FB at No. 24 JMU, 3:30 p.m., ESPN+

[MrCraig]

People need to calm down with firing the coaching staff after one season. It's reactionary and emotional.

This season has been one to forget for sure, but how many times did we have to listen to tirades and defenses of this hiring (or about getting rid of Coach Clark) because of how bad the roster was? They turned over 2/3 of the roster and it's clear that there have been few bright spots from that turnover. But if all this season was supposed to be was cleaning out all the old to make room for the new, as so many of you claimed was the main goal, then that was done.

Next year can fairly be assessed as a make or break year for the coaches. We will have a full influx of their players and a year of experience under their belts. If we still see these same issues, then cutting this experiment short would be warranted.

Counterpoint- our roster is likely to be turned over at that rate every year. This is the new CFB landscape

Oh my God. I’m so tired of this. NO. IT. IS. NOT. No teams, P4 or G5 have 2/3rds of their roster turnover every year unless they have a coaching change. In fact, if you look at the numbers, the amount of players transferring isn’t that much higher than it was before the new rules. However, before kids would just drop out, not the “transfer” to nowhere.

I beg to differ. The team that just kicked our ass… 64 new players in 2024 and 50 new in 2025, with a new coach in 2024. Year 2 and still HIGH turnover. Yet achieved a 9-4 record in ‘24 and now on cusp of playoff.

“newly minted FBS coach Bob Chesney had a total of 64 new players for 2024, which is an insane total for a roster that is conventionally capped at 85 scholarship players.
But this year, JMU is quietly working through another hefty offseason of turnover, with roughly 50 new players on campus between freshmen and new transfer arrivals.”

https://jmusportsblog.com/?p=12053

So that’s an outlier. On average, all D1 football teams have somewhere between 15-20 transfers per year since the new rules started.
That’s not 2/3 of the roster turned over every year like the first two commenters suggested.
If you look at the numbers pre-free transfer, the numbers weren’t that much different.

[Mjohn1988]

Not that I think it’s something that will happen but termination without cause would basically cost us $600,000 per year for up to the 4 remaining years on the contract. But if Coach takes another job the pay out would be offset by his new salary. There is language in the contract that says he has to make a reasonable effort to find another job. Unless I read or interpreted something completely wrong firing Coach wouldn’t be as expensive as some are saying. He was making 1mil at USC. He’s not going to sit around for 4 years and collect $600k per year from us.

[appfanjj]

Not advocating we do fire him but a successful FCS head coach would likely bring a coherent staff and some talented players with him.
High level FCS > low level P4. It’s been proven.
In my most humble opinion.

[QueencityApp]

Not advocating we do fire him but a successful FCS head coach would likely bring a coherent staff and some talented players with him.
High level FCS > low level P4. It’s been proven.
In my most humble opinion.

This was mentioned on the broadcast yesterday as it’s been JMU’s model for success thus far. I know those guys on ESPN+ yesterday were a bit biased for JMU but they were basically mocking App and all the “NFL” experience we have on the sideline.

[311neers]

UNT and ECU seem to be doing well. As we know, ECU has been down for a while. It can happen. Just have to find the right coaches and players. Not sure we have either.

[311neers]

There is one thing we can promise recruits- immediate playing time.
Outside of RB and maybe a WR spot, every position seems like an open competition.

[Saint3333]

WR will be as well, 8 graduates and 15 is about to get a raise.

[BambooRdApp]

It has been extremely disappointing to see the lack of progress offensively. Defense played well yesterday, but you have to move the ball offensively to give your team an opportunity to even stay in the game. There is only so much they can do when you are down 3+ scores with zero fight or progress.

It’s okay to admit there are talent deficiencies in year 1, but it’s not okay to look like a lifeless FCS team. Dowell will be forced to relinquish play calling by Doug, and that may save both of their jobs in 2026.

Didn't the D give up over 600 yards in offense?
I do not rate that as playing "well"

In my eyes they played well when the game was competitive. I don’t really fault them for having no answers down 4 scores with a lifeless offense. No defense will be successful when the offense goes 3 and out 80% of the game

Sorry, I do not buy that philosophy. Does the offense on the field longer help D rest? , sure, to a certain extent. However, that is not a Savior or excuse for 600 yards and 58 points. You have to have the "will" to stop. If the D stopped playing due to the O not being productive, that is a sad testament of the mentality and culture we are instilling on D.
If O cannot score, make it a 6-3 game for example. If the D gave up due the O not score, sad day for App. St. D side of the ball
In the first half alone, JMU could have scored 40 if Barnett was a more accurate passer. He had several slants that he was either off target or too much heat on the ball

The defense wasn’t perfect, but it’s tough to keep the energy up physically and mentally when the offensive is so profoundly ineffective.

I do not disagree with that overall...but over 600 yards and 58 points. Out offense has been anemic from time to time in the past...we may have lost the game...but I do not remember in this fashion against a peer school. We have had two losses this year where the vibe was the passion had faded..we were mentally beat. I grt an opponent have more physical talent...but, these are supposedly peer programs..

[Seattleapp]

Not advocating we do fire him but a successful FCS head coach would likely bring a coherent staff and some talented players with him.
High level FCS > low level P4. It’s been proven.
In my most humble opinion.

Jason Eck is the exact type of coach was should be targeting. Took a bad Idaho team and steadily improved over three seasons and this year took over New Mexico who’d been in the wilderness forever, got Bronco Mendenhall for a season then he bailed along with their star quarterback and I’m sure many others and he has them 7-3 this year. So this idea that we can’t expect anything out of DLO this year at all is a cop
Out

[yosef69]

A serious football school would have fired someone today. Anybody. Yesterday was a complete failure by every single coach and player. Accountability is gone

[Bigdaddyg1]

How many G5 programs are bringing in legit P4 players via the portal and are good? I agree with some comments related to levels of talent. There simply can’t be a huge gap between G5 and P4 guys (who never really played) and good FCS. You still see big linemen at the FCS level and good QB’s. How on earth do our coaches really evaluate portal guys who never really played?

[Seattleapp]

A serious football school would have fired someone today. Anybody. Yesterday was a complete failure by every single coach and player. Accountability is gone

And that comes on the heels of coming out flat as a pancake on national tv st home against our fiercest rival.

[BambooRdApp]

A serious football school would have fired someone today. Anybody. Yesterday was a complete failure by every single coach and player. Accountability is gone

Which school, with a first year staff, has fired coaches in the first season after a bad loss? I am genuinely curious for some examples

[311neers]

https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer ... 1734554152

Contract details.
Buyout drops to $1.8M after Dec. 1.
Probably giving him at least another year.

[yosef69]

A serious football school would have fired someone today. Anybody. Yesterday was a complete failure by every single coach and player. Accountability is gone

Which school, with a first year staff, has fired coaches in the first season after a bad loss? I am genuinely curious for some examples

I am not talking coordinator.

Maybe S&C? Linebackers? The whole team is ass. Make it known it’s not acceptable.

[311neers]

A serious football school would have fired someone today. Anybody. Yesterday was a complete failure by every single coach and player. Accountability is gone

Which school, with a first year staff, has fired coaches in the first season after a bad loss? I am genuinely curious for some examples

I am not talking coordinator.

Maybe S&C? Linebackers? The whole team is ass. Make it known it’s not acceptable.

S&C gotta go.

[BambooRdApp]

A serious football school would have fired someone today. Anybody. Yesterday was a complete failure by every single coach and player. Accountability is gone

Which school, with a first year staff, has fired coaches in the first season after a bad loss? I am genuinely curious for some examples

I am not talking coordinator.

Maybe S&C? Linebackers? The whole team is ass. Make it known it’s not acceptable.

That is not examples of when that has happened..when has it happened? If serious football schools do it, it must happened all the time they have a bad loss...and the staff was brand new..

[App_in_Maiden]

I’m disgusted with the way this team is performing and the actions of our coach, BUT I’m willing to see what can he and this staff (whichever ones remain during offseason) can do with a full year of recruiting. He needs to hire an OC and go after FCS players that are hungry. The P4 kids that can’t start at that level, outside of a few, don’t seem to have a chip on their shoulder.

I’ve accepted the App state brand of teams we were accustomed to is gone because of the current dynamic, so go get the kids that want to prove something.

[yosef69]

A serious football school would have fired someone today. Anybody. Yesterday was a complete failure by every single coach and player. Accountability is gone

Which school, with a first year staff, has fired coaches in the first season after a bad loss? I am genuinely curious for some examples

I am not talking coordinator.

Maybe S&C? Linebackers? The whole team is ass. Make it known it’s not acceptable.

That is not examples of when that has happened..when has it happened? If serious football schools do it, it must happened all the time they have a bad loss...and the staff was brand new..

Honestly S&C has been here for years and it’s been an issue for like the last 3-4.

I’m not giving examples because I don’t care. Accountability is crucial

[Seattleapp]

A serious football school would have fired someone today. Anybody. Yesterday was a complete failure by every single coach and player. Accountability is gone

Which school, with a first year staff, has fired coaches in the first season after a bad loss? I am genuinely curious for some examples

I don’t think anyone really expects an actual firing. Mostly just blowing off steam. But the ass kickings are troubling