Karma

[colonelek]

Hello all, my first post in a long time. I like many of you am not happy with where we are at as a football program right now. I think there are many factors that play into this. One I think is plain ole karma. There are a lot of people who thought that dismissing Dean Hood would solve all problems and return EKU to the glory days of winning conference titles every year. Many of you probably think that all it takes is time with a new coach. Reality is Dean Hood ran a solid, professional, player invested, loving program that had a foundation of values to last those young men and coaches he worked with the rest of their life. Coaches are leaders and mentors off the field as well as on it. Win the heart and mind and invest in your players lives as people and not numbers on a roster and you will win. Dean had ups and downs for years for many reasons but every year there was a chance to do something special and right or wrong some were better than others. He also had some great coaches on his staff, one who probably enjoyed standing on the other sideline this past weekend. I understand a new coach coming in and bringing his guys but in the process he released leaders, father figures, and men of character who the kids would fight for. I don't know these coaches nor do I have any interest to know them but it is displayed by play on the field and interviews that the players are separate from there coaches and don't have any interest in fighting for anything. Everyone seems to be about there own stats and their own careers. Not a good combination. We would be better off to date with what Coach Hood was doing. If the administration pumped money into his program like they are doing now, the colonels would have been a serious threat. Anyways sorry for the long post , I have plenty more in my head I'll share later. But ask any player or coach who has worked or played for coach Kidd and they will tell you the investment personally he put into them. That is why Cabin On The Hill isn't just a song. That is why it means something, because players were cared about and invested in personally in that Cabin and that is why it truly hurts to play or coach your last game there. Sometimes Karma sucks but as fans we might learn that it can teach us a lesson of be careful what you ask for!

[Maroon Forever]

Hello all, my first post in a long time. I like many of you am not happy with where we are at as a football program right now. I think there are many factors that play into this. One I think is plain ole karma. There are a lot of people who thought that dismissing Dean Hood would solve all problems and return EKU to the glory days of winning conference titles every year. Many of you probably think that all it takes is time with a new coach. Reality is Dean Hood ran a solid, professional, player invested, loving program that had a foundation of values to last those young men and coaches he worked with the rest of their life. Coaches are leaders and mentors off the field as well as on it. Win the heart and mind and invest in your players lives as people and not numbers on a roster and you will win. Dean had ups and downs for years for many reasons but every year there was a chance to do something special and right or wrong some were better than others. He also had some great coaches on his staff, one who probably enjoyed standing on the other sideline this past weekend. I understand a new coach coming in and bringing his guys but in the process he released leaders, father figures, and men of character who the kids would fight for. I don't know these coaches nor do I have any interest to know them but it is displayed by play on the field and interviews that the players are separate from there coaches and don't have any interest in fighting for anything. Everyone seems to be about there own stats and their own careers. Not a good combination. We would be better off to date with what Coach Hood was doing. If the administration pumped money into his program like they are doing now, the colonels would have been a serious threat.
Anyways sorry for the long post , I have plenty more in my head I'll share later. But ask any player or coach who has worked or played for coach Kidd and they will tell you the investment personally he put into them. That is why Cabin On The Hill isn't just a song. That is why it means something, because players were cared about and invested in personally in that Cabin and that is why it truly hurts to play or coach your last game there. Sometimes Karma sucks but as fans we might learn that it can teach us a lesson of be careful what you ask for!

Amen!

[Colonel Grad]

There's a lot to your post, so I'm going to break it down piece by piece ...

"There are a lot of people who thought that dismissing Dean Hood would solve all problems and return EKU to the glory days of winning conference titles every year."

Anyone that thought it would be that simple lacks respectable knowledge of athletics, in my opinion.


"Reality is Dean Hood ran a solid, professional, player invested, loving program that had a foundation of values to last those young men and coaches he worked with the rest of their life. Coaches are leaders and mentors off the field as well as on it."

Absolutely agree 100,000,000%. Anyone that was physically around the program during the Dean Hood era would have to agree. I have met very few people as good as Dean Hood. I'm not talking just coaches, I'm saying all people.


"Win the heart and mind and invest in your players lives as people and not numbers on a roster and you will win."

Disagree here. 1) While Dean Hood won games, I don't think he raised the program to the level competitively that would make most EKU fans happy. 2) It's fine if you were happy with the level of competitiveness under Hood. Nothing wrong with that. I just think others, myself included, have higher expectations of competitiveness. 3) This isn't the only way to win games. Do you think guys like Nick Saben invest in players lives as people and not numbers? 4) I think it's wrong to insinuate that Dean Hood invested in players lives as people and no other coach (including Elder) does. My limited experience and knowledge leads me to believe he also invest in players lives.


"He also had some great coaches on his staff, one who probably enjoyed standing on the other sideline this past weekend."

Couldn't disagree more here. He definitely had some great men on his staff, but I think it's tough to point to a single "great" coach on his staff. I think that was actually his biggest deficiency as a head coach. I think his staff lacked in coaching and recruiting capabilities. I think it is pretty evident by the fact that not a single assistant under Hood went on to coach at a higher level.


"I understand a new coach coming in and bringing his guys but in the process he released leaders, father figures, and men of character who the kids would fight for."

Again, I think you are wrong in insinuating that there are not coaches on the current staff of high character who the kids will fight for. I see evidence to the contrary.


"I don't know these coaches nor do I have any interest to know them but it is displayed by play on the field and interviews that the players are separate from there coaches and don't have any interest in fighting for anything."

I challenge you to provide evidence of this in an interview. There is an interview on the football facebook page from after the TTU game where LJ Scott (I think) makes a point to say how much the players wanted the win for coach Elder. I've never seen or read any interview that leads me to believe that the players are separate from the coaches and don't have any interest in fighting for anything.


"If the administration pumped money into his program like they are doing now, the colonels would have been a serious threat."

This is incredibly interesting and something I don't think has been discussed/considered enough. I would have loved to seen what coach Hood could have done with the resources being brought to the program right now. But, I also think it's important to note that coach Elder is working harder than any coach in my memory at bringing in resources. He's not just sitting back and waiting for someone else to do it for him.


"But ask any player or coach who has worked or played for coach Kidd and they will tell you the investment personally he put into them. That is why Cabin On The Hill isn't just a song. That is why it means something, because players were cared about and invested in personally in that Cabin and that is why it truly hurts to play or coach your last game there."

Again, I don't think it is fair to insinuate that the players and coaches on the team right now that are not personally and emotionally devoted to the program, and that the coaching staff is not investing personally in the players. I know players on the team that it breaks their heart to lose and who love nothing more than singing Cabin on the Hill and what it means to the program.

[colonelblitz]

First off, welcome to the board Colonelek . That's where I'll end .. All this Hood controversy is in the past. It's been hashed and rehashed for the last two years. I just erased three paragraphs rebuffing most everything you said. I'm exhausted talking about Hood. He's gone best of luck to him. Elder is the current coach, it's time to support him, as hard as that may currently be. Believe me, I'm struggling with this whole thing right now myself. But if there was ever a time to get on board and support this staff and players, now is the time. It's not just a matter of pride for the coaches and the players, It's also a matter of pride for the fans. Homecoming is in two weeks. Show up and support the team at the Colonel walk. Let them know that you're in this with them.

[BigDawgEKU]

There is no doubt that Hood is a good man and ran a good clean program here. We were a solid team under him and if he would've stayed here, we would've been a solid team for years to come. The problem was we were never going to be a true national contender year in and year out under Hood and the administration wanted more and I can't blame them. The administration had to take a gamble to take the program to the next level and find a coach that could do that. There was always the chance they could swing and miss and the program could fall off. As of now, it looks like they swung and missed but time will tell. With our past of truly being an elite team year in and year out, just being a solid team year in and year out should not be acceptable for this program. As fans, we should expect more and want more than just being a solid team.

[Sae]

There is no doubt that Hood is a good man and ran a good clean program here. We were a solid team under him and if he would've stayed here, we would've been a solid team for years to come. The problem was we were never going to be a true national contender year in and year out under Hood and the administration wanted more and I can't blame them. The administration had to take a gamble to take the program to the next level and find a coach that could do that. There was always the chance they could swing and miss and the program could fall off. As of now, it looks like they swung and missed but time will tell. With our past of truly being an elite team year in and year out, just being a solid team year in and year out should not be acceptable for this program. As fans, we should expect more and want more than just being a solid team.

very well said. He could have stayed and us be 6-5 most years. They tried for better than that, if Elder fails we will try again.

[Colonel Grad]

First off, welcome to the board Colonelek . That's where I'll end .. All this Hood controversy is in the past. It's been hashed and rehashed for the last two years. I just erased three paragraphs rebuffing most everything you said. I'm exhausted talking about Hood. He's gone best of luck to him. Elder is the current coach, it's time to support him, as hard as that may currently be. Believe me, I'm struggling with this whole thing right now myself. But if there was ever a time to get on board and support this staff and players, now is the time. It's not just a matter of pride for the coaches and the players, It's also a matter of pride for the fans. Homecoming is in two weeks. Show up and support the team at the Colonel walk. Let them know that you're in this with them.

Well said.

[Eternal Colonel]

...I don't believe in "Karma".

My experience is that preparation and opportunity
lead to success, not some ethereal alignment of
the planets...

[colonelek]

Let me first start by saying I am with everyone on this board in hoping that EKU can find its way back to being a player in the FCS world year in and year out. I am not happy with the last couple of seasons like most of you. I 100% believe in supporting our players. They only get 4-5 years of opportunity that they will remember the rest of their lives. In regards to investing in your players personally... I wasn't saying that Coach Hood is the only one who does/did that. I know for a fact however that Saban and Dabo do invest in their players and value their players as people as well as football players. If a program is to be successful, it starts with the people in charge. If players believe in their head coach and believe in the system that is in place, success will happen. I didn't mean to imply that the current staff doesn't invest in their players and it was wrong to assume that. There have been a lot of gimmicks created lately to increase excitement that to me haven't held any substance. Alternate uniforms, dancing between quarters, cannons shooting during recruitment. All a smokescreen. Coach/Teach football, fundamentals, tradition, and how to apply it in real world situations and you will be successful. FACTS! There are 3 P's that this program could use as a foundation moving forward...Pride, Passion, Purpose. All 3 work together and you can't be successful without them. Right now on the outside looking in, we are missing something. You can win without fans, and you can win without gimmicks. Time to figure it out and stop making excuses that we are close. We have great athletes, some that are very skilled in what they do, but without proper direction, that's all we will be...a team with a bunch of a great athletes in alternate uniforms, dancing on the sidelines between quarters and kickoffs, shooting cannons in the spring wondering what is happening in the months that matter between August and November.

[colonelblitz]

Not a big fan of the uniforms, in general. Don,t really care for the celebrations between quarters , but I'm old and wish I had their energy. But I do like the firing of the cannon and the singing of "cabin on the hill" at coach Kidds statue. But most of all, I like winning.