NSU vs SFA

[stinger]

I don't mean to be picky but has anyone seen any post-game remarks from Coach Laird? Seems to me, I would have lots to say including changes that need to be made, support for my players, and specific plans for improvement. Situation is urgent for action and the time is now.

[Corruption is Expensive]

That's why NSU football is suffering. The fans have little sway over the decision makers. They don't have to be held accountable. So, any explanation would just be coachspeak. We attend out of loyalty, but that will change. Too many options available for weekend entertainment and Millennials and Gen Z aren't as loyal as Boomers and Gen X. Life is different today. Besides, the NSU brand isn't as marketable as it once was. When is the last time you have seen NSU gear available to be sold outside of Natchitoches? At a brick-and-mortar shop? When is the last time you have seen NSU gear worn outside of Natchitoches, Alexandria-Pineville, Shreveport-Bossier, Many, Leesville, Coushatta or Winnfield? Our geographic footprint is tiny for several reasons. One, generalized apathy and malaise due to status quo being "good enough." I mean, Natchitoches still celebrates Steel Magnolias like it was filmed in 2017, so we get it honestly. Two, a mascot that is terribly hard to market to families. One that is terribly hard to market period, especially in a time of tumult in the world. It also has nothing to do with our geography. Three, a school name that is double-directional with no true geographic tie. "Northwestern State!" Well, which state? "The people around here know it's NSU!" Is that all we want to reach? The people "around here?" Four, a fear of change and being bogged down by so-called tradition. Five, and finally, the refusal to change with the times. We're stuck in a time warp and our future customers are not. They have options. Start winning football games to an acceptable level or the whole sports program will begin to suffer. No one is demanding championships. We just want a winning season. We have a whole Generation Z about to become adults since we have had a winning season. So, if we really want to change for the better, we need to put a microscope on every aspect of what we're doing or our future customers that we are NOT courting with an attractive product will choose some other form of entertainment outside of watching us lose and lose ugly. This isn't personal. It's business. Coach Laird could win out and everyone would love it, but we have seen no pattern that this will happen. Hope isn't a strategy. Be creative, be brave. Make changes. Line up with people of NW and Central La and its geography. Those hundreds of thousands of potential customers that live within an hour's drive of the campus just might change our trajectory. Keep doing the same things expecting a different outcome and, well, you know the rest of that story.

[Texas Demon]

I could understand the first game. We had a lot of new players, and we were going against an FBS team that will probably go bowling this year. But if anything, we have gotten worse since then rather than better. It's not just that we're losing, but HOW we're losing. Honestly, I really, really want Laird to work out as coach. I would love to see the program finally make it back to the playoffs led by one of our former players. But we continue to not just lose, but self-destruct. There is a good bit of talent on the roster. I'm not so sure whether we have conference championship level talent, but there's certainly way too much talent to lose by 34 at home to SFA. Between the turnovers, penalties, and so forth, we are beating ourselves as much as our opponents are beating us. The depressing lack of execution is killing the team, and that has to be on the coaches. Again, I HATE that this is where things stand. Few things would make me happier than to see this coaching staff somehow turn the season around & at least get this team to a winning record. But unfortunately, based on the first 3 games, I wouldn't exactly bet money on it. The team is clearly not going in the right direction, and it is dragging the entire athletic department down with it. There was a time when NSU won the conference in football, men's basketball, and women's basketball all in the same academic year. Not surprisingly, fan support was amazing at that time. I still believe this athletic department, and fan support, can be that good again. But we absolutely must have a coach lead the football program to a massive U-turn, whether it's Laird or someone else.

[Reality Check]

I don't think anyone is pulling against Laird. I think he has a lot of people pulling for him to succeed. In the end, though, as was stated in an earlier post, this is business and the business plan hasn't really produced much. I keep thinking, "he is one season away from figuring it out."

[Cajundemon11]

From a trajectory standpoint his tenure just isn't trending upwards whatsoever. Spare me the bs of last years 4-7 but "competing for a conference crown" nonsense. We have been hoping he's one season from figuring this out for a while. this program is lightyears away of where it should be and could be, and has been for well over a decade.