a new offensive coordinator this year and that has made all the difference in the world. Last year's coordinator didn't understand athleticism and didn't have a clue of how an offense should be run. Running Turner up the gut on first down every down series didn't take a whole lot of imagination, and the defenses had us pegged before the games ever got started. Defensing BG was a piece of cake last last y ear.

orangeandbrown · Post by **orangeandbrown** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 3:43 pm

Well....

It was a lot easier to look like a good OC with Tyler at QB.....

TG1996 · Post by **TG1996** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 3:45 pm

He earned it in November. And I wouldn't be too surprised if an "extension" means tearing up next year's contract, give him a bit of a bump for a bowl season this year and add a year or likely two. I'd be shocked if any contract ran past 2010, given the Jekyll and Hyde nature of the past three years.

Schadenfreude · Post by **Schadenfreude** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 5:01 pm

I hate arguments about Gregg Brandon, and tended to stay out of them. But, lately, I've hated it more to sit by and watch as people here parrot some conventional wisdoms that I have never agreed with.

Globetrotter's post contained some of them. It isn't personal, but I think some of them need to be taken on.

Here goes.

"This is still the same man who threw his freshman kickers under the bus as often as possible...

First, if this worst sin, I say give him ten more years.

But has he really sinned here?

I think Brandon has alwyas been pretty honest with the media, and it's not throwing players under the bus to point out when they don't execute -- especially when the player also knows he hasn't executed.

There are very few shades of grey when a place kicker misses a kick. It's hard to sugar coat that. And Big Bird was missing kicks.

Another thing we don't seem to really know is how hard these kids were working in practice. We've heard differing stories on this. Respect is earned. Did those kids earn it?

And, finally, there's no question Brandon has taken shots at the departed --but my perception is that most of the venom came after they walked on on the team. Should Brandon really have been expected to hold back at that point?

I suppose we could sit down and do a text search of The Blade to see what Brandon said and when. I tend to think this idea that he threw kickers under the bus is greatly exaggerated.

I may not be able to win this argument. Some people here jump Brandon for comments that I don't have any problem with at all.

... still the same horrible second half adjustments coach...

Is he? There are a couple of ways to look at this.

It just may be that Brandon has these kids playing way above their heads through excellent game planning and that there really isn't anything left in the well when opposing coaches finally catch on to what he's doing.

...still the same coach that would not get away from the punting formation from hell...

In fact Brandon has dropped the formation -- even as other college programs have continued to adopt it.

...still the same coach that does not inspire the community to come out for this team ...

Is this really his job? Are we really back to blaming Gregg Brandon for attendance that hasn't really changed in generations?

Shall we blame the wind on him, too?

...and who I get the feeling does not relate well to players ( I could be wrong here).

I think you are.

I'm pretty sure that, midway into the season, I was suggesting that Brandon will have earned a contract extension if he took the team to a bowl game.

So it was written and so it shall be done.

tiznow · Post by **tiznow** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 5:07 pm

He has definitely earned the extension. His winning percentage is around .60. If you don't give him an extension, he is a lame duck coach. Have fun recruiting when you can't tell a recruit if you will be around his freshman year. Yes, BG needs to win the MAC. Next year the pieces are in place.

Jacobs4Heisman · Post by **Jacobs4Heisman** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 5:39 pm

I've also been one of his biggest detractors, and it's really tough to argue that a short extension isn't the absolute right thing to do right now.

I'm still not completely comfortable with him as a coach, but when you combine the incremental improvements and the good recruiting, we probably are not able to do better than Brandon at this point.

I spoke of improvements, and there have been improvements in a lot of the areas that I feel have been Brandon's biggest weaknesses since he took the reigns. The calling out players thing did not start with the kickers last year, but it seems to have stopped with them. That's encouraging.

Over the last year+, we've started to win some third quarters. The Temple game comes to mind specifically. Over his career, Brandon has been very good at pre-game offensive planning, and pretty terrible at in-game adjustments. We saw time and time again how the offense would come out unstoppable in the first few series, and then when the defense adjusted, we had no answer much of the time. I see improvement there, even if there is still a ways to go.

There are still problems, and a lot of them were covered up this year because of a terribly easy schedule. We won 8 games, but we did not beat a good team. We dropped the ball twice in-conference, but we did go 6-2, and we can only beat who gets put in front of us.

Globetrotter · Post by **Globetrotter** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 5:41 pm

Schadenfreude wrote:I hate arguments about Gregg Brandon, and tended to stay out of them. But, lately, I've hated it more to sit by and watch as people here parrot some conventional wisdoms that I have never agreed with.

Globetrotter's post contained some of them. It isn't personal, but I think some of them need to be taken on.

Here goes.

"This is still the same man who threw his freshman kickers under the bus as often as possible...

First, if this worst sin, I say give him ten more years.

But has he really sinned here?

I think Brandon has alwyas been pretty honest with the media, and it's not throwing players under the bus to point out when they don't execute -- especially when the player also knows he hasn't executed.

There are very few shades of grey when a place kicker misses a kick. It's hard to sugar coat that. And Big Bird was missing kicks.

Another thing we don't seem to really know is how hard these kids were working in practice. We've heard differing stories on this. Respect is earned. Did those kids earn it?

And, finally, there's no question Brandon has taken shots at the departed --but my perception is that most of the venom came after they walked on on the team. Should Brandon really have been expected to hold back at that point?

I suppose we could sit down and do a text search of The Blade to see what Brandon said and when. I tend to think this idea that he threw kickers under the bus is greatly exaggerated.

I may not be able to win this argument. Some people here jump Brandon for comments that I don't have any problem with at all.

... still the same horrible second half adjustments coach...

Is he? There are a couple of ways to look at this.

It just may be that Brandon has these kids playing way above their heads through excellent game planning and that there really isn't anything left in the well when opposing coaches finally catch on to what he's doing.

...still the same coach that would not get away from the punting formation from hell...

In fact Brandon has dropped the formation -- even as other college programs have continued to adopt it.

...still the same coach that does not inspire the community to come out for this team ...

Is this really his job? Are we really back to blaming Gregg Brandon for attendance that hasn't really changed in generations?

Shall we blame the wind on him, too?

...and who I get the feeling does not relate well to players ( I could be wrong here).

I think you are.

I'm pretty sure that, midway into the season, I was suggesting that Brandon will have earned a contract extension if he took the team to a bowl game.

So it was written and so it shall be done.

Point 1: This year he often mentioned how the kickers last year were poor. Big Birds dad even mentioned it here.

Point 2:"It just may be that Brandon has these kids playing way above their heads through excellent game planning and that there really isn't anything left in the well when opposing coaches finally catch on to what he's doing."

I am afraid I dont understand this logic. So Brandon is such a good coach that he has the players so prepared there is nothing that they could do better or differently in the second half? I think that the mark of a great coach is second half adjustments. Every great coach makes them. If the well is empty we need more water.

Point 3: Attendance here is a problem, I think the coach has a ton to do with potentially fixing that problem even if he does not cause it.

Point 4: I believe that the parents who have stopped by here have had negative things to say about the coaches relationship with their children. That is what I am basing it on, I am not trying to put words in there mouth nor call them out if they dont want to speak out about it again, but that is where I got the feeling of having a bad relationship with players. PM me and maybe I can find the exact posts

I agree with the lame duck statement, that is the only reason I think an extension is necessary. I don't think he has earned it. Weeks ago we were all hoping he would be bought out to switch to the opposite poll seems absurd. What was the record of teams we beat this year?

Sep 1 @Minnesota Won 32-31 1-11
Sep 8 @Michigan St. Lost 17-28
Sep 22 Temple Won 48-35 4-8
Sep 29 W. Kentucky Won 41-21 7-5
Oct 6 @Boston College Lost 24-55
Oct 13 @Miami (Ohio) Lost 14-47
Oct 20 @Kent St. Won 31-20 3-9
Oct 27 Ohio Lost 27-38
Nov 2 Akron Won 44-20 4-8
Nov 9 @E. Michigan Won 39-32 4-8
Nov 17 @Buffalo Won 31-17 5-7
Nov 23 Toledo Won 37-10 5-7
Jan 6 @Tulsa 8:00pm

33-63 34% winning percentage for teams we beat this year.

BGorDeath · Post by **BGorDeath** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 5:43 pm

Schadenfreude wrote:I hate arguments about Gregg Brandon, and tended to stay out of them. But, lately, I've hated it more to sit by and watch as people here parrot some conventional wisdoms that I have never agreed with.

Globetrotter's post contained some of them. It isn't personal, but I think some of them need to be taken on.

Here goes.

"This is still the same man who threw his freshman kickers under the bus as often as possible...

First, if this worst sin, I say give him ten more years.

But has he really sinned here?

I think Brandon has alwyas been pretty honest with the media, and it's not throwing players under the bus to point out when they don't execute -- especially when the player also knows he hasn't executed.

There are very few shades of grey when a place kicker misses a kick. It's hard to sugar coat that. And Big Bird was missing kicks.

Another thing we don't seem to really know is how hard these kids were working in practice. We've heard differing stories on this. Respect is earned. Did those kids earn it?

And, finally, there's no question Brandon has taken shots at the departed --but my perception is that most of the venom came after they walked on on the team. Should Brandon really have been expected to hold back at that point?

I suppose we could sit down and do a text search of The Blade to see what Brandon said and when. I tend to think this idea that he threw kickers under the bus is greatly exaggerated.

I may not be able to win this argument. Some people here jump Brandon for comments that I don't have any problem with at all.

... still the same horrible second half adjustments coach...

Is he? There are a couple of ways to look at this.

It just may be that Brandon has these kids playing way above their heads through excellent game planning and that there really isn't anything left in the well when opposing coaches finally catch on to what he's doing.

...still the same coach that would not get away from the punting formation from hell...

In fact Brandon has dropped the formation -- even as other college programs have continued to adopt it.

...still the same coach that does not inspire the community to come out for this team ...

Is this really his job? Are we really back to blaming Gregg Brandon for attendance that hasn't really changed in generations?

Shall we blame the wind on him, too?

...and who I get the feeling does not relate well to players ( I could be wrong here).

I think you are.

I'm pretty sure that, midway into the season, I was suggesting that Brandon will have earned a contract extension if he took the team to a bowl game.

So it was written and so it shall be done.

You apparently did not see this on the Weather Channel...

As reported by Jim Cantore..."In an unprecedented scientific discovery, the Weather Channel has learned that wind is not caused by the earth's rotation or atmospheric conditions. Research indicates the Bowling Green Head Coach Gregg Brandon is the root cause of the wind phenomenon. Centuries of research has finally come to this conclusion. Sceptics may say that this cannot be true because Brandon is only approximately 45 years old and what about wind before him? The research indicates that prior to Brandon's birth, the seed from his father that was planted into the womb of his mother was actually from an atom from the primordial soup of the Big Bang. In lieu of this finding, Brandon will not be getting an extension as Head Coach as earlier reported in the Toledo Blade. In a related story, it has been found that Toledo Head Coach Tom Amstutz is the root cause of tides. More on that story later."

Flipper · Post by **Flipper** » Sat Dec 08, 2007 6:31 pm

WTF? Of course you extend his contract...pointing at some arbitrary juncture within a 12 game season when the team was at a low point as a rationale for letting him twist in the wind next season is no more valid than pointing to the euphoria of the aftermath of the Minnesota game as a reason to extend him.

You need to look at the season as a whole...we went 8-4 and finished in a three way tie for the divisional crown and we're going to a bowl game. we also pounded Toledo into dust. I think that's a pretty damn good season and worthy of an added couple of years to the man's contrat.

If you don't extend him you hurt a hell of a lot more than just recruiting...you force the team to go into the season with a cloud of uncertainty hanging over them. Instead of focusing on the MAC title and whuppin' Toledo again they'd be wondering if their coach would be here next week...next year..next month...why put them through that.

Assistant coaches have to look out for their future's, do you think they're going to be willing to chance working under a lame duck or are they more likely to haul ass out of here at the first opportunity? Do you want a repeat of last year when we cycled through an entire roster of coaches?

Let's also consider the impact such a move would have on the athletic department's reputation and standing. Do you really want the University to get a reputation as an institution that does not reward achievement? Do you think we'd be likely to attract talented coaches down the line if we let a winning coach twist in the wind as a lame duck?

You continue to advance this idiotic notion that attendance is somehow Gregg Brandon's problem to fix...I really do not understand what you are thinking here...blame the marketing folks, blame the AD's past and present for our lousy schedule's , blame the Universtiy for not allocating enough $$ to advertising...but the HC? He's not "rallying the community"? What exactly do you propose he do, walk up and down Main street carrying a bell and a sign that says "game this weekend"?

So far as Ellis and Rojas go...yep, I was not happy to see the coach taking shots at kid's who left. As the season wore on...past the half way point or so, I don't recall hearing him do that very often...if at all. I tend to think that this is a dead issue.

I've got to be honest with you, the notion that we'd let a HC with a winning record go into a lame duck season without offering him an extension is just about the dumbest idea I've heard advanced on this board...no offense..