tipitup wrote: ↑

February 25th, 2019, 3:49 pm

taniataylor wrote: ↑

February 25th, 2019, 3:45 pm

If anyone cares, at all...the team, the ones we cheer for, my kid, his roommates, our awesome QB, ALL LOVE COACH ANDERSEN, LITERALLY LOVE HIM!!! That is all

tania i don't think that was long enough for this thread!! BUT it speaks volumes!! thanks for the insight

Aggiestyle wrote: ↑

February 25th, 2019, 5:37 pm

I made a comment on this board once regarding a possible recruit, and was told, "This topic has been discussed ad nauseam." After looking up the word, I think this seems to fit the bill in this thread. In a nut shell, Some are concerned about his tenure and departure from OSU, That may be a legitimate concern, but I am convinced that Coach GA is a quality hire. We are fortunate to have him, and Aggie football is good hands for some time. I have already purchased my season tickets and made my donation to Big Blue. I am all in on Coach A. Go Aggies!!!!

taniataylor wrote: ↑

February 25th, 2019, 3:45 pm

If anyone cares, at all...the team, the ones we cheer for, my kid, his roommates, our awesome QB, ALL LOVE COACH ANDERSEN, LITERALLY LOVE HIM!!! That is all

TrueAG wrote: ↑

February 25th, 2019, 7:38 pm

My biggest concern with GA was his assistants. So far he has done a great job in bringing quality guys, hope he can keep them or replace them as we have success. His assistants at OSU were terrible and was the biggest red flag in him coming back but Sanford and Ena seem really strong.

ChicAggie wrote: ↑

February 25th, 2019, 1:17 pm

I truly have a hard time understanding those naysayers who suggest that GA really didn't do that much for the Ags during his first go-round.

The facts are these.

Before GA took over for the 2009 season:

1. USU's football program was in the sh!tter and had been for decades.

2. USU players barely showed up against the P5 and MWC teams we played. In 2008, the Aggies lost by 42 to Oregon, 48 to Utah, 35 to Boise, and 20 to BYUP. In 2007, we lost by 51 to Oklahoma, 52 to Boise, and 25 to Hawaii. In 2006, we lost our first four games by a combined 144-7 (to Wyoming, Arkansas, Utah, and BYUP). Without going back to look, I would wager we hadn't come within two touchdowns of a decent P5 team in two decades.

3. USU lost 9 games in a row to BYUP and 19 out of 20, and most of those games were not competitive. In those 19 losses, the average margin of victory for BYUP was 24.26.

4. USU had not had a winning season in 13 years.

5. USU had not gone to a bowl game in 13 seasons, and only two bowl games since 1961. That's two bowl games in 51 years.

6. In the 5 years prior to GA's arrival, the Ags were 24-31-3 against the spread (this is while the Aggies were TERRIBLE and the experts didn't expect much out of them, but they still regularly failed to cover even as a significant underdog).

7. The aggregate record of the three coaches who preceded GA was 35-91 - .385. The coach who immediately preceded GA managed to stick around for four seasons with records of 3-9, 2-10, 1-11, and 3-8, or a combined 9-38 - .237.

8. USU fans who had cheered for USU for decades (me, for example) had become apathetic about football and accepted losing as inevitable.

After GA arrived:

1. There was an immediate noticeable change in the level of competitiveness on the field. The Ags were suddenly competitive against teams that had previously blown them out. In 2009, we lost by only two TDs to both Utah and BYUP and by only 8 points to Texas A&M; in 2010 we lost by only 7 points to No. 7 12-2 Oklahoma and beat BYUP; in 2011 we came within an Auburn miracle finish of knocking of the defending National Champs and lost by only 4 to BYUP; and in 2012 we came within a missed 37-yard FG against Wisconsin at Camp Randall (USU dominated that game) and a 6-3 loss to BYUP of going undefeated. This was only 5 years removed from 2-10 and 1-11 back-to-back seasons for Brent Guy. I had never seen the Aggies so competitive against so many good teams in all my years of watching them.

2. Under GA, the Ags were 30-19-1 ATS. This is telling: the Ags were doing much better than the experts expected them to do, even with elevated expectations as GA's tenure wore on. And even with the experts expecting more and more out of the Ags, GA went 11-1-1 ATS in his final season.

3. In 2012, the Ags finished the season in the Top 20 of the AP poll FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1961 - 51-stinking years!

4. In four seasons with GA at the helm, the Ags were a combined 26-24 - .520. Not great, but for a team that had been 9-38 - .237 during the previous four seasons, the turnaround was stunning.

4. After going 13 years without a single winning season, GA kicked off an era of 4 straight winning seasons, 5 straight bowl games, and 7 bowl games in 8 seasons. While I recognize much of this happened AFTER GA left under Wells, there is no way we get to this point without GA.

5. Players seem to love GA and are loyal to him in a way that I don't think I have ever seen during my years as an Aggie fan. While "players' coaches" are often criticized for not demanding the most out of their players, I don't think that is the case with GA. His players seem like they would run through a mine field for GA.

6. GA re-energized a fan base that had grown lethargic and disinterested after decades of mediocrity.

While I understand that GA receives criticism for his tenure at Wisconsin, here are the facts:

1. He went 9-4 and 10-3 in two seasons. The season prior to his arrival, Wisconsin went 8-6.

2. Here are his losses:

2013:
By 2 points at No. 21 ASU (10-4)
By 4 points at No. 4 Ohio State (12-2)
By 7 points to Penn State
By 10 points to No. 4 South Carolina (11-2) (Capital One Bowl)

2014:
By 4 points to No. 13 LSU (neutral site)
By 7 points at Northwestern
By 59 points to No. 1 Ohio State (14-1)

So only two double-digit losses in two seasons. And wins over No. 11 Nebraska (by 35), No. 22 Minnesota (by 10), and No. 19 Northwestern (by 29). They also beat No. 19 Auburn in the Outback Bowl after he stepped down.

One of my close friends is on the Wisconsin Alumni Board and has been a lifelong season ticket holder. She always liked Andersen and thought he was micromanaged by Barry Alvarez to the point he decided it was no longer tenable.

Not sure what happened at Oregon State. Note that the two coaches who followed Gary have gone a combined 2-16.