The Coach McMackin deathwatch

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: The Coach McMackin deathwatch

OK, if that's the best ya got...

[Kaonohi]

Re: The Coach McMackin deathwatch

We are talking about the $1,100,000 per year Coach McMackin?

Think of what that first #1 could do for the homeless, education, etc.

Instead we spend it on ego and entertainment.

DIE Coach McMackin!

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: The Coach McMackin deathwatch

We are talking about the $1,100,000 per year Coach McMackin?
Think of what that first #1 could do for the homeless, education, etc.
Instead we spend it on ego and entertainment.
DIE Coach McMackin!

He accepted a big hit to that agreement a year ago to the tune of around a quarter mil, putting him substantially below most similar caliber schools, and seriously below many others.
If we kill the coach's pay, we kill the sport. If we kill Warrior football as cash cow, we probably kill the school overall. Is that where you want to go?
Say that's what happens, do you think a penny saved would go to the causes you mentioned?
Say the team was world class and coach's pay was 2 mil, then what?
If we'd kept June we'd be stupid not to be paying at least 1 1/2 mil., if we get a replacement for Mac, we'll be looking at that much for a winner, and everybody close to the team says it's a good machine that's having a bad run and will recover, so... long live The Mac!

[scrivener]

Re: The Coach McMackin deathwatch

I would vote not to fire the coach. Aren't we just a year removed from sharing the WAC title? I'm not going to make the case that this has been an especially fruitful run for the UHM football team, but Coach Mac's first year was cursed by injuries, must as this season has been. I'm not saying that a good coach shouldn't be able to survive a few major injuries; however, I think it's too early to dump the guy so soon after the WAC title.

As for replacements, Niumatalolo is a good choice. The power of alma mater as a draw cannot be overestimated. I might also consider promoting from within. How about Rich Miano?

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: The Coach McMackin deathwatch

He was also cursed for years by June's recruiting lull, that was a huge deficit to hurdle. This was the first year back to normal and adds to the frustration of faliures. Coach has to pull off 2 more wins or the tide of tears will wash him out.

[LikaNui]

Re: The Coach McMackin deathwatch

Ohio State just hired Urban Meyer as coach, a six-year contract at $4 million per year, plus another $2.5 million in incentives and bonuses.
So McMackin isn't as good as Meyer, but at $1 million that makes him only 1/4 as good as Meyer?

Also, I understand the business side of college sports, but still... these guys are making this kind of money to teach kids to throw around a ball.

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: The Coach McMackin deathwatch

these guys are making this kind of money to teach kids to throw around a ball.

That's the small picture. They get that kind of $$ to keep the bigger $$$ flowing into the corrupt system most huge schools thrive on.
And at the respective pay rates of Meyer vs Mac, it's more like 6/7 to 1. We got a good deal with Mac.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: The Coach McMackin deathwatch

If we kill the coach's pay, we kill the sport. If we kill Warrior football as cash cow, we probably kill the school overall.

I agree. The problem is,... finding a coach who is deserving of being the top-paid coach in our conference. McMackin does not fit the bill. From a W-L standpoint, from an attendance standpoint, Mac strikes out. The Tulane game attracted a sparse 27,411. Only the opening game (against Colorado) was the team able to draw more than 35,000.

Keeping Mac amounts to a slow kill for the Warrior football program.

so... long live The Mac!

I say,... long live UH football.... with a better coaching staff than what we have now.

[LikaNui]

Re: The Coach McMackin deathwatch

That's the small picture. They get that kind of $$ to keep the bigger $$$ flowing into the corrupt system most huge schools thrive on.

Any particular reason you didn't quote my whole sentence? What I said was this:

I understand the business side of college sports, but still... these guys are making this kind of money to teach kids to throw around a ball.

Your quoting only the last half half of my sentence was inappropriate.

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: The Coach McMackin deathwatch

Lika, I was merely commenting with a nod to your post and not selecting anything out of context for any particular reason, it's all in the thread for all to see.

FM, the attendance attitude was set in game 1 where we started off with a good enuf crowd and took it to Colorado, then as the wheels came off, so did the crowd. They'll return if we put a credible team on the field, no matter who the coach is. Your dismissal of Coach Mac doesn't reflect what more attuned minds say. He's got solid backing from those in/around the game.
But it'd be great if the masses come out in force for the BYU game, we need the extra man.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: The Coach McMackin deathwatch

As for replacements, Niumatalolo is a good choice. The power of alma mater as a draw cannot be overestimated.

There's no question that Ken would be open-minded to a UH coaching vacancy. Here's part of an interview he gave to the Baltimore Sun last year.

Q: It's pretty unusual for a head coach to spend his entire career in one place. Before you got the opportunity to coach Navy, was there any other coaching job you thought would be perfect for you, and I guess, in my mind, I would think Hawaii, because that's your home?

A: I thought about Hawaii. I thought that would be a cool job. I thought about BYU. You know, I'm Mormon, so I thought that would be cool, but I love this job. Those were jobs, before I got a head job, that I thought would be pretty cool places to coach, but this is a great place to be, a great place to coach.

Based on that quote, it would appear that Ken has no plans of leaving the Naval Academy anytime soon. But some things have changed since that interview was given. For one thing, the Navy football team has struggled a bit in 2011, with a 4-7 record heading into their finale with Army. And perhaps a greater reason might be that of his daughter, who was attending the Univ. of Maryland at the time the interview was given. She has since transferred to BYUH.

Despite the off year, make no mistake. Ken is most capable as a major college head coach. His teams have beaten Notre Dame twice. And for those who still think that June Jones walks on water,..... Ken has beaten SMU 3 times! Ken does all this,.... without the benefit of any athletic scholarships and with the Naval Academy's stringent admissions and academic standards.

Now, think about what this guy could do at U of H.... with athletic scholies.... with Kahuku being his old stomping grounds.... with an ethnic heritage and background that Samoan student-athletes can relate to....

I'll lay it on the line right here and now. Ken Niumatalolo and the Univ. of Hawaii are a match made in heaven.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: The Coach McMackin deathwatch

Final score: BYU 41, UH 20

Final 2011 season record: 6 wins, 7 losses

Final McMackin record: 4 seasons, 2 losing seasons, 2 Hawaii Bowl appearances (both losses), 1 shared WAC title.

Final analysis: Achievements do not merit that of having the conference's highest-paid coach.

Final message: Mahalo for giving it your best try, Coach McMackin. Aloha (as in goodbye).

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: The Coach McMackin deathwatch

It'll have to wait at least a year before your dream comes true. Ain't nobody buying out his last year, unless you have a really really big bake sale.

[Linkmeister]

Re: The Coach McMackin deathwatch

It'll have to wait at least a year before your dream comes true. Ain't nobody buying out his last year, unless you have a really really big bake sale.

Ferd Lewis and Dave Reardon seem to think otherwise. Reardon in particular has been banging the drum to get Coach Mac out for the past six weeks.

It's hard to believe a crowd of only 30,000 showed up to see BYU, particularly when it looked like several thousand were wearing blue.

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: The Coach McMackin deathwatch

It doesn't matter what those 2 common detractors say, they merely write columns and stir up shit. Those who are (biased yet) actually in-the-know like the team/staff and intels like Mouse/Wagner seem to have Mac's back. Besides, the school doesn't have the $ to buy him out or pony up for someone possibly better.
Butts in the seats; Hawaii's fair weather crybabys don't even deserve a team, kudos to those few that keep the faith and fill seats.