Listen To The Players…

[coachprouty]

Please…listen and consume any interview that our Mountaineers give. If you are frustrated and questioning the time and $ you’ve spent supporting App State…think about the players. They consume what you produce, whether you realize it or not.

I am guilty, especially last year, of voicing my frustration and calling people out (coaches) that I know nothing about out of frustration.

Remember these are students, getting an App State Education, dedicating a lot of time to App State Football. Pause before you post and think about our players.

[Bigdaddyg1]

Great point. It's ok to voice disappointment in plays, games and seasons but to openly ridicule players and coaches on a public forum is awful. I can't imagine "giving my all" for maybe 4-5 years, possibly sustaining injuries and also disappointments from losing only to be talked negatively about by some select old men who live and die by this damn game. I have done my share of yelling at the TV and was very upset last Tuesday night. Come the next game I'll either be in the stands or right back in my chair rooting on the players and coaches. To scream for benching or firing is just pathetic.

[Pikapp79]

Performance based business. If you don’t perform criticism comes. Part of the deal.

[AppWyo]

This is the Job that Shawn Clark has spent his entire life learning to do since App lost to Boise State. He wants App to win just as much as anyone who has ever posted anything on this board, probably more.

(John Candy) "It's a fair question. It's quite simple, really. I had to win. You see, Derice, I had made winning my whole life, and when you make winning your whole life, you have to keep on winning, no matter what. Understand?"
(Leon Robinson) "No, I don't understand. You won two gold medals. You had it all."
(John Candy) "Derice, a gold medal is a wonderful thing. But if you're not enough without it, you'll never be enough with it."

I believe some fans have fallen into the same trap that John Candy's character in Cool Runnings fell into. No matter how much App wins it will never be enough for some fans.

Jerry Moore is considered by some as the greatest coach that Appalachian has ever had, however, he was fired by North Texas and Texas Tech. Just think how great they could have been had they just given Jerry Moore more time. Their loss had been Appalachian's gain. We have a great coach in the making, some day you can say, "I was there during the years that Shawn Clark struggled, but I am sure glad that we did not fire of him." (I bet there are some that though we should have gotten rid of Jerry Moore back in the day too, like when he lost to Wyoming the first time the two schools played. A year later Appalachian won its first National Championship. Two years after that, Appalachian did what everyone thought was impossible. I imagine that App will do the things that everyone believes are impossible in the near future if we stay the course with Shawn Clark, just like we did when we stayed the course with Jerry Moore.

"A lazy hire." I have never understood why people think that anyone you hire from somewhere else is better than one of your own people. Chancelor Peacock was one of the best Chancelors Appalachian has ever had. Some would say that he was a "Lazy hire too".

[Bigdaddyg1]

Jokers sitting in their recliner with a beer gut and receding hairline who have never coached a game in their lives firmly believe that the backup QB needs to be in the game. They firmly believe they can call plays better than the offensive coordinator. They also firmly believe that there are way more qualified coaches who can come to Boone and magically transform us into a top 25 team. They use words like Lamborghini to describe our rosters. They also fail to accept that there just might be really good teams in the Sunbelt who might just have players as good or better than App State. Yes with a large salary comes scrutiny and expectations and criticism but there should also be realistic expectations and patience.

[RaleighApp27609]

"No matter how much App wins it will never be enough for some fans".

The problem there is we are not winning, at least like we used to. What is the record against other FBS teams the last couple of years? 4-6 last year. Another 5-6 season likely this year against FBS competition. What is astonishing is some fans don't see a trend into mediocrity beginning.

[Rekdiver]

Jokers sitting in their recliner with a beer gut and receding hairline who have never coached a game in their lives firmly believe that the backup QB needs to be in the game. They firmly believe they can call plays better than the offensive coordinator. They also firmly believe that there are way more qualified coaches who can come to Boone and magically transform us into a top 25 team. They use words like Lamborghini to describe our rosters. They also fail to accept that there just might be really good teams in the Sunbelt who might just have players as good or better than App State. Yes with a large salary comes scrutiny and expectations and criticism but there should also be realistic expectations and patience.

Agree wholeheartedly BUT for those of us folliclely challenged I see no reason for the slander. It

[AppWyo]

"No matter how much App wins it will never be enough for some fans".

The problem there is we are not winning, at least like we used to. What is the record against other FBS teams the last couple of years? 4-6 last year. Another 5-6 season likely this year against FBS competition. What is astonishing is some fans don't see a trend into mediocrity beginning.

We are not in the same conference we were in two years ago. We are not in the same conference we were in four years ago. Maybe the last two coaches left when they did for reasons other than more money.

[NoLongerLurking]

It's all distraction.

[appbio91]

"No matter how much App wins it will never be enough for some fans".

The problem there is we are not winning, at least like we used to. What is the record against other FBS teams the last couple of years? 4-6 last year. Another 5-6 season likely this year against FBS competition. What is astonishing is some fans don't see a trend into mediocrity beginning.

We are not in the same conference we were in two years ago. We are not in the same conference we were in four years ago. Maybe the last two coaches left when they did for reasons other than more money.

Satt was lured away by money and ambition. Probably same for Drinkwitz but I believe he knew we were at the top and it was downhill from where we were.
We have some serious talent right now but not all over the field on either side of the ball, the holes are killing us. We are young and small where we were experienced and big a few years ago.

[app_gorilla]

How bad would Clark have to get before it's fair to point out that we sort of suck lately?

If we finish 4-8 is that bad enough? 3-9? I'm asking honestly. What's your line this year?

[TractorApp]

I'm pulling for Coach Clark and the team. Hope we go on a run and finish the regular season 9-3 and East Division champs. However, a 7-5 season or worse probably means we need to make a change. Coaches recruit, refine players skills in practice, determine playing time, game plan, etc. The buck stops with them. Sadly, if we don't finish 8-4 or better, Doug Gillian needs to earn his money and get a young, hungry Program Builder in here. If not, we likely slide further into mediocrity and the climb back up gets even steeper.

[APP93]

How about letting the current season play out and assess when it is finished, just a thought.

SC first 2 seasons were good and first half of last season was great...then the injury bug hit and the wheels fell off.

I think the program is fine and in good shape. Hope we don't turn in to a program that starts the fire/hire/fire/hire scenario...it gets expensive and usually results in the down turn of the program.

[scatman77]

This is the Job that Shawn Clark has spent his entire life learning to do since App lost to Boise State. He wants App to win just as much as anyone who has ever posted anything on this board, probably more.

(John Candy) "It's a fair question. It's quite simple, really. I had to win. You see, Derice, I had made winning my whole life, and when you make winning your whole life, you have to keep on winning, no matter what. Understand?"
(Leon Robinson) "No, I don't understand. You won two gold medals. You had it all."
(John Candy) "Derice, a gold medal is a wonderful thing. But if you're not enough without it, you'll never be enough with it."

I believe some fans have fallen into the same trap that John Candy's character in Cool Runnings fell into. No matter how much App wins it will never be enough for some fans.

Jerry Moore is considered by some as the greatest coach that Appalachian has ever had, however, he was fired by North Texas and Texas Tech. Just think how great they could have been had they just given Jerry Moore more time. Their loss had been Appalachian's gain. We have a great coach in the making, some day you can say, "I was there during the years that Shawn Clark struggled, but I am sure glad that we did not fire of him." (I bet there are some that though we should have gotten rid of Jerry Moore back in the day too, like when he lost to Wyoming the first time the two schools played. A year later Appalachian won its first National Championship. Two years after that, Appalachian did what everyone thought was impossible. I imagine that App will do the things that everyone believes are impossible in the near future if we stay the course with Shawn Clark, just like we did when we stayed the course with Jerry Moore.

"A lazy hire." I have never understood why people think that anyone you hire from somewhere else is better than one of your own people. Chancelor Peacock was one of the best Chancelors Appalachian has ever had. Some would say that he was a "Lazy hire too".

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Probably the first voice of reason I've read on the board in 2 weeks.

[/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09]

"No matter how much App wins it will never be enough for some fans".

The problem there is we are not winning, at least like we used to. What is the record against other FBS teams the last couple of years? 4-6 last year. Another 5-6 season likely this year against FBS competition. What is astonishing is some fans don't see a trend into mediocrity beginning.

We are not in the same conference we were in two years ago. We are not in the same conference we were in four years ago. Maybe the last two coaches left when they did for reasons other than more money.

This argument is played out. Nobody on here ever disputes the Sun Belt isn't stronger these days. Do you just use that as an excuse/pass for Clark's coaching performance? Would it hurt to view it as, maybe Clark isn't the right person to handle to improved Sun Belt? Maybe Clark would have done better when we first moved up, but that's the past. The current situation is the problem most speak about, not how things were in the past.

[MrCraig]

"Jerry Moore is considered by some as the greatest coach that Appalachian has ever had, however, he was fired by North Texas and Texas Tech. Just think how great they could have been had they just given Jerry Moore more time. Their loss had been Appalachian's gain."

This is literally just a "what if?" The exact opposite could be just a probable. Texas Tech could have continued to employ Jerry Moore, and he might have continued to be terrible for a decade because he didn't learn anything from his failures.
While we're on the subject, would literally anyone on this board be ok with App going 16-37 over the next 5 years? Because that was Moore's record at Texas Tech. He 100% deserved to be fired, and I bet he would agree and say it made him a better coach in the long run.

Some of y'all act like Shawn Clark is volunteering. The man makes half a million dollars a year and if they fire him at the end of this season, he will get $1 million. If he gets fired, he's going to be ok.

[GSUwasGump’sFallbackSchool]

"Jerry Moore is considered by some as the greatest coach that Appalachian has ever had, however, he was fired by North Texas and Texas Tech. Just think how great they could have been had they just given Jerry Moore more time. Their loss had been Appalachian's gain."

This is literally just a "what if?" The exact opposite could be just a probable. Texas Tech could have continued to employ Jerry Moore, and he might have continued to be terrible for a decade because he didn't learn anything from his failures.
While we're on the subject, would literally anyone on this board be ok with App going 16-37 over the next 5 years? Because that was Moore's record at Texas Tech. He 100% deserved to be fired, and I bet he would agree and say it made him a better coach in the long run.

Some of y'all act like Shawn Clark is volunteering. The man makes half a million dollars a year and if they fire him at the end of this season, he will get $1 million. If he gets fired, he's going to be ok.

He makes more than a half mill, he’s the second highest paid coach in the SBC. We’re paying top flight SBC money for 5th place in the division.

Some of these folks would gladly change the name of the team to the Shawn Clark Mountaineers in a heartbeat. The defense of mediocrity is wild.

[GSUwasGump’sFallbackSchool]

Also, the post I see all over online defending SC because the “conference got harder” is the type of loser mentality I’m ashamed to see seep into our program and fanbase.

Do you think JMU curls up and night and repeats “the conference got tougher, the conference got tougher,” after moving up FROM THE CAA?! 14-3 so far and have been ranked and won plenty of 1 score games. Marshall? Moved from the dying corpse of CUSA and have won a bunch. Neither roster is more talented top to bottom than ours, and neither of them boast about the “home field advantage” that we do.

Good times make soft men. The late ‘10s were too good, apparently. Protecting mediocrity is going to kill this program. Find someone who embraces the challenge of the conference instead of using it as an excuse for them.

[DenverOfTheEast]

This is the Job that Shawn Clark has spent his entire life learning to do since App lost to Boise State. He wants App to win just as much as anyone who has ever posted anything on this board, probably more.

(John Candy) "It's a fair question. It's quite simple, really. I had to win. You see, Derice, I had made winning my whole life, and when you make winning your whole life, you have to keep on winning, no matter what. Understand?"
(Leon Robinson) "No, I don't understand. You won two gold medals. You had it all."
(John Candy) "Derice, a gold medal is a wonderful thing. But if you're not enough without it, you'll never be enough with it."

I believe some fans have fallen into the same trap that John Candy's character in Cool Runnings fell into. No matter how much App wins it will never be enough for some fans.

Jerry Moore is considered by some as the greatest coach that Appalachian has ever had, however, he was fired by North Texas and Texas Tech. Just think how great they could have been had they just given Jerry Moore more time. Their loss had been Appalachian's gain. We have a great coach in the making, some day you can say, "I was there during the years that Shawn Clark struggled, but I am sure glad that we did not fire of him." (I bet there are some that though we should have gotten rid of Jerry Moore back in the day too, like when he lost to Wyoming the first time the two schools played. A year later Appalachian won its first National Championship. Two years after that, Appalachian did what everyone thought was impossible. I imagine that App will do the things that everyone believes are impossible in the near future if we stay the course with Shawn Clark, just like we did when we stayed the course with Jerry Moore.

"A lazy hire." I have never understood why people think that anyone you hire from somewhere else is better than one of your own people. Chancelor Peacock was one of the best Chancelors Appalachian has ever had. Some would say that he was a "Lazy hire too".

This is a AWESOME post, sums up a lot of things and a ton of truth! #Bravo

I have written many post to this effect, especially regarding Coach Moore, but the Peacock portion is really really good, never thought of it like this.

[BeauFoster]

"No matter how much App wins it will never be enough for some fans".

The problem there is we are not winning, at least like we used to. What is the record against other FBS teams the last couple of years? 4-6 last year. Another 5-6 season likely this year against FBS competition. What is astonishing is some fans don't see a trend into mediocrity beginning.

We are not in the same conference we were in two years ago. We are not in the same conference we were in four years ago. Maybe the last two coaches left when they did for reasons other than more money.

Satt was lured away by money and ambition. Probably same for Drinkwitz but I believe he knew we were at the top and it was downhill from where we were.
We have some serious talent right now but not all over the field on either side of the ball, the holes are killing us. We are young and small where we were experienced and big a few years ago.

For Drink, yes. It was money and “prestige”. There’s a lot more to the Satt story than that, and it’s definitely not cut and dry. It was about money, but it wasn’t money for him…