Reggie Redbird
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He’s going to make significantly more as a B10 OC than he would have made more. Even conservatively, it would be double what we would offer.
Which would you rather have?
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fourthandshort
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will be interesting to see how this pans out - makes me wonder what the connection was. Would sure be a nice bump for same job .. but it is just Northwestern. They're not exactly a destination for an FBS up and comer OC, other than being Big 10 .. so theyre looking at an FCS up and comer OC.
I think the connection was: NW's new coach was the DC for Bison. Lujan is the OC for the Rabbits. They literally game-planned for each other for several years. I am sure Braun hated going against him and it sounds like he respected the job he has done.
I also don't agree with the whole "it's just Northwestern". While it's harder to get student-athletes admitted to NW, they've been a very solid program for quite a while. In the last 15 years, they have been to 10 bowl games (didn't include this year). In the last 5 years (not including this year) they have won the Big Ten West twice. While they aren't Michigan, Ohio State or even Penn State, they have been a solid program IMO.
Their current head coach was a up and comer DC for FCS North Dakota State. He's 38 years old.
fourthandshort
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good info !!
DaveBird10
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LOL why settle for an FCS head coaching gig when you can get a significant pay raise and be an OC in the B1G. Great job by TBS getting his name out there.
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fourthandshort
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Part of the Northwestern move to younger coaches could also be a reaction to the recent scandals in their sports dept under "older school" coaches. Those scandal and culture issues didn't just involve football program. There is no way Fitz knew nothing, even if he didn't encourage it.
And while there are "old school" issues I definitely have with Spack ... injury handling, over-training, pass game philosophy ... I don't think he has ever tolerated hazing/physical abuses among his players. But I do like some of his "old school" ways when it comes to defense and run game .. I just he were more consistent in pass game integration/empohasis.
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fourthandshort
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David Braun was not an intended hire by Northwestern. He was brought in to be the defensive coordinator a little less than a year ago. No one in early 2023 had any idea of anything else. Then the scandal erupted and outside investigators were hired. In July, coach Pat Fitzgerald was suspended for two weeks. A couple of days later NU reneged on the suspension agreement and fired him. Lawsuits filed from multiple directions. Several players left the team for the portal.
NU needed a head coach with about 3 weeks to fall camp opening. And because of the allegations of a toxic culture, they needed to distance the program from any long term assistants. Outsider David Braun was the choice. They were not convinced he was ready, so they hired a veteran head coach, Skip Holtz, to support Braun. Expectations were very low for the 2023 season.
As the season got underway, the players grew in their support for the new coach. He did a good job redirecting the focus and the team improved during the season. Those low expectations were surpassed. Everyone picked him as Big 10 Coach of the Year, and he should be the national choice. NU removed the interim tag.
In my mind, the model for success in the MVFC could work well for NU. It takes big and strong lines to win in the Valley. You see a lot of featured TEs and fullbacks, and strong LBs. I think NU can recruit and develop those types of players. That's why I think the SDSU OC will be attractive to Braun.
NU needed a head coach with about 3 weeks to fall camp opening. And because of the allegations of a toxic culture, they needed to distance the program from any long term assistants. Outsider David Braun was the choice. They were not convinced he was ready, so they hired a veteran head coach, Skip Holtz, to support Braun. Expectations were very low for the 2023 season.
As the season got underway, the players grew in their support for the new coach. He did a good job redirecting the focus and the team improved during the season. Those low expectations were surpassed. Everyone picked him as Big 10 Coach of the Year, and he should be the national choice. NU removed the interim tag.
In my mind, the model for success in the MVFC could work well for NU. It takes big and strong lines to win in the Valley. You see a lot of featured TEs and fullbacks, and strong LBs. I think NU can recruit and develop those types of players. That's why I think the SDSU OC will be attractive to Braun.
MadBird
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Well, he wasn't promoted to HC, took a lateral as OC . . . . .
Reggie Redbird
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He was really, really good before Lujan’s system. You could make an argument about Lujan’s work on his development as QB coach though.
The argument is a fun hypothetical, like what a team would do with the 2025 draft pick. It’s all speculation. One thing isn’t: money. We aren’t coming close with our current coach or next coach to what NW will pay its OC. Lujan may not be about the highest salary, but I believe he would see a quicker rise to an FBS P5 head job as a successful P5 OC.
Hard to say. But when Eck was the OC, Gronowksi's first season included all of the following:
- Phil Steele FCS Freshman of the Year (2020-21)
- Stats Perform Jerry Rice Award Finalist/Runner-up (2020-21)
- HERO Sports FCS Freshman All-America Team (2020-21)
- Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year (2020-21)
- MVFC Newcomer of the Year (2020-21)
- MVFC Freshman of the Year (2020-21)
- All-MVFC First Team (2020-21)
fourthandshort
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It is not Lujan's system ... it is Lujan's play calling. SDSU has been very good for a while. System belongs to the below 2 guys ... stop with the false narrative trolling.
Lujan is likely a very good QB coach, and now appears to possibly be a good OC. But he inherited everything .. the roster, the playbook, and the entire system built by others. Yes, he did well with what he inherited and apparently a good play caller.
And again, he may be good at OC, but this doesn't make him a good HC. Nor does it mean he has proven he can build something himself .. like he will have to at Northwestern. He came from a great FCS model/program/conference .. so he's seen it done very well ... by others !
But make no mistake, HC Stiegelmeier built it and left after 2022 with 90% of the starters returning. And OC Jason Eck took their offense to next level .. then went on to turn around the Vandals program his 1st year there - they had been losong badly for 20 years straight there and droppped to FCS and kept losing before Eck. And got to a 4 seed and made quarters in year 2.
Lujan was born on 3rd base in 2022 season as OC, thanks to these 2 guys.
| 2012 | 9-4-0 | John Stiegelmeier | NCAA Division I Playoff Qualifier |
| 2013 | 9-5-0 | John Stiegelmeier | NCAA Division I Playoff Qualifier |
| 2014 | 9-5-0 | John Stiegelmeier | NCAA Division I Playoff Qualifier |
| 2015 | 8-4-0 | John Stiegelmeier | NCAA Division I Playoff Qualifier |
| 2016 | 9-4-0 | John Stiegelmeier | MVFC Champion, NCAA Division I Playoff Quarterfinalist |
| 2017 | 11-3-0 | John Stiegelmeier | NCAA Division I Playoff Semifinalist |
| 2018 | 10-3-0 | John Stiegelmeier | NCAA Division I Playoff Semifinalist |
| 2019 | 8-5-0 | John Stiegelmeier | NCAA Division I Playoff Qualifier |
| 2020-21 | 8-2-0 | John Stiegelmeier | MVFC Champion, NCAA Division I Playoff Finalist |
| 2021 | 11-4-0 | John Stiegelmeier | NCAA Division I Playoff Semifinalist |
| 2022 | 14-1-0 | John Stiegelmeier | MVFC Champion, NCAA Division I Playoff Champion |
Idaho had been losing bad for 20 years ... Former SDSU OC Eck turned it around Year 1 and 2
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SDSU lost the '21 Championship by 2 points when Gronowski got injured very early in the game. You can say SDSU hasn't won without Lujan, but it also hasn't won without Gronowski.
Lujan is also leaving before several veteran lineman depart. He knows the OC job as SDSU will get tougher next season.
fourthandshort
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TPS is trolling or just got tunnel vision ... he acts like Lujan is responsible for the 2 Natty runs (1 pending) ... absurd. SDSU has 34 SRs, with over 90% retained stats/starts/etc from 2022 into 2023 ... some being 3rd YR SRs due to pandemic year. They would have done same or better if Eck had stuck around after 2021, instead of instantly turning a bad Idaho program into immediate playoff team. But sure, it was Lujan pulling all the string for Eck and Stigelmeier all this time.
Btw .. ISU had just 8 SRs this season .. pandemic killed our lineup after 2019/2020. But now, we will have 55 JRs and SRs combined next season. And we're losing less than a handful of starters. SDSU should be commended for keeping all their guys ... when youre that good, some good ones aren't playing .. SDSU was the favorite going into 2022, and not because Eck left and Lujan got the job.
But Spack was not able to keep his guys once fall 2020 got canceled, and then it did turn into sh-t show in spring, and we lost many more after that. That is on Spack ... though most of the guys he lost were to FBS as starters, or injury. That is how good we were in 2019 and would have been in 2020 .. sans a QB. And now we head into 2024, as of now, with 55 JRs and SRs slated for fall .. so he fixed the problem already.
fourthandshort
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yes, but with over 90% of the team he 100% inherited back
TIMMY
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Football is a JR/SR sport. Seniors (6th-year SRs) are grown-ass men. Talented athletes with 6 years in a college weight room better kick some butt. Spack is back. That's done. There's no debating that. As 4th points out he's got 55 grown-ass men on next year's roster. He'd be the 1st one to tell you expectations SHOULD be through the roof. Just making the playoffs will not be good enough. Next year's team needs to make a deep run. If not it's time for an overhaul.