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re: Looking back, we were close to something great with Bert
Posted on 12/8/19 at 11:55 am to hilltophog
Posted on 12/8/19 at 11:55 am to hilltophog
quote:
The problem was and will always be firing and hiring a coach without an AD in place.
We have an AD in place and it's a shite show.
Posted on 12/8/19 at 11:57 am to Jon Ham
frick that fat alcoholic piece of shite.
Posted on 12/8/19 at 12:03 pm to Jon Ham
Mistake or not, our current situation will take years to get over. A coach that has less experience than chaz is the probable hire
Posted on 12/8/19 at 1:31 pm to Jon Ham
You know we're up shite creek and in a bad spot in the coaching search when we're looking back at the Bert era fondly.
We need a damn coach already. People are losing their ever loving minds.
Posted on 12/8/19 at 2:21 pm to Stonehog
quote:He was an alcoholic and sleeping through team meetings. He had checked out and the product on the field was a glaring reminder.
You’re right, we pulled the trigger too quick on him.
Posted on 12/8/19 at 2:27 pm to Drewbie
quote:
He was an alcoholic and sleeping through team meetings. He had checked out and the product on the field was a glaring reminder.
And yet, still better than the pickle we're in now
Posted on 12/8/19 at 2:38 pm to Drewbie
quote:
He was an alcoholic and sleeping through team meetings.
Is this some insider info?
Posted on 12/8/19 at 2:38 pm to admiralduckwad
quote:Initially. His last year was the first step into the current pickle we're in. 4-8 in a system that had been installed for 4 years with a roster full of kids specifically recruited for that system. Don't see us improving much on 2-10 had we still been under Bert the next year. Ty Storey/Kelley with no Enos and the same garbage O-line still sounds like a disaster no matter which coach you choose.
And yet, still better than the pickle we're in now
Posted on 12/8/19 at 2:39 pm to Stonehog
quote:Not really. Ex-players were pretty vocal about it.
Is this some insider info?
Posted on 12/8/19 at 2:45 pm to Jon Ham
Here's what I think.
Bert almost did work out. His 3* OL dominated at Wisconsin, until they played Ohio State or any blueblood with better talent. The SEC is full of better talent, so he needed a 4-5* OL here. Pittman was getting them and we were on the cusp of competing for the SEC with a dominant OL, until Pittman got tired of Bert's antics and left.
The 2016 recruiting class finished ranked 22nd on 247, but Pittman leaving caused us to lose out on multiple 4* OL players that we would have signed, had he stayed. SEC defenses were getting weaker and our offense would have given our defense plenty of rest. If Bert hadn't run Pittman off, I think Arkansas would have assembled an offense that would have controlled game play and run roughshod over the rest of the SEC.
Although we had a good OL, it was never great like Bielema intended, because it lacked depth and competition, but we were close to getting there before Pittman left and then the progression with OL recruiting halted, abruptly. Had Pittman remained, I think Arkansas would have finished with a top-20 class in 2016, that probably would have been closer to 15 than 20. I think that success might have been sustainable, if it resulted in improvement on the field, which I think it would have.
Bert almost did work out. His 3* OL dominated at Wisconsin, until they played Ohio State or any blueblood with better talent. The SEC is full of better talent, so he needed a 4-5* OL here. Pittman was getting them and we were on the cusp of competing for the SEC with a dominant OL, until Pittman got tired of Bert's antics and left.
The 2016 recruiting class finished ranked 22nd on 247, but Pittman leaving caused us to lose out on multiple 4* OL players that we would have signed, had he stayed. SEC defenses were getting weaker and our offense would have given our defense plenty of rest. If Bert hadn't run Pittman off, I think Arkansas would have assembled an offense that would have controlled game play and run roughshod over the rest of the SEC.
Although we had a good OL, it was never great like Bielema intended, because it lacked depth and competition, but we were close to getting there before Pittman left and then the progression with OL recruiting halted, abruptly. Had Pittman remained, I think Arkansas would have finished with a top-20 class in 2016, that probably would have been closer to 15 than 20. I think that success might have been sustainable, if it resulted in improvement on the field, which I think it would have.
Posted on 12/8/19 at 2:50 pm to Drewbie
quote:
4-8
Yes, we burned the program to the ground because we went 4-8. Should have just chalked it up as a bad year but no, we had to turn everything upside down because of the egos on the BoT. Change for the sake of change doesn’t always work out, obviously. Firing Long and Bielema was totally unnecessary and got us into the mess we’re in now.
You can’t honestly argue that we’re in a better situation now after cleaning house. It is so, so much worse than what we had.
Posted on 12/8/19 at 2:51 pm to Stonehog
If we had just hired Norvell none of this would be happening right now.
Posted on 12/8/19 at 2:58 pm to Stonehog
quote:Why? We had zero O-line recruiting to speak of for an already incredibly bad O-line and zero talent to speak of at the QB position with no one capable of coaching them up after Enos' departure. The season after 4-8 was just as fricked no matter who the coach was.
Should have just chalked it up as a bad year
quote:It wasn't change for the sake of change. The writing was on the wall. Bert checked out.
Change for the sake of change doesn’t always work out
quote:It sure as hell isn't much different. Pittman and Enos carried Bert to the little success he did have here. Our O-line fell apart when Pittman left. Our offense and QB development fell apart when Enos left. Once we lost those two on staff, it was nothing but downhill. I think we MAYBE win 3 games if Bert had gotten a year 6.
You can’t honestly argue that we’re in a better situation now after cleaning house.
Posted on 12/8/19 at 3:06 pm to Drewbie
quote:
It wasn't change for the sake of change. The writing was on the wall. Bert checked out.
“We think you’ve checked out. Here’s 12 million dollars.”
Bunch of geniuses running things on the Hill.
quote:
It sure as hell isn't much different.
You can’t be serious.
This post was edited on 12/8/19 at 3:07 pm
Posted on 12/8/19 at 3:08 pm to Stonehog
quote:
Firing Long and Bielema was totally unnecessary and got us into the mess we’re in now.
You can’t honestly argue that we’re in a better situation now after cleaning house. It is so, so much worse than what we had
I wanted us to get our ducks in a row before firing Bielema, which we clearly did not do, but Drew is right that Bielema had already checked out. How else do you explain the numerous blown leads in 2016-17?
Posted on 12/8/19 at 3:09 pm to Stonehog
quote:I'm not going to defend their overall decision making. I don't think they're the wisest group of people, either. Firing Bert wasn't a mistake, though. We were in shambles.
Bunch of geniuses running things on the Hill.
The only reason Bert even looks good in comparison is because they somehow managed to find literally the worst coach in our history to be his successor.
Posted on 12/8/19 at 3:13 pm to Stonehog
quote:Last in the west, fighting tooth and nail with a Coastal Carolina team in their first year playing DI football with an interim head coach for a one point win...yeah. Not much different.
You can’t be serious.
Posted on 12/8/19 at 3:15 pm to Drewbie
That was one year. We went to three straight bowls before that. It’s much different now.
Posted on 12/8/19 at 3:23 pm to Stonehog
quote:You keep pretending Bert had some sort of answer for the roster situation or that there was anything even remotely positive for the future after that season in either recruiting or development. There wasn't. We were in a tailspin. The O-line play would have continued to be garbage under a failed NFL lineman coach and the offense still would have sucked. The team as a whole had no fight and routinely washed out late in games. It was time to make changes. Keeping or firing Bert didn't change the trajectory of the program. The hire made after him, however, did.
That was one year.
Posted on 12/8/19 at 4:36 pm to Drewbie
Wow, you guys are going at it over that fat bastard. Bert needed to go... long needed to go for berts ridiculous buyout... who gives a frick why pittman left, Bert couldn’t keep assistants at Wisconsin or here.... apparently it wasn’t just money issues. The problem is there have been so many bad decisions in a row. I also don’t blame HY for the search being such a shite show, he was obviously working his arse off to get us the best he could from the flight tracks info. We are just in complete shambles right now and if our next coach is Pittman and he truly wants to be here, then frick yeah. I bet if anyone can get our recruits back in such a short time, he could. The guy has connections out the fricking arse too, so I bet our staff will be very good at minimum. Have some hope guys, there’s no chance we get any worse under Pittman.
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