Here are the "changes" that I would like to see for 2017

[lakecityhog]

First, let me say that I couldn't care less about BB's weight and if that is your problem please stay out of this thread.

I would like to see this music thing stopped at practice. I want TOTAL focus on football at practice. I know that when there is music in the background I sometimes find myself humming the song or thinking who sings that??
Stop it! Practice is for football. I would love to hear one single player say that Saturday is the easiest day of the week!! All of Lou's players felt that way.

I want to see the coaches set the example for our players, like Tom Highway said, ""When you start looking like Marines, you'll start feeling like Marines, and pretty soon, Dad gummit, you'll start acting like Marines."
Drop the flip flops, wear turf shoes. Be the Head Coach, act like the Head Coach.

I want to see better roster management--- figure out the right ratio of players to recruit for EACH position EVERY year and stick to it. (Sure there may be a +/- 1 at various positions at various times) Maintain more balanced classes.
Redshirt more players every year, yeah if a kid is a 3 and gone, play him. But, the simple truth is that we don't recruit that many 3 and gone kids.
We should see fewer and fewer position changes after kids get here. If we are assessing kids properly we shouldn't be missing on as many position wise.

Special teams-- FIX IT! There is absolutely no reason for the University of Arkansas to be unable to recruit a kid that can kick the ball 6 yards deep into the end zone EVERY time. There is no reason that we shouldn't be able to return a kick to at least the 20 yard line EVERY time. If we can't, recognize this and take it at the 25!!

Now the BIG ones:
Become the Head Coach!! Hire good coaches, get out of their way and let them do their jobs!!!
The Head Coach is the manager, set the direction, maintain the course and focus on the big picture things.
In game-- Do we go for it on 4th down? Fake the punt? challenge a call? manage the clock--motivate
Pre game-- Help coordinators to formulate game plans--approve game plans--help with depth chart decisions

Recruiting--Set the parameters for player requirements for an offer and stick with it. If a kid meets the requirements and we like him make the offer and quit dragging your feet. (Make every offer conditional on grades and character and tell every kid those conditions up front)
Figure out the where better, where can we get the biggest bang for our buck? We only have so much in the way of resources, use them wisely. Take the long shot every now and then, but focus on our better chances.

This probably falls under the heading of Be the Head Coach, but  I want to see him become way more demanding!
Absolutely demand the most from each and every assistant every day. Demand the most from EVERY player EVERY day! No more of this "we know what he can do" make him show you what he can do every day!
I don't ever want to see another picture of 2 guys carrying an old mattress on their head. Have them run steps til they puke, put some fear into their hearts.

And last, but not least give up the conservative mindset when we have a good lead. When we get a team down, step on their throat!! If we have 28 with 3 minutes left in the half and decent field position, try to score 35. If we have held a team scoreless for 27 of the first 30 minutes don't go into a dad gummed prevent with 3 minutes left in the half! Play defense and make them work for every inch that they get!

[Kevin]

Heck yes

[007 License To Squeal]

Now the BIG ones:
Become the Head Coach!! Hire good coaches, get out of their way and let them do their jobs!!!
The Head Coach is the manager, set the direction, maintain the course and focus on the big picture things.

If he isn't already doing those things, he needs to hit the road!!!

[Josh Goforth]

First, let me say that I couldn't care less about BB's weight and if that is your problem please stay out of this thread.

I would like to see this music thing stopped at practice. I want TOTAL focus on football at practice. I know that when there is music in the background I sometimes find myself humming the song or thinking who sings that??
Stop it! Practice is for football. I would love to hear one single player say that Saturday is the easiest day of the week!! All of Lou's players felt that way.

I want to see the coaches set the example for our players, like Tom Highway said, ""When you start looking like Marines, you'll start feeling like Marines, and pretty soon, Dad gummit, you'll start acting like Marines."
Drop the flip flops, wear turf shoes. Be the Head Coach, act like the Head Coach.

I want to see better roster management--- figure out the right ratio of players to recruit for EACH position EVERY year and stick to it. (Sure there may be a +/- 1 at various positions at various times) Maintain more balanced classes.
Redshirt more players every year, yeah if a kid is a 3 and gone, play him. But, the simple truth is that we don't recruit that many 3 and gone kids.
We should see fewer and fewer position changes after kids get here. If we are assessing kids properly we shouldn't be missing on as many position wise.

Special teams-- FIX IT! There is absolutely no reason for the University of Arkansas to be unable to recruit a kid that can kick the ball 6 yards deep into the end zone EVERY time. There is no reason that we shouldn't be able to return a kick to at least the 20 yard line EVERY time. If we can't, recognize this and take it at the 25!!

Now the BIG ones:
Become the Head Coach!! Hire good coaches, get out of their way and let them do their jobs!!!
The Head Coach is the manager, set the direction, maintain the course and focus on the big picture things.
In game-- Do we go for it on 4th down? Fake the punt? challenge a call? manage the clock--motivate
Pre game-- Help coordinators to formulate game plans--approve game plans--help with depth chart decisions

Recruiting--Set the parameters for player requirements for an offer and stick with it. If a kid meets the requirements and we like him make the offer and quit dragging your feet. (Make every offer conditional on grades and character and tell every kid those conditions up front)
Figure out the where better, where can we get the biggest bang for our buck? We only have so much in the way of resources, use them wisely. Take the long shot every now and then, but focus on our better chances.

This probably falls under the heading of Be the Head Coach, but  I want to see him become way more demanding!
Absolutely demand the most from each and every assistant every day. Demand the most from EVERY player EVERY day! No more of this "we know what he can do" make him show you what he can do every day!
I don't ever want to see another picture of 2 guys carrying an old mattress on their head. Have them run steps til they puke, put some fear into their hearts.

And last, but not least give up the conservative mindset when we have a good lead. When we get a team down, step on their throat!! If we have 28 with 3 minutes left in the half and decent field position, try to score 35. If we have held a team scoreless for 27 of the first 30 minutes don't go into a dad gummed prevent with 3 minutes left in the half! Play defense and make them work for every inch that they get!

Many many teams who like to play field position don't want to kick the ball out if the end zone everytime. The goal is to drop it inside the 5 between the hash and the sideline and make the tackle inside the 15. Does it really make a difference, I don't know.

[nwahogfan1]

Well thought out comments. Good post.

[LJHOG]

The change I would like to see is first and second year 4* and 5* players only be able to see the field on special teams.

[The NewEra]

This team and even last years team for half of the season looked very soft.  Whatever is creating that culture has to be addressed.

[NuttinItUp]

More cheerleaders wearing skimpier outfits.

[tophawg19]

we need to be much more physical on both lines . we need to drop a bit more weight and get faster and stronger across the line . the old Pittsburg Steelers line is a good example of this .

[lakecityhog]

IF, and I do mean if, we could fix our special teams I would have no problem at all trying to drop kickoffs into the corner at the 5 yard line. More times than not when we try this the opponent gets a good return and starts nearer the 40!

We have 105 players on the roster, surely we can find 10 guys that can run to the ball and make a tackle without using starters! We have DB's/Safeties, Line Backers, Wide Receivers and Running Backs that almost never see the field and in some cases Special Teams is their only hope to play. Find 10 -14 kids that WANT to play and WORK with them to form a UNIT that takes pride in being the BEST and get it done!

[lakecityhog]

Era, I honestly think that things like music during practice, flip flops, not tackling to the ground and "light" hitting create that culture.

You get tough in PRACTICE, when was the last time we even heard about a fight during a practice? If the O and D are really getting after each other someone is going to lose their temper from time to time.

[HardingHog]

https://twitter.com/jefflongUA/status/815589545773334532

Jeff says they'll make "changes"

[luke hawg]

Some of you really don't follow the program very closely.

[RebelliousHog]

In response to someone wanting a  special team unit. Yesterday in the Bama game the announcers said the problem Wash. had was that Bama special teams are mostly starters.

Also about 4 & 5 star players only playing special teams. I think you play the best for the position. If a freshman beats out a senior, too bad.

[3kgthog]

If Bama's d-lineman called U-Dub soft, I wonder what he thought of our cream puffs.

Teams take on the identity of their coach. In our case, satisfied after one half of effort, unfocused to finish the job, lack of attention to detail, and a general "This feels like a friendship, not a coach/player relationship" vibe.

Player's coaches fail more often than not, especially if they just replaced a dictator type coach. Players will run through a brick wall for that high-fiving, hugging coach because they finally feel loved after being held accountable by the previous coach for every mistake on the field. That eventually wears off, though. The losses pile up, the hugs stop coming as frequently, and the relationship crumbles.

It happened to Nutt and it's happening right now to Bielema. I suspect guys are as fed up as we are with 1-0 and the "uncommon" gimmicks used to hide recruiting failures, coaching failures, and a general lack of direction toward what to do to survive in the SEC using his own players.

[Hog75]

Would like thoughts on this question - why is Enos on the sideline and not in the booth?  Thanks.

[carolinahogger]

One of the changes that I wanted to see for 2017 is the end of misuse of quotation marks.  It's not working out.

Quotation marks can occasionally be used for emphasis, but only when quoting a single word which someone else used. Usually, this implies that the author doesn't agree with the use of the term. He said he was "working"; it looked to me like he was procrastinating.

[lakecityhog]

I will "try" to do better!

[hogman64]

I would like to see "Never Yield" completely dropped from everything connected to U of A athletics.. How many times have we yielded third quarter leads since adopting it?  We never earned the saying and it has been a curse.  STOP IT....

[hogatheart]

Man those are all great points to make, but may I add, if we do not STOP the Idea of letting the offense come to us, and go after the QB, nothing will change. In my lifetime I have never seen a defensive philosophy that almost eliminates the blitz packages from a defense. Average defensive play this year would have given us at least 9 wins. Kudos to the OP. Great post!! WPS!!

[Tusks]

I would like to see "Never Yield" completely dropped from everything connected to U of A athletics.. How many times have we yielded third quarter leads since adopting it?  We never earned the saying and it has been a curse.  STOP IT....

oh man add fricken #uncommon to that too.  There's nothing uncommon about 10-22 in the SEC except it's uncommonly bad.