Josh Lynn: WT Head Coach!

[texcap]

Who would be considered a grand slam hire? I like small college football, but it is just that, not D1. I think a lot of those FCS coaches aren't that great. Whom did you expect to get, Nick Saban? The guy has a winning track record, ability to rebuild programs, not sure how much WT needs to be rebuilt? Who would've been a more exciting hire? Perhaps someone from Mary Hardin Baylor, a lower level but more winning?

I agree that a D2 program is unlikely to get a WOW factor hire, but that is what seems to be missing here, at least for the WT faithful. Do they seem excited and talking about National Championships?

But that begs the question of who could they get that would be a WOW hire? I don't know. I'm not even sure it is possible unless you are willing to take someone who is probably beyond their prime.

I think one of the perceived problems with Lynn is that he is a somewhat known commodity and nothing new to the fan base. Is that what WT needs? Could be.

With the Hughes hire it was someone from outside the conference (and while Lynn is technically outside, his past at ENMU negates that factor), someone new from a VERY successful program, and there was palpable excitement from the WT fans. Look how that turned out.

If you look at Angelo State's last two head coaching hires, the first (Wanger) was met with much more excitement because he was coming from a proven winning program (NWMSU) and a somewhat local boy coming home. Generated a lot of buzz. The second hire (Girsch) was not nearly as exciting because he was a known commodity to a certain extent; had been on staff for several years. But look how the two worked out.

Sometime exciting, or WOW, is not what is needed.

[ASUPops]

I think your take is a pretty good one. I know that Pops will deride you for this, but as we all know, that is what he does and why we keep him around.

I think that Lynn is a good hire but he is not an exciting hire. He doesn't bring that Wow factor that someone else might have. In fact, I don't sense the excitement in the WT faithful that even the Hunter Hughes hiring had way back. At the time of his hiring WT was fired up about the future. Right now it is more of a wait and see.

Haha.

I agree 100% with this post.

[Herb Street]

Great post.

All you hear is how all WT sports are competing for natty's and football needs to be the same. Okay! Then find a natty caliber coach and the proper admin to support him. OR.....lower your expectations and stop complaining every year.

You bring up a good point. There are a fair number of D2 schools that are putting all of their horsepower into football, and the results show it. But the remainder of their athletic programs are thoroughly uncompetitive. I am sure WT could do a lot of trimming in the other sports and help football, but those other sports would likely suffer big time. Except for football, WT's athletics programs are mostly at the top of D2. There's something to be said for that.

[Buffalo/Islander Alum]

Am I now? Leach won 3 conference titles in 21 years as a HC. Do you consider that a great coach?

Maybe I am on an island. I consider a great coach a consistent winner. Regardless of the obstacles in front of him. My example in D2 would be Coach T (Mel Tjeerdsma) who holds a .747, 12 conference titles and 3 natty's.

Now not everyone will be a Coach T, but I never understand why when a coach is hired many ADs settle for a guy who has proven he is a mediocre coach....meaning in the.500 range and EXPECT to be national contenders. I am not saying that a .500 coach is a bad coach.....I am just saying if you want to be a national contender a proven mediocre coach is NOT the right choice. And that's MY opinion. You are free to have your own.

Funny thing about your consistency example is that Coach T went 0-11 his first season with NWMSU but then had them in the playoffs by year 3.

[ASUPops]

You bring up a good point. There are a fair number of D2 schools that are putting all of their horsepower into football, and the results show it. But the remainder of their athletic programs are thoroughly uncompetitive. I am sure WT could do a lot of trimming in the other sports and help football, but those other sports would likely suffer big time. Except for football, WT's athletics programs are mostly at the top of D2. There's something to be said for that.

Yes there is! No one cares! This is TEXAS. FOOTBALL RULES. Always has......Always will.

[Buffalo/Islander Alum]

I agree with this.

However, if you kick out Hunter Hughes 1st year & COVID year, he is a .590 coach. Better than Jimmy Johnson....haha. Then why was he fired?

Everyone keeps mentioning TAMUC like they were the juggernaut. May I remind you thst they were 7-4 their last season losing to both Midwestern and the new LSC juggernaut Angelo state.

And Tareleton had a couple of good seasons just before jumping to FCS.

I honestly think even if WT eeked out a 6-3 win against Simon Frazer the last game of the season then he would have had a winning record and retained (even though he should have been fired).

This would have played in nicely with the theory that Hughes is doing just enough with lower scholarships and a high graduation rate.

When they got blown out by Simon Fraser and the team basically quit then even Wendler/McBroom couldnt realistically keep him around.

Having a team quit on you and heat in all directions from the fan base/alumni its a moot point what his overall record was.

Remember a few days before his firing the chatter from reliable sources was he was going to be retained until facebook, phone calls, who knows even here, etc. changed course.

Either way I am confident that Lynn will be able to lead WT in the right direction and can adapt in multiple ways to team, playbook, and admin climate.

If I am wrong, then we will probably get back together in 2028 to discuss how wrong we were and talk about the new hotshot D2 coordinator to lead a WT team with 10 scholarships. ;)

[ASUPops]

Funny thing about your consistency example is that Coach T went 0-11 his first season with NWMSU but then had them in the playoffs by year 3.

What???? And!!

I know you live your life trying to take swipes and one-up everyone, I get it, unfulfilled career, but on this one it's a swing and a miss! 😂

Did you READ my post?

Let me restate:
.747, 12 conference titles and 3 natty's.

🖐🏼 🎤

[Buffalo/Islander Alum]

What???? And!!

I know you live your life trying to take swipes and one-up everyone, I get it, unfulfilled career, but on this one it's a swing and a miss! 😂

Did you READ my post?

Let me restate:
.747, 12 conference titles and 3 natty's.

🖐🏼 🎤

Wasn't a one up or swipe. Just pointing out how bad his first year was and then was able to stay consistent the rest of the way.

Getting the opportunity to be a head coach and retire with a full government pension and teaching retirement I think I will sleep well at night career wise. ;).

[tsull]

I'm a WSU fan and Mike Leach was a great coach for the Cougars, however, he never won a conference title there, at Tech, or Miss. State, the 3 conference titles in 21 years is false. That said, WSU's last Pac-12 title was in 2003, Miss. State's was probably 70 years ago, same with Tech. He rebuilt WSU, which was 9-40 before he arrived and absolutely horrible, went to a bowl game his second year.

[Purple Mav Man]

Adam Clark. Pete Sterbick. Steve Annese. And many others!

The question....WHO applied?

Is Steve, Tony’s brother?

Sure, those guys would be wow hires. But they would be taking big steps back, so why?

[Techster88]

Lynn is the best choice for WT at the present. He has proven to be a winner at "have not schools". This will be his first school that he is not starting out behind the eight ball. And for all those who looked for the WOW factor presently this isn't the school or place that is going to happen. This argument reminds me years ago when in need of a hunting dog. A friend had a proven dog that I also had hunted with and the dog was always good for leading you to game or take a chance on a puppy of champion bloodlines and pay the price. Since my friend was moving and I wanted to hunt now I bought that dog and was never disappointed. That is where WT finds itself needing someone right now to do a solid job not hope and pray that Hunter Hughes figures it out next year.

[gohounds]

Adam Clark. Pete Sterbick. Steve Annese. And many others!

The question....WHO applied?

Adam Clark??? He was 33-44 in 8 Seasons at WNMU without a single winning Season (most of them in the RMAC)

[gohounds]

Lynn’s record, or anyone else’s, has to be measured in context of the program they lead. Would Jim Harbaugh be in the CFP if he was at Michigan State instead of Michigan? Doubt it. Did Nick Saban have Michigan State at the top of the football world? Not even close. Context.

And if WT admin is trying to do a shoe string football budget, Lynn’s career record percentage will probably be the same in 3 years as it is today, with everyone *****ing again for a fire and hire. But you can’t make chickens out of chicken feathers.

Good Point! WT has fired their last 6 or 7 head coaches (nobody retired or left for a better job.....and one was pretty darn successful and one was able to get them to the Semi's)

[ASUPops]

Wasn't a one up or swipe. Just pointing out how bad his first year was and then was able to stay consistent the rest of the way.

Getting the opportunity to be a head coach and retire with a full government pension and teaching retirement I think I will sleep well at night career wise. ;).

Ohhhh, you ARE a government worker AND previous ISD employee. So you never had to work for a living. GOD bless.

Enjoy my tax monies while you are at work playing messageboard. 😉

[ASUPops]

Is Steve, Tony’s brother?

Sure, those guys would be wow hires. But they would be taking big steps back, so why?

Son