2019 Polls

[iaafan]

I think where UM is going to struggle, is that this is not the same Big Sky Conference and not the same FCS that Bobby coached in the first time. He was handed a hell of a team, with a hell of a tradition, that had a hell of an upper hand on most teams. That isn’t the case anymore. I just don’t think he is the coach for this job anymore. The coaches and teams around him are a lot better now then they were back then.

Count me as one of the people that is not a big fan of Hauck, he just rubs me the wrong way.

With that being said, he’s a good coach at this level and it’s proven. I think he’ll have that team in the conversation for top 3-5 teams in the Big Sky for as long as he’s there. Maybe it won’t be what it was his last go around where he only lost a handful of Big Sky games in 5 years or whatever it was, but I think it’s wishful thinking that he’s going to outright fail this time.
UM is going to be a good team this year, their schedule is just tough. I’ve predicted 7-5 for them myself, but if they get a couple breaks(like they always seemed to get his last go around) it’s not unthinkable that they could be 8-4, even 9-3.

If they make the playoffs this year they will have earned it without a doubt.

All that being said, not much would make me happier than to see them piss away games in the 4th quarter again this year and go 5-7, 6-6.

I’m just not holding my breath that is going to happen though.

Totally agree: I don't care for Hauck either but he is a proven coach who knows what it takes to have success at this level. Anyone that can continue to recruit and maintain a team that is producing, as he did before, knows what it looks like and how to build it too.

He took over a loaded team that had been to two championship games in three years and four in SEVEN years winning two. In his SEVEN years they went to chipper three times and lost all three. He then tanked at UNLV, like every coach has. Seems like he keeps teams right where they are for the most part. So why would that change now in a conference that’s much better than it was when he was in it the first time?

[kennethnoisewater]

I think where UM is going to struggle, is that this is not the same Big Sky Conference and not the same FCS that Bobby coached in the first time. He was handed a hell of a team, with a hell of a tradition, that had a hell of an upper hand on most teams. That isn’t the case anymore. I just don’t think he is the coach for this job anymore. The coaches and teams around him are a lot better now then they were back then.

Count me as one of the people that is not a big fan of Hauck, he just rubs me the wrong way.

With that being said, he’s a good coach at this level and it’s proven. I think he’ll have that team in the conversation for top 3-5 teams in the Big Sky for as long as he’s there. Maybe it won’t be what it was his last go around where he only lost a handful of Big Sky games in 5 years or whatever it was, but I think it’s wishful thinking that he’s going to outright fail this time.
UM is going to be a good team this year, their schedule is just tough. I’ve predicted 7-5 for them myself, but if they get a couple breaks(like they always seemed to get his last go around) it’s not unthinkable that they could be 8-4, even 9-3.

If they make the playoffs this year they will have earned it without a doubt.

All that being said, not much would make me happier than to see them piss away games in the 4th quarter again this year and go 5-7, 6-6.

I’m just not holding my breath that is going to happen though.

Totally agree: I don't care for Hauck either but he is a proven coach who knows what it takes to have success at this level. Anyone that can continue to recruit and maintain a team that is producing, as he did before, knows what it looks like and how to build it too.

He took over a loaded team that had been to two championship games in three years and four in SEVEN years winning two. In his SEVEN years they went to chipper three times and lost all three. He then tanked at UNLV, like every coach has. Seems like he keeps teams right where they are for the most part. So why would that change now in a conference that’s much better than it was when he was in it the first time?

I'm on both sides of this. Yes, Hauck took over a loaded team with tons of resources and there are probably plenty of coaches who could have kept that ship afloat. But it's impressive to make it to the chipper three times and I don't think a lot of coaches could have pulled that off. At the same time, I think the Big Sky Conference has improved a ton since he was in Missoula last. To UM's credit, I think they have a lot to do with why the level has improved; a rising tide lifts all boats. I would even argue that all of FCS has improved since his last stint, thanks to NDSU. Several teams in the MVFC improved dramatically to try and keep pace with NDSU, so deep playoff runs are considerably more difficult than they once were.

So I think Hauck will do a good job in Missoula. MSU is more formidable on the recruiting front though, especially in the state and this region, so it won't be as easy. MSU is catching up to UM in facilities (compared to the disparity when BH was first in Missoula), and just the general perception of the program.

My opinion is that Hauck is a very good coach and will make UM better. However, given the CURRENT environment of the state, the BSC, and all of the FCS, I don't believe he will have as much success as last time around.

[ilovethecats]

I think where UM is going to struggle, is that this is not the same Big Sky Conference and not the same FCS that Bobby coached in the first time. He was handed a hell of a team, with a hell of a tradition, that had a hell of an upper hand on most teams. That isn’t the case anymore. I just don’t think he is the coach for this job anymore. The coaches and teams around him are a lot better now then they were back then.

Count me as one of the people that is not a big fan of Hauck, he just rubs me the wrong way.

With that being said, he’s a good coach at this level and it’s proven. I think he’ll have that team in the conversation for top 3-5 teams in the Big Sky for as long as he’s there. Maybe it won’t be what it was his last go around where he only lost a handful of Big Sky games in 5 years or whatever it was, but I think it’s wishful thinking that he’s going to outright fail this time.
UM is going to be a good team this year, their schedule is just tough. I’ve predicted 7-5 for them myself, but if they get a couple breaks(like they always seemed to get his last go around) it’s not unthinkable that they could be 8-4, even 9-3.

If they make the playoffs this year they will have earned it without a doubt.

All that being said, not much would make me happier than to see them piss away games in the 4th quarter again this year and go 5-7, 6-6.

I’m just not holding my breath that is going to happen though.

Totally agree: I don't care for Hauck either but he is a proven coach who knows what it takes to have success at this level. Anyone that can continue to recruit and maintain a team that is producing, as he did before, knows what it looks like and how to build it too.

He took over a loaded team that had been to two championship games in three years and four in SEVEN years winning two. In his SEVEN years they went to chipper three times and lost all three. He then tanked at UNLV, like every coach has. Seems like he keeps teams right where they are for the most part. So why would that change now in a conference that’s much better than it was when he was in it the first time?

Because there's still a million factors. A few being that coaches can evolve and get better just like players can. To assume that BH ONLY had success his last time was because of other people seems unfair to me. And to also assume that there's no way he could be successful now seems to be a stretch.

I've seen coach Choate evolve a ton in a couple seasons. No reasons Bobby can't do the same. Add in their fan support, facilities and other resources and I can't see any reason they can't have success again.

That said I'm on record several times saying it won't be a cakewalk. I know some fans just think having him back means guaranteed championships. I think they are going to be disappointed. Even the fact that Hauck himself said getting where he wants could take 7 years is so funny to me because many fans seem to think just because their the griz they'll be successful much sooner. When Choate was hired and we were discussing being patient some from over there said that's accepting mediocrity. They'll get a nice taste of what it's like having a coach try to preach patience.

[Catsrgrood]

I think where UM is going to struggle, is that this is not the same Big Sky Conference and not the same FCS that Bobby coached in the first time. He was handed a hell of a team, with a hell of a tradition, that had a hell of an upper hand on most teams. That isn’t the case anymore. I just don’t think he is the coach for this job anymore. The coaches and teams around him are a lot better now then they were back then.

Count me as one of the people that is not a big fan of Hauck, he just rubs me the wrong way.

With that being said, he’s a good coach at this level and it’s proven. I think he’ll have that team in the conversation for top 3-5 teams in the Big Sky for as long as he’s there. Maybe it won’t be what it was his last go around where he only lost a handful of Big Sky games in 5 years or whatever it was, but I think it’s wishful thinking that he’s going to outright fail this time.
UM is going to be a good team this year, their schedule is just tough. I’ve predicted 7-5 for them myself, but if they get a couple breaks(like they always seemed to get his last go around) it’s not unthinkable that they could be 8-4, even 9-3.

If they make the playoffs this year they will have earned it without a doubt.

All that being said, not much would make me happier than to see them piss away games in the 4th quarter again this year and go 5-7, 6-6.

I’m just not holding my breath that is going to happen though.

Totally agree: I don't care for Hauck either but he is a proven coach who knows what it takes to have success at this level. Anyone that can continue to recruit and maintain a team that is producing, as he did before, knows what it looks like and how to build it too.

He took over a loaded team that had been to two championship games in three years and four in SEVEN years winning two. In his SEVEN years they went to chipper three times and lost all three. He then tanked at UNLV, like every coach has. Seems like he keeps teams right where they are for the most part. So why would that change now in a conference that’s much better than it was when he was in it the first time?

I know the year he took over they had lost some really good players from the year before, but you’re right, he took over a program that was rolling. 4 NC appearances in 7 years with 2 wins, that’s a hell of a 7 year stretch.

If he was only at um for maybe 2-3 years, then I’d 100% agree that he was riding the coattails of that program and coaches before him. But he was there for 7 years and made 3 more NC appearances and only lost a few Big Sky games. I don’t think that was luck. I think he can recruit and I think he’s a good coach.

It feels gross to stick up for the guy, but facts are facts. I assume he’ll have that program as a top tier Big Sky team in the next couple years until proven otherwise. Maybe not the absolute top dog like they were though.

With that being said, I don’t think there is any way he is AS successful this time. The Big Sky is better, schools are catching up with facilities, he doesn’t have the benefit that he did before with all those advantages.

[iaafan]

I think where UM is going to struggle, is that this is not the same Big Sky Conference and not the same FCS that Bobby coached in the first time. He was handed a hell of a team, with a hell of a tradition, that had a hell of an upper hand on most teams. That isn’t the case anymore. I just don’t think he is the coach for this job anymore. The coaches and teams around him are a lot better now then they were back then.

Count me as one of the people that is not a big fan of Hauck, he just rubs me the wrong way.

With that being said, he’s a good coach at this level and it’s proven. I think he’ll have that team in the conversation for top 3-5 teams in the Big Sky for as long as he’s there. Maybe it won’t be what it was his last go around where he only lost a handful of Big Sky games in 5 years or whatever it was, but I think it’s wishful thinking that he’s going to outright fail this time.
UM is going to be a good team this year, their schedule is just tough. I’ve predicted 7-5 for them myself, but if they get a couple breaks(like they always seemed to get his last go around) it’s not unthinkable that they could be 8-4, even 9-3.

If they make the playoffs this year they will have earned it without a doubt.

All that being said, not much would make me happier than to see them piss away games in the 4th quarter again this year and go 5-7, 6-6.

I’m just not holding my breath that is going to happen though.

Totally agree: I don't care for Hauck either but he is a proven coach who knows what it takes to have success at this level. Anyone that can continue to recruit and maintain a team that is producing, as he did before, knows what it looks like and how to build it too.

He took over a loaded team that had been to two championship games in three years and four in SEVEN years winning two. In his SEVEN years they went to chipper three times and lost all three. He then tanked at UNLV, like every coach has. Seems like he keeps teams right where they are for the most part. So why would that change now in a conference that’s much better than it was when he was in it the first time?

Because there's still a million factors. A few being that coaches can evolve and get better just like players can. To assume that BH ONLY had success his last time was because of other people seems unfair to me. And to also assume that there's no way he could be successful now seems to be a stretch.

I've seen coach Choate evolve a ton in a couple seasons. No reasons Bobby can't do the same. Add in their fan support, facilities and other resources and I can't see any reason they can't have success again.

That said I'm on record several times saying it won't be a cakewalk. I know some fans just think having him back means guaranteed championships. I think they are going to be disappointed. Even the fact that Hauck himself said getting where he wants could take 7 years is so funny to me because many fans seem to think just because their the griz they'll be successful much sooner. When Choate was hired and we were discussing being patient some from over there said that's accepting mediocrity. They'll get a nice taste of what it's like having a coach try to preach patience.

Yes things could change for many reasons, but I’m just saying that he’s never made an average team good, a great team greater or a bad team average. In three stints as a head coach the teams have stayed about the same. Small sample size, but nothing that says he’s going to make them better. They could get worse.

[iaafan]

I think where UM is going to struggle, is that this is not the same Big Sky Conference and not the same FCS that Bobby coached in the first time. He was handed a hell of a team, with a hell of a tradition, that had a hell of an upper hand on most teams. That isn’t the case anymore. I just don’t think he is the coach for this job anymore. The coaches and teams around him are a lot better now then they were back then.

Count me as one of the people that is not a big fan of Hauck, he just rubs me the wrong way.

With that being said, he’s a good coach at this level and it’s proven. I think he’ll have that team in the conversation for top 3-5 teams in the Big Sky for as long as he’s there. Maybe it won’t be what it was his last go around where he only lost a handful of Big Sky games in 5 years or whatever it was, but I think it’s wishful thinking that he’s going to outright fail this time.
UM is going to be a good team this year, their schedule is just tough. I’ve predicted 7-5 for them myself, but if they get a couple breaks(like they always seemed to get his last go around) it’s not unthinkable that they could be 8-4, even 9-3.

If they make the playoffs this year they will have earned it without a doubt.

All that being said, not much would make me happier than to see them piss away games in the 4th quarter again this year and go 5-7, 6-6.

I’m just not holding my breath that is going to happen though.

Totally agree: I don't care for Hauck either but he is a proven coach who knows what it takes to have success at this level. Anyone that can continue to recruit and maintain a team that is producing, as he did before, knows what it looks like and how to build it too.

He took over a loaded team that had been to two championship games in three years and four in SEVEN years winning two. In his SEVEN years they went to chipper three times and lost all three. He then tanked at UNLV, like every coach has. Seems like he keeps teams right where they are for the most part. So why would that change now in a conference that’s much better than it was when he was in it the first time?

I know the year he took over they had lost some really good players from the year before, but you’re right, he took over a program that was rolling. 4 NC appearances in 7 years with 2 wins, that’s a hell of a 7 year stretch.

If he was only at um for maybe 2-3 years, then I’d 100% agree that he was riding the coattails of that program and coaches before him. But he was there for 7 years and made 3 more NC appearances and only lost a few Big Sky games. I don’t think that was luck. I think he can recruit and I think he’s a good coach.

It feels gross to stick up for the guy, but facts are facts. I assume he’ll have that program as a top tier Big Sky team in the next couple years until proven otherwise. Maybe not the absolute top dog like they were though.

With that being said, I don’t think there is any way he is AS successful this time. The Big Sky is better, schools are catching up with facilities, he doesn’t have the benefit that he did before with all those advantages.

I don’t think it was luck. I think it was about what you’d expect. The league wasn’t nearly as good as it is now and there was no NDSU to contend with in the early playoff rounds. We’re gonna find out though. My guess is UM will win the league one of these years. But so will EWU, MSU, Weber, Davis, Poly and others.

[ilovethecats]

I think where UM is going to struggle, is that this is not the same Big Sky Conference and not the same FCS that Bobby coached in the first time. He was handed a hell of a team, with a hell of a tradition, that had a hell of an upper hand on most teams. That isn’t the case anymore. I just don’t think he is the coach for this job anymore. The coaches and teams around him are a lot better now then they were back then.

Count me as one of the people that is not a big fan of Hauck, he just rubs me the wrong way.

With that being said, he’s a good coach at this level and it’s proven. I think he’ll have that team in the conversation for top 3-5 teams in the Big Sky for as long as he’s there. Maybe it won’t be what it was his last go around where he only lost a handful of Big Sky games in 5 years or whatever it was, but I think it’s wishful thinking that he’s going to outright fail this time.
UM is going to be a good team this year, their schedule is just tough. I’ve predicted 7-5 for them myself, but if they get a couple breaks(like they always seemed to get his last go around) it’s not unthinkable that they could be 8-4, even 9-3.

If they make the playoffs this year they will have earned it without a doubt.

All that being said, not much would make me happier than to see them piss away games in the 4th quarter again this year and go 5-7, 6-6.

I’m just not holding my breath that is going to happen though.

Totally agree: I don't care for Hauck either but he is a proven coach who knows what it takes to have success at this level. Anyone that can continue to recruit and maintain a team that is producing, as he did before, knows what it looks like and how to build it too.

He took over a loaded team that had been to two championship games in three years and four in SEVEN years winning two. In his SEVEN years they went to chipper three times and lost all three. He then tanked at UNLV, like every coach has. Seems like he keeps teams right where they are for the most part. So why would that change now in a conference that’s much better than it was when he was in it the first time?

Because there's still a million factors. A few being that coaches can evolve and get better just like players can. To assume that BH ONLY had success his last time was because of other people seems unfair to me. And to also assume that there's no way he could be successful now seems to be a stretch.

I've seen coach Choate evolve a ton in a couple seasons. No reasons Bobby can't do the same. Add in their fan support, facilities and other resources and I can't see any reason they can't have success again.

That said I'm on record several times saying it won't be a cakewalk. I know some fans just think having him back means guaranteed championships. I think they are going to be disappointed. Even the fact that Hauck himself said getting where he wants could take 7 years is so funny to me because many fans seem to think just because their the griz they'll be successful much sooner. When Choate was hired and we were discussing being patient some from over there said that's accepting mediocrity. They'll get a nice taste of what it's like having a coach try to preach patience.

Yes things could change for many reasons, but I’m just saying that he’s never made an average team good, a great team greater or a bad team average. In three stints as a head coach the teams have stayed about the same. Small sample size, but nothing that says he’s going to make them better. They could get worse.

And I REALLY hope they do!

[GoCats18]

I just want to add that I think the biggest thing with any head coach is who you surround yourself with on your staff. I personally think that Hauck had a better group his first time through at UM then he does now. I also don’t follow them that closely though so maybe I am wrong. I just don’t think people at UM are going to support them if he fails to produce. That University could be headed for a very rough ride the next ten years.

[utucats]

My two cents....I’ve said it before, the fact that either of our in state universities are worried about competing with anyone else in this conference is a tragedy. Our recruiting advantage is huge and I think we are seeing Choate start to really reap the benefits of that advantage. It takes the coach 3 or 4 rounds of recruiting to really show his vision. I feel like our defense is about to show a huge payoff.

Having said that, the reason Hauck had the griz in the mix the first time was no fluke. He did inherit a great team which is why it didn’t take him years to get that griz team to where he wanted it but he also played winning football and recruited the right kids. Hauck teams played tough d and had big linemen that would wear on opposing teams. He ran the ball effectively and controlled the clock. It’s a winning formula that our coach is putting in place here and with that facility in Missoula it won’t be long until Hauck has them back.

Lucky for us Choate has us further ahead in the process currently. If we want to keep ourselves in that position we have to help him capitalize on that recruiting advantage by getting these facility plans funded.

[Helcat72]

My two cents....I’ve said it before, the fact that either of our in state universities are worried about competing with anyone else in this conference is a tragedy. Our recruiting advantage is huge and I think we are seeing Choate start to really reap the benefits of that advantage. It takes the coach 3 or 4 rounds of recruiting to really show his vision. I feel like our defense is about to show a huge payoff.

Having said that, the reason Hauck had the griz in the mix the first time was no fluke. He did inherit a great team which is why it didn’t take him years to get that griz team to where he wanted it but he also played winning football and recruited the right kids. Hauck teams played tough d and had big linemen that would wear on opposing teams. He ran the ball effectively and controlled the clock. It’s a winning formula that our coach is putting in place here and with that facility in Missoula it won’t be long until Hauck has them back.

Lucky for us Choate has us further ahead in the process currently. If we want to keep ourselves in that position we have to help him capitalize on that recruiting advantage by getting these facility plans funded.

[onceacat]

My two cents....I’ve said it before, the fact that either of our in state universities are worried about competing with anyone else in this conference is a tragedy. Our recruiting advantage is huge and I think we are seeing Choate start to really reap the benefits of that advantage. It takes the coach 3 or 4 rounds of recruiting to really show his vision. I feel like our defense is about to show a huge payoff.

Having said that, the reason Hauck had the griz in the mix the first time was no fluke. He did inherit a great team which is why it didn’t take him years to get that griz team to where he wanted it but he also played winning football and recruited the right kids. Hauck teams played tough d and had big linemen that would wear on opposing teams. He ran the ball effectively and controlled the clock. It’s a winning formula that our coach is putting in place here and with that facility in Missoula it won’t be long until Hauck has them back.

Lucky for us Choate has us further ahead in the process currently. If we want to keep ourselves in that position we have to help him capitalize on that recruiting advantage by getting these facility plans funded.

I’m curious as to what you think our recruiting advantages are. I’d argue that the two Montana schools are at a huge disadvantage to most of the rest of the conference-in particular EWU, WSU, and UCD.

Other than coaching staff, what advantages do we bring to bear?

[catscat]

My two cents....I’ve said it before, the fact that either of our in state universities are worried about competing with anyone else in this conference is a tragedy. Our recruiting advantage is huge and I think we are seeing Choate start to really reap the benefits of that advantage. It takes the coach 3 or 4 rounds of recruiting to really show his vision. I feel like our defense is about to show a huge payoff.

Having said that, the reason Hauck had the griz in the mix the first time was no fluke. He did inherit a great team which is why it didn’t take him years to get that griz team to where he wanted it but he also played winning football and recruited the right kids. Hauck teams played tough d and had big linemen that would wear on opposing teams. He ran the ball effectively and controlled the clock. It’s a winning formula that our coach is putting in place here and with that facility in Missoula it won’t be long until Hauck has them back.

Lucky for us Choate has us further ahead in the process currently. If we want to keep ourselves in that position we have to help him capitalize on that recruiting advantage by getting these facility plans funded.

I’m curious as to what you think our recruiting advantages are. I’d argue that the two Montana schools are at a huge disadvantage to most of the rest of the conference-in particular EWU, WSU, and UCD.

Other than coaching staff, what advantages do we bring to bear?

School of Engineering for one. After his last game in Bozeman, I asked JP Flynn if he planned to try to play professionally. He said "Yes." I said that I guessed that if that didn't work out he could always be an engineer. His reply, "Yeah, not a bad fall back position."

[TomCat88]

My two cents....I’ve said it before, the fact that either of our in state universities are worried about competing with anyone else in this conference is a tragedy. Our recruiting advantage is huge and I think we are seeing Choate start to really reap the benefits of that advantage. It takes the coach 3 or 4 rounds of recruiting to really show his vision. I feel like our defense is about to show a huge payoff.

Having said that, the reason Hauck had the griz in the mix the first time was no fluke. He did inherit a great team which is why it didn’t take him years to get that griz team to where he wanted it but he also played winning football and recruited the right kids. Hauck teams played tough d and had big linemen that would wear on opposing teams. He ran the ball effectively and controlled the clock. It’s a winning formula that our coach is putting in place here and with that facility in Missoula it won’t be long until Hauck has them back.

Lucky for us Choate has us further ahead in the process currently. If we want to keep ourselves in that position we have to help him capitalize on that recruiting advantage by getting these facility plans funded.

I’m curious as to what you think our recruiting advantages are. I’d argue that the two Montana schools are at a huge disadvantage to most of the rest of the conference-in particular EWU, WSU, and UCD.

Other than coaching staff, what advantages do we bring to bear?

I’d say that the location is best in the Big Sky. The airport has great connections. The campus is very nice and now has big time feel to it. The food at the campus cafeterias is great. The stadium is a close second to UMs. The training staff is top notch. The new training facility will be very nice. The curriculum is very good and matches the worlds needs. The outdoor life is second to none. Some of the best skiing, hunting, fishing, whitewater, climbing in the world. I’m sure I’m leaving a few things out, but that’s a nice starter kit.

[seataccat]

My two cents....I’ve said it before, the fact that either of our in state universities are worried about competing with anyone else in this conference is a tragedy. Our recruiting advantage is huge and I think we are seeing Choate start to really reap the benefits of that advantage. It takes the coach 3 or 4 rounds of recruiting to really show his vision. I feel like our defense is about to show a huge payoff.

Having said that, the reason Hauck had the griz in the mix the first time was no fluke. He did inherit a great team which is why it didn’t take him years to get that griz team to where he wanted it but he also played winning football and recruited the right kids. Hauck teams played tough d and had big linemen that would wear on opposing teams. He ran the ball effectively and controlled the clock. It’s a winning formula that our coach is putting in place here and with that facility in Missoula it won’t be long until Hauck has them back.

Lucky for us Choate has us further ahead in the process currently. If we want to keep ourselves in that position we have to help him capitalize on that recruiting advantage by getting these facility plans funded.

I’m curious as to what you think our recruiting advantages are. I’d argue that the two Montana schools are at a huge disadvantage to most of the rest of the conference-in particular EWU, WSU, and UCD.

Other than coaching staff, what advantages do we bring to bear?

School of Engineering for one. After his last game in Bozeman, I asked JP Flynn if he planned to try to play professionally. He said "Yes." I said that I guessed that if that didn't work out he could always be an engineer. His reply, "Yeah, not a bad fall position."

We are certainly a distant second to UCD and Cal Poly for engineering. I actually think EWU has the best recruiting advantage. Besides the handful of blue chippers that go to the huskies and cougars eastern has the run of a state with 7 million people and very good hs football.

[91catAlum]

My two cents....I’ve said it before, the fact that either of our in state universities are worried about competing with anyone else in this conference is a tragedy. Our recruiting advantage is huge and I think we are seeing Choate start to really reap the benefits of that advantage. It takes the coach 3 or 4 rounds of recruiting to really show his vision. I feel like our defense is about to show a huge payoff.

Having said that, the reason Hauck had the griz in the mix the first time was no fluke. He did inherit a great team which is why it didn’t take him years to get that griz team to where he wanted it but he also played winning football and recruited the right kids. Hauck teams played tough d and had big linemen that would wear on opposing teams. He ran the ball effectively and controlled the clock. It’s a winning formula that our coach is putting in place here and with that facility in Missoula it won’t be long until Hauck has them back.

Lucky for us Choate has us further ahead in the process currently. If we want to keep ourselves in that position we have to help him capitalize on that recruiting advantage by getting these facility plans funded.

I’m curious as to what you think our recruiting advantages are. I’d argue that the two Montana schools are at a huge disadvantage to most of the rest of the conference-in particular EWU, WSU, and UCD.

Other than coaching staff, what advantages do we bring to bear?

20,000 screaming fans at every game. Our game day atmosphere is one of the best in the FCS. Only um can boast more fans in our conference.

[DriscollCat]

My two cents....I’ve said it before, the fact that either of our in state universities are worried about competing with anyone else in this conference is a tragedy. Our recruiting advantage is huge and I think we are seeing Choate start to really reap the benefits of that advantage. It takes the coach 3 or 4 rounds of recruiting to really show his vision. I feel like our defense is about to show a huge payoff.

Having said that, the reason Hauck had the griz in the mix the first time was no fluke. He did inherit a great team which is why it didn’t take him years to get that griz team to where he wanted it but he also played winning football and recruited the right kids. Hauck teams played tough d and had big linemen that would wear on opposing teams. He ran the ball effectively and controlled the clock. It’s a winning formula that our coach is putting in place here and with that facility in Missoula it won’t be long until Hauck has them back.

Lucky for us Choate has us further ahead in the process currently. If we want to keep ourselves in that position we have to help him capitalize on that recruiting advantage by getting these facility plans funded.

I’m curious as to what you think our recruiting advantages are. I’d argue that the two Montana schools are at a huge disadvantage to most of the rest of the conference-in particular EWU, WSU, and UCD.

Other than coaching staff, what advantages do we bring to bear?

School of Engineering for one. After his last game in Bozeman, I asked JP Flynn if he planned to try to play professionally. He said "Yes." I said that I guessed that if that didn't work out he could always be an engineer. His reply, "Yeah, not a bad fall position."

We are certainly a distant second to UCD and Cal Poly for engineering. I actually think EWU has the best recruiting advantage. Besides the handful of blue chippers that go to the huskies and cougars eastern has the run of a state with 7 million people and very good hs football.

Quality of education is such a difficult dimension to consider as affecting recruitment.

While Davis and Poly have better (higher ranked) colleges of engineering, they are also very selective (Davis accepts under 50% of applications, Poly accepts about 35%, while MSU accepts about 83%).

While it is attractive to scholarly athletes, it also limits the pool, fairly severely. Many people refer to this as the reason Poly has to run a less conventional offense.

On the other hand, you have a school like Stanford, hands down better and more selective than all 3 able to seriously compete at the P5 level.

I think it comes down to this: It’s hard to know which schools are willing to make exceptions for exceptional athletes.

[seataccat]

My two cents....I’ve said it before, the fact that either of our in state universities are worried about competing with anyone else in this conference is a tragedy. Our recruiting advantage is huge and I think we are seeing Choate start to really reap the benefits of that advantage. It takes the coach 3 or 4 rounds of recruiting to really show his vision. I feel like our defense is about to show a huge payoff.

Having said that, the reason Hauck had the griz in the mix the first time was no fluke. He did inherit a great team which is why it didn’t take him years to get that griz team to where he wanted it but he also played winning football and recruited the right kids. Hauck teams played tough d and had big linemen that would wear on opposing teams. He ran the ball effectively and controlled the clock. It’s a winning formula that our coach is putting in place here and with that facility in Missoula it won’t be long until Hauck has them back.

Lucky for us Choate has us further ahead in the process currently. If we want to keep ourselves in that position we have to help him capitalize on that recruiting advantage by getting these facility plans funded.

I’m curious as to what you think our recruiting advantages are. I’d argue that the two Montana schools are at a huge disadvantage to most of the rest of the conference-in particular EWU, WSU, and UCD.

Other than coaching staff, what advantages do we bring to bear?

School of Engineering for one. After his last game in Bozeman, I asked JP Flynn if he planned to try to play professionally. He said "Yes." I said that I guessed that if that didn't work out he could always be an engineer. His reply, "Yeah, not a bad fall position."

We are certainly a distant second to UCD and Cal Poly for engineering. I actually think EWU has the best recruiting advantage. Besides the handful of blue chippers that go to the huskies and cougars eastern has the run of a state with 7 million people and very good hs football.

Quality of education is such a difficult dimension to consider as affecting recruitment.

While Davis and Poly have better (higher ranked) colleges of engineering, they are also very selective (Davis accepts under 50% of applications, Poly accepts about 35%, while MSU accepts about 83%).

While it is attractive to scholarly athletes, it also limits the pool, fairly severely. Many people refer to this as the reason Poly has to run a less conventional offense.

On the other hand, you have a school like Stanford, hands down better and more selective than all 3 able to seriously compete at the P5 level.

I think it comes down to this: It’s hard to know which schools are willing to make exceptions for exceptional athletes.

I find it interesting that people rip on EWU for accepting sub par students as athletes on one hand and then tout that as a recruiting advantage of MSU over UCD and Cal Poly.

[catscat]

My two cents....I’ve said it before, the fact that either of our in state universities are worried about competing with anyone else in this conference is a tragedy. Our recruiting advantage is huge and I think we are seeing Choate start to really reap the benefits of that advantage. It takes the coach 3 or 4 rounds of recruiting to really show his vision. I feel like our defense is about to show a huge payoff.

Having said that, the reason Hauck had the griz in the mix the first time was no fluke. He did inherit a great team which is why it didn’t take him years to get that griz team to where he wanted it but he also played winning football and recruited the right kids. Hauck teams played tough d and had big linemen that would wear on opposing teams. He ran the ball effectively and controlled the clock. It’s a winning formula that our coach is putting in place here and with that facility in Missoula it won’t be long until Hauck has them back.

Lucky for us Choate has us further ahead in the process currently. If we want to keep ourselves in that position we have to help him capitalize on that recruiting advantage by getting these facility plans funded.

I’m curious as to what you think our recruiting advantages are. I’d argue that the two Montana schools are at a huge disadvantage to most of the rest of the conference-in particular EWU, WSU, and UCD.

Other than coaching staff, what advantages do we bring to bear?

School of Engineering for one. After his last game in Bozeman, I asked JP Flynn if he planned to try to play professionally. He said "Yes." I said that I guessed that if that didn't work out he could always be an engineer. His reply, "Yeah, not a bad fall back position."

We are certainly a distant second to UCD and Cal Poly for engineering. I actually think EWU has the best recruiting advantage. Besides the handful of blue chippers that go to the huskies and cougars eastern has the run of a state with 7 million people and very good hs football.

I really don't know the relative merits of an engineering degree at UCD or CP vs. MSU. I do think that MSU engineering degrees are fairly well respected (and I think JP Flynn thought/thinks so as well). They are certainly better than a "you want fries with that" degree from dUMb.

[seataccat]

My two cents....I’ve said it before, the fact that either of our in state universities are worried about competing with anyone else in this conference is a tragedy. Our recruiting advantage is huge and I think we are seeing Choate start to really reap the benefits of that advantage. It takes the coach 3 or 4 rounds of recruiting to really show his vision. I feel like our defense is about to show a huge payoff.

Having said that, the reason Hauck had the griz in the mix the first time was no fluke. He did inherit a great team which is why it didn’t take him years to get that griz team to where he wanted it but he also played winning football and recruited the right kids. Hauck teams played tough d and had big linemen that would wear on opposing teams. He ran the ball effectively and controlled the clock. It’s a winning formula that our coach is putting in place here and with that facility in Missoula it won’t be long until Hauck has them back.

Lucky for us Choate has us further ahead in the process currently. If we want to keep ourselves in that position we have to help him capitalize on that recruiting advantage by getting these facility plans funded.

I’m curious as to what you think our recruiting advantages are. I’d argue that the two Montana schools are at a huge disadvantage to most of the rest of the conference-in particular EWU, WSU, and UCD.

Other than coaching staff, what advantages do we bring to bear?

School of Engineering for one. After his last game in Bozeman, I asked JP Flynn if he planned to try to play professionally. He said "Yes." I said that I guessed that if that didn't work out he could always be an engineer. His reply, "Yeah, not a bad fall back position."

We are certainly a distant second to UCD and Cal Poly for engineering. I actually think EWU has the best recruiting advantage. Besides the handful of blue chippers that go to the huskies and cougars eastern has the run of a state with 7 million people and very good hs football.

I really don't know the relative merits of an engineering degree at UCD or CP vs. MSU. I do think that MSU engineering degrees are fairly well respected (and I think JP Flynn thought/thinks so as well). They are certainly better than a "you want fries with that" degree from dUMb.

No doubt, I hold one of those degrees. I work with plenty of other engineers in the aerospace industry from all over the country, including UCD and Cal Poly. I don't feel second best to anyone. My only point here is we shouldn't rip on EWU for accepting sub par academics and then say we have a recruiting advantage over UCD and Cal Poly because our engineering School is easier to get in.
UM people love to rip on EWU for having second rate academics but EWU has an accredited engineering program which will command a better job than anything you can study at UM at least undergraduate. The world does need bar tenders and fast food workers which is what you do after undergraduate study at UM. It's no wonder the kids aren't going there.

[coloradocat]

I'd say our only disadvantage is winter weather. You definitely hear the TX and CA guys mention how cold it is here. Otherwise I'd think we're in the top third in any other recruiting metric.