MiningCityGrizFan
Well-known member
ElrodGrizzly said:MiningCityGrizFan said:You can use the search function to go back and read my thoughts on the terrible way Stitt, his staff, and their families were treated.
I still believe any coach hired to rebuild a program should be allowed to graduate at least one class of seniors he recruited as freshmen. Otherwise, what’s the point of bringing in a new coach with a fresh perspective?
Stitt was brought in because the Griz weren’t satisfied with mediocre regular seasons and early playoff exits. You know who else wasn’t satisfied with that, Bob Stitt. That’s why he turned over the roster after 2015. He didn’t go full Deon, but for all intents and purposes, 2016 was the first year of the Stitt rebuild. Coaches like Gregorak were let go, and new players like Jensen, McGee, Toure, Akem, Calhoun(s), etc. were brought in.
2016 was a rough year, and then the 2017 team had to deal with losing senior QB Phillips early in the season. That was a young team, with a redshirt freshman QB forced into action. They were learning to compete but dropped close games against EWU, Weber, and Bozeman.
The 2017 team was far more competitive than 2016, but despite being a young team on the rise, Bobby’s boosters pushed Stitt out to bring Hauck back. All before most of Stitt’s core recruits were even Juniors.
Hauck then did a giant U-turn with the program in 2018. And now, Hauck 2.0’s fifth season, the Griz program is basically back to where it was when Delaney retired in 2014, only now Bozeman is much, much better.
And the fact remains, Hauck 2.0 still has as many wins in four Brawls as Stitt did in three (Stitt is still the last Griz coach to win in Bozeman). The Griz have no conference titles in the Hauck 2.0 era. And their playoff resume is mediocre 3-3.
Again, I’m not interested in re-hashing this entire Stitt debate. My point is that Griz fans went from “return to dominance at all cost” to being satisfied with a return to 2014 mediocrity. And I'm genuinely curious why Hauck's not being held to the same standard as his predecessor.
I appreciate a lot of what you are saying, though I won't go back through all of your history. I get that you are feeling like Stitt got a short shift and didn't get the chance to see his rebuild through. I think that would be a fair argument to make from Stitt and anyone who supports him. I am not contesting you on the fact that he did not get to see his recruiting classes come to fruition. That is just factually correct.
But I'm asking what the standard is that you are referencing? You say that Hauck is not being held to the same standard, but what exactly is that standard?
Since Hauck came back, the Griz have been ranked higher every year and had more success every year than they did in Stitt's last year. I don't know what metric you are using to set the bar for this standard that you are referencing.
If you have disappointments in Hauck, his scheme, recruitment, whatever it may be, that is okay. There are things I wish for too. But I am being genuine with you when I am asking what standard you are referencing to compare the two coaches.
I don’t know all of the metrics Haslam used to justify not renewing Stitt’s contract. And I’m not going to transcribe the press conference I was referencing. If you genuinely what to know, listen for yourself.
But every job has a set of expecations that need to be met. If somone doesn’t meet those expecations, they don’t keep their job. Hopefully you can accept that basic premise.
And I do know that Kent mentioned several expectations throughout the QnA session, specifically winning conference championships. He listed a few others as well, but was quick to say Stitt had done those things.
Losing to the Cats was apparently the last straw, but Stitt only lost by 7 points in 2016 and 8 points in 2017. Hauck 2.0 was also 1-2 vs. Bozeman in his first three Brawls, losing by 4 in 2018 and 34 in 2019. He also lost again by 34 points in 2022.
You should also note that Hauck’s first year back was not better (6-5) than Stitt’s final year (7-4). And depsite Hauck having an additional season, plus a covid year to develop his players, he’s won as many conference championships as Stitt in the middle of a rebuild.
For these reasons, I think it’s very clear that Haslam is holding Hauck to a different set of expecations than he did Stitt.
https://youtu.be/9Y3eK_ON0-s?si=O-nkAmjDRhJ7gHZS