@SIU Game Thread (10/4/25 @ 7pm ET)

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I'd argue if you came to Terre Haute, won consistently and turned State into a playoff contender in the MVFC against NDSU and SDSU, you're potentially getting a P4 job versus his current path would likely have to go a MAC/CUSA level and prove it again. Bigger boom/bust chance.
That’s a rainbow and butterfly’s scenario though. What are the chances of turning state into a playoff contender in this NIL era?
 
I would like to think a potential coach that’s having a great year and could play in post season playoffs, would feel good knowing a potential school sent him a message they are watching him, and not any further dialog until his season was over.
Shertz was the disgraced coach at the tournament talking to St. Louis only about money.
 
By waiting till the season is over? How would he get fired for that?

Because other teams that will be looking for coaches will have already contacted him and possibly been working on a contract. Look at Schertz signing his MOU with STL during the Missouri Valley Tournament. If you're an AD and wait and lose the top talent to other schools and end up with a Lou West or a Mallory, you're not going to be around long.

If you ID your next coach, you go and fucking get him.
 
That’s a rainbow and butterfly’s scenario though. What are the chances of turning state into a playoff contender in this NIL era?

It's highly unlikely. However, it is possible. If you get a handful of difference makers and if you can get a couple winning seasons maybe you can parlay it into more via attendance and donations. It worked for Miles after we went through the West era. Yes, not in NIL but we took some overlooked dudes and paired them with Englehart's (essentially Air Raid) scheme.

All I know is he wanted the job in the past so you kick the tires before someone else takes him off the lot.
 

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If we're going to blame anyone for the current state of the program, I'd put most of the blame on Clinkscales. Extending Mallory in 2022 was a real head scratcher even back then.

I know our schedule sucks, but losing 21-0 at the end of the 1st Quarter to Southern Illinois is completely ridiculous. Hopefully we can give South Dakota a game next weekend on Homecoming, but with all of the offensive injuries and our weak defense, we may not have a chance at another win until we play Murray State in the "Toilet Bowl" our very last game in the battle of the 0-7's.
 
Because other teams that will be looking for coaches will have already contacted him and possibly been working on a contract. Look at Schertz signing his MOU with STL during the Missouri Valley Tournament. If you're an AD and wait and lose the top talent to other schools and end up with a Lou West or a Mallory, you're not going to be around long.

If you ID your next coach, you go and fucking get him.
Well, I know for sure when they hired Lou West, a current D1 coach was told not to bother applying so they didnt actually get what was available.
 

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Andi Myers was interim AD when Raetz was fired/not renewed/resigned as Gallo had recently left for UNC. At his goodbye presser Raetz recommended McGuire (ISU DC at the time) to succeed him. Not sure if it was already a done deal with Myers and Dr. Moore but that is exactly what happened.

Andi also fired McGuire 5-6 years later and hired Lou West. A month or two after that she announced her retirement.

There was a lot going on behind the scenes with Raetz his last year or two and we all now know the imbecilic bungling of ISU football's funding/scholarships/possible Pioneer drop around the same time that goes beyond the West hiring. Todd Golden really exposed how certain ISU admins really had no clue what they were doing and it did untold damage. Between the West hire and the incompetent efforts to save money ISU ended up going on the nation's longest losing streak. From 2005-2009 ISU football won only 2 games and those two were close, one-score wins. Without those close wins it would have been a 62-game losing streak, second longest ever. As it is, the 33-game losing streak still goes down as one of the longest in FCS history.
 
Does anyone remember who the university President was and, also who the A.D. was when ISU dropped the men’s gymnastics and wrestling programs?
 
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