Kramer visits with Vandals

Eastcoastgriz · Post by **Eastcoastgriz** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 8:53 am

Kramer visits with Vandals
By SCOTT MANSCH
Tribune Asst. Sports Editor

The last time Mike Kramer was involved in a job search, he was in the middle of a tug-of-war between arch-rivals.

But not today.

The Montana State head football coach is in Moscow, Idaho this morning to formally interview for the University of Idaho job. Having impressed Vandal Athletic Director Rob Spear significantly enough to produce an invitation to campus, Kramer will meet today with Idaho President Timothy P. White.

While it seems likely that Kramer, a former Vandal offensive lineman who grew up near the Moscow campus in Colton, Wash., will have a new job today, he said Wednesday night that an offer had yet to be made.

"This will the be the first time I've had an opportunity to sit and talk with Rob and other members of the senior administration," said Kramer. "In this business you don't get a job offer until you've met the president."

Meanwhile, back home in Bozeman members of the Bobcat team worry about finals — and the future.

"I'm not a big fan of change," said star linebacker Bobby Daly. "But I guess it's all part of the system of college football."

Daly was a defensive lineman at Helena Capital and this season made a successful transition to inside linebacker. The sophomore led the Bobcats in tackles and became in inspirational leader of one of the best defenses in the Big Sky Conference.

"Coach (Rob) Christoff means a lot to me," Daly said of the MSU defensive coordinator. "I'd definitely not be happy if he left. But at the same time I understand."

Daly said the Bobcat players are too busy with tests to spend much time considering the future of their head coach. But this much is certain: If Kramer were to leave, he'd be missed.

"He's the guy who gave me a scholarship after I came here as a walk-on," Daly said. "He means a lot to me as well."

Kramer, who traveled to the Moscow area Wednesday with his wife, Sandi, and daughters Gretchen and Courtney, said he expects to be back in Bozeman on Friday. Originally contacted by the Vandals early in the week after Idaho head coach Dennis Erickson left for Arizona State — which caused some hard feelings in Moscow — Kramer said he did not want the process to take longer than a day because of his responsibility to Montana State and recruiting efforts.

Kramer said his MSU assistant coaches continue to recruit diligently while their boss checks out the Vandal job.

"What Idaho's doing is a little bit beyond what I wanted to happen," he said. "But I kind of applaud them for taking it slow, because I understand how hurt they are by what they consider the circus situation that Dennis brought to them."

Kramer said he is fine with that, too. In fact it was just seven years ago that the former Eastern Washington coach found himself in the middle of a bizarre recruiting story himself. Montana State officials had offered him the job to replace retired coach Cliff Hysell.

And then, Kramer said, Montana Grizzly head coach Mick Dennehy left to take a job at Utah State and UM officials moved quickly. Kramer said he received an offer from UM officials before he'd signed a contract with MSU.

"I'd given Montana State my word," he said.

UM hired Joe Glenn, who guided the Grizzlies to a national championship and runner-up finish in three years in Missoula before leaving in 2003 to take the Wyoming job.

Kramer has taken the Bobcats to three national playoff appearances and built a program that competes every year for the Big Sky Conference championship.

"We've got a lot of greatness there," Kramer said of his team back in Bozeman. "We've got some holes to fill, but we're having a nice year in recruiting and I like where we're headed."

The question, though, is where is Kramer headed. No matter what happens today, though, he doesn't anticipate another such a frantic situation as occurred the last time he was a serious job candidate. When a very different kind of Bobcat-Grizzly game was played.

"At the end of it, it all horribly confusing," Kramer said. "They'd lost Mick and they were on me, and all happened so quickly. "This one's not going to go like that."

Meanwhile, Montana State Athletic Director Peter Fields said he is planning ahead in case he needs to look for a new football caoch.

"I've had it kind of mapped out in my mind, if it happens," Fields said. "We'd proceed as quickly as we could."

Fields, who has hired men's and women's head basketball coaches in recent years at the Bozeman campus, said he would have a search committee and ultimately bring finalists to campus for public forums. He said that should Kramer take a new job, he would hope to have a replacement in place by early January.

catatac · Post by **catatac** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 9:21 am

Well that confirms for me the Kramer\UM thing. I had never heard from his mouth that UM offered him the job and he turned them down.

catsrback76 · Post by **catsrback76** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 9:31 am

Expect your announcements tomorrow!

CatsRback · Post by **CatsRback** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 9:53 am

this 'public forum' stuff is going to cost us one or two valuable weeks of recruiting time unless Fields decides to do it between xMas and New Years - let's build a committee and get a good Coach in here!

Assuming, of course, that Kramer is leaving....

083190 · Post by **083190** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 10:00 am

CatsRback wrote:this 'public forum' stuff is going to cost us one or two valuable weeks of recruiting time unless Fields decides to do it between xMas and New Years - let's build a committee and get a good Coach in here!

Assuming, of course, that Kramer is leaving....

Under the category of "Told ya so!" Fields will take time (too much) and use other people so that ultimately the decision isn't solely his responsibilty.

FiveApples · Post by **FiveApples** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 10:02 am

CatsRback wrote:this 'public forum' stuff is going to cost us one or two valuable weeks of recruiting time unless Fields decides to do it between xMas and New Years - let's build a committee and get a good Coach in here!

Assuming, of course, that Kramer is leaving....

I agree. We have to strike out now and spend all our efforts on working towards signing a new coach (if necessary). This includes putting this weeks events on the back burner, at least for a few weeks.

Cat Grad · Post by **Cat Grad** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 10:08 am

083190 wrote:
CatsRback wrote:this 'public forum' stuff is going to cost us one or two valuable weeks of recruiting time unless Fields decides to do it between xMas and New Years - let's build a committee and get a good Coach in here!

Assuming, of course, that Kramer is leaving....
Under the category of "Told ya so!" Fields will take time (too much) and use other people so that ultimately the decision isn't solely his responsibilty.

As much as we'd like to have him move forward, he is still bound by our own state's idiotic policy. Hire within and he can announce tomorrow--go outside and he's screwed. I believe there is a way for him expedite the formal process if an individual is already an employee of the university system (or former member) but I've not read over their policy manual for a few years and I understand Stearns was able to get the legislature to make a few (very few) changes. Perhaps someone not nearly as busy as I am can post the policy manual and we can have a contest to see who finds the section in personnel first and win a new Bobcat Nation sweatshirt?

CatsRback · Post by **CatsRback** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 10:22 am

this 'public forum' stuff is going to cost us one or two valuable weeks of recruiting time unless Fields decides to do it between xMas and New Years - let's build a committee and get a good Coach in here!

Assuming, of course, that Kramer is leaving....

Cat_gld · Post by **Cat_gld** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 10:25 am

083190 wrote:
CatsRback wrote:this 'public forum' stuff is going to cost us one or two valuable weeks of recruiting time unless Fields decides to do it between xMas and New Years - let's build a committee and get a good Coach in here!

Assuming, of course, that Kramer is leaving....
Under the category of "Told ya so!" Fields will take time (too much) and use other people so that ultimately the decision isn't solely his responsibilty.

Ya gotta give Fields a little credit for using an accepted hiring process that's on top of the table instead of beneath it. And the process isn't difficult to understand. People other than ADs often influence hiring.... in this case we are told who it is....some accountability there at least. One must remember that nothing was beneath Field's predesessors....3 of them that I can think of.

I agree that January is too long to wait to name a replacement for coach K. Hopefully Pete's got a committee together as I post this.

If coach K decides to leave MSU, I thank him for what he's done for us and wish him and his family the very best.

mslacat · Post by **mslacat** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 12:22 pm

I don't know which of roughly 128 threads this belongs in and god knows I did not want to start another, but here is some specualtion from the Sporting News

...........IDAHO: Montana State coach Mike Kramer, who reportedly has talked with Idaho, looks like the leader. Another guy in the mix is Washington State defensive coordinator Rob Akey.

Harbaugh and Montana coach Bobby Hauck also are possibilities. Forget about former Michigan State coach John L. Smith, an ex-Idaho head coach who has said he's not a candidate after talking with the school.

THIS AND THAT..........

Full article:
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/vi ... p?t=158983

1catfan · Post by **1catfan** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:22 pm

As far as recruiting goes I am pretty sure that starting next week coaches can't talk to recruits till sometime in January.

drider64 · Post by **drider64** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:26 pm

They can talk to recruits, just not home visits

tetoncat · Post by **tetoncat** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:27 pm

Why do we criticize Fields because he wants others involved. Read the Kramer article and he said that at Idaho nothing would get done until he met with the president. Fields got criticized in the Basketball search because he brought in an old friend for an interview. Can you imagine what heat he would take if he already had his list of three, was interviewing them himself right now, and within 24 hours of Kramer leaving he announced a replacement. That is what it appears some on here want. It is unrealistic and I for one am glad he brings coaches in and has the open public forums that allow fans, boosters, and players to see them and give input.

Cat Grad · Post by **Cat Grad** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:27 pm

drider64 wrote:They can talk to recruits, just not home visits

Have any of these events affected your son's plans?

drider64 · Post by **drider64** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:45 pm

Has it made us nervous? Yes. When even the asst. coaches don't know their future, it makes everyone nervous. Will any of this change the plans for next year? I doubt it. The program is still on the cusp of something great. I think most of you see that as well. It's not a hope and pray thing but rather just seeing a great future for Bobcat football.

Cat Grad · Post by **Cat Grad** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:53 pm

drider64 wrote:Has it made us nervous? Yes. When even the asst. coaches don't know their future, it makes everyone nervous. Will any of this change the plans for next year? I doubt it. The program is still on the cusp of something great. I think most of you see that as well. It's not a hope and pray thing but rather just seeing a great future for Bobcat football.

Thanks. Tell him to choose wisely because in the event he chases the sport and his dreams and ultimately winds up coaching, he'll have to have one suitcase packed at all times

drider64 · Post by **drider64** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:59 pm

I can't say for sure what the future holds but he tells me he wants to coach junior high or high school children. Who knows were he will end up 5 years from now. Hopefully with a masters degree and going on to teach anywhere in the country. That's the plan but we all know about the best laid plans....lol

Platinumcat · Post by **Platinumcat** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 3:30 pm

drider64 wrote:I can't say for sure what the future holds but he tells me he wants to coach junior high or high school children. Who knows were he will end up 5 years from now. Hopefully with a masters degree and going on to teach anywhere in the country. That's the plan but we all know about the best laid plans....lol

That's one heck of a student-athlete to get his master's in five years from now there Drider64

Sorry, couldn't help myself

drider64 · Post by **drider64** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 3:34 pm

With summer classes it is possible

HelenaCat95 · Post by **HelenaCat95** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 3:37 pm

drider64 wrote:With summer classes it is possible

And a 5 year scholarship.

I say go for it. It would be a great achievement, and it is doable.

Kramer visits with Vandals

Kramer visits with Vandals

not quite

Re: not quite

RUMORS

Re: RUMORS

Thank you

Re: Thank you