The State of the Marshall Football Program

[Peake]

After this season, Marshall has only one choice, go in a different direction. Snyder was given a twilight year after his first season, but he has failed to produce the following three. I don't care what allegiance anyone has to him because he coached at OSU, he is not a head coach.

1st Problem- Recruiting.....I can only think of maybe 4 players that he has personaly recruited that actually play at the level to make a difference (Slate, McCllelan, Passmore, Marshall). His weakness is recruiting quality line play on both sides of the ball. Each year our OL-DL get handled by opponents game in and out, and what has MS done to imporve this? Glasco was less than average, Vinny Curry who is a project and may produce by his senior year, Michael Janic is average at best. See where I am going with this? There is one difference maker surrounded by average and below average players. You have to bring in a player in every recruiting class that can make a difference early, and Marshall fails to do that on the defensive side of the ball every year. Safety is an even bigger weakness. I remember the buzz that surrounded Mario Harvey. He was reported to have run a 4.39 at 6'0-240. Give me a break, I know of one S in the country that has that kind of size and athletic ability, and he plays for USC. When he arrived in Huntington he was about 250 and out of shape. John Saunders is at best an average Safety who doesn't have the speed or size to play the position. Marshall is awful at Safety and DB.

2nd Problem- Stability on staff....Why would a recruit want to go to a school that has such a high level of turnover among the coaching staff every year? Each year brings a new philosophy on one side of the ball. How can you recruit and be successful when you are trying to bring in kids to fit a system that changes every season? That is one of my biggest problems with his staff, is that this team has no identity. Are they a runnng team, a passing team, a team that uses play action to keep you off balance? I have no idea what kind of team that Marshall is.

Final problem- The coach has to be a great sales man of the program. I have been to way too many State of Marshall Athletics, Big Green, QB Club, and Paint hte Capital City Green meetings to know that his guy is not a great sales person of Marshall Athletics. When is the last time you saw MS or any of his players in your schools? When is the last time he reached out to your community? Have you ever seen him at one of your buddy or midget league games? I remember Pruett bringing players to locak schools to speak to children about the importance of being involved in extracurricular programs, etc (Both Pennington and Leftwichi were both at my little brothers school). I remember being at a Barboursvill Youth Football game and seeing Pruett with his wife and a few players there just enjoying themselves in the community. Shot, I remember seeing Jersa at high school basketball games where there was no recruits on the floor. Jersa was friends with many local high school coaches. I am not seeing any of this from Snyder. Ticket sales are down, attendance in down, and people want him gone, how do you sale your program when this is going on?

[earp]

I have been hearing alot,I am out and about in Huntington alot and I have been hearing that the hammer could drop as early as monday!Maybe Marshall should go after Phillip Fulmer?

[marshallman]

He'll get one more year and he will be out of excuses. All recruits will be his, all asst coaches will be in there second year and he will graduate his first class. Its either winning season or your out.

[earp]

Well I guess it was all talk around town then!I think what this is about is Marshall not wanting to buy out his contract!It all comes down to $$$$! Well judging from the crowd the other night they better win because the fans a jumping ship rapidly!

[Mouth's Better Half]

Well, judging from the crowd the other night they better win because the fans a jumping ship rapidly.

I have been to alot of college football games in my time and the Marshall fans are some of the worst. They jump ship 2 seconds into a game. I have never seen anything like them. I have watched other fans sit through ice and snow and watched their team lose in it. I went to Marshall games when Randy Moss played. People stayed till the last sseconds went off the clock. You can live and die by the fans but you can't take their behavior too seriously. Especially at MU.

[Peake]

If Marshall wanted to buyout Snyder's contract, it could be done. The people are in place to buy it out if need be. This comes down an AD who can't see what is right for the program. He took too long to let Jersa go, and the same thing is happening again.

I feel the MU fans have every right to be upset. He has been given 4 years to produce a better product on the field. Show me a coach with a record over 4 years comparable to his, and tell me they haven't been canned.

[Mouth's Better Half]

Show me a college coach who produces anything with the lack of Scholarship $ and a new league to contend with his first year in? Pruitt left Snyder with little recruiting $ to offer while they were on suspension and a tougher schedule to play. He also left him with his athletes that stayed.Honestly I love living in this area but what great athlete wants to spend college in Huntington WV unless their education is 100% paid. When WVU team goes downhill you will get the best athletes from that area. But they were good the last few years.Where do you expect him to get these great college athletes that some other school hasn't grabbed up?

[Mouth's Better Half]

gahs4ever, I agree he knew what was a coming down the pike. Would they have called for(Pruitt's) his head if he had stayed -- sure. In his first year as a Head Coach Snyder locked up all football players keys in his locker so they wouldn't be out drinking and driving on the weekend ,he also made a stop in every bar in Huntington and encouraged bar owners not to sell to his athletes on Thursday and Friday nights.He truly cares that his players get an education and succceed. I have seen him out in the community and don't tell anyone he isn't a great salesman because yes he is. I went to high school with Mark and his wife Beth. You couldn't find two nicer caring people to move into this community and work.

Don't be a hater!

[Mouth's Better Half]

I'm talking to peake -- don't be a hater.

Exactly you win not only with a good Coaching staff but the ahtletes as well. There is no Randy Moss on the Marshall team right now. Could there be ? I don't know. I can't remember the game this year but one game MU fumbled on the 5 yard line the other team drove the ball down the field and kicked a field goal and that was it .

Couldn't blame any of it on the Coaches.

[Peake]

You need to go back and read my points above.

I am not a hater. I know Coach, he is a nice person, but that has little to do with being a great coach.

I know he made a very good effort to keep kids out of the bars, but guess what, they still go. Being a good person is not being a great coach.

No he does not have a Randy Moss, but he is responsible for recruiting and bringing in players he can win with, and he hasn't.

If you want to bring up money, I can tell you that Rice doesn't come close to Marshall in terms of Athletic Budget, and look at the progress they are making.

I haven't seen him in the schools and community like I did with Pruett. I don't hear of people saying that they see him in their kids schools, at their football games, reaching out. Yes, he probably does do things in Ironton, which is his home town, but I went to a lot of his events and I didn't hear people talking about him being in different communities.

I disagree with you that he is a great sales person of the program. I just don't see it. Has nothing to do with him as a person, just don't see it---agree to disagree.

You need to go back and read my points, and than disprove one, before saying I am a hater.

Point is---not being a hater-----his record speaks for its self. He needs to win, and he hasn't done that. Myself and everyother person knew his first season would be bad, but after that I haven't seen progress.

If you feel you can disprove me, than feel free to do so, but on this issue I garuntee you that the majority will not agree with anything that you say about him being a good coach.

Good day.

[85inside]

Unfortunately, when speaking of the "majority", I feel Peake is correct. The "majority" dont care about the kids and they dont care about the community. The "majority" only care about wins and losses.

I feel bad for the coach's wife and family. I would hate for my 6 year old daughter to have to leave her house and see a "doll" of me hung in a tree outside the house somewhere.

The bottom line is that Coach Snyder could win 8 or 9 games next year and the same clowns would be kissing his hind end.

Good Luck to Coach Snyder. My hope is that he turns the Marshall program around and if he does, it will be enjoyable to watch the naysayers change their tune.

[Mouth's Better Half]

Pruitt did illegal things to get players and keep them - fact. Do you want Coach Synder to do that?
No ,he does not have a Randy Moss. Where do you want him to get these Randy Moss type players from? You never answered that question. Come on. If I had the chance to go to Rice or Marshall and get my tuition paid you bet I would be getting on a plane.
Maybe his trips out in the community just aren't covered? Did you ever think of that? The papers are all over him which is fine -- but geeze.
So maybe you would be happy with Pruitt back or some other --- of a Coach who cares nothing about building anyone's character lets just win, win ,win!

I am sorry but I have been to his "Big Green " events. He maybe had a great night of telling his vision for the MU football program only when I was there. I think he is a great sales person.I know being a nice person has little to do with being a great Coach -- I am not an idiot. But who do you think could take over and do better?

[RiverRatRay]

Unfortunately, when speaking of the "majority", I feel Peake is correct. The "majority" dont care about the kids and they dont care about the community. The "majority" only care about wins and losses.

I feel bad for the coach's wife and family. I would hate for my 6 year old daughter to have to leave her house and see a "doll" of me hung in a tree outside the house somewhere.

The bottom line is that Coach Snyder could win 8 or 9 games next year and the same clowns would be kissing his hind end.

Good Luck to Coach Snyder. My hope is that he turns the Marshall program around and if he does, it will be enjoyable to watch the naysayers change their tune.

85inside I have to agree with you and peake. There is a big difference in Huntington W.Va(Marshall) and Houston Texas(Rice).

I have been to a few Big Green functions, probably not as many as you peake, but I do remember Mark talking with folks and especially the kids. They all seemed to really love him but then they always like the folks with class.



I too want to wish Coach Snyder all the best in turning around the Marshall program I saw 30,000 folks in the stands this year on one Friday night football evening and couldn't believe it. I hope the basketball program can fill the Henderson Center like that. Good luck Coach Snyder!

[Peake]

I hope no one is getting me wrong, I like the man, he is a nice person, but fans want wins.

Bob Pruett would have never been remembered for being a great coach without wins. Yes, Pruett had some sketchy things going on in his program, but so does 99% of all college football programs. If I am not mistaken, one Jim Tressel had something similar happen in his program with a Heisman winning QB ( and he is still a great teacher and coach).

I could be wrong about the community thing, but being around kids at Marshall sponserd functions is different then actually going into schools ( i could be wrong JMHO). I am saying that he needs to be more visible in the communities, so when he is struggling, people are behind him.

Where do you get a Randy Moss? You don't, but you have to get kids who can be difference makers. That starts with the Head Coach and his staff being able to evaluate talent. Doug Chapman was not a 5-stat recruit, but he was an NFL caliber player. Recruiting starts with your head man. Recruiting has been suffering since MS arrived.

Let's be real here, if you could play at Marshall or Rice, you would pick Rice, don't serve me that. If that were the case we would see Payton Manning choosing Harvard over Tennessee.

Look at the record. I wish him well, but Rick Mentor would be a great choice to replace him.

[ItownHosscat]

Where do you get a Randy Moss?
First you wait for him to get into trouble in high school,then some drug problem,then hope he comes your way cause everyone else wont sign him.
Come on bad example.
How about a Pennington,a better sports star for the kids to look up to.

[Raiderball]

^^^What I was thinking... Moss fell into Pruett's lap because noone else would take him after his off field problems.

[RiverRatRay]

I know that Mark is very busy in the off season going around to different communities talking with folks. Here is another example of his Big Green involvement in Ashland, Ky.




A couple of my very good radio friends with the Coach.

[85inside]

Randy Moss? He's so proud of Marshall, he wont even say there name when he is on TV for a game. he apparantly played at Rand U. That is such a slap in the face to a program that was the only one that would take his sorry hind end in.

Using Tressell and comparing him to Pruitt. Come on.

[Peake]

85,

That is not true. I know of many D-1 programs that still wanted him regardless of his problems. He choose Marshall because he could play right away.

Please don't be so blind that you can't see the forest through all of the tree's. I was no comparing JT and Pruett, you are taking it out of context, I was pointing out that even JT (who 99% of people worship on this board) is not without corruption in his own program.

from usatoday:

Smith reportedly used booster money for Clarett's phone bill
CLEVELAND (AP) — Suspended Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith used money he accepted from a booster to pay for a cell phone his mother obtained for former Buckeye tailback Maurice Clarett, a newspaper reported Tuesday.
The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer cites multiple sources at Ohio State and close to Smith in its report on the money Smith received from booster Robert Q. Baker.

I am just saying that Pruett did an outstanding job coaching Marshall.

BTW, I saw a special on ESPN showing how players do their interviews and introductions for games. They say several different things, one of which Moss said Marshall.

This topic is going way off subject.

[Mouth's Better Half]

99% of colleges doing corrupt things does not make it right, sorry. I have total respect for someone who does the right thing even if it costs them. Will it get Coach fired? - maybe- but at least he can sleep at night. Pruett was a crook and the "Big green " supporters knew it. Sad part is when they come for your head ,as they did Pruett's you are in a sinking boat by yourself. No one wants to go down with you.
I can't wait for next season. I think it will be a banner year with the talent they have. GO HERD! I wish Coach Synder and family all the best. Keep your chins up!