It’s obvious IU football’s problems are bigger than Tom Allen. This entire post is based on the likely faulty assumption that the admin actually cares if we field a good football team. And that they’re willing to do whatever it takes to make IU football competitive.
1. If we limp home and don’t show any improvements as the year winds down, fire everyone.
2. If we do show a heartbeat and win a few games. THEN, the financial implications of the buyout can be used as a reason to keep Allen for another year.
No matter what happens regarding 1 or 2…
Put a wide sweeping plan in place to reshape every aspect of IU football.
1. Hire a football “GM”. Pull that person from the NFL. Pay them well. Task them to find young, dynamic, up and coming coordinators (if Allen is retained). And/or the head coach if he’s not. Look for already successful head coaches at lower level college programs when looking for head coaches. Look for bright, young, energetic position coaches from obviously successful NFL or college programs for coordinator and position coaches. Are there any smart young guys in the Dolphins program? Rams? Etc… Whether you’re working with Allen or a new coach, make it very clear they have input, but not the final say. Overpay all of them. Sell them on being involved in something revolutionary at the ground level. Make it fun. Exciting. Obvious springboard to bigger/better things.
2. Lean in to the Cuban Center. Hire an NFL caliber staff to modernize everything “tech” about the program. Social media footprint. Analytics. Brand creation for players. All of it should be cutting edge.
3. Player focused facilities. Demo and replace Mellencamp. Make the new one the best training facility in the nation. Build a residential sector for athletes that includes the nicest apartment/condo complexes in the nation. Retail shops. Restaraunts. Etc…
4. Redo south end zone and concourses at MS. Build a hotel in to the south end zone. Have Marriott or Hilton help pay for it. Have rooms with seating balconies facing in to the stadium. Have large meeting spaces that open up to stadium. Modernize the concourses so people aren’t anxious to leave the stadium. It’s basically a glorified high school stadium in a lot of ways now. Absurd and unacceptable how long the concession and bathroom lines are. And the 40” TVs that look like my 12 year old hung in the concourse are beyond embarrassing. Study new NFL stadiums, fix the problems. Make the stadium a place people are excited to get in to and want to stay.
5. Work, like crazy, to expand football NIL money and creativity. College football is hurdling itself towards NFL style franchises. Lean in to that. Figure out how to provide ROI with NIL donors. Advertising rights, access to the program, whatever it takes.
This initiative could start today. If Dolson and/Allen aren’t on board, they’re free to resign. Allen seems to be a “good man”. He has energy and passion. And when he’s had elite level coordinators, he’s shown some success. Force him to have that. And use the recent history as leverage to keep any future contracts in check when this initiative does start to work.
In this day and age, you can turn your program around immediately. You just have to be bold, committed, and willing to pay for it.
1. If we limp home and don’t show any improvements as the year winds down, fire everyone.
2. If we do show a heartbeat and win a few games. THEN, the financial implications of the buyout can be used as a reason to keep Allen for another year.
No matter what happens regarding 1 or 2…
Put a wide sweeping plan in place to reshape every aspect of IU football.
1. Hire a football “GM”. Pull that person from the NFL. Pay them well. Task them to find young, dynamic, up and coming coordinators (if Allen is retained). And/or the head coach if he’s not. Look for already successful head coaches at lower level college programs when looking for head coaches. Look for bright, young, energetic position coaches from obviously successful NFL or college programs for coordinator and position coaches. Are there any smart young guys in the Dolphins program? Rams? Etc… Whether you’re working with Allen or a new coach, make it very clear they have input, but not the final say. Overpay all of them. Sell them on being involved in something revolutionary at the ground level. Make it fun. Exciting. Obvious springboard to bigger/better things.
2. Lean in to the Cuban Center. Hire an NFL caliber staff to modernize everything “tech” about the program. Social media footprint. Analytics. Brand creation for players. All of it should be cutting edge.
3. Player focused facilities. Demo and replace Mellencamp. Make the new one the best training facility in the nation. Build a residential sector for athletes that includes the nicest apartment/condo complexes in the nation. Retail shops. Restaraunts. Etc…
4. Redo south end zone and concourses at MS. Build a hotel in to the south end zone. Have Marriott or Hilton help pay for it. Have rooms with seating balconies facing in to the stadium. Have large meeting spaces that open up to stadium. Modernize the concourses so people aren’t anxious to leave the stadium. It’s basically a glorified high school stadium in a lot of ways now. Absurd and unacceptable how long the concession and bathroom lines are. And the 40” TVs that look like my 12 year old hung in the concourse are beyond embarrassing. Study new NFL stadiums, fix the problems. Make the stadium a place people are excited to get in to and want to stay.
5. Work, like crazy, to expand football NIL money and creativity. College football is hurdling itself towards NFL style franchises. Lean in to that. Figure out how to provide ROI with NIL donors. Advertising rights, access to the program, whatever it takes.
This initiative could start today. If Dolson and/Allen aren’t on board, they’re free to resign. Allen seems to be a “good man”. He has energy and passion. And when he’s had elite level coordinators, he’s shown some success. Force him to have that. And use the recent history as leverage to keep any future contracts in check when this initiative does start to work.
In this day and age, you can turn your program around immediately. You just have to be bold, committed, and willing to pay for it.