N.OgdenCat said:
As for Beau Baldwin...Yes he has shown interest. From a buddy, I heard that he wasn't treated too well by Eastern after winning an NC. Huh?? Okay...that's smart. Yikes!! Anyway, also, let's look at his assets. We know he can recruit. Look at the caliber of player he has brought into Cheney Washington? Weber has better facilities, is a better school, and is in a far better location. Imagine...
I think a little bit of perspective is needed in this discussion. I'm not sure who your sources are, but I'm a little skeptical of the situation you describe above. I have never heard that Baldwin was not treated well, or that he's actively looking for a new job elsewhere.
In all seriousness, I'd be really surprised to see Baldwin lured away from EWU by another Big Sky program. Not just Weber State, but any big sky program. If and when that staff departs, I think it will be for a program with a much higher profile than any in the Big Sky. And that's not a knock on Weber State specifically or the Big Sky in general.
And by better facilities, I assume you mean bigger. Even with a smaller stadium and one less home game, EWU still out-drew Weber in football this year. Roos Field is what it is, but in terms of weight room, practice facilities, locker rooms, etc., EWU is near the top of the Big Sky in those areas. There are also plans in the works for additional improvements to Roos Field. The "better" school comment is a pretty subjective comments, but if you are talking about academics, the two are pretty similar...but again, if you meant "bigger", then yeah - EWU only has 11,000 students. But again, put in perspective, a lot of those students live on campus or in town while a lot of Weber's students are commuters. That can be a big factor in terms of student support.
As far as location - I honestly don't see how a claim could be made for Ogden being a better location for a football program. People seem to think that Cheney is some sort of remote outpost, but it's only about 15 miles from downtown Spokane in a metro area of 650k+. Furthermore, let's remember Baldwin and most of his staff are all Washingtonians with deep ties to the Pacific Northwest. EWU benefits from being located in a talent-rich state with only 2 FBS programs to compete with, and I have a hard time seeing Baldwin leaving that recruiting base and those connections. His wife and entire family are also from Washington.......to lure him away from that situation I think it would take considerably more money than EWU would be willing to offer.
EWU has big plans for its football program, and I see EWU doing whatever they can to retain Baldwin.
I think Weber State should take a look at Paul Wulff. He struggled at Washington State, but that is a tough place to win at. He is a good coach and a proven winner in the Big Sky Conference. I think he would be a good hire. :twocents: