An open letter to the coaches

[The_Reaper]

Gentlemen,

  I know a lot of you look at these boards, and see what the atmosphere and opinions are. Trust me they are not good. When you hear the boos and jeers from our fans, it is not directed to the kids on the field, it is to you! When you see paying alums and backers leaving early, it's your fault. And when there has been an effort to put us on the map to get people to see who we are, they laugh! This is on you! I heard people laughing saying "at least we only paid $10.00 to watch this." You know, maybe the trailers weren't such a bad idea? Maybe that's where integrity and heart began. Maybe the cushy life for our athletes is not warranted, along with cushy offices. Maybe we are not prepared as before. Maybe there is no real leader on this team. Maybe there is no heart. Maybe coaching staff, it is time to take blame and fess up to what is wrong.

In the real world, if you performed with such mediocrity, you would be replaced. Maybe this is the answer.

If you do read these boards, furnish us with true answers, not rhetoric. Tell us why YOU were not, as CJL said last week "prepared?" It's answer time now .

[Knight_Light]

Gentlemen,

  I know a lot of you look at these boards, and see what the atmosphere and opinions are. Trust me they are not good. When you hear the boos and jeers from our fans, it is not directed to the kids on the field, it is to you! When you see paying alums and backers leaving early, it's your fault. And when there has been an effort to put us on the map to get people to see who we are, they laugh! This is on you! I heard people laughing saying "at least we only paid $10.00 to watch this." You know, maybe the trailers weren't such a bad idea? Maybe that's where integrity and heart began. Maybe the cushy life for our athletes is not warranted, along with cushy offices. Maybe we are not prepared as before. Maybe there is no real leader on this team. Maybe there is no heart. Maybe coaching staff, it is time to take blame and fess up to what is wrong.

In the real world, if you performed with such mediocrity, you would be replaced. Maybe this is the answer.

If you do read these boards, furnish us with true answers, not rhetoric. Tell us why YOU were not, as CJL said last week "prepared?" It's answer time now .

Powerful letter....sounds like a letter another team in the State of FL could use.

::grinrabbit::

KL

[Cubanbull]

When things go well coaches get praises, when things go bad coaches get blamed. Im not happy with many of the calls yesterday specially the one at the goal line. But i saw a good play call near the endzone and a GOOD pass by PJ to our wide open TE for a TD or 1st n goal from the one that he just plain DROPPED. I saw a swing pass to Crossley near the Memphis 20-30 yd line for a first down that he also PLAIN DROPPED. I also saw PJ miss wide open guys. So its easy to blame the coaches for their calls when players are NOT good enough or matured enough to run them.

[CyberBull]

Dear fans,

While the players and coaches really appreciate the support of the fans that bothered to show up this Saturday, we need to realize the realities of major college football. One, fans need to show up at games regardless of the record. Many on this coaching staff came from Big12 and Big10 programs where supporters of the program only needed to know what date and time to show up for football and basketball games. Now we realize that football is new for many of you so we are giving you a free pass. However, don't think that fickle fan support has not been noticed by the coaches and players.

Secondly, this past year was a rebuilding year. If you read the preseason quotes in the Tampa Tribune you should of known that this was going to be tough year. We have a lot of talent but  did Louisville two years ago and look at them now. So please don't act surprised or hold the players and staff responsible for your unreal expectations. Nobody on our staff has said that South Florida football has arrived.

Similarly, never question the heart and effort of these kids.  Please don't tell DeJuan Brown he wasn't giving it his all, as he tried to talk the coaching staff into letting him try and play with a cast on his wrist.  Perhaps we can arrange a mixer with some of you unsatisfied fans with our offensive linemen who have been playing through pain all year. Perhaps some of you can shadow some of our coaches through one our routine 17-hour days.  Some of our coaches have been with us since the beginning yet their reward for all their hard work is a below average salary.  Coaches have lives like anybody else thus their services cost money. If you want to retain your best coaches or attract new coaches you have to be able to pay them. That is not just greed talking but everyday life.

Finally, when I hear some of you gripe about our lack of QBs on the roster,  it is really perplexing. Have some of you already forgotten that we used to recruit out of a double wide? Do you realize how hard it is to recruit any good player never mind, elite QBs? In addition, talented offensive coaches are just as hard to recruit.  Perhaps if fans would have supported the program at a higher level the program would not have been stuck in the trailers as long as we were.Things are changing with the new facilities. We really, really appreciate the new building but all this facility does is bring us up to a level playing field with programs that have had facilities for years.

All in all, it has been a tough season. We played more young players than we ever had and these groups of kids have a chance to be special in a year or two.  In sum, if you are going to publicly challenge the integrity of the players and coaching staff and hold us accountable to your unrealistic expectations then all I ask is that you return the favor. I challenge you to fill the lower bowl every game next year. That in turn will make recruiting easier, bring more money into the program and most importantly not embarrass the university, our future conference and YOUR ALMA MATER on national TV.  If we want to be a big time program then we have to act like one on and off the field.

Actually it's not even your choice. I KNOW that the team will get better next year. The question remains whether YOU can keep your part of the bargain.

Best wishes,

The Coaching Staff*

[Cubanbull]

good reply cyber

[WoolyBully]

Excellent response CB! Some of us board rats need a slice of reality pie from time to time.

[E.T.]

But i saw a good play call near the endzone and a GOOD pass by PJ to our wide open TE for a TD or 1st n goal from the one that he just plain DROPPED.

It was dropped, but I wouldn't say "GOOD", it was behind him ... granted, it should have been caught.

This season is on ALL FootBULLS, not just coaches.

Beat Pitt !

Go BULLS !!!

[MikeG]

Thankfully, the team did not give up at any point this year. I can't say the same about some of our fans. The team is playing for their own pride every game-- doing their very best to try to make us proud. Anyone who claims they are doing anything less than trying their best just doesn't understand athletics. Balls get dropped, fumbled, intercepted. Tackles get missed. It is a game, not a certainty. You can coach a player to the be the very best they can be BUT in the end, the other player may just be better than that effort. Memphis, Louisville, USC, Cinci, USM, and even Army weren't going to let us just win without a struggle. The games we did win (TCU, UAB especially) weren't handed to us and could have also been lost. But the guys on the team NEVER QUIT. They didn't go to UAB and look at the line and say-- "hmmm-- we will lose this game" and proceed to just go through the motions. They battled-- just as hard as they battled in every game. Sometimes your best is NOT good enough. Sometimes you can't bring your best or perform at your peak. If I were one of those young men and saw the low turnout and so-so fan support we gave them on Saturday, it would not have inspired me. Imagine that stadium with another 10K fans screaming for their team-- that would have been a big boost to the team.

Good letter CB.

[smazza]

there we many games thAT THE EFFORT was not there

did the players give up? who knows

good letters reaper  and cb

i think  both players and coaches should be accountable

[The_Reaper]

Cyber,

First if you are a coach, let yourself be accountable. Your head mentor has said many times YOU WERE NOT PREPARED! Plain simple fact and it showed this season.

Second, the expectations ARE high for this team and school. YES, you have accomplished more in 8 years, than any school that comes to mind. BUT, the upward rise has to continue. You have found out that being 1-AA and moving to lower d 1 you were getting quality ballplayers. They panned out. But now since you are moving up to the upper D 1 arena, the quality is not there. The players have to be taught. Fundamentally speaking, they are not there YET! What is the problem there? Fundamentals are the basics of anything in life. How can you expect to play if the fundamentals are not there? This in my opinion needs to be addressed for next year. Don't you agree?

As for filling the bowl. you are right! WE DO NEED to fill the bowl, but in order to do this, we need to see a comporable product. The students have been turning out more and more. THEY WANT to support this program. But the 20,000 plus that come out religiously shold NOT be a contributing factor on how our team plays! I personally have been with the Bulls since day 1 in the Sombrero. I travled for every home game from Venice to support. Can you imagine my delight when I went back to school here at USF to be able to be closer to the teams? You can not believe. I know others feel the same way.

Yes you are right, you ARE underpaid. But does that limit you in your teachings? Do you say , "well I am only getting paid X amount, so I won't stress fundamentals today?"

Look, we support you. We die even more when you lose. We all cringe when we hear others down USF. BUT, we do deserve honest and true answers from you all. If you say we have done all we could this year and we just didn't have the talent, then we can accept this. This is honesty. But know this, there is a large fan base that wants you to succeed, me included.

Maybe this post will fire you all up for Pitt? Can everyone tell you after the game I gave it my all? Here is my challenge to you...If you beat Pitt, I will publically eat a raw chicken on the Sundome steps by the rec center and say this team gave 100%. That this team, even through diversity pulled it together.

I know many of the players, and they know me. I am a straight shooter and they know my love for the Bulls. It's time to belly up to the bar boys, and show me what you got!!!     The Reaper