NSU Wolves Football - 2024

[TJE_]

Welp. Figured it’s time to get this started.

Thoughts on the 2024 season????

[TJE_]

Not sure if you guys saw this but Coach Tupou passed away a couple days ago. He left a couple years ago partly due to health reasons and he must have not been able to over come them.

[Matt Witwicki]

Sorry to see this..I met him once on the sideline and he seemed like a good guy who was a heartbeat guy for the Wolves program over the years. I noticed messages on twitter about his passing..

https://x.com/KoryBurdick/status/176...438924411?s=20

https://x.com/CoachFam/status/1766967665740959887?s=20

[NSU4LIFE]

Not sure if you guys saw this but Coach Tupou passed away a couple days ago. He left a couple years ago partly due to health reasons and he must have not been able to over come them.

So incredibly sad. Granted I'm almost always really emotional about most deaths, when they are as good a dude at Tupou I tear up every time I see another tribute or story gets posted.

[#WolvesNation]

With the news of Schlichte leaving Northern to head to Mankato breaking this morning... not great at all. Could be in for a rough spring. Hopefully it doesn't put us behind the 8-ball come this fall bringing in a new OC that will virtually have no time to work this spring.

[TJE_]

With the news of Schlichte leaving Northern to head to Mankato breaking this morning... not great at all. Could be in for a rough spring. Hopefully it doesn't put us behind the 8-ball come this fall bringing in a new OC that will virtually have no time to work this spring.

Yeah. Not sure what to think about this. I can see the view point of it’s where he played and where he is from. Clearly has a connection to the school/area so in that respect it makes total sense. But I can’t help to think there is more to the story of why our last two OC’s left for lateral moves within the NSIC.

[Purple Mav Man]

Yeah. Not sure what to think about this. I can see the view point of it’s where he played and where he is from. Clearly has a connection to the school/area so in that respect it makes total sense. But I can’t help to think there is more to the story of why our last two OC’s left for lateral moves within the NSIC.

This is likely at least part of it (which would lead me to believe more money):

"In addition to being our offensive coordinator, Ryan will coach quarterbacks and recruit Minnesota along with being our point person for Maverick football alumni relationships and fundraising. Please join me in welcoming Ryan and Brooklyn to the MavFam.”

[Matt Witwicki]

Honestly, I don't think money was much a factor here. MSU is a better OC job than Northern..I mean, that's simple. There's levels to this within D2..so I wouldn't really call this move lateral in that sense. Seeing as he's a Mankato kid and had a storied career there (almost QB'd them to a Natty in 2019)..and his wife is from the area, etc....this is almost a no-brainer when that door opened up. I think this move is 90% about MSU..and not really much about NSU.

I 100% agree that the timing is flat out....bad! NSU is just starting up spring ball and the eventual OC will likely wanna run his own stuff, etc. This sets back Northern a bit..and then these two teams scrimmage in a month. That's gonna be awkward kinda.

[Stanger86]

I think everyone knows the NSIC has the haves and the have nots....but maybe this news served as a reality check for where a program like Northern is.

I've been through it too....I remember the excitement around 2008 for me, coming off opening a brand new stadium and having our best season in a decade, naively I thought we had bumped up into that next tier. But the reality is that those gaps are pretty large within the NSIC so making comparisons like that only sets you up for disappointments and failures as a fan.

[TJE_]

Admittedly I am a bit of a novice about the conference as a whole, but is Mankato on another level the Northern for any reason other than a history of winning?? Certainly isn’t facilities or fan base I wouldn’t think.

[Matt Witwicki]

Admittedly I am a bit of a novice about the conference as a whole, but is Mankato on another level the Northern for any reason other than a history of winning?? Certainly isn’t facilities or fan base I wouldn’t think.

Certainly not for facilities..but as a coach..advancement to higher levels (what most are striving for) is far easier when you are near the top in terms of team performance. In Big 10 football terms..it's like comparing Michigan to Purdue. The history of winning and current winning (Mankato with 2 straight trips to the playoffs..and a trip to TX in 2019) elevates them above anyone in the NSIC. Not only are they the proven name, but it's ongoing. This is also why MSU will get more high-level recruits than other NSIC schools.

[njmav1]

Certainly not for facilities..but as a coach..advancement to higher levels (what most are striving for) is far easier when you are near the top in terms of team performance. In Big 10 football terms..it's like comparing Michigan to Purdue. The history of winning and current winning (Mankato with 2 straight trips to the playoffs..and a trip to TX in 2019) elevates them above anyone in the NSIC. Not only are they the proven name, but it's ongoing. This is also why MSU will get more high-level recruits than other NSIC schools.

And if they ever get that new stadium...

[vikingfaithful]

Will a new stadium on the MSU campus be FCS size? That seems to be the only facility wise obstacle stopping the athletic department from the Summit league.

[njmav1]

Will a new stadium on the MSU campus be FCS size? That seems to be the only facility wise obstacle stopping the athletic department from the Summit league.

That and $$$. Without football, I think MSU would probably be in the Summit League already. But there's no support for cutting football.

[vikingfaithful]

That and $$$. Without football, I think MSU would probably be in the Summit League already. But there's no support for cutting football.

The Sioux Falls paper had an article about state aid for d1 athletics, stating most FCS level schools are supplemented by state $$$. 46% at SDSU, 66% at USD. North Dakota schools get aid as well. This is why Augustana couldn't go D1 with football. Minnesota certainly could help MSU with around 15 to 20 million yearly. Or am I ignorant to the situation.