Delaware player assaults teammate

[Ibanez]

Do the alumni associations or other donor groups want Brock gone? Or is the administration ignoring the reality?

[93henfan]

Do the alumni associations or other donor groups want Brock gone? Or is the administration ignoring the reality?

The Board of Trustees at UD (a private/public hybrid) have always been quite secretive, so only a privileged few know. There is very little fanbase or whale football donors left to grab their attention either.

Cue Taps for this program unless somebody on the BOT suddenly gets an interest in FBS football.

[BDKJMU]

As long as he wants. It's not like he can do much more damage to the program than what's already been done.

Well, to a point. Brock's connection with UD was his friendship with the AD, Ziady. Zaidy is likely on the way out as he was overruled by the powers that be when it came time to ditch or resign Monte Ross, the bball coach. Ziady wanted him gone, but he went and won the CAA, so he had to wait a year for him not to win the conference, which happened the next year. However, UD has a dearth of Black head coaches and firing one of the only ones became a problem and Ziady was told to resign him, which he did. The UD President left in the spring of this year and they're still awaiting a new one, and likely before then or by then Ziady will have moved on, meaning there'll be a new look at Brock. Brock's been given a real long leash to turn the program around and is entering his 4th year at the helm with little to show for it, and the 4th year has already been written off as a non-competitive year by Brock. The program is not the cash cow it used to be so who knows.

With all that said, though, the death of UD's football program has pretty much nothing to do with the head coach. The damage was done by the administration in its cavalier treatment of longtime fans, its sudden and poorly timed/poorly designed implementation of a donor program, and its incredibly slow reaction to the fans leaving in droves. They've fixed probably everything they did wrong as an administration and have made a lot of improvements, but no one is around any more to care. FCS fans didn't and don't grow on trees, it's a very small and very specific segment of the population. Driving a lot of those fans away was shortsighted as there was no one to replace them, then or now.

Huh, I thought Brock has only coached UD the 2 prior seasons and is entering his 3rd season at UD?

[93henfan]

Well, to a point. Brock's connection with UD was his friendship with the AD, Ziady. Zaidy is likely on the way out as he was overruled by the powers that be when it came time to ditch or resign Monte Ross, the bball coach. Ziady wanted him gone, but he went and won the CAA, so he had to wait a year for him not to win the conference, which happened the next year. However, UD has a dearth of Black head coaches and firing one of the only ones became a problem and Ziady was told to resign him, which he did. The UD President left in the spring of this year and they're still awaiting a new one, and likely before then or by then Ziady will have moved on, meaning there'll be a new look at Brock. Brock's been given a real long leash to turn the program around and is entering his 4th year at the helm with little to show for it, and the 4th year has already been written off as a non-competitive year by Brock. The program is not the cash cow it used to be so who knows.

With all that said, though, the death of UD's football program has pretty much nothing to do with the head coach. The damage was done by the administration in its cavalier treatment of longtime fans, its sudden and poorly timed/poorly designed implementation of a donor program, and its incredibly slow reaction to the fans leaving in droves. They've fixed probably everything they did wrong as an administration and have made a lot of improvements, but no one is around any more to care. FCS fans didn't and don't grow on trees, it's a very small and very specific segment of the population. Driving a lot of those fans away was shortsighted as there was no one to replace them, then or now.

Huh, I thought Brock has only coached UD the 2 prior seasons and is entering his 3rd season at UD?

It seems like his fourth year. GF is forgiven.

[YoUDeeMan]

Firing KC and hiring Brock (and a coaching change had to happen) was just reshuffling the deck chairs while the ship was sinking. The chairs didn't cause the ship to sink.

Yes, but the way they fired KCK was just another display of pure incompetence...and the subsequent insider rumor control hotline approach to why he was fired was as ridiculous as it can get.

Business 101, Lesson 1: you do not repeatedly insult your customers.

UD failed that class miserably.

[GannonFan]

Huh, I thought Brock has only coached UD the 2 prior seasons and is entering his 3rd season at UD?

It seems like his fourth year. GF is forgiven.

It does seem like an eternity. And I am getting older so the years seem to fly by and it's hard to keep count.

[GannonFan]

Do the alumni associations or other donor groups want Brock gone? Or is the administration ignoring the reality?

The Board of Trustees at UD (a private/public hybrid) have always been quite secretive, so only a privileged few know. There is very little fanbase or whale football donors left to grab their attention either.

Cue Taps for this program unless somebody on the BOT suddenly gets an interest in FBS football.

Truth. No one is around to even pay attention anymore. When a program is in it's dying moments as UD is it's eerily quiet because no one is there to notice. Calling for rain this Friday night - students home for the Labor Day holiday, fans possibly on vacation or stuck in Labor Day traffic, and this Friday night might look like that Sunday rescheduled Del St game last year. The crowds we use to get for Spring Games 10 years ago look to be the new normal crowds from now on.

[89Hen]

My first Blue Hen game was probably 1970 when my sister was at UD. The sights, sounds, smells (not the piss wall) stuck with me to today. When I was a student there, I rarely missed a game and even travelled to UMass, URI, Temple, Navy, Richmond... I had a long hiatus from Delaware football after graduation as I moved a couple hours away and football games weren't really on my radar.

But when my kids were small, I wanted them to have the same experience I had so we used to make the 200 mile trek 3-4 times a season and made at least one away game each year to boot. We loved going to games and it seemed things were headed in the right direction for gameday atmosphere even with the crackdown on the tailgating from when I was a student. More families in attendance. 20K plus crowds EVERY year. They win a National Championship. The iron was red hot. Then JMU announces plans for a huge renovation. W&M adds a beautiful athletic center (and now is expanding Zable again). Richmond builds a new stadium. UMass departs for I-A. Delaware... they installed hand rails on the stadium steps. I can't think of another example of somebody becoming obsolete so quickly. UD was the flagship in the Yankee, A10 and CAA, now they're nothing.

[93henfan]

Delaware has started seasons in the ORV portion of polls in recent years. Soon we won't even be there.

I mean, Harvard is a consistently better football team.

[89Hen]

I mean, Harvard is a consistently better football team.

Let's not get carried away. BIggest paper tigers ever. They need to step outside the Ivy and PL once and see how they fare and no, San Diego doesn't count.

[Ibanez]

My first Blue Hen game was probably 1970 when my sister was at UD. The sights, sounds, smells (not the piss wall) stuck with me to today. When I was a student there, I rarely missed a game and even travelled to UMass, URI, Temple, Navy, Richmond... I had a long hiatus from Delaware football after graduation as I moved a couple hours away and football games weren't really on my radar.

But when my kids were small, I wanted them to have the same experience I had so we used to make the 200 mile trek 3-4 times a season and made at least one away game each year to boot. We loved going to games and it seemed things were headed in the right direction for gameday atmosphere even with the crackdown on the tailgating from when I was a student. More families in attendance. 20K plus crowds EVERY year. They win a National Championship. The iron was red hot. Then JMU announces plans for a huge renovation. W&M adds a beautiful athletic center (and now is expanding Zable again). Richmond builds a new stadium. UMass departs for I-A. Delaware... they installed hand rails on the stadium steps. I can't think of another example of somebody becoming obsolete so quickly. UD was the flagship in the Yankee, A10 and CAA, now they're nothing.

Damn that sucks. But, it's true. You have to upgrade, and improve to stay relevant. I bet UD could lose to CSU.

[SunCoastBlueHen]

It is amazing how quickly apathy sets in. Up until five years or so ago, the week leading up to the opening game would have been a time of excitement and anticipation. I could have named most of the starters on either side of the ball off the top of my head. That feeling has dwindled to the point where I can't even tell you the name(s) of the starting QB(s) without referring to previous posts in this thread and did not even know the Hens were opening with Jacksonville until I read it here.

It would be depressing if I actually gave a shit anymore. I guess I went through the depression phase of this process a couple of years ago.

[GannonFan]

My first Blue Hen game was probably 1970 when my sister was at UD. The sights, sounds, smells (not the piss wall) stuck with me to today. When I was a student there, I rarely missed a game and even travelled to UMass, URI, Temple, Navy, Richmond... I had a long hiatus from Delaware football after graduation as I moved a couple hours away and football games weren't really on my radar.

But when my kids were small, I wanted them to have the same experience I had so we used to make the 200 mile trek 3-4 times a season and made at least one away game each year to boot. We loved going to games and it seemed things were headed in the right direction for gameday atmosphere even with the crackdown on the tailgating from when I was a student. More families in attendance. 20K plus crowds EVERY year. They win a National Championship. The iron was red hot. Then JMU announces plans for a huge renovation. W&M adds a beautiful athletic center (and now is expanding Zable again). Richmond builds a new stadium. UMass departs for I-A. Delaware... they installed hand rails on the stadium steps. I can't think of another example of somebody becoming obsolete so quickly. UD was the flagship in the Yankee, A10 and CAA, now they're nothing.

Damn that sucks. But, it's true. You have to upgrade, and improve to stay relevant. I bet UD could lose to CSU.

They could lose to anyone. But the thing is, the performance on the field wasn't and isn't now the problem. People were leaving in droves when UD was only a year past Flacco taking the team to the NC and they were still leaving in droves when a Devlin-led team was probably the best team in FCS in 2010 (prior to the meltdown in the 4th quarter of the title game). The coach didn't matter, the performance on the field didn't matter. What mattered was pissing off decades-long members of the fanbase by saying they were unimportant and then charging them a whole lot more for the same thing and telling them if they didn't then they weren't really supporters of the program. Too many people took them at their word and stopped supporting the program. Brilliant.

[93henfan]

+1

GF has to keep following and fill us in on what's happening with UD football periodically. Hopefully we can dominate the PSAC in a few years.

[SunCoastBlueHen]

GF has it exactly right. The apathy toward the UD football program was not born so much of the product on the field, it more came from the prevailing perception that the administration does not care about the product on the field or about the fan base that had loyally supported the Hens for so many years.

[93henfan]

GF has it exactly right. The apathy toward the UD football program was not born so much of the product on the field, it more came from the prevailing perception that the administration does not care about the product on the field or about the fan base that had loyally supported the Hens for so many years.

And the administration cronies on GoHens would scold you here for not sending your annual check without hesitation and questioning why dear old Delaware would ever have to love you back and throw you a bone. How dare you think the University owes you anything for your loyalty?

--

Well, guess what. The people have spoken with their feet. You did owe them something if you expected them to stay. Keep on playing that violin while the ship sinks.

[GannonFan]

+1

GF has to keep following and fill us in on what's happening with UD football periodically. Hopefully we can dominate the PSAC in a few years.

Hey, if it rains on Friday I may not even make it down to the Jax game. Leaving work early and battling Labor Day traffic was already a hassle, sitting in rain with 7k-9k of my not so closest friends watching UD struggle to put Jax away is not my idea of a great way to start my weekend.

And let's be honest, there's plenty of teams in the PSAC that would give us trouble. Besides, those fanbases travel better than our's does now. We don't need all those IUP fans mocking us from the visitor's side of Delaware Stadium.

[Ibanez]

So, If the Board of Trustees and Administration asked alumni for advice on how to lure you guys back. What would you say?

[GannonFan]

So, If the Board of Trustees and Administration asked alumni for advice on how to lure you guys back. What would you say?

Move immediately to FBS and craft a home schedule that includes the likes of Temple, Navy, Army, UConn, UMass, ODU, JMU, ECU, Appy St, Georgia Southern, and see if you could even get a low level ACC team like Wake Forest to come into Newark to play. Basically beef up the home schedule considerably and start getting on the big teams schedules (Penn State, Notre Dame, that type). You won't get them in Newark, but that's not necessary either. No one's coming back who left just to watch FCS football anymore. The FCS fanbase is tiny - the people that left may never come back, but if they did it would be because the place had buzz and fun back in it. And the only way to get brand new people to come would be to play in the top flight of college football - no one's coming out to try out FCS football. Probably could tie in a stadium improvement (maybe a huge video screen? thinking out loud here) with the move to jazz the place up.

Seriously, without a move like this, the program is dead. I still go, as does most of my family, but it's more out of habit and wanting to see the family rather than going to the game. In a couple of years, without a change for the better, I'll stop going too.

[Ibanez]

So, If the Board of Trustees and Administration asked alumni for advice on how to lure you guys back. What would you say?

Move immediately to FBS and craft a home schedule that includes the likes of Temple, Navy, Army, UConn, UMass, ODU, JMU, ECU, Appy St, Georgia Southern, and see if you could even get a low level ACC team like Wake Forest to come into Newark to play. Basically beef up the home schedule considerably and start getting on the big teams schedules (Penn State, Notre Dame, that type). You won't get them in Newark, but that's not necessary either. No one's coming back who left just to watch FCS football anymore. The FCS fanbase is tiny - the people that left may never come back, but if they did it would be because the place had buzz and fun back in it. And the only way to get brand new people to come would be to play in the top flight of college football - no one's coming out to try out FCS football. Probably could tie in a stadium improvement (maybe a huge video screen? thinking out loud here) with the move to jazz the place up.

Seriously, without a move like this, the program is dead. I still go, as does most of my family, but it's more out of habit and wanting to see the family rather than going to the game. In a couple of years, without a change for the better, I'll stop going too.

That's a good idea, however, it sounds unlikely given the current state of the team and the fan base. That's sad.



So, who will be your adopted FCS team once UD goes under?

[GannonFan]

Move immediately to FBS and craft a home schedule that includes the likes of Temple, Navy, Army, UConn, UMass, ODU, JMU, ECU, Appy St, Georgia Southern, and see if you could even get a low level ACC team like Wake Forest to come into Newark to play. Basically beef up the home schedule considerably and start getting on the big teams schedules (Penn State, Notre Dame, that type). You won't get them in Newark, but that's not necessary either. No one's coming back who left just to watch FCS football anymore. The FCS fanbase is tiny - the people that left may never come back, but if they did it would be because the place had buzz and fun back in it. And the only way to get brand new people to come would be to play in the top flight of college football - no one's coming out to try out FCS football. Probably could tie in a stadium improvement (maybe a huge video screen? thinking out loud here) with the move to jazz the place up.

Seriously, without a move like this, the program is dead. I still go, as does most of my family, but it's more out of habit and wanting to see the family rather than going to the game. In a couple of years, without a change for the better, I'll stop going too.

That's a good idea, however, it sounds unlikely given the current state of the team and the fan base. That's sad.



So, who will be your adopted FCS team once UD goes under?

We're already under. It's over. 93 is already playing taps.

I'm an Irish fan, I'll just devote my time to that.

[89Hen]

So, who will be your adopted FCS team once UD goes under?

I'm an Irish fan, I'll just devote my time to that.

Yup. If UD were not in I-AA, I wouldn't watch I-AA.

[93henfan]

I'm an Irish fan, I'll just devote my time to that.

Yup. If UD were not in I-AA, I wouldn't watch I-AA.

Bingo.

I'm starting to enjoy the hate that developed early between Maryland and Penn State. Gonna be a fun new rivalry to watch. If Rutgers can get their shit together, there will be some decent football within a 3 hr drive.

[Grizalltheway]

I'm an Irish fan, I'll just devote my time to that.

Yup. If UD were not in I-AA, I wouldn't watch I-AA.

So you haven't watched any of the playoffs UD hasn't been in?

[89Hen]

Yup. If UD were not in I-AA, I wouldn't watch I-AA.

So you haven't watched any of the playoffs UD hasn't been in?

I assume you're going for a joke that the Hens haven't been in a playoff game in a while, but yeah, I might watch a little come playoff time if they weren't I-AA. Same way I watch a little March Madness.