Bustle, UL agree to extension through 2011 season

[Cajunsmike]

_ What are we doing? Des and Fenroy were local kids that we all enjoyed watching. We can't even get local kids. We worry about attendance, but with all these JUCO kids we have no ties to them. Yes, if they are good they deserve to play somewhere but, at least if a kid's from within a 100 mile radius we should be able to land him. Parent, friends and everyone loves watching a kid grow right before our eyes. Instead of so many kids from out of state where family support will only come to Lafayette for Senior Day. Bustle and his staff can not land local kids and it is hurting our program. He should take a page from the guys at McNeese, they do a great job landing local talent and keeping fan support high. _

From what I understand we have eight commitments. I believe six are from Louisiana. Looks to me like we are getting more local kids this year than in the past.

[Cajunsmike]

_ I don't mind the 1 year extension because it will help recruiting and apparently has a much lower buy-out clause. What I am wondering is what is the criteria for keeping him another year. Does he have to win 7 games and go to a bowl game? Given a pretty tough schedule, does he just have to be bowl eligible with 6 wins again next year? Does his salary and his staff's salaries stay the same this year or is there an increase at all, given it is one of the lowest in 1A football? This would appear to breath new life into the coaching staff. It is time to step it up. I hope they do it. _

Coach Bustle gets an automatic one year extension with 7 wins. He gets two years extended if he wins the conference. Therefore if he wins 7 next year, he will have two years remaining on his deal. One will be for the extension he just received and one for the reward of 7 wins. The revised buyout may apply to only next season but I bet it is so many dollars for every remaining year on the contract.

[Damon]

_ Our administration is retards. _

ORLY? Wow.

Ahem..
I agree with Parrott. We've beaten all of the topics in this thread to death, but the most important re-beaten topic is this "local kid" crap. I said it. Crap. The day you put a local team on the field that's all local is the day you're playing in the same conference as UNO. You want to see local prep stars, go to football games on Friday nights.

[CajunFreak]

_ This is rich.

So you must be of the opinion that all recruits and their parents, and every coach recruiting against UL, are either naive or dumb? If this logic is so apparent to you, then why do you think it won't be to everyone else? _

Exactly...

[Just1More]

We aren't out to fool anyone. UL recruits that like Lafayette, the academics, the facilities, the fans, the team members they know and so on may very well like to hear that the staff recruiting them was granted an extension. But...

The extension does more to keep up the enthusiasm of Bustle's staff than it does something great for what goes on in a recruit and his parents' minds. And... negative recruiting under the premise that "Bustle might not be there much longer" isn't a real big hit to the recruits we target. We aren't operating some program that kids come because of our nationally recognized coaching staff. We aren't a "winning program in decline" on the verge of firing the legacy coach.

We simply need our staff out recruiting with some level of enthusiasm. That's the extension benefit more than anything. It gives the staff hope that they are still controlling their own destiny.

Our recruits need to know that they are either getting coached by Bustle and staff under a winning program starting this coming year... or a better coaching staff right after.

[Cowboy Up]

Fan support high, I am not so sure about that. Did they not have only 12K or so for their playoff game with with New Hampshire this year, where by the way, got their a... handed to them?

ULL has a lot to offer a potential recruit other than a standing football coach. It is an outstanding, progressive university that is only stopped in its advancement by Louisiana politics and money. I think the two go hand in hand and too often UL has inherited the short end of the stick.

What UL has not had is a string of outstanding successes in football that result in New Orleans Bowl invitations. However, I will admit that I am not conceding to failure because the Sun Belt really has not seen the kind of support that the Lafayette community can engender when a winning football program leads the way! It is awesome, and I got to see it all the years that McNeese and then, USL played some truly fantastic rivalry games. All your program has to do is win and a sleeping giant will awaken.

As for your comments on McNeese's support of it's football team, you, of course, are right. We did get our heads handed to us by UNH, EWU, and Montana. We will solve that problem and move on because of our resiliance. BTW, we also brought those 12,000 fans to Cajun Field in 2007 and I'll let you explain away that result ad infinitum.

Also, as a matter on note, with only 12,000 in our stadium at 2:00 PM during Thanksgiving week it was still at almost 69% of capacity. Cajun Field would have to draw 20,700 fans to have an accurate comparison. You guys have not seen 69% capacity since, well, Southern U in 2009 and McNeese in 2007. Hmmn! Just win.

[Turbine]

_ We aren't out to fool anyone. UL recruits that like Lafayette, the academics, the facilities, the fans, the team members they know and so on may very well like to hear that the staff recruiting them was granted an extension. But...

The extension does more to keep up the enthusiasm of Bustle's staff than it does something great for what goes on in a recruit and his parents' minds. And... negative recruiting under the premise that "Bustle might not be there much longer" isn't a real big hit to the recruits we target. We aren't operating some program that kids come because of our nationally recognized coaching staff. We aren't a "winning program in decline" on the verge of firing the legacy coach.

We simply need our staff out recruiting with some level of enthusiasm. That's the extension benefit more than anything. It gives the staff hope that they are still controlling their own destiny.

Our recruits need to know that they are either getting coached by Bustle and staff under a winning program starting this coming year... or a better coaching staff right after. _

The coaches -enthusiasm- factor is the first logical explanation presented . . . and you are probably the first to think of it. Although I was hoping a backs to the wall -do or die- season would accomplish the same thing.

[RCAJUN90]

_ The coaches -enthusiasm- factor is the first logical explanation presented . . . and you are probably the first to think of it. Although I was hoping a backs to the wall -do or die- season would accomplish the same thing. _

This is ridiculous. It just proves to me that we are not serious about football in Lafayette.

[Just1More]

_ This is ridiculous. It just proves to me that we are not serious about football in Lafayette. _

This particular issue proves nothing. Other decisions along the way may very well conclude that UL management isn't brave about football. But, I wouldn't look at this extension as evidence of anything. It is simply a reasonable reaction following inaction.

[Turbine]

This whole grace period extension is rather graceful don't you think?

"Show me a graceful loser and I'll show you a loser" - Vince Lombardi