History is history and now we are attacking each other for not being a fan.
As Jeeber said in an earlier post, "this is depressing". UTEP was playing with the likes of Arizona State, Arizona, Texas Tech and in more recent memory, BYU, Utah, and other MW members. More recent than that TCU, SMU, Tulsa, Houston, Memphis and UCF.
UTEP gambled with Price who promised a top 25 rankings but just hit #25 for a week or two and it was gone. UTEP played Colorado close in the Houston Bowl but got smacked by Toledo and BYU in the next bowl games.
Kugler comes to town and blames Price for the "dumpster fire" he created. He brought in the Jones brothers and we were all smiles for a while (longer than the #25 ranking under Price) and AJ ate up defenses such as TT and UT who had no answer for him. Jones brother left and Kugler football was seen for what it really was....one dimensional in a college game that was going full RPO and variations of mixed in with spread trip formations (Coastal Carolina for example). Worse, he alienated the fans. By his last two years the damage was done.
Floyd. What a f'en mess he made! ESPN warned us through the radio that he had a few screws loose but UTEP and us fans, especially me, would have none of it. One of the extremely rare times a major sports outlet tried to help UTEP because historically they bashed the living crud out of the Miners going back to the 66 team. Barbee left him a full arsenal to win CUSA again. He blew it. The next year his top recruit was 6'10" big man who even told a sports reporter "I'm not college material....I hate school". Georgia State who had more liberal intake than UTEP couldn't even get him in if I remember correctly. Hamilton fiasco. Hunter fiasco (now that wasn't Floyd's fault but there should have been a firing of Darby). Washburn media fiasco. The Kappy hit job. Floyd created problems or problems found him.
Dimel. K State showed him the back door due to his conservative play calling that wasn't winning games. Coach Snyder said "Can you give him a chance? He has tons of experience!". The rest is history. New AD Senter publicly stated he had the best interview. Rumors said otherwise. Senter countered that the "hot and up and coming" assistants wanted way too much money. Not my opinion, he said that on public radio, his lips to my ears. Four years later UTEP is atop CUSA West, but is now a child left behind in a war torn landscape and can't find a parent or sibling.
Terry. Smooth talker. Sharp dressed man. Cleaned up Fresno State and took them to the dance. He was second choice after the ETSU coach got a better counter offer. Terry was in Big XII State of Texas and was laser focused on Austin. He didn't even come close to winning CUSA, but he did leave behind some good talent. We'll see what Golding molds out of them? As for Terry, "F off and don't come back" was in the desert air from Anthony, Texas to Cornudas, Texas.
Locomotives came and opened shop and the Chihuahua's took the rapier attitude towards UTEP and won.
UTEP tickets sales plunged.
10/2021 and UTEP is 6-1 and Golding is the new bball coach. It feels more like the days when Billy left for College Station and we witnessed with utter disgust as he put on the maroon blazer and went sky diving.
Senter and Wilson, especially Wilson..... do some magic. If you can bring R&D facility to Fabens to help UTEP with their R&D, you can make UTEP attractive to someone, right?