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Second takeaway: Akron hoops has its strengths ($ donor, proven successful coach), but also has its weaknesses (financial troubles, declining enrollment). Is its long-term outlook the best in the league? Back to Top cc-cat General User Member Since: 4/5/2006 Location: matthews, NC Post Count: 3,999 Status: Offline     RE: MAC jobs ranked    Posted: 1/7/2026 10:50:59 PM  quite the drop off from Toledo to Ohio Back to Top Andrew Ruck General User Member Since: 12/22/2004 Location: Columbus, OH Post Count: 5,468 Status: Offline     RE: MAC jobs ranked    Posted: 1/8/2026 8:48:48 AM  I still think we are the #1 job in the conference. This exercise seems a bit circular and these rankings feel a little revisionist to me. For example, Akron may be a top job but only because of the sustained success Dambrot built and Groce continued. If a new coach came in and sucked for 4 years, it would be a very dire situation to take over. To me, it is about a strong identity and brand, a deeply rooted fan base, a nice campus to recruit to and strong facilities. In modern times I suppose donor money is another factor, but I think most the time that correlates with all the other items mentioned. Andrew Ruck B.B.A. 2003 Back to Top M.D.W.S.T General User Member Since: 12/23/2021 Post Count: 3,410 Status: Offline     RE: MAC jobs ranked    Posted: 1/8/2026 9:15:51 AM  Which coaches were polled? MAC or everyone? 4th is nothing to scoff at, realistically, I think OU is definitely in the Top 3-4. I think an aging facility, and our NIL struggles keeps ups down. Campus, the school, fan and student engagement, attendance, enrollment, OU is certainly tops in the MAC. I'm not a coach, so what do I know, but without Groce over there, if both jobs were open I would be shocked if anyone would choose Akron or Toledo over OU. Of course I'm biased, but Toledo and Akron are in large part, commuter schools with declining enrollment and not really great reputation for academics. We're not exactly Harvard, but there is a level up in "prestige" from that aspect and a longer-term stability of the entire university. Back to Top OhioCatFan General User Member Since: 12/20/2004 Location: Athens, OH Post Count: 15,287 Status: Offline     RE: MAC jobs ranked    Posted: 1/8/2026 11:02:38 AM  My guess is that if Groce had his choice he'd rather be back at OHIO as the head coach than at Akron. I think we should be #1 in that list. I'm totally objective and not the least bit biased in that assessment! ;-) The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA "It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right." Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org Back to Top shabamon General User Member Since: 11/17/2006 Location: Cincinnati Post Count: 7,132 Status: Offline     RE: MAC jobs ranked    Posted: 1/8/2026 11:10:56 AM  NIL NIL NIL NIL NIL. Akron has some dude bankrolling them and doesn't Miami have Chipotle money? Back to Top M.D.W.S.T General User Member Since: 12/23/2021 Post Count: 3,410 Status: Offline     RE: MAC jobs ranked    Posted: 1/8/2026 11:47:10 AM  shabamon wrote: NIL NIL NIL NIL NIL. Akron has some dude bankrolling them and doesn't Miami have Chipotle money? I think it's Starbucks money now lol Back to Top Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame General User Member Since: 7/30/2010 Post Count: 4,469 Status: Offline     RE: MAC jobs ranked    Posted: 1/8/2026 11:57:38 AM  shabamon wrote: NIL NIL NIL NIL NIL. Akron has some dude bankrolling them and doesn't Miami have Chipotle money? If it's NIL, NIL, NIL, NIL, NIL does that mean we've got the fourth largest pool of NIL funds in the league? Back to Top Recovering Journalist General User Member Since: 8/17/2010 Location: Cleveland, OH Post Count: 1,861 Status: Offline     RE: MAC jobs ranked    Posted: 1/8/2026 11:58:20 AM  It seems like a realistic list. With the exception of UMass, who I think will eventually be just fine, it's showing up in the standings. Ohio may well have the best campus and fan support (though that's clearly waning) but the lack of a practice gym and dearth of NIL money will hamper this program unless they're resolved. As for long-term issues like enrollment declines at Akron, I don't think those really matter to MAC coaches on the top of this scale. A contract is a contract, and if they have the foundation and NIL support to succeed that's what matters. Back to Top shabamon General User Member Since: 11/17/2006 Location: Cincinnati Post Count: 7,132 Status: Offline     RE: MAC jobs ranked    Posted: 1/8/2026 12:05:26 PM  Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame wrote: shabamon wrote: NIL NIL NIL NIL NIL. Akron has some dude bankrolling them and doesn't Miami have Chipotle money? If it's NIL, NIL, NIL, NIL, NIL does that mean we've got the fourth largest pool of NIL funds in the league? I have no idea, but it's why Akron is at the top despite declining enrollment and a lousy home arena. Back to Top Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame General User Member Since: 7/30/2010 Post Count: 4,469 Status: Offline     RE: MAC jobs ranked    Posted: 1/8/2026 12:12:19 PM  shabamon wrote: I have no idea, but it's why Akron is at the top despite declining enrollment and a lousy home arena. It might also be that they've basically lapped the rest of the conference in the last 5 years. Back to Top M.D.W.S.T General User Member Since: 12/23/2021 Post Count: 3,410 Status: Offline     RE: MAC jobs ranked    Posted: 1/8/2026 12:31:23 PM  Recovering Journalist wrote: It seems like a realistic list. With the exception of UMass, who I think will eventually be just fine, it's showing up in the standings. Ohio may well have the best campus and fan support (though that's clearly waning) but the lack of a practice gym and dearth of NIL money will hamper this program unless they're resolved. As for long-term issues like enrollment declines at Akron, I don't think those really matter to MAC coaches on the top of this scale. A contract is a contract, and if they have the foundation and NIL support to succeed that's what matters. It matters if things get bad enough they have to cut athletics to keep the doors open. A couple thousand dollar handshakes here and there for basketball won't pull them out of bankruptcy. Akron is in a dire situation at the moment. They have tremendous operating losses every year. Back to Top OUcats82 General User Member Since: 1/9/2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Post Count: 1,904 Status: Offline     RE: MAC jobs ranked    Posted: 1/8/2026 1:37:41 PM  Recovering Journalist wrote: It seems like a realistic list. With the exception of UMass, who I think will eventually be just fine, it's showing up in the standings. Ohio may well have the best campus and fan support (though that's clearly waning) but the lack of a practice gym and dearth of NIL money will hamper this program unless they're resolved. As for long-term issues like enrollment declines at Akron, I don't think those really matter to MAC coaches on the top of this scale. A contract is a contract, and if they have the foundation and NIL support to succeed that's what matters. Just curious if anyone knows if there is a concept/vision for a new practice facility ready to share in case a donor would happen to come along? Ohio-The State University Back to Top M.D.W.S.T General User Member Since: 12/23/2021 Post Count: 3,410 Status: Offline     RE: MAC jobs ranked    Posted: 1/8/2026 1:54:47 PM  OUcats82 wrote: Recovering Journalist wrote: It seems like a realistic list. With the exception of UMass, who I think will eventually be just fine, it's showing up in the standings. Ohio may well have the best campus and fan support (though that's clearly waning) but the lack of a practice gym and dearth of NIL money will hamper this program unless they're resolved. As for long-term issues like enrollment declines at Akron, I don't think those really matter to MAC coaches on the top of this scale. A contract is a contract, and if they have the foundation and NIL support to succeed that's what matters. Just curious if anyone knows if there is a concept/vision for a new practice facility ready to share in case a donor would happen to come along? https://media.tenor.com/4_NsnD_mW_0AAAAe/concepts-of-a-pl... Back to Top OhioCatFan General User Member Since: 12/20/2004 Location: Athens, OH Post Count: 15,287 Status: Offline     RE: MAC jobs ranked    Posted: 1/8/2026 3:35:38 PM  M.D.W.S.T wrote: . . . Akron is in a dire situation at the moment. They have tremendous operating losses every year. It's time to dust off the 50-year-old plan to merge KSU and UA. When first proposed it would have been a merger of relative equals. Now, it would be KSU acquiring UA as its urban campus. The savings in overhead with just one set of administrators would be tremendous, as would the savings in athletics. As I understand it, they did discuss this again a few years ago, so it's not a totally new concept that would catch anyone by surprise. I think to make it work you might want to give the merged entity a new name, but it's clear that KSU would take the leadership role. How about Ohio Polytechnic Institute and State University, known athletically as Ohio Tech? Both KSU and UA have good engineering programs that would be even stronger when mergered. The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA "It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right." Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org Back to Top GoCats105 General User Member Since: 1/31/2006 Location: Seattle, WA Post Count: 7,652 Status: Offline     RE: MAC jobs ranked    Posted: 1/8/2026 4:22:59 PM  M.D.W.S.T wrote: Recovering Journalist wrote: It seems like a realistic list. With the exception of UMass, who I think will eventually be just fine, it's showing up in the standings. Ohio may well have the best campus and fan support (though that's clearly waning) but the lack of a practice gym and dearth of NIL money will hamper this program unless they're resolved. As for long-term issues like enrollment declines at Akron, I don't think those really matter to MAC coaches on the top of this scale. A contract is a contract, and if they have the foundation and NIL support to succeed that's what matters. It matters if things get bad enough they have to cut athletics to keep the doors open. A couple thousand dollar handshakes here and there for basketball won't pull them out of bankruptcy. Akron is in a dire situation at the moment. They have tremendous operating losses every year. I've been hearing this same argument on this board for years now and it still hasn't come to fruition. Until it's posted in the Akron Beacon Journal or Plain Dealer that Akron is shutting it's door, we better get comfortable with them being around. Back to Top Recovering Journalist General User Member Since: 8/17/2010 Location: Cleveland, OH Post Count: 1,861 Status: Offline     RE: MAC jobs ranked    Posted: 1/9/2026 9:03:19 AM  GoCats105 wrote: I've been hearing this same argument on this board for years now and it still hasn't come to fruition. Until it's posted in the Akron Beacon Journal or Plain Dealer that Akron is shutting it's door, we better get comfortable with them being around. Yep. And as logical as a merger may appear based on the distance between the schools and the cold reality of Akron's struggles, any such plan is political poison. Kent State has some problems but it has mostly thrived and reinvented itself in the last 20 years. The downtown and campus are as nice as they've ever been. Why would they want to join forces with their hated rival? As for Akron, who in politics would want to be associated with killing off one of the few sources of good jobs left in Summit County along with a good chunk of civic pride? It would not be a merger of equals in any way. And it would enrage every alumnus of both schools, thereby crippling any fundraising. Back to Top Recovering Journalist General User Member Since: 8/17/2010 Location: Cleveland, OH Post Count: 1,861 Status: Offline     RE: MAC jobs ranked    Posted: 1/9/2026 9:10:37 AM  Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame wrote: shabamon wrote: I have no idea, but it's why Akron is at the top despite declining enrollment and a lousy home arena. It might also be that they've basically lapped the rest of the conference in the last 5 years. Along with a deep-pocketed benefactor, they have another thing Ohio does not: https://gozips.com/facilities/louis-and-freda-stile-athle... In retrospect, Walter Fieldhouse should have included areas for basketball and volleyball. Back to Top Andrew Ruck General User Member Since: 12/22/2004 Location: Columbus, OH Post Count: 5,468 Status: Offline     RE: MAC jobs ranked    Posted: 1/9/2026 10:24:16 AM  Recovering Journalist wrote: GoCats105 wrote: I've been hearing this same argument on this board for years now and it still hasn't come to fruition. Until it's posted in the Akron Beacon Journal or Plain Dealer that Akron is shutting it's door, we better get comfortable with them being around. Yep. And as logical as a merger may appear based on the distance between the schools and the cold reality of Akron's struggles, any such plan is political poison. Kent State has some problems but it has mostly thrived and reinvented itself in the last 20 years. The downtown and campus are as nice as they've ever been. Why would they want to join forces with their hated rival? As for Akron, who in politics would want to be associated with killing off one of the few sources of good jobs left in Summit County along with a good chunk of civic pride? It would not be a merger of equals in any way. And it would enrage every alumnus of both schools, thereby crippling any fundraising. Despite all these good points, it makes a ton of sense if enrollment declines as many expect. But to your point, I do not think it would be a merger. It would be Akron folding up and Kent agreeing to purchase some assets, inherit some programs, work with existing students, etc. The other possibility to be entertained would be an OSU branch campus and get them a presence in NE Ohio beyond Wooster. I am still bear-ish on colleges and think culture will shift away from it slowly and some will be trimmed. But this is more of a 50 year view than a 5. Andrew Ruck B.B.A. 2003 Back to Top M.D.W.S.T General User Member Since: 12/23/2021 Post Count: 3,410 Status: Offline     RE: MAC jobs ranked    Posted: 1/9/2026 10:31:02 AM  GoCats105 wrote: M.D.W.S.T wrote: Recovering Journalist wrote: It seems like a realistic list. With the exception of UMass, who I think will eventually be just fine, it's showing up in the standings. Ohio may well have the best campus and fan support (though that's clearly waning) but the lack of a practice gym and dearth of NIL money will hamper this program unless they're resolved. As for long-term issues like enrollment declines at Akron, I don't think those really matter to MAC coaches on the top of this scale. A contract is a contract, and if they have the foundation and NIL support to succeed that's what matters. It matters if things get bad enough they have to cut athletics to keep the doors open. A couple thousand dollar handshakes here and there for basketball won't pull them out of bankruptcy. Akron is in a dire situation at the moment. They have tremendous operating losses every year. I've been hearing this same argument on this board for years now and it still hasn't come to fruition. Until it's posted in the Akron Beacon Journal or Plain Dealer that Akron is shutting it's door, we better get comfortable with them being around. Well heres something you haven't heard... LAST MONTH the university president called for a state audit of their athletic department. And if you want some additional background from the Beacon, here ya go... https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/local/2025/03/19... / Kent State is eliminating jobs. Akron facing layoffs. And a -$30M year budget hole. It was -$65M in 2021. Certainly, we are far from a large university simply shutting down. That's quite a leap, but to pretend things are glorious and we should get comfortable with them being around because the basketball team wins 25 games a year... 70% of their athletic budget comes from student general fees... when you have less students every year, and you are cutting programs... but athletic budgets rise... you following...? Everyone loves sports. Of course. But the reality is the reality. You have a $35M athletic budget, and a $30M budget deficit............... The UA president, again - last month, brought in state auditors to look at their entire athletic budget. These things are happening. It's real. It's not an argument on this board. These are facts. You think coaches aren't nervous because a contract is a contract? Budgets are rising. Theirs is declining. No one is arguing or pontificating; it's a simple fact that the university is on tremendously unstable ground and that alone doesn't make it a top job. This wasn't a public audit of their financials, they have state auditors doing that, but a simple laying out of facts. Do you consider this a top job? You have a lower-tier university firing staff, eliminating programs, institutional failure at many levels - except basketball. Auditors are going to look at the financials and say the same thing I just did. Winning 25 games in the MAC is fucking sweet. You know what else is sweet? Paying your employees and making sure the university exists in 10 years. And I'm sure it will - but not without some severe gutchecks, that you think are simply arguments being had on this board. Last Edited: 1/9/2026 10:34:16 AM by M.D.W.S.T Back to Top CatsUp General User Member Since: 4/15/2019 Post Count: 873 Status: Offline     RE: MAC jobs ranked    Posted: 1/9/2026 11:13:24 AM  Some impressive facilities but I had to chuckle out loud when I saw their indoor football facility has some significant seating. Back to Top Deciduous Forest Cat General User Member Since: 12/20/2004 Location: Ohio Post Count: 4,527 Status: Offline     RE: MAC jobs ranked    Posted: 1/9/2026 11:40:00 AM  Recovering Journalist wrote: Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame wrote: shabamon wrote: I have no idea, but it's why Akron is at the top despite declining enrollment and a lousy home arena. It might also be that they've basically lapped the rest of the conference in the last 5 years. Along with a deep-pocketed benefactor, they have another thing Ohio does not: https://gozips.com/facilities/louis-and-freda-stile-athle... In retrospect, Walter Fieldhouse should have included areas for basketball and volleyball. If a basketball/vball practice facility is a reality, it should probably be where punchcard park is now. If added to Walter, then you've got a much worse situation making new locker rooms in multiple locations instead of having one, nicer one, with easy access to both game and practice locations. Or you lose primo parking to put it right next to the Convo. Back to Top Ryan Carey Site Programmer Member Since: 11/11/2004 Post Count: 987 Status: Offline     RE: MAC jobs ranked    Posted: 1/9/2026 11:48:40 AM  CatsUp wrote: Some impressive facilities but I had to chuckle out loud when I saw their indoor football facility has some significant seating. LOL, I had the same thought...why not just play all their games in there, plenty of seating there for the 100's who show up to their games. My 2nd thought was, well they probably put the seats in for their soccer fans (plus whatever track events they likely host.) Although it looks similar to our indoor facility...not quite a full endzone with the track cutting into the back corners. Measure twice, cut once. Ryan M. Carey BBA 2001 Back to Top Recovering Journalist General User Member Since: 8/17/2010 Location: Cleveland, OH Post Count: 1,861 Status: Offline     RE: MAC jobs ranked    Posted: 1/9/2026 11:58:57 AM  Ryan Carey wrote: CatsUp wrote: Some impressive facilities but I had to chuckle out loud when I saw their indoor football facility has some significant seating. LOL, I had the same thought...why not just play all their games in there, plenty of seating there for the 100's who show up to their games. My 2nd thought was, well they probably put the seats in for their soccer fans (plus whatever track events they likely host.) Although it looks similar to our indoor facility...not quite a full endzone with the track cutting into the back corners. Measure twice, cut once. The digs at Akron football are fully justified, but that facility hosts a lot of track events (both Akron and non-Akron ones). They likely outdraw Akron football and the stands are probably full at least a few times a year. Back to Top GoCats105 General User Member Since: 1/31/2006 Location: Seattle, WA Post Count: 7,652 Status: Offline     RE: MAC jobs ranked    Posted: 1/9/2026 12:42:36 PM  Recovering Journalist wrote: Ryan Carey wrote: CatsUp wrote: Some impressive facilities but I had to chuckle out loud when I saw their indoor football facility has some significant seating. LOL, I had the same thought...why not just play all their games in there, plenty of seating there for the 100's who show up to their games. My 2nd thought was, well they probably put the seats in for their soccer fans (plus whatever track events they likely host.) Although it looks similar to our indoor facility...not quite a full endzone with the track cutting into the back corners. Measure twice, cut once. The digs at Akron football are fully justified, but that facility hosts a lot of track events (both Akron and non-Akron ones). They likely outdraw Akron football and the stands are probably full at least a few times a year. They host some high school football playoff games there also. Might be more fans there for that than an Akron/EMU game, depending on who the high schools are. Back to Top Showing Replies:   1 - 25  of 31 Posts Jump to Page:   1 | 2    Next > View Other 'Ohio Basketball' Topics                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               WHO'S ONLINE There are 236 Active Visitors on BobcatAttack.com 236 Guests 0 Registered Users There are no other users looking at this page.

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