Recruiting "expert" Tom Lemming's take on Mac

[Nedrick]

Came across and thought it was worth posting...

"LEMMING ON MCCARNEY: There is speculation Dan McCarney might be fired as the Iowa State coach if the Cyclones continue to struggle.

Iowa State is 3-6 heading into Saturday's game against Kansas and has lost four consecutive games.

"McCarney's done so much; I thought when he took it over it was the worst program of the 117 schools in Division I," Lemming said. "Temple was better than Iowa State when he took it over."

"Now Iowa State's really moved up and the fans still don't appreciate it. I think McCarney, if he ever got a chance to move on, he should move on because I think he's under-appreciated and I think he's done so much for the program."


Another apologist who believes Mac deserves a life-time contract. I guess he thinks that since ISU was supposedly the worst program in the country when Mac came on board that it will never be any better. (Seems to be a reoccuring theme with the national pundits)

 

[thunderdave]

So maybe it was the worst team in D1 when he took over, if he stays around long enough, he may have the worst team in D1 again.

 

[dccyclone25]

I seriously don't understand why they think we owe Mac something. Sure he got us to some bowls and raised the level of the program some, but this isn't a monarchy, it's a business. You don't just reach a certain level and say "Ahh, it's it great to be mediocre? Let's just stay here." You keep trying to get better, and if you have to replace somebody to do that, you do.

 

[Klubber]

We were bad when Mac came in, but I don't think we were the worst D-1 team in the country. But it makes a better argument for the keep Mac crowd, and outsiders like Lemming, who doesn't know much about ISU in the first place, but feels we as fans don't appreciate Mac.

Also, with the recent controversies involving Lemming steering recruits to certain schools, I really don't put much stock in anything he says.

 

[bootcy]

So maybe it was the worst team in D1 when he took over, if he stays around long enough, he may have the worst team in D1 again.

I doubt that we would drop to the bottom again, but we will be consistently sitting in the middle and that bowl/no bowl border, and not fighting for championships.

 

[CHim]

I don't see the lifetime contract thing anywhere in those quotes. He said if McCarney gets a chance to move on he should. How does that translate to lifetime contract. Just wondering.

 

[mt85]

"Now Iowa State's really moved up and the fans still don't appreciate it. I think McCarney, if he ever got a chance to move on, he should move on because I think he's under-appreciated and I think he's done so much for the program."

Here's the problem Tom. DM has been at ISU for 12 years, and yet for all that you feel he has accomplished, no offer has come along. Why is that?

If you dig a little deeper maybe you wouldn't be so willing to pass judgement on ISU fans.

 

[Kyle]

The problem is that none of these national pundits know their head from their a$$ when it comes to ISU football. None of them actually watch any of our games. They simply look at our budget, history, and record and judge from there. Few teams stay at the bottom forever. A few years of mediocrity during the most pathetic Big XII North period ever is not a huge accomplishment that should entitle Dan to keep his job despite dismal coaching.

 

[Ficklone02]

A similar situation to us would be Louisville about 4-5 years ago. Louisville was never real good at football and known as a basketball school. John L Smith really made them into a respected, but not feared program, kind of similar to ours in 01/02. Then he left for greener pastures, and people there probably said well thats it--we're probably never going to find another guy like that.

Turns out that was the best thing that could have happened. I don't know where Petrino came from, but he is an amazing offensive mind. But backpedaling to my original thought, don't you get the feeling that McCarney and John L Smith are similar coaching commodities? Good enough to get you some 7 win seasons, but will crash and burn when faced with stiff competition.

 

[clone52]

I doubt that we would drop to the bottom again, but we will be consistently sitting in the middle and that bowl/no bowl border, and not fighting for championships.

Fact: He has been fighting for championships the last 2 seasons.

Say what you want about choking in those seasons, easy schedule, down years in the conference and underachieving this year (and I agree), but to say we will not be fighting for championships after doing it 2 of the past three years is kind of unfair (although it may be true).

At the very least, we need to overhaul the offensive coaches and maybe a new head coach is the right call. I don't know.

 

[Lastplace]

Lemming is thinking like Bruce Vandevelde....and i cant decide which one is uglier. Seriously, does anyone NOT appreciate what Mac has done?! I certainly appreciate what he has done, but we have hit a wall...he has taken us this far, and we want a new direction. His comments are totally off base when he says we dont appreciate what he has done.

 

[clonomaniac]

MACARNEY MAXED OUT

LET HIM GO

LET HIM GO

LET HIM GO

 

[Clonefan94]

Things like this just show how much disrespect ISU had and still has in the country. It's that same old line,in a different chicken suit, "You guys used to really suck, now, you don't suck every year, just be thankful you still don't suck every year!" I am really sick and tired of people outside of this fan base telling us what we should do and how bad we are for not giving Mac a lifer! Give me a break, if this were Calahan at NU 12 years later and giving Nu winless big XII seasons do think their sentiment would be the same? Holy crap. I am so tired of everyone saying that because we used to be so bad, we should expect nothing more than to not be so bad. Stick to recruiting Lemming, you don't know ISU football, you don't know the fans and you really don't have any idea of what we should expect from our football team.

It's easy for people outside to see us as the loveable losers. As long as we aren't beating their teams, everyone wants to cheer for us. Heck, I don't think NU should have got rid of Solich, but, most fans would disagree with me. When you live and breath Cyclone football, I don't think of what used to be. I think of what should be.

 

[Nedrick]

I don't see the lifetime contract thing anywhere in those quotes. He said if McCarney gets a chance to move on he should. How does that translate to lifetime contract. Just wondering.

It's basically implied. Lemming never questions where the program is now - only where he brought it out of. Why would he think Mac should move on unless Lemming thought he deserved to be here a long time? (Besides being "underappreciated")

 

[ISUFan22]

I'm with ya Lastplace.

Love D-Mac for what he's done here - worship him for it in fact. He was the perfect guy to do it.

Now it's time for both sides to go their separate ways.

 

[Wesley]

Fact: He has been fighting for championships the last 2 seasons.

Say what you want about choking in those seasons, easy schedule, down years in the conference and underachieving this year (and I agree), but to say we will not be fighting for championships after doing it 2 of the past three years is kind of unfair (although it may be true).

At the very least, we need to overhaul the offensive coaches and maybe a new head coach is the right call. I don't know.

I woukld like to think we can maintain a rating of 50 ouit of 117 teams each year. I would like to think we have a real chance to win any of our home games. I would like to never be the worst team in the Big 12.

Nebraska has not won the North since 1999. They have won once in a group of weak sisters. Their fans are now starting to give up on Callahan.

We have never won ever Big Eight or North 12. Maybe it really is time to gamble on a different set of coaches. Can we be much worse if we pick the next group wisely. It is still about recruiting kids from Oklahoma and Texas and Florida and California. We just need a new group that can be better recruiters than #117.

Lots of teams are having trouble getting commitments from oline and defensive secondary people. Apparently there are more D-1 teams out there than there are D-1 players to fill the roles even at 85 schollies.

 

[ISUAlum2002]

8-25 in our last 33 conference games. That's all I have to say.

 

[Land Shark]

I am sick and tired of media types telling me how I should feel. Hey (feel free to insert media member name here-in this case it is Tom), go criticize and support your own school and keep your mouth shut!!!

Clearly, Tom didn't see Ohio, UNLV and Okie State play from 1993 to 1996. (actually UNLV did go bowling in 1994 under Jeff Horton) but that program was still not strong. They won the old WCC title and played at home in a bowl game)

Ohio had just hired Jim Grobe.

We were bad (0-10-1 and I went to every game but CU that year) but not the worst team in the country)

Tom just made me switch recruiting services.

 

[URBCLONE]

Thanks for this thread, guys. I appreciate all of the sentiments being expressed. I totally agree. No one from the outside should be telling ISU fans to be content with mediocrity or worse.

BTW - ISU22, great posts lately.

 

[tec71]

Whether Mac stays or goes, please don't actually argue how bad we were when he got here. Dead last. Dead. Absolutely and unconditionally. Not a chance in hell of winning. Terrible. there were high school teams in the US, no change that, in Polk County that could have given us a run. To say we were anything but ranked in the hundreds is moronic.