Thank you for the update. I'm happy to see McCann, Braun and Creighton remain. They are great coaches and their respective groups showed promise last year. I'm expecting big things from this group in the next few years.

As long as the LBs bring speed and athleticism, they will have a huge impact to the program. Seems like we're building the team with more Athletes. College ball is so much more challenging than HS ball that we need the kids with the speed and athleticism to bring us to the next level. Looking forward to next year. Should be a fun time!

GunRockFaceMask - It's interesting there's been new hires for most of the positions, but there's been no official confirmation on who's staying/leaving. Maybe we need to read between the lines, but it would be nice to know for sure. Someone mentioned the assistance have contracts that expire at year end, so that may be the reason why? For the benefit of the existing players and recruits, having this information sooner rather than later is important.

I'm loving the direction the program is heading in and can't wait to watch the future success. I'm certain the players are going to tap into this new energy and direction and take their playing to the next level. Hopefully the student & fans will join us on this ride. I think the players and entire Davis community are going to look back on this as the turning point for Aggie Football.

FaceMask, this is a great idea. We could have him get the crowd fired up.

My understanding is Coach Gould allowed his staff to do their jobs and was respectful of their decision making and ideas. I have tremendous respect for him and agree that the teams performance was not a result of his coaching abilities, but being the head coach, you're the CEO of the organization and all fault falls up. My opinion is the coordinators were the problems and should have been replaced several years ago. I would have really liked to see Coach Gould stay and to bring on new coordinators. This team will succeed based on the fact we should have an OC that is more aggressive and creative with the plays. It seems all the Big Sky team have fast paced offenses and Davis' was so predictable and methodical that there was no urgency or energy. The competitors just picked them apart. The D's performed as well as any in the conference so as long as the O can step up their game, which they have the talent to do, this team will win.

Hopefully the coaching staff will understand FCS level of play and talent. Let's face it, FCS talent is different from FBS. Typically the main difference is speed and athleticism. When you're used to coaching a guy that runs a 4.3 40, your expectations have to change when that same position runs a 4.7 40. Creativity and utilizing player potential is key. The fact that Hawk was able to take Boise to the next level speaks volumes of his vision.

I really hope we retain some of our coaching staff. The D showed much improvement as the season progressed, so hopefully he'll keep some the D coaches. I think the O needs a complete refresh.

that's a great idea about the fraternities/sororities participating. I know that the football players have a great relationship with the various groups and I'm sure they would love to help bring some life into our home games. Keep the awesome suggestions flowin!

aggie6thman we need to shake up the base to get more excitement during our home games. Hawk is talking about ways to get the students fired up but we also need to get the rest of fans fired up. Our players deserve this. I know, we need to start winning, but I think they will start to win more with a more supportive crowd. I'm all for creating a "mascot" to roam the home stands to create havoc and shake up the old curmudgeons that attend the games. I'm sure there are students that would love an opportunity to display their acting and drama skills. The "Davis Way" is great and all, but that does not mean we can't have some fun.

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↪GunRockFaceMask
I just hope the denizens don't freak out because yelling is "not how we do things in Davis."

BlueGoldAg Well said. There's been more energy pumped into the program in the last few days than the past few years. Great things to come. Like the coach was saying "it's gonna be AWESOME!!"

BlueGoldAg

Personally, I'm excited to see some excitement added to the program. The home stands for games has been so somber and depressing. I was at one game where the most animated person was a 10 year old kid. We definitely need to bring some fire and enthusiasm to the crowd. I'm hoping Coach Hawkins can help bring this. I know the players appreciate the support when the fans are rooting them on.


I love what Biggs had to say in the Bee's Voisin column:

(Quote) “Some people would look at Dan and say, ‘Is it bluster? Is it animated?’ ” said former Aggies coach Bob Biggs, a member of the search committee. “No, it’s not. Some people are laid-back. Other people wear their emotions on their sleeves. I think Dan just happens to be one of those folks, and you have to accept that. Those of us who know him know that he’s honest, straightforward, transparent. He is everything you want in a leader.”

I'm sure that there are going to be times when Hawkins passion and emotions will cause a stir among some of the more staid and proper members of the campus and Davis community, but underneath it will be a transparent honesty motivated by a drive for excellence. Football is a game of courage under fire and Hawk will have his players emotionally and strategically ready to play with the passion necessary to be their best.

IMHO, Coach Hawkins is going to lead our team next year to it's first winning season in many years. This team has a large pool of untapped talent that needs the right leader to make change. I'm going out on a limb and say we go 7-2 next year and win Big Sky in 2018.

Glad to read coach Gould will continue his football career:

On offense, the biggest question is whether interim head coach Eric Kiesau will be retained as coordinator. There are reports Marcus Arroyo, the former San Jose State quarterback who worked under Tedford at Cal, has been targeted for that position. I have also been told Ron Gould, the longtime Cal running backs coach who was recently fired by UC Davis, will have a spot on Tedford’s new staff. http://www.fresnobee.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/marek-warszawski/article117302268.html

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/marek-warszawski/article117302268.html#storylink=cpy

GunRock, I agree with your assessment on Sumlin. He seems to be a good fit. Given the lack of creativity within the Davis offense over the past few years, I don't think Daft is a good choice. This program needs a refreshed outlook and foundation offensively to succeed. The talent has not been utilized effectively. There are some dynamic TEs in the Davis program that could help to reshape the offensive scheme but we need new and creative vision to move forward.

I completely agree that the play calling and certain player positions were the cause of the lack luster performance over the past few years, but I disagree about the talent. This team stacks up just as well as any other in the conference with player size and ability. Compare the various rosters to confirm this. I think there are some players that are in the wrong positions (DB & LB), but overall talent is on par with any other team in Big Sky. Time will tell, but I'm confident with the right play calling and putting the right players in positions they have the most probability of success, this program will succeed. There is a clear need for speed in the defensive secondary, but there is speed on the offensive side of the ball. Being creative on how to use your players effectively is the key to a successful coordinator and we need more creativity on both sides of the ball.

I've been following Aggie Football for the past few seasons and I'm very optimistic for the future. The young talent they've recruited in the past few years is special. I think their most talented players are just soph and fresh players. Guys like Baumgart, Spencer, Harrell, Doss, Kelley, Jamison, Bennett, Rogers, Vaughn and others will lead this team to new levels. Harrell, Jamison, Rogers, Preece and Vaughn all saw playing time as true freshman and actually contributed. Harrell is an amazing receiver and Jamison lead the team in sacks. I'm confident with the right coordinators, this team can win championships.