get it while its hot!!!
If you do not think this program has improved under Bustle then you are misguided. Did I say he was the savior of UL football? No I did not. But given what he has had to work with it is delusional to expect or even think he could win 8 or 9 games per year.
Hell there was a 10 year stretch were we barely won 25 frickin games period.
By the way Nelson Stokley was the best football coach this program has ever had.
We have improved but can Bustle take us to the next level as being a SBC champs? Many have pointed out and proven that we lack funding. I still have my Bustle Up T-shirt in my closet although I might be to big to fit into it today I would be proud to wear at the New Orleans Bowl. After running in terror from Cayenne they might have to run in terror from me. The Belt is not a great conference to try and make predictions. We all suck. So save the negative stuff until mid point of the season. You will know the time is right when I lead the charge. Until then lets enjoy the baseball, softball, tennis and ping pong we can.
If the "Peter Principle" applies to Bustle next year, he will be out and a replacement will be found. He doesn't have to win the conference, but does have to win at least 7 games and go to a bowl for improvement enough to retain him, IMO. If he is let go, the program will certainly be significantly better than when he got here. I hope he proves that he can take us to the next level. If he doesn't, he will surely have been given enough time, 8 years, in which to do so. We'll just have to wait and see how next season turns out.
I haven't been impressed with Bustle... but... if the attitude of our admin and a decent funding "system" were implemented at Bustle's start... even he would have taken us to a bowl or three by now. We have got to quit expecting better when we do nothing to make things better. Everything we do as "improvements", we leave some busted junk laying around and some limited front office brainage to more than allow our recruiting competitors to equal or up us. Going huge is the only way to elevate the program and be able to attract, pay and hold responsible a staff of better coaches. Until then... we go with Bustle... roll the dice... say a prayer... and hope to catch that last bus to a bowl. That is the way I see it.
All things considered, in this era off college football, Ricky has done a good job; even if his only accomplishment that we're judging is his getting 86 scholarships back. Last year, something was different around here, and I credit the coaches and 7 years of hard work, even though we as fans aren't exactly "satisfied" with his slow progress.
I don't disagree with the trend upward. But, Bustle is operating with a longer rope than anyone I've ever seen in college coaching. The reason is that our administration hasn't had the guts to keep a tighter rope on a bigger bull.
I saw improvements in execution last year that had to have been partly attributable to the new coordinators. With a little fortune in the health area, we would have jumped the wall last year. Jumping the wall this year is totally in play. The problem is that we haven't gotten ourselves positioned with a strong enough program to anything but clear one of the lowest FBS walls.
Man I hope RCAF is allowed to put into play the keys to success. RCAF will have no effect on this next football season with the exception of some elevated fan interest. It hasn't been in play long enough, unfortunately, to use its might. If the buzz it generates elevates in the weeks leading into football season, the 12th man may be a much bigger factor for us this season... my hope anyway.
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