Christensen needs to be fired

Sat Sep 15, 2012 8:48 pm

Coming off an 8-5 season, to what looks like a lighter schedule, you’d hope to qualify for a bowl game at minimum. I had some high hopes for this team based on what was fed to us. But I don’t see 6 wins going forward. What we have right now is a coach that has a losing record since he’s been here, with a team that’s on a downslide. In our last 6 games we are 1-5, with the only win coming via CSU, who is even worse, sporting only 1 win in their last 10 games! Christensen is not a good enough judge of talent of players or coaches. And if he is a good judge, then he’s not so good at recruiting them. And when we do get good players, he can’t hold on to them, regardless of the bs reasons they feed us. Do all of these ex-players have family problems? Maybe, maybe not. I guess not. I think he burns most of them out or treats them like poop, unless they drink the kool-aid. To me it seems they’re leaving an unhappy situation and a poop program. Yes we have some gems, but overall there’s something wrong here.

Losing to Texas and Boise I almost expect. Losing to MAC teams I can understand. But losing to FCS teams at home with the deepest, fastest and most talented team we’ve had in 4 years, with a handful of ex-Head Coaches on our sidelines doesn’t compute. The team is predictable and when Brett’s not on the field, boring. All I see coming in for the future are a bunch of 2 star/no star players and untested overseas players that none of our coaches ever see play in live situations. Let’s get someone in here now to rebuild the program around some of these young players. If we can’t afford to fire him mid-season then let’s hope our AD is at least looking around. Hell, let’s get Mike Locksley. At least he added some excitement by punching out assistant coaches!

There’s so little transparency in the program, we (well, me anyway), buy into all the crap he feeds us. I thought we were in for an exciting ride this year and the future. Now all I see are the Pokes muddling along for years, with our entire season riding on the occasional chance at a 6-6 record to make a bowl game and a yearly defeat of the Rams. Is this what we want? I think this is all he can deliver. Not every good assistant is cut out to be a Head Coach.

Sat Sep 15, 2012 8:52 pm

Not sure what will happen with CDC...

But after watching teams like Utah State, Louisiana Tech, heck even San Jose State find coaches that can make them balanced and threats to win conference titles....I feel like Wyoming can do better if the right guy is found. Gary Anderson's Aggies are impressive, and that's an understatement. No way can anyone say they have more resources or potential than Wyoming. It can be done...

Sat Sep 15, 2012 8:55 pm

It's a good thing he faked the Houston deal otherwise he would already be gone.

Sat Sep 15, 2012 9:17 pm

The thing that's always troubled me about Christensen is our 3rd quarter play. Regardless of whether we're winning or losing, our boys just don't deliver anything in the 3rd quarter. It really makes one wonder what goes on in that locker room at halftime.

Sat Sep 15, 2012 9:21 pm

DC is horrible at the halftime adjustments, not sure what he tells his team but whatever it is he needs to shut up as it is not working.

Sat Sep 15, 2012 9:29 pm

He doesn't play to win. He plays not to loose.

Sat Sep 15, 2012 9:32 pm

wyocowboy2014 wrote:He doesn't play to win. He plays not to loose.

Bingo.

Sat Sep 15, 2012 9:33 pm

With an average offensive day we win this game. Our backup qb can't even move the chains enough to beat an FCS team at home. I don't blame this all on DC we had a solid back up who red-shirted last year and decided he wanted to try to be a starter somewhere else. Pitser would have been a much more viable option as a backup then Kirkigard. It really was pitiful but you have a bigger playbook open to you when you have a competent qb.

Sat Sep 15, 2012 9:47 pm

PokePride.com wrote:DC is horrible at the halftime adjustments, not sure what he tells his team but whatever it is he needs to shut up as it is not working.

It's like the entire team went out behind the equip sheds and smoked a bowl at the half, Might just be reliving something in my past but they play like it!!!!

Sat Sep 15, 2012 9:57 pm

pokefanchaz7 wrote:With an average offensive day we win this game. Our backup qb can't even move the chains enough to beat an FCS team at home. I don't blame this all on DC we had a solid back up who red-shirted last year and decided he wanted to try to be a starter somewhere else. Pitser would have been a much more viable option as a backup then Kirkigard. It really was pitiful but you have a bigger playbook open to you when you have a competent qb.

You can’t throw this lose on Kirk. With the exception of his last pass he had a decent game, completing most of his passes on the plays the coaches were calling. Where this went wrong is not having your back up prepared to call riskier plays. You can give a guy all the snaps in the world in the spring and fall, but nothing beats game time experience. Last season we had a bunch of games decided by 3 TDs or more, yet they didn’t give Kirk or Pittser a chance to run out there. This would have given them a chance to play at real speed in a real situation. It may not have caused them to take Brett’s job, but they might have felt they were getting a chance and they certainly would be getting some quality experience. Hell, some of our games were decided by 5 and even 6 TDs, yet there they sat. Was Coach C trying to bulk up Brett’s stats or just hoping he gets injured in a game that was already decided? Kirk had very little game time at this level and the coaches had very little game time to judge him at this level. Coach C lost today’s game last year.

Sat Sep 15, 2012 10:08 pm

cowboyz wrote:
pokefanchaz7 wrote:With an average offensive day we win this game. Our backup qb can't even move the chains enough to beat an FCS team at home. I don't blame this all on DC we had a solid back up who red-shirted last year and decided he wanted to try to be a starter somewhere else. Pitser would have been a much more viable option as a backup then Kirkigard. It really was pitiful but you have a bigger playbook open to you when you have a competent qb.
You can’t throw this lose on Kirk. With the exception of his last pass he had a decent game, completing most of his passes on the plays the coaches were calling. Where this went wrong is not having your back up prepared to call riskier plays. You can give a guy all the snaps in the world in the spring and fall, but nothing beats game time experience. Last season we had a bunch of games decided by 3 TDs or more, yet they didn’t give Kirk or Pittser a chance to run out there. This would have given them a chance to play at real speed in a real situation. It may not have caused them to take Brett’s job, but they might have felt they were getting a chance and they certainly would be getting some quality experience. Hell, some of our games were decided by 5 and even 6 TDs, yet there they sat. Was Coach C trying to bulk up Brett’s stats or just hoping he gets injured in a game that was already decided? Kirk had very little game time at this level and the coaches had very little game time to judge him at this level. Coach C lost today’s game last year.

You cant throw it on Kirk, I agree, because it wasn't Kirk's decision to play. His passes were generally soft and underthrown and several times there was a mix up on routes. Don't know if that's him or the receivers. Maybe great kid. May work hard. But skill set ...

Sat Sep 15, 2012 10:21 pm

I'll tell you what --- if this season goes totally up in flames (as if it has not already) I would endorse a change at the HC position and the guy who impresses the hell out of me is the guy who led his team out here last week and left Laramie with a well deserved win --- Toledo head coach Matt Campbell.

Then again with the defense constantly shredded to pieces perhaps someone with a defensive mindset might be better.

Realistic suggestions?

Sun Sep 16, 2012 8:13 am

I have seen this happen before and I believe it has happened now with UW. This coaching staff has completely lost this team -at least the majority of it. The team does not respect or want to play for this coaching staff. There has to be respect both ways and I believe this coaching staff has put themselves on a throne where they have lost the respect of the team. I doubt this can be undone.

Sun Sep 16, 2012 8:27 am

Unfortunately, unless someone can pull several million out of they're ass that's not going too happen. Raise and contract extension last year makes this scenario unlikely. Maybe one of us here on Pokenation can win the powerball and go hire the head coach and his staff away from ULM, really impressed with that group the last 2 weeks.

Sun Sep 16, 2012 8:33 am

WYCowboy wrote:I have seen this happen before and I believe it has happened now with UW. This coaching staff has completely lost this team -at least the majority of it. The team does not respect or want to play for this coaching staff. There has to be respect both ways and I believe this coaching staff has put themselves on a throne where they have lost the respect of the team. I doubt this can be undone.

I don't buy this for a second. I do think this team is a shell of itself without Brett Smith at qb and I think they came out flat without that leadership he supplies. We have been absolutely snake bitten with injuries and Brett is just the biggest of them. I don't think this coaching staff has lost any respect for the coaches, I do think they are sick of losing and I don't blame them.

Sun Sep 16, 2012 8:46 am

Its funny how we were drinking kool-aid before the new Mexico bowl and that lose really hurt.

I don't think we should be firing coached this year.

We've laid an egg for sure. We will see if the ship can be righted or not.

It didn't help last year when our backup qbs were in we didn't allow them to throw. We ran every damn time. Maybe if we had a lead on TCU but we were down and we tried nothing to win. We tried not to be blown out.

Sun Sep 16, 2012 8:49 am

laxwyo wrote:Its funny how we were drinking kool-aid before the new Mexico bowl and that lose really hurt.

I don't think we should be firing coached this year.

We've laid an egg for sure. We will see if the ship can be righted or not.

It didn't help last year when our backup qbs were in we didn't allow them to throw. We ran every damn time. Maybe if we had a lead on TCU but we were down and we tried nothing to win. We tried not to be blown out.

To me it speaks volumes of the backup qb's ability if they don't trust them to throw downfield.

Sun Sep 16, 2012 9:32 am

Kirk threw downfield twice all game. 1 time was a floater that he completed, the other was nearly picked off. Several other times he had guys wide open in the center of the field and just threw it away. Nearly all of his passes were screens, minus the couple he threw down field or threw away.

Sun Sep 16, 2012 10:21 am

pokefanchaz7 wrote:
WYCowboy wrote:I have seen this happen before and I believe it has happened now with UW. This coaching staff has completely lost this team -at least the majority of it. The team does not respect or want to play for this coaching staff. There has to be respect both ways and I believe this coaching staff has put themselves on a throne where they have lost the respect of the team. I doubt this can be undone.
I don't buy this for a second. I do think this team is a shell of itself without Brett Smith at qb and I think they came out flat without that leadership he supplies. We have been absolutely snake bitten with injuries and Brett is just the biggest of them. I don't think this coaching staff has lost any respect for the coaches, I do think they are sick of losing and I don't blame them.

How do explain the complete lack of 3rd quarter play and the abject failure to make adjustments at halftime under Christensen? Not just yesterday, but in almost every game he's coached? What in the hell is going on in that locker room at halftime?

Sun Sep 16, 2012 12:48 pm

Tell you what, for a team that has looked as HORRIBLE as the POKES have looked through 3 games, a defense that looks as though they're playing with 6 instead of 11, the hilarious amount of yards all 3 teams have rolled against us, the lack of disgust coming from the locker room after yesterday's disgrace...for ANYONE to say this team is simply 'snake bit' and maybe just missing winning some games -- anyone pointing to any sunshine within the midst of this poop storm of a young season...bottom line I question your motivation and your credibility.

Give us all a huge break and stop insulting us.