Let's talk about Clark

[AppStFan1]

#1 in gold, you said the talent was good cause they played UNC close in previous post, I made the suggestion a new coach would want to pay to get new and better players.

#2 That's my point a new coach would want to pay to get new better players..... 🤯

#3. Hughes and Joey need to be paid to stay, rest can kick rocks find another home quite frankly. Stop making the same dumb mistakes. A new coach will clean house if he thinks a DB like that kid that keeps screwing up is doing. Hughes is out and going to WVU, Joey is headed to Arizona State.

And let me tell you Counselor, NIL is the same as pay for play it's just a fancy legal term everyone gets away with. You understand that for sure now Matlock. UNC is paying that BoatCot kid you pull for during hoops season.

Do you think our issue is talent, coaching, or both? Sounds like you think it is talent. If so, what I find interesting is some of you think we don’t have talent but don’t blame Clark for inheriting a top 25 team and turning us into a team who could go 5-7 or 6-6 in year 4.

And to be clear I am now of the opinion that Clark is indeed over his head and I don’t think the talent needs to kick rocks.

I don’t pull for UNC in any sport. App State is my basketball team.

Not sure why you need to hurl insults. I am trying to ask serious questions.

I think the issue has been all 3 quite frankly or maybe 5 issues,
a. talent early in first two years was top 35 talent in FBS, they eventually leave and have to be replaced.
b. Head Coaching and OC was very inexperienced first 2 years
c. schedule got tougher for sure (others have proven this with data)
d. graduation and transfer portal in 2022 off season rebuild of roster.
e. some bad luck as well

last night it looked liked lack of talent, concentration or focus. other games I think it's been poor play calling at times, poorly timed fumbles in other games, lack of tackling.

I just do not think Clark motivates or drops the hammer like a football coach needs to 24/7, Dabo is a recruiter, Saban is a recruiter and hardass, Lincoln Riley recruits and is a play caller.

I think Clark is too laid back when he needs to be the biggest a**hole in Boone


What is Clarks strength? I think he is good as a underdog is all I can figure out.

Okay we are getting somewhere. Are you still #TeamClark all the way and give him a pass for the mistakes they made? I ask this because it intrigues me that people blame players but the staff brings them in. What people don't understand about coaching and football is that in-game is just 1/6 of the job. A head coach has to make good hires, have a good culture, his hires and the HC himself must be good talent evaluators, they have to deal with media, and have to hire a good strength coach to help develop the players in the off-season.

I think the defense is still learning the Sloan scheme but Shawn is in year 4 and those with money expect some type of improvement from last year. I don't see any way Shawn survives if we go 6-6 or worse because all that was expected it some type of improvement and the big money boosters won't be satisfied with equal or worse when we made all these upgrades.

Let's put it this way, I am in the minority, Clark is a good dude, rallied the players in 2019 Bowl and 2020 season etc. deserves his full contract.

Does he have weaknesses as a Head Coach, yes he does. No one wants to reason on this board all the factors that are possibly out of his control. If Drink woulda stayed there is a possibility his teams coulda dipped as well, same with Satt, all programs peak and all programs dip. He's lost games but only once has his team been smacked and that was against WKU in a Bowl his players didn't want to go to.

I want to give him the benefit of the doubt and not jump the gun on something drastic. I like #TeamClark cause it irritates many on this board. I always go against the grain.

But I will admit the guy needs to drop the hammer on his team over the next 9 days.

If I am the AD I am almost at every team meeting supporting but observing (well I would have always done this at a place like App State that Football carries the whole region) I would clap, give high 5's, bend over backwards to help that team succeed.
The leader should lead and encourage the football coach at a place like App State. Not text the Circle of Excellence members and ask them "do you have my back if I make a move?"

Too many back channel deals being done in Boone these days and it's getting out of hand.

Clark is not a good dude but he is a GREAT dude. That does not matter on contract. Being a great person should be expected of all. I don’t give points for that and expect all our coaches to be good people. If they break rules or are scum I don’t want them no matter how good.

I will say that going against the grain is good if you are right and doing it because it’s the truth or the best way. Doing it to get on nerves is a bad reason for it and will actually turn people against you.

You said we only got pounded by WKU. Don’t you think Texas State did about the same thing to us? They were up 33-10 and we scored late to make it seem not so bad. We also lost to ULL 41-13 in 2021.

Back channel deals are always done. Been happening in Boone since before we were born. Get use to it. Just cause you didn’t see it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen before.

The bottom line here is that regardless what you or I or anyone on here thinks there is a bottom line. Those who find out program expect to see some type of improvement from last year since Shawn got everything he needed. If he goes 6-6 or worse he will be gone and 7-5 isn’t a lock to return. He is 3-3 now and the toughest part of conference schedule doesn’t start until November so Shawn has an uphill climb.

[Saint3333]

Maybe Clark is setting us up for an all-time great comeback. The team wins out and he created similar season drama to a typical game for us.

There’s not a game left we don’t have the talent to win.

[311neers]

Maybe Clark is setting us up for an all-time great comeback. The team wins out and he created similar season drama to a typical game for us.

There’s not a game left we don’t have the talent to win.

Feeling wins v JMU, Marshall and Southern…losses to the rest. Wouldn’t that be wild!

[AppStFan1]

Maybe Clark is setting us up for an all-time great comeback. The team wins out and he created similar season drama to a typical game for us.

There’s not a game left we don’t have the talent to win.

I hope so and I agree. I would be happy with 5-1!

[AppStFan1]

Maybe Clark is setting us up for an all-time great comeback. The team wins out and he created similar season drama to a typical game for us.

There’s not a game left we don’t have the talent to win.

Feeling wins v JMU, Marshall and Southern…losses to the rest. Wouldn’t that be wild!

It would and we would be 5-7 so it wouldn’t do any good.

[Pikapp79]

Do we have too?

[MrCraig]

Maybe Clark is setting us up for an all-time great comeback. The team wins out and he created similar season drama to a typical game for us.

There’s not a game left we don’t have the talent to win.

Man, I would love that. Have some real soul-searching and shake-ups before the ODU game and win out. Similar to Satterfield in the 2014 season. However, we all know that ain't gonna happen.

[BallantyneApp]

#1 in gold, you said the talent was good cause they played UNC close in previous post, I made the suggestion a new coach would want to pay to get new and better players.

#2 That's my point a new coach would want to pay to get new better players..... 🤯

#3. Hughes and Joey need to be paid to stay, rest can kick rocks find another home quite frankly. Stop making the same dumb mistakes. A new coach will clean house if he thinks a DB like that kid that keeps screwing up is doing. Hughes is out and going to WVU, Joey is headed to Arizona State.

And let me tell you Counselor, NIL is the same as pay for play it's just a fancy legal term everyone gets away with. You understand that for sure now Matlock. UNC is paying that BoatCot kid you pull for during hoops season.

Do you think our issue is talent, coaching, or both? Sounds like you think it is talent. If so, what I find interesting is some of you think we don’t have talent but don’t blame Clark for inheriting a top 25 team and turning us into a team who could go 5-7 or 6-6 in year 4.

And to be clear I am now of the opinion that Clark is indeed over his head and I don’t think the talent needs to kick rocks.

I don’t pull for UNC in any sport. App State is my basketball team.

Not sure why you need to hurl insults. I am trying to ask serious questions.

I think the issue has been all 3 quite frankly or maybe 5 issues,
a. talent early in first two years was top 35 talent in FBS, they eventually leave and have to be replaced.
b. Head Coaching and OC was very inexperienced first 2 years
c. schedule got tougher for sure (others have proven this with data)
d. graduation and transfer portal in 2022 off season rebuild of roster.
e. some bad luck as well

last night it looked liked lack of talent, concentration or focus. other games I think it's been poor play calling at times, poorly timed fumbles in other games, lack of tackling.

I just do not think Clark motivates or drops the hammer like a football coach needs to 24/7, Dabo is a recruiter, Saban is a recruiter and hardass, Lincoln Riley recruits and is a play caller.

I think Clark is too laid back when he needs to be the biggest a**hole in Boone


What is Clarks strength? I think he is good as a underdog is all I can figure out.

Okay we are getting somewhere. Are you still #TeamClark all the way and give him a pass for the mistakes they made? I ask this because it intrigues me that people blame players but the staff brings them in. What people don't understand about coaching and football is that in-game is just 1/6 of the job. A head coach has to make good hires, have a good culture, his hires and the HC himself must be good talent evaluators, they have to deal with media, and have to hire a good strength coach to help develop the players in the off-season.

I think the defense is still learning the Sloan scheme but Shawn is in year 4 and those with money expect some type of improvement from last year. I don't see any way Shawn survives if we go 6-6 or worse because all that was expected it some type of improvement and the big money boosters won't be satisfied with equal or worse when we made all these upgrades.

Let's put it this way, I am in the minority, Clark is a good dude, rallied the players in 2019 Bowl and 2020 season etc. deserves his full contract.

Does he have weaknesses as a Head Coach, yes he does. No one wants to reason on this board all the factors that are possibly out of his control. If Drink woulda stayed there is a possibility his teams coulda dipped as well, same with Satt, all programs peak and all programs dip. He's lost games but only once has his team been smacked and that was against WKU in a Bowl his players didn't want to go to.

I want to give him the benefit of the doubt and not jump the gun on something drastic. I like #TeamClark cause it irritates many on this board. I always go against the grain.

But I will admit the guy needs to drop the hammer on his team over the next 9 days.

If I am the AD I am almost at every team meeting supporting but observing (well I would have always done this at a place like App State that Football carries the whole region) I would clap, give high 5's, bend over backwards to help that team succeed.
The leader should lead and encourage the football coach at a place like App State. Not text the Circle of Excellence members and ask them "do you have my back if I make a move?"

Too many back channel deals being done in Boone these days and it's getting out of hand.

this is and always has been the case in college athletics.

If this is true, and I don't know that it is, I'm kind of heartened by it. Keeping the health of the program forefront is the ADs purview. Clark still has a chance to keep his job, but DG has to start understanding the landscape and drumming up support IF he has to make a change.

[CoachRob]

Maybe Clark is setting us up for an all-time great comeback. The team wins out and he created similar season drama to a typical game for us.

There’s not a game left we don’t have the talent to win.

With how disappointing the last 3 games have been, I am still holding out on judgment till the end of the season. A turnaround is still very possible and progress can still happen. This chapter has not been completely written yet. This is still a young team and growth should happen. I'm not one going to say it can't happen, just to boost my ego cause I've believed Clark was the wrong hire. Yet, I've seen enough in the past 3 games to know that we HAVE to get better as a staff and team, and that improvement needs to be visible by the end of the season. All hope isn't lost, but staff needs to adjust by season's end.

[appgrad95&97]

Historically speaking, how bad has the last season and a half been? How long do we have to go back for a parallel? Let's not count the transition years.

[app_gorilla]

2004 sucked pretty hard, but there were signs of life. Richie completing like 28 in a row IIRC against #2 Furman at home.

[QueencityApp]

2004 sucked pretty hard, but there were signs of life. Richie completing like 28 in a row IIRC against #2 Furman at home.

The two 40 point losses at the hands of Wyoming and Stink come to mind in '04. We went 6-5 that year ending with a loss to Western then turn around and with the National Championship in '05. I see how it's not fair to compare the college football landscape 20 yrs ago vs. today because of transfer portal, NIL, etc. I feel like the main thing with Clark and Co. over the past 2-3 seasons is we are seeing more losses vs. teams we are supposed/should be beating. The stat that keeps sticking out to me is his W-L record vs. teams with a winning record. Hell, maybe history will repeat itself next year (being deemed "the year") and result in a NY6 game.

[Bigdaddyg1]

For me the bottom line is that any coach who is honest, does things the right way, doesn't have garbage going on in his program, graduates players and doesn't look incompetent should be given at least 5 years to show what he can do. He should be allowed to bring in a few recruiting classes, develop some experience, fill gaps with solid transfers and if he took over a dumpster fire should show improvement with wins. By all accounts coach Clark is doing most of this. After the lunatic fringe took the for sale signs out of Satt's yard and he started winning the noise stopped. Drink was never going to stay here. I'll never forget one of the Mountaineer Talk shows when Adam asked him his favorite restaurant. He really had no legit answer. The fact that the job is a results based gig is a given. The losses, especially to the teams deemed at or below us have hurt. Not going to even a crappy bowl game hurt. Let's win 6 more games and get right with the world.

[AppWyo]

For me the bottom line is that any coach who is honest, does things the right way, doesn't have garbage going on in his program, graduates players and doesn't look incompetent should be given at least 5 years to show what he can do. He should be allowed to bring in a few recruiting classes, develop some experience, fill gaps with solid transfers and if he took over a dumpster fire should show improvement with wins. By all accounts coach Clark is doing most of this. After the lunatic fringe took the for sale signs out of Satt's yard and he started winning the noise stopped. Drink was never going to stay here. I'll never forget one of the Mountaineer Talk shows when Adam asked him his favorite restaurant. He really had no legit answer. The fact that the job is a results based gig is a given. The losses, especially to the teams deemed at or below us have hurt. Not going to even a crappy bowl game hurt. Let's win 6 more games and get right with the world.

NY6 Bowl? why not college football playoff?

[bcoach]

We should have a parent page like this for teachers. If the kids fail we call for firing the teacher. Hell kids education is a lot more important than football.

[AtlAppMan]

We should have a parent page like this for teachers. If the kids fail we call for firing the teacher. Hell kids education is a lot more important than football.

That used to be called the PTA. And it would be good these days to extend all the way up through administration and the County/City board of education members. The fact is that is how it is SUPPOSED to work. All education members are held accountable for the education of the kids.

[BambooRdApp]

We should have a parent page like this for teachers. If the kids fail we call for firing the teacher. Hell kids education is a lot more important than football.

That used to be called the PTA. And it would be good these days to extend all the way up through administration and the County/City board of education members. The fact is that is how it is SUPPOSED to work. All education members are held accountable for the education of the kids.

You get what you pay for. Teacher salaries are not even at a living wage in N.C. in many cities and towns in N.C.

[AppOrange]

Take care of the ball and anything can happen

[Yosef84]

Only question is how long will AD allow this to continue?

Until December 1, at least, unless some donor coughs up a pretty penny.

We just can’t forget how bad this is looking if we pull out some fluke win against JMU, Marshall, or GS. Fluke wins don’t make good football teams.

Do "fluke losses" make bad football teams then? Help me understand this. Is it only wins that are subject to being discounted based on interpretation or context? Have you already decided that ANY win over JMU, Marshall or GS would be a "fluke"?

[MrCraig]

We should have a parent page like this for teachers. If the kids fail we call for firing the teacher. Hell kids education is a lot more important than football.

That used to be called the PTA. And it would be good these days to extend all the way up through administration and the County/City board of education members. The fact is that is how it is SUPPOSED to work. All education members are held accountable for the education of the kids.

You get what you pay for. Teacher salaries are not even at a living wage in N.C. in many cities and towns in N.C.

Hi! App grad and public school teacher checking in! Fun fact, bcoach, there are myriad Facebook and Nextdoor groups dedicated to being a place for parents and community members to vent their frustrations with their local school system.

Much like this board, most of the comments are asinine and ill-informed; however, sometimes there are legitimate gripes that get attention. Much like this board, the teachers and admin follow these groups but usually ignore whatever they have to say unless it is something serious the teachers/admin didn’t know about.

Y’all think this place gets demented during the live game threads? Go check out a school parent page during the first 2 weeks of school. Especially regarding bussing/car line pick up.