PNG is lucky to have Faircloth

[Rez]

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I thought this was a particularly insightful PA News column about Coach Faircloth. I've been grateful to have him at the Reservation since he arrived. And, this may make me a heretic, but as happy as I am when PNG beats Nederland, I think the criticism over his 2-6 record against Nederland is idiotic. Stupid. Immature. Short-sighted. Foolish. It's one game. Sometime you win, sometimes you lose. His overall influence on the program has been very positive, and his absence will be felt when/if he leaves. PNG has never had such a good offensive coach, we have never had such a good mind for teaching fundamentals, and we have never even come close to having such a good QB coach as he is. I hope he stays forever, and if he never beats Nederland again, it won't diminish him even a little bit in my mind. PNG fans are amazing, but we whine too much. 

[Coach85]

You must not have been around in the late 90's. I think Long was a damn good offensive minded guy who knew how to take control of an offense. How many other coaches can teach a teenager, albeit it was his son, to call his own plays and be successful. That takes someone special. He left because he wanted to adjust the offense according to what talent he had each year and Burnett would not let him after Dustin left. If Long would have stayed and allowed to do his thing PNG would have been very successful as long as he was there IMO.

[Reagan]

14 hours ago, l'Acadien Violet et Blanc said:

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I thought this was a particularly insightful PA News column about Coach Faircloth. I've been grateful to have him at the Reservation since he arrived. And, this may make me a heretic, but as happy as I am when PNG beats Nederland, I think the criticism over his 2-6 record against Nederland is idiotic. Stupid. Immature. Short-sighted. Foolish. It's one game. Sometime you win, sometimes you lose. His overall influence on the program has been very positive, and his absence will be felt when/if he leaves. PNG has never had such a good offensive coach, we have never had such a good mind for teaching fundamentals, and we have never even come close to having such a good QB coach as he is. I hope he stays forever, and if he never beats Nederland again, it won't diminish him even a little bit in my mind. PNG fans are amazing, but we whine too much. 

I'm sure Doug Ethridge would have something to say about this!

[WOSgrad]

An example of what I think Gabe is talking about I saw Friday night.  The Indians had just scored to take a 21-14 lead which they would not relinquish.  Robanadana turned to me and said, "And to believe! Last year they wanted him fired!" My reply, "Fired!? They wanted him dead!"

At which time, a PN-G fan turns around and says, "Yeah, and if he would have lost to Nederland a couple of weeks ago, he would have been fired!"  This as PN-G is poised to advance to a round it has seen only one other time this century (the other one was the Faircloth coached 2010 team). 

I remember the hubbub here during the the last part of last school year when Faircloth was rumored to be taking the job up at Lucas.  Perhaps these two things are related.

[Rez]

3 hours ago, Reagan said:

I'm sure Doug Ethridge would have something to say about this!

You have a point. I'll adjust my claim -- BF is the best offensive mind in recent PNG history, at least since Ethridge. 

[PNGFan]

Faircloth has brought a mediocre program out of the dark ages. 

[PNGFan]

But it's frustrating watching him applying for other jobs every off season 

[Rez]

6 hours ago, Coach85 said:

You must not have been around in the late 90's. I think Long was a damn good offensive minded guy who knew how to take control of an offense. How many other coaches can teach a teenager, albeit it was his son, to call his own plays and be successful. That takes someone special. He left because he wanted to adjust the offense according to what talent he had each year and Burnett would not let him after Dustin left. If Long would have stayed and allowed to do his thing PNG would have been very successful as long as he was there IMO.

I was around and I was coached by Long. He and Burnett were/are solid, good men and coaches, and that drive in 1999 to win in the semifinals was the product of excellent coaching and a whole lot of talent. Both Burnett and Long had a good influence in my life, in their small way. I think you are right that the offense was hampered after 1999, which kept us from replicating what we did with Dustin Long. Despite the what-ifs and whys, BF has been able to replicate offensive success from season to season, which I think certainly goes in his favor. The offensive records for PNG, across the board, are beginning to be entirely dominated by BF-era players. Dustin Long is still the leading passer, but he is not the most efficient (Adam Morse definitely has that.) And, without double-checking, I'm pretty sure the top ten receivers in PNG history are all post-2009. Running backs still haven't caught up to the old days yet. 

Of course, a lot of the increase in offensive productivity has to do with the style of play. I bet PNG runs more plays per game than we used to. 

[eknights88]

I love the he has only missed the playoffs once since he has been at PNG.  They take 4 teams now. Smh 

His teams have score 400 plus, how many points have his defense gave up? That is a record also 

[L-Train11]

3 hours ago, PNGFan said:

But it's frustrating watching him applying for other jobs every off season 

I would be too if for sale signs were put in my yard.

Thank your community for that!

[PNGFan]

45 minutes ago, L-Train11 said:

I would be too if for sale signs were put in my yard.

Thank your community for that!

Guarantee it wasn't someone from PNG!

[The Icon]

5 hours ago, WOSgrad said:

An example of what I think Gabe is talking about I saw Friday night.  The Indians had just scored to take a 21-14 lead which they would not relinquish.  Robanadana turned to me and said, "And to believe! Last year they wanted him fired!" My reply, "Fired!? They wanted him dead!"

At which time, a PN-G fan turns around and says, "Yeah, and if he would have lost to Nederland a couple of weeks ago, he would have been fired!"  This as PN-G is poised to advance to a round it has seen only one other time this century (the other one was the Faircloth coached 2010 team). 

I remember the hubbub here during the the last part of last school year when Faircloth was rumored to be taking the job up at Lucas.  Perhaps these two things are related.

It'll never cease to amaze me what some fans will say or do...

[WOSgrad]

28 minutes ago, PNGFan said:

Guarantee it wasn't someone from PNG!

I find that pretty hard to believe for a reason.  This reason some in Mid County might find shocking and perhaps even downright offensive but here goes.  For all of the notoriety that it receives and the fascination with the pageantry of the event, the level of care of the result of Mid County Madness to the point where someone would spend a Fall Friday night between 10 pm and midnight planting "For Sale" signs in the yard of the losing coach probably does not exist outside of the communities of Port Neches, Groves and Nederland.

[HurricaneCal]

The crazy thing this year is people are complaining still, they are beat up and banged up with an 11-1 record.  Last year people complained that they didn't run it enough and they were chasing passing records.  This year it's they are running the stud QB too much.  He's changed his philosophy with what he's got.  That's the mark of a good coach.  On defense they've got average to below average talent, but kids that flat out give you everything.  It could be a lot worse.  Enjoy the moment and cheer on those hard working kiddos.

[png9mon]

1 hour ago, CougarCal said:

The crazy thing this year is people are complaining still, they are beat up and banged up with an 11-1 record.  Last year people complained that they didn't run it enough and they were chasing passing records.  This year it's they are running the stud QB too much.  He's changed his philosophy with what he's got.  That's the mark of a good coach.  On defense they've got average to below average talent, but kids that flat out give you everything.  It could be a lot worse.  Enjoy the moment and cheer on those hard working kiddos.

Amen Brother!!! We need to keep BF as long as he wants to be the coach. Once he loses interest let him go. I for one love going to the playoffs year after year. 

[Stattrax]

Everyone needs to keep in mind that opinions vary.... I have seen good and bad articles by Gabe... Honestly, I don't know his history, my assumption is that he's a PNG grad... But it's nothing to get upset about... Everyone has an opinion. It doesn't mean your right are wrong... Everyone knows I'm the last guy that would be a rah rah, and not a BF homer... But I find it funny folks are still griping after the season we are having... I think the age gap makes it easier for the younger crowd to say Nederland is not a big thing.... That's mainly because the 35 and under crowd have rarely beat LN.... But for the 35 and older crowd it's a different thought process, since we grew up dismantling Nederland.... So it's just different views... I surely do not agree with all of it.... But I'm surely not upset by his opinion... At the end of the day we are in the 3rd round... Beat Nederland..... And shared a DC..... So this year IMO has been the most successful in the BF era........

[Uncle Pig]

6 hours ago, PNGFan said:

But it's frustrating watching him applying for other jobs every off season 

Would you not better your life and career if the opportunity presented itself?

[team first]

3 minutes ago, Uncle Pig said:

Would you not better your life and career if the opportunity presented itself?

Would you not better your team and community if the opportunity presented itself?

[Uncle Pig]

3 minutes ago, team first said:

Would you not better your team and community if the opportunity presented itself?

Not if I had the chance to better mine and my family's life by making 25k more a year 

[team first]

2 minutes ago, Uncle Pig said:

Not if I had the chance to better mine and my family's life by making 25k more a year 

No doubt about that, but same can be said with school district wanting better. 

 

[team first]

5 minutes ago, Uncle Pig said:

Not if I had the chance to better mine and my family's life by making 25k more a year 

You sort of missed the point, he can look all he wants, but so can png look for better also 

[CardinalBacker]

If the company I work for gets wind that I'm interviewing for the same position with our competitors.... well, I'd better hope the interview went well. 

Honestly, if a coach feels the need to try and get out every spring, let him go. If I was a trustee, I'd probably let BF know that if he applies for another position, I'd vote to fire him. Period. 

I understand wanting to coach at your alma mater or something but to carpet bomb every upgrade opening in the state each spring is a little insulting to your current employer. 

[hookem14]

With the rash of injuries dating back to even before the start of the season, that PNG is sitting here at 11-1 and about to play in the third round of the playoffs is Remarkable. I can't remember a more injury plagued season in many many years. Pretty amazing! To me we are playing with house money at this point. I think coach is doing a really good job. Then again, there are plenty of PNG fans that will continue to gripe....Some PNG fans could win $4900 on a convenience store scratch off and then complain it's not $5000.

[Uncle Pig]

29 minutes ago, team first said:

You sort of missed the point, he can look all he wants, but so can png look for better also 

I don't know the situation, but it appears as if PNG has their man for as long as he wants to be there. As for him applying for other jobs, it happens. 

[badndn]

7 hours ago, eknights88 said:

I love the he has only missed the playoffs once since he has been at PNG.  They take 4 teams now. Smh 

His teams have score 400 plus, how many points have his defense gave up? That is a record also 

Correct four teams make it, but gobback and take a closer look and you will see that only one of his playoff teams finished below 2nd place.