Let's talk about Clark

[appgrad95&97]

I said in 2019 he was a lazy hire. I have seen almost nothing that has proved me wrong.

The Belt has absolutely become a better conference, but we should be in the top 3rd.

I'm putting my maker down: he has to win 5 of the last 7 games. He needs to establish an identity for his program.

Like him or not, it needs to be put up or shut up time.

Thoughts?

[Pikapp79]

Not much to say. Clear what he’s capable of so far. Let’s see how the season goes.

[huskie3]

My thoughts, some people on this board need to get off and go see their therapist.

[CoachRob]

This is a young team and it shows at times.
This team has some talent and it shows at times.
We just played two highly emotional in state games followed by our two longest road trips of the season. A very difficult stretch for a young team. Perspective is key.

The team has a few extra days off and play 3 very winnable games before the gauntlet of the conference. I think this App team needs to win the next 3, go 2-2 during the gauntlet, and show growth with this young talent as the season continues. Do so, and I will have my faith restored in Clark.
However, continued play of what I saw last night, I will have to agree with the doubters.

[BambooRdApp]

My thoughts, some people on this board need to get off and go see their therapist.

This is like the 7th related thread directly on this topic or indirectly on this topic. Either it was missed or an ego came into play to start yet another thread on this topic

[scatman77]

My thoughts, some people on this board need to get off and go see their therapist.

Coach Howard said it best. In an interview with Jane Robelot of WYFF in Greenville, SC he said:

When Clemson would lose a football game, legendary Coach Frank Howard would tell me,
"watch out for the Sawdust Fans"!
"What are sawdust Fans Coach?" I would ask.
"Well Honey, they the fans who come out of the
woodwork when we're winning, then turn tail when
we're not! - they create a lot of sawdust!"

He was way ahead of his time.

[AppOrange]

Glad we didn’t give up on Coach Moore when he went 4-7 year 5, go Apps, trust the process. Let’s see what happens next year, I see big things

[Black Saturday]

Glad we didn’t give up on Coach Moore when he went 4-7 year 5, go Apps, trust the process. Let’s see what happens next year, I see big things

None of these can Clark guys were around when APP Football wasn't Working. It's a hell of a lot better now. Clark isn't getting fired. How many threads do you guys need? Sounds a lot like the current political climate, kick and scream and throw tantrums until you get your way.

[WASU 93]

I said in 2019 he was a lazy hire. I have seen almost nothing that has proved me wrong.

The Belt has absolutely become a better conference, but we should be in the top 3rd.

I'm putting my maker down: he has to win 5 of the last 7 games. He needs to establish an identity for his program.

Like him or not, it needs to be put up or shut up time.

Thoughts?

So, I posted this in another thread:
If you want us in the Top 1/3, at worst we are 5th out of 14 teams during his tenure with Louisiana and Coastal in an apparent backslide (and that's putting Marshall and JMU above us, with Marshall playing in a weaker conference and JMU not having a complete body of work):

Sun Belt Records since 2020: (includes this year)
Coastal Carolina 33-10 (20-6 in conference)
Louisiana 32-11 (19-6)
App St. 28-15 (17-8)
Troy 25-17 (14-11)
GaSt 22-18 (14-12)
South Ala. 21-20 (12-13)
GaSo 21-24 (10-15)
TxSt 14-27 (9-16)
ArkSt 12-30 (6-19)
ULM 10-29 (5-19)

Marshall 27-13 overall (6-3 in Sun Belt Conference Games)
Southern Miss 14-26 (4-6)
ODU 11-19 (3-7)
JMU 13-3 in FBS (8-2)

Your thoughts?

[ArmantiWaterSafety]

Could easily be 5-0. We aren't. Could easily be 2-3, we aren't.

Conference championship game, gotta make it. JMU is winning it the next 15 years anyway when they become eligible.

[app_gorilla]

We don't have a lot of money as a university, so I trust DG to take that into account. But for me the calculus is pretty clear.

6-6 or worse = he needs to go in December and I'll be furious if he doesn't. Don't care about the bowl game, though I'll still hope we win.

8-4 (or better) = I'm Team Clark until next season

The weird one is 7-5 which may, given our performance to date, also be the most likely. In that case it'll probably depend on how and why we lost those games, whether the players seemed to mail it in, and a thousand other things. DG I assume would have a tough call to make at 7-5 and absent a clear message from the bowl one way or another.

Everyone likes Shawn, but we love the program more. College football head coaching is a brutal profession, but at least he's made a lot of cash.

[DenverOfTheEast]

I said in 2019 he was a lazy hire. I have seen almost nothing that has proved me wrong.

The Belt has absolutely become a better conference, but we should be in the top 3rd.

I'm putting my maker down: he has to win 5 of the last 7 games. He needs to establish an identity for his program.

Like him or not, it needs to be put up or shut up time.

Thoughts?

So, I posted this in another thread:
If you want us in the Top 1/3, at worst we are 5th out of 14 teams during his tenure with Louisiana and Coastal in an apparent backslide (and that's putting Marshall and JMU above us, with Marshall playing in a weaker conference and JMU not having a complete body of work):

Sun Belt Records since 2020: (includes this year)
Coastal Carolina 33-10 (20-6 in conference)
Louisiana 32-11 (19-6)
App St. 28-15 (17-8)
Troy 25-17 (14-11)
GaSt 22-18 (14-12)
South Ala. 21-20 (12-13)
GaSo 21-24 (10-15)
TxSt 14-27 (9-16)
ArkSt 12-30 (6-19)
ULM 10-29 (5-19)

Marshall 27-13 overall (6-3 in Sun Belt Conference Games)
Southern Miss 14-26 (4-6)
ODU 11-19 (3-7)
JMU 13-3 in FBS (8-2)

Your thoughts?

App State is 29-15 as of last night ULM win, with a 65% winning percentage - 3rd best record in SBC and by the way App State non conference probably more difficult than those others, and ya'll really start a thread like this... and 2-1 in Bowl games let's not forget!!!

Why in the actual hell is this even a discussion.

Marshall and JMU are no different than APP State in winning 1-AA titles, traditions and winning programs.
Coastal will back up after losing Chadwell.

A good AD or Any decent supervisor would compare body's of work in evaluating an employee or Head Coach.

[Stonewall]

Winning record gets him another year , no doubt .Finances might get him one more regardless unless a big donor steps up.Next season expectations go way up .Nine wins , eight minimum .All based on recent conversations with some folks who should know....

[BayouApp]

Regardless how it happened, we beat ULM and have a winning record. Let the season play out and see where we end up.

[appstatealum]

I said in 2019 he was a lazy hire. I have seen almost nothing that has proved me wrong.

The Belt has absolutely become a better conference, but we should be in the top 3rd.

I'm putting my maker down: he has to win 5 of the last 7 games. He needs to establish an identity for his program.

Like him or not, it needs to be put up or shut up time.

Thoughts?

"He needs to establish an identity for his program."

This exactly.

[njcarr]

This thread is ridiculous! It is demeaning, uncalled for, potentially demoralizing, and slanderous.
The moderator needs to remove this thread!!!!!!!!!

[teller]

Glad we didn’t give up on Coach Moore when he went 4-7 year 5, go Apps, trust the process. Let’s see what happens next year, I see big things

You already throw in the towel for this season? Not even halfway through……

[yosef69]

This thread is ridiculous! It is demeaning, uncalled for, potentially demoralizing, and slanderous.
The moderator needs to remove this thread!!!!!!!!!

Just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean we need to remove it.

I think it’s a valid conversation

[Bigdaddyg1]

Some of the big schools go way overboard when they hire that genius of a football mind who is going to deliver countless championships. They give some football coach a long term big money deal, the guy goes 9-3 (let's say the team wasn't that good) and boom he gets a huge extension. Then the next year he is 5-7. Fire him!!! Figure out a show cause so he doesn't get paid. Or worse huge buyout. School doesn't care because they have insane boosters who will pay.

Several talk about us being a young team. It's really hard to be a good, young team and keep the talent from leaving. It's been said that next season we should be really good. I agree while people can discuss what they want to create yet another thread on the same tired subject is ridiculous.

[BallantyneApp]

Glad we didn’t give up on Coach Moore when he went 4-7 year 5, go Apps, trust the process. Let’s see what happens next year, I see big things

None of these can Clark guys were around when APP Football wasn't Working. It's a hell of a lot better now. Clark isn't getting fired. How many threads do you guys need? Sounds a lot like the current political climate, kick and scream and throw tantrums until you get your way.

Its OK for people to have high expectations for App football. Its like we have to convince a third of our own fanbase that we are a legitimate football brand. We're not in the SoCon anymore and this isn't WDDITWAA. We play big time football and we are (or were) one of the best G5 teams.

Guess what, legitimate football brands have high expectations. We're not Auburn cycling through coaches every year or two paying tens of millions in buyouts. Clark is on his 4th year and a lot of the criticisms are valid.

I agree with most that 7-5 is the absolute floor for getting another year and I think ideally it should be 8-4.