Before giving Loeffler any extension…..

[guest44]

Project where Bowling Green will be picked next year?

At Liberty
At Michigan
At Georgia Tech

Home Games: Akron, Toledo, Ball State, Ohio
Away Games: Buffalo, Kent State, Miami, Western Michigan

Season win total about 4.5 maybe 5

Best case scenario 4th in the MAC East, most likely 5th. If McDonald returns we know the ceiling. Don’t reward the pathetic standards of Con Man Hughes and Bob Moosbrugger.

[BillyLP]

At the end of the day, no extension is the best choice, but lame duck years just do not happen anymore. I think a one year extension is appropriate and hopefully they can work in some relatively friendly buyout language.

[guest44]

So once again Bowling Green will do what it can’t afford. It will do what is not in its’ own best interest. Soon after it will cry not enough funds while collecting 14 million in student fees. Rinse and repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

If this weren’t an incompetent industry Scot Loeffler and Michael Huger would never have leverage. They are in demand by nobody but Bob Moosbrugger. They are only in demand by a guy who gave unannounced Covid contract extensions and has since been fired for years of incompetence. Somehow Bowling Green yet again finds itself negotiating against itself for mediocrity.

[BillyLP]

So once again Bowling Green will do what it can’t afford. It will do what is not in its’ own best interest. Soon after it will cry not enough funds while collecting 14 million in student fees. Rinse and repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

If this weren’t an incompetent industry Scot Loeffler and Michael Huger would never have leverage. They are in demand by nobody but Bob Moosbrugger. They are only in demand by a guy who gave unannounced Covid contract extensions and has since been fired for years of incompetence. Somehow Bowling Green yet again finds itself negotiating against itself for mediocrity.

I am not disagreeing that it sucks, I'm saying that him not getting a one year extension with next year being his last year on the contract is unrealistic. It just doesn't happen in this industry anymore. No one is feeling sorry for BG. Just be glad we aren't West Virginia, where they have a 4-8 coach who is owed a $17 million buyout and a basketball coach who hates today's game but has a lifetime contract. We aren't the only school who deals with this, and hopefully the change in leadership will move things in the right direction in the next year or two.

[guest44]

We don’t have to be the industry and we don’t have to be West Virginia. Be the school that uses the lowest budget in the MAC figure each time it is convenient to justify poor performance. Fix the problem. Look at the two biggest contracts in the department. Require them to do more. Find someone who can do more with less. It happens everyday around the country in every industry. Nobody else at BGSU gets 5 and 6 year contracts. Expect more from Michael Huger and Scot Loeffler.

Say it out loud. Bowling Green has to extended a 13-29 coach. That’s the standard the Con Man has you convinced Is the standard. Bowling Green paid Loeffler money it doesn’t have to clean up the mess. Now find the actual coach to get it back to a higher standard. Bowling Green owes Scot Loeffler nothing more. Preferably someone who won’t surrender in the 3rd quarter while playing for a division title.

[Flipper]

A one year extension isn't really a vote of confidence. It's almost as bad as not extending him at all....in fact, it may be a bit worse. It's like they're saying "we don't entirely believe in you, but for appearances sake, here's another year".

In Loeffler's favor.

Continued W/L improvement
Beat Toledo, Marshall and Miami...three of the most hated programs in our history
Earned a bowl bid
Had a shot at the championship until the final week

Strikes against him

Team is wildly inconsistent
Lost at home to an FCS school
Lost to three of his chief MAC East rivals by a combined score of 117-27
Team plays with a lack of discipline
Has yet to develop a quality QB or OL even though his reputation as a QB whisperer was a main selling point
Stubbornly adheres to an offensive philosophy that netted @40 pts in conference home games.
Persistent rumors of off field issues including drug use.

He deserves credit for getting us back into a bowl game...no question about it. But given that this is probably the high water mark for another season or two given all the defensive talent that's leaving nd no quality QB option (even if McDonald somehow returns) I tend to think we should move on...though I don't think we will

[jpfalcon09]

So once again Bowling Green will do what it can’t afford. It will do what is not in its’ own best interest. Soon after it will cry not enough funds while collecting 14 million in student fees. Rinse and repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

If this weren’t an incompetent industry Scot Loeffler and Michael Huger would never have leverage. They are in demand by nobody but Bob Moosbrugger. They are only in demand by a guy who gave unannounced Covid contract extensions and has since been fired for years of incompetence. Somehow Bowling Green yet again finds itself negotiating against itself for mediocrity.

I am not disagreeing that it sucks, I'm saying that him not getting a one year extension with next year being his last year on the contract is unrealistic. It just doesn't happen in this industry anymore. No one is feeling sorry for BG. Just be glad we aren't West Virginia, where they have a 4-8 coach who is owed a $17 million buyout and a basketball coach who hates today's game but has a lifetime contract. We aren't the only school who deals with this, and hopefully the change in leadership will move things in the right direction in the next year or two.

Yeah, the industry norm has been set for awhile now. Look at yesterday. Lance Leipold and Kalen DeBoer get multi-year extensions that will carry them to almost the end of the decade with their respective schools. I'll be shocked if either of those guys see the end of their contracts.

I thought a lot about this last night while our daughter kept incessantly waking up.

Honestly, BG is a tough spot right now. As mentioned, lame duck years don't happen anymore. Too much uncertainty follows that. I think there is a lot of subjectivity to this too. Some don't like Scot - whether it's the way he coaches or his evaluation of talent, whatever. That has to be removed and you determine based on merit whether or not he deserves an extension. The reality is:

1. After the joke 2020 "season", there has been improvement to the W-L record and overall on field product. Absolutely there is still room for improvement, as evidenced by how this season played out.
2. 2-2 against your main rival. The last coach to win two plus games against Toledo during their tenure? Gregg Brandon. This will matter to some of the decision makers within the university.
3. Bowl eligibility - Yeah, CFB is down this year. BG is probably one of the worst 30 or so programs in FBS when you look at advanced metrics. But it's a 13th game, it's additional revenue for the school, and it can help recruiting within the portal and with high school kids.
4. Thus far, Scot has run a pretty tight ship. We haven't heard (publicly) about guys getting in trouble, arrested, etc. I tend to think this matters.

It could be entirely possible that van der Merwe has a different vision for the football program and thinks a change is needed. I don't think any of us would be up in arms about that. Most of us (me included) think this season is probably the ceiling in what Scot can do here. And if so, there's no shame in that. The goal should be to get this program to the point where 8-9 wins every season is the expected, not squeaking into a bowl game. But objectively? I think van der Merwe gives Scot another year, wants to see up close what he can do from start to finish in a season and if he can improve upon 2022. Is there risk? Absolutely. Probably more risk exists in getting him to 2023 on the final year of his deal and limiting what the program can do.

So what I would do? Offer Scot a one year extension and try to negotiate a more friendly university buyout . Make it clear that 6-6 or worse in 2023 won't be acceptable. Put some pressure on him to perform. Either you make it or break it. Continue the progress or we're moving on. Any good coach should be open of accepting that challenge.

[BGSU33]

A one year extension isn't really a vote of confidence. It's almost as bad as not extending him at all....in fact, it may be a bit worse. It's like they're saying "we don't entirely believe in you, but for appearances sake, here's another year".

In Loeffler's favor.

Continued W/L improvement
Beat Toledo, Marshall and Miami...three of the most hated programs in our history
Earned a bowl bid
Had a shot at the championship until the final week

Strikes against him

Team is wildly inconsistent
Lost at home to an FCS school
Lost to three of his chief MAC East rivals by a combined score of 117-27
Team plays with a lack of discipline
Has yet to develop a quality QB or OL even though his reputation as a QB whisperer was a main selling point
Stubbornly adheres to an offensive philosophy that netted @40 pts in conference home games.
Persistent rumors of off field issues including drug use.

He deserves credit for getting us back into a bowl game...no question about it. But given that this is probably the high water mark for another season or two given all the defensive talent that's leaving nd no quality QB option (even if McDonald somehow returns) I tend to think we should move on...though I don't think we will

Well said, all valid points.

[Falconfreak90]

A one year extension isn't really a vote of confidence. It's almost as bad as not extending him at all....in fact, it may be a bit worse. It's like they're saying "we don't entirely believe in you, but for appearances sake, here's another year".

In Loeffler's favor.

Continued W/L improvement
Beat Toledo, Marshall and Miami...three of the most hated programs in our history
Earned a bowl bid
Had a shot at the championship until the final week

Strikes against him

Team is wildly inconsistent
Lost at home to an FCS school
Lost to three of his chief MAC East rivals by a combined score of 117-27
Team plays with a lack of discipline
Has yet to develop a quality QB or OL even though his reputation as a QB whisperer was a main selling point
Stubbornly adheres to an offensive philosophy that netted @40 pts in conference home games.
Persistent rumors of off field issues including drug use.

He deserves credit for getting us back into a bowl game...no question about it. But given that this is probably the high water mark for another season or two given all the defensive talent that's leaving nd no quality QB option (even if McDonald somehow returns) I tend to think we should move on...though I don't think we will

Well said, all valid points.

I agree 100%. Every time I think we've turned the corner, we throw up a sheetshow like last night. We were close to the BG bench in the 2nd half and very few players were actively engaged. IMO< they seemed to just want to get it over with and go home. So, ya don't wanna win a piece of the MAC East title?? It's bizarre how this season played out. I'm at a crossroads w/ Loeffler and this staff.

[HoopsFan]

I'm thinking NO EXTENSION. We've already told the whole of football that our coach is bad. If McDonald is the best QB we can muster, then clearly the coach is senile. Why did Scot put up with this? In my sleep I keep hearing "trips to the left" or some such from Todd Walker. Oh yeah, shotgun, short pass, try to gain yardage after the catch. Don't bother defending the QB for a long pass, he can't throw that far.

How many 4th down attempts did we try and/or make? How many punts. I guess we either need a better punter, or better decision making by the coaching staff. I'm not rooting for BG to lose a bowl game, but I wouldn't be disappointed if the declined an invitation. So line up and get your participation trophy, gents.

HoopsFan

[Flipper]

I don't think we should turn down a bowl bid...although IIRC we did exactly that when Brandon got fired in 2008. Maybe we didn't get the bid formally...but we were approached to see if we would an the answer was no. At least that was the scuttlebutt. e were 6-6 that year too

GB set the precedent for dumping a 6-6 coach...and he's accomplished more than SL. But...he had more public issues with player discipline and he went off on the fans in the media after his team blew 2-3 score lead in the home finale with Buffalo..it cost us the MAC east. Although I think the skids were already greased ahead of that...if rumors were correct

[TommyG]

If you don’t think Loeffler is the guy then just move on. Getting to 6 wins was a fluke…the MAC QB play was so bad that it allowed BG’s defense to overachieve in some games. Some people might get fooled by that…I personally am not.

If the AD for some reason feels like the 6 wins forces his hand to bring him back, then make Loeffler relinquish playcalling and hire a new OC who runs a more of spread offense that can generate consistent points. Skill position players aren’t lacking. QB play and scheme/coaching are. If he balks at that then buy him out and move on.
Any extension should be nothing more than for a press release. The buyout should be $100 bucks.

[MacGuy]

Unless it's the very rare situation when a MAC schools gets a major bowl game, the lower bowls are losers for MAC schools. They are required to sell a certain number of tickets, which rarely occurs, and then they have to eat the cost of the remainder.

[Schadenfreude]

Unless it's the very rare situation when a MAC schools gets a major bowl game, the lower bowls are losers for MAC schools. They are required to sell a certain number of tickets, which rarely occurs, and then they have to eat the cost of the remainder.

It worked this way 20-25 years ago. Marshall fans used to complain about the financial hit they took participating in bowl games. But I thought the MAC was now more or less holding participating teams harmless from reasonable costs to participate in these games.