What does Kent State have to do?

• FairwoodKing

  What does Kent State have to do to become relevant in football? We have a new AD who has declared that he is going to make football a high priority, but what will it take? I know we will get a new football coach next year. Will that be enough? I know we are going to have to pay a HC more and we need a much bigger recruiting budget.
  
  What else do we need?
• Hb31187

  

  Talent
• jpake1

  

  As a KSU alum, I'm not sure where to start.
  
  1. New Head Coach- Preferably someone that would be a bit of a sexy name for KSU. There's no excitement on that campus or in the community for KSU football. If they were to hire somebody that would instantly make people excited about KSU football, then that's a great start. For example: even one of the OSU assistants. Many people wouldn't know the name, but if you know you're getting a guy that had a big part in OSU's success, excitement would follow.
  
  2. Ohio Boys- Hopefully the new ball coach understands that Ohio is very blessed with talent and they make that priority number 1. I had the dishonor of meeting Martin in one of my classes. He let us ask him a lot questions after he spoke. My question was a simple one-- why havn't your recruiting classes been Ohio heavy? His respose? Well, ya know, we've got a lot of schools in Ohio to compete with to get those kids. We've got the big boy OSU, and now Cinci, and we also have to go against the likes of Akron, OU, Bowling Green, Toledo, and Miami. It's hard to pull Ohio talent in when there's so many teams. SMH. He literally made an excuse of it's hard to compete against his CONFERENCE teams for Ohio players. I can understand OSU and even Cinci. But please, never use other small d1 schools as an excuse.
  
  I guess that's all I have. Get a new coach and some more Ohio talent and you'll start winning more. Winning cures everything.
• darbypitcher22

  

  upgrading their facilities would also be a big help. Theyve made some improvements but not nearly enough
• sleeper

  

  According to ND fans, they are relevant because people are talking about them.
  
  /end thread
• believer

  

  Depends on what you mean by "relevant."
  
  Ohio pulled in Solich to give us a sort of "sexy" name for Ohio football. Solich failed in Nebraska. But in Solich's defense he has indeed made Bobcat football relevant in the MAC after many years of flat-out terrible. Under Solich the Bobcats have won 2 MAC East titles, beaten Pitt before the largest crowd in Peden Stadium history, and has landed Ohio in what looks to be three bowl games.
  
  I only say all of this because it is doable for Kent. The problem is who would want the job? MAC football may be Division1-A in theory but I can't think of any "sexy" candidates out there who would see the Kent job as desirable.
• Viking

  It is tough. Kent needs to sell the whole university. It is a nice campus. It has many other very good sports programs. The competition is for football players is fierce. Akron, Pitt and to a lesser extent YSU in their backyard. Cinci (Big East) in the state plus all of the other MAC Ohio schools. It is tough. Akron ifootball s a mess too. Their football program is pretty much in the same boat. Their facilities are a bit better and newer.
• LJ

  

  Pay their players
• goosebumps

  

  LJ;588960 wrote:Pay their players

  
  But make sure that you pay their parents and not the actual player so that its ok per the NCAA
• LJ

  

  goosebumps;589043 wrote:But make sure that you pay their parents and not the actual player so that its ok per the NCAA

  
  25k per year per 5 star player 50k if you are in the top 10 and Kent will go undefeated in 2 years.
• goosebumps

  

  No doubt.
• bo shemmy3337

  Just get a new coach that has a clue. Kent has had a top 1 or 2 recruiting class in the MAC the past 3 years they have enough talent to make bowl games IMO. Now that the worst coach ever is gone they will be just fine IMO.
• FairwoodKing

  I have to ask a hard question: Is any team in the MAC relevant? Last year Central Michigan went 12-2, won a bowl, and ended the season ranked. This year they had a losing record and went nowhere. This year four MAC teams are in bowls and not one of them is playing a BCS opponent.
  
  Maybe Kent's goal should be to built up the program, get out of the MAC, and join a better conference.
• Cat Food Flambe'

  

  Hire RichRod when he gets canned at UM...
• believer

  

  FairwoodKing;590304 wrote:Maybe Kent's goal should be to built up the program, get out of the MAC, and join a better conference.

  Marshall had the same ambitions. I have a hunch the Thundering Turd would love to come back to the friendly confines of the MAC.
  
  Central Michigan, Temple and Northern Illinois are probably a lot closer to having a good enough program in place to "upgrade" to what...C-USA or the Big LEast??
• queencitybuckeye

  FairwoodKing;590304 wrote:I have to ask a hard question: Is any team in the MAC relevant? Last year Central Michigan went 12-2, won a bowl, and ended the season ranked. This year they had a losing record and went nowhere. This year four MAC teams are in bowls and not one of them is playing a BCS opponent.
  
  Maybe Kent's goal should be to built up the program, get out of the MAC, and join a better conference.

  
  If they aren't competitive in the MAC, how are they going to magically become too good for the MAC, and draw interest from a "better" conference?
• FairwoodKing

  queencitybuckeye;590373 wrote:If they aren't competitive in the MAC, how are they going to magically become too good for the MAC, and draw interest from a "better" conference?

  
  It's not going to happen "magically." It would take years of determination to upgrade the program. Right now Kent has one of the lowest paid head coaches in the country, as well as one of the smallest recruiting budgets. We need to correct these problems and to upgrade our facilities. I just hope our new AD is up to the task.
• Tobias Fünke

  

  Throw money at it. Usually helps but it's a risk if you do it blindly. Personally I hate the school so I hope they never figure it out.
• FairwoodKing

  Well I love the school. I graduated from there three times and I taught there. I hope Kent gets this straightened out.
• dave

  bo shemmy3337;589748 wrote:Just get a new coach that has a clue. Kent has had a top 1 or 2 recruiting class in the MAC the past 3 years they have enough talent to make bowl games IMO. Now that the worst coach ever is gone they will be just fine IMO.

  
  
  what?
• bo shemmy3337

  dave;591007 wrote:what?

  
  Sorry I have been away for a while. Rivals.com has had them ranked 1-3 in the MAC the past 3 years. That's where I got those numbers.