Coach Drink Staff Thread

[The Rock]

This one is a little odd. Just saying he is leaving to pursue other opportunities. Not that he is going to a different school or NFL.
Seems like it may not have been a good fit for someone.
This is getting pretty disappointing and a little embarrassing, and seemingly harder to get quality coaches this late in the game.

[Yosef10]

This one is a little odd. Just saying he is leaving to pursue other opportunities. Not that he is going to a different school or NFL.
Seems like it may not have been a good fit for someone.
This is getting pretty disappointing and a little embarrassing, and seemingly harder to get quality coaches this late in the game.

What’s embarrassing about coaches ditched App for the Buffalo Bills, and U of Washington? I’ll bet my house Buddy is leaving for a better opportunity as well. Hate to break it to a lot of you but there’s a hierarchy in college football, and App/SunBelt aren’t near the top of that. Quality of coaches do become a problem this late in the game, but we’ll see who we get.

[AppNC]

Yes it was for another opportunity and I can appreciate the fact that Coach Drink is not announcing any specifics but allowing Coach Wyatt and his new employer to release that information.

[hapapp]

Frankly, this is kind of embarrassing. It seem unheard of for 3 assistants on a new staff to leave before Spring practice even starts.

Far from unheard of. A coach just left ECU today for Hampton.

But 3?

[AppWyo]

That is what makes Appalachian so special, you stay at App, because you want to be at App. I know people that loved it App, but just could not stay, but that does not mean they did not cherish their time in Boone.

[The Rock]

This one is a little odd. Just saying he is leaving to pursue other opportunities. Not that he is going to a different school or NFL.
Seems like it may not have been a good fit for someone.
This is getting pretty disappointing and a little embarrassing, and seemingly harder to get quality coaches this late in the game.

What’s embarrassing about coaches ditched App for the Buffalo Bills, and U of Washington? I’ll bet my house Buddy is leaving for a better opportunity as well. Hate to break it to a lot of you but there’s a hierarchy in college football, and App/SunBelt aren’t near the top of that. Quality of coaches do become a problem this late in the game, but we’ll see who we get.

It’s embarrassing because we are replacing coaches who have done absolutely nothing but waste our time for the last 4 weeks. I don’t care how experienced they are, it’s not like they have accomplished anything for us to brag about in their time here, nor can we say they contributed to a quality program and left their mark before they accepted a better position.
Now we have to find yet another coach in a very short time before spring practice starts. What kind of quality of coach do you expect a G5 program with pretty shallow pockets can find now? I feel certain we could have had a better and deeper pool of candidates in December when there was a lot more movement. We don’t have the funds to lure a good coach away from a similar team.
Coach Drink is learning a hard lesson that evaluating coaching talents isn’t only about getting the best or most experienced. But the best who will actually stay around for a year or 2.
Justin Stepp and Dwayne Ledford are the only coaches I can come up with off the top of my head that left during Satterfield’s tenure.
That may be the difference in hiring up and comers vs. old veterans

[hapapp]

I get that it says we have a staff that is wanted by others and that's a good thing. But, it does us little good if we can't hang on to them.

[AppNC]

I think everyone's initial reaction is "what's going on?" But I think when you hear the whole story as to where each one has gone to, it makes more sense. Wishing them all the best and we as Mountaineers will persevere.

[AppWyo]

Last time I checked the coaches are not the ones actually playing football.

[hapapp]

I think everyone's initial reaction is "what's going on?" But I think when you hear the whole story as to where each one has gone to, it makes more sense. Wishing them all the best and we as Mountaineers will persevere.

I understand better opportunities came along but still to lose 3 coaches before they have done any coaching is a bit strange.

[NattyBumppo'sRevenge]

Tennessee's last coaching search is the definition of embarrassing. This falls well short of that, if embarrassing at all. Disappointing? Definitely, and frustrating. However, this could all just be part of Drink's plan to extend the life of this historic thread.

[Yosef's Musket]

We are going through a complete rehaul of our coaching staff. We knew this would happen as soon as Satt left and began grabbing assistants. We are in the process of figuring out our new staff and new identity. Trying to hire almost a complete staff isn't easy. Every coach that left has made sense. I think we need to sit back and let Drinkwitz/Gillin do what they can. They have done nothing but impress me so far.

[SpeedkingATL]

I hate it but so is the life of a G5 program. I trust Drink has his rolodex and phone on speed dial.

[appstatealum]

It’s not embarrassing, it is an indicator of where we are right now. We are a “borderline” program- a great G5 that has a high ceiling, but only as high as a G5 can go. The coaching staff is starting to mirror the player roster. We will have the interest of big names, but we will be their floor. If a bigger name comes knocking, they will probably bite. When the Spring practices start and the P5 coaching staffs are stabilized, it appears we will be a preferred landing spot for the bigger names that shake out. That’s not a bad thing. That’s how we have been landing these tweener players that shake out from the P5 programs.

It’s like when you were growing up and you and your buddies wanted to build a tree house. Most of us probably had to go snag some old used and water logged wood that was being tossed at a local construction site. We would make a tree fort, but it may be a little shaky. Well, maybe you moved to a new development with nicer homes and now you could go snag some premium lumber from the mini mansion being built down the street. You are still using scraps to build your tree fort, but you are doing it with nicer lumber.

Not sure if you all followed that, but I took a stab at it....

[The Rock]

Maybe embarrassing was the wrong choice of words. Frustrating and disappointing are better, perhaps.
Look, I understand taking advantage of a better opportunity. If this was January 2020, I would be saying Thanks for your commitment to App State and everything you did for the players and program.Congrats on your promotion. Go get your paycheck.
But at this point they haven't even coached a practice, so their contribution to App has been essentially nil. We don't get to brag about or enjoy their P5 or NFL experience because our team hasn't benefited from that at all.
I know we won't hang on to quality coaches for very long, (no matter if they are the HC, assistant, P5 experience, NFL experienced, or coming up from the FCS or HS level,) but what is the point of hiring all these guys with championship experience if we are only a monthly placeholder?
How much money have we invested/lost getting them here for interviews, going through the vetting/hiring process and then they leave weeks later?
What can't be calculated is the effect it could be having on the team, and the quality coaches we have missed out on who may actually stay to coach for a season.
I don't blame coach Drink, and have full faith in him hiring a good coach, but I really feel like this process needs to be re-evaluated in some way to keep this from continuing to happen.
I know we have covered this multiple times already, but the lack of commitment and honor is really frustrating and disappointing. If you are such a good coach, another opportunity would present itself after next season.

[Yosef10]

Frankly, this is kind of embarrassing. It seem unheard of for 3 assistants on a new staff to leave before Spring practice even starts.

Far from unheard of. A coach just left ECU today for Hampton.

But 3?

If ECU had 3 guys on staff that the NFL and Washington wanted they would be gone as well. This is college football.

[mikeyosef]

This one is a little odd. Just saying he is leaving to pursue other opportunities. Not that he is going to a different school or NFL.
Seems like it may not have been a good fit for someone.
This is getting pretty disappointing and a little embarrassing, and seemingly harder to get quality coaches this late in the game.

What’s embarrassing about coaches ditched App for the Buffalo Bills, and U of Washington? I’ll bet my house Buddy is leaving for a better opportunity as well. Hate to break it to a lot of you but there’s a hierarchy in college football, and App/SunBelt aren’t near the top of that. Quality of coaches do become a problem this late in the game, but we’ll see who we get.

It’s embarrassing because we are replacing coaches who have done absolutely nothing but waste our time for the last 4 weeks. I don’t care how experienced they are, it’s not like they have accomplished anything for us to brag about in their time here, nor can we say they contributed to a quality program and left their mark before they accepted a better position.
Now we have to find yet another coach in a very short time before spring practice starts. What kind of quality of coach do you expect a G5 program with pretty shallow pockets can find now? I feel certain we could have had a better and deeper pool of candidates in December when there was a lot more movement. We don’t have the funds to lure a good coach away from a similar team.
Coach Drink is learning a hard lesson that evaluating coaching talents isn’t only about getting the best or most experienced. But the best who will actually stay around for a year or 2.
Justin Stepp and Dwayne Ledford are the only coaches I can come up with off the top of my head that left during Satterfield’s tenure.
That may be the difference in hiring up and comers vs. old veterans

Don't forget Woody!

[The Rock]

This one is a little odd. Just saying he is leaving to pursue other opportunities. Not that he is going to a different school or NFL.
Seems like it may not have been a good fit for someone.
This is getting pretty disappointing and a little embarrassing, and seemingly harder to get quality coaches this late in the game.

What’s embarrassing about coaches ditched App for the Buffalo Bills, and U of Washington? I’ll bet my house Buddy is leaving for a better opportunity as well. Hate to break it to a lot of you but there’s a hierarchy in college football, and App/SunBelt aren’t near the top of that. Quality of coaches do become a problem this late in the game, but we’ll see who we get.

It’s embarrassing because we are replacing coaches who have done absolutely nothing but waste our time for the last 4 weeks. I don’t care how experienced they are, it’s not like they have accomplished anything for us to brag about in their time here, nor can we say they contributed to a quality program and left their mark before they accepted a better position.
Now we have to find yet another coach in a very short time before spring practice starts. What kind of quality of coach do you expect a G5 program with pretty shallow pockets can find now? I feel certain we could have had a better and deeper pool of candidates in December when there was a lot more movement. We don’t have the funds to lure a good coach away from a similar team.
Coach Drink is learning a hard lesson that evaluating coaching talents isn’t only about getting the best or most experienced. But the best who will actually stay around for a year or 2.
Justin Stepp and Dwayne Ledford are the only coaches I can come up with off the top of my head that left during Satterfield’s tenure.
That may be the difference in hiring up and comers vs. old veterans

Don't forget Woody!

True. Forgot about Woody, and that would mean Sloan too. But still, those guys stuck around several years at least.
I believe Stepp left after his 1st year at WR, and was Ledford there for 2??

[Appalachman]

Maybe we aren't allowed to name those that join the enemy Sloan & Foster. It still was impressive continuity with even GAs and support staff turnover pretty low.

[AtlAppMan]

Woody bolted from Ga State for Michigan after just a few days