A Letter from Pat Hobbs

[rucoe89]

Another Hobby horse guy!!

I agree with you.

I do like merry-go-rounds :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

 

[JoeRU0304]

Not criticizing Hobbs letter...It was well written, thought out and it does drive home some positives. I read it as him also finding it very hard to extol the virtues of Chris Ash though so he skirted them like a pro.

There are two things a HC is judged by...wins(or at least noticeable improvement) and recruiting. It would be really great if Hobbs could have honestly said that we have seen recruiting improve and the team has gotten better each year. Hell, Ash can't even say he has cleaned up illegal activities by our players.

...and of course the Up On Their Pedestal Holier Than Thou Crew will have no retort for any of this...it’s also 3 years later and the results on the field AND recruiting are still going in the wrong direction.


Joe P.

 

[RU85inFla]

"I think most of us are willing to admit that Rutgers is one of the hardest, least attractive jobs in the Power 5. But, there is a ton of potential in it.

I have to be honest. I never got this thought process. Please explain.

I'll give you the positives that no less than 100 programs can't compete with all of these 3:

1. We are in a great conference.
2. We are in a recruiting hotbed.
3. We are a huge school with a ton of alumni. Its easy to get the ball rolling with some success.

On the negative side we have a history issue and a athletic facility issue (but not in football). Other than that, all is pretty good compared to many many other places.

I don't buy the Ash/Hobbs soapbox.

 

[beaced_rivals]

Well written piece. He did a good job of acknowledging the issues and addressing them in a positive way. He also was right to mention that it begins with the donors. People who think Hobbs is not feeling the pressure are crazy. This proves he is.

The best thing for the program now is for those who are still angry Ash has been retained to keep the negativity to themselves, at least until after recruiting season. Ash will have his work cut out for him to bring in a respectable class. The better he recruits, the happier we will all be. At the end of the day, we all want the same thing.

Yep. PATIENCE. And then LET IT RIP if it is just more of the same.

 

[NBKnight]

I have to be honest. I never got this thought process. Please explain.

I'll give you the positives that no less than 100 programs can't compete with all of these 3:

1. We are in a great conference.
2. We are in a recruiting hotbed.
3. We are a huge school with a ton of notoriously cheap alumni.

On the negative side we have a history issue and a athletic facility issue (but not in football). Other than that, all is pretty good compared to many many other places.

I don't buy the Ash/Hobbs soapbox.

fify

 

[Knight Shift]

I have to be honest. I never got this thought process. Please explain.

I'll give you the positives that no less than 100 programs can't compete with all of these 3:

1. We are in a great conference.
2. We are in a recruiting hotbed.
3. We are a huge school with a ton of alumni. Its easy to get the ball rolling with some success.

On the negative side we have a history issue and a athletic facility issue (but not in football). Other than that, all is pretty good compared to many many other places.

I don't buy the Ash/Hobbs soapbox.

Are we really in a recruiting hotbed? Putting aside recruiting rankings, is the true measure of a player whether he performs up to and exceeds his ranking and makes it to the NFL? From 2017:
Looks like Florida, California, Texas and Georgia are super hotbeds, while South Carolina, Alabama, and Lousiana are hot.
New Jersey is up there but even behind Ohio and Pennsylvania.

 

[e5fdny]

I didn’t read the two pages (so far) of this thread but the letter tells me Chris Ash is going to be here until at least five years is up or maybe the end of his contract.

 

[Plum Street]

I replied to him with the “circle of suck” image from the other thread . No response .

 

[bac2therac]

I have to be honest. I never got this thought process. Please explain.

I'll give you the positives that no less than 100 programs can't compete with all of these 3:

1. We are in a great conference.
2. We are in a recruiting hotbed.
3. We are a huge school with a ton of alumni. Its easy to get the ball rolling with some success.

On the negative side we have a history issue and a athletic facility issue (but not in football). Other than that, all is pretty good compared to many many other places.

I don't buy the Ash/Hobbs soapbox.

the reason why its the hardest job is probably among power 5 schools we have the least supportive president and BOG...and its no wonder why we have the least amount of big donors

 

[Knight Shift]

the reason why its the hardest job is probably among power 5 schools we have the least supportive president and BOG...and its no wonder why we have the least amount of big donors

But hasn't it been that way with donors for quite a while, even pre-Barchi?

 

[bac2therac]

I'm going to go ahead and say 1-11 with a crushing loss to Kansas, the worst P5 QB performance anyone has ever seen and something like 3 yards passing vs MD, in a year when the coach was talking about a bowl game is a train wreck.

its as if the Kansas and Buffalo beatdowns didnt exist. Had RU won them and finished 3-9 with the exact same results the rest of the year, I think people would have been okay with a 4 year for Ash to prove.

Ash lots most of the fans when he lost those two games, a few here are pointing to the last 4 games as some sort of true indication of the team, yet that is not how it works

 

[Ole Cabbagehead]

I didn’t read the two pages (so far) of this thread but the letter tells me Chris Ash is going to be here until at least five years is up or maybe the end of his contract.

Nonsense. This is going to play out the way things like this play out at ALL P5 schools, whether people want to believe it or not.

1. Unless donors foot the bill, schools do not eat a $10mm contract.
2. If there is no improvement after 4 years, Ash will be gone, and the school will foot the buyout.
3. If there is improvement next year, then Ash will be back for year 5.

The ONLY issue with the Ash deal is that he should not have been given 7 years. Hobbs screwed that up, and felt it this year as the fans freaked out and let him have it. It is what it is. He made a mistake. Perspective is important. Because we are not a school where the donors will step up and take care of it, Hobbs and Ash will survive their mistakes, and be here next year to try to improve things. If they do, great. If they do not, their days of judgment are coming; albeit about 2 years behind schedule.

People whining and crying on this board are incredibly annoying, not because they are wrong, but because they have no perspective of the situation. They want to cry and scream in hopes the school will do something no other school would do - not even the blue bloods.

 

[RUChoppin]

Lol...some of you folks talk like this is a recent RU blip over 4 decades of proven success. Solid recruiting, conf. Championships, major upsets here and there, a few big time bowl games, etc.

Reality us that except for a few really decent seasons. The norm is Rutgers Football has been avg to below avg. And the last 3 seasons have been some of the worst. We underperform . thats the only constant.

When Ash came in the door and started recruiting, we'd been to a bowl game in 9 of the prior 11 seasons. The juniors and seniors he was recruiting weren't even in 1st grade when Rutgers was last a college football doormat, and we had compiled a 83-56 record from the time they entered Kindergarten to the time Ash and staff were sitting down in their kitchens to sell them on committing (2005-2015 seasons).

Rutgers had been a solid program for essentially their entire lives prior to Ash's arrival and was coming off a down year that was impacted by several player arrests.

Now? That's all been wiped away. Four straight losing seasons... we've gone 11-37 since the current HS recruits entered 8th grade, and there's no expectation that we'll suddenly have a winning record next year.

 

[bac2therac]

Nonsense. This is going to play out the way things like this play out at ALL P5 schools, whether people want to believe it or not.

1. Unless donors foot the bill, schools do not eat a $10mm contract.
2. If there is no improvement after 4 years, Ash will be gone, and the school will foot the buyout.
3. If there is improvement next year, then Ash will be back for year 5.

The ONLY issue with the Ash deal is that he should not have been given 7 years. Hobbs screwed that up, and felt it this year as the fans freaked out and let him have it. It is what it is. He made a mistake. Perspective is important. Because we are not a school where the donors will step up and take care of it, Hobbs and Ash will survive their mistakes, and be here next year to try to improve things. If they do, great. If they do not, their days of judgment are coming; albeit about 2 years behind schedule.

People whining and crying on this board are incredibly annoying, not because they are wrong, but because they have no perspective of the situation. They want to cry and scream in hopes the school will do something no other school would do - not even the blue bloods.

here is the problem...what is improvement...3-9? 4-8? 5-7?

its not clear cut and we likely will go through the same thing next November

and I disagree with you...95% of power 5 schools would have canned Ash at this point and ate the contract, schools are eating contracts all the time

 

[LotusAggressor_rivals]

Got this via e-mail

Dear Rutgers faithful:

When I arrived at Rutgers three years ago our Athletics Department was facing many challenges. Our programs, with notable exceptions, were struggling to be competitive. No significant investment had been made in facilities in decades. Fundraising needed a boost and morale was low.

Our football program, despite some early success in the Big Ten, was heading in the wrong direction. Recruiting was not at the level it needed to be. The practice fields, weight room and locker room were all in need of an upgrade. There was an ongoing NCAA investigation that would later result in sanctions and probation. Despite these challenges, Chris Ash wanted to be the Head Coach of the Scarlet Knights.

We knew this process would require hard work, patience and investment. Success would not happen overnight. We would have to recruit special young men dedicated to the challenge. We are in the Big Ten East, the toughest division of any conference in the country. Every year we go up against the most storied programs in the history of college football. Our goal is to turn our football program into one that is bowl eligible every year, that graduates young men of high character and that is a source of pride to the Rutgers community and our State. That remains our goal.

Over the course of the season, I have heard from alumni, donors and fans who expressed their frustration with the results on game day. Those calls came in loud and clear. Many were quite colorful. This was a disappointing football season for all of us - Coach Ash, myself, our athletes, our students, and you our loyal supporters. We had a goal and failed to achieve it.

Nevertheless, I remain extremely optimistic about the future of Rutgers Athletics, next year and beyond. You should be too.

Just look at what we’ve accomplished together in the past three years. We’ve built strength and conditioning facilities at the Hale Center and the RAC. We opened a new baseball and softball practice facility. The Marco Battaglia Football Practice Complex is the best in the nation. In July, we will open the RWJBarnabas Health Athletic Performance Center that will house our basketball, wrestling and gymnastics programs. In the spring, we will break ground on the Gary and Barbara Rodkin Academic Success Center and in August, start our celebration of the 150th anniversary of college football with the grand opening of the Brown Family Football Locker Room. These are long overdue investments that will pay dividends for many years to come.

Our football program has a solid core of young talent returning in 2019. Thirty of our first or second year student-athletes saw action for the first time and we return 18 players who have started. This provides a strong nucleus to build around as Coach Ash and his staff hit the recruiting trail this off season. We will recruit student athletes who love to play football, who excel in the classroom and who want to represent the State University of New Jersey.

Continuity is the key to accomplishing our goals. No one said this would be easy or straight uphill. There are many examples of programs and coaches who in the process of building experienced disappointment in year three. The critics will continue to say it can’t be done. They won’t deter us from our task.

There is something else you should know. Whether it’s football, basketball or any of our other programs, success is also dependent on you. Your continued support is essential. In good times and bad we need you. We’re Scarlet Knights. We don’t quit and we don’t flinch in the face of adversity. That’s Rutgers and that’s Jersey. From the season ticket holder who has been with us for over 30 years, to the young kids who welcome our team each week at the Scarlet Walk, to the alum who just pledged ten dollars to the Big Ten Build, your loyalty is appreciated and respected. It inspires me, Coach Ash and our entire Rutgers Athletics team to work hard every day to bring you the success you deserve.

Let’s go Rutgers nation! Shoulder to shoulder, we have work to do!

GO RU!

Patrick E. Hobbs
Director of Intercollegiate Athletics
Rutgers University

How does all this translate into blocking, tackling, throwing the ball, catching the ball, and scoring points?

 

[RU85inFla]

the reason why its the hardest job is probably among power 5 schools we have the least supportive president and BOG...and its no wonder why we have the least amount of big donors

I'd love to see that analysis.

 

[RU4Real]

But hasn't it been that way with donors for quite a while, even pre-Barchi?

Bac's being myopic, as usual.

The larger issue is that other large schools have solid support from their in-state constituency. Anyone reading this forum would be able to tell, immediately, that this isn't the case here in New Jersey. The percentage of whiny little bitches is 10 higher here than on comparable forums.

 

[Proud NJ Sports Fan]

Weird, I got the same letter

 

[e5fdny]

Nonsense. This is going to play out the way things like this play out at ALL P5 schools, whether people want to believe it or not.

1. Unless donors foot the bill, schools do not eat a $10mm contract.
2. If there is no improvement after 4 years, Ash will be gone, and the school will foot the buyout.
3. If there is improvement next year, then Ash will be back for year 5.

The ONLY issue with the Ash deal is that he should not have been given 7 years. Hobbs screwed that up, and felt it this year as the fans freaked out and let him have it. It is what it is. He made a mistake. Perspective is important. Because we are not a school where the donors will step up and take care of it, Hobbs and Ash will survive their mistakes, and be here next year to try to improve things. If they do, great. If they do not, their days of judgment are coming; albeit about 2 years behind schedule.

People whining and crying on this board are incredibly annoying, not because they are wrong, but because they have no perspective of the situation. They want to cry and scream in hopes the school will do something no other school would do - not even the blue bloods.

The 5 year thing is not nonsense. He just told us all this is going to take some time. His clock/watch does not run on the same time as everyone else.

Unless something happens that could end up looking like cause, he is here.

 

[RUChoppin]

They want to cry and scream in hopes the school will do something no other school would do - not even the blue bloods.

Michigan fired Rich Rod after 3 seasons and a 15-22 (6-18) record.
Kansas fired Charlie Weis after 3 seasons and a 6-22 (1-18) record.
Notre Dame fired Ty Willingham after 3 seasons and a 21-15 record.

It's not unprecedented to fire a coach after 3 seasons with a 7-29 (3-24) record. Question is if he'll be fired after 4 seasons and a 9-39 (3-33) record.

 

[RUforlife]

Michigan fired Rich Rod after 3 seasons and a 15-22 (6-18) record.
Kansas fired Charlie Weis after 3 seasons and a 6-22 (1-18) record.
Notre Dame fired Ty Willingham after 3 seasons and a 21-15 record.

It's not unprecedented to fire a coach after 3 seasons with a 7-29 (3-24) record.

Please, don't confuse the Ash supporters with facts.

 

[GuessYouWereWrong]

“I know we are by far and away the worst Power 5 football team in country, but look the baseball facility we built. Please continue to give us your money.

Thanks.”

 

[bac2therac]

I'd love to see that analysis.

where have you been the last 30 years...I will point you to hoops first

 

[bac2therac]

Bac's being myopic, as usual.

The larger issue is that other large schools have solid support from their in-state constituency. Anyone reading this forum would be able to tell, immediately, that this isn't the case here in New Jersey. The percentage of whiny little bitches is 10 higher here than on comparable forums.

well maybe we shouldnt be sitting at the big boy table then. Listen to be honest, this fanbase and donor support and university have AAC written all over them not the Big 10. It may be painful and everyone wants to stick their head in the sand but all those factors added on that basically in every sport but womens hoops we have been irrelevant makes a strong argument. Perhaps if the programs were winning, all those others things would fall into play. But we have a terrible athletic acheivement record across the board, a cheap fanbase, a small fanbase, a state that really does not care about Rutgers sports, a media that attacks anything spent on sports, politicians who do not support the school, a BOG trapped in the 1950s, and a President who has declared he will not get into an arms race in sports. So there you have it. We do not even have to go into the last decade which is filled with scandal and short sighted decision making from hoops to football. Will we survive the contract blunder from Hobbs or will he be run over eventually by the Barchi bus

 

[Knight Shift]

well maybe we shouldnt be sitting at the big boy table then. Listen to be honest, this fanbase and donor support and university have AAC written all over them not the Big 10. It may be painful and everyone wants to stick their head in the sand but all those factors added on that basically in every sport but womens hoops we have been irrelevant makes a strong argument. Perhaps if the programs were winning, all those others things would fall into play. But we have a terrible athletic acheivement record across the board, a cheap fanbase, a small fanbase, a state that really does not care about Rutgers sports, a media that attacks anything spent on sports, politicians who do not support the school, a BOG trapped in the 1950s, and a President who has declared he will not get into an arms race in sports. So there you have it. We do not even have to go into the last decade which is filled with scandal and short sighted decision making from hoops to football. Will we survive the contract blunder from Hobbs or will he be run over eventually by the Barchi bus

As you know, I am a positive person. After reading that, I got very depressed and angry about RU athletics.

 

[ru66]

everyone fails to mention that we are probably near the top in the number of alumni but at the bottom in the number who donate --we have a large number who demand wins but are "cheap bastards"--yeah why wouldn't someone want to coach here--that's a great combo

 

[yesrutgers01]

its as if the Kansas and Buffalo beatdowns didnt exist. Had RU won them and finished 3-9 with the exact same results the rest of the year, I think people would have been okay with a 4 year for Ash to prove.

Ash lots most of the fans when he lost those two games, a few here are pointing to the last 4 games as some sort of true indication of the team, yet that is not how it works

The reality of it is that Liberty may even be a pick-em game next year and even UMass is not automatic. Fuxing sad...

 

[bac2therac]

As you know, I am a positive person. After reading that, I got very depressed and angry about RU athletics.

hard to refute, I personally wouldnt mind sitting in the top 20 like a UCF or a Cincinnati type program. Lots of wins going 8-4 or better evey year Winning matters more than losing. All of us here will be long dead before RUtgers actually competes for national championships is ever. I wouldnt mind being Central Florida.

 

[bac2therac]

The reality of it is that Liberty may even be a pick-em game next year and even UMass is not automatic. Fuxing sad...

what happens if RU loses to Umass in that first game...what then? Potentially 0-7 before Liberty....would a move be made before that in game 4 or 5...how could it not

and before anyone says why be so negative, even the more negative here were saying Buffalo and Kansas were likely wins this year

 

[e5fdny]

everyone fails to mention that we are probably near the top in the number of alumni but at the bottom in the number who donate --we have a large number who demand wins but are "cheap bastards"--yeah why wouldn't someone want to coach here--that's a great combo

The large number of almuni thing is always out there but when we do this are Camden, Newark and the law schools included?

 

[tru2ru1]

the reason why its the hardest job is probably among power 5 schools we have the least supportive president and BOG...and its no wonder why we have the least amount of big donors

Total BS, do you realize that it took three different Athletic Directors and total of 8 years to raise a lousy $3 million for the Baseball training facility, the first new athletic facility RU built in 30 years, cheap Alumni who want the best but are not willing to spend a dime to attain the goals, has nothing to do with the President or BOG!

 

[ru66]

fuxk-- can you guys ever stop--the same old bs for the last month--over and over again-ash sucks, hobb sucks ,ru sucks, we were 1-11, i'm not renewing, i'll show them--a broken record--even a two year old takes a nap--there's no new message/info in your posts

 

[GuessYouWereWrong]

The reality of it is that Liberty may even be a pick-em game next year and even UMass is not automatic. Fuxing sad...

UMass hung 27 on Georgia this year. Do you think Rutgers could do that?

 

[GuessYouWereWrong]

fuxk-- can you guys ever stop--the same old bs for the last month--over and over again-ash sucks, hobb sucks ,ru sucks, we were 1-11, i'm not renewing, i'll show them--a broken record--even a two year old takes a nap--there's no new message/info in your posts

At least their posting shows they care about the direction of the program. You’ll find out first hand what happens when everyone stops caring and becomes indifferent to the results of the program next year.

 

[RU85inFla]

hard to refute, I personally wouldnt mind sitting in the top 20 like a UCF or a Cincinnati type program. Lots of wins going 8-4 or better evey year Winning matters more than losing. All of us here will be long dead before RUtgers actually competes for national championships is ever. I wouldnt mind being Central Florida.

My buddy was a star WR and one of the largest boosters. Even with their success he always tells me he would rather be in Rutgers shoes then theirs.

Lots of little girl reactionary behavior. Alum need to dig deep and donate. Coaches need to embrace RU like Pickell has. The AD need to have the balls to make tough decisions. The president and BOG need to facilitate a healthy and successful athletic program. That’s how you have success. Not by dreaming of the AAC.

 

[bac2therac]

Total BS, do you realize that it took three different Athletic Directors and total of 8 years to raise a lousy $3 million for the Baseball training facility, the first new athletic facility RU built in 30 years, cheap Alumni who want the best but are not willing to spend a dime to attain the goals, has nothing to do with the President or BOG!

the BOG and Presidents have never had the guts to do what they had to support athletics here. I was at the so called meeting to discuss Mulcahy when McCormick threw him under the bus. It wasnt a meeting. The BOG and McCcormick were saving their own hides. As much as think Mulcahy buried basketball, he has been the only one with the balls in the administrative levels the last 30 years.

and I agree with you..the donors are cheap..thats just one aspect of many that is conspiring against us but please don't excuse the likes of Barchi and the BOG who were only too eager to also hamstring Pernetti and then proceed to throw him under the bus brutally

 

[T2Kplus10]

I'd love to get a look at the "many examples" of coaches who went 1-11 in year 3 and turned it around. Disappointing seasons are one thing, this was a train wreck.

+1
It's hard to describe how bad we were this season. There were games that we were not a functional college football team. Not bad, not awful, not even pathetic, but not functional. Think about that for a while. It was worse that the Shea teams at their worst. And in year 3!

Why would anyone be optimistic for next season?

 

[ru66]

I would guess the other Camden and Newark count--we are close to than Pen State in numbers which I think has the most but they too have othe campuses

 

[Knight Shift]

what happens if RU loses to Umass in that first game...

What if that happens and Schiano is their Head Coach?

In the NJ.com podcast, Sarge, Politi and Kratch thought Schiano coaching UMass might be a reasonable option for him.

 

[krup]

Are we really in a recruiting hotbed? Putting aside recruiting rankings, is the true measure of a player whether he performs up to and exceeds his ranking and makes it to the NFL? From 2017:
Looks like Florida, California, Texas and Georgia are super hotbeds, while South Carolina, Alabama, and Lousiana are hot.
New Jersey is up there but even behind Ohio and Pennsylvania.

NJ probably ranks number 1 if you rank the states by NFL players divided by the number of FBS schools in that state.