USCe students hold a ‘Fire Mike Shula’ rally:

[Bamabuzzard]

It's amazing that he continues to get these OC jobs. His track record is poor. I think he's a decent QB coach, but shouldn't be calling plays...

I think he has benefited from his last name for most of his career. Especially seeing all the coordinator jobs he's held. I think he is a better QB's coach than coordinator, but he's kept getting coordinator jobs his entire career. Don's last name has carried Mike.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

I think Shula took the job out of loyalty and probably knew he wasn't the best person for the job.

Was his tenure largely a mess? Absolutely. Was it all his fault? Absolutely not.

He wasn't up to and never should have had the job, but I don't hate on the guy.

I'm in overall agreement with most of these points.

I don't have a real problem with, "Shula was in over his head from day one, probably given his level of coaching acumen and the talent that - yes - was stripped somewhat by the cruel probation, his record could have been a lot worse and probably wouldn't have ever been all that much better."

Mike Dubious inherited a team that had played in four SEC Championship Games in five years and went 24-23 and delivered a package of flaming poo to our front doorstep on his way out of town. Shula's on the field record was substantially better, and the SEC top to bottom was MUCH better than what Dubious faced. And by all accounts, Shula didn't have a zipper problem that undid the other two Mikes.

But where my sensor gets triggered - and you did not make this argument - is the attempts to turn Shula into the best character points of Gandhi, the apostle Andrew, and John Boy Walton. Shula was not some loyal company guy who took a job nobody wanted, he didn't work for free or donate his salary to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and his presentation had more in common with a low key televangelist than it did a college football coach.

 

[davefrat]

I'm in overall agreement with most of these points.

I don't have a real problem with, "Shula was in over his head from day one, probably given his level of coaching acumen and the talent that - yes - was stripped somewhat by the cruel probation, his record could have been a lot worse and probably wouldn't have ever been all that much better."

Mike Dubious inherited a team that had played in four SEC Championship Games in five years and went 24-23 and delivered a package of flaming poo to our front doorstep on his way out of town. Shula's on the field record was substantially better, and the SEC top to bottom was MUCH better than what Dubious faced. And by all accounts, Shula didn't have a zipper problem that undid the other two Mikes.

But where my sensor gets triggered - and you did not make this argument - is the attempts to turn Shula into the best character points of Gandhi, the apostle Andrew, and John Boy Walton. Shula was not some loyal company guy who took a job nobody wanted, he didn't work for free or donate his salary to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and his presentation had more in common with a low key televangelist than it did a college football coach.

Kind of crazy that only 20 years ago the HC at Bama was making 10% of what the HC at Bama is making today.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

We got the first Mike because of some sort of raging fanbase that wanted a head coach with ties to Coach Bryant, a guy who had zero relevant experience for the job. I didn't understand this monarchial succession either then or now. (Look how many assistants under Saban were colossal screw-ups as head coaches).

We got the second Mike for a more logical reason: "he's been able to win more with less in rural eastern Washington, and he might be the right guy to see us through on this probation thing. Look at the quarterbacks he's developed!"

We got the third Mike because the first two Mikes were mistakes and the alternative was to get on the wrong side of a sociological issue by hiring the black guy and then getting blistered when he was inevitably fired fighting years with one hand behind his back. The blowback on firing Shula was 1/100 what it would have been had we fired Croom after four seasons (and Croom's petulance and childish ways against us at MSU show our hunch was right).


On a side note, go look at the coaches hired after the 1996 season. It's one of the least distinguished lists of new hires you will ever see. Jim Tressel would never have gotten a look outside of Ohio (not then), and you have names like Bob Davie, Joe Tiller, Bob Toledo, and Fred Miller. Gary Barnett had led Northwestern to the Rose Bowl, so his name was huge when he went to Colorado, and Tommy Bowden had a history with us as he went to Tulane.

But that listing of coaches hired in the offseason is one of the most undistinguished in modern history.

When Stallings stepped down I wanted Rick Neuheisel. I am not proud of that.

 

[RammerJammer14]

Not to hijack this thread, but since you brought his name up, his defense is now showing it's true colors in Oxford. They can't stop anybody. It looks a lot like when he was at Bama.

Now back to the Fire Mike Shula protest!!!!

I was watching a Film Guy preview the other day for this week’s games. In talking about the Ole Miss-OU game, he said that he didn’t understand why Golding was doing all kinds of crazy motions and twists with his linemen and backers at the last second, and not letting the linebackers fit.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

There were a zillion reasons Shula didn't work out in Tuscaloosa. Most of them were his fault. Some were circumstances beyond his control. I supported him until it was undeniable he had lost the team in the 2006 Mississippi State game.

In the end, it came down to a combination of his own stubbornness / refusal to change and bad advice from his father. Mal Moore's book, Crimson Heart, has a fascinating story on how it all happened.

Side note: The book was pressed into publication way too fast and could have used a couple more rounds of editing. But the Shula story is still illuminating.

 

[Valley View]

The fish rots from the head down. Rarely does a coordinator change make a huge difference.

I like Shula as a player and hoped he would do well as coach. That didn't happen, but he will always be remembered for the 84 Iron Bowl for that last drive. Also, he was the first Alabama QB to beat ND.

 

[CB4]

Seriously wasn’t the progression of both Mike and David Shula through the coaching ranks based on the last name of “Shula” and getting the benefit of getting their feet wet under Daddy Don? Very similar to Belichick at NE and now UNC.

Mike’s older brother David was an absolute disaster as a Head Coach with the Bengals.

 

[arthurdawg]

In another thread, SanJoseCrimson posted that Georgia never punted in the UGA-Ole Miss game. Not once.

We watched the whole game at a Halloween party... Very much like our 2020 game with Ole Miss. Each team scored on almost every drive until the end when Ole Miss blinked. Georgia kicked a couple of field goals but never punted.

Until late in the second half Ole Miss sliced and diced Georgia's D with ease though.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

The fish rots from the head down. Rarely does a coordinator change make a huge difference.

I like Shula as a player and hoped he would do well as coach. That didn't happen, but he will always be remembered for the 84 Iron Bowl for that last drive. Also, he was the first Alabama QB to beat ND.

And even more for the 85 Iron Bowl!

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Mike’s older brother David was an absolute disaster as a Head Coach with the Bengals.

Yes that’s true.

But look at most other Bengals coaches not named Wyche, Gregg, or Lewis (or whoever took them to the Super Bowl a few years back, you can see how little attention I pay nowadays), he was bad but in good company.


True story: when I was a student at Dallas theological seminary, a professor was taking the roll one day and recognized the name of one of the students as a familiar name. When he said, “Isn’t that the same name as that horrible quarterback for the Bengals?”

“That’s me, sir.”

 

[selmaborntidefan]

When Stallings stepped down I wanted Rick Neuheisel. I am not proud of that.

That’s nothing. I said I would take Ryan Leaf over Peyton Manning.

 

[rolltide7854]

USCe Students want Shula fired….

I wonder if anyone has there old signs from early 2007 when we fired him!

I guess he ran out of ice cream cones.

 

[Con]

That’s nothing. I said I would take Ryan Leaf over Peyton Manning

Not good @selmaborntidefan. I don't want you as my team's GM. lol

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Not good @selmaborntidefan. I don't want you as my team's GM. lol

You have to admit looking at him in college - Manning had a rather awkward look even as a senior. He looked like a lanky high school player taking the snap. I figured he'd flop.

Then again...I'm better than Mel Kiper at projections, too, but he's the millionaire.

 

[Joefus]

I was watching a Film Guy preview the other day for this week’s games. In talking about the Ole Miss-OU game, he said that he didn’t understand why Golding was doing all kinds of crazy motions and twists with his linemen and backers at the last second, and not letting the linebackers fit.

I wonder if he is still playing 240lb Jacks at dt all four downs….

 

[STONECOLDSABAN]

They have every right to be angry. South Carolina’s offense hasn’t scored 25 points in a game all year. They scored 35 and 38 on Kentucky and South Carolina State because of NOTS in both of those games.

 

[colbysullivan]

Funny you should mention that...
It looks like Golding is becoming a pretty good Coordinator for Ole Sis.
I don't think Golding was ready to be a Coordinator when he was at Alabama.
I was one of the guys who wanted to run off Golding...

Lower…your…voice

 

[OconeeTide]

Seriously wasn’t the progression of both Mike and David Shula through the coaching ranks based on the last name of “Shula” and getting the benefit of getting their feet wet under Daddy Don? Very similar to Belichick at NE and now UNC.

Mike’s older brother David was an absolute disaster as a Head Coach with the Bengals.

Im a Bengals fan.
I despise the name Shula.

 

[Con]

You have to admit looking at him in college - Manning had a rather awkward look even as a senior. He looked like a lanky high school player taking the snap. I figured he'd flop.

Then again...I'm better than Mel Kiper at projections, too, but he's the millionaire.

Very true. He was not super athletic looking. Not quite as bad as Tom Brady.