Hiring Philosophy

[The Niz]

Right from the start I wasn't a fan of hiring coach Babers. I couldn't wrap my head around why the department let Clawson build so a good product for so many years just to turn around and hire someone with a completely different philosophy. The team last year was pretty much what I've been hoping to see at BG since 2003 when I started following the team. Stout defense and controlling offense, completely successful once all the pieces were finally in place. Why take such a great set up and give it no chance of success by hiring the exact opposite system?

I'm not saying coach Babers won't be successful but we're right back in the rebuilding phase again. I realize we have fast changeover with coaches but couldn't an effort be made for strategical consistency?

Another thing to consider; team was pretty classless last night. Cheap shots, player getting ejected, and ridiculous strutting around after scores. Come on guys, act like you've been there before. Between that and the Houston situation I really wonder about the unit's discipline.

[Schadenfreude]

The point about changing systems is a pretty good one. I think it has worried quite a few of us from Day One.

On offense, what I saw last night was a fairly pleasant surprise. Clearly, when we get more experience with this system, we will be very hard to stop. But, on defense: Yikes. Do our coaches know what they are doing?

I disagree with you on the discipline. We had a player take a swing at a Hilltopper. That was obviously way out of line, and we will see how Babers deals with it. I don't think Houston's legal situation is a reflection on Babers, and I don't see a pattern here. At all.

I'm on board with Babers. But I'm panicky about this defense.

[Globetrotter]

Babers creates the culture. The culture seems to be part of the problem.

Offense offense offense when we have a fan base that likes toughness toughness toughness and minimal mistakes.
Not containing on D, Can't tackle then get pissed and punch dudes in the head.
Score a TD down by 3 and the RB is acting like it's a tight game and a big play.

[kdog27]

I agree with Globe. And heck most of the parents I spoke with last night alluded to this staff being much more lax with rules and discipline. He better get a hold on it.

[therealbowlinggreen]

I wish you guys the best. For those who made the trip down I know the outcome was tough but hope you had a good trip.

Now for your coach. I will say this, a successful coach coming from the OVC is a hard choice for me. The OVC is. Very weak FCS conference. I just would have taken anther approach going after a stronger FCS conference coach or an assistant from FBS. Again, I do wish you will. Just my 2 cents. Too early to tell the real story.

[Rollo83]

Wow, that didn't take long. So the honeymoon's over for Dino? So he's in over his head in the FBS, can't adjust his system to his personnel, and runs a loose locker room. Funny how an ass kicking to start the season can get people to jump ship immediately!

[kdog27]

Lol jump ship? I think many here were realistic that this game was not going to be a cakewalk. I thought it was 50/50 for us to win. I knew WKU returned just about their entire offense and figured they would score in the 30ish range.

I personally don't think our offense looked as good as others. WKU'S weakness is their defense. The offensive game plan that was scripted in the first quarter was a joke. How many times did Greene run right straight into the DL on our first three drives? Only having ten points at halftime was pitiful against that defense. I do think we'll eventually be fine there because they did look pretty good in the middle part of the game. It was just too late after a goose egg for the first 20 plus minutes of the game.

I have wanted to drink the Bakers Kool-aid and I have sipped some, but I have been hesitant because I don't care for the vibes they have been giving. I might be off here but this coaching staff strikes me as they'll bring in just about any type of recruit, regardless of character issues. Again, this might be baseless but I get that feeling.

I also don't care much for the arrogance Bakers speaks with but hasn't earned. This isn't directional Illinois. Believe it or not teams are going to stop your offense sometimes. Abandoning a defense that shuts down 3 quarters of MAC offenses is quite foolish. Acting like they're going change the defensive philosophy to get the ball back quickly? Heck they didn't even play the way he said they would. There was no aggressiveness or gambling in that D. Pretty much saw the same base defense all night with no noticeable adjustments. Western' s OC might have had the easiest day of work in his life yesterday.

I think that same arrogance has trickled down to the players. I expect parents to be high on their kids but the ones I talked to or overheard acted like these Wrs were just going be running wide open all day and there was no way a defense could ever get them off the field. They are talented but very much unproven. You got to earn it first. As good as Moore was he still only caught 28 balls last year. I'm good never seeing that ridiculous walk he did after his TD that put us down what 2-3 scores. That's great you scored a TD bud, you didn't do all that much otherwise. Dieter and Lewis are quite good but it's not always going be easy to get in the end zone.

Hopefully I feel stupid about bitching about this in a month. Game on coach, time to see what you got.

[Falconfreak90]

Good post Dog...my thoughts summed up.

[Rightupinthere]

Lol jump ship? I think many here were realistic that this game was not going to be a cakewalk. I thought it was 50/50 for us to win. I knew WKU returned just about their entire offense and figured they would score in the 30ish range.

I personally don't think our offense looked as good as others. WKU'S weakness is their defense. The offensive game plan that was scripted in the first quarter was a joke. How many times did Greene run right straight into the DL on our first three drives? Only having ten points at halftime was pitiful against that defense. I do think we'll eventually be fine there because they did look pretty good in the middle part of the game. It was just too late after a goose egg for the first 20 plus minutes of the game.

I have wanted to drink the Bakers Kool-aid and I have sipped some, but I have been hesitant because I don't care for the vibes they have been giving. I might be off here but this coaching staff strikes me as they'll bring in just about any type of recruit, regardless of character issues. Again, this might be baseless but I get that feeling.

I also don't care much for the arrogance Bakers speaks with but hasn't earned. This isn't directional Illinois. Believe it or not teams are going to stop your offense sometimes. Abandoning a defense that shuts down 3 quarters of MAC offenses is quite foolish. Acting like they're going change the defensive philosophy to get the ball back quickly? Heck they didn't even play the way he said they would. There was no aggressiveness or gambling in that D. Pretty much saw the same base defense all night with no noticeable adjustments. Western' s OC might have had the easiest day of work in his life yesterday.

I think that same arrogance has trickled down to the players. I expect parents to be high on their kids but the ones I talked to or overheard acted like these Wrs were just going be running wide open all day and there was no way a defense could ever get them off the field. They are talented but very much unproven. You got to earn it first. As good as Moore was he still only caught 28 balls last year. I'm good never seeing that ridiculous walk he did after his TD that put us down what 2-3 scores. That's great you scored a TD bud, you didn't do all that much otherwise. Dieter and Lewis are quite good but it's not always going be easy to get in the end zone.

Hopefully I feel stupid about bitching about this in a month. Game on coach, time to see what you got.

Nicely put and I was also not one to sing the Dino choir when he was hired. I've been a fan of BG for too long to fall into that trap.
Anyway, I especially enjoyed our secondary jawing at the WKU WRs even though they were getting shredded the entire night. Shut up; you have not proven diddly squat.

[zete]

Dino had a great QB at Eastern Ill. That is part of why he is coaching in BG today.

[able1]

That disaster last night had nothing to do with quarterback play. Matt's a fine quarterback in his own right.

[BGSU33]

Good post Dog...my thoughts summed up.

I agree. What he said pretty much hit on all of my concerns (except the part about questionable guys coming in, I do not feel that way) and how I see it as well. Well put.

[footballguy51]

Regarding the staff being lax, I remember when Babers first got here and met with the team for the first time. He said the team was quiet and respectful when he walked in, and he told them to loosen up because this isn't the military. Babers talked about this story as if telling the team to loosen up was a good thing, and it was very concerning to me. Many people told me I was concerned for no reason, but it told me he didn't have a sense of discipline with his team. Why take a team mentality that you respect the coaches and tell them to "chill out" and "relax"?

[FalconTurf]

This hire was made, IMO, to put butts in the seats. An exciting system with exciting players and a coach that promotes. I think we got what the AD was looking for (with crowds to be determined) and some of the old ideas of football and the football culture at BG has been abandoned. I think the philosophy in the AD's office as well as the university administration and board of trustees has changed. A conversation with Bill from the ticket office (since left) during basketball season indicated there was the feeling in the department we needed to recruit beyond the safe choices as has been the case at BG for years. That conversation and the reality of what is happening with the football program provides mounting evidence a culture change is occurring at BG.

I hope it all works out well but it certainly will be different type of play and a different attitude at BG. The verdict can not be made after one game but evidence is starting to mount that we are changing.

[hammb]

Count me as a fan that would much rather see us play this new style of football over the slow the game down play defense crap. Yeah it won a Mac title, but it also got us killed every time we played a bcs school, got us a horrid record against our rival, and had us 0-3 in bowl games.

Yes this philosophy is different than the hard nosed crap everybody here now professes to love.
Yes this philosophy is a complete 180 to what we did last year so it will take some time to transition.
This philosophy is also the trend in college football and the only way that we will ever compete against better teams; as we would never get the recruits to man up and play defense against good teams.

This woe is us crap is just ridiculous. Our defense has been vastly overrated for years because we slowed the games down (and still couldn't stop a good team)...now that we're trying to play modern football it got shredded in the first game. We'll see where it goes from here but I still believe in this staff long term. Now there is never an excuse for lack of effort, poor fundamentals, and poor discipline, so hopefully that will change; but all this bitching about the philosophy change is just mind boggling.