Great interest, but no great concern

by Dallasdomer, Saturday, January 25, 2025, 04:51 (15 days ago)

With the departure of Bowden to our biggest rival, I’m reflecting on where we were about this time just two years ago with the OC hire. So much anxiety about trying to swing for the fences and being disappointed with what seemed, at best, a base hit. And of course uncertainty about many other things that are now givens, like the expanded football facility.
Now? Sure the offseason is always more unpredictable and chaotic than fans anticipate.But I don’t have any real concern about anything. Not because hiring a new DC or GM isn’t important. It is. But now I just have very little doubt that MF will undertake a professional process, a complete analysis, and get it right. And that there will be “best in class” options for these positions and others that come open. Of course that’s not a guarantee that the outcome will be 100% successful—there are no guarantees—but the way this program exists now, from the top down starting at the AD, is so well-positioned for success that it’s hard to feel anything but a quiet confidence going forward. We do need to move the needle somewhat, maybe not dramatically, in high school recruiting by all accounts and I hope the consistent aura of excellence that permeates the program will start to pay off in that arena as well.

I'm half-expecting a complete overhaul on defense

by Jay @, San Diego, Saturday, January 25, 2025, 11:17 (14 days ago) @ Dallasdomer
edited by Jay, Saturday, January 25, 2025, 11:23

I know we all love Mike Mickens, but if he gets passed over for the DC job, it would make sense for him to look for opportunities elsewhere. Bummer to lose him, but it also makes the DC job itself more appetizing, as the incoming coordinator would be able to assemble his own team.

Hope for Knowles dimming

by BPH, San Diego, Saturday, January 25, 2025, 12:21 (14 days ago) @ Jay

Hope for Leonhard, and possibly retaining Mickens with a co-DC/assistant head coach for defense title, brightening.

this guy's name popping up

by Jay @, San Diego, Saturday, January 25, 2025, 15:23 (14 days ago) @ BPH

That's Johnny Spirit out of costume.

by Slainte Joe @, Raleigh, Sunday, January 26, 2025, 15:26 (13 days ago) @ Jay

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He was Row the Boat’s first mate, right?

by Savage, Around Ye Olde Colonial College, Saturday, January 25, 2025, 16:15 (14 days ago) @ Jay

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Just guessing

by Jeremy (WeIsND), Offices of Babip Pecota Vorp & Eckstein, Saturday, January 25, 2025, 14:50 (14 days ago) @ BPH

But if Leonhard comes and Mickens stays, I presume Leonhard would be sort of a bridge to Mickens eventually taking over when Leonhard gets an NFL DC or a HC coach in a year or two.

If they could sell it this way, would seem to be a home run.

Ha. Fickell has to f'ing hate Marcus at this point.

by Slainte Joe @, Raleigh, Saturday, January 25, 2025, 14:39 (14 days ago) @ BPH

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The team defense stats for Leonhard

by Dallasdomer, Saturday, January 25, 2025, 12:53 (14 days ago) @ BPH
edited by Dallasdomer, Saturday, January 25, 2025, 12:57

while at Wisconsin are elite over the course of multiple seasons. He would be equal to, or potentially even an improvement over, Golden (from standpoint of comparing a resume when Golden hired)

After skimming the archives for Leonhard

by BPH, San Diego, Saturday, January 25, 2025, 14:01 (14 days ago) @ Dallasdomer

it's funny to me that his name came up after Elko left, after Lea left, after Freeman was promoted and now for the fourth time with Golden gone. I had forgotten that Freeman had pretty advanced talks with him in early 2022 before hiring Golden.

well said

by KGB, Belly o. the Beast, Saturday, January 25, 2025, 06:29 (14 days ago) @ Dallasdomer

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Trying to hold it static never works

by Mike (bart), Saturday, January 25, 2025, 06:06 (14 days ago) @ Dallasdomer

You even look at a run like Clemson's and what helped them take off was:

1. Finding a well-established super coordinator on the opposite side of the ball from the head coach and

2. Taking their biggest value add position coach (WR/passing game coach) and making him OC. It gave their offense an identity (awesome WRs) and it was off to the races


Thinking of a guy like Bowden, it surprised me to find he's only 30. A great hire a few years ago for "we are going to kick things up a notch or die trying" but he also needs to find a modality beyond high-energy wildman young guy.

Like you say, it's really more fun/interesting to watch what's going to happen now that confidence and success are established

I also think Marcus himself is now more of a known

by ReginaldVelJohnson @, Saturday, January 25, 2025, 11:45 (14 days ago) @ Mike (bart)

quantity. At the beginning, I think we may have needed a guy like Bowden who could get wild and help get guys to buy-in and build a culture.

But at this point, I hope the culture he helped build is self-sustaining. And I think Marcus himself offers a lot of those relatable elements.

Totally correct

by Jeremy (WeIsND), Offices of Babip Pecota Vorp & Eckstein, Saturday, January 25, 2025, 14:46 (14 days ago) @ ReginaldVelJohnson

Needing to have a young hype guy/carnival barker makes sense when you're a first-time coach that's flown under the radar a bit.

I can't imagine there's a single high-level HS recruit that isn't at least curious to see what Freeman is about after the last few months. Maybe they won't visit, but I bet they'll take a phone call/text.

Bowden’s biggest contributions

by HumanRobot @, Cybertron, Saturday, January 25, 2025, 07:05 (14 days ago) @ Mike (bart)

We’re ruffling feathers at ND and pushing the envelope on recruiting, relative to where it was in the Late Stage Kelly era. Freeman probably saw a “throw it over the wall” approach in terms of what recruits would or would not fly, and brought in Bowden to be a lot more aggressive and collaborative with admissions.

Everybody loves Freeman’s success and there haven’t been many/any discipline problems with the kids brought in under his watch.

Let’s put it this way, if Lake Dawson goes to an admissions counselor and tells them to take a chance on X, it’s going to happen.

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Was Bowden an ND grad?

by beattherush @, Chicago, Saturday, January 25, 2025, 15:58 (14 days ago) @ HumanRobot

I would think there would be some advantages to having an alum in the recruiting coordinator position. Not so much for the GM.

Not saying it has to be an alum, but cultural fit is probably easier that way.

Pretty sure he went to Cincinnati

by Jeremy (WeIsND), Offices of Babip Pecota Vorp & Eckstein, Saturday, January 25, 2025, 16:33 (14 days ago) @ beattherush

I think he was a student assistant while Fickell and Freeman were there.

I’m not sure how we are going to

by Larz, Saturday, January 25, 2025, 10:52 (14 days ago) @ HumanRobot

Find a 30 year old person with very little actual leadership experience, but is able to dance at the South Bend airport with recruits and consistently lose the highest profile recruits, I mean for that sort of pedigree, you really have to pay top dollar. Lol.

I get the impression that he did good work with ND, but he may be getting a little more credit than is deserved. To be honest, I was skeptical the past couple of years. The young talent didn’t seem to be that much better. Although, I will say this year I thought the young talent was much better, especially on defense. I’m sure Bowden played a part in that.

Ultimately seems like USC might be a perfect fit for him and Riley is his kind of coach. A lot of style, but not sure how much substance is there. Congrats to him, he got paid and I’m sure he will do a fine job at SC. Would have liked to keep him, but I’m pretty confident we will be just fine without him.

Agree with all of this

by Jeremy (WeIsND), Offices of Babip Pecota Vorp & Eckstein, Saturday, January 25, 2025, 11:09 (14 days ago) @ Larz

If his most beneficial traits involved being energetic and a hard worker, I have little doubt that Marcus can identify folks to fill those roles very admirably.

Absolutely

by Larz, Saturday, January 25, 2025, 12:35 (14 days ago) @ Jeremy (WeIsND)

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Do you think Dawson is gonna be the guy?

by Mike (bart), Saturday, January 25, 2025, 07:19 (14 days ago) @ HumanRobot

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He’ll probably be the top initial candidate

by HumanRobot @, Cybertron, Saturday, January 25, 2025, 07:33 (14 days ago) @ Mike (bart)

His era of teammates are all around the program or the BOT.

If he wants to stay in Buffalo or try for an NFL GM spot, that’s another thing but he hasn’t really gotten any traction to move up the ladder.

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