UC Football, the alternative world....

[Masterofreality]

With all the hysteria about UC football, even drawing the Snipemeister into its tangled web, it got me to thinking.....

UC football was always the very, very poor stepchild when BeelzeBob ruled at Clifton. He wanted it that way because he got all the resources handed to him. The Coiffed one had so much power that he was able to have athletic directors fired and school presidents cower.

If Chuggy Bear was still at UC, would their football program have progressed to where it is now? And where are all of the Nancy Zimpher critics in this positive hype?

Discuss......

[GuyFawkes38]

The big change for UC's football program was their entry into the Big East. I don't think Huggins has much relevance.

[Jumpy]

I'm not sure that you can definitively say that it is due to them joining the Big East and nothing to do with Huggs. Truth is the two coincided, which muddies the waters. I will say that UC hasn't had this kind of success until they hired better football coaches, which is something I could definitely see Bob's giant ego being opposed to.

[waggy]

I've always felt there was pressure from the Big East for UC to restructure the athletic department, most specifically Huggins. The Big East needed, and I'm sure required, UC to invest heavily in the football program. UC was invited not because they were good at football, but simply because they had a program. The BE didn't need the basketball program - they have plenty of good basketball programs - and probably isn't all that concerned how well it does.

[wkrq59]

:D Guy, Jumpy, Waggy,
You're all right re:Bearcat football. Bottom line, Huggins was a millstone around the neck of UC as an academic institution and especially as far as the reputation of its sports programs was concerned.
He had Taylor fired as AD and the buyout of his contract cost. He made Louyer fall on the sword and severely wronged Charles Williams ruining any chance he had of playing after college. The kid probably didn't belong in college.
He caused the university to spend half a million to save $340,000 in NCAA tournament money.
That said, it wasn't so much Bob Goin but Joe Steger. And it cost UC $3-million to get rid of him.
Yes, the Big East strongly suggested to Nancy Zimpher and Bob Goin and later Thomas that they keep Huggins on a choke-chain type of leash.
Goin gets the big kudos for sowing the seeds of development that Dontonio and Kelly have brought to the football program.
Despite the rivalry that has always existed between the two schools, it was never as nasty and bitterly personal as it was during Huggins tenure. That's over now, and the UC football program is a credit to this city and done right could be a revenue producer in the future. It only makes sense to root for it to succeed if for no other reason, for the city. :D

[Kahns Krazy]

It's a chicken and egg, except we know which came first. Without Huggins, no way UC gets into the Big East. Without the Big East, UC's football program remains irrelevant (or even more irrelevant, if you believe the Fawker). If Huggs is still there, I don't think Brian Kelly comes/stays there.

The dominoes all lined up perfectly for the UC football team to assume it's current status. so....
If Chuggy Bear was still at UC, would their football program have progressed to where it is now? And where are all of the Nancy Zimpher critics in this positive hype?

1)No. 2) The Nancy Zimpher critics are like cattle pushing to get to the front of the slaughterhouse line without knowing why. The word "Zimpher" still draws audible boos, even after UC clinched the Big East. Most of the anti-Nancy sheeple have no idea why Bob Huggins isn't here anymore. They will all tell you Nancy fired him. Didn't happen. Fat-ass quit. Up and quit on his beloved fans, and they still think he is a god.

[GoMuskies]

Maybe Bob Huggins is responsible for destroying the WV football program, too, which again paved the way for UC's newfound football prominence.

[GuyFawkes38]

:D Guy, Jumpy, Waggy,
You're all right re:Bearcat football. Bottom line, Huggins was a millstone around the neck of UC as an academic institution and especially as far as the reputation of its sports programs was concerned.
He had Taylor fired as AD and the buyout of his contract cost. He made Louyer fall on the sword and severely wronged Charles Williams ruining any chance he had of playing after college. The kid probably didn't belong in college.
He caused the university to spend half a million to save $340,000 in NCAA tournament money.
That said, it wasn't so much Bob Goin but Joe Steger. And it cost UC $3-million to get rid of him.
Yes, the Big East strongly suggested to Nancy Zimpher and Bob Goin and later Thomas that they keep Huggins on a choke-chain type of leash.
Goin gets the big kudos for sowing the seeds of development that Dontonio and Kelly have brought to the football program.
Despite the rivalry that has always existed between the two schools, it was never as nasty and bitterly personal as it was during Huggins tenure. That's over now, and the UC football program is a credit to this city and done right could be a revenue producer in the future. It only makes sense to root for it to succeed if for no other reason, for the city. :D

Q speaks the truth. I agree with this all. I think my answer was a little too simplistic.

[X-band '01]

Maybe Bob Huggins is responsible for destroying the WV football program, too, which again paved the way for UC's newfound football prominence.

The major difference is that football is king at West Virginia, unlike UC. Huggins isn't going to be able to drag down WVU's program.

[gladdenguy]

The major difference is that football is king at West Virginia, unlike UC. Huggins isn't going to be able to drag down WVU's program.

I think the coach WVU has now in football (can't think of his name) will drag them down himself.