Update and clearing the air on URI football

[Brad82]

Happy Holidays,

I am on the committee to raise $5M for new strength/training facility and remainder of upgraded football stadium. The state/university will give/loan the other $5M. The new west stands (spearheaded by ex-player donations) are great. As soon as link is posted I will present it here.
So,there is certainly a considerable commitment to improving football and athletics. Need to refute some points here or I do not understand them:

1. The problem is all coaching. Rhody has at least 55 scholarships and routinely gets beat by teams with worse facilites Northeastern and UNH. We beat teams with better facilites,Maine,Villanova,etc.. So,that is all bunk.

2.The 84-85 championship teams played the same rugged Eastern 1-AA schedule we do now. Whether for example Delaware was a member yet of the conference is really not relative as we were already playing them. The southern scools wanted to join the yankee conference because as Tubby Raymond said in SI,it is the best conference in the country. Rhody at that time had a lot to do with it. The school like a lot of eastern schools is concerned about money being spent on travel costs instead of recruiting and facilities. URI has more D-1 sports than any other A-10 school I believe. It is not practical to go to Ga. State and St.Louis when Northeastern and Albany are closer. However with programs like Albany and CCSU on the rise,the level of competion would still be high vs. the CAA,so conference realingment would help short-term only in terms of wins and losses.

3.In 84-85 a 1/3 of the team were Rhode Island HS players. Liam Coen is from Rhode Island and Rick Santos is from just over the Mass. border. Stowers did not recruit either. Rhody Island HS teams regularly go into bigger states Conn. and Mass. and win games. Rhody HS all-stars have beaten Conn. all-stars a number of times in recent years and gave them a good game last year. Sure,like all states the inner city schools and rural areas do not typically produce a lot of talent,but for only 40 HS schoolls the state puts out its share of players.

4. The offense?. Every play is a sucide misssion.The offense is to physical in this day and age. Our QB's have been hurt every year. Lots of fumbles also.

5. Stowers has had one winning season in 6 years. Loses a lot of close games,every year starts out promising and winds up 4-7. With Cassidy and Casey being Jrs.,I can see us winning 6 games next year. We go into the Northeast conference,we go 7-4. Until we start winning local support will be tepid. I gave him two quality recruiting leads and he did not evaluate either player. Certainly not the type of thouroughness that is typically necessary. How do the coaches know they can't play if they have not seen them?

[MplsBison]

Sounds like if you could get some new facilities, scholarships up to 63, and a new coaching staff, you would be right there.

[PantherRob82]

good luck on your fundraising

[DFW HOYA]

It's a little strange that someone on a university committee to raise capital funds would be calling out the coach as you did, but that's your call.

Facilities are more than seats. It's training areas, it's practice fields, and it's ultimately the competitive recruiting tools needed to recruit and sign prospects. You'll only go so far lacking one or two of these elements. You'll get even less with none of them.

[BigApp]

somewhere, a GaSouthern fan is xlolx at those comments about Stowers...

[MplsBison]

Coaches are paid big bucks to win. Period.

It's not good enough to just have a team.


Win or get off the pot.

[ccd494]

Coaches are paid big bucks to win. Period.

It's not good enough to just have a team.


Win or get off the pot.

Someone has to lose.

P.S. After reading a lot of posts recently, I am comfortable to say you are the biggest toolbag on this site. Congratulations. :thumbsup:

[jmuroller]

IMO, the most important thing at a coach's disposal is a college schloarship. If you don't give a coach the maximum scholarships that he can use, then you have no business bitching, moaning, complaining, etc. about the teams performance. I don't care how many dollars you give to the university each year.

[Brad82]

55 scholarships was more than enough to win in 81,82,83,84 ,85 and 2001.It is enough to win in 2007. I have heard many an excuse at Rhode Island,
but never any FB coach saying he does not have enough schollies. There aren't 55 good and great FB players in the USA that want to go to a great school on the ocean and play a great schedule? Come on! Many of the Rhody players had plenty of other options. All the coaches knew what they were getting before they walked in the door. It is a very attractive job.

[mainejeff]

55 scholarships was more than enough to win in 81,82,83,84 ,85 and 2001.It is enough to win in 2007. I have heard many an excuse at Rhode Island,
but never any FB coach saying he does not have enough schollies. There aren't 55 good and great FB players in the USA that want to go to a great school on the ocean and play a great schedule? Come on! Many of the Rhody players had plenty of other options. All the coaches knew what they were getting before they walked in the door. It is a very attractive job.

xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx

Do they play football on sailboats?

And 55 does not equal 63 no matter how hard you try and sell it. It's a big disadvantage right off the bat considering how competitive the A-10 and I-AA are.

[*****]

... the A-10 and I-AA are.You mean WAS on both accounts, right? :p

[Mr. C]

Happy Holidays,

I am on the committee to raise $5M for new strength/training facility and remainder of upgraded football stadium. The state/university will give/loan the other $5M. The new west stands (spearheaded by ex-player donations) are great. As soon as link is posted I will present it here.
So,there is certainly a considerable commitment to improving football and athletics. Need to refute some points here or I do not understand them:

1. The problem is all coaching. Rhody has at least 55 scholarships and routinely gets beat by teams with worse facilites Northeastern and UNH. We beat teams with better facilites,Maine,Villanova,etc.. So,that is all bunk.

2.The 84-85 championship teams played the same rugged Eastern 1-AA schedule we do now. Whether for example Delaware was a member yet of the conference is really not relative as we were already playing them. The southern scools wanted to join the yankee conference because as Tubby Raymond said in SI,it is the best conference in the country. Rhody at that time had a lot to do with it. The school like a lot of eastern schools is concerned about money being spent on travel costs instead of recruiting and facilities. URI has more D-1 sports than any other A-10 school I believe. It is not practical to go to Ga. State and St.Louis when Northeastern and Albany are closer. However with programs like Albany and CCSU on the rise,the level of competion would still be high vs. the CAA,so conference realingment would help short-term only in terms of wins and losses.

3.In 84-85 a 1/3 of the team were Rhode Island HS players. Liam Coen is from Rhode Island and Rick Santos is from just over the Mass. border. Stowers did not recruit either. Rhody Island HS teams regularly go into bigger states Conn. and Mass. and win games. Rhody HS all-stars have beaten Conn. all-stars a number of times in recent years and gave them a good game last year. Sure,like all states the inner city schools and rural areas do not typically produce a lot of talent,but for only 40 HS schoolls the state puts out its share of players.

4. The offense?. Every play is a sucide misssion.The offense is to physical in this day and age. Our QB's have been hurt every year. Lots of fumbles also.

5. Stowers has had one winning season in 6 years. Loses a lot of close games,every year starts out promising and winds up 4-7. With Cassidy and Casey being Jrs.,I can see us winning 6 games next year. We go into the Northeast conference,we go 7-4. Until we start winning local support will be tepid. I gave him two quality recruiting leads and he did not evaluate either player. Certainly not the type of thouroughness that is typically necessary. How do the coaches know they can't play if they have not seen them?
I guess you didn't read very closely the other thread on this subject. Your comments show a tremendous lack of understanding about a lot of stuff, so it is hard to take you seriously.

1. Rhode Island has the WORST resources in the A-10/CAA. Ask anyone in the know and they will tell you so. I know Tim Stowers and others associated with the program. They will tell you that, so will people in the A-10 office that worked with URI for years. For example, the new sports information guy at the Southern Conference office used to be the SID at Rhode Island. I've had conversations with him and other, who all agree with the assessment that URI has TERRIBLE resources. Opposing coaches will tell you the same thing. Ask Jerry Moore of two-time national champion Appalachian State what he thinks of Stowers as a coach some day. Having 55 scholarships is eight less than most I-AA/FCS teams give out. Even at 55 scholarships, depth is going to be a problem. I guess you are telling me that a coach who won a national championship suddenly got stupid in the past 16 years. If Tim Stowers was not a good coach, he never would have been entrusted with the Georgia Southern program in 1990 when Erk Russell retired. I don't care that the Eagles fired him in 1995. The facts are he led GSU to a 9-4 record. Three of the four losses that year were to No. 2 ranked Appalachian State, runner-up Marshall and the eventual national champion Montana. He got fired by Sam Baker after leading a team to the quarterfinals. No matter what Georgia Southern fans will tell you and no matter what Paul Johnson did from 1997 onward it is DUMB to fire a coach that wins nine games. The same team without Stowers went 4-7 the following year under the stellar direction of Frank Ellwood. Sounds a lot like Georgia Southern circa 2006 going 3-8 after firing Mike Sewak, who went 8-4 in 2005. Once a for all, let's dump this crap about what a bad coach Tim Stowers is. Bad coaches don't win national championships.

2. This is not 1984-85. Football has changed in the past 20 years and you can't build a program with the same limited resources now that you could occasionally get away with in the mid-1980s. With internet and other things going go, kids are more knowledgeable about programs around the country now.

3. The reason Stowers didn't recruit Liam Coen or Ricky Santos is that neither of them fit his system. They are not option quarterbacks. Quarterback has not been a problem at URI. Jason Davis, in fact, was a tremendous option quarterback. Anyone who knows the Ricky Santos story knows that almost no one recruited him. Even Sean McDonnell admits freely that he nearly chose not to offer Santos a scholarship. Something happpened between Santos' first year at UNH (when he was fifth-string) and the second that changed him into the player that he is now.

4. So every play is a "Suicide Mission?" How ridiculous. I doubt that you can prove that players at any of the option schools around the country have any higher rate of injury than ones running a conventional attack. I've watched Georgia Southern and Wofford run the option closely for years and neither of these teams have had a high rate of injuries. If URI does, maybe that harkens back to the lack of resources thing again. More resources=Better weight training and conditioning and better medical care. Plenty of teams have had a lot of success using the option that URI uses. Georgia Southern has won two national titles, been to another title game and two other semifinals in the past 10 years. Wofford made a semifinal appearance and won 20 games in two years running the option earlier this decade (2002-03). The Terriers are poised for that type of success again next year. Nicholls State won the Southland Conference auto bid last season, running the same offense as URI. Navy has been in three straight bowl games. Central Connecticut State had a fine winning season with the same offense this season and had the leading rusher, Justice Hairston, in the FCS. Bucknell has been an improved program using it as well.

5. And what makes you a college talent evaluator? Maybe Stowers had a reason for not following your leads. Hard to know without knowing the players involved. Did they set the world on fire somewhere else? As far as support is concerned, I don't remember Ram fans beating down the doors when the Rhodies went 8-3 in 2001. The northeast in general and Rhode Island in particular has NEVER been known for its enthusiasm with college football, except on rare occasions.

You said a lot in your post that is just plain inaccurate. You sing the praises of a 1984-85 program and neglect to point out that the same coach, Bob Griffin, won a total of two games in the two years following those great years. He won only 21 games over the next seven years before leaving the program. Griffin's successor, Floyd Keith, managed just one winning season and 23 total wins in the next seven years. Before Stowers showed up, URI managed TWO winning seasons in 14 years. Since 1956, the Rams have only 11 winning years. That's in 50 years!

It's great that your are heading up such a major capital improvement project. It is long overdue at URI and I hope it results in better play on the field for Rhode Island. But how about funding the full 63 scholarships for the Rams and seeing how much improvement that eight additional players will make?

To blame all of Rhode Island's troubles on coaching is simply moronic.

[blukeys]

IMO, the most important thing at a coach's disposal is a college schloarship. If you don't give a coach the maximum scholarships that he can use, then you have no business bitching, moaning, complaining, etc. about the teams performance. I don't care how many dollars you give to the university each year.




Do they play football on sailboats?

And 55 does not equal 63 no matter how hard you try and sell it. It's a big disadvantage right off the bat considering how competitive the A-10 and I-AA are.

I agree with both of the above.

Al Lavan has been given credit on this board and others for turning around the Delaware State Program when in fact all he has done is actually use the 63 scollies that were denied to his predecessors. Neither of DSU's prior coaches got anywhere near 55 scollies and this showed in the MEAC specifically and all of the I-AA in general.

I agree with MaineJeff. There is no way anyone can compete in the CAA/A-10 without the full complement of Scollies. The competition is too tough week in and out. If URI is giving out only 55, they are shortchanging their football team. How much are they saving by foregoing 8 scollies and choosing to never be competitive???? xidiotx xidiotx xidiotx xidiotx xidiotx

This is the ultimate example of being pennies wise and pound foolish!!!:nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod: :nod:

[Mr. C]

Someone has to lose.

P.S. After reading a lot of posts recently, I am comfortable to say you are the biggest toolbag on this site. Congratulations. :thumbsup:
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx
:lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

[blukeys]

I guess you didn't read very closely the other thread on this subject. Your comments show a tremendous lack of understanding about a lot of stuff, so it is hard to take you seriously.

1. Rhode Island has the WORST resources in the A-10/CAA. Ask anyone in the know and they will tell you so. I know Tim Stowers and others associated with the program. They will tell you that, so will people in the A-10 office that worked with URI for years. For example, the new sports information guy at the Southern Conference office used to be the SID at Rhode Island. I've had conversations with him and other, who all agree with the assessment that URI has TERRIBLE resources. Opposing coaches will tell you the same thing. Ask Jerry Moore of two-time national champion Appalachian State what he thinks of Stowers as a coach some day. Having 55 scholarships is eight less than most I-AA/FCS teams give out. Even at 55 scholarships, depth is going to be a problem. I guess you are telling me that a coach who won a national championship suddenly got stupid in the past 16 years. If Tim Stowers was not a good coach, he never would have been entrusted with the Georgia Southern program in 1990 when Erk Russell retired. I don't care that the Eagles fired him in 1995. The facts are he led GSU to a 9-4 record. Three of the four losses that year were to No. 2 ranked Appalachian State, runner-up Marshall and the eventual national champion Montana. He got fired by Sam Baker after leading a team to the quarterfinals. No matter what Georgia Southern fans will tell you and no matter what Paul Johnson did from 1997 onward it is DUMB to fire a coach that wins nine games. The same team without Stowers went 4-7 the following year under the stellar direction of Frank Ellwood. Sounds a lot like Georgia Southern circa 2006 going 3-8 after firing Mike Sewak, who went 8-4 in 2005. Once a for all, let's dump this crap about what a bad coach Tim Stowers is. Bad coaches don't win national championships.

2. This is not 1984-85. Football has changed in the past 20 years and you can't build a program with the same limited resources now that you could occasionally get away with in the mid-1980s. With internet and other things going go, kids are more knowledgeable about programs around the country now.

3. The reason Stowers didn't recruit Liam Coen or Ricky Santos is that neither of them fit his system. They are not option quarterbacks. Quarterback has not been a problem at URI. Jason Davis, in fact, was a tremendous option quarterback. Anyone who knows the Ricky Santos story knows that almost no one receruited him. Even Sean McDonnell admits freely that he nearly chose not to offer Santos a scholarship. Something happpened between Santos' first year at UNH (when he was fifth-string) and the second that changed him into the player that he is now.

4. So every play is a "Suicide Mission?" How ridiculous. I doubt that you can prove that players at any of the option schools around the country have any higher rate of injury than ones running a conventional attack. I've watched Georgia Southern and Wofford run the option closely for years and neither of these teams have had a high rate of injuries. If URI does, maybe that harkens back to the lack of resources thing again. More resources=Better weight training and conditioning and better medical care. Plenty of teams have had a lot of success using the option that URI uses. Georgia Southern has won two national titles, been to another title game and two other semifinals in the past 10 years. Wofford made a semifinal appearance and won 20 games in two years running the option earlier this decade (2002-03. The Terriers are poised for that type of success again next year. Nicholls State won the Southland Conference auto bid last season, running the same offense as URI. Navy has been in three straight bowl games. Central Connecticut State had a fine winning season with the same offense this season and had the leading rusher, Justice Hairston, in the FCS. Bucknell has been an improved program using it as well.

5. And what makes you a college talent evaluator? Maybe Stowers had a reason for not following your leads. Hard to know without knowing the players involved. Did they set the world on fire somewhere else? As far as support is concerned, I don't remember Ram fans beating down the doors when the Rhodies went 8-3 in 2001. The northeast in general and Rhode Island in particular has NEVER been known for its enthusiasm with college football, except on rare occasions.

You said a lot in your post that is just plain inaccurate. You sing the praises of a 1984-85 program and neglect to point out that the same coach, Bob Griffin, won a total of two games in the two years following those great years. He won only 21 games over the next seven years before leaving the program. Griffin's successor, Floyd Keith, managed just one winning season and 23 total wins in the next seven years. Before Stowers showed up, URI managed TWO winning seasons in 14 years. Since 1956, the Rams have only 11 winning years. That's in 50 years!

It's great that your are heading up such a major capital improvement project. It is long overdue at URI and I hope it results in better play on the field for Rhode Island. But how about funding the full 63 scholarships for the Rams and seeing how much improvement that eight additional players will make?

To blame all of Rhode Island's troubles on coaching is simply moronic.


Yeah What he said!!!:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

BTW Increase the sclollies to 63. This is What DSU did!!!!:nod: :nod: :nod:

[RabidRabbit]

Yeah What he said!!!:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

BTW Increase the sclollies to 63. This is What DSU did!!!!:nod: :nod: :nod:

Minimum need to get to 57 so can get some of the BS money. I'm sure the Buffaloes and Temples would love to get the RAMS in and pay you a bit too. :smiley_wi

[Brad82]

A member of the athletic board just told me Rhody has 63 scholies!!
If true,what are your excuses now?

[Cobblestone]

Happy Holidays,

I am on the committee to raise $5M for new strength/training facility and remainder of upgraded football stadium. The state/university will give/loan the other $5M. The new west stands (spearheaded by ex-player donations) are great. As soon as link is posted I will present it here.
So,there is certainly a considerable commitment to improving football and athletics. Need to refute some points here or I do not understand them:

1. The problem is all coaching. Rhody has at least 55 scholarships and routinely gets beat by teams with worse facilites Northeastern and UNH. We beat teams with better facilites,Maine,Villanova,etc.. So,that is all bunk.

2.The 84-85 championship teams played the same rugged Eastern 1-AA schedule we do now. Whether for example Delaware was a member yet of the conference is really not relative as we were already playing them. The southern scools wanted to join the yankee conference because as Tubby Raymond said in SI,it is the best conference in the country. Rhody at that time had a lot to do with it. The school like a lot of eastern schools is concerned about money being spent on travel costs instead of recruiting and facilities. URI has more D-1 sports than any other A-10 school I believe. It is not practical to go to Ga. State and St.Louis when Northeastern and Albany are closer. However with programs like Albany and CCSU on the rise,the level of competion would still be high vs. the CAA,so conference realingment would help short-term only in terms of wins and losses.

3.In 84-85 a 1/3 of the team were Rhode Island HS players. Liam Coen is from Rhode Island and Rick Santos is from just over the Mass. border. Stowers did not recruit either. Rhody Island HS teams regularly go into bigger states Conn. and Mass. and win games. Rhody HS all-stars have beaten Conn. all-stars a number of times in recent years and gave them a good game last year. Sure,like all states the inner city schools and rural areas do not typically produce a lot of talent,but for only 40 HS schoolls the state puts out its share of players.

4. The offense?. Every play is a sucide misssion.The offense is to physical in this day and age. Our QB's have been hurt every year. Lots of fumbles also.

5. Stowers has had one winning season in 6 years. Loses a lot of close games,every year starts out promising and winds up 4-7. With Cassidy and Casey being Jrs.,I can see us winning 6 games next year. We go into the Northeast conference,we go 7-4. Until we start winning local support will be tepid. I gave him two quality recruiting leads and he did not evaluate either player. Certainly not the type of thouroughness that is typically necessary. How do the coaches know they can't play if they have not seen them?

Best wishes getting state support on this project. FYI, the state soundly defeated a referendum that would have upgraded Meade which is why ex-player donations were needed. I agree that the new stands are great but I fail to see where there is such " a considerable commitment to improving football" at URI. However, I hope you are right and I am wrong.

I disagree a little with you on #2. I'm not taking anything away from the accomplishments of the 84-85 teams but they played in the Yankee Conference which I believe at the time only had 6 teams (Maine, UNH, UMASS, URI, UCONN and BU) Delaware, Northeastern and the VA schools were not in the YC. Here again, URI has had zero playoff appearances since being in the A-10.

On #3 I'm not sure those teams had that many R.I.ers on them. I still don't think R.I. high school football is any hot recruiting ground. I've seen high school football in Oklahoma and Texas when I was in the Army and R.I. high school teams wouldn't have a prayer against these kids. They are bigger, faster and much better coached. That is not to say there is no talent in R.I., URI has had some good players from R.I. high schools and BC has grabbed a few R.I.ers as well.


On #4 I'm not sure if EVERY play is a "suicide mission" but on the rest of #4 I couldn't agree more.

I like your optimism on #5. Casey is a real find for us and we are fortunate to have him. Cassidy looks to be a good QB if he can stay healthy but with the Stowers type offense the QB takes a hard beating. Since we are the master of 4-7 seasons, I'll go with that number again. Remember we still don't have a defense. I also once gave Stowers a recruiting lead and he quickly blew the kid off. Which would have been understandable if kids were lining up to play at URI.

[MplsBison]

To blame all of Rhode Island's troubles on coaching is simply moronic.

I agree with this.

They need better facilities.


THEN fire the whole coaching staff as 90% of URI's troubles are them.

[ngineer]

It may not seem like alot, but 63 v. 55 schollies can make a significant difference--especially when it comes to depth. The top level PL schools give about 52-55 grants and while we can play with the A-10 teams, over a sustained period of time, the depth or lack thereof frequently raises its head and is the difference. Games like Lehigh and Lafayette versus Delaware in 2005 and 2004 showed that in the fourth quarter. Likewise, we got close to JMU in 2004--but losing a lead, again, in the fourth quarter. Yes, we knocked off Villanova this year, but that was down to the wire, too. We'll some of these matchups, but statistically, having those 10 less schollies has a overall impact on depth of quality.

[GaSouthern]

Hire Mike Sewak, and your set!