Ponder This!

[Cougarbib]

Bronco seems to be a ponderer. Some might say he thinks too deeply or too much. The following comments are things I think are worthy of pondering given recent trends in program results and are intended to be constructive. This is not a fire Bronco thread. Please do not turn it into one.

Due to limitations my phone has editing long threads, I will break this up a bit. Mods are welcome to consolidate it if they prefer and I will take no offense.

Hopefully, others have some constructive suggestions to add things they think are now worthy of deep thought. Please keep this thread constructive.

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[Cougarbib]

Is the night before a game really the best time for a fireside? I love the firesides. I love everything about what they are intending to accomplish for players and fans. Some say off season is a better time. But, that might make them less impactful, since they are less front and center of mind share at that time. Sunday after a game? The day of rest?


It is a balance between making fire sides most impactful, and making the team most impactful on GameDay. Of course, maybe it needs to be a mix. Sunday or day after a game might not work for road games.

Then again, is softness, kindness, gentleness, in lieu of nastiness on GameDay a result of fire sides in the first place?

This same line of thinking applies to mission service. Do they Come Home Irreparably Kind and sweet?

Are we just too much like our savior to win football games or is it just being a little less talented than opponents and not assignment sound enough this year to compensate for that?

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[Cougarbib]

Has Bronco surrounded himself with the best assistant coaches realistically available? Has he promoted too much based on who he likes personally or "who thinks just like him"? That remark unnerved me when Howell was promoted. Cloning and Group Think does not make the strongest brain trust. Diversity. Constructive debate. That makes the two or three minds are better than 1 adage work. Is Bronco insecure about having assistants that can constructively challenge him? Conversely, how much risk of bringing in fiery assistants who are not fully invested in the honor code is the program willing to take. The number of failed assistant coaches here is concerning. The lack of up and out movement is concerning. What is realistic, however?

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[Gunk]

Is the night before a game really the best time for a fireside? I love the firesides. I love everything about what they are intending to accomplish for players and fans. Some say off season is a better time. But, that might make them less impactful, since they are less front and center of mind share at that time. Sunday after a game? The day of rest?


It is a balance between making fire sides most impactful, and making the team most impactful on GameDay. Of course, maybe it needs to be a mix. Sunday or day after a game might not work for road games.

Then again, is softness, kindness, gentleness, in lieu of nastiness on GameDay a result of fire sides in the first place?

This same line of thinking applies to mission service. Do they Come Home Irreparably Kind and sweet?

Are we just too much like our savior to win football games or is it just being a little less talented than opponents and not assignment sound enough this year to compensate for that?

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

I think the fireside chats should be moved to the off season. I see why Bronco does them - chance to spread the word as the team travels - but the night before the game does seem a bit counter intuitive. It's the time to do some extra prep and get all amped to hit people the next day and singing hymns and sharing feelings probably doesn't help in that category.

[Gunk]

Has Bronco surrounded himself with the best assistant coaches realistically available? Has he promoted too much based on who he likes personally or "who thinks just like him"? That remark unnerved me when Howell was promoted. Cloning and Group Think does not make the strongest brain trust. Diversity. Constructive debate. That makes the two or three minds are better than 1 adage work. Is Bronco insecure about having assistants that can constructively challenge him? Conversely, how much risk of bringing in fiery assistants who are not fully invested in the honor code is the program willing to take. The number of failed assistant coaches here is concerning. The lack of up and out movement is concerning. What is realistic, however?

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

Nope.

What Bronco needs is an identity or style - a successful framework - that smart, talented assistants that also like that style can come in and shine. The shell or framing needs to be there for consistency sake so that when an assistant leaves the house doesn't fall down. At the same time, there needs to be enough room for the assistant to operate, cut their teeth and spread their wings.

BYU is a stepping stone. That's the reality, and Bronco needs to embrace it.

Fiery assistants with some street cred need to be brought in. We don't have the recruits to go straight up against Top 25 teams. We need to out think and be more creative. Vanilla offenses won't cut it and neither will virgin defenses.

[Cougarbib]

Are all of these sprained ankles really a coincidence? I read that we have a new athletic trainer or some such position. I read that he does not like to talk to the media and thus has not been grilled much. Are we taping differently? Different before game or after game warm up or cool down or stretching? Different training or practice regimen that pounds the ankles more. Too much gfgh? Different cleats or spikes? What has changed.

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[Cougarbib]

Is too much gfgh wearing out our own players faster than it wears out opponents? Offense? Defense? Does insisting on playing starters on special teams exacerbate gfgh especially since we supposedly practice harder as well. Have we gone to the effort well too many times and too many ways?

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[NDCougar]

Bronco needs to man up and stop being so focused on his way, his style, his tactics. This why he has issues with assistants, they don't grow nor progress. This is why he only lands kids that are already set for BYU and loses too many battles......he is too prideful to roll out the red carpet for HS players. With BM it is his way or the highway, good coaches listen and develop players and coaches. He has not done this. He has no real coaching tree and he has 1-2 players he recruited in the NFL (Crowton hold overs don't count, nor do walk-ons or others he landed without recruiting).

Great coaches have great assistants. They develop them and are not threatened by them. Look at Lavell. Look at the current top tier coaches, they all have a coaching tree and are proud of their assistants, BM IMHO likes to pass the blame by firing assistance vs getting the right guys and developing them.

The problem falls at the top. It will be interesting to see who he blames, by firing them. I doubt BM takes the blame for hiring the wrong guy.......this scenario is repeated over and over again.

[stuckinbig10country]

The firesides are being done in answer to prayer. Let me repeat that a little louder for all those who are still confused. THE FIRESIDES ARE BEING DONE BECAUSE IT WAS AN ANSWER TO A PRAYER!!!!!!!

To every other school/fan base that would mean little. But at BYU, it should mean something.

Unfortunately, the night before is the only time they can do them unless they want to do them after the games, or stay a day longer.

The players aren't even required to go. Even some of "Bronco's Guys" don't go. And the alternative is for the guys to hang out in the hotel. It's not like the team doesn't still do a walk through the night before the game after the fireside.

The firesides brought us KVN. That's just to the football team. I wonder how many more people have been touched by the spirit at one of these firesides and their testimony grew from that and they went on a mission and ...

So if you want to talk about failed assistants, failed recruiting, football being 5th (what of the top 4 would you put it above), or something like that I can understand. But leave the firesides out of it.

[BYULV]

Firesides are definitely one of the big successes of the BYU program, as are missions. If we start removing those types of things from the program, it won't be long before BYU stop sponsoring intercollegiate teams. The church has no use for a winning football team that doesn't represent something bigger.

As far as the perceived struggles of the team right now, it's the wrong discussion. The problem with the team isn't coaching or scheme or inner turmoil or anything like that, it is injury and having yo rely heavily on young players and backups.