WHAT ABOUT BAJAKIAN?????
- Thread starter EvanstonCat
- Start date
I think he gets some benefit of the doubt for a few years. Recall what we did vs Nebby when Gordon was healthy and line played well. He needs to develop Sully and Lausch to keep his job, IMO.
My conspiracy theory based on almost nothing: JON volunteered to fall on his sword so his buddy Fitz wouldn't look like a total doofus. O'Neill may have been able to take a reasonable look at his chess pieces and sees that the defense won't improve in one more season; he's got money in the bank and maybe has some position coach options whether in college or the pros, and he knows he has to rebuild his career rep which won't happen in a third season at NU.
This allows Fitz to look like he's making moves without actually making many moves at all, including getting rid of his OC.
This allows Fitz to look like he's making moves without actually making many moves at all, including getting rid of his OC.
(Note: What follows is a intended to be humorous)
Because of the legal red tape required in the process of hiring and firing, he’s been placed on a formal Performance Improvement Plan and will have quarterly check-ins with Gragg.
He will be required to set his formal goals — both behaviors and desired results — approved in advance with Gragg.
As part of this plan, Bajakian will receive 360 performance review, with input from several key stakeholders, including his counterparts on the defensive side, various position coaches, his own players, and Patrick Ryan.
Through this 360 process and PIP, Bajakian will get assistance in prioritizing his work, identifying opportunity areas, and understanding how he is perceived by those around him.
(JON was actually fired for violating university policy by following Tucker Carlson on Twitter. Springer has quietly been on a PIP since 2016, and Long is wanton age discrimination — no tenure among coaches.)
Because of the legal red tape required in the process of hiring and firing, he’s been placed on a formal Performance Improvement Plan and will have quarterly check-ins with Gragg.
He will be required to set his formal goals — both behaviors and desired results — approved in advance with Gragg.
As part of this plan, Bajakian will receive 360 performance review, with input from several key stakeholders, including his counterparts on the defensive side, various position coaches, his own players, and Patrick Ryan.
Through this 360 process and PIP, Bajakian will get assistance in prioritizing his work, identifying opportunity areas, and understanding how he is perceived by those around him.
(JON was actually fired for violating university policy by following Tucker Carlson on Twitter. Springer has quietly been on a PIP since 2016, and Long is wanton age discrimination — no tenure among coaches.)
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NU statement is official on JON, Springer, Long. To that end, I don't see any other coaching changes coming.
From now on he can only be known as Teflon Mike.
Honestly, can someone explain how he gets to keep his job? What in the actual f????
Just my immediate reaction - I'm afraid this means that Fitz is sticking with the Stone Age offense. Very ungood.
There may be some further departures depending on who gets the DC job. I could see McGarigle and/or McPherson leaving depending on what happens with the DC position.
Today‘s announcement merits a polite golf clap, and nothing more.
A disastrous hire retained a full season too long out of softness was finally let go. Awesome.
But this program needed shaking up, not incremental change.
If Fitz had decided to rebuild from the ground up, with enthusiastic young coaches, I would have been willing to give him more time. But if Stand Pat is standing pat with the current offensive approach, then he basically has no grace period with me. He absolutely must field a competent offense and win more than a couple of games, now.
Quite frankly, if this decision turns out as badly as his last few, then Fitz needs to go after next season. I never thought that I would type those words.
A disastrous hire retained a full season too long out of softness was finally let go. Awesome.
But this program needed shaking up, not incremental change.
If Fitz had decided to rebuild from the ground up, with enthusiastic young coaches, I would have been willing to give him more time. But if Stand Pat is standing pat with the current offensive approach, then he basically has no grace period with me. He absolutely must field a competent offense and win more than a couple of games, now.
Quite frankly, if this decision turns out as badly as his last few, then Fitz needs to go after next season. I never thought that I would type those words.
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In points per game average the last 3 non covid years we were in the 125-128 range out of 130/131 teams. That’s epic bad and we actually may have needed change on offense even more than on D (and that’s saying something)
The program needed a giant cleansing and Fitz is replacing some carpet with hardwood.
The program needed a giant cleansing and Fitz is replacing some carpet with hardwood.
Do we really need more evidence? Guy doesn’t even seem to realize we need an upgrade at QB. Half the ones in college were in the portal last offseason and we ended up with zippo, nada, nothing.
No but at the same time, the program is going to go through a lot of changes this off-season already.
I think Fitz wants to focus more on getting the defense fixed while hoping to see QB development work under Bajakian.
Changing both coordinators at once might've been too much for Fitz to do in one offseason.
Either way, Bajakian has to know this is his last year if the offense doesn't improve. There's going to be way more pressure to produce this season than the last 2.
You'd think 13.8 ppg would just be an automatic firing. Bajakian's first two years look like McCall's last two years, and then you've got this year. There must be something going on behind the scenes that we won't find out about.
Gosh, can you imagine if “I just can’t handle so much change” is the reason. Realize we’re speculating, but that’d be pure cowardice.
I agree, but it only matters if Fitz allows him to make real changes to the offensive philosophy. It could happen, but... no evidence right now to think it will.
We’ve won one game in our last 18. As much as i wanted JON gone our offense has been even worse
I hope just the opposite. Fitz will finally hand the keys over to Bajakian and allow him to fully implement his own offense with no strings attached. No more complementary football. Bajakian gets a year to do it his way. Succeed he stays; fails he’s gone after next season. We should have a solid OL, Porter back at RB, improved TEs and a fresh new WR room…need improved QB play to take us to the next level.
Really hope you’re right but suspect it’s false hope.
LOL as if the main problem was Bajakian not being allowed to unleash his genius. We all saw what his play calls were this year right? The wildcat offense that had no variation? The worst offense in D1? That's the guy we want to hand the keys over for success? Plus, the OL is not going to be solid when we're losing a top 15 NFL pick on the left side, come on.
Hey, I like complementary football! Haven’t seen much of it at NU the last two years. Having said that, this is the scenario I am hoping for. I have seen Jake’s coordinated offenses when he runs them the way he wants and when he has decent personnel and they are really good offenses. Go get him a QB like McNamara, another RB and two WRs in the portal, get our OL and TEs healthy and this offense could be downright explosive next year.
🫣I think this is what Fitz is focused on, giving Bajakian a chance to get the QB/WR situation improved and the offense going.
Bajakian is obviously on the hot seat this coming year while Fitz focuses on getting the defense fixed.
Go get him a QB?? Isn't that what the OC is supposed to do?? Another RB?? Isn't that what he is supposed to do??
With Jake at the helm and this personnel, the players he recruited, we have no hope of winning a B1G championship. Zero.
Explosive, and his offense are two incompatible words. You can't blame it all on injuries either. He couldn't win with any of the QB's. He couldn't develop any of the QB's into better players. With Jake back and no changes, we will have another losing season, because we simply can't score enough points to win. Take 3/4's of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin's points away, and we still lose!!
You just polished off the very last glass of the leftover spiked kool aid from the May recruiting weekend with that forecast, but... I'd be happy if we improve to sniffing being downright explosive next year.
He's being given one more year. Not 3 or 5.
Bajakian has to produce next season or he'll be replaced in 12 months too.
It's do or die. The pressure is 10-fold of what it was this past season.
The offense has to put up points.
You might be right, but I was more referring to "firings." I could see Fitz using his position to specifically provide cover for Mac and McG.
I'll be a Fitz apologist on this point. Change is hard. And having gotten my master's in Learning & Org Change at Northwestern (Fitz got his undergrad degree in this) I can tell you the first thing they hammer into us is that successful change must be incremental. Knowing Fitz's experience with coordinators, this is all very uncharted waters for him, I imagine he is as stressed as a multi-millionaire can be
Admittedly, I'm at least a little bit surprised that he fired JON and not Jake. I imagine the logic is that Jake's offense was facing certain doom because of QB injuries, but I would argue our injury situation was not perilous through the first 6-8 ugly losses of the season. Jake being the OC and QB coach for two years now makes me question his ability to ever right the ship and that his entire lineup is not ready for Big Ten football.
Maybe in consideration of our recent offensive performance, we will get 20 first round draft picks that he's going to use to fix the roster. Some of this stuff is simply asinine.
So let me get this straight our offense can’t Score, turns the ball over a record amount of times we can’t keep a quarterback healthy let alone develop or recruit one. And the offense doesn’t need to be retooled starting with the OC. Makes sense no changes.
Hopefully, the PIP includes a corrective action plan that involves observing what a functional offense looks like and then implementing those strategies in NU's offense with targeted S.M.A.R.T. goals and objectives like being able to score more than 24 points against run-of-the mill MAC and FCS programs.
All we need is a new WR coach and to unleash Bajakian and we'll be 2010 era Oregon in no time. #UnleashTheJake
Yeah I know. Coaches coach better when they have better players. Revolutionary concept.
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