Jeff Longs Biggest Regret While At Arkansas

[gchamblee]

http://coachingsearch.com/article?a=News-Notes--Quotes--June-2-2017

- Asked about his biggest regret in his time at Arkansas athletic director, Jeff Long pointed to an obvious one, without saying it directly.

It was the Bobby Petrino situation and its end, despite the winning on the field.

"There's probably one I regret," Long told SportsTalk with Bo Mattingly. "Probably that I compromised what I believed in because I thought a certain kind of coach needed to be in this conference to compete. It's a regret, really, of myself and not living true to my values and what I believe in."

Asked if he's learned since then, Long replied, "Absolutely."

[gchamblee]

Another interesting quote from that page....

- Nick Saban's frustration with officiating RPO's is well-known, but Alabama added it to their playbook, because Saban knows that's how things go.

"I don't think there's any answer to RPOs," Saban said this week. "When you can run a running play and the offensive line blocks a running play — which a defensive player keys a run and a pass — but it's a running play and the quarterback sits there and (fakes a handoff) and then throws the ball because the safety doesn't come down or the safety does come down or whatever. There is no solution to that."

He added, "On the other side, it's exciting when you score, like, 40 more points a game than what we used to. I mean, our 2011 team gave up eight points a game. The best defense in the country gave up twice that much now. ... Whatever the rule is, we'll do it, too. So, what makes a difference? We'll run running plays that we throw passes, just like everybody else."

[The OTR]

Thanks for this update on Jeff Long's feelings. 

[Wildhog]

I hate that he regrets winning all those games.  Hopefully all this mediocrity will help him recover from it.

[navyhog24]

This kind of crap from Jeff makes me believe that Bielema will be here longer than 6 years no matter the record.

[ThisTeetsTaken]

I hate that he regrets winning all those games.  Hopefully all this mediocrity will help him recover from it.

Ouch.   He acts as though he hired CBP against his better judgment.  Baloney.  He seized an opportunity.

[bkjbearcat]

Ouch.   He acts as though he hired CBP against his better judgment.  Baloney.  He seized an opportunity.

If Jeff Long were a movie villain he'd be Larry Millers crusty old dean character in Necessary Roughness.

[hogsanity]

I hate that he regrets winning all those games.  Hopefully all this mediocrity will help him recover from it.

Even though that is not what he said.

Ouch.   He acts as though he hired CBP against his better judgment.  Baloney.  He seized an opportunity.

Wait, the narrative on hogville has always been that Long did not hire BP, he was forced to by the ptb.

This kind of crap from Jeff makes me believe that Bielema will be here longer than 6 years no matter the record.

Well, he has shown patience with another coach, so why not this one?

[Wildhog]

What's funny to me is that the "certain kind of coach" he thought he needed to compete in this conference... DID compete in this conference.

[PorkRinds]

What's funny to me is that "the kind of coach" he thought he needed to compete in this conference... DID compete in this conference.

And crashed and burned in grand style leaving a smoking crater behind.  I believe that's what he's talking about.

[Wildhog]

And crashed and burned in grand style leaving a smoking crater behind.  I believe that's what he's talking about.

Totally worth it.  Would do it all over again. 

[hogsanity]

And crashed and burned in grand style leaving a smoking crater behind.  I believe that's what he's talking about.

Yea, I think by "kind of coach" he meant x's and o's, not a morally bankrupt lying piece of crap.

[hogsanity]

Totally worth it.  Would do it all over again. 

really, no conference or even division title was worth it? Ok.

[Wildhog]

really, no conference or even division title was worth it? Ok.

100%

Beats the hell out of what we're doing now.

[EastexHawg]

I hate that he regrets winning all those games.  Hopefully all this mediocrity will help him recover from it.

He regrets that he thought that we needed a "certain kind of coach" to win in the SEC?  What sort of coach is that?  A really good and innovative one?

And what has happened to make him realize that's not the kind of coach we need?  He must have some special insight because frankly it's pretty hard to see from the outside.

[hogsanity]

100%

Beats the hell out of what we're doing now.

at the end of the day it's all the same. One team wins the sec, the rest fail in their pursuit.

[gchamblee]

over/under on how many pages this thread reaches before being locked or moved to the trash.... 5

[Wildhog]

at the end of the day it's all the same. One team wins the sec, the rest fail in their pursuit.

Oh my God.

Now winning doesn't matter unless you win the SEC.  Got it. 

This is what it's come to.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

over/under on how many pages this thread reaches before being locked or moved to the trash.... 5

I'll take the Under.

[Wildhog]

I'll take the Under.

No cheating, Skogee.

[EastexHawg]

And crashed and burned in grand style leaving a smoking crater behind.  I believe that's what he's talking about.

Yes, and five years later...as the program has gone from top five to winning more conference games than only lowly Kentucky...Jeff can look back proudly and say that at least he didn't let that lout get away with telling him "you want to make a monk out of me."  Jeff's pride and outrage...and, by the way, setting himself up nicely for a committee job, woo hoo..trump having a winning program, all day every day. 

Of course none of us would have never known about that conversation if Jeff hadn't told us about it.

[hogsanity]

Oh my God.

Now winning doesn't matter unless you win the SEC.  Got it. 

This is what it's come to.

Well, no one else around here wants to define winning, they just want to say a coach is not winning. At least I try to quantify it. 

[Wildhog]

Well, no one else around here wants to define winning, they just want to say a coach is not winning. At least I try to quantify it. 

CBB needs to win at least nine games this year. 

Quantified.

[TNhawgfan]

really, no conference or even division title was worth it? Ok.

We went to a BCS bowl and then finished a season in the top 5. Just because we couldn't beat bama doesn't mean we weren't finally looked at as an upper level team in the SEC

[hogsanity]

I'm convinced the love for BP by many here is not based on what he did on the field, it is what he did off the field, and that they wish they could live his lifestyle, with the morals of Caligula.

[Wildhog]

I'm convinced the love for BP by many here is not based on what he did on the field, it is what he did off the field, and that they wish they could live his lifestyle, with the morals of Caligula.

You're gonna have to change your screen name.

[BigE_23]

We will never have anything but a middle of the road 6-8 win football program until Jeff Long lands the job that he's using us to get.

[navyhog24]

Well, no one else around here wants to define winning, they just want to say a coach is not winning. At least I try to quantify it. 

To Jeffy it doesn't matter. He just wants good grades, APR, and money. So we're screwed with Bielema until otherwise.

[hogsanity]

We went to a BCS bowl and then finished a season in the top 5. Just because we couldn't beat bama doesn't mean we weren't finally looked at as an upper level team in the SEC

Wake Forest and Northern Illinois went to a BCS bowl too. 50+ different teams played in BCS bowls during the bcs era. And were the hogs really looked at as a upper tier sec program while getting blown out by both bama and lsu, or were they seen as a program that was having a couple good seasons. 

[Wildhog]

Wake Forest and Northern Illinois went to a BCS bowl too. 50+ different teams played in BCS bowls during the bcs era. And were the hogs really looked at as a upper tier sec program while getting blown out by both bama and lsu, or were they seen as a program that was having a couple good seasons. 

A couple of good seasons >>> what we have now

[hogsanity]

We will never have anything but a middle of the road 6-8 win football program until Jeff Long lands the job that he's using us to get.

we've never been CONSISTENTLY more than that since joining the sec.

[BigE_23]

Well, no one else around here wants to define winning, they just want to say a coach is not winning. At least I try to quantify it. 

I can sure as hell tell you what winning ain't...and we ain't.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

No cheating, Skogee.

If you guys keep it civil and behave, no one will have to intervene.

[BigE_23]

we've never been CONSISTENTLY more than that since joining the sec.

So joining the SEC was the problem? Got it.

[hogsanity]

I can sure as hell tell you what winning ain't...and we ain't.

more w's than l's the last 3 seasons. So if that ain't winning, what is?

[BigE_23]

more w's than l's the last 3 seasons. So if that ain't winning, what is?

If that's your barometer, then I'm not wasting my time explaining it to you.

Same was true for the last two seasons under Nutt, so were you satisfied with that?

[hogsanity]

If that's your barometer, then I'm not wasting my time explaining it to you.

Same was true for the last two seasons under Nutt, so were you satisfied with that?

Ok, so in this thread I have been bashed for supposedly inferring winning is only winning the sec and now for supposedly inferring that winning is simply having more w's than l's. Yet no one wants to offer their own definition of winning.

[EastexHawg]

Wake Forest and Northern Illinois went to a BCS bowl too. 50+ different teams played in BCS bowls during the bcs era.

Wow, so it's really easy.  Does that mean your expectation is that Arkansas should be able to do it in the next two years, "it" being playing in a Sugar or equal/higher rated bowl?  That will make seven years since Jeff had his epiphany and six on the job for Bielema.

At what point does achieving the commonplace become a requirement?

[Wildhog]

Ok, so in this thread I have been bashed for supposedly inferring winning is only winning the sec and now for supposedly inferring that winning is simply having more w's than l's. Yet no one wants to offer their own definition of winning.

Considering our average since joining the SEC is right around 8 wins/season, I'll go with that.  Average 8 wins/year and I'll shut up.  That's pretty generous, I think.  He's got a lot of work to do, though.

[hogsanity]

Considering our average since joining the SEC is right around 8 wins/season, I'll go with that.  Average 8 wins/year and I'll shut up.  That's pretty generous, I think.  He's got a lot of work to do, though.

Thanks for having the guts to actually give your definition of winning, no one else seems to want to. But our average wins per season since joining the sec is 6.68. 167 wins in 25 years.

[Wildhog]

Thanks for having the guts to actually give your definition of winning, no one else seems to want to.

Nothing gutsy about it.  I want everyone on the same page.

[gchamblee]

If you guys keep it civil and behave, no one will have to intervene.

Ill be honest, the whole point of this thread was to give us a thread where we could "respectfully" put on the gloves and go at each other. It keeps 1 thread on the front page for aggressive posters to have a go and hopefully keeps other more practical threads from turning into that 1 thread a lot of us like to have access to. Hopefully, this one can survive for a bit. The front page is kind of boring without at least one thread like this

[Wildhog]

Ill be honest, the whole point of this thread was to give us a thread where we could "respectfully" put on the gloves and go at each other. It keeps 1 thread on the front page for aggressive posters to have a go and hopefully keeps other more practical threads from turning into that 1 thread a lot of us like to have access to. Hopefully, this one can survive for a bit. The front page is kind of boring without at least one thread like this

Agreed.  It's friday, after all. 

[Wildhog]

Thanks for having the guts to actually give your definition of winning, no one else seems to want to. But our average wins per season since joining the sec is 6.68. 167 wins in 25 years.

For some reason I thought it was a shade under 8. 

While you're at it, can you calculate our winning % since joining the league?  Some of those seasons were 11 games.

[gchamblee]

Agreed.  It's friday, after all. 

I don't like most of your opinions, but I would miss them if you were gone If everyone agreed with me life would be boring.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Considering our average since joining the SEC is right around 8 wins/season, I'll go with that.  Average 8 wins/year and I'll shut up.  That's pretty generous, I think.  He's got a lot of work to do, though.

You know, I don't like 8 win seasons. That is about our average, but I don't like it. We should have won 9 last year, quite possibly 10. So, I am not happy or satisfied in terms of wins, though I really like many of the other improvements that Bielema has brought to the program. But we aren't a member of the Ivy League conference where winning is less important to the fans. Bielema has two seasons to do better than he has in the past four.

[hogsanity]

For some reason I thought it was a shade under 8. 

While you're at it, can you calculate our winning % since joining the league?  Some of those seasons were 11 games.

25 seasons, 306 games played, 167 games won, win% of .55.

[Wildhog]

You know, I don't like 8 win seasons. That is about our average, but I don't like it. We should have won 9 last year, quite possibly 10. So, I am not happy or satisfied in terms of wins, though I really like many of the other improvements that Bielema has brought to the program. But we aren't a member of the Ivy League conference where winning is less important to the fans. Bielema has two seasons to do better than he has in the past four.

I'm not a huge fan of 8 win seasons, either.  I'm just trying to be fair.  Sanity asked for a quantity.

After all, averaging 8 wins means you have some years with more than 8 wins.  That needs to happen this season.

[gchamblee]

You know, I don't like 8 win seasons. That is about our average, but I don't like it. We should have won 9 last year, quite possibly 10. So, I am not happy or satisfied in terms of wins, though I really like many of the other improvements that Bielema has brought to the program. But we aren't a member of the Ivy League conference where winning is less important to the fans. Bielema has two seasons to do better than he has in the past four.

You and I are pretty much in the same place. I really want him to succeed, not because I have hitched my lorry to him, but because there are so many aspects to the changes that have occurred since he took the job that I really respect and like. I really dont blame him for last years collapse, well I do for 56-3, but the mizzou and VT games were not coaching problems ( although I think our DC at the time was a problem) as much as they were just mental mistakes by the players. The interceptions, the fumbles, none of those kids were coached to do that. They just felt pressure and tried to make things happen despite the coaches begging them to calm down and just execute. However, if it continues to happen there is only 1 person you can blame for trends, and that is the head coach. Remember when Alabama fumbled the ball away to us on 2 special teams plays in Fayetteville? Nick about stroked out over that because that is not how those players were coached to play, but sometimes a baller will just try to make something happen and it will blowup in his face. Nobody is immune to it, and we suffered it more than once last year.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

You and I are pretty much in the same place. I really want him to succeed, not because I have hitched my lorry to him, but because there are so many aspects to the changes that have occurred since he took the job that I really respect and like. I really dont blame him for last years collapse, well I do for 56-3, but the mizzou and VT games were not coaching problems ( although I think our DC at the time was a problem) as much as they were just mental mistakes by the players. The interceptions, the fumbles, none of those kids were coached to do that. They just felt pressure and tried to make things happen despite the coaches begging them to calm down and just execute. However, if it continues to happen there is only 1 person you can blame for trends, and that is the head coach. Remember when Alabama fumbled the ball away to us on 2 special teams plays in Fayetteville? Nick about stroked out over that because that is not how those players were coached to play, but sometimes a baller will just try to make something happen and it will blowup in his face. Nobody is immune to it, and we suffered it more than once last year.

This is where we are different. Having been "there" I do blame the coaching staff not only for the Auburn game, but the A&M game and the Missouri and Va Tech games. I like Bielema, but it is the responsibility of the staff to make sure the team is ready and to intervene if it appears that there is a lack of leadership on the team. There were a lot of other factors involved in the losses last year besides a bad defensive scheme and a stubborn DC, but all of that falls under the responsibility of the HC and his staff.