http://www.yardbarker.com/college_f...llege_football_head_coaches_for_2015/18943096
Never heard of this site but here's what it says about Fitz. Just trying to stir up the board :-D
37. Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
Record at Northwestern: 60-53 (9 years)
Career Record: 60-53 (9 years)
Northwestern is coming off back-to-back losing seasons for the first time under Fitzgerald and is 4-12 in Big Ten play over the last two years. While it’s easy to only judge coaches by recent history, this is not an easy job and Fitzgerald has won 60 games since 2006. Additionally, the Wildcats went to five consecutive bowl games from 2008-12, including a 10-win campaign in '12, concluding with just the program’s second postseason victory. Considering what Fitzgerald has accomplished at one of the Big Ten’s toughest jobs, what could he do at a program with more resources?
The same site links to athlon, who predicts us to finish 5th in the West at 6-6, and ranks the team "58th". here: http://athlonsports.com/college-football/big-ten-football-2015-predictions
Apparently they think that we would be dead last without Fitz? You know, how we were for the decade before him.
This is one of those, 'hope I'm wrong but I fear I am not wrong' scenarios. I don't think he's improved since year three, and like really any coach (or perhaps any of us that worked somewhere for 9 years), I don't expect any significant change or improvement. Let's say a 10 win season would represent a '50% performance improvement'. Yes, I know it is twice as many wins, but I don't think a 10 win team is 2x as good as a 5 win team. Anyway - how many of you feel that you could improve your performance by 50%, for a sustained period, after you had been in a job for 9 years. Sure, you might have a one year burst on a project but you'd settle into your mean performance level
I think this is what we have - win an average of 2 non-con games and 4 B1G games for the forseeable future. We will p1$$ and moan when we have 3-5 wins and shout from the rooftops when we have 7-8 wins. Eventually the remaining luster will wear off Fitz but I doubt NU will ever do anything, and once Iowa finally fires Ferentz he will be the "dean of coaches' etc.
I love this team but have lowered my expectations.
Never heard of this site but here's what it says about Fitz. Just trying to stir up the board :-D
37. Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
Record at Northwestern: 60-53 (9 years)
Career Record: 60-53 (9 years)
Northwestern is coming off back-to-back losing seasons for the first time under Fitzgerald and is 4-12 in Big Ten play over the last two years. While it’s easy to only judge coaches by recent history, this is not an easy job and Fitzgerald has won 60 games since 2006. Additionally, the Wildcats went to five consecutive bowl games from 2008-12, including a 10-win campaign in '12, concluding with just the program’s second postseason victory. Considering what Fitzgerald has accomplished at one of the Big Ten’s toughest jobs, what could he do at a program with more resources?
The same site links to athlon, who predicts us to finish 5th in the West at 6-6, and ranks the team "58th". here: http://athlonsports.com/college-football/big-ten-football-2015-predictions
Apparently they think that we would be dead last without Fitz? You know, how we were for the decade before him.
This is one of those, 'hope I'm wrong but I fear I am not wrong' scenarios. I don't think he's improved since year three, and like really any coach (or perhaps any of us that worked somewhere for 9 years), I don't expect any significant change or improvement. Let's say a 10 win season would represent a '50% performance improvement'. Yes, I know it is twice as many wins, but I don't think a 10 win team is 2x as good as a 5 win team. Anyway - how many of you feel that you could improve your performance by 50%, for a sustained period, after you had been in a job for 9 years. Sure, you might have a one year burst on a project but you'd settle into your mean performance level
I think this is what we have - win an average of 2 non-con games and 4 B1G games for the forseeable future. We will p1$$ and moan when we have 3-5 wins and shout from the rooftops when we have 7-8 wins. Eventually the remaining luster will wear off Fitz but I doubt NU will ever do anything, and once Iowa finally fires Ferentz he will be the "dean of coaches' etc.
I love this team but have lowered my expectations.