FB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[02 Warhawk]

Exactly what I was going to say Sam...2021, last year we were probably the 2nd best team in the county
2020 - COVID
2019 - Stagg Bowl
2018 - lost in semi's, again maybe the second best team that year

We do look a little down this year, because in truth we probably are, but we have a completely new offensive staff, with a different offensive philosophy, new blocking scheme new way of bring in plays, no huddle...the list gets pretty long and oh by the way 10 new offensive starters and an entirely new offensive line (maybe the hardest position to play after QB)....I mean let that sink in, 5 new starters on the offensive line...I can't find another team in the top 10 that has more than 3.  The dude is probably closer to deserving a raise than he is to be fired.

I would agree. No chance he is let go. We're still the kings of the WIAC, which is a huge accomplishment in itself. Even in a down year, Whitewater still has a good chance to grab the title.

I know most here are probably sick of me saying this because I feel I consistently lean on it  , but since LL left it has always bugged me in the style in which we've exited the postseason. All of our losses (going back to 2015) haven't been close. I think we've lost by 17 points 2-3 times, and that's as close as it got. All the other losses get into the 20+ point range. Not sure if it's because we're not as talented as we think we are? Is the coaching staff not preparing the team good enough? Is the play calling holding them back? Or is it just the top tier team(s) each season are that much better than us? I just don't know. Maybe a combination all that?

[badgerwarhawk]

There are easily over 200 DIII programs that would LOVE to have Kevin Bullis at the helm.  We've become so spoiled by our success that nothing short of a national championship is acceptable and failing to get one clearly indicates you are somehow inferior.  It's ridiculously absurd.

I wish I had a dollar for every season I've sat through in which we did not make the playoffs.  I can tell you for certain that it's many more than those in which we have. You don't know how good you've had it since 2005. 

Just a crusty, cranky old man's opinion.   

[colinsteinke]

There are easily over 200 DIII programs that would LOVE to have Kevin Bullis at the helm.  We've become so spoiled by our success that nothing short of a national championship is acceptable and failing to get one clearly indicates you are somehow inferior.  It's ridiculously absurd.

I wish I had a dollar for every season I've sat through in which we did not make the playoffs.  I can tell you for certain that it's many more than those in which we have. You don't know how good you've had it since 2005. 

Just a crusty, cranky old man's opinion.   

Just because there are people who would love to have him doesn't mean he's the right fit at UWW. Yes, we've been spoiled. But that's not a reason to then say it's fine when he can't get his teams to meet expectations because our expectations are too high. It's not like we won one title and changed the expectations. We won six in a very short span, and were in the title game the other years for a long stretch. We're still getting top recruits. We're still winning the best conference in the nation, but our coaching staff can't seem to keep us up with a few other programs? To 02's point, if we're not as talented as we think we are, then we're not recruiting well enough.

UWW should still be a top destination for athletes. It should not be hard to recruit players here.

[SagatagSam]

There are easily over 200 DIII programs that would LOVE to have Kevin Bullis at the helm.  We've become so spoiled by our success that nothing short of a national championship is acceptable and failing to get one clearly indicates you are somehow inferior.  It's ridiculously absurd.

I wish I had a dollar for every season I've sat through in which we did not make the playoffs.  I can tell you for certain that it's many more than those in which we have. You don't know how good you've had it since 2005. 

Just a crusty, cranky old man's opinion.   

I went through the historical record for UWW (just because, as a Johnnie fan, I was ignorant of pretty much all things UWW prior to 2005). There were some lean years prior to Coach Perkins, and even a little bit of turbulence going through the 1980s and a few years in the 90s (see 3-7 in 1999, among others).

I think one of the benefits of D3 is that we don't act like D1 FBS, firing coaches for losing two or three games in a season.

And, the reason why I say you would want to know (at least internally as an AD) who to go after is that you don't want to fire someone like Bullis and realize that there really isn't anyone better out there. Colin said it himself that "five finalists [UWW] had for the [head football coaching] job weren't terribly impressive to begin with." It sounds like a total recipe for disaster if you fire a top tier coach because he hasn't "lucked his way into a national championship" after six seasons only to have another batch that you're not impressed with.

[colinsteinke]

There are easily over 200 DIII programs that would LOVE to have Kevin Bullis at the helm.  We've become so spoiled by our success that nothing short of a national championship is acceptable and failing to get one clearly indicates you are somehow inferior.  It's ridiculously absurd.

I wish I had a dollar for every season I've sat through in which we did not make the playoffs.  I can tell you for certain that it's many more than those in which we have. You don't know how good you've had it since 2005. 

Just a crusty, cranky old man's opinion.   

I went through the historical record for UWW (just because, as a Johnnie fan, I was ignorant of pretty much all things UWW prior to 2005). There were some lean years prior to Coach Perkins, and even a little bit of turbulence going through the 1980s and a few years in the 90s (see 3-7 in 1999, among others).

I think one of the benefits of D3 is that we don't act like D1 FBS, firing coaches for losing two or three games in a season.

And, the reason why I say you would want to know (at least internally as an AD) who to go after is that you don't want to fire someone like Bullis and realize that there really isn't anyone better out there. Colin said it himself that "five finalists [UWW] had for the [head football coaching] job weren't terribly impressive to begin with." It sounds like a total recipe for disaster if you fire a top tier coach because he hasn't "lucked his way into a national championship" after six seasons only to have another batch that you're not impressed with.

I think the difficulty with comparing the five finalists in 2014/2015 to what we could find now is that we don't know who applied or who the options were. We know who the search committee, chaired by an inexperienced AD, picked. So while the five finalists weren't impressive, maybe there were some impressive options that never made it to the public.

I've also wondered why, if Bullis is so great, why he stayed and wasn't brought along? Did they leave him behind? He took the interim job, but that might have just been because he was who was left after Lance took who he wanted to take.

[hazzben]

If you fired Bullis I think you'd have a brutal time getting great candidates. It's already been said, but this screams of the Osborne and Solich debacle. One idiot AD thinking he could easily  find someone better than Solich derailed a machine. And coaches were super skeptical to take the job  when they looked at a guy who had played for a national title, been ranked #1 in another season, and just gone 9-3, and still got canned. And the fans were pissed Solich got treated that way. I'd wager you'd have a fair share of UWW fans and alumni who'd be justifiably upset.

[badgerwarhawk]

Just to clear up a couple things:
'
1.  Bullis didn't go directly from DC to HC.  He was an associate HC under Lance for at least two seasons.
2.  Lance did offer Bullis the opportunity to go with him to Buffalo.  Bullis declined.  So you can stop wondering about that.
3.  Do you really think quality coaches are going to come flocking to WHITEWATER after we've fired a coach who has accomplished what Bullis has?  Seriously, you believe that? 
4.  Larry Kehres didn't apply. 

[emma17]

My opinions:
-Bullis's biggest/controllable failure is his complete disconnect with the offense. I've heard several interviews w him where he was asked specifics about the offense and he all but recuses himself, passing it off to the OC.
-Every big game loss under Bullis featured an offensive collapse.
-I'm not pushing for a change, that's up to the expectations of the administration.
-Yes BW, I do think coaches will flock to UWW for a shot at head coach of a program like UWW.
-UWW's futility in the years prior to the championship run is irrelevant. "Powered by Tradition" is the result of meeting elevated expectations. Bullis knew what he was getting into. Any successor knows what they are getting into.

What do the players expect when they make the decision to enroll at UWW? That's the question to me.

[SagatagSam]

If you fired Bullis I think you'd have a brutal time getting great candidates. It's already been said, but this screams of the Osborne and Solich debacle. One idiot AD thinking he could easily  find someone better than Solich derailed a machine. And coaches were super skeptical to take the job  when they looked at a guy who had played for a national title, been ranked #1 in another season, and just gone 9-3, and still got canned. And the fans were pissed Solich got treated that way. I'd wager you'd have a fair share of UWW fans and alumni who'd be justifiably upset.

What does the HC job at UWW pay these days?
Ambitious coaches may take a shot on a Nebraska because of the prospect of having a seven-year, $35 million contract plus incentives and a buy-out. D3 coaches, even at UWW, are not making nearly that. And, how many quality candidates does it scare off because not meeting expectations can really eff up your family life? Certainly not all, but there will be at least some that say, "pass."

UWW is a great job, and would certainly attract plenty of quality candidates. But, I think there's a lot of dangerous hubris in thinking that UWW will stay a top 5 D3 job always and forever if you start firing guys like Bullis.

[DuffMan]

UWW is a great job, and would certainly attract plenty of quality candidates.

Quality candidates, sure, but how many Lance Leipold or Larry Kehres level coaches are out there?  While Bullis may not be that "elite" coach you're looking for, he's certainly a quality coach.

[SagatagSam]

UWW is a great job, and would certainly attract plenty of quality candidates.

Quality candidates, sure, but how many Lance Leipold or Larry Kehres level coaches are out there?  While Bullis may not be that "elite" coach you're looking for, he's certainly a quality coach.

Duff now has to pay PJ Fleck $10 for unauthorized use of the word "elite." I'm sure he could appeal it on the basis that he didn't put it in all caps, but it's best to just pay the man and move on with your life.

[bleedpurple]

Just caught up reading the board. No one can accuse UW-W fans of lacking passion!  But let's relax a little bit guys.  The Hawks didn't beat up your little sister. We lost a football game.  Losing sucks and we will never get used to it. And we don't want to!  Venting is understandable and necessary.  But lest any readers who wander onto the board attach too much significance to what is being posted, we owe it to them to provide some reality.

So, if you are newer to the boards or to UW-W football, these facts are for you.

1. Coach Bullis isn't going anywhere until he chooses.
2. His overall coaching record is 74-12. His WIAC record is 42-4. As in the best conference in the country WIAC.
3. Also for visitors, the cumulative GPA of his players is over 3.0.
4. The graduation rate has increased under his watch.
5. His integrity and character is unquestioned.  I would trust my kid to him in a heartbeat.
6. He has outstanding relationships with players, coaches, other staff at the university, the administration, and the community.
7. He has mentality that we will play anyone at any time.

Our seasons have ended in disappointing fashion over the years or this discussion wouldn't even be happening.  Everyone has a right to their opinion. But the reality is that with all the euphoria of the National Championships, UW-W never wavered from our D-III philosophy.  Coach Bullis does his job the right way. Our AD is a great leader and a good man.  He isn't going to embarrass the university by pretending to be Steve Pederson.

[hazzben]

He isn't going to embarrass the university by pretending to be Steve Pederson.

lol, if there was an "AD War College", I would think a Steve Pederson analysis of what not to do would be on the syllabus for each cohort.

[Ice Bear]

Just caught up reading the board. No one can accuse UW-W fans of lacking passion!  But let's relax a little bit guys.  The Hawks didn't beat up your little sister. We lost a football game.  Losing sucks and we will never get used to it. And we don't want to!  Venting is understandable and necessary.  But lest any readers who wander onto the board attach too much significance to what is being posted, we owe it to them to provide some reality.

So, if you are newer to the boards or to UW-W football, these facts are for you.

1. Coach Bullis isn't going anywhere until he chooses.
2. His overall coaching record is 74-12. His WIAC record is 42-4. As in the best conference in the country WIAC.
3. Also for visitors, the cumulative GPA of his players is over 3.0.
4. The graduation rate has increased under his watch.
5. His integrity and character is unquestioned.  I would trust my kid to him in a heartbeat.
6. He has outstanding relationships with players, coaches, other staff at the university, the administration, and the community.
7. He has mentality that we will play anyone at any time.

Our seasons have ended in disappointing fashion over the years or this discussion wouldn't even be happening.  Everyone has a right to their opinion. But the reality is that with all the euphoria of the National Championships, UW-W never wavered from our D-III philosophy.  Coach Bullis does his job the right way. Our AD is a great leader and a good man.  He isn't going to embarrass the university by pretending to be Steve Pederson.

Ice Bear says +k

[emma17]

Just caught up reading the board. No one can accuse UW-W fans of lacking passion!  But let's relax a little bit guys.  The Hawks didn't beat up your little sister. We lost a football game.  Losing sucks and we will never get used to it. And we don't want to!  Venting is understandable and necessary.  But lest any readers who wander onto the board attach too much significance to what is being posted, we owe it to them to provide some reality.

So, if you are newer to the boards or to UW-W football, these facts are for you.

1. Coach Bullis isn't going anywhere until he chooses.
2. His overall coaching record is 74-12. His WIAC record is 42-4. As in the best conference in the country WIAC.
3. Also for visitors, the cumulative GPA of his players is over 3.0.
4. The graduation rate has increased under his watch.
5. His integrity and character is unquestioned.  I would trust my kid to him in a heartbeat.
6. He has outstanding relationships with players, coaches, other staff at the university, the administration, and the community.
7. He has mentality that we will play anyone at any time.

Our seasons have ended in disappointing fashion over the years or this discussion wouldn't even be happening.  Everyone has a right to their opinion. But the reality is that with all the euphoria of the National Championships, UW-W never wavered from our D-III philosophy.  Coach Bullis does his job the right way. Our AD is a great leader and a good man.  He isn't going to embarrass the university by pretending to be Steve Pederson.

I want to be careful in my response as I'm not advocating for a change. I also agree with your assessment of Coach Bullis' character- I get the feeling his players "would run through a wall for him". 

The game is for and about the players. I don't believe for a millisecond that players choose UWW because they have a burning desire to win the conference. I don't buy any of that.
If players are choosing UWW because they believe they have a legitimate shot at national championships, then the players are being sold short. Yes, UWW got to one Stagg and a couple semis. But UWW lost those games- and in a fashion that leaves some fans wondering as we are now.

I'll repeat. It's all about the offense. The first thing I'd do is require the OC to lock himself in a room for two days and watch game tape of 2013 and 2014. Upon exiting the locked room, the OC had better run an offense that operated exactly as the 2013 and 2014 teams. And no, it has nothing to do with who is playing quarterback.