We are just a middling program...

[Harvey Specter]

That cannot expect to compete with the behemoths and elite programs in this conference!

I just watched a WSU team outclass USC & Heisman candidate Sam Darnold. Tell me all the inherent disadvantages we have vs the Cougs? I''ll give you one: the coaching staff.

Some really wanted Leach when Stoops got fired. I dissented from that opinion and I was wrong, Dead wrong. He is a goof and akin to 'that embarrassing uncle', but the dude can flat-out coach.

He inherited a dumpster fire in a pit, and has slowly but surely turned that program into a legit Pac-12 contender. This was no 'fluke' win tonight - they are for real.

Get the right coach and we can build a real program. For at least the last 10 years, RR could not hold his jockstrap. No more excuses... if they can do it, so can we. More easily.

But not without the right coach.

[MrMeow]

Like Pete Carroll, Mike Leach is proving rehabs may not be so bad after all, that perhaps the conventional message board "wisdom" of "get the young up and comer" may not always be so wise. Just have to find the right rehab.

[Chicat]

Like Pete Carroll, Mike Leach is proving rehabs may not be so bad after all, that perhaps the conventional message board "wisdom" of "get the young up and comer" may not always be so wise. Just have to find the right rehab.

We tried the up-and-comer sandwiched between two rehabs and we are still crappy Arizona.

[ASUHATER!]

Water is wet

[MrMeow]

Like Pete Carroll, Mike Leach is proving rehabs may not be so bad after all, that perhaps the conventional message board "wisdom" of "get the young up and comer" may not always be so wise. Just have to find the right rehab.

We tried the up-and-comer sandwiched between two rehabs and we are still crappy Arizona.

Is that a trifecta?

[Chicat]

Like Pete Carroll, Mike Leach is proving rehabs may not be so bad after all, that perhaps the conventional message board "wisdom" of "get the young up and comer" may not always be so wise. Just have to find the right rehab.

We tried the up-and-comer sandwiched between two rehabs and we are still crappy Arizona.

Is that a trifecta?

It is the Unholy Trinity of Suckitude.

[MrMeow]

Like Pete Carroll, Mike Leach is proving rehabs may not be so bad after all, that perhaps the conventional message board "wisdom" of "get the young up and comer" may not always be so wise. Just have to find the right rehab.

We tried the up-and-comer sandwiched between two rehabs and we are still crappy Arizona.

Is that a trifecta?

It is the Unholy Trinity of Suckitude.

[chiefzona]

Always have been a middling program. This is a basketba.........oh wait. Sorry. Arizona is a softball school.

[Chicat]

Still a basketball school. Thanks for playing Chiefy.

[Harvey Specter]

Like Pete Carroll, Mike Leach is proving rehabs may not be so bad after all, that perhaps the conventional message board "wisdom" of "get the young up and comer" may not always be so wise. Just have to find the right rehab.

I think each one of those were different... neither was a rehab from College Coaching FAILURE.

Carroll was bouncing back from an NFL stint (Saban did too)... to boot, he had some success in New England, just not as much as they wanted. 2 playoff appearances in 3 years & no losing seasons.

Leach was not rehabbing from failure; he was rehabbing from a contrived scandal. (Which seemed to hurt Craig James' career a lot more than his).

No more COLLEGE coaches who had miserable failures at their last stint... I think we've proven that model does not work.

[chiefzona]

Still a basketball school. Thanks for playing Chiefy.

It used to be a basketball school. Not anymore.

[MrMeow]

Like Pete Carroll, Mike Leach is proving rehabs may not be so bad after all, that perhaps the conventional message board "wisdom" of "get the young up and comer" may not always be so wise. Just have to find the right rehab.

I think each one of those were different... neither was a rehab from College Coaching FAILURE.

Carroll was bouncing back from an NFL stint (Saban did too)... to boot, he had some success in New England, just not as much as they wanted. 2 playoff appearances in 3 years & no losing seasons.

Leach was not rehabbing from failure; he was rehabbing from a contrived scandal. (Which seemed to hurt Craig James' career a lot more than his).



No more COLLEGE coaches who had miserable failures at their last stint... I think we've proven that model does not work.

I forgot about Saban. Another excellent example.

No, neither Carroll or Leach were on-the-field coaching failures. They both had been fired from their previous positions, which to me makes them rehab eligible. Carroll was something like Mike Garrett's fourth choice having been turned down by others. Leach was spoiled goods due to his equipment shed fiasco at TT. Both had some success on the field.

Someone please show me a rehab eligible coach who failed in the W/L column then rose from the ashes to succeed elsewhere. I know of none. Certainly not RichRod.

[Chicat]

Still a basketball school. Thanks for playing Chiefy.

It used to be a basketball school. Not anymore.

You used to be semi entertaining.

[chiefzona]

Still a basketball school. Thanks for playing Chiefy.

It used to be a basketball school. Not anymore.

You used to be semi entertaining.

I disagree. I've never been entertaining. It's ok. My time is almost up.

[Chicat]

Still a basketball school. Thanks for playing Chiefy.

It used to be a basketball school. Not anymore.

You used to be semi entertaining.

I disagree. I've never been entertaining. It's ok. My time is almost up.

We are all day-to-day.

[MrMeow]

Still a basketball school. Thanks for playing Chiefy.

It used to be a basketball school. Not anymore.

You used to be semi entertaining.

I disagree. I've never been entertaining. It's ok. My time is almost up.

Parole violation?

[chiefzona]

Still a basketball school. Thanks for playing Chiefy.

It used to be a basketball school. Not anymore.

You used to be semi entertaining.

I disagree. I've never been entertaining. It's ok. My time is almost up.

Parole violation?

No. Just exit excitation expectation.

[cats101]

Like Pete Carroll, Mike Leach is proving rehabs may not be so bad after all, that perhaps the conventional message board "wisdom" of "get the young up and comer" may not always be so wise. Just have to find the right rehab.

I think each one of those were different... neither was a rehab from College Coaching FAILURE.

Carroll was bouncing back from an NFL stint (Saban did too)... to boot, he had some success in New England, just not as much as they wanted. 2 playoff appearances in 3 years & no losing seasons.

Leach was not rehabbing from failure; he was rehabbing from a contrived scandal. (Which seemed to hurt Craig James' career a lot more than his).



No more COLLEGE coaches who had miserable failures at their last stint... I think we've proven that model does not work.

I forgot about Saban. Another excellent example.

No, neither Carroll or Leach were on-the-field coaching failures. They both had been fired from their previous positions, which to me makes them rehab eligible. Carroll was something like Mike Garrett's fourth choice having been turned down by others. Leach was spoiled goods due to his equipment shed fiasco at TT. Both had some success on the field.

Someone please show me a rehab eligible coach who failed in the W/L column then rose from the ashes to succeed elsewhere. I know of none. Certainly not RichRod.

Just think. Rich Rod reportedly turned down Alabama in 2006.

[jimson]

Some really wanted Leach when Stoops got fired. I dissented from that opinion and I was wrong, Dead wrong. He is a goof and akin to 'that embarrassing uncle', but the dude can flat-out coach.

I took a hell of a bunch of crap from guys on goazcats for wanting Leach. First few years they appeared to be right, but Leach apparently built that program slowly, the right way.

Looks like he can recruit circles around Dick Wad.

[BearDown89]

Some really wanted Leach when Stoops got fired. I dissented from that opinion and I was wrong, Dead wrong. He is a goof and akin to 'that embarrassing uncle', but the dude can flat-out coach.

I took a hell of a bunch of crap from guys on goazcats for wanting Leach. First few years they appeared to be right, but Leach apparently built that program slowly, the right way.

Looks like he can recruit circles around Dick Wad.

I remember that jimson. I've a couple buddies here who kept saying Leach would be a perfect fit at AZ.

[Harvey Specter]

Some really wanted Leach when Stoops got fired. I dissented from that opinion and I was wrong, Dead wrong. He is a goof and akin to 'that embarrassing uncle', but the dude can flat-out coach.

I took a hell of a bunch of crap from guys on goazcats for wanting Leach. First few years they appeared to be right, but Leach apparently built that program slowly, the right way.

Looks like he can recruit circles around Dick Wad.

I remember that jimson. I've a couple buddies here who kept saying Leach would be a perfect fit at AZ.

I remember there being several who wanted Leach (I don't recall who)... I was ardently opposed to either a Leach or Rodriguez hire - for different reasons. Rodriguez because I thought he was no longer an effective football coach (if he could not win at UM, how could he win here?), Leach because I thought he was damaged goods that could not recover from his controversial exit at TTU.

I was right on the latter, and obviously dead wrong on the former. Kudos to those who called it correctly...

[jimson]

He could have bought that strip joint on Golf Links, reclaimed it's former name, Pirates Den, turned it into a sports bar and hosted his radio/TV shows there. LOL

[SirClinks]

Yeah its sad looking at Wazzu and then looking at us. Leach is doing some amazing work up there.

[chiefzona]

It's a lot harder to recruit at Wazzu than it is at Arizona. I'm so tired of RR's sorry recruiting and poor player evals being blamed on recruiting at Arizona as a whole.

[Merkin]

Mike Price did too, 2 Rose Bowl appearances, and put 5 QBs into the NFL during the PAC-10 era, with UA putting none in with no RB appearances.

Worst facilities, worst weather, middle of nowhere, and so on, yet Leach and Price can win.

[Rick Kane]

I am sorry but this whole post is hilarious in hindsight. Just goes to show you to let a season play out before making bold predictions or stating the world is ending. Things can change so quickly especially in college football or just college sports in general given 18-22 year olds are playing. I think back to 92 with our football team or 97 with our basketball team or 2012 or 2016 with our baseball teams.

I definitely did not think we would be this good this year, but I also never write a team off until much later on in a season and even then I am probably too much of a homer to truly write it off. I was the idiot feeling like we won the Rose Bowl last year after watching us beat ASU.

Honestly, I would take Rich Rod over Leach

[Chicat]

I am sorry but this whole post is hilarious in hindsight.

Too bad you weren’t around when the post was made to set everyone straight.

Or were you?....

[Harvey Specter]

I am sorry but this whole post is hilarious in hindsight. Just goes to show you to let a season play out before making bold predictions or stating the world is ending. Things can change so quickly especially in college football or just college sports in general given 18-22 year olds are playing. I think back to 92 with our football team or 97 with our basketball team or 2012 or 2016 with our baseball teams.

I definitely did not think we would be this good this year, but I also never write a team off until much later on in a season and even then I am probably too much of a homer to truly write it off. I was the idiot feeling like we won the Rose Bowl last year after watching us beat ASU.

Honestly, I would take Rich Rod over Leach

I was certainly wrong about where the program was headed at the time I made the post... no doubt. And I hope it looks just as silly in a month, a year, and 5 years from now. I'd much rather have a successful program to cheer for than be right when I think it is headed into the toilet.

But I'll stand by my assertion that (at the time this post was made) RR's tenure was a failed experiment when evaluating his collective success and failure over the duration.

He had one very nice season that was on the right side of a razor's edge for most of the entire year.

You had so much conviction in our imminent dramatic rebound you were nowhere to be found when EVERYONE saw the same things (except what Tate was capable of). While Tate's presence has also elevated the play of the rest of the team, the rest of the team has stepped up, too. Which is why I am a believer in this group for the balance of the season; I will be supremely bummed if we do not finish 2-2 or better in our remaining 4 and beat ASU.

Here's a tip for future reference... next time you want to run around and gloat and say "I told you so" - don't hide in cyberspace in silence. Go on record with your conviction and 'say so' to begin with. Otherwise, STFU and do your mental masturbation in private.

As for preferring RR over Leach.... I am not ready to go there yet. I hope 3 years from now to say that RR was clearly the superior coach... sustained upward program momentum over more than a month would be nice.

But our trajectory over the last month has certainly been a good start. And a dramatic deviation from most of what we had seen over the previous 5.5 years.

[Fishclamps]

Yeah but the original post is still pretty funny

[Puerco]

I felt the same as Harvey. He's probably a little more positive on the state of the program than I am at this point. I'm impressed as hell with Tate, and I'm impressed as hell with the play of the underclassmen to date, and I give RichRod credit for that. Jury is still out on just how good this season will end up being and on how sustainable whatever success we might find becomes.

[azcat49]

Come on, Harvey OP wasn't incorrect by a long shot. It was dead on balls accurate and still is.

Tate is the difference. He is an all american at a position where he can impact this team the most and he has. Without him we ate 6-6 at best

We are all happy what this season has turned into and RR needs to buy some power ball tickets (oh yea, he already has his retention fund). He gets all the credit and a few more years but he better find the next Tate or we will be bumping this and all hailing Harvey once again

[Spaceman Spiff]

Come on, Harvey OP wasn't incorrect by a long shot. It was dead on balls accurate and still is.

Tate is the difference. He is an all american at a position where he can impact this team the most and he has. Without him we ate 6-6 at best

We are all happy what this season has turned into and RR needs to buy some power ball tickets (oh yea, he already has his retention fund). He gets all the credit and a few more years but he better find the next Tate or we will be bumping this and all hailing Harvey once again

Maybe I'm alone, but being a middling team without Tate would be reason for optimism for me. We were a bad team last year and have a ton of freshmen playing this year. To upgrade to middling means we're addressing the biggest trigger of our decline, a lack of talent.

If we have the core recruiting to be a 7 win team without stars and win more when we do, I'm ok with that until/unless our overall situation changes. Arizona is below average in terms of recruiting advantages in the Pac. Unless that changes we're chasing the dragon looking for more than a solid program that makes a run every few years when the stars align.

[azcat49]

Certainly don't disagree Spiff. No doubt we have improved the talent, especially on defense. Still we are a 7 win program and that mirrors the 3 star guys we get.

Every once in awhile we get a strong class that was undervalued or we get a guy like Tate that elevates everyone and we ride his coattails. Nothing has changed.

As for Leach or RR, I do enjoy RR'S offense much better. 84 passes, yuck. I am fine with where we are and RR should get his due.....for now