Let's be honest...

[LaserCoog]

UTEP's football program did not reach its current state because it had coaches who had never played or coached the game. It wasn't due to a lack of knowledge about Xs and Os or game plans. Pure and simple, UTEP is the only winless program in the nation because it does not put FBS talent on the football field. It just doesn't. Jones and Hernandez are extreme outliers. How many games do you think Bear Bryant would have won with last year's UTEP roster?

UTEP does not need a recycled P5 coach regardless of name brand who cannot or will not recruit every square inch of Texas for talent. Mike Houston has been a most successful FCS head coach, but his knowledge of Texas high School football/coaches is likely nill. A message left for the head coach at Westfield, Klein Collins, Cy-Fair, or North Shore high schools might/might not even be returned, year it is these schools and others that produce some of the best talent in the nation.

Do not continue the mistakes of the past. Nothing at UTEP will change until you hire a coach who can consistently recruit talented football players. All the success in the world in the
FCS, in Virginia, all of the knowledge or football schemes and philosophies, will translate to the resurrection of UTEP football without talented players needed to successfully compete against FBS competition.

 

[MinerDave]

UTEP's football program did not reach its current state because it had coaches who had never played or coached the game. It wasn't due to a lack of knowledge about Xs and Os or game plans. Pure and simple, UTEP is the only winless program in the nation because it does not put FBS talent on the football field. It just doesn't. Jones and Hernandez are extreme outliers. How many games do you think Bear Bryant would have won with last year's UTEP roster?

UTEP does not need a recycled P5 coach regardless of name brand who cannot or will not recruit every square inch of Texas for talent. Mike Houston has been a most successful FCS head coach, but his knowledge of Texas high School football/coaches is likely nill. A message left for the head coach at Westfield, Klein Collins, Cy-Fair, or North Shore high schools might/might not even be returned, year it is these schools and others that produce some of the best talent in the nation.

Do not continue the mistakes of the past. Nothing at UTEP will change until you hire a coach who can consistently recruit talented football players. All the success in the world in the
FCS, in Virginia, all of the knowledge or football schemes and philosophies, will translate to the resurrection of UTEP football without talented players needed to successfully compete against FBS competition.

You can add Allen, Hebron, Desoto, Denton Geyer and Southlake Carroll on that list

 

[UTEPDefense]

I did not even know Mike Houston's name until it appeared on this message board a few weeks ago. According to Senter today, Houston is a winner who has won at every stop(starting in high school and working up to 2 FCS schools). Senter clearly stated that he hasn't spoken to Houston as he has a FCS Play-Off game to prepare for, but Senter did say that "we need a Coach like Houston, with a record of winning at every stop and in different environments".

I do agree with what LaserCoog is stating as well regarding the Texas Recruiting ties, so my serious question is this: If Senter truly believes that Houston is the absolute best Coach that he can get for this job, would it be possible for Houston to hire enough Texas related Coordinators and Assistants to overcome his lack of Texas Recruiting experience shortcoming?

 

[FeralFelidae]

Now the thing about Mike Houston is that he's looking for stepping stones. He coached The Citadel from 2014-2015, and has been at James Madison for a couple of seasons, and it looks like he's ready for his next stone. I'm perfectly okay if he chooses UTEP as a stepping stone, turns us into a winning program and moves on in two years.

I'm skeptical, though, that he'll see UTEP as a potential stepping stone. With the cupboard that Kugler has left the next coach, I believe UTEP is going to be a long-term project. The next coach is really going to have to build from scratch. I don't see a miracle turnaround for this UTEP team; it's going to be gradual improvement over 3-4 years. Is Houston going to have the patience to wait 3-4 years to build UTEP into a winner if he's looking for a stepping stone? Or is he going to wait until something less of a dumpster fire comes along? Meanwhile, he's competing for FCS championships and most certainly is going to receive other offers.

By all means UTEP should try to get him.

 

[UTEPDefense]

Like you, I am all for a Coach using UTEP as a stepping stone because that likely means that they will be leaving the Program in better shape than when they entered it. During my lifetime, UTEP has only had one Coach become succesful and then hired away by another school, so that type of success would actually be a welcome change. Ideally, I would just hope that the Coach leaves behind a decent base of talent(I.E. we hopefully don’t have a mass exedus of players leave when he leaves and/or he doesn’t just come in and quickly win with some graduate transfers and leave the program empty of underclassmen). If we could also have an assistant coach developing and ready to take over for a Coach who is using us as a stepping stone, then that would help also, but at this point I guess beggers can’t be choosers, we just need to find someone who can win first.