Dale Jones out - Footballscoop

[AppStateNews]

I need someone to tell me what a message board is for. It’s clear I’ve been wrong for over 30 years. Should we post cat videos, recipes, farm reports, what?

Christmas recipes would be nice. I could also go for movie reviews, auto repair advise, tips for beating the new God of War game, and debates about whether the true date for the fall of the Roman Empire was 476 or 1453.

This is a funny chain of posts....but also humiliating. I cant believe what Shawn Clark did to this program. Not being in a bowl game right now is unimaginable. Its so bad it doesnt seem real. Everything our program built up for decades....gone. like thr fall of thr Roman Empire in 476

Shawn is fixing a mess that started to manifest long before he took over. If you don’t want to see that, that’s your prerogative. Posts like this are why we can’t have nice things around here.

Cue the "do you have a documented source that says there have been issues for that long?" in 3, 2, 1....

[WataugaMan]

"Cue the "do you have a documented source that says there have been issues for that long?" in 3, 2, 1...."

3 Sun Belt Conference Championships and 4 Bowl victories

[AppStateNews]

"Cue the "do you have a documented source that says there have been issues for that long?" in 3, 2, 1...."

3 Sun Belt Conference Championships and 4 Bowl victories

Which is part of the problem... Constant coach turn over due to the success and then less money in the assistant coach pool due to covid cuts... If you can't see how that can cause an issue, that's on you.

If the head coach can't hire his first 3 choices at several positions coaches because he can't get enough money in the pool, it's pretty hard to compete with.

And this is just one example of the problems that have been manifesting....

[WataugaMan]

Therefore, regardless of who was hired (after Drink) we were destined for a steep decline. Sorry, I'm not buying it. That's on you.

[AppStateNews]

Therefore, regardless of who was hired (after Drink) we were destined for a steep decline. That was our destiny, sorry I'm not buying it. That's on you.

Ok, that's your right to not believe it.

But it's also my right to say you're wrong. You don't have to believe that either.

What if I said Clark told me after spring ball he would be surprised to be over .500 this year? I was told we were likely playing 8 guys on the starting 22 that weren't ready to start but we didn't have any other options.

Most people affiliated with the program expected this kind of season (including DG). Their expectations were raised after the first two weeks, but then Troy exposed our weaknesses (it's not a coincidence they have a former App QC guy on their staff and their DC coached at a different Sun Belt school recently).

We did struggle to adjust to said weaknesses, and that is on the coaching staff. And they will agree and admit they were sub par in that regard. And that is why changes have happened -- and not just staffing.

[ApexASU]

Watching the Southern Miss - Rice bowl game, scratching my head, someone please explain to me why the hell we're not bowling this year??? In theory we should be able to crush either one of these teams, then again???

We must be watching different games. Both these teams have coaches who know how to coach. Great game.

[WataugaMan]

"What if I said Clark told me after spring ball he would be surprised to be over .500 this year? I was told we were likely playing 8 guys on the starting 22 that weren't ready to start but we didn't have any other options."

If the head coach doesn't have any faith in his team/program, as you stated, no wonder things ended the way it did. On another note, from what I'm hearing I have confidence things will be better next season.

[WataugaMan]

Watching the Southern Miss - Rice bowl game, scratching my head, someone please explain to me why the hell we're not bowling this year??? In theory we should be able to crush either one of these teams, then again???

We must be watching different games. Both these teams have coaches who know how to coach. Great game.

It was ugly to start.

[MrCraig]

Watching Louisville-Cincy today made me decide 3 things:
1. I want Mark Ivey back as DC.
2. I miss the Satterfield-stretch run- pistol formation offense so much. I just love it.
3. Football should never be played in a baseball stadium.

[AppStateNews]

If the head coach doesn't have any faith in his team/program (spring practice comment), as you stated, no wonder things ended the way it did.

I hope you're big enough to eat crow when the issues are fixed and we get back to the App State way. Some things can't be fixed over night.

Understanding you have a lot of gaps and having faith in your team are two completely separate things.

[WataugaMan]

Like I said previously, from what I'm hearing, I have confidence things will be better next season. However, setting low expectations does nobody justice.

[AppStateNews]

Like I said previously, from what I'm hearing, I have confidence things will be better next season.

Even with a coach that apparently knows less about coaching and football than everyone on this board? That's pretty weird!

So does he get credit for making changes? Or was it merely luck the entire athletic department is just now getting back to normal after the Covid hits so Clark is finally getting a competitive assistant salary pool? That's some pretty crazy luck...

[AppSt94]

"What if I said Clark told me after spring ball he would be surprised to be over .500 this year? I was told we were likely playing 8 guys on the starting 22 that weren't ready to start but we didn't have any other options."

If the head coach doesn't have any faith in his team/program, as you stated, no wonder things ended the way it did. On another note, from what I'm hearing I have confidence things will be better next season.

So you bring up an interesting question. What if Clark came out at the beginning of the season and publicly said that he would take .500 this year? Would that have tempered expectations? Angered you that the coach thought so little of his team? How would you have handled it? What were your expectations coming into the year and why?

[T-Dog]

Some of y'all have serious issues with people who have differing opinions about a common love.

[AppStateNews]

Some of y'all have serious issues with people who have differing opinions about a common love.

Differing opinions is ok. Being down right wrong and not accepting it is what is weird to me.

Disagreeing with a play call is fine. Saying Clark can't coach despite hearing of the disadvantages he was dealt and still doubling down on it, cool -- that's their right. However, these are the same people that if someone says "hey look, the sky is blue," they would say "well, it's kind of blue, but there is white too."

[WataugaMan]

"What if I said Clark told me after spring ball he would be surprised to be over .500 this year? I was told we were likely playing 8 guys on the starting 22 that weren't ready to start but we didn't have any other options."

If the head coach doesn't have any faith in his team/program, as you stated, no wonder things ended the way it did. On another note, from what I'm hearing I have confidence things will be better next season.

So you bring up an interesting question. What if Clark came out at the beginning of the season and publicly said that he would take .500 this year? Would that have tempered expectations? Angered you that the coach thought so little of his team? How would you have handled it? What were your expectations coming into the year and why?

How do you think App Nation (as a whole) would have received that? Unlike some, I personally believe we were better than .500, then again I'm not a coach what do I know.

[WataugaMan]

Like I said previously, from what I'm hearing, I have confidence things will be better next season.

Even with a coach that apparently knows less about coaching and football than everyone on this board? That's pretty weird!

So does he get credit for making changes? Or was it merely luck the entire athletic department is just now getting back to normal after the Covid hits so Clark is finally getting a competitive assistant salary pool? That's some pretty crazy luck...

Speaking of crazy luck, are we the only school that was affected by Covid? Anyway, seeing that we have a competitive assistant salary pool now, is that why DJ's contract wasn't extended?

[AppState89]

Well DAMN!!! Cam's rushing bowl record just fell to Frank Gore, JR. 329 rushing yards.

[AppSt94]

"What if I said Clark told me after spring ball he would be surprised to be over .500 this year? I was told we were likely playing 8 guys on the starting 22 that weren't ready to start but we didn't have any other options."

If the head coach doesn't have any faith in his team/program, as you stated, no wonder things ended the way it did. On another note, from what I'm hearing I have confidence things will be better next season.

So you bring up an interesting question. What if Clark came out at the beginning of the season and publicly said that he would take .500 this year? Would that have tempered expectations? Angered you that the coach thought so little of his team? How would you have handled it? What were your expectations coming into the year and why?

How do you think App Nation (as a whole) would have received that? Unlike some, I personally believe we were better than .500, then again I'm not a coach what do I know.

That’s my point. No one would have liked to hear that. But the coach knows what he has to work with. So while I’m sure that he had expectations to be better, he seems to have known 6-6 was possible. As for fans, expecting it to be better than 6-6 is what fans can do. But not accepting that it was possibility is either denial, or being less informed on the dynamics than one thinks.

[WataugaMan]

Going into the Texas State game going forward I thought we'd do better than 6-6. I must have been in complete denial, what was I thinking?