Because of the recent success of the ISU football team many people in the ISU community have come to the conclusion that coach Dan McCarney is the savior of ISU football and is entitled to a contract extension.

Being a die-hard fan of ISU athletics, I have given thought to this proposition and have not been able to come the same conclusion.

McCarney, who has helped lead the way for the football team to its first winning season since 1989 and probably its first bowl appearance since the 1978 Independence Bowl, has not showed the qualities of a good coach or even a prospective good coach.

His play calling has been questionable, his recruiting in the first five years (although gradually progressing) has been poor, and the style of play that he has brought to this program is boring and ineffective, especially against the K-States and Texas A&M’s of the Big 12.

This past weekend I attended the ISU-K-State football game in Manhattan, Kansas, and was disappointed in the performance of the team but even more so of the coaching staff.

There is no doubt that Kansas State was a much better team, but the fact that they destroyed the Cyclones by 46 points should be unacceptable to ISU fans and administrators. Some of the decisions that the coaching staff made this past weekend and over the course of the year have been flat out ridiculous.

Dan McCarney is in his sixth year here and has not accomplished anything close to what these coaches have. His record in the first five years has been a dismal 13-42, and even the six wins that the cyclones have rounded up this year have come to sub-par teams such as Baylor and Ohio.

I do not mean to take any credit away from the players who have worked very hard this season to reach this mark. The team has done very well, and we are all proud of them for reaching that first winning season in 11 years. I do question whether the present coaching staff has utilized the talent that this team possesses.

I still wonder what could have been against Nebraska if the play calling would have been better thought out. And there is no reason why A&M and K-State should have decimated our team by such large margins.

I am not saying that we should totally give up on coach Mac here just yet, but what we and more importantly new Athletics Director Bruce Van De Velde need to weigh all possible options before making a decision on a contract extension for coach McCarney.

Nick Nahirniak

Freshman

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