Old regime: I was recruited by Brian Knorr out of high school. I went on 3 of my 5 visits Arkansas, Louisville, Kentucky, Ohio and Nebraska (when Frank was there). On my third visit I fell in love with this school with a little river around it, beautiful campus, and the old buildings.
On my first day in the summer I met Stafford Owens, Keyon Ingram and Dontrelle Jackson. We ran routes all day and caught passes. They told me that our class was special but I didn't realize what they meant.
As some of our new recruits (Scott Mayle, Anthony Hackett, myself) were promised we would move to a 60/40 passing scheme in which OC Greg Gregory. After the 3rd game and not many passing yards, Greg scraped the whole offense and went back to Bull Formation (double-wing and one back). Most athletes were unhappy, because the majority of that summer was spent running. We had lineman that were close to 300 lbs weighing less than 250 on game day. We were getting over-powered.
Then during the season some things happened that started a rebellion amongst the coaches, mainly Coach Knorr. While on an away trip Coach Knorr threw a Pepsi can off someone's head. That situation compounded with the fact Knorr punished the whole team if one individual messed up, sort of like the military background he had. During that time the coaches that were realllllllly respected during that time was Pete Germano, Ron Antoine, and the defensive coordinator who is at Fresno State. Players love those coaches but when McDavis sat with the upperclassmen to figure out why we weren't winning; some things came into light. First off, in scout practices against 1st teamers, the scouts were told to do the wrong thing or not to make a play which affected the scout and the first teamer in a negative light. How can either player get better? Second, how can a team convert more than 50% 3rd downs if we are running GT trap on 3rd an 20? McDavis told us that he would make changes to improve the environment. Imagine a team hungry for winning but didn't know how to.

ENTERS Coach Solich. Solich says something after our first win at home versuses Pitt that sticks with me this day. He says to the interviewer, "They wanted to do well and win." I still think about it to this day. Our team was so hungry to win and play 4 quarters. And when we finally did it...it led to a new attitude.

I hope this provides some light into the transition of Ohio Football. Brian Knorr is a good coach, but a better position coach, hence why he has done so well at Air Force and Indiana. Solich punishes players individually and makes the team accountable. But he doesn't punish the entire team for one small mistake. He loves giving his players their rest and to get their bodies and legs back. In the Knorr days, you had to grind through it even if they knew you were hurt. Two totally different outlook. Players gravitate to coach Solich and his style.

Welcome and so glad you posted! How often do you make it back if ever?

That's incredible. Wish there was a video of that.

GalliaCat, I made it to 4 home games this past season. You may occasionally see me on the sideline wearing shades and my 06 Ring. I love the home games and the excitement from 2002 to 2015-16 is amazing. To see the shirts made in 2002---"Athens Party town with a Football problem"------to now where we could possibly get an Under Armour contract or remain with Russell (in Bowling Green, KY near my hometown) is so great! Dontrelle Jackson's class wore Reebok and Adidas (horrible for football because they are heavier cleats) to now where they can wear Nike, Under Armour, Jordan etc. It's just all amazing to me how far we have come in less than 15 years. Our program is improving at the speed of cell phones in technology.

Over the years I have sent in recruits to Chris Rodgers, a teammates from back in the day on the 06 squad and current Director of Football Operations. Eveery year and sometimes in between, I get people from around the country who know me and want to help a kid in recruiting. We have a solid class this year with lineman on both sides of the ball that can contribute immediately and do not necessarily need to red-shirt to gain strength and speed. Our need for the future is a QB. So this past weekend, I submitted 3 quarterbacks who I think can lead us to a MACC. Here the are as follows in order I would like to have:

2017 QB

#1. Jeffery Toney 6'6" 229 lbs from Niceville, Florida (Niceville High) 0 offers
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2718582/jeffery-toney


#2. Erin Thomas 6'7" 214 lbs. from Houston, Texas, (Madison High) 0 offers
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3260409/erin-thomas


#3. Terreun Randolph 6'6" 185 lbs from Dallas, Texas (Skyline High)0 offers
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/4587720/terreon-randolph


These athletes are seriously being considered by Ohio's staff as I submitted these this past weekend. I believe all 3 gentlemen will be offered by us along with other p5 schools. I just want to get ahead of the curve and offer them early like WMU and BG does other elite athletes. Let me know what you guys think of OUr possible future QBs.

Welcome aboard!

Thank you UpSan and OhioStunter!! Currently I am working with former alums to pick a game where they bring their families and we can all meet and greet again. From the Chad Brinkers to the Latest grads I know many from all classes. I will post if I get everyone on board. But that is the goal as of this moment.

This is an awesome thread! Thanks for coming online and sharing your insights!

Hey ExCat21, do you need a book agent? The tone and tenor of your experiences is compelling reading. I particularly like your comments about Brian and Deruyter. Tim played softball with the old Cats Den team a few times and was a great guy to be around. Brian had a golf tournament every summer and he made it a point to play one hole with every team. He let you bet against him on a par three and then he played with the group the rest of the hole. Like Billy Hahn, an OU basketball coach before your time, Brian was a good assistant, a very good assistant who got thrown into a head job way before the time that he might have been ready. Anyway, interesting reading and I appreciate your candor and willingness to not sugar coat everything. Go Bobcats!

Welcome. I hope you won't be a one-day poster and will stick around. It's always good to have sources of information that go beyond what we, as fans, can see.

BEST.....FOOTBALL.....THREAD.....EVER!!! Or at least the most captivating!

Welcome aboard! If you take one thing from all these posters, it's that they all love Ohio University to their core.

Please post more often and GO 'CATS!!

Welcome aboard, I got to watch you play, I am glad you came to Ohio, you were very highly touted out of high school. I love the fact that you fell in love withe campus, and have stayed faithful to Ohio University football. I have some questions. What do you think that Ohio needs to do to win the MAC? How do we get players like yourself that can get us more explosive plays? The wideouts look pretty good and your group helped lay the foundation. How do we get to the next level?