Just announced tonight. Came out of nowhere.

Whoa!

How about that... another App guy in the Sunbelt... Congrats Everett and welcome!!

Take that, JMU! When you snooze, you lose!

T-Dog wrote:Just announced tonight. Came out of nowhere.

Wasn't Coach Withers the one who served as interim head coach at UNC-CH for a short period of time some time ago?

Yes, and dissed APP at the time.

huskie3 wrote:Yes, and dissed APP at the time.

Did he actually dis us? I seem to remember he didn't have much good to say about App, but I can't remember him saying anything overtly negative either.

Aside from the timing most JMU fans aren't sorry to see him go. A number of their fans were not enamored with his personality. He apparently had a poor relationship with the local press as well.

I think Withers felt JMU was never going to move up. Otherwise why move from a fairly good FCS program to a very weak FBS program?

horrible timing for JMU, right in the middle of recruiting season, if they don't hire someone almost immediately, they risk losing a lot of this years recruiting class.

hapapp wrote:Aside from the timing most JMU fans aren't sorry to see him go. A number of their fans were not enamored with his personality. He apparently had a poor relationship with the oval press as well.

Jerry,
1. What is the oval press?
2. I bet he is laughing all the way to the bank down in Texas.

Looking forward to beating Tx St this season and reintroducing Mr. Withers to his alma mater. He won't have anything nice to say about us once again after we beat them by 35+.

NewApp wrote:

hapapp wrote:Aside from the timing most JMU fans aren't sorry to see him go. A number of their fans were not enamored with his personality. He apparently had a poor relationship with the oval press as well.

Jerry,
1. What is the oval press?
2. I bet he is laughing all the way to the bank down in Texas.

I'm sure he's getting a decent pay bump, but I imagine this is more about getting into FBS than salary. He probably made more as co-DC at Ohio State than he will at Texas State.

If you believe the JMU fans, he was lead to believe that they would make the jump to the FBS sooner, rather than later, now, two years later, they are no closer to moving up, infact, the administration seems to have backtracked, and have no immediate plans to make the move. Withers probably feels he was lied to, and doesn't want to be an FCS HC for the next 5 years, it wasn't what he sign on for.

Appftw wrote:Looking forward to beating Tx St this season and reintroducing Mr. Withers to his alma mater. He won't have anything nice to say about us once again after we beat them by 35+.

What negative thing did he say about ASU?

hapapp wrote:Aside from the timing most JMU fans aren't sorry to see him go. A number of their fans were not enamored with his personality. He apparently had a poor relationship with the local press as well.

Understood. Everette isn't exactly Mr. Sunshine with his disposition. He wasn't well-liked in Chapel Hill, either. He doesn't suffer annoying fans, outright idiots or arrogant reporters gladly. He outright refused to cooperate with the investigators of the "Butch Davis academic fraud" case. That got him mixed reviews in the professions.

I think the other post addressing the '16 recruiting class is the area that JMU has to be immediately concerned about. ODU's coaches have to be high-fiving about now! Maybe UR and Towson, also.

EastHallApp wrote:

huskie3 wrote:Yes, and dissed APP at the time.

Did he actually dis us? I seem to remember he didn't have much good to say about App, but I can't remember him saying anything overtly negative either.

The comment that he made to the mass media and that got some play was made in the "spin room" following the UNC presser naming him as interim head coach. To closely paraphrase the most disgusting of his comments, he indicated that he had dreamed his entire life that he'd be a UNC Tar Heel, but he "had to settle for Appalachian." He went on to mention coaching instability--he had three head coaches in his four years--Working, Brown and Woods. In essence, he did us a favor for sticking with all that mess for four years. Oh, now that App State stuff was all behind him. He was finally in Blue Heaven--where he'd always belonged.

He was just a bit of a jerk about it; seemingly ungrateful for the university that afforded him the opportunity to play on a full, four-year scholarship, earn his degree; and earn the respect of his coaches and fellow players by naming him as a team captain. Not to mention earning several school and conference awards for his play.

Thanks 66 - that was kind of how I remembered it. I apparently wasn't as deeply bothered as some, but I do remember thinking how it would have been just as easy for him to say the standard "I had a great experience there, and now I'm thrilled to be the HC at UNC" stuff.

EastHallApp wrote:Thanks 66 - that was kind of how I remembered it. I apparently wasn't as deeply bothered as some, but I do remember thinking how it would have been just as easy for him to say the standard "I had a great experience there, and now I'm thrilled to be the HC at UNC" stuff.

There ya go! So easy to take the high road! And so much better for your widely perceived rep.

asu66 wrote:

EastHallApp wrote:

huskie3 wrote:Yes, and dissed APP at the time.

Did he actually dis us? I seem to remember he didn't have much good to say about App, but I can't remember him saying anything overtly negative either.

The comment that he made to the mass media and that got some play was made in the "spin room" following the UNC presser naming him as interim head coach. To closely paraphrase the most disgusting of his comments, he indicated that he had dreamed his entire life that he'd be a UNC Tar Heel, but he "had to settle for Appalachian." He went on to mention coaching instability--he had three head coaches in his four years--Working, Brown and Woods. In essence, he did us a favor for sticking with all that mess for four years. Oh, now that App State stuff was all behind him. He was finally in Blue Heaven--where he'd always belonged.

He was just a bit of a jerk about it; seemingly ungrateful for the university that afforded him the opportunity to play on a full, four-year scholarship, earn his degree; and earn the respect of his coaches and fellow players by naming him as a team captain. Not to mention earning several school and conference awards for his play.

I guess he'll just have to "settle" for an a$$ whoopin next fall.