I see in the featured article included today that Fleck will be making $800,000 a year at Western Michigan starting next year. That seems like a more substantial increase in any MAC coaches salary that I'm aware of. It seems that the game is changing even for the have nots. Can this arms race continue for the little guys. I tend to think not, but I may be wrong. This is certainly a big change in MAC salaries, so it will interesting to see how that affects other hires on the MAC as they come up.

2013 1-11
2014 8-5



Compare.

I'm surprised Situation hasn't listed the last date for each MAC school that it beat another MAC school which ended the season with a winning record.


Stop thinking bottom of the MAC type performance is acceptable.


And stop it now.



Do not enter 2015 with such attitude.


Stop it. Stop it now.

OK, here is your comparison. WMU has an extremely strong tradition of winning at football. Out of the last 50 years, in 40 of them they have won 5 or more games, and only 6 times have they won 3 or less. The 1-11 record last year was the worst record ever in WMU history. The only other seasons close to that were 1975 and 2004, both 1-10 years.

Cubit, the coach that preceded him, averaged 6.4 wins/season and 4.5 MAC wins a season, and had a career winning percentage at WMU of .520. WMU has an all-time winning percentage of .550. Fleck has a career winning percentage of .360. He's well below Cubit in all those areas, and well below the WMU all-time average. Cubit had a season with 9 wins, so he's not matched that yet, either, but his 6-2 MAC record does match Cubit's best. His 8-5 record last year is a shade over the 7.2 wins that WMU has posted in an average year, but nothing unusual for them.

Conclusion: WMU fans are schizophrenic. Last year many wanted him fired. Now, after nearly matching Cubit's best record, they want to go to the other extreme, making him the highest paid in the MAC. If he has another good year next year, he'll be gone, but if he has a bad year, they will probably go back to wanting him fired.

MAC schools are all going to have to get here soon to remain the least bit relevant, I believe the $800K range is already the average for CUSA.

This is 2015.

I know; that's a shock to most of you.

No one give's a rat's hind end about what a school did 40 or 20 years ago. It's about what the current coach has done. And done recently.

WMU's coach has been there two years. He went 1-11. That would make most fans uneasy, I'm sure. Then, 8-5 his second year. The fans must be quite happy and other schools will come looking--if not now (which is pretty certain) than for sure if this continues.

Maybe too many of you are too provincial. I don't know what it is that makes you so accepting of the mediocre that we are now. That doesn't happen in the real world.

Great--Solich and staff took us from the depths to MAC title games and bowls and bowl victories.

Unfortunately, the world didn't stop 31 games ago. Those 31 games happened. And we've pretty much stunk since then. We're in a horrible league's dreadful division and we can't beat a team in the conference which ends up with a winning record

You all can ridicule me all that I want. You all can be as one-note the other way as I am my way.

But, I'm not gonna passive let this garbage stand. We are lousy football. There's a reason we had about no representation on the All-MAC teams. 15-16 ove the last 31 actually happened.

What makes most of us keep from jumping over the edge like you is perspective. We are able to look at the body of work, understand that stuff happens and are not ready to give up on this staff that has turned the Bobcats around, big time. If we continue to be mediocre like the last year and 1/2, then, lets think about options. I don't think we are garbage and I don't necessarily call this lousy football, others may chose to.

Happy New Year.

You make up for everyone else so they don't have to grumble

He is worth it.

Lot of dislike directed his way especially last year. Even among their own fan base up in WMU. I recall posters on their message board who didn't like his flashy style despite the obvious positve effect I was having on recruiting.

I'm sure the "fans" on that message board who slandered (or is it libel?) his name are happy to see him getting paid.

The fact that WMU is willing to pay up for this coach suggests they may not be calling it quits on the arm race. Similar commitment to our Saul Ball. I know a lot don't like it, but I see value here.

800k will buya lot of invisible oars.