It’s time for us to part ways with Grandpa Boom

[AuburnLegacy_1]

-Why do offensive coordinators leave here as fast as they can?

More money at traditional P4 programs or opportunities to be head coaches.

-Why did you take back play-calling after you said last season that you were more than happy to delegate those responsibilities to others (because NIL, portal, all the moving parts of modern college football, etc.)?

Because he is an offensive genius. Midget league to NFL teams use his offensive schemes.

-Why would skill players sign-up to play in your offense?

Literally EVERY current skill position starter made a choice to transfer to play for UCF, save part-time starter Randy Pittman.

-How do you expect donors and boosters to continue to support the program with the style/product of offense you're putting on the field?

I don't even understand the question.

It's Terry's job at that point to get this guy to 'mutually part ways' with UCF. Convince him that an early retirement is what's best for everyone. It won't be an easy sell, Grandpa Boom has been run out of town before (and won't leave much of what's owed to him on the table). But it seems like something that is going to need to be done. Stretch his buyout over 8-10 years. See if you can get him to agree to take just a little bit less than what is owed (maybe offer him a job in the athletics department until he finds his next gig?). Try to back-end as much of the payout as possible after the full B12 membership payouts start coming in. Just brainstorming here, I refuse to believe the number owed makes this conversation impossible. Too early, perhaps. But not impossible...

 

[Colonel Mortimer]

Per Rivals, Gus inherited a team that consisted of the 68th, 52nd, 70th, and 58th-ranked recruiting classes.

Per 247, Gus inherited the 62nd, 56th, 77th, and 60th-ranked recruiting classes.

Let's see what recruiting classes Frost inherited shall we? Per 247

70th, 68th, 74th, 93rd - hmm so considerably worse than what Gus had going for him. You want to talk about recruiting deficiencies, everyone always talks about all the talent Frost inherited. If the recruiting rankings are to be believed, Frost and Heupel significantly improved on recruiting from the O'Leary era. As you are not a UCF fan I don't think you realize that those rankings you posted as horrible recruiting rankings are just the level at what UCF recruited at pre-Big 12. They had to find the best 3 star recruits they could, because that was just the ceiling that was imposed on them by the fact that they were a newer school on the scene playing in non-P5 conferences. O'Leary, Frost, Heupel won with those players. Gus has not.

Of the 113 players UCF signed from 2018-2021, only 12 remain on the Knights' roster.

First of all players from 2018-2019 should not still be on the roster. The fact that Gus hasn't been able to keep players around is not a good thing, quite the opposite.

Because he took over for a guy who has a lifetime NCAA show clause for cheating when it was illegal to cheat. That particular guy cheated so badly that he is now coaching 7th grade girls basketball at Fort Payne Middle School. So Tennessee had excellent talent and was signing highly ranked recruiting classes BEFORE Hype-L got there.

Per 247

Pre-Heupel Tennessee

2018 - 21st
2019 - 11th
2020 - 10th
2021 - 22nd

Heupel at Tennessee

2022 - 23rd
2023 - 11th
2024 - 13th
2025 - 7th

So about the same, and guess what? If you go back the previous decade before this, they were pretty much recruiting at this level. So why no success until Heupel came around? Well for one, I think the recruiting rankings are mostly dog shit, teams are locked into a level of recruiting for the most part based on how experts perceive them, and the rankings will somehow magically find a way to fit into that level every year. But beyond that Heupel must be doing a pretty ok job, certainly better than all the predecessors, post-Fulmer.

This is just now starting to be Gus's team.

It'll never be Gus' Team if he just swaps out the whole team through the portal every year.

 

[Bring Back Wackadoos]

More money at traditional P4 programs or opportunities to be head coaches.

Because he is an offensive genius. Midget league to NFL teams use his offensive schemes.

Literally EVERY current skill position starter made a choice to transfer to play for UCF, save part-time starter Randy Pittman.

I don't even understand the question.

Yeah I’ve read his book. I’ve watched his tapes. Being innovative 15 years ago, and refusing to adapt ever since, makes you something far from a genius.

Some offensive genius, the team never went no huddle once in the second half against UF. Some genius, taking all of the play clock to get a play in (and then simply staying “we need to do better” when asked about it). Some genius, continuing for years to substitute, but then getting angry when other teams substitute (and slowly jog off the field). Some genius failing to score more than 14 on Navy at home in ‘22 (with Harvey, Bowser, Baker, Hudson, O’Keefe at your disposal).

The man wrote the book on hurry-up no huddle offenses, and his offense is the least explosive UCF has had in decades.

100% complete fraud. Can write a book, but can’t execute on the field.

 

[AuburnLegacy_1]

Let's see what recruiting classes Frost inherited shall we? Per 247

70th, 68th, 74th, 93rd - hmm so considerably worse than what Gus had going for him. You want to talk about recruiting deficiencies, everyone always talks about all the talent Frost inherited. If the recruiting rankings are to be believed, Frost and Heupel significantly improved on recruiting from the O'Leary era. As you are not a UCF fan I don't think you realize that those rankings you posted as horrible recruiting rankings are just the level at what UCF recruited at pre-Big 12. They had to find the best 3 star recruits they could, because that was just the ceiling that was imposed on them by the fact that they were a newer school on the scene playing in non-P5 conferences. O'Leary, Frost, Heupel won with those players. Gus has not.



First of all players from 2018-2019 should not still be on the roster. The fact that Gus hasn't been able to keep players around is not a good thing, quite the opposite.


Per 247

Pre-Heupel Tennessee

2018 - 21st
2019 - 11th
2020 - 10th
2021 - 22nd

Heupel at Tennessee

2022 - 23rd
2023 - 11th
2024 - 13th
2025 - 7th

So about the same, and guess what? If you go back the previous decade before this, they were pretty much recruiting at this level. So why no success until Heupel came around? Well for one, I think the recruiting rankings are mostly dog shit, teams are locked into a level of recruiting for the most part based on how experts perceive them, and the rankings will somehow magically find a way to fit into that level every year. But beyond that Heupel must be doing a pretty ok job, certainly better than all the predecessors, post-Fulmer.

It'll never be Gus' Team if he just swaps out the whole team through the portal every year.

Couple of quick takes.

No. 1, You are correct in that recruiting rankings in and of themselves mean nothing. However, when you literally buy the best players that everyone else really wants, your recruits are typically better than everyone else's, even though the rankings themselves may not reflect that.

So Hype-L inherited some animals, some of the best SEC talent money can buy. It is no wonder he is successful there.

No. 2, the 60-80 recruiting rankings aren't abysmal for AAC play. Gus didn't 'get crazy' with the portal until this past offseason. Too many guys were simply NGE for Big 12 play and it showed.

No. 3, Hype-Lthetically, if UCF fired Gus this year, the interest in UCF would be at an all-time high. The interest would be HIGH because GUS has rebuilt the program and established it as a Big 4 in Florida. Nobody wanted to tackle the sh*tshow that Gus inherited three years and half years ago. But UCF will not be moving on from Gus. Gus will retire at UCF. In fact, he is about to become the 4th winningest coach in UCF history in a few short weeks, while facing the toughest competition that UCF has ever faced.

 

[UCFBS]

I'm at a loss, I wasn't happy with how 2020 went, but it was a Covid season, a bunch of players opted out, it was a shortened season, no fans in the stands, and then you're going to tout a loss in a lesser bowl in a season many consider a meaningless season, so much so that the NCAA decided not to count the year against player's eligibility. You're going to use that season and that meaningless bowl game to show that the program was on life support, less than 2 years after our 25-game winning streak? Give me a break.

We had issues even by the end of 2019 with recruiting. Let's not forget that. Heupel didn't even want Dillion Gabriel. Also don't forget that. It was not just 2020! Heupel was given a great program ... and broke it!

My continued points are ...

• At best, a few coaches might -- I stress might -- be better with the offense, but ...
• Nearly all will suck more at recruiting, and that's really a problem right now, especially since ...
• Very difficult to get a HC with a big coaching tree and positive parent-recruit presence, ergo ...
• Name one G5 HC or P4 OC with more 'ins' with parents-recuits than Gus, plus ...
• Add-in Dino Babers, countless other G5 HCs, that did suck at offense in even a lower P4, given ...
• The overwhelming supermajority G5 HC hires to P4s completely busted, and you should know that!

There are a lot of people naming Dino Babers G5 HC 'types' here, thinking "We Know Better," to quote a sarcastic Gator fan who has been critical of the 'hire'n fire' climate at Florida, Auburn Nebraska and countless other P4s, big and small, and absolutely nailed it. I purposely use Dino, although there are probably close to 100 the past decade, because he was the 'majority favorite' on this board, while Frost was considered 'never a head coach.'

So many, it's a wasteland of G5 HCs that failed at lower and upper levels of the P4.

Do you really want to buy-into that with a $12M+ 'adminssion fee' this year?! We've got people threatening to withhold money without results too. So, $12M+ to fire Gus in his 2nd P4 year, where even Patterson and Whittingham regressed (the latter even more in 3rd Power year) ... then what's gonna be next in 2-3 years of the Big XII if we don't get 'results' then too? Another 8 figures by 2027?!

Not to mention goes down with it, especially donations! We already have enough 'threatening' around here. No donor should do that to an AD and its program.

Yes, I think Heupel would've done better, have you missed that Heupel's had Tennessee in the top 20 basically since he took over there?

Heupel could not recruit the G5! And don't think the lower P4 would be any better than the upper P4!

Statistically, we are going to **** ourselves. Hysteresis is a real thing, and I'm risk adverse. Especially since TCU didn't do it to Patterson, and Utah didn't do it to Whittingham, not even in Year 3 after he dropped even further.

Statistically, we are going to **** ourselves, and we'll also be reversing course on rejecting loyalty and refusing to let a HC to 'build a program.' We all 'pat ourselves on the back' with O'Leary-Frost, but Heupel took us down.

But we were going to give Heupel 5-6 years, at least, so ... why not Gus at least 5 (4 recruiting classes, he didn't have 2021), and 3 in the P4? Nope, Gus has gotta go! And we need to spend the $12M+ to do it too! Sigh ...

We are seriously flirting with becoming the s. Florida of the new Big XII if we do, just like they did in the Big East.

 

[Bring Back Wackadoos]

If our recruiting was so bad before Gus got here, why did Gus lose to a UCF team filled with lowly recruits up and down the roster?

Is it maybe because he’s elite at doing less with more?

 

[AuburnLegacy_1]

We had issues even by the end of 2019 with recruiting. Let's not forget that. Heupel didn't even want Dillion Gabriel. Also don't forget that. It was not just 2020! Heupel was given a great program ... and broke it!

My continued points are ...

• At best, a few coaches might -- I stress might -- be better with the offense, but ...
• Nearly all will suck more at recruiting, and that's really a problem right now, especially since ...
• Very difficult to get a HC with a big coaching tree and positive parent-recruit presence, ergo ...
• Name one G5 HC or P4 OC with more 'ins' with parents-recuits than Gus, plus ...
• Add-in Dino Babers, countless other G5 HCs, that did suck at offense in even a lower P4, given ...
• The overwhelming supermajority G5 HC hires to P4s completely busted, and you should know that!

There are a lot of people naming Dino Babers G5 HC 'types' here, thinking "We Know Better," to quote a sarcastic Gator fan who has been critical of the 'hire'n fire' climate at Florida, Auburn Nebraska and countless other P4s, big and small, and absolutely nailed it. I purposely use Dino, although there are probably close to 100 the past decade, because he was the 'majority favorite' on this board, while Frost was considered 'never a head coach.'

So many, it's a wasteland of G5 HCs that failed at lower and upper levels of the P4.

Do you really want to buy-into that with a $12M+ 'adminssion fee' this year?! We've got people threatening to withhold money without results too. So, $12M+ to fire Gus in his 2nd P4 year, where even Patterson and Whittingham regressed (the latter even more in 3rd Power year) ... then what's gonna be next in 2-3 years of the Big XII if we don't get 'results' then too? Another 8 figures by 2027?!

Not to mention goes down with it, especially donations! We already have enough 'threatening' around here. No donor should do that to an AD and its program.


Heupel could not recruit the G5! And don't think the lower P4 would be any better than the upper P4!

Statistically, we are going to **** ourselves. Hysteresis is a real thing, and I'm risk adverse. Especially since TCU didn't do it to Patterson, and Utah didn't do it to Whittingham, not even in Year 3 after he dropped even further.

Statistically, we are going to **** ourselves, and we'll also be reversing course on rejecting loyalty and refusing to let a HC to 'build a program.' We all 'pat ourselves on the back' with O'Leary-Frost, but Heupel took us down.

But we were going to give Heupel 5-6 years, at least, so ... why not Gus at least 5 (4 recruiting classes, he didn't have 2021), and 3 in the P4? Nope, Gus has gotta go! And we need to spend the $12M+ to do it too! Sigh ...

We are seriously flirting with becoming the s. Florida of the new Big XII if we do, just like they did in the Big East.

Good post.

I warned Auburn over and over and over and over and over and over x 1,000 what would happen if it fired Gus.

And now, 19-25 later: "I told y'all so."

Don't be stupid.

The best thing any UCF fan can do is invest in the program regardless of who the head coach is because the program will be there after the head coach is gone.

 

[UCFBS]

If our recruiting was so bad before Gus got here, why did Gus lose to a UCF team filled with lowly recruits up and down the roster?

None of the HS players were Gus recruits. He came in after the 2021 signing day. I thought most knew that? Several were 'on their way out' before Heupel left too. Changes in rules too.

And if people want to use the pandemic for Heupel's excuse, they have to also do it for Gus. So that 'cancels out.' We have to look at everything else.

I.e., only O'Leary coming in late 2003 was worse off than Gus in late winter 2021, but at least O'Leary had a 2004 recruiting class!

Is it maybe because he’s elite at doing less with more?

I'm open to anyone suggesting a replacement like a P4 OC, or even DC, a solid one. No more G5 HCs. No more Dinos. Seriously! They've ****ed Florida, Auburn, Nebraska and dozens upon dozens of other programs.

I even said Scott Frost was an excellent P5 OC if we were going to go offense first -- a minority viewpoint at the time (although possibly a #3 or even close #2 for most) -- but said we'd have to give him 5 years given O'Leary's recruits were ball control and defense-oriented. I thought a control/defense HC could get it done in 3 with O'Leary's recruits.

Luckily Frost was able to change a lot up, including Shaq as a speedy LB, instead of DB, and we had an even better D in 2017, than 2016, and our offense -- because Frost played Milton (much to the hate against both by the fans) -- was experienced in Year 2. The fans boo'ing Frost and hating on Milton were wrong, and we're very lucky Frost talked Milton out of transfering after 2016.

Heck, fans here poorly evaluated JRP, who wasn't even 100% many games. In the end, JRP having 2 years is why we were competitive in all but 1 Big XII game our first year. I just wish we would have won half of them, making us at least 5-4, instead of 3-6.

That's my only criticism of Gus at times, even if it's happening a lot to all programs in the Transfer Era. I would have played Brown from Miami after the abysmal Game 1. You could even see Gus' frustration at times when KJ came up, and sometimes it was near contempt when he spoke of him about practices. I think there's a commitment difference, but that's just me.

I hope Brown stays, if not gets more playing time, and is told he is the future by the season's end. But ... it's the Transfer Era.

 

[AuburnLegacy_1]

If our recruiting was so bad before Gus got here, why did Gus lose to a UCF team filled with lowly recruits up and down the roster?

Is it maybe because he’s elite at doing less with more?

Maybe it was because AUBURN did not GAS about beating UCF.

Maybe it is because AUBURN was not motivated to be playing a meaningless bowl game when it should have been playing for a national championship.

Maybe it was because the star running back was injured.

Maybe it was because AUBURN players were smoking weed on a beach the night before they game.

Maybe it was because AUBURN players cared more about their draft stock than some game they were forced to play because it happened prior to the advent of opt outs.

This is the first time you have heard any of these arguments, correct? They are all "news" to you right? I have only said them like 20 times on here.

 

[Willie Knightime]

That was my thought as well. I think we need it for consistency and to see what he is truly capable of. Last season we were playing an AAC team against established Big12 rosters and our main wins were against former AAC teams that were in the same boat as us that we beat. We are playing much better teams than the AAC as we don't have the ECU, Temple, SMU, UConn, or USF teams. The majority of the teams in the conference are actually decent to good and with the exception of Kansas have been consistently decent to good for 5+ years. Sure some teams have a down year but as long as UCF can win 6 games, we are still a decent team. There have been 12 teams that have jumped conferences and only 4 of them have winning records over the last 10 years. So as long as we can maintain a winning record, we are doing better than 2/3's of others who have been here before.

Am I upset at the way our team played the last two weeks? Yes. I thought the Colorado game we looked off the entire game and couldn't figure out why we looked like we had no fight. Against Florida, I thought the offense struggled and just couldn't get into the game. I don't think Florida was that good, we just kept making mistakes. I'm not sure what is going on in the locker room but I do agree that we need someone on the team to step up and be a leader. If that is going to be Jefferson, then he needs to do or say something to the team to get everyone on board. If it is going to be another QB on the roster, then so be it. I want to see our team develop and right now, I don't believe the team looks prepared so I blame the coaches, specifically the DC, the OC, and I'm not quite sure if the problems are with the QB or the QB coach. I was spoiled with KZ, DG, MK, and even JRP as each of these QBs showed more emotion on the side line and after each play. While Gus may be struggling, I don't think he's lost the team like the prior coach when our players were fighting on the sidelines at the Tulsa game and he just kept staring at the field. I think we are getting close to the point as morale is low but I still think the team has potential to win more games.

SMU seems to be doing just fine year 1 in the ACC. As did we our first year in the Big East in 2013 after jumping from C-USA. Hell, we won the freaking conference championship. So I don't buy the argument about needing more time to compete in the P4. Gus just isn't a coach.

 

[ZFG]

Maybe it was because AUBURN did not GAS about beating UCF.

Maybe it is because AUBURN was not motivated to be playing a meaningless bowl game when it should have been playing for a national championship.

Maybe it was because the star running back was injured.

Maybe it was because AUBURN players were smoking weed on a beach the night before they game.

Maybe it was because AUBURN players cared more about their draft stock than some game they were forced to play because it happened prior to the advent of opt outs.

This is the first time you have heard any of these arguments, correct? They are all "news" to you right? I have only said them like 20 times on here.

1. Can't get up for a NY6, that's your own problem. But Auburn's players said otherwise, and their actions said otherwise (such as pile driving Adrian Killins who talked pregame smack).
2. I think you meant UCF here. We were playing a "meaningless" bowl game when we should have been playing for the national title.
3. He played.
4. There are no beaches in Atlanta.
5. Seems like the best way to help your draft stock is to perform at a high level in a big game.

 

[Colonel Mortimer]

Statistically, we are going to **** ourselves. Hysteresis is a real thing, and I'm risk adverse. Especially since TCU didn't do it to Patterson, and Utah didn't do it to Whittingham, not even in Year 3 after he dropped even further.

This comparison just makes no sense, I'm sorry. If this were Frost in his 8th year at UCF, he had led us to that long winning streak and Peach Bowl win and we were struggling to adjust to the Big 12, that would be an apt comparison, because he would be firmly entrenched in the program, had led us to heights we hadn't been to before, that would make sense, because that's what Patterson and Whittingham had done prior to the Big 12 move. Gus hadn't done shit, he had only been here 2 years, we had lost 9 games over 2 years in the AAC, which sucked. The greatest thing Gus has done and will do for this program is lose to us in the Peach Bowl.

 

[UCFBS]

SMU seems to be doing just fine year 1 in the ACC.

I'm wondering what would have happened if we got into the ACC? The ACC is dogsh-- right now, no offense. Even Cal is competing for Maker's sake!

As did we our first year in the Big East in 2013 after jumping from C-USA. Hell, we won the freaking conference championship. So I don't buy the argument about needing more time to compete in the P4. Gus just isn't a coach.

There is a huge jump to the Big XII. TCU and Utah all required 3-4 years.

 

[Bring Back Wackadoos]

Maybe it was because AUBURN did not GAS about beating UCF.

Maybe it is because AUBURN was not motivated to be playing a meaningless bowl game when it should have been playing for a national championship.

Maybe it was because the star running back was injured.

Maybe it was because AUBURN players were smoking weed on a beach the night before they game.

Maybe it was because AUBURN players cared more about their draft stock than some game they were forced to play because it happened prior to the advent of opt outs.

This is the first time you have heard any of these arguments, correct? They are all "news" to you right? I have only said them like 20 times on here.

You are a fraud getting more and more exposed each time you post something on here, just like the coach you stalk.

Smoking weed on a beach in Atlanta? A RB hurt that quite clearly played (and played well). Not getting up for a NY6 game?

I’m done wasting my time interacting with you.

 

[AuburnLegacy_1]

You are a fraud getting more and more exposed each time you post something on here, just like the coach you stalk.

Smoking weed on a beach in Atlanta? A RB hurt that quite clearly played (and played well). Not getting up for a NY6 game?

I’m done wasting my time interacting with you.

A NY6 game PALES in comparison to the MNC Game.

It is like comparing Vienna Sausages to Filet Mignon.

 

[LoboCane]

This is a great read and will explain why Gus Malzone is failing at UCF exactly like he did at Auburn.

Why did Auburn pay Gus Malzahn $21.7 million to walk away? Offensive woes top list

Gus Malzahn nearly won a national championship in just his 14th game at Auburn. The seven seasons that followed were defined by a frustrating and futile attempt to scale the same heights.

www.espn.com

 

[Bring Back Wackadoos]

This is a great read and will explain why Gus Malzone is failing at UCF exactly like he did at Auburn.

Why did Auburn pay Gus Malzahn $21.7 million to walk away? Offensive woes top list

Gus Malzahn nearly won a national championship in just his 14th game at Auburn. The seven seasons that followed were defined by a frustrating and futile attempt to scale the same heights.

www.espn.com

The article is so prophetic. It’s almost like history often repeats itself.

Thank you for sharing. I can’t get over how accurate that article really is to what so many of us are feeling at the moment.

Fingers crossed, early retirement.

 

[BlakNGoldAllDay]

Heupel didn’t want DG? That’s new to me. He started every single game he was healthy for. When DG didn’t want to play for a coach he sat out season and left. He didn’t do that until Gus and his offense showed up.

 

[AuburnLegacy_1]

The article is so prophetic. It’s almost like history often repeats itself.

Thank you for sharing. I can’t get over how accurate that article really is to what so many of us are feeling at the moment.

Fingers crossed, early retirement.

If Malzahn retired THIS YEAR, which is laughable to even consider, he would retire as the 4th winningest coach in UCF history.

 

[Bring Back Wackadoos]

If Malzahn retired THIS YEAR, which is laughable to even consider, he would retire as the 4th winningest coach in UCF history.

Correct. 4th “winningest” is the dumbest (and honestly most fitting/appropriate) motto of the Grandpa Boom era.