Mike Sewak

[DrumRoll]

I like outside the box, but I would rahter have a Head Coach in the box with coordinators that are outside it :-)

[CajunNation]

What worries me is that if sewak comes in and he does not win right away it will be because he needs time to get his players to run his system, thats at least 2 years worth of excuses, then if it doesnt work after 4 or 5 years and we have to look elsewhere that coach will have the built-in excuse of having to get his players to run his offense.

Look at Georgia Southern. This year, Jeff Monken is in his first season as head coach. Prior to his arrival, GSU had a pass-happy offense for 3 years.

Monken inherited a team, suppossedly, with the wrong talent to run the option, and , yet:

--- Georgia southern is in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs. (first time in playoffs since 2005)


--- GSU has 9 wins. (most wins since 2004)


--- GSU's record for the last 4 years, 21-23. GSU's record currently is 9-4.


The talent debate is overblown. With the right staff, good players can run anything.

[Cajunsmike]

_ I'm sure there are more. But they will be dwarfed by the number of fans that get on board if we're winning consistently.

Many (not you Mike) have a shortsighted approach on this. And, given our instant gratification society, that is to be expected.

Your friend doesn't like the option. I get that. I sense that many others who are complaining here and coming up with all sorts of reasons why it's a bad thing, would, if you get right down to it, admit that they're apprehension is bottom line based on that they just don't like that kind of football.

I didn't know that Cajun fans were all that into style points when it comes to winning.

My statements should not lead to an assumption that I am endorsing Sewak. I endorse no one. I will support our coach, whoever he might be. And, I will support whatever offense he runs.

It isn't about my preferences. Nor is it about the preferences of those that post here.

If any of you don't want this coach because you don't like the offense, fine. If that leads you to not go to games, fine.

But this can be an offense that wins here. And winning is fun. _

Jay, I understand where you are coming from with your post. I just want to reiterate that the guy I am talking about is loyal to LSU not the Cajuns. He comes to our games for entertainment purposes and the losses do not hurt him as much as it does most who particapte on this forum. Therefore he has a diffferent approach than many who post here. He is entertained by more balanced offenses and he will find something else to be entertained by if Sewak comes. Dropping his tickets won't be that big a deal to him as he will just follow LSU more closely. He probably is an isolated case. I agree that we can win here with an option offense in time. I am just not sure we can win in the short term. You are correct with your view of people not wanting to wait for that to occur. I give the Cajun football fans a pass on that perspective due to the fact we have had one winning season in the last 15. It is natural for that kind of history to breed impatience.

[SlappyCajun]

_ Jay, I understand where you are coming from with your post. I just want to reiterate that the guy I am talking about is loyal to LSU not the Cajuns. He comes to our games for entertainment purposes and the losses do not hurt him as much as it does most who particapte on this forum. Therefore he has a diffferent approach than many who post here. He is entertained by more balanced offenses and he will find something else to be entertained by if Sewak comes. Dropping his tickets won't be that big a deal to him as he will just follow LSU more closely. He probably is an isolated case. I agree that we can win here with an option offense in time. I am just not sure we can win in the short term. You are correct with your view of people not wanting to wait for that to occur. I give the Cajun football fans a pass on that perspective due to the fact we have had one winning season in the last 15. It is natural for that kind of history to breed impatience. _

To call Ragin' Cajun Football Fans. The few loyal ones that have remained through it all are justified in demanding results.

In the past 50 years we have had 4 seasons with 8 wins or more. I don't know how fair it is to ask this fan base to keep waiting.

[ATXCajun]

If you win... they will come.

Yep. I doubt anyone drops their support because we are 8-4 but don't pass enough. I remember Babb and Fenroy shredding ULM in 2005 with the zone read. Barely threw any passes. It might as well have been the triple option. Ripping off 60 yards from scrimmage is just as exciting as a long bomb.


igeaux.mobi

[CajunNation]

Yep. I doubt anyone drops their support because we are 8-4 but don't pass enough. I remember Babb and Fenroy shredding ULM in 2005 with the zone read. Barely threw any passes. It might as well have been the triple option. Ripping off 60 yards from scrimmage is just as exciting as a long bomb.


igeaux.mobi

[Boomer]

_ If you win... they will come. _

If we run the single wing or the Notre Dame box---YOU ARE CORRECT---They will come if we win!!!!

[zephyr]

_ First of all, I believe that approx. 400K is the highest we'll pay. That doesn't mean the next coach will make that.

The casual fan didn't know Bob Marlin. That one is going to work out fine.

I don't consider Sewak's career to be "on the way down."

North Texas just hired Dan McCarney, who got fired as a head coach and had a losing record as a head coach. He was a position coach at Florida.

He's 57 years old.

They're pretty excited in Denton right now. _

Jay, I think you misinterpret the thoughts of some of us here including myself. I'd take the North Texas hire right about now without a question. You say he had a losing record as a coach but he also coached at one of the worst BCS schools in the country with little history or support similar to that of the Cajuns. However, he also turned that around and went to 5 bowl games with the lowely Iowa State Cyclones. In that day and age in the Big 12, that may have been the best conference in the land hands down and to win 5 games in conference and go to bowl games including a 9 win season is impressive. He also has coordinator experience at one of the best programs in the country.

My comments are based about the Triple option. First, many people confuse that with what we ran in the Babb/Desormeaux/Fenroy era. We ran the option and triple option out of the spread. We still gave the threat of the pass with multiple receiver sets and the offense had a lot of balance with Jerry Babb's ability to throw. The option offense that Sewak or Monken would bring in would be more out of the flexbone sets with possibly only 1 receiver on the field or 2 tops. This is a completely different offense and I believe that running an option game out of the spread is more beneficial to a team on our level versus lining up and running out of the flexbone against the bigger schools. Troy has made a living out of spreading people out and using matchups to dominate and even compete against bigger competition. I'm all for running the ball 200 yards per game and I loved watching the cajun offense run the ball in 2008. However, they still had the threat of balance in the offense that I think we would lose by running a different version of the triple option.

Also, my comments were based on what Slappy mentioned earlier. If we are going to make our next head coach one of the highest paid coaches in the league, thus doubling what we were paying Bustle then I would want a coach with more experience or a better track record than what this particular candidate would bring. If not, then we need to structure the pay accordingly. And yes, a part of me does want that sizzle factor to play a part of the hire. I would love that hire that would send a message to our other conference mates that we will be a player in the conference for years to come and someone who can recruit regionally and possibly even nationally.

[BirdofParadise]

_ Jay, I think you misinterpret the thoughts of some of us here including myself. I'd take the North Texas hire right about now without a question. You say he had a losing record as a coach but he also coached at one of the worst BCS schools in the country with little history or support similar to that of the Cajuns. However, he also turned that around and went to 5 bowl games with the lowely Iowa State Cyclones. In that day and age in the Big 12, that may have been the best conference in the land hands down and to win 5 games in conference and go to bowl games including a 9 win season is impressive. He also has coordinator experience at one of the best programs in the country.

My comments are based about the Triple option. First, many people confuse that with what we ran in the Babb/Desormeaux/Fenroy era. We ran the option and triple option out of the spread. We still gave the threat of the pass with multiple receiver sets and the offense had a lot of balance with Jerry Babb's ability to throw. The option offense that Sewak or Monken would bring in would be more out of the flexbone sets with possibly only 1 receiver on the field or 2 tops. This is a completely different offense and I believe that running an option game out of the spread is more beneficial to a team on our level versus lining up and running out of the flexbone against the bigger schools. Troy has made a living out of spreading people out and using matchups to dominate and even compete against bigger competition. I'm all for running the ball 200 yards per game and I loved watching the cajun offense run the ball in 2008. However, they still had the threat of balance in the offense that I think we would lose by running a different version of the triple option.

Also, my comments were based on what Slappy mentioned earlier. If we are going to make our next head coach one of the highest paid coaches in the league, thus doubling what we were paying Bustle then I would want a coach with more experience or a better track record than what this particular candidate would bring. If not, then we need to structure the pay accordingly. And yes, a part of me does want that sizzle factor to play a part of the hire. I would love that hire that would send a message to our other conference mates that we will be a player in the conference for years to come and someone who can recruit regionally and possibly even nationally. _

Let's also remember that McCarney will make about 200K more than we will pay our next coach.

[DrumRoll]

_ Jay, I think you misinterpret the thoughts of some of us here including myself. I'd take My comments are based about the Triple option. First, many people confuse that with what we ran in the Babb/Desormeaux/Fenroy era. We ran the option and triple option out of the spread.

I am pretty sure Paul Johnson runs the spread option at GA Tech. That is what Monken uses now at GA Southern. Why would anyone assume Sewak would not run it? Or did I misunderstand your post?