FIRE WALT BELL!

[dennisdent]

Agreed! After Whip was suspended there was no way No Drama Bamford would have him back. Whip was burned out but a Burned Out Whip is a million times the coach that nice guy Dumb Bell is today and every day he's been at UMass.

[Quann]

yup. i have always been in favor of having a Defense guy as head coach at our level. Then pay $$ to make sure you have good OC..even an option guy.

Like I said above.. we should run the ball down Rhode Islands throat next Saturday, but we wont..

I do always like to give people a fair shot, especially in this situation where Bell started with nothing and had to deal a non year last season. If we lose either of next two then it is automatic decision but if we win both I think he is likely back. That said, yesterday was pitiful.. just needed to keep the game in the 45-24 range and he couldnt get that done.

Thank you for the honest reply Steve. It looks like he’s lost you as well which speaks volumes to how bad things have gotten. Only ones left to fall off the Bell wagon are Jack and Bamford.

I don’t think getting rid of Whipple when we did was a bad move. We were stagnating as a program and us looking to those years as looking pretty good now shows just how bad of a hire this has been. We owe Walt nothing, fire him now and start the search process. Take it out of Bamfords hands, he’s proven he knows nothing about hiring a good steward of the football program. Get a panel of football alumni and boosters together along with the chancellor and Meehan. I’m sure it’ll piss off Bamford but the university owes him nothing at this point.

[JoleonLescottsHair]

Here is a crazy idea: Walt Bell has failed and Ryan Bamford hasn’t landed the conference we would like. Let’s go with that. Seems true. But the level of denial here that UMass is a good match for D1 football continues to be the almost comical elephant in the room. Serious people. Maybe, just maybe we can’t attract a conference because we have nothing to offer and maybe Bell is about the quality we can expect given our shitty status. Here’s a tip- a proven, decent coach ain’t coming through the door. Now we are about to play 2 former Yankee conference foes for our two wins; an outcome which could have happened before any “upgrade.”

Whatever your tailgate rules, UMass student aren’t ready to pack McGuirk if we somehow grab a decent coach and manage to pull off a 7-5 season. I promise. Invest in hockey and hoops. And maybe lacrosse and baseball and women’s soccer. Major college football in New England is a dead proposition. We once had legit 1AA glory. Now Dennis Dent, Rene Ingoglia and Marchel Shipp weep at what has happened to this program. It didn’t need to be this way. We were once proud. We can be again, but it takes a little reality check. Winning the national championship in 1998 was cool. Losing to Liberty by 45 points is not. Just end this nonsense.

[Merlin Samuels]

Thankfully, UMass is investing in football and it is nice to know Bamford is against dropping down to FCS.

I was really hoping the MAC would work out, but it seems like he’s pitching C-USA football membership.

[eldonabe]

Here is a crazy idea: Walt Bell has failed and Ryan Bamford hasn’t landed the conference we would like. Let’s go with that. Seems true. But the level of denial here that UMass is a good match for D1 football continues to be the almost comical elephant in the room. Serious people. Maybe, just maybe we can’t attract a conference because we have nothing to offer and maybe Bell is about the quality we can expect given our shitty status. Here’s a tip- a proven, decent coach ain’t coming through the door. Now we are about to play 2 former Yankee conference foes for our two wins; an outcome which could have happened before any “upgrade.”

Whatever your tailgate rules, UMass student aren’t ready to pack McGuirk if we somehow grab a decent coach and manage to pull off a 7-5 season. I promise. Invest in hockey and hoops. And maybe lacrosse and baseball and women’s soccer. Major college football in New England is a dead proposition. We once had legit 1AA glory. Now Dennis Dent, Rene Ingoglia and Marchel Shipp weep at what has happened to this program. It didn’t need to be this way. We were once proud. We can be again, but it takes a little reality check. Winning the national championship in 1998 was cool. Losing to Liberty by 45 points is not. Just end this nonsense.

Unfortunately this is as true a statement as anything.... it also smacks of the denial that exists in the boneyard. They thought that their hoop success meant they were an automatic P5 invite. The reality of it was that they have nothing to offer to a P5 conference - which is why they have had to plan B this thing and go back to the BE.

UMass is a Niche' D1 program - they need to stick to their knitting.

- The media market is basically in purgatory between NYC and Boston
- The region as a whole is a Pro Sports town (and hockey)
- The football "stadium" is terrible (and that is a kind assessment)
- The fan base and region as a whole is just not big enough to support "big boy" football and it never will be - which reverts back to the statement above about the shitty stadium. UMass cannot afford a "build it and they will come" investment. A full Mullins is a nightmare commute after a game, could you even fathom a full McGuirk commute with 17K (let alone a real stadium of 40K or 50K)?


I honestly don't know how much of this you can lay directly on the feet of Bamford - hoops or football. It is not like the guy can cherry pick his candidates - He inherited some pretty lousy stuff. IMO he did a good job with Hockey and women's hoops. Basketball and Football are a different animal though. Much more high profile and tough to hire anything other than an "up and comer". Those are always a hit or miss proposition and Umass is going to be a stepping stone for 99.9% of any decent coaches coming here.

Add to the above that you need to give a coach 3 years at minimum to see if they can do it BUT no coach wants less than 5 years for a contract to come here.....

The stepping stone can work but you still need to right person to get the momentum going - THEN Bamford has to be able to roll over new coaches to sustain that momentum.

[McKinney]

Perhaps UMass and C-USA should convince our old friends in the Yankee Conference to move up.

Maine has that $90M gift to the athletics dept to burn.

[Floyd]

Eldon, you're killing me man with all this gloomy outlook of reality.

[eldonabe]

Eldon, you're killing me man with all this gloomy outlook of reality.

We all want this to work (well most of us do anyways), but Umass has not been successful getting around the same obstacles that have been in their way since the beginning of this experiment.

[dennisdent]

Akron just fired their coach, the one actual coach that Walt Bell beat...Wish Bell would join him! Bell is making 200+k a year more than Arth was at Akron!!!

https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/spo ... 276487001/

[ZooMass84]

Here is a crazy idea: Walt Bell has failed and Ryan Bamford hasn’t landed the conference we would like. Let’s go with that. Seems true. But the level of denial here that UMass is a good match for D1 football continues to be the almost comical elephant in the room. Serious people. Maybe, just maybe we can’t attract a conference because we have nothing to offer and maybe Bell is about the quality we can expect given our shitty status. Here’s a tip- a proven, decent coach ain’t coming through the door. Now we are about to play 2 former Yankee conference foes for our two wins; an outcome which could have happened before any “upgrade.”

Whatever your tailgate rules, UMass student aren’t ready to pack McGuirk if we somehow grab a decent coach and manage to pull off a 7-5 season. I promise. Invest in hockey and hoops. And maybe lacrosse and baseball and women’s soccer. Major college football in New England is a dead proposition. We once had legit 1AA glory. Now Dennis Dent, Rene Ingoglia and Marchel Shipp weep at what has happened to this program. It didn’t need to be this way. We were once proud. We can be again, but it takes a little reality check. Winning the national championship in 1998 was cool. Losing to Liberty by 45 points is not. Just end this nonsense.

Ok I will point out a some things:
1) the last 10 years with the exception of Whip's 2017/2018 seasons have been misery. That is true. AND YES: a proven decent coach is NEVER coming through the door.

2) UMass student aren’t ready to pack McGuirk: But how do explain 15,000 fans storming the field after we beat UConn?
3) FCS is a non-starter. You are wrong that Major college football in New England is a dead proposition. Right now BC is playing Virginia Tech and TV crews are all over Beacon street and their stadium. BC plays major college football. their indoor practice field is better than our stadium.
4) I AGREE ON THIS ONE: Just end this nonsense: it is nonsense in that we play impossible schedules that are done for one reason and one reason only: $$$$$$$ I feel bad for the players.

[ZooMass84]

Akron just fired their coach, the one actual coach that Walt Bell beat...Wish Bell would join him! Bell is making 200+k a year more than Arth was at Akron!!!

https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/spo ... 276487001/

Thing is: who coaches the team? We are never going to get a proven, experienced coach. That was Mark Whipple and we ran him off.

[ZooMass84]

Here is a crazy idea: Walt Bell has failed and Ryan Bamford hasn’t landed the conference we would like. Let’s go with that. Seems true. But the level of denial here that UMass is a good match for D1 football continues to be the almost comical elephant in the room. Serious people. Maybe, just maybe we can’t attract a conference because we have nothing to offer and maybe Bell is about the quality we can expect given our shitty status. Here’s a tip- a proven, decent coach ain’t coming through the door. Now we are about to play 2 former Yankee conference foes for our two wins; an outcome which could have happened before any “upgrade.”

Whatever your tailgate rules, UMass student aren’t ready to pack McGuirk if we somehow grab a decent coach and manage to pull off a 7-5 season. I promise. Invest in hockey and hoops. And maybe lacrosse and baseball and women’s soccer. Major college football in New England is a dead proposition. We once had legit 1AA glory. Now Dennis Dent, Rene Ingoglia and Marchel Shipp weep at what has happened to this program. It didn’t need to be this way. We were once proud. We can be again, but it takes a little reality check. Winning the national championship in 1998 was cool. Losing to Liberty by 45 points is not. Just end this nonsense.

Unfortunately this is as true a statement as anything.... it also smacks of the denial that exists in the boneyard. They thought that their hoop success meant they were an automatic P5 invite. The reality of it was that they have nothing to offer to a P5 conference - which is why they have had to plan B this thing and go back to the BE.

UMass is a Niche' D1 program - they need to stick to their knitting.

- The media market is basically in purgatory between NYC and Boston
- The region as a whole is a Pro Sports town (and hockey)
- The football "stadium" is terrible (and that is a kind assessment)
- The fan base and region as a whole is just not big enough to support "big boy" football and it never will be - which reverts back to the statement above about the shitty stadium. UMass cannot afford a "build it and they will come" investment. A full Mullins is a nightmare commute after a game, could you even fathom a full McGuirk commute with 17K (let alone a real stadium of 40K or 50K)?


I honestly don't know how much of this you can lay directly on the feet of Bamford - hoops or football. It is not like the guy can cherry pick his candidates - He inherited some pretty lousy stuff. IMO he did a good job with Hockey and women's hoops. Basketball and Football are a different animal though. Much more high profile and tough to hire anything other than an "up and comer". Those are always a hit or miss proposition and Umass is going to be a stepping stone for 99.9% of any decent coaches coming here.

Add to the above that you need to give a coach 3 years at minimum to see if they can do it BUT no coach wants less than 5 years for a contract to come here.....

The stepping stone can work but you still need to right person to get the momentum going - THEN Bamford has to be able to roll over new coaches to sustain that momentum.

You can lay almost none of this at Bamford's feet with the exception of the scheduling. We play nearly impossible schedules: 3 ACC teams? really? and scheduling 2 FCS teams at the end of the season?

[PreecherJenkins]

Here is a crazy idea: Walt Bell has failed and Ryan Bamford hasn’t landed the conference we would like. Let’s go with that. Seems true. But the level of denial here that UMass is a good match for D1 football continues to be the almost comical elephant in the room. Serious people. Maybe, just maybe we can’t attract a conference because we have nothing to offer and maybe Bell is about the quality we can expect given our shitty status. Here’s a tip- a proven, decent coach ain’t coming through the door. Now we are about to play 2 former Yankee conference foes for our two wins; an outcome which could have happened before any “upgrade.”

Whatever your tailgate rules, UMass student aren’t ready to pack McGuirk if we somehow grab a decent coach and manage to pull off a 7-5 season. I promise. Invest in hockey and hoops. And maybe lacrosse and baseball and women’s soccer. Major college football in New England is a dead proposition. We once had legit 1AA glory. Now Dennis Dent, Rene Ingoglia and Marchel Shipp weep at what has happened to this program. It didn’t need to be this way. We were once proud. We can be again, but it takes a little reality check. Winning the national championship in 1998 was cool. Losing to Liberty by 45 points is not. Just end this nonsense.

Unfortunately this is as true a statement as anything.... it also smacks of the denial that exists in the boneyard. They thought that their hoop success meant they were an automatic P5 invite. The reality of it was that they have nothing to offer to a P5 conference - which is why they have had to plan B this thing and go back to the BE.

UMass is a Niche' D1 program - they need to stick to their knitting.

- The media market is basically in purgatory between NYC and Boston
- The region as a whole is a Pro Sports town (and hockey)
- The football "stadium" is terrible (and that is a kind assessment)
- The fan base and region as a whole is just not big enough to support "big boy" football and it never will be - which reverts back to the statement above about the shitty stadium. UMass cannot afford a "build it and they will come" investment. A full Mullins is a nightmare commute after a game, could you even fathom a full McGuirk commute with 17K (let alone a real stadium of 40K or 50K)?


I honestly don't know how much of this you can lay directly on the feet of Bamford - hoops or football. It is not like the guy can cherry pick his candidates - He inherited some pretty lousy stuff. IMO he did a good job with Hockey and women's hoops. Basketball and Football are a different animal though. Much more high profile and tough to hire anything other than an "up and comer". Those are always a hit or miss proposition and Umass is going to be a stepping stone for 99.9% of any decent coaches coming here.

Add to the above that you need to give a coach 3 years at minimum to see if they can do it BUT no coach wants less than 5 years for a contract to come here.....

The stepping stone can work but you still need to right person to get the momentum going - THEN Bamford has to be able to roll over new coaches to sustain that momentum.

You can lay almost none of this at Bamford's feet with the exception of the scheduling. We play nearly impossible schedules: 3 ACC teams? really? and scheduling 2 FCS teams at the end of the season?

Did Bamford hire the coach? This all lays at his feet. Thanks for posting Ryan.

[jjmc85]

2) UMass student aren’t ready to pack McGuirk: But how do explain 15,000 fans storming the field after we beat UConn?

There weren’t even 15,000 in the stadium that day, Nevermind rushing the field

[UMass1991]

Akron just fired their coach, the one actual coach that Walt Bell beat...Wish Bell would join him! Bell is making 200+k a year more than Arth was at Akron!!!

https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/spo ... 276487001/

Thing is: who coaches the team? We are never going to get a proven, experienced coach. That was Mark Whipple and we ran him off.

Whipper ran Whipple off the field. He didn’t care about his recruits going to class which is why so many never made past 2 years. Remember when a couple of players got in trouble off campus? Whip did nothing. Remember when he called for a fake punt against ND from his own 30 yard line on 4-12?