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(11-10-2021 12:42 PM)HiddenDragon Wrote:  

(11-10-2021 12:18 PM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  Clark is a better coach but those teams had more top end talent and played a lot stiffer competition, no doubt.

So an interesting question, how do you think Clark would have done with Watson Brown's teams and Brown with Clark's teams?

Would be interesting. Watson lost a ton of games he shouldn't have on paper, but Clark's teams always seem to have one or two of those a year. Watson may have that elusive P5 win everybody here is dying for, but I don't think he would have a single conference championship. Clark would have had the more talented Watson teams ready for the games that mattered at the time.

(11-10-2021 12:46 PM)DuelingDragon Wrote:  Clark would have been bowl eligible most years, won a championship probably with that 2004 team. He would have gotten us into the Big East or, at worst, the AAC a few years later. That is, if he had stayed, which I don't think happens in an alternative universe that doesn't include the facilities and stadium and unique circumstances of the shutdown and return.

Brown would have done with these teams what he did with every team he coached at every level: overachieved in some capacity relative to resources, uglied up a few games against better competition to win or play close, but confoundingly lost 3-5 games a year he had a chance to win.

I mostly agree with your answer. Watson would've underachieved relative to the lesser talent and competition, but would've had a better record than he did in the early-mid 2000s for sure

(11-10-2021 12:46 PM)DuelingDragon Wrote:  Clark would have been bowl eligible most years, won a championship probably with that 2004 team. He would have gotten us into the Big East or, at worst, the AAC a few years later. That is, if he had stayed, which I don't think happens in an alternative universe that doesn't include the facilities and stadium and unique circumstances of the shutdown and return.

Brown would have done with these teams what he did with every team he coached at every level: overachieved in some capacity relative to resources, uglied up a few games against better competition to win or play close, but confoundingly lost 3-5 games a year he had a chance to win.

Watson Brown was not a good football coach.

Watson Brown lost more football games than any other college coach . . ever . . . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_co...100_losses

To hear Watson Brown talk, success on the football field was always several years away. He blamed the colleges he was at, he blamed the lack of tradition, he blamed being "snakebit", or he blamed his players. He blamed everything except himself.

(11-10-2021 01:42 PM)BlazerBlitz Wrote:  

(11-10-2021 12:46 PM)DuelingDragon Wrote:  Clark would have been bowl eligible most years, won a championship probably with that 2004 team. He would have gotten us into the Big East or, at worst, the AAC a few years later. That is, if he had stayed, which I don't think happens in an alternative universe that doesn't include the facilities and stadium and unique circumstances of the shutdown and return.

Brown would have done with these teams what he did with every team he coached at every level: overachieved in some capacity relative to resources, uglied up a few games against better competition to win or play close, but confoundingly lost 3-5 games a year he had a chance to win.

Watson Brown was not a good football coach.

Watson Brown lost more football games than any other college coach . . ever . . . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_co...100_losses

To hear Watson Brown talk, success on the football field was always several years away. He blamed the colleges he was at, he blamed the lack of tradition, he blamed being "snakebit", or he blamed his players. He blamed everything except himself.

And he lost more games over a much shorter timeframe

(11-10-2021 12:46 PM)DuelingDragon Wrote:  Clark would have been bowl eligible most years, won a championship probably with that 2004 team. He would have gotten us into the Big East or, at worst, the AAC a few years later. That is, if he had stayed, which I don't think happens in an alternative universe that doesn't include the facilities and stadium and unique circumstances of the shutdown and return.

Brown would have done with these teams what he did with every team he coached at every level: overachieved in some capacity relative to resources, uglied up a few games against better competition to win or play close, but confoundingly lost 3-5 games a year he had a chance to win.

Honest opinion. I liked Watson personally. I think Clark would have had winning seasons and won championships with the talent WB had. I think the Steel Shield teams would have won 9-10 games. Louisville would have been a heavy lift in conference. We could compete with the others. The talent was there.

Watson won some games because he had a pretty good staff. Losing Bill Clay moved a bunch of people into places they didn't belong. When John Neal left it was game over.

One last thing. Watson was able to take some non-qualifiers. There were some 4 star recruits who signed with us that you knew would never see the field. They looked good on the signing day press sheet. I think everyone was shocked when Roddy White became eligible.

(11-10-2021 01:24 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  

(11-10-2021 12:42 PM)HiddenDragon Wrote:  

(11-10-2021 12:18 PM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  Clark is a better coach but those teams had more top end talent and played a lot stiffer competition, no doubt.

So an interesting question, how do you think Clark would have done with Watson Brown's teams and Brown with Clark's teams?

Would be interesting. Watson lost a ton of games he shouldn't have on paper, but Clark's teams always seem to have one or two of those a year. Watson may have that elusive P5 win everybody here is dying for, but I don't think he would have a single conference championship. Clark would have had the more talented Watson teams ready for the games that mattered at the time.

I don't think Clark would have taken the job under the conditions Watson Brown had to face. Sharing the conditioning facilities that basketball had would have talked Clark out of the job. We didn't get even RECONDITIONED facilities in Bell Gym until Callaway got the Job. It is likely that if Brown had been told there would be no new football facilities for almost 30 years, he might not have taken the job either.

(11-10-2021 03:21 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  

(11-10-2021 01:24 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  

(11-10-2021 12:42 PM)HiddenDragon Wrote:  

(11-10-2021 12:18 PM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  Clark is a better coach but those teams had more top end talent and played a lot stiffer competition, no doubt.

So an interesting question, how do you think Clark would have done with Watson Brown's teams and Brown with Clark's teams?

Would be interesting. Watson lost a ton of games he shouldn't have on paper, but Clark's teams always seem to have one or two of those a year. Watson may have that elusive P5 win everybody here is dying for, but I don't think he would have a single conference championship. Clark would have had the more talented Watson teams ready for the games that mattered at the time.

I don't think Clark would have taken the job under the conditions Watson Brown had to face.

That's not the question that was ask BNBF.

There wasn't much bowl games for C-USA teams to be chosen back then

(11-10-2021 03:21 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  

(11-10-2021 01:24 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  

(11-10-2021 12:42 PM)HiddenDragon Wrote:  

(11-10-2021 12:18 PM)The Answer UAB Wrote:  Clark is a better coach but those teams had more top end talent and played a lot stiffer competition, no doubt.

So an interesting question, how do you think Clark would have done with Watson Brown's teams and Brown with Clark's teams?

Would be interesting. Watson lost a ton of games he shouldn't have on paper, but Clark's teams always seem to have one or two of those a year. Watson may have that elusive P5 win everybody here is dying for, but I don't think he would have a single conference championship. Clark would have had the more talented Watson teams ready for the games that mattered at the time.

I don't think Clark would have taken the job under the conditions Watson Brown had to face. Sharing the conditioning facilities that basketball had would have talked Clark out of the job. We didn't get even RECONDITIONED facilities in Bell Gym until Callaway got the Job. It is likely that if Brown had been told there would be no new football facilities for almost 30 years, he might not have taken the job either.

But Clark did take the job under the same if not worse conditions from a leadership perspective than Watson.

When Clark was hired UAB didn’t own a trophy case now we have two. Prop 48 help Watson. We no have a Transfer Portal and it’s pros and cons. Watson was an offensive and Clark is a defensive coach. Offense entertains, defense wins