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Ohio Basketball Topic
Topic: Fire Jeff Boals!
Page: 8 of 11
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greencat
1/28/2026 9:47 PM
greencat wrote:expand_more
The recruiting trajectory has gone straight in the toilet. (except JJ Kelly)

Evans and Kuany are nowhere near what they should be by now and there is a "prized recruit" glued to the bench and has played a total of 23 minutes the entire season.

Boals is not enough of a "system" coach to win with nonathletic scrub players.
Yeah, but what are your thoughts on the two Reynoldsburg HS seniors coming in next year?
Well, 247 rates them zero stars and that team is currently ranked #64 in the state of Ohio by MaxPreps. One of their losses this season was by like 40 points.
By comparison, this guy now plays for a juco team in the south with a record of 18-1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqQ7eUllIJw
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OU_Country
1/28/2026 10:44 PM
M.D.W.S.T wrote:expand_more
What would you folks think if we replaced one alumnus with another and hired Dustin Ford? He has no head coaching experience, except at Jackson High School, but he's done very well as an assistant. I'm not advocating this, just asking the question.
I feel like this ship has sailed, but I imagine he’d get an interview. Ford is a double edge sword. Him also being an alumni could ease the moving on from Boals but also creates some hesitancy of another OU hire.

I like Ford, always have. I was a student during the Boals year and always thought it was a mistake to not give him a trial year back then with a loaded and experienced roster.

That said, I’d cast a wide net beyond Ohio. Top D2 coaches should be considered. I’d also reach out to Jamie Quarles. He was on Oats Buffalo staff during those impressive 18-19 seasons. Those were incredible teams. He’s at USF with Hodgsen, but knows the MAC (and how to recruit it) and has coached at the D2 level.
Serious question on this topic: How much do we really believe that those people making decisions about head coaching openings at Ohio care about winning? That's something I'm starting to question that I never questioned 10-12 years ago.
I suppose it comes down to how much those individual believes their HC hires allow them to keep their current jobs and eventually land bigger (P5) ones.

I think most AD’s are egotistical enough to not allow someone who isn’t their hire to create a smudge on their resume.
AD's are tied to winning and the success of their coaches. If Lars comes here and the football and basketball programs collapse around him, he's gonna be selling Jackrabbit nachos at the South Dakota State Fair. If he has success, he'll head to Texas Tech, or Miami, or LSU or lead a conference, like the folks before him. This is a cushy spot if you have success.

Lori also knows what it means to have a winning program here. Shit, she was the one at the campus football celebration when the bus came back without Albin. Sports, even our little engine that could, drive pride and engagement throughout the alumni and students. We're not Ohio State, but we don't need to be. We love our little teams. They know that.
I don't disagree with where you're going there, but I was more looking at the combo of university president, AD, and anyone else that's part of the decision. I personally think that there's been a decline since the combination of McDavis and Schaus moved on. Maybe I'm just being too nostalgic. Maybe not.
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M.D.W.S.T
1/29/2026 7:53 AM
Bobcat1996 wrote:expand_more
Ohio University will not dismiss Coach Boals in 2026. The buyout, thanks to the former AD is more than they want to pay. I hope Coach Boals turns things around because he is a good guy. Shouldn’t Bobcat fans expect more from Boals because of his top salary in the league? Be prepared for another fifth seed finish this season. Coach Boals has been in Athens 11-12 years including his under grad degree at Ohio University. Coach Albin spent 20 years in Athens and was awarded
the conference coach of the year twice. He also led the football program to a league title for the first time in over five decades. Albin and the football program achieved three consecutive ten win seasons and wonderful success, but for some reason the former AD ignored those achievements. Albin out performed Boals, but yet the former AD rewarded Boals. And SBH and others, like I have told you many times before, I’m not related to Coach Albin. I’m just a fan who appreciated unprecedented success for the Bobcat football program unlike many of you and the former AD!
lmmmmaaaaooooo brother there aint no way you turned this into another Albin gripe.

Honestly... 10/10 on this one. I actually laughed out loud.
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rpbobcat
1/29/2026 9:59 AM
OU_Country wrote:expand_more
What would you folks think if we replaced one alumnus with another and hired Dustin Ford? He has no head coaching experience, except at Jackson High School, but he's done very well as an assistant. I'm not advocating this, just asking the question.
I feel like this ship has sailed, but I imagine he’d get an interview. Ford is a double edge sword. Him also being an alumni could ease the moving on from Boals but also creates some hesitancy of another OU hire.

I like Ford, always have. I was a student during the Boals year and always thought it was a mistake to not give him a trial year back then with a loaded and experienced roster.

That said, I’d cast a wide net beyond Ohio. Top D2 coaches should be considered. I’d also reach out to Jamie Quarles. He was on Oats Buffalo staff during those impressive 18-19 seasons. Those were incredible teams. He’s at USF with Hodgsen, but knows the MAC (and how to recruit it) and has coached at the D2 level.
Serious question on this topic: How much do we really believe that those people making decisions about head coaching openings at Ohio care about winning? That's something I'm starting to question that I never questioned 10-12 years ago.
I suppose it comes down to how much those individual believes their HC hires allow them to keep their current jobs and eventually land bigger (P5) ones.

I think most AD’s are egotistical enough to not allow someone who isn’t their hire to create a smudge on their resume.
AD's are tied to winning and the success of their coaches. If Lars comes here and the football and basketball programs collapse around him, he's gonna be selling Jackrabbit nachos at the South Dakota State Fair. If he has success, he'll head to Texas Tech, or Miami, or LSU or lead a conference, like the folks before him. This is a cushy spot if you have success.

Lori also knows what it means to have a winning program here. Shit, she was the one at the campus football celebration when the bus came back without Albin. Sports, even our little engine that could, drive pride and engagement throughout the alumni and students. We're not Ohio State, but we don't need to be. We love our little teams. They know that.
I don't disagree with where you're going there, but I was more looking at the combo of university president, AD, and anyone else that's part of the decision. I personally think that there's been a decline since the combination of McDavis and Schaus moved on. Maybe I'm just being too nostalgic. Maybe not.
I agree 100% that there's been a decline since McDavis and Schaus left O.U.

As a former student McDavis bled Green and White.
Always cared for the University.

Mc Davis came off,at least to me, as genuine.

I felt the same way about how Shaus felt about O.U.

Hasn't been the same since they left.
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SBH
1/29/2026 10:22 AM
Schaus hired Jim Christian, Saul Phillips and Jeff Boals. He gets no praise from me.
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FJC31
1/29/2026 10:24 AM
rpbobcat wrote:expand_more
What would you folks think if we replaced one alumnus with another and hired Dustin Ford? He has no head coaching experience, except at Jackson High School, but he's done very well as an assistant. I'm not advocating this, just asking the question.
I feel like this ship has sailed, but I imagine he’d get an interview. Ford is a double edge sword. Him also being an alumni could ease the moving on from Boals but also creates some hesitancy of another OU hire.

I like Ford, always have. I was a student during the Boals year and always thought it was a mistake to not give him a trial year back then with a loaded and experienced roster.

That said, I’d cast a wide net beyond Ohio. Top D2 coaches should be considered. I’d also reach out to Jamie Quarles. He was on Oats Buffalo staff during those impressive 18-19 seasons. Those were incredible teams. He’s at USF with Hodgsen, but knows the MAC (and how to recruit it) and has coached at the D2 level.
Serious question on this topic: How much do we really believe that those people making decisions about head coaching openings at Ohio care about winning? That's something I'm starting to question that I never questioned 10-12 years ago.
I suppose it comes down to how much those individual believes their HC hires allow them to keep their current jobs and eventually land bigger (P5) ones.

I think most AD’s are egotistical enough to not allow someone who isn’t their hire to create a smudge on their resume.
AD's are tied to winning and the success of their coaches. If Lars comes here and the football and basketball programs collapse around him, he's gonna be selling Jackrabbit nachos at the South Dakota State Fair. If he has success, he'll head to Texas Tech, or Miami, or LSU or lead a conference, like the folks before him. This is a cushy spot if you have success.

Lori also knows what it means to have a winning program here. Shit, she was the one at the campus football celebration when the bus came back without Albin. Sports, even our little engine that could, drive pride and engagement throughout the alumni and students. We're not Ohio State, but we don't need to be. We love our little teams. They know that.
I don't disagree with where you're going there, but I was more looking at the combo of university president, AD, and anyone else that's part of the decision. I personally think that there's been a decline since the combination of McDavis and Schaus moved on. Maybe I'm just being too nostalgic. Maybe not.
I agree 100% that there's been a decline since McDavis and Schaus left O.U.

As a former student McDavis bled Green and White.
Always cared for the University.

Mc Davis came off,at least to me, as genuine.

I felt the same way about how Shaus felt about O.U.

Hasn't been the same since they left.
I think Schaus was just very good at his job — regardless of where he was. Even at Wichita, he hired both Mark Turgeon and Greg Marshall.

He nailed the John Groce hire upon arrival in Athens. Jim Christian was his only real blunder in my opinion. Saul at the time seemed like a HR hire coming off the NCAA tournament win. Schaus also knew when to pull the plug on that tenure.

Even though I think it’s time to turn the page on Boals, he was also initially a HR hire at the time. Schaus had an eye for coaching hires. Especially basketball.
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shabamon
1/29/2026 11:26 AM
Schaus hired Semeka Randall....

But he did oversee 2009-2014 which I consider to be a golden era of Ohio athletics. Bowl wins, basketball postseasons, Penn State, good attendance. Schaus deserves that credit but also give credit to Dan Hauser (now AD at High Point).
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Deciduous Forest Cat
1/29/2026 12:01 PM
SBH wrote:expand_more
Schaus hired Jim Christian, Saul Phillips and Jeff Boals. He gets no praise from me.
Saul Philips was a great hire that didn't pan out, but I think that was mostly due to injuries during his tenure. I'd like to have seen what would have happened if his teams stayed healthy.

Jeff Boals until last hear was considered a great hire and who knows what's going on right now, but Schauss felt pressure to hire him after he was turned away a couple times previous, a lot by the same folks on this board who are calling for his removal now. We are a team full of solid supporting players without a go-to stud or a dead-eye shooter. It won't take much to right the ship and I hope Boals can do it.

I think if Schauss wasn't already with a foot out the door, he would have avoided hiring a beloved alum as our coach. he hired him when he knew he wouldn't be here for any potential fall-out.
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FJC31
1/29/2026 12:34 PM
Deciduous Forest Cat wrote:expand_more
Schaus hired Jim Christian, Saul Phillips and Jeff Boals. He gets no praise from me.
Saul Philips was a great hire that didn't pan out, but I think that was mostly due to injuries during his tenure. I'd like to have seen what would have happened if his teams stayed healthy.

Jeff Boals until last hear was considered a great hire and who knows what's going on right now, but Schauss felt pressure to hire him after he was turned away a couple times previous, a lot by the same folks on this board who are calling for his removal now. We are a team full of solid supporting players without a go-to stud or a dead-eye shooter. It won't take much to right the ship and I hope Boals can do it.

I think if Schauss wasn't already with a foot out the door, he would have avoided hiring a beloved alum as our coach. he hired him when he knew he wouldn't be here for any potential fall-out.
If Campbell (credit to Christian) doesn’t go down, that team wins the MAC — I’m not sure I can label Saul a terrible hire initially, with initially being the key word. Saul’s bridge of players from that team to potentially the next core of Preston/BVP was just awful. We know what happened after that in year 2 of Boals. Boals has been experiencing that since UVA. He collectively hasn’t been able to put together a good enough roster.

But I agree with your sentiment. Now that we’re experiencing a downward trend under Boals, perhaps Schaus saw something that made him hesitant all those years when it came to hiring Boals. Since he was on his way out, he didn’t have to worry if it went well or not.
Last Edited: 1/29/2026 12:36:40 PM by FJC31
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shabamon
1/29/2026 12:57 PM
Campbell's injury is one of the major fork in the road moments in this program's history. I believe we are minimum NIT with him healthy and Saul has that cachet to carry with him with maybe some different recruiting wins.
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GoCats105
1/29/2026 1:05 PM
FJC31 wrote:expand_more
Schaus hired Jim Christian, Saul Phillips and Jeff Boals. He gets no praise from me.
Saul Philips was a great hire that didn't pan out, but I think that was mostly due to injuries during his tenure. I'd like to have seen what would have happened if his teams stayed healthy.

Jeff Boals until last hear was considered a great hire and who knows what's going on right now, but Schauss felt pressure to hire him after he was turned away a couple times previous, a lot by the same folks on this board who are calling for his removal now. We are a team full of solid supporting players without a go-to stud or a dead-eye shooter. It won't take much to right the ship and I hope Boals can do it.

I think if Schauss wasn't already with a foot out the door, he would have avoided hiring a beloved alum as our coach. he hired him when he knew he wouldn't be here for any potential fall-out.
If Campbell (credit to Christian) doesn’t go down, that team wins the MAC — I’m not sure I can label Saul a terrible hire initially, with initially being the key word. Saul’s bridge of players from that team to potentially the next core of Preston/BVP was just awful. We know what happened after that in year 2 of Boals. Boals has been experiencing that since UVA. He collectively hasn’t been able to put together a good enough roster.

But I agree with your sentiment. Now that we’re experiencing a downward trend under Boals, perhaps Schaus saw something that made him hesitant all those years when it came to hiring Boals. Since he was on his way out, he didn’t have to worry if it went well or not.
I mean, Saul just had the barrage of bad news happen during his tenure.

-Campbell injury
-Ryan Taylor transfer out
-Jaaron Simmons transfer out
-Jason Carter transfer out
-BVP injury
-Lingering injuries to Mike Laster, Gavin Block and Jordan Dartis throughout their careers

Ultimately a lot of that does fall on the coach, but there seemed to be some divine intervention going on at the time. Saul's potential Year 2 and Year 3 (especially) lineups if everything had stayed in place would have been crazy good. Saw a glimpse of what could have been before Tony went down in 2016-17, as they were 11-3 and started MAC play unbeaten.
Last Edited: 1/29/2026 1:07:57 PM by GoCats105
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OhioCatFan
1/29/2026 2:47 PM
I agree with those you think that Saul was a good coach who had a lot of basketball misfortune befall him during his tenure here. If given another year or two I think he could have righted the ship. If you look at his record after he left OHIO, he had some very good teams in DII ball and then had a horrible year and was canned. I don't know much about DII ball, but three of his first four years at Northern State he had 20-or-more-win seasons, and the other one was a 19-win season. Then the bottom droppe out, and he finished with a 2-26 season before he was canned. The fact that he had 24 wins in his fourth year there would seem to indicate to me that it was not just a matter of feasting off someone else's recruits. Maybe there was a systemic issue at Northern State his last two years there. The huge dropoff seems strange.
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greencat
1/29/2026 4:43 PM
OhioCatFan wrote:expand_more
I agree with those you think that Saul was a good coach who had a lot of basketball misfortune befall him during his tenure here. If given another year or two I think he could have righted the ship. If you look at his record after he left OHIO, he had some very good teams in DII ball and then had a horrible year and was canned. I don't know much about DII ball, but three of his first four years at Northern State he had 20-or-more-win seasons, and the other one was a 19-win season. Then the bottom droppe out, and he finished with a 2-26 season before he was canned. The fact that he had 24 wins in his fourth year there would seem to indicate to me that it was not just a matter of feasting off someone else's recruits. Maybe there was a systemic issue at Northern State his last two years there. The huge dropoff seems strange.
quote from a D-2 Northern State forum:

"There was never any development with anybody that Saul ever brought in. Players never got better here."
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OU_Country
1/29/2026 5:43 PM
greencat wrote:expand_more
I agree with those you think that Saul was a good coach who had a lot of basketball misfortune befall him during his tenure here. If given another year or two I think he could have righted the ship. If you look at his record after he left OHIO, he had some very good teams in DII ball and then had a horrible year and was canned. I don't know much about DII ball, but three of his first four years at Northern State he had 20-or-more-win seasons, and the other one was a 19-win season. Then the bottom droppe out, and he finished with a 2-26 season before he was canned. The fact that he had 24 wins in his fourth year there would seem to indicate to me that it was not just a matter of feasting off someone else's recruits. Maybe there was a systemic issue at Northern State his last two years there. The huge dropoff seems strange.
quote from a D-2 Northern State forum:

"There was never any development with anybody that Saul ever brought in. Players never got better here."
Two thoughts: that's just one fan's opinion, and two, that's the exact same thing that's being said about our current head coach.
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OU_Country
1/29/2026 5:50 PM
rpbobcat wrote:expand_more
What would you folks think if we replaced one alumnus with another and hired Dustin Ford? He has no head coaching experience, except at Jackson High School, but he's done very well as an assistant. I'm not advocating this, just asking the question.
I feel like this ship has sailed, but I imagine he’d get an interview. Ford is a double edge sword. Him also being an alumni could ease the moving on from Boals but also creates some hesitancy of another OU hire.

I like Ford, always have. I was a student during the Boals year and always thought it was a mistake to not give him a trial year back then with a loaded and experienced roster.

That said, I’d cast a wide net beyond Ohio. Top D2 coaches should be considered. I’d also reach out to Jamie Quarles. He was on Oats Buffalo staff during those impressive 18-19 seasons. Those were incredible teams. He’s at USF with Hodgsen, but knows the MAC (and how to recruit it) and has coached at the D2 level.
Serious question on this topic: How much do we really believe that those people making decisions about head coaching openings at Ohio care about winning? That's something I'm starting to question that I never questioned 10-12 years ago.
I suppose it comes down to how much those individual believes their HC hires allow them to keep their current jobs and eventually land bigger (P5) ones.

I think most AD’s are egotistical enough to not allow someone who isn’t their hire to create a smudge on their resume.
AD's are tied to winning and the success of their coaches. If Lars comes here and the football and basketball programs collapse around him, he's gonna be selling Jackrabbit nachos at the South Dakota State Fair. If he has success, he'll head to Texas Tech, or Miami, or LSU or lead a conference, like the folks before him. This is a cushy spot if you have success.

Lori also knows what it means to have a winning program here. Shit, she was the one at the campus football celebration when the bus came back without Albin. Sports, even our little engine that could, drive pride and engagement throughout the alumni and students. We're not Ohio State, but we don't need to be. We love our little teams. They know that.
I don't disagree with where you're going there, but I was more looking at the combo of university president, AD, and anyone else that's part of the decision. I personally think that there's been a decline since the combination of McDavis and Schaus moved on. Maybe I'm just being too nostalgic. Maybe not.
I agree 100% that there's been a decline since McDavis and Schaus left O.U.

As a former student McDavis bled Green and White.
Always cared for the University.

Mc Davis came off,at least to me, as genuine.

I felt the same way about how Schaus felt about O.U.

Hasn't been the same since they left.
Kind of a drift from this thought, but this news about the "new" logo highlights what I'm trying to say. There is an obvious disconnect between some decision makers that aren't directly employed in athletics. This says the athletic department didn't even know about the branding change until it was basically decided upon. Feels like typical OU, and to me it seems like this is a trend. Maybe I'm wrong, and maybe winning ball games alleviates how I'm feeling about things right now.

https://x.com/i/status/2016977888239611997
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cbarber357
1/29/2026 7:08 PM
M.D.W.S.T wrote:expand_more
Ohio University will not dismiss Coach Boals in 2026. The buyout, thanks to the former AD is more than they want to pay. I hope Coach Boals turns things around because he is a good guy. Shouldn’t Bobcat fans expect more from Boals because of his top salary in the league? Be prepared for another fifth seed finish this season. Coach Boals has been in Athens 11-12 years including his under grad degree at Ohio University. Coach Albin spent 20 years in Athens and was awarded
the conference coach of the year twice. He also led the football program to a league title for the first time in over five decades. Albin and the football program achieved three consecutive ten win seasons and wonderful success, but for some reason the former AD ignored those achievements. Albin out performed Boals, but yet the former AD rewarded Boals. And SBH and others, like I have told you many times before, I’m not related to Coach Albin. I’m just a fan who appreciated unprecedented success for the Bobcat football program unlike many of you and the former AD!
lmmmmaaaaooooo brother there aint no way you turned this into another Albin gripe.

Honestly... 10/10 on this one. I actually laughed out loud.
It’s like somebody took a broken animatronic from Chuck E. Cheese and turned it into a BobcatAttack poster. It’s broken, sad, and it drives you crazy when you’re forced to listen to it repeat the same thing all day every day.
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FJC31
1/29/2026 7:28 PM
OU_Country wrote:expand_more
What would you folks think if we replaced one alumnus with another and hired Dustin Ford? He has no head coaching experience, except at Jackson High School, but he's done very well as an assistant. I'm not advocating this, just asking the question.
I feel like this ship has sailed, but I imagine he’d get an interview. Ford is a double edge sword. Him also being an alumni could ease the moving on from Boals but also creates some hesitancy of another OU hire.

I like Ford, always have. I was a student during the Boals year and always thought it was a mistake to not give him a trial year back then with a loaded and experienced roster.

That said, I’d cast a wide net beyond Ohio. Top D2 coaches should be considered. I’d also reach out to Jamie Quarles. He was on Oats Buffalo staff during those impressive 18-19 seasons. Those were incredible teams. He’s at USF with Hodgsen, but knows the MAC (and how to recruit it) and has coached at the D2 level.
Serious question on this topic: How much do we really believe that those people making decisions about head coaching openings at Ohio care about winning? That's something I'm starting to question that I never questioned 10-12 years ago.
I suppose it comes down to how much those individual believes their HC hires allow them to keep their current jobs and eventually land bigger (P5) ones.

I think most AD’s are egotistical enough to not allow someone who isn’t their hire to create a smudge on their resume.
AD's are tied to winning and the success of their coaches. If Lars comes here and the football and basketball programs collapse around him, he's gonna be selling Jackrabbit nachos at the South Dakota State Fair. If he has success, he'll head to Texas Tech, or Miami, or LSU or lead a conference, like the folks before him. This is a cushy spot if you have success.

Lori also knows what it means to have a winning program here. Shit, she was the one at the campus football celebration when the bus came back without Albin. Sports, even our little engine that could, drive pride and engagement throughout the alumni and students. We're not Ohio State, but we don't need to be. We love our little teams. They know that.
I don't disagree with where you're going there, but I was more looking at the combo of university president, AD, and anyone else that's part of the decision. I personally think that there's been a decline since the combination of McDavis and Schaus moved on. Maybe I'm just being too nostalgic. Maybe not.
I agree 100% that there's been a decline since McDavis and Schaus left O.U.

As a former student McDavis bled Green and White.
Always cared for the University.

Mc Davis came off,at least to me, as genuine.

I felt the same way about how Schaus felt about O.U.

Hasn't been the same since they left.
Kind of a drift from this thought, but this news about the "new" logo highlights what I'm trying to say. There is an obvious disconnect between some decision makers that aren't directly employed in athletics. This says the athletic department didn't even know about the branding change until it was basically decided upon. Feels like typical OU, and to me it seems like this is a trend. Maybe I'm wrong, and maybe winning ball games alleviates how I'm feeling about things right now.

https://x.com/i/status/2016977888239611997
I had to laugh at this change. Imagine being so over the left side design and being like “yes, that’s it” to the right. Seems like a potentially unnecessary expense. Hope some graphic design intern did this and not agency for budget sake.

https://x.com/charliefadel/status/2016639251736154323?s=4...
Last Edited: 1/29/2026 7:30:04 PM by FJC31
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greencat
1/29/2026 8:45 PM
OU_Country wrote:expand_more
I agree with those you think that Saul was a good coach who had a lot of basketball misfortune befall him during his tenure here. If given another year or two I think he could have righted the ship. If you look at his record after he left OHIO, he had some very good teams in DII ball and then had a horrible year and was canned. I don't know much about DII ball, but three of his first four years at Northern State he had 20-or-more-win seasons, and the other one was a 19-win season. Then the bottom droppe out, and he finished with a 2-26 season before he was canned. The fact that he had 24 wins in his fourth year there would seem to indicate to me that it was not just a matter of feasting off someone else's recruits. Maybe there was a systemic issue at Northern State his last two years there. The huge dropoff seems strange.
quote from a D-2 Northern State forum:

"There was never any development with anybody that Saul ever brought in. Players never got better here."
Two thoughts: that's just one fan's opinion, and two, that's the exact same thing that's being said about our current head coach.
Saul started out there with a pair of 20 win seasons with the previous guy's recruits. Then a ten win season. Then a two win season. Then fired.

Maybe his recruiting and development both sucked. Possibly more than "just one lone single isolated fan's opinion."
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OhioCatFan
1/29/2026 11:37 PM

No, it's as I said:

Northern State Wolves (NSIC) (2019–2025)
2019–20 Northern State 26–6 18–4 1st Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 Northern State 19–2 13–1 1st** 2021 NCAA DII Regional Finals
2021–22 Northern State 20–12 13–9 5th  
2022–23 Northern State 24–7 19–3 1st 2023 NCAA DII First Round
2023–24 Northern State 10–19 8–14 T-11th  
2024–25 Northern State 2–26 1–21 15th  
Northern State: 101–72 (.584) 72–52 (.581)  
Total: 316–231 (.578)  
 

Four good seasons, followed by two bad seasons.  His good seasons continued for four years, so it's doubtful his success was all due to the previous guy's recruits.  Maybe, the first two or three seasons -- but probalby not the fourth. 

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rpbobcat
1/30/2026 7:38 AM
OhioCatFan wrote:expand_more
I agree with those you think that Saul was a good coach who had a lot of basketball misfortune befall him during his tenure here. If given another year or two I think he could have righted the ship. If you look at his record after he left OHIO, he had some very good teams in DII ball and then had a horrible year and was canned. I don't know much about DII ball, but three of his first four years at Northern State he had 20-or-more-win seasons, and the other one was a 19-win season. Then the bottom droppe out, and he finished with a 2-26 season before he was canned. The fact that he had 24 wins in his fourth year there would seem to indicate to me that it was not just a matter of feasting off someone else's recruits. Maybe there was a systemic issue at Northern State his last two years there. The huge dropoff seems strange.
Saul also had to deal with his wife's breast cancer.
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SBH
1/30/2026 10:05 AM
3 key players abandoning the program in the pre-portal/NIL era is entirely on Saul.
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Alan Swank
1/30/2026 3:26 PM
SBH wrote:expand_more
3 key players abandoning the program in the pre-portal/NIL era is entirely on Saul.
Who all left?
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shabamon
1/30/2026 4:32 PM
Simmons, Ryan Taylor, and... Rodney Culver?
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greencat
1/30/2026 4:34 PM
Alan Swank wrote:expand_more
3 key players abandoning the program in the pre-portal/NIL era is entirely on Saul.
Who all left?
If Culver was supposed to be a "key" player? He averaged 2.6 ppg.

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/rodney-culve...

No other D-1 NCAA stats found for him after he left.

If Wadly Mompremier was supposed to be "key" he averaged 1.8 ppg at Ohio.

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/wadly-mompre...
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GoCats105
1/30/2026 4:49 PM
shabamon wrote:expand_more
Simmons, Ryan Taylor, and... Rodney Culver?
I mentioned Carter transferring on Saul's watch but forgot that was between the Saul/Boals transition.
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