FazaUSF

I'm going and planning to hit up the DC Chapter tailgate!

Clearly he should be coaching the US National Patheticism Championships

Hell no. I talked to him numerous times. He didn't give a **** about USF and made it blatantly clear he was off to a bigger gig in no time. I frankly would love it it he loses horribly everywhere else he goes.

Is one of thesr USF? Oh wait..... We get less than 2% the average P5 program to deal with dogshit gear......

I noted that I dislike Adidas both for its style (or lack thereof) and the fact that it represents regression with respect to the stature and standing of USF Athletics. I was not attempting to utilize the contracts to point out regression to you, rather, I explained that to someone else who may not have been up to speed, particularly with respect to viewing supplier contracts as it relates to school stature and success. It was a relevant viewpoint to the thread and not aforementioned within the thread. I do not compare it to current G5 schools because that would simply pile on evidence of regression, which is plainly obvious enough simply comparing our prior contract with our current one. And as you have already offered, you personally do not need to look beyond the schedule to notice regression. Comparing our contract to the rest of the G5 would be a different bone to pick than with our own Athletics department's failure to capitalize on early success and improve its national standing.

All it takes is some Googling. Here is the link for our contract, raking in $150K/year: https://www.tampabay.com/blogs/bulls/2017/12/06/usf-strikes-apparel-deal-with-adidas/ Power 5 schools pull in anywhere from $2mil-7mil per year. We used to get a bit less than $2mil/yr from UA. That's a pretty significant drop to current. Clearly indicative of regression. Clearly something to be unhappy about on behalf of the school we love.

And btw.... The Adidas contract is for much less money, not to mention how generic their gear is in comparison to UA. They tossed out a lowball figure/offer for our school and we took it due to lack of options. Read: companies did not see USF as a good investment. How can anyone on this forum be happy with that...

Disagreed, fully. Firstly, UA had to break into the market as the most recent company to join the table. It takes time and patience to convince athletics departments which have been using the same supplier for years to make a switch when everything is peachy keen for them already. Secondly, UA had to build capital, as those contracts are a business decision to throw money at universities for sports programs (not just free gear/supplies but lots of money annually) in order to profit on the back end by producing the gear fans will buy. When UA broke on the scene their strategy was to find bargain deals on Athletics departments on upward trajectories (read: football team success) whose fanbases would be excited to buy lots of gear, but they went after schools they wouldn't have to open the purse for too greatly, which is why the list above appears as it does. Their bet was that would parlay into making money on those programs while showing off what they can produce, and they could work on the more established programs in the meantime while building capital and generating buzz. With our Athletics department regressing, we were no longer a good bet to make them money. The Adidas contract was the only company willing to work with us... UA dropped us, and when Adidas offered, UA didn't even want to match it. You see, liking Adidas is not just a style choice, it is also being complicit with the utter failure to rise from mediocrity and subsequent regression the Athletics department has suffered over the past decade.

I only piss and moan about CCS/current coaching staff and Adidas. Both of which are highly pissworthy IMHO. And I only do it on this forum, whereas in public I am a highly enthusiastic advocate of the university. I cut my fanship teeth in an era in which USF's trajectory was always upwards; this has been a very frustrating past decade for anyone who is a stakeholder in USF Athletics. I do regret our failure to lift out of Athletics mediocrity, as well as the reality of regression. Thankfully the school itself in non-Athletics areas has continued to maintain an amazing upwards trajectory which makes it easy to be impressed by and happy with.

Those helmets look like crappy plain white helmets every high school team in the country uses - with a USF logo sticker stuck on there. Gawd I hate our current athletic gear outfitter. Bottom rung.

Being forced to switch from industry cadillac Under Armour to industry Gremlin Adidas was a huge sign of how far we have fallen. If you like the appearance Adidas stuff, let me know what part of town you live in. I've got referrals for some great Ophthalmologists and Psychiatrists.

While that is true, Bell is new, and new additions to any organization take time to assimilate into the organization, gain credibility, and then take advantage of room to establish their own marks. The foundation and philosophy are laid by the head coach; members of any organization will always look to the leader for guidance first. If your engine fails, your transmission can only try so hard to keep things going. I do not believe "spreading the blame" will be an effective way to address the situation.

I am hearing complete locker room loss and disarray. I am disappointed to report it happened sooner than even I expected, and to an even greater degree than I imagined. Looking ahead, I think we win at most one additional game, but the likelihood of the worst season in USF history - finishing with a win over only our FCS foe - is high. Certain coach-player relationships are a dumpster fire right now, and Strong's utter and complete lack of leadership is a root cause. I am hearing he has more or less always been fairly out of touch with the players, but the lack of accountability, awareness, and stewardship coupled with failure to ever establish a conducive culture are driving the program into the ground harder than Skip O'Doyle Holtz could drive a rusted Taggart bus off a cliff. We do not rise to occasions as much as we fall back on training and culture, and they players don't have much to fall back on. There will be no coming back from this unless and until new charismatic leadership comes in and establishes a new and completely different culture foundation. Strong should interview for DC positions somewhere that someone else has already established a solid culture; he doesn't have what it takes to build one. (If anyone needs an example, see the first installment of the new 247 series on HBO getting a look at Dan Mullen at Florida).

I would highly surmise that feelers have been put out under the radar. USF has nearly always done the "right" thing even when other schools may have looked for some kind of gain taking an alternate route - something I have always felt is admirable about USF. I highly doubt Strong will be fired before the end of the season, but if finances will permit, I imagine the embers from the season's dumpster fire will still be warm and the halftime show of UF-FSU will feature a highlight statement about Strong's firing that morning. In all likelihood, a coaching search and hiring process will be under the radar and likely ready for the John Hancocks immediately thereafter. I forsee nothing but hard financial truths saving Charlie at this point.

I have already decorated paper bags for the BYU game, haha. Yup, it's time. I would have argued it was time last year, but it was not yet politically acceptable.