OK, the few posts I have here are all Pro-Fran. Always have been. I've known him since he came back to Texas from New Mexico and consider him a friend.

I was watching Duke play basketball the other night (I know, this is the football forum... but give me a little lee-way) and heard Dick Vitale talking about Coach K..... he said that Duke hired him based on the recommendation from Bobby Knight. He said that the first few years there at Duke were just terrible (I don't have records or stats... just quoting Vitale). He said that if there had been "internet forums and talk radio programs everywhere like there are now, that Coach K wouldn't have survived there!!! And now, three National Titles and 9 Sweet Sixteens or better in a row......" Well, that could have been tragic if Duke had let him go.

I too am a coach. And I have seen how negative comments thrown out everywhere day after day can have a negative effect on a team. If the kids are daily defending their team and coaches, it really takes a toll on them. I'm amazed this Aggie team has played so hard all year with all the crap they've been hearing from Aggies, sportswriters, radio talk shows, etc., etc...... We might be surprised at how they would do if we would all get behind them....AND THE COACHING STAFF...... and stop with all the negative crap.

I believe Fran is the right man.... thought so way before he was hired and I still think so. I hope he makes it and makes this program really something special. And I'll support him as long as he is here. Because that is what I do (and what Aggies should do).

If he doesn't make it, I know he'll do well somewhere else.... because I know him and know he will be successful.

And I WILL SUPPORT THE NEXT COACH. Because that is what I do!!!!

I'm afraid the A&M fanbase has been infested with people that can't do anything but ***** all the time. These people would rip Vince Lombardi if he came back to life and coached at A&M.

To quote Bill Byrne, "let's all row in the same direction". Let's see how good recruiting can be and see how good this program could be if we all get on board.

Fran has earned some respect and some more time, but we gripe, vent and question because we care. He definately has the players respect and playing hard.

I agree, pfulbright.

Gig 'em, FAST FRED '65.

Before the world wide web, village idiots usually stayed in their own village.

Well said.

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McGee, the epitome of that grit, chimed in on behalf of his beleaguered coach.

"We're 9-3 today because of Coach Fran," McGee said. "It's good to get everyone to shut up about Coach Fran and realize he's doing a great job."

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Geno hit the nail on the head. Fran is paid A LOT of money to produce results, he knew that when he took the job. This is not a charity, it's a business. Better coaching this year and this team might be playing for a BCS game or even a MNC. If Fran wants us to pipe down, then he needs to start producing. Four years is PLENTY of time. I was in Austin Friday and I'm tickled maroon that we manhandled the sips. If we build off of this win . . . great. If we come back next year 7-5, I say unacceptable. Larry Coker was 59-15 at Miami and just got FIRED for going 6-6. How many 9-3 seasons would it take before tu got tired of Mack Brown? I want results, not excuses. It's not like he's working for minimum wage. If some of you Fran apologists know of a company out there that will pay you lots of money for mediocre results, please email me, I want to go to work there, I'm tired of all these high expectations from my boss.

"If it is to be, it's up to me"

good post....most of us take the cup is half full approach most of the time...Fran became his own worst enemy for the most part in this world of wanting instant gratification, including turning around a football program in 2-3- yrs. It was how he came in and how he acted...more PR than anything, and 180 degrees different than Gillispie....sure the worse than expected year 1, and then the kind of fortunate year 2, setting up some false expectations for year 3, etc. all contributed to expectations not being met quick enough compared to what most former students expected with a coach of his reputation and salarty level....so, in his 47th game at A&M, Fran
won a game that he really needed and we all needed......and, the future does look much brighter, and we all do need to be supportive
and positive...just not stick our head in the sand, and say everything has turned around!
Hopefully, this huge victory over t.u. will be
a spring board on the order of what Jackie did in 1984!!!!!!!!

Coach K had a losing record in years 2 and 3 at Duke (10-17 and 11-17). He never would have made it to year 4 in today's climate.

True. That is one side of the discussion. But you have to admit, Fran has given the A&M fanbase AMPLE reasons to be upset.

The reality is, for every positive thing he has produced, there are two negatives.

This season his team has been very competitive in all games and produced a signature game by winning at t.u., but that does not erase 77-0, the debacle last year with Iowa State, baylor 2004, the Cotton Bowl 2004, the 2-11 record against our primary competition (which is the most impactful stat b/c has a direct correlation to our chances at a championship).

I think those are legitimate concerns in the review of his performance and I have no problem with fans raising those concerns in a respectful manner.

IMO, what made this season was the players. We saw it when McGee lined up against t.u. last season. The team was NIGHT and DAY different. I think that shows inconsistency in the coaching as much as it shows the guts of our players this season.

Yes, people should give Fran more time...but he has given A&M fans A LOT of reasons to grumble.

NumberE,

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Better coaching this year and this team might be playing for a BCS game or even a MNC

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From 5-6 to MNC? I think you are being a bit unrealistic.

You are critical of him losing a game, but give him no credit for the turnaround and all the games that he WON.

I still don't know if he's worth keeping for another year.

Before I think either way, let's see what we do in our bowl game first.

He's definitely going to be round another year. And it will be a RIDE. Tough schedule with a team filled with grit and a year of close games under their belt.

I feel better at the end of this "regular" season of Aggie football than I have in a looong time. It's amazing what a win over the whorns will do.

I won't ever be happy that we dropped 3 winnable games at Kyle Field, but the nature of this team (like it or not) was to grind it out and be in close games. We won plenty of those types of games and it definately helped us be ready to put together a 4th quarter clock killing drive against the sips to get the victory in Austin.

Mentally, for me, I'm ready to forget the 1st 3 years of Fran's tenure, be pleased with the results this year and expect us to keep climbing next year.

We have some recruiting gaps we need to fill or we are going to be short in the trenches. If Fran finds a way to get that addressed this recruiting cycle than I will be absolutely convinced he can recruit with Brown/Stoops.

BTHO bowl

jury is still out on Fran, but he has definitely earned another year, barring a huge bowl meltdown.

Some of the sportswriters that covered Fran at his earlier coaching stops have remarked at how tight he has seemed at A&M, from the very beginning (starting with all the criticism about how he left 'Bama). Hopefullly, this win will allow Fran and the team to loosen up and start having some fun. If so, I think we'll all like the results.

The win over tu was great. He earned himself more time. I really hope that we have turned the corner and that this is the start of something great. But with all of that being said I think that next year is the key into knowing if Fran is our coach long term or if we need to go in another direction.

I'm still not sold on Fran.

Having an offense that heavily relies on the option with little emphasis on the passing game worries me.

If we develope more balance...I'll feel better. But don't think you can win a National Championship today with an 'option' dominated offense.

I'm more than willing to wait and see how we perform next year before I talk any more on Fran's job status....but I still have my reservations about Fran's philosophy. Even with the big win in Austin.

develop balance??? have you missed out on the numerous 200/200 stats that get repeated??? we have the ability to use what we need to win. yesterday it was the run, other times this year we passed, onthe average it was 200/200.

[This message has been edited by TexAgs staff (edited 11/26/2006 7:15p).]

gigem translation: "Under no circumstance will I stop banging my pot. If he wins 5 MNC in the next 7 years - I will say we are settling for mediocrity"

Texoldag (aka Mack Brown's wife)

Thank you for your input. How does it feel to watch a young Aggie team beat a top 10 team on the road for the first time since 1979?

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we have the ability to use what we need to win.

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We could have gotten more points if he had put the ball in the air a little more.

Sure - we did what we needed to on that final drive to eat up clock and let McGee lead the way. But are you honestly going to say you were content with our offensive production BEFORE the game-winning drive?

I think we had some missed opportunities offensively because we were too one-dimensional. I'll take the win...and we played well. But that isn't always going to work.

Take West VIrginia. They're a team that relies on the running game, they hardly throw the ball. It got them in trouble yesterday when their run game was shut completely down.

I'm not taking away from our win. I'm just being honest about my concerns for our program.

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I think we had some missed opportunities offensively because we were too one-dimensional. I'll take the win...and we played well. But that isn't always going to work.

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Oh goodness. 244 yards rushing wearing down their defense and keeping their explosive WR's off the field.

It was a great job of coaching, yet it is once again Amateur Night on TexAgs.

Good post, pfulbright. Three days after a monumental win, and the b1tchers and whiners, the concerned people are right back at it, just to prove you right.

Did anybody see SM's quote about Fran? Didn't it tell you something?

For team members reading all this crap: hang in there. Every Ag I know supports you and the team, to include the coaches, unconditionally.

Go win the bowl game and Gig 'Em! Thanks for kicking the snot out of tu at home. Good bull.

[This message has been edited by usmcaggie (edited 11/26/2006 2:13p).]

Wow some of you guys are unbelievable. The fact that A&M has only 9, 10 or more win seasons in its entire history, and Fran has us on the precipice of our 10th but you still want to fire the man. Hell, Fran turned in the 9th win over tu in austin even after their MNC year.

WTF do some of you people want? We went 5-6 last year there was a snowballs chance in hell that we would run the table this year. I remember b4 this season started everyone said Fran had to do 2 things, no blow out losses, and win at least 9 games. Guess what guys, we are 9-3, no blowout losses, a win over tu in austin, and for the first time in a while are undefeated on the road (probably 1919 im not sure though).

In short the program looks competitive now, and I honestly think we r gonna take it to cal or whoever we paly in our bowl game.


"There are but two powers in the world, the sword and the mind. In the long run the sword is always beaten by the mind."
Napoleon Bonaparte

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Oh goodness. 244 yards rushing wearing down their defense and keeping their explosive WR's off the field.

It was a great job of coaching, yet it is once again Amateur Night on TexAgs.

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Cut the crap.

I'm not saying "Fire Fran!".

But I would be lying if I said that I was HAPPY with our offensive play-calling before that final drive. I know there are plenty of Ags who would agree with me.

And it was our DEFENSE that made the difference against the 'horns "explosive receivers" - more than our offense.

Gigem,

With all due respect to you and your Playstation 2 coaching abilities, we won the game by dominating the trenches, wearing down the horn defense, and limiting their offensive possessions.

I don't know if Playstation 2 allows you to factor in those factors.

Only on TexAgs can you beat a top 10 team on the road and find a yahoo *****ing about the coaching.

Okay, 314, we'll tell Fran to pick it up a bit. You know, do some better play calling. After all, a win's not a win unless you're happy with everything (since it's all about you).

Some of you apologists are just amazing. No one said that Fran should be fired. Even those of us who aren't quite ready to kiss his bu** agree that he has earned another year. Who's fault was it that he went 5-6 last year?? So he gets CREDIT for being really, really bad then "turning it around", give me a break. The win over tu was much needed and long overdue. I hope to heck he can build off of it because believe it or not, I'd love to have him around for another 10 years. I'm just not going to fill myself with a bunch of false hope and wishes. I look at the facts, and the facts of his coaching tenure still aren't very good, but hopefully he has turned a corner. Fran is not bigger than A&M, he's an employee. I want what's best for A&M, so if he's doing the job he was hired to do . . . great. If not, let's move on. That's not being negative, that's being an analytical realist.

Personally, I do not care whether every single dork with a computer agrees with Fran's play calling.

The man accomplished, with a team he coached, what every Ag has been calling for since the War Hymn was written.

Go critique the Cowboys or mow the lawn or something.

Highway 6 runs both ways...

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The fact that A&M has only 9, 10 or more win seasons in its entire history, and Fran has us on the precipice of our 10th but you still want to fire the man.

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We also have 12 games this year. You need to shave off a win and then compare this season historically.

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WTF do some of you people want?

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Well, the 1-3 conference record at Kyle didn't make me happy.

The 1-3 mark in the four games circled before the season - t.u., OU, tceh, and NU - didn't impress, either.

Prior to the season, I wanted to see a 2-2 mark in those four games.

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We also have 12 games this year. You need to shave off a win and then compare this season historically.

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Yes, that SWC was so fierce.

The horse is dead. We now have a signature win this season and a shot at the cotton bowl. We can build on this win and our program will have a lot of momentum. All we need to know is what McGee said:

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We're 9-3 today because of Coach Fran, and it's good to get everyone to shut up about Coach Fran and start realizing he's doing a good job around here

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