Rob Ash Fired

[UMGriz75]

ILTC, would Ron have a job tonight if he would have won last Saturday?

tough to say from what i've heard so far. my gut says that after such a rough season, if we could have beaten you guys against the odds it would have gotten him another year.

Fields, by his injudicious use of hesitation and pregnant pause, left the impression that Ash's entire career rested on the outcome of a single game, that with its hated rival, University of Montana. That says much less about Rob Ash than it does the fanatical mindset at Montana State University.

 

[ilovethecats]

ILTC, would Ron have a job tonight if he would have won last Saturday?

tough to say from what i've heard so far. my gut says that after such a rough season, if we could have beaten you guys against the odds it would have gotten him another year.

Fields, by his injudicious use of hesitation and pregnant pause, left the impression that Ash's entire career rested on the outcome of a single game, that with its hated rival, University of Montana. That says much less about Rob Ash than it does the fanatical mindset at Montana State University.

:lol:
ya i'm sure the griz would stick with a coach with a 2-7 record against the cats in addition to a losing record against ewu as well as several playoff losses.

fanatical. :thumb:

 

[UMGriz75]

ILTC, would Ron have a job tonight if he would have won last Saturday?

tough to say from what i've heard so far. my gut says that after such a rough season, if we could have beaten you guys against the odds it would have gotten him another year.

Fields, by his injudicious use of hesitation and pregnant pause, left the impression that Ash's entire career rested on the outcome of a single game, that with its hated rival, University of Montana. That says much less about Rob Ash than it does the fanatical mindset at Montana State University.

:lol:
ya i'm sure the griz would stick with a coach with a 2-7 record against the cats in addition to a losing record against ewu as well as several playoff losses.

fanatical. :thumb:

Yes, if you had been ham, you could add eggs, and have ham & eggs. Until this year, UM did have a losing record to EWU, four years worth. UM also has had several playoff losses. More than the Cats :shock: if that is supposed to elevate the level of indignation .... if that nice piece of logic means that UM should have fired its coach?

But, as you seemingly admit by those examples, it did really come down to the Griz-Cat game.

 

[PlayerRep]

A view from afar.

Ash brought the Cats back to respectability and close to being a more than infrequent contender, and was the winningest coach in MSU history. That is almost impressive. I was surprised that he did that well. Kramer did a lot for the Cats too, before he was fired, but he didn't come close to Ash's success.

Expectations rose, but Ash and the Cats couldn't fulfill those high, and I would say overly high, expectations. Started fast in many years, and often but not always, faded later in the year. A perhaps explainable fade 2 years ago, with McGhee hurt. A horrible fade last year. Huge missed expectations this year. Not much ability to beat the rival. The boosters and fans turned on him. That's football in the modern era. I don't know what went wrong this year or last year, but I thought Cat fan expectations were unrealistic in both years.

Fields is fairly weak from what I hear. He was just listening to the boosters and fans this season, as I suppose an AD should. However, part of this, maybe only a small part of this, is Fields pointing the finger at Ash--to deflect criticism from himself and perhaps save his own job. We'll see who Fields hires, and we'll see how the new hire does, but my guess is that Fields probably isn't going to be around for too long either.

Ash did better than I thought he would. He's not a spring chicken anymore, and he seems not to be performing at the fairly high level he was performing at several years ago. Perhaps it was time for a change. I don't have a problem with how it ended. Ash helped build the high expectations, and now those expectations have pushed him out. He did well, in my view, and the program has been without major issues for years. The facilites and attendance are much improved. I think he was pretty boring and uninspiring, but he was a successful, or fairly successful, coach.

He can hold his head high. I think he's a good man. I have never made fun of him, and never will.

 

[UMGriz75]

He can hold his head high. I think he's a good man. I have never made fun of him, and never will.

Better ways to do it than a hurried, public, humiliating "firing."

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

75, I am curious. What does your statistical metric say now about Stitt, the offense, Gus, and Simis?

 

['68griz]

Bobby Hauck is already packing his stuff in San Diego

lol

Don't laugh too early....... just sayin'

I would suspect that Bobby would start his hair on fire before he would coach at MSU....

This!

 

[GrizzlyClaw]

Let's throw out some names for the next Bozo HC!!

1. Scott Frost - Oregon OC (dream pick)
2. Danny Langsdorf - Nebraska OC
3. John Wristen - Colorado State Pueblo - 2014 Div II Coach of the Year
4. Jed Stugart - University of Sioux Falls
5. Bobby Hauck - SDSU

Realistically #3 might be in the running...

 

[EverettGriz]

First two they cannot afford.

Wristen has a domestic violence charge on his record for striking his wife and children. Can't see Fields and Waded going there.

Stugart is a possibility; perhaps too much of an unknown name.

5 is NOT happening.

 

[George Ferguson]

Here's a list of early possibilities according to the Chronicle. And Fields did say he would be talking to guys inside the Big Sky.

A list of early candidates could include Cramsey, Ioane, former offensive line coach Jason McEndoo, who now tutors fullbacks and tight ends at Oklahoma State, Ed Lamb, head coach of Big Sky champion Southern Utah, and Carroll’s Mike Van Diest

 

[UMGriz75]

... and Carroll’s Mike Van Diest

Wow, I can't think of a more volatile candidate. I think Mike took himself out of the running for any higher collegiate level after his bizarre behavior at Carroll two (?) years ago.

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

... and Carroll’s Mike Van Diest

Wow, I can't think of a more volatile candidate. I think Mike took himself out of the running for any higher collegiate level after his bizarre behavior at Carroll two (?) years ago.

He is way too egotistical to be a successful Head Coach. :thumb:

 

[EverettGriz]

Here's a list of early possibilities according to the Chronicle. And Fields did say he would be talking to guys inside the Big Sky.

A list of early candidates could include Cramsey, Ioane, former offensive line coach Jason McEndoo, who now tutors fullbacks and tight ends at Oklahoma State, Ed Lamb, head coach of Big Sky champion Southern Utah, and Carroll’s Mike Van Diest

My hunch all along has been Lamb. And that was reinforced by Fields' staggeringly awkward answer to the question about whether other BSC coaches were being considered. My next choice is McEndoo. But I've thought the job was Lamb's to lose from the announcement.

 

[UMGriz75]

My hunch all along has been Lamb. And that was reinforced by Fields' staggeringly awkward answer to the question about whether other BSC coaches were being considered.

"Staggeringly awkward" is a description both modest and understated. I thought he was going to throw up.

 

[ALPHAGRIZ1]

#Brevity

[emoji38]

sorry. tough sometimes. how about this?

:finger:

LOL

 

[ALPHAGRIZ1]

First two they cannot afford.

Wristen has a domestic violence charge on his record for striking his wife and children. Can't see Fields and Waded going there.

Stugart is a possibility; perhaps too much of an unknown name.

5 is NOT happening.

What does punching your wife have to do with your ability to coach football?

 

[UTGrizFan]

I really feel if the Cats are going to hire anyone they need to pick up someone with a defensive mindset. If MSU just had even a little defense this year they would probably be a playoff team along with the Griz. I do think Ed Lamb is a potential canidate, however I dont know if he will leave SUU. He is a BYU graduate and SUU is basically a mini version of BYU so he may be quite content to stay. I actually kind of like these 2 as potential canidates.

-Matt Entz: Current Defensive Coordinator for the NDSU Bison (overall 12th ranked defense in the nation at the FCS level) and if there is any kind of culture change we need its on the defensive side of the ball. The high defensive ranking is even more impressive considering they play in arguably one of if not the toughest FCS Conference.

-Steve Russ: Current Defensive Coordinator with the Air Force Falcons, runs a very aggresive defense that has performed admirably under his two years at the helm. They are curerntly ranked 2nd in the MWC (12th nationally at the FBS level) in terms of total defense and I feel a super aggresive on top of a defensive minded approach would be very useful.

Wristen has a domestic violence charge on his record for striking his wife and children. Can't see Fields and Waded going there.

I think this happened back in the late 90's? Enough years have passed that I dont think it would nearly as big an issue as some people think.

 

[doc3kgt]

Wow, did not see this coming if true. I know the last couple of years were tough but what is his record at MSU like 70 -38 total and 48 - 23 in conference with the current season being the only losing season he had? Figured he had a year or two based on the contract extension he just got!!

I am surprised as well. Ash's overall record is very positive on the wins, and he kept the kids and coach's out of trouble. There hasn't been a single murder on his watch.

Ash isn't ordinarily the kind of coach you fire (or "retire" early). What this results from is losing to the Griz three games in a row. It also results from a near-psychopathic fan base that has themselves convinced that "they" are an elite program and that it is just the darn coaches and players that keep letting them down. The Cat "program" is the worst case of "projection" in all of college football. The fanbase has one perception of what they are; the reality produces a different view. Ash is their voodoo doll and they are vicious abut sticking the pins in.

It sends quite a message to recruits and to the next coach and coaching staff. If I was a college coach, and had a prospect of applying, I would think twice about applying to MSU. I would have to note that the major opponent the coach faces isn't opposing teams, it's the "fans."

Congratulations UMGriz75. You are the winner of the annual Egriz dipshit award for the 2015 season.

 

[doc3kgt]

It sends quite a message to recruits and to the next coach and coaching staff. If I was a college coach, and had a prospect of applying, I would think twice about applying to MSU. I would have to note that the major opponent the coach faces isn't opposing teams, it's the "fans."

that is certainly one way of looking at it. however, you could also look at it as we are committed to winning. and winning games that matter. beating the griz matters. winning playoff games matter. beating quality teams in the conference matter. these are things coach ash did not do well.

I don't know a team in the country that doesn't at least pay lip service to those goals. Football is a sport, after all. Being "dedicated" to winning is a nice thought.

At the end of the playoffs, every year, only one team gets to "win." So, there is something more to this, and that is "going about it." A psychotic fan base isn't "it."

UM began a true tradition of sports excellence beginning, really, with Jud Heathcote. Then, Don Read. Give it 30 years of development with ADs like Harley Lewis, Bill Moos, Jim O'Day. You got a "deep state" of athletic excellence that supports the coaches and the players. There's a sophisticated fan base that truly supports the coaches and the teams and understands the sport. That is truly an "elite" program.

Then you've got the Bobcats who saw all this develop and decided, for reasons unknoweable, that "hey, we can be just like UM and we SHOULD BE!" Why? Well, that's the hard part. Montana is small state population-wise and money-wise, and it is doubtful that it could sustain two "elite" football programs. If Montana continues to win the recruiting battle in-state, it doesn't matter how many times MSU fans announce the "changing of the guard," it doesn't seem to "change." MSU is forever in the shadow of UM on recruiting, which is partly why 69% of Montana's population are Griz fans.

And recruits see that, and donors see that, and it's like who wants to be part of a self-destructive program that devours its winningest coaches and marginalizes its talent, driven by a rabid fan base that, after being delusional, are vindictive.

I will respectfully disagree with this. it's clear we won't change any minds. you make it sound like the griz invented winning and the only reason have expectations of winning because of you! it's crazy. why should msu be any different than any other team in the country? why should we be fine losing to our in-state rival? or missing the playoffs? or losing seasons?

this is so funny to me. all we've heard from a large portion of your fanbase for years is how bad ash sucks. how our schedule is weak and we can't beat anyone. about how you hope he sticks around forever. now we let him go and you're going to act like we're this mean university with unreasonable expectations?! it doesn't make sense.
I like ash a lot. he's a great guy. but he couldn't beat the griz. he couldn't win in November. he couldn't win in the playoffs. and whether you think so or not, these are not lofty expectations. and while I appreciate your concern in regards to recruits and donations, I know for a fact that we have already lost out on these things because of ash. I find it highly unlikely we are going to lose donations and recruits in the future because of our "delusional" goals of winning in the playoffs. :lol:

UMGriz is a world class douche bag. I know there are a lot of great griz fans out there. But crap posted like this is what gives you guys a bad name. UMGriz are you being a troll or do you ACTUALLY believe what you are saying? At this point I am rating you right up there with PlayaRep on the irrational Dbag-O-meter.

 

[doc3kgt]

I will respectfully disagree with this. it's clear we won't change any minds. you make it sound like the griz invented winning and the only reason have expectations of winning because of you! it's crazy. why should msu be any different than any other team in the country? why should we be fine losing to our in-state rival? or missing the playoffs? or losing seasons?

this is so funny to me. all we've heard from a large portion of your fanbase for years is how bad ash sucks. how our schedule is weak and we can't beat anyone. about how you hope he sticks around forever. now we let him go and you're going to act like we're this mean university with unreasonable expectations?! it doesn't make sense.

No. My point is that if it was as easy as just "deciding" then every team would be #1. Right?

That's the problem with Cat fans, a naive and often arrogant view of what it takes to make an "elite" program. They saw one in the window, and decided they wanted it. Realistically, there was not an infrastructure of facilities, a deep and knowledgeable athletic department staff, a sophisticated fan base, and well-developed pipelines of recruits and donors. There still isn't. This year's results for the Cats isn't an anomaly, it's to be expected from a program like that. It is the full measure of the "program."

And it took years to get that in place at UM, and Cat fans simply decided that if they decided "it was true" at Bozeman without any further need for evidence, that the power of delusional thinking could overcome the years of planning and experience.

The further problem, perhaps the greater problem, is trying to repeat the success of UM in the same state, a motive borne out of sheer envy and not because the school had any kind of a tradition in it; just if "UM did it" then we have "decided" we are also an "elite" program, that should be "in the top 10 every year" just because of the power of projection and delusion, and little else.

What a pompous ass. I would pay ALOT of money for you to get up an say that to the coaching staff and kids that work their asses off for this program. Goddamn you make yourself look bad...