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Akron coach

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guinpen:
This is not right, they should have given this poor guy another 10 - 12 years.

AKRON, Ohio -- It came as no surprise late Saturday afternoon that the Akron Zips ended the Rob Ianello era as head football coach after two years and a 2-22 record, including 1-15 in Mid-American Conference play.
Ianello's assistants were also dismissed. The first thing Akron Athletic Director Tom Wistrcill said Saturday evening before the Zips' men's basketball game against Detroit, and repeated several times, was how much "a great experience for your student-athletes" was part of the decision. Yet wins and losses were also key.
"Ultimately, we need to win more games," Wistrcill said. "Certainly, we didn't feel like the program was headed in the direction we wanted it to, at the end of this year. Certainly, winning was a factor."
Prior to hiring Ianello, 46, Wistrcill made it clear he felt the Zips were a contending football program. "The cupboard is not bare," he said after dismissing J.D. Brookhart. Akron had advanced to the MAC Championship game in 2005, and won, under Brookhart. But four sub-par losing seasons followed, leading to Brookhart's ouster and the arrival of Ianello.
During his media Q&A, Wistrcill said the decision was his, and was accepted by school president Luis Proenza. There were player defections before and throughout Ianello's regime. While Wistrcill never said that was part of the equation, more than once he talked about the "players' experience."
"I can say I feel like I'm fairly close with a lot of our players," Wistrcill said. "So we have a lot of conversations. But I can tell you they were not driving this decision. They're a good group of student-athletes who want to be successful, and pour their heart and soul into our football program."
Rumors of Ianello's demise began to surface after a 35-3 loss at Miami, which was followed by a 35-3 loss to rival Kent State. The season ended with a 51-10 loss at Buffalo and a 68-19 rout at Western Michigan.
Ianello's mother, Rita, died Tuesday. He was en route to New York for his mother's services and not available for comment.
Wistrcill said there will be a national search. But it could be handicapped by having to pay the final three years of Ianello's $300,000 annual salary, although the AD said there are final negotiations going on.
Speculation about a successor already centers on former Akron offensive coordinator Paul Winters. He is currently head coach at Division II Wayne State (Mich.) which is in the NCAA Division II playoffs. The Tarters (10-3) advanced to the regional finals on Saturday with a 38-26 victory over No. 2-seed Nebraska-Kearney.
While Wistrcill said the search begins immediately, he declined comment on the involvement of a search firm, or who would be on a search committee.

jwmann2:
Word has been circulating the they would pursue Tressel. I don't see it happening, just can't. He is well off and will end up taking over for another big time program sometime in the future.

IAA Fan:
He will fail at the NFL, then become HC/AD/Provost at Baldwin-Wallace. Which I think is perfect. YSU should try for the same deal with him. He needs something in between though.

guinpen:
Ouch! They offered the job to D2 coach that played for and was on the staff at Akron and he decided to stay at Wayne St.



Detroit— Wayne State football coach Paul Winters turned down an offer with the University of Akron and has signed an extension through 2016 to stay with the Warriors.

Akron officials drove to Detroit on Sunday night to meet with Winters, and they offered him a contract. Winters thought about the Division I offer overnight, but told Wayne State athletic director Rob Fournier on Monday morning that he was staying with the team.

Fournier knew the news was good when Winters walked in Monday with the extension he'd been offered weeks ago.

"We are ecstatic that he decided to stay," Fournier said. "This is an early Christmas gift for us."

Winters guided the Warriors to the Division II championship game, where they lost, 35-21, to Pittsburg State on Saturday. Wayne State earned its first trip to the postseason, then reeled off four consecutive road wins to make the title game.

This season, the Warriors finished 12-4 and tied for second in the GLIAC. They advanced through the playoffs as a No. 6 seed.

Winters took the Wayne State job eight years ago, when the program was among the worst in the country. The Warriors lost 14 of their first 15 games under Winters.

By turning down Akron, Winters said no to his hometown team. He played at Akron and was an assistant there for 10 seasons (1994-2003) before taking the Wayne State job.

YsuPride:
Turned down by a Div. 2 coach is a smack in the face for Akron.  Program is in really bad shape with little fan support.  No wonder nobody wants that job.  Akron football is as pathetic as YSU basketball.

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