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2026 Derrek Cooper 5* RB/ATH from Chaminade Commits to Texas

Cribby said:
Wasn’t great but nowhere like where the narrative shifted. The situation he inherited got worse as the losses piled up lol. He’s also had the biggest advantage as any coach in our history with financial backing and resources.
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True, but we also knew there were some coaching deficiencies. Just like Butch, but this year should tell us whether that trajectory. He talked about last year is true or not.
 
OrangeBowlMagic said:
I think he inherited more than people want to admit, but to me, for better or worse, I don’t think Mario respected a single molecule of this program…not the infrastructure not the support not the money not Manny. IDK it’s hard to explain but I think him being the Cane that he is, he was completely disgusted and embarrassed by what this program was and he flipped literally everything upside down.

JMO. Doesn’t really matter to me, it’s year 4, this is now fully your deal and you need to win. I actually don’t even have the care to analyze the past and compare records, etc. We can’t change it. The only thing that matters is tomorrow. But yes, this program wasn’t given to him as a flaming dumpster. But I do feel he viewed it that way and he bulldozed the entire thing. Football isn’t just talent on paper. It’s how you coach, what you teach, how you lead, expectations, everything that happens on the 353 non-gamedays has a ton of impact on what happens on the 12 days you turn the lights on. But for me, I don’t really care he went 5-7 in year 1. What’s it matter? Let’s say he went 8-4….are we in any different spot? Now this program is fully his, in every single aspect. Last year was fun, and somewhat successful considering our history, but disappointing at the end of the day, once again. Go break that trend and make the playoffs. You have the roster to do it, and it’s your culture, so if it doesn’t happen, it sure as **** ain’t Manny’s or the administrations fault.
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Making a bunch of bad hires didn’t help the situation and made it seem worse . He was also afforded the finances to keep erasing said mistakes because of the financial backing that no coach here has had.

Yes he took over a spotty situation but the narrative shifted with the L’s. I’m very aware of when things started changing from the inside and what was pushed . Which at the time annoyed me. Everyone started parroting the same thing after year one and it increased into year two.

My point is Mario did take over a less than perfect situation but he’s also poked a lot of holes in his own canoe.
 
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Cribby said:
Making a bunch of bad hires didn’t help the situation and made it seem worse . He was also afforded the finances to keep erasing said mistakes because of the financial backing that no coach here has had.

Yes he took over a spotty situation but the narrative shifted with the L’s. I’m very aware of when things started changing from the inside and what was pushed . Which at the time annoyed me. Everyone started parroting the same thing after year one and it increased into year two.

My point is Mario did take over a less than perfect situation but he’s also poked a lot of holes in his own canoe.
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Absolutely fair.
 
BigDikDaddyFromCincinnati said:
Honest answer - I hadn’t thought about the UW teams prior and in a rush to make a point, I posted what I posted. I didn’t post to compare to Mario. You ask valid questions. I

would say Sark’s career has been similar to Mario’s, but achieved a lot more the last two seasons. Mario won two PAC 12 titles and it’s been dissected ad nauseum on this board. Aside from that, Mario hasn’t done much in the W/L category which is ultimately where and how coaches are graded. He’s the coach of my team and I want desperately him to succeed. It doesn’t mean he’s above the same standard. I’m realistically optimistic, but I’m not a slurper.

Seems like you personally like him and I can respect that. I’ve never met him and wasn’t trying to imply he’s a bad person.
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It’s not that I personally like him, it’s that I know comparatively he’s been given a much worst hand than Mario:

The only pass I give to Mario is FIU, but pound for pound P5 resume v. P5 resume, Sark has inherited bad situations.

UW 20 yrs (1989-2008) prior to Sark: 134-103 (.566)
UW 10 yrs (1999-2008) prior to Sark: 51-69 (425)

UO 20 yrs (1998-2017) prior to Mario: 184-71 (.713)
UO 10 yrs (2008-2017) prior to Mario: 101-32 (.759)

UT 20 yrs (2001-2020) prior to Sark: 178-80 (.689)
UT 10 yrs (2011-2020) prior to Sark: 73-53 (.579)

Miami 20 yrs prior to Mario (159-93 or .630)
Miami 10 yrs prior to Mario (77-49 or .611)

SC could’ve been something special, but SC also went from Kiffin to Orgeron to Sark to Helton w/in a 7 yr window. Why? B/c they were still dealing w the fall out from Carroll’s time that put them under sanctions. Any controversy, & u were out. Sark had an issue w the bottle & it cost him his job, but he still went 12-6 (.750) in his brief time b4 getting axed.

To be keep it real:
1. Mario had the clearest path to the CFP in 2019, eerily similar to last season. Both teams featured a bonafide top 10 overall NFL draft prospect at the QB position, & both teams faltered in November, losing to over matched teams.

2. One of those PAC-12 titles was only b/c Covid disqualified the real PAC-12 North Champion (UW) due to massive outbreak.

3. The biggest difference between Sark 2.0 & Mario is Mario has been blessed w an open check book at his last two stops w zero CFP appearances to show for it despite the easy schedules, & Sark has gone to back to back CFPs w that same check book playing a much more difficult schedule.
 
Cribby said:
Like anything the truth is in the middle. Did he inherit a a 9-10 win roster ? Nah, did he inherit a five win team that got boat raced by MTSU? Nah.
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I said it the other day but he made it worse when he got here

Between the coaching staff and the recruit class miss me with that “rebuild” and “patience” stuff

So sure Manny didn’t exactly leave him an all American roster but 2022 was an unmitigated disaster that he had to fix his own mess
 
Cribby said:
I’m fine with Mario. I know what he is so my expectations are where they should be . I just don’t blindly make excuses for him because he’s a former cane when I know other coaches here wouldn’t be afforded the same rope. I call his mistakes out.
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MOPE!
 
Cribby said:
Like anything the truth is in the middle. Did he inherit a a 9-10 win roster ? Nah, did he inherit a five win team that got boat raced by MTSU? Nah.
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I agree with this too but getting boat raced in year 1 doesn’t ding you overall as a coach, to me. And that’s any coach, I wanted Mario here but I’m not a blind homer. And I’m obviously not putting Mario in this breath, but we all know the Saban year 1, Kirby year 1 ****. I actually started to acknowledge the cracks way more in year 2. Year 1 for me in a change this drastic is a total wash. Again, just for me. If you think his future success can be seen on day 1, I’d respect that opinion. The games do count. But I just don’t share the opinion.

The GT game and Louisville games in Year 2 were much more concerning to me than MTSU in Year 1.
 
OrangeBowlMagic said:
I agree with this too but getting boat raced in year 1 doesn’t ding you overall as a coach, to me. And that’s any coach, I wanted Mario here but I’m not a blind homer. And I’m obviously not putting Mario in this breath, but we all know the Saban year 1, Kirby year 1 ****. I actually started to acknowledge the cracks way more in year 2. Year 1 for me in a change this drastic is a total wash. Again, just for me. If you think his future success can be seen on day 1, I’d respect that opinion. The games do count. But I just don’t share the opinion.

The GT game and Louisville games in Year 2 were much more concerning to me than MTSU in Year 1.
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Thoughtsoncanes said:
Mario assessments aside you got anything on Cooper Cribby you think we got a shot?
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I said when NIL started this recruiting game is like playing Russian roulette . Half the time not even the coaches have a good idea anymore with what’s going on with a recruit.

Cooper was always a huge priority and I’ve always been confident he’d be a Cane. Texas making a late press does make me uncomfortable, mix that with pushing back the decision. Today I’d still lean Miami but Texas is a real threat.

I do know other schools tend to think Miami will be the pick.
 
Cribby said:
I said when NIL started this recruiting game is like playing Russian roulette . Half the time not even the coaches have a good idea anymore with what’s going on with a recruit.

Cooper was always a huge priority and I’ve always been confident he’d be a Cane. Texas making a late press does make me uncomfortable, mix that with pushing back the decision. Today I’d still lean Miami but Texas is a real threat.

I do know other schools tend to think Miami will be the pick.
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Not that this matters much, but isn’t Texas one of the biggest “OV’s matter” schools out there? I thought I read something where they really get deep in NIL games when/after kids OV.

I was definitely worried about the Texas smoke after the date push and the rumors he was going to OV in the season. But I felt better once I saw he only pushed it back a week.
 
JHallCanes said:
I said it the other day but he made it worse when he got here

Between the coaching staff and the recruit class miss me with that “rebuild” and “patience” stuff

So sure Manny didn’t exactly leave him an all American roster but 2022 was an unmitigated disaster that he had to fix his own mess
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2022 had issues, but people love to forget that Miami had so many injuries on offense it wasn't even workable.

Played 3 QB's, had to play a walk on RB, Arroyo missed most of season, Restrepo and George missed signifigant time, and the OL was beat up.

When you're rolling Jacurri Brown ane Lucious Stanley on the field against FSU it's bad.

Mario is a good coach, and runs a top notch program. Miami is a bigger more physical team now, just more talented. Maybe they can put it all together and make the playoffs.
 
gacaneaddict said:
2022 had issues, but people love to forget that Miami had so many injuries on offense it wasn't even workable.

Played 3 QB's, had to play a walk on RB, Arroyo missed most of season, Restrepo and George missed signifigant time, and the OL was beat up.

When you're rolling Jacurri Brown ane Lucious Stanley on the field against FSU it's bad.

Mario is a good coach, and runs a top notch program. Miami is a bigger more physical team now, just more talented. Maybe they can put it all together and make the playoffs.
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The offense was bad prior to injuries . Really bad. The Gattis hire was atrocious and was the first domino in a bad year. In spring I posted the offense was having issues and the receivers couldn’t get separation. Lack of spacing and schematics had a big hand in that.
 
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