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Fallout from Huesman interference(Run 1st,Pass 2nd)-Move to PL(1 bid league)-no graduate transfers-and going out on Top

Seemed inevitable that this would happen...wish Winston the best of luck in W-burg...now that the Indians are no longer a conference opponent I can give them more weekly respect as our historic and only remaining rival except for that one Saturday a year!

Thanks for the last two Playoffs Coach October!

Go Spiders!
 
Did we actually think October was staying after how last year went? Hard to find this shocking but still unfortunate, he was a great ambassador for the school.

I'm with 32 - we might see Jacob Huesman & Kennedy (OL coach) be co-OCs.
 
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Winston October is a very talented offensive coordinator. He called a very good game inside the parameters set by Huesman. Huesman is not a great field general. He prefers an old school, run-first offense and he tries to force his players into that mold.

That said, Coach Huesman has been very complimentary of Winston October. He even called him Coach Wins.

Losing Winston October is bad news for the school.
 
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Which side of the ball got hit hard in exit to the portal?Need I say more…
You want to blame the coach and not our administration. We had many of the same players in 2023 and yet they remained here into 2024.

You are understating the effect the move to the Patriot League had on the team and Coach October. Experienced and talented coaches will not be interested in taking a dead-end job in the Patriot League. Younger coaches will take the lower end jobs in the PL to make a name for themselves.

Coaches like Winston October who have professional football experience will not. He also did not want to taint his reputation by overseeing the dumpster fire of our offense in the upcoming season.

I am concerned we have seen the last of Winston October in Richmond.
 
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Huesman repeatedly forced the running game on offense(the OL were seasoned veterans) in an attempt to control the clock but more importantly it was to keep our defense off the field.Our defense lacked depth and was often
injured.Such a strategy was not consistent with Coleman’s or WRs objectives.We overused a 5-10,190 RB and a running QB (Coleman’s forte was passing) to control clock.October’s play calling prerogatives became increasingly neutered as the season progressed.
Wickersham(a fullback playing QB) is far more suited at QB for our run 1st strategy as long as Huesman is at the helm.No phony QB competition this preseason.Without more seasoned,experienced,veteran OL
in the future because of the graduate transfer prohibition,our ability to run the ball will now be seriously hindered.

2024 Offensive play distribution
———————————-

522 rush attempts(64%)

315 pass attempts(36%)

—————

837 plays


 
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Coaches moving up are fine, particularly at the FCS level. Coaches moving laterally, on the other hand, usually symptomatic of some level of discord as addressed above. Unfortunate to see at Richmond.

Believe October has a bright future. Appreciate his contributions to the Spider program. Hurts that we lost him, but wish him the best.
 
Coaches moving up are fine, particularly at the FCS level. Coaches moving laterally, on the other hand, usually symptomatic of some level of discord as addressed above. Unfortunate to see at Richmond.

Believe October has a bright future. Appreciate his contributions to the Spider program. Hurts that we lost him, but wish him the best.
Agree but believe he made a lateral to come to UR. Think it's still not about x's and o's but rJoe's. About Jimmys and Joes.
 
Coaches moving up are fine, particularly at the FCS level. Coaches moving laterally, on the other hand, usually symptomatic of some level of discord as addressed above. Unfortunate to see at Richmond.

Believe October has a bright future. Appreciate his contributions to the Spider program. Hurts that we lost him, but wish him the best.
Some might say that moving from the PL to the CAA is not a lateral move, yet a move back to at least where he had been. JMO but the fans, players and coaches know this move was a step down for Richmond FB program. The players and coaches might not be stating so publicly but we sure are seeing a lot of movement and none of it is downward, which would be a sign they just want to play anywhere but Richmond.
 
Why is anyone surprised at all these defections? We are now in a lesser league with little to no football pedigree, like it or not. Our coach is stuck in the 1980s with regards to offense. Even our own all time greats are bailing for our rivals. I'm willing to bet John Hardt and all the geniuses calling the shots were glad we lost to Lehigh in the FCS playoffs. They could use that anecdote to pat themselves on the back more and gaslight the SpiderNation into justifying this move.
 
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This move has to be about philosophy and the relationship with coordinator and coach - weren’t these two visibly arguing with each other on the sideline during our last game?

Either way, playing an offense with a QB who is more like a fullback is a dinosaur in the modern game and won’t be getting you very far if you make the playoffs.
 
This move has to be about philosophy and the relationship with coordinator and coach - weren’t these two visibly arguing with each other on the sideline during our last game?

Either way, playing an offense with a QB who is more like a fullback is a dinosaur in the modern game and won’t be getting you very far if you make the playoffs.
It really won't get you to the playoffs, if your QB gets hurt. I am sure that Coach October received an ear full from Huesman and he gave it back to him. It shows confidence in yourself when you stand up to the crap.

I had hoped that Winston October would be our next head football coach. Now I am not sure he would take it if offered.
 
I don't think you leave your alma mater to go to W&M because you think the CAA is better than the Patriot. It's not like we are cutting the coaches' salaries because of the move or anything.
We can speculate all we want and still be wrong I would think.

Maybe he got a raise to go there, maybe he wanted to coach with another Richmond grad, maybe it got hot due to Spiders leading the nation in redzone FGs, or maybe any of many other reasons we do not and probably should not know.

I still lean to he and the departing players do not want to move down competitively. Spiders might loss other coaches like 32counter mentioned before this settles out.

He did do a good job helping win two conference championships his two years in position, so I praise him and wish him well.
Like others here have hinted, excepting one weekend a year, I am a Tribe fan going forward. Two Spider grads as coaches one of which coached the Spider National Championship game with our present HC, I cannot make myself pull against them excepting that weekend.
,
One bright point in my amateur opinion, Huesman found him and the one before him was just named FCS Coach of the Year, so maybe he finds another good OC pretty quickly. I have to give him the benefit of the doubt for now after the last two hires.
 
Great post, I think it is time to stop throwing stones and Speculation, let the program settle to where it will be in September. Too much uncertainty in all of College Football to know how everything will settle into! We have had a successful program in the last 3 years and the future is yet to be determined.🏈🕷️🕸️
 
I don't think you leave your alma mater to go to W&M because you think the CAA is better than the Patriot. It's not like we are cutting the coaches' salaries because of the move or anything.
I hope that is factual and not speculation. While I wouldn’t expect this move cost it, are we sure we aren’t cutting coaches salaries? I fear the school is behind the scenes pulling money away from programs.
 
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Huesman repeatedly forced the running game on offense(the OL were seasoned veterans) in an attempt to control the clock but more importantly it was to keep our defense off the field.Our defense lacked depth and was often
injured.Such a strategy was not consistent with Coleman’s or WRs objectives.We overused a 5-10,190 RB and a running QB (Coleman’s forte was passing) to control clock.October’s play calling prerogatives became increasingly neutered as the season progressed.
Wickersham(a fullback playing QB) is far more suited at QB for our run 1st strategy as long as Huesman is at the helm.No phony QB competition this preseason.Without more seasoned,experienced,veteran OL
in the future because of the graduate transfer prohibition,our ability to run the ball will now be seriously hindered.

2024 Offensive play distribution
———————————-

522 rush attempts(64%)

315 pass attempts(36%)

—————

837 plays


32...thanks for the back story...How did Coach Huesman's "run first" philosophy coexist with OC Billy Cosh in 2022... wasn't that the "air raid" offense...that he brought along Udinsky and Heres from VMI to run?

that should be another entertaining story! :D

Go Spiders!
 
32...thanks for the back story...How did Coach Huesman's "run first" philosophy coexist with OC Billy Cosh in 2022... wasn't that the "air raid" offense...that he brought along Udinsky and Heres from VMI to run?

that should be another entertaining story! :D

Go Spiders!
Check out the level of depth of the DL in 2022.We had nothing that remotely resembles that level of depth in 2024.

 
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Interesting thread title. While I admit where there is smoke there is fire, but when you are the head coach how do you interfere with your own program. Run first and throw second is a philosophy still followed today by a great number of football programs, not just Richmond. It's hard to understand how a coach who has won back to back titles and gone to the playoffs 3 straight years can be held in so little regard when down the hall in the RC another coach who has gone to the playoffs 3 times in 20 years gets what ever he wants.
 
Interesting thread title. While I admit where there is smoke there is fire, but when you are the head coach how do you interfere with your own program. Run first and throw second is a philosophy still followed today by a great number of football programs, not just Richmond. It's hard to understand how a coach who has won back to back titles and gone to the playoffs 3 straight years can be held in so little regard when down the hall in the RC another coach who has gone to the playoffs 3 times in 20 years gets what ever he wants.
Dang. Tell it, Whampas!
 
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I will preface this by saying I like to win. We have a winning program at this point which much credit has to be given to the head coach. He also left his alma mater to come to Richmond to clean up a messy situation left by a departing coach that tried to trash our program as having no vision. He runs a clean program and is accountable to a fault to the public regarding taking responsibility and holding his players to account. He has proven to be a good at identifying and bringing in quality coaches and players and develops them once here. He has won two conference championships and played for a third in the last three years. We have been to the playoffs the last three years and been consistently in the Top 25 in FCS. He consistently beats our biggest rival. He also receives minimal support from an administration that appears not to value football as big money donors support basketball and lacrosse. All he does is continue to find good talent with high school recruits and in the portal to keep winning and consistently uses his contacts to bring in coaches that recruit and develop talent to win games. Yes, he is a conservative, defensive minded coach but I think he gets far too much blame for our offensive play calling failures especially in short yardage/red zone situations. That falls directly on the OC regarding using formations and talent to get the job done in crucial situations.
 
Interesting thread title. While I admit where there is smoke there is fire, but when you are the head coach how do you interfere with your own program. Run first and throw second is a philosophy still followed today by a great number of football programs, not just Richmond. It's hard to understand how a coach who has won back to back titles and gone to the playoffs 3 straight years can be held in so little regard when down the hall in the RC another coach who has gone to the playoffs 3 times in 20 years gets what ever he want has.
Montana State is locked in a battle with a run first QB for the national championship right now in the 4th vs NDSU who's QB has run it in twice already.
 
I will preface this by saying I like to win. We have a winning program at this point which much credit has to be given to the head coach. He also left his alma mater to come to Richmond to clean up a messy situation left by a departing coach that tried to trash our program as having no vision. He runs a clean program and is accountable to a fault to the public regarding taking responsibility and holding his players to account. He has proven to be a good at identifying and bringing in quality coaches and players and develops them once here. He has won two conference championships and played for a third in the last three years. We have been to the playoffs the last three years and been consistently in the Top 25 in FCS. He consistently beats our biggest rival. He also receives minimal support from an administration that appears not to value football as big money donors support basketball and lacrosse. All he does is continue to find good talent with high school recruits and in the portal to keep winning and consistently uses his contacts to bring in coaches that recruit and develop talent to win games. Yes, he is a conservative, defensive minded coach but I think he gets far too much blame for our offensive play calling failures especially in short yardage/red zone situations. That falls directly on the OC regarding using formations and talent to get the job done in crucial situations.
Amen!!!
 
Great point regarding winning with dual threat quarterbacks. Both offenses in the championship game tonight have dual threat QBs and run the RPO offense.
Thanks

North Dakota State finally won the game 35-32, their QB ran it 18 times for 121 yards, while throwing it for 200.
Montana State fell short with their QB only running it 14 times for 135 yards and throwing it for 195.
 
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He also left his alma mater to come to Richmond to clean up a messy situation left by a departing coach that tried to trash our program as having no vision.
Rocco was a much better coach than Huesman. The administration wrecked the team by undercutting the coach and the team. Huesman couldn't win with an NFL level QB. The next season he ran off the only 3 star QB that UR ever had.
 
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