What we like about Kugler

[jdubb66]

No nonsense approach. You either stick with the program or you're gone. (What we like about Kugler is not necessarily what the players like about Kugler.)

Establish a physical line oriented team.

Recruit local players.

Recruit high character kids.

Make sure recruits get to class and succeed there.

Ball control type offensive scheme.

What's been lacking (this year):

Passing game to open up the run. Jameill Showers keep defenses at bay last year. We agree he was much better than our current crop.

Speed, physicality on Defense - Last year we were one of the better teams in the nation defensively with basically the same coaching staff. I doubt that Robert Rodriguez made that big a difference but maybe he did.

Return game: What happened here? We have the talent.

What we need for the future:

Offensive weapons - focus on recruiting speed and size

Defensive basics - tackling and coverage, building strength through off-season training. Recruiting.

 

[El Paso Chihuahuas]

No nonsense approach. You either stick with the program or you're gone. (What we like about Kugler is not necessarily what the players like about Kugler.)

I actually don't like that. It may work in the NFL, but it probably won't work in college.

 

[Minerforlife]

Good post. I agree with everything except your last point. I think the seconday is in pretty good shape. Playing the freshman at the corners will pay dividends in the future. Where I think we need help is the dline. This year we were supposed to be two deep along the line. It turns out we arent one deep at most spots.

 

[CoSpgsMinerfan]

No nonsense approach. You either stick with the program or you're gone. (What we like about Kugler is not necessarily what the players like about Kugler.)

Establish a physical line oriented team.

Recruit local players.

Recruit high character kids.

Make sure recruits get to class and succeed there.

Ball control type offensive scheme.

What's been lacking (this year):

Passing game to open up the run. Jameill Showers keep defenses at bay last year. We agree he was much better than our current crop.

Speed, physicality on Defense - Last year we were one of the better teams in the nation defensively with basically the same coaching staff. I doubt that Robert Rodriguez made that big a difference but maybe he did.

Return game: What happened here? We have the talent.

What we need for the future:

Offensive weapons - focus on recruiting speed and size

Defensive basics - tackling and coverage, building strength through off-season training. Recruiting.

 

[CoSpgsMinerfan]

One of the main problems that I've noticed over the years is the lack of speed on both sides of the ball. It's difficult for the Miners to get access to that type of student/athlete, unless he probably isn't meeting the requirements of entering a more popular football school. It is what it is. The coaches just have to do a better job with those that are willing to play at this level(CUSA.) Should the Miners be able to consistently win at this level? That's a definite YES.

 

[utep2step]

No nonsense approach. You either stick with the program or you're gone. (What we like about Kugler is not necessarily what the players like about Kugler.) ...Agree, at face value. Recruits on the scouting sites say he is up front with parents and themselves.

Establish a physical line oriented team. ....PANTS ON FIRE LIE!!! He came out gushing about the line this year and this year will be the best led by Eric Lee. Lee has blown many blocking assignments, they can't open anything for other rb's and they've made a bunch of penalties this year as compared to the last two years.

Recruit local players. ....Agree

Recruit high character kids....Agree, very True.

Make sure recruits get to class and succeed there.....True based on what he and staff report to media. McFarland was kicked off for drug use and Kugler blamed him.

Ball control type offensive scheme....Agree.

What's been lacking (this year):

Passing game to open up the run. Jameill Showers keep defenses at bay last year. We agree he was much better than our current crop....Kugler had no serious plans to build a passing game. He felt UTEP was deep enough and Odham and Juniel could take up the slack next year. That was another PANTS ON FIRE LIE by Kugler.

Speed, physicality on Defense - Last year we were one of the better teams in the nation defensively with basically the same coaching staff. I doubt that Robert Rodriguez made that big a difference but maybe he did. ....Yes Rodrigues did. That coach literally has fire in his belly and he played like that and coached like that. D line has been not bad despite the secondary letting them down all the time.

Return game: What happened here? We have the talent.....Another PANTS OF FIRE LIE by Kugler coming out of fall camp. Said it will be better. Fumbles, and inconsistent and unable to use special teams to put the offense in better position.

What we need for the future:

Offensive weapons - focus on recruiting speed and size....Agree but weapons who know how to win. Not just "YES COACH....NO COACH". Kugler is getting good kids, but not a decent slate of FBS talent.

Defensive basics - tackling and coverage, building strength through off-season training. Recruiting.....Agree. However, solid tackling has been MIA since the Bailey days (That's the only thing Bailey was consistent at)

 

[FiliUTEP]

He hasnt been the only one who has recruited local kids. The problem has been keeping the good ones to stay. Football i dont like anything kuglar has done.

Recruiting is last, the home schedule is crappy and he still having trouble beating those crappy teams. Mike Price brought Texas and OU to El paso.

Also back to recruiting the local kids. Is that really a good thing? I mean its nice for those kids but are those local kids being recruited by other schools?

 

[develman]

You omitted the lousy play of the offensive line. Our corner stone of the program , our physical offensive line is over-hyped, being big and fat does not make a good offensive line. Strength, completing assignments , agility and pride in what you do does. This line doesn't seem to show to much of the latter. 4 of 5 returned this year and it doesn't seem they improved at all . A lot of times it's argued that a good line makes a RB look good , in our case A. Jones made our O-line look good. Their play has been less than zero in my opinion .

 

[utep2step]

You omitted the lousy play of the offensive line. Our corner stone of the program , our physical offensive line is over-hyped, being big and fat does not make a good offensive line. Strength, completing assignments , agility and pride in what you do does. This line doesn't seem to show to much of the latter. 4 of 5 returned this year and it doesn't seem they improved at all . A lot of times it's argued that a good line makes a RB look good , in our case A. Jones made our O-line look good. Their play has been less than zero in my opinion .

DING, DING, DING, DING! C'mon on down, you're the next contestant! All fall camp there were write ups that he built from the line out.

 

[Epsilon00]

The O-line is terrible. I can't even remember how many times we have run the ball on a 2nd or 3rd and 1 and we didn't get the 1 yard. We are terrible at everything. This football program is going downhill fast.

 

[unihorn]

No nonsense approach. You either stick with the program or you're gone. (What we like about Kugler is not necessarily what the players like about Kugler.)

Establish a physical line oriented team.

Recruit local players.

Recruit high character kids.

Make sure recruits get to class and succeed there.

Ball control type offensive scheme.

What's been lacking (this year):

Passing game to open up the run. Jameill Showers keep defenses at bay last year. We agree he was much better than our current crop.

Speed, physicality on Defense - Last year we were one of the better teams in the nation defensively with basically the same coaching staff. I doubt that Robert Rodriguez made that big a difference but maybe he did.

Return game: What happened here? We have the talent.

What we need for the future:

Offensive weapons - focus on recruiting speed and size

Defensive basics - tackling and coverage, building strength through off-season training. Recruiting.

Also lacking is home game attendance. Obviously winning and the schedule drive attendance, but I think local fans prefer to watch a more wide open offense. If attendance doesn't improve, a change at head coach will be made.

 

[Firstdowndash]

Establish a physical line oriented team.

Recruit local players.



.

I'm not sure that I like this. Yes, recruiting locally is great if they have the skill but I think Kugler is doing too much of it and there isn't enough talent in ELP to support a D1 program.

 

[LaserCoog]

You omitted the lousy play of the offensive line. Our corner stone of the program , our physical offensive line is over-hyped, being big and fat does not make a good offensive line.

I said after watching the Arkansas and Tech games I thought the Oline looked fat and slow, constantly getting beat by smaller, quicker, more athletic linemen. They showed zero pass block technique. These kids were recruited for straight ahead blocking, knock smaller players off of the line, hand the ball off five yards deep to tailback. Pass blocking? Seriously? You get good at what you practice. You don't run the ball straight ahead 2/3 of your plays and then magically get quality pass protection.

And EVERYBODY knows the story of Kugler and Leftwicz. Christ, if UTEP didn't do ANYTHING, they'd at least churn out competent offensive linemen, right? Anybody?

 

[develman]

I said after watching the Arkansas and Tech games I thought the Oline looked fat and slow, constantly getting beat by smaller, quicker, more athletic linemen. They showed zero pass block technique. These kids were recruited for straight ahead blocking, knock smaller players off of the line, hand the ball off five yards deep to tailback. Pass blocking? Seriously? You get good at what you practice. You don't run the ball straight ahead 2/3 of your plays and then magically get quality pass protection.

And EVERYBODY knows the story of Kugler and Leftwicz. Christ, if UTEP didn't do ANYTHING, they'd at least churn out competent offensive linemen, right? Anybody?

Well they can't even block straight ahead anymore either. FIU stuffed them on short yardage , so did NMSU (a couple of times) Incarnate Word pushed them up the middle on short yardage too, against UTSA we didn't really try to run.

 

[SpelunkerII]

He hasnt been the only one who has recruited local kids. The problem has been keeping the good ones to stay. Football i dont like anything kuglar has done.

Recruiting is last, the home schedule is crappy and he still having trouble beating those crappy teams. Mike Price brought Texas and OU to El paso.

Also back to recruiting the local kids. Is that really a good thing? I mean its nice for those kids but are those local kids being recruited by other schools?

I totally agree with the local kid thing. I'm sorry to say this, but you must face facts. EP produces 2 maybe 3 kids a year that can really compete at the FBS level. The Jones brothers were certainly an anomaly, There is a reason that El Paso has NEVER produced a State football champion. It's called lack of talent and it is still true today. You may win the all EP team, but you are going to end up with what you are seeing.

 

[randaddyMiner]

I agree with the opinions about the local kids, we're not recruiting for soccer, we're recruiting for football.

 

[nattybry]

I'm not sure that I like this. Yes, recruiting locally is great if they have the skill but I think Kugler is doing too much of it and there isn't enough talent in ELP to support a D1 program.

Of course there's not enough D-1 talent to support a program and that's not what he's doing at all, he's simply trynna keep the most talented ones here. The program is still 90% out of town kids.

 

[Firstdowndash]

Of course there's not enough D-1 talent to support a program and that's not what he's doing at all, he's simply trynna keep the most talented ones here. The program is still 90% out of town kids.

He is taking in way more ELP kids than he should because he is a no-name, with no connections in the areas where recruiting matters--Dallas, Houston, Austin.

Kugler is struggling in the recruiting trail, and it is hurting our program. He's trying but UTEP is a hard sell with him at the helm. So when he can't get kids from talent rich areas to commit, he fills the slots with ELP HS kids, and sells the ELP kids to the media and ELP. It makes a great story for KROD, KTSM, KVIA, etc, but it's the recipe for disaster we are witnessing today.

Either he makes inroads in recruiting or he gets the hell out of UTEP! Stull can leave too, he is done.

 

[PositivelyPete]

We have quite a few el paso kids at Sul Ross. They are some talented boys.