What is the feeling about Dana Dimel after his first year?

Strictly my opinion but I'm certainly disappointed in the W/L record but that's because I had unrealistic expectations.

First few games of the season the team was not prepared well at all. I blame the coaches.

Middle stretch of games was very encouraging with competitive football played vs some good teams like UNT and LT.

Last few games the team was too beaten up to play well or consistently. Not enough depth or talent yet to overcome a host of injuries. Every team gets them but when you are starting a massive rebuilding project and are low on talent, well you just get your butt beat sometimes.

Next year will be the real test to see if a 2nd recruiting class, returning experience and coaching staff will make a dent in this process. 3 or 4 wins would tell us Dimel is on the right track. Another 1 win season would be very demoralizing. So the jury is still out.

(11-25-2018 05:05 PM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  Strictly my opinion but I'm certainly disappointed in the W/L record but that's because I had unrealistic expectations.

First few games of the season the team was not prepared well at all. I blame the coaches.

Middle stretch of games was very encouraging with competitive football played vs some good teams like UNT and LT.

Last few games the team was too beaten up to play well or consistently. Not enough depth or talent yet to overcome a host of injuries. Every team gets them but when you are starting a massive rebuilding project and are low on talent, well you just get your butt beat sometimes.

Next year will be the real test to see if a 2nd recruiting class, returning experience and coaching staff will make a dent in this process. 3 or 4 wins would tell us Dimel is on the right track. Another 1 win season would be very demoralizing. So the jury is still out.

Know how you feel my friend, BUT (there's that "BUT" again! ) USM only has a little over 70 players on scholarship and we were playing with our 3rd and 4th string QB's (soph and frosh) and our 4th, 5th and 6th team RB's (all freshmen)...

So, we all have crosses to bear...although some are obviously heavier than others...

(11-25-2018 05:05 PM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  Strictly my opinion but I'm certainly disappointed in the W/L record but that's because I had unrealistic expectations.

First few games of the season the team was not prepared well at all. I blame the coaches.

Middle stretch of games was very encouraging with competitive football played vs some good teams like UNT and LT.

Last few games the team was too beaten up to play well or consistently. Not enough depth or talent yet to overcome a host of injuries. Every team gets them but when you are starting a massive rebuilding project and are low on talent, well you just get your butt beat sometimes.

Next year will be the real test to see if a 2nd recruiting class, returning experience and coaching staff will make a dent in this process. 3 or 4 wins would tell us Dimel is on the right track. Another 1 win season would be very demoralizing. So the jury is still out.

Thanks for the reply. Hard to judge just based on this year. Your team did look like they were beat down somewhat. They never mailed it in and quit, which is a good sign. Believe me, after USM's disaster 0-12 year in 2012, the next few years were hard to live through. CUSA needs a strong UTEP football and basketball program. Here's to hoping Dimel gets the ship turned around and headed in the right direction.

(11-25-2018 08:32 PM)usmbacker Wrote:  

(11-25-2018 05:05 PM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  Strictly my opinion but I'm certainly disappointed in the W/L record but that's because I had unrealistic expectations.

First few games of the season the team was not prepared well at all. I blame the coaches.

Middle stretch of games was very encouraging with competitive football played vs some good teams like UNT and LT.

Last few games the team was too beaten up to play well or consistently. Not enough depth or talent yet to overcome a host of injuries. Every team gets them but when you are starting a massive rebuilding project and are low on talent, well you just get your butt beat sometimes.

Next year will be the real test to see if a 2nd recruiting class, returning experience and coaching staff will make a dent in this process. 3 or 4 wins would tell us Dimel is on the right track. Another 1 win season would be very demoralizing. So the jury is still out.

Thanks for the reply. Hard to judge just based on this year. Your team did look like they were beat down somewhat. They never mailed it in and quit, which is a good sign. Believe me, after USM's disaster 0-12 year in 2012, the next few years were hard to live through. CUSA needs a strong UTEP football and basketball program. Here's to hoping Dimel gets the ship turned around and headed in the right direction.

So far Dimel in on track to match Monken's turn around at USM.

Both had first year records of 1-11.

If Dimel can match Monken's 2nd year total of 3 wins then that will be sufficient progress. Want more, of course.

If Dimel can then match Monken's 3rd year total of 9 wins I, and all Miner fans, would be ecstatic! Patience is difficult but necessary in this process.

(11-25-2018 05:16 PM)eaglebeaver Wrote:  

(11-25-2018 05:05 PM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  Strictly my opinion but I'm certainly disappointed in the W/L record but that's because I had unrealistic expectations.

First few games of the season the team was not prepared well at all. I blame the coaches.

Middle stretch of games was very encouraging with competitive football played vs some good teams like UNT and LT.

Last few games the team was too beaten up to play well or consistently. Not enough depth or talent yet to overcome a host of injuries. Every team gets them but when you are starting a massive rebuilding project and are low on talent, well you just get your butt beat sometimes.

Next year will be the real test to see if a 2nd recruiting class, returning experience and coaching staff will make a dent in this process. 3 or 4 wins would tell us Dimel is on the right track. Another 1 win season would be very demoralizing. So the jury is still out.

Know how you feel my friend, BUT (there's that "BUT" again! ) USM only has a little over 70 players on scholarship and we were playing with our 3rd and 4th string QB's (soph and frosh) and our 4th, 5th and 6th team RB's (all freshmen)...

So, we all have crosses to bear...although some are obviously heavier than others...

UTEP was also on the 3rd string QB. On top of that we only had 1 offensive linemen start every game and we started 10 different offensive line combinations this year. Not to mention our two best offensive linemen went down with season ending injuries 2 days before our first game. I was very disappointed with the losses to NAU and NMSU at the start of the season, but very encouraged by the improvements throughout the year until the last two games where the team was just a MASH unit. His recruiting is much better so I am hopeful that next year will be a 4-5 win season.

Another UTEP poster (can’t remember his name) mentioned earlier this season that even if Dimel doesn’t work out, at least the next coach will have FBS talent to work with and turn the program around. Looks like Kugler recruited players who have no business playing at the FBS level and it’s reflected on the 1-23 record in the last two seasons.

(11-25-2018 05:16 PM)eaglebeaver Wrote:  

(11-25-2018 05:05 PM)MinerInWisconsin Wrote:  Strictly my opinion but I'm certainly disappointed in the W/L record but that's because I had unrealistic expectations.

First few games of the season the team was not prepared well at all. I blame the coaches.

Middle stretch of games was very encouraging with competitive football played vs some good teams like UNT and LT.

Last few games the team was too beaten up to play well or consistently. Not enough depth or talent yet to overcome a host of injuries. Every team gets them but when you are starting a massive rebuilding project and are low on talent, well you just get your butt beat sometimes.

Next year will be the real test to see if a 2nd recruiting class, returning experience and coaching staff will make a dent in this process. 3 or 4 wins would tell us Dimel is on the right track. Another 1 win season would be very demoralizing. So the jury is still out.

Know how you feel my friend, BUT (there's that "BUT" again! ) USM only has a little over 70 players on scholarship and we were playing with our 3rd and 4th string QB's (soph and frosh) and our 4th, 5th and 6th team RB's (all freshmen)...

So, we all have crosses to bear...although some are obviously heavier than others...

This is true. Injuries are not an excuse. The major difference between us is that Kugler’s recruiting classes were dead last in FBS for the last five years. Almost all of our recruits had no other offers. Not even FCS teams were interested. Coaches applying for the job said we had a roster full of D2 athletes. Your 4th string players would be starting in our team of 2018. Our third string qb and 5th string OL wouldn’t be backups at Houston Baptist.