You can basically skip my whole first paragraph if you don't want background information, but just want to answer the question.

So my goal in Phelen is to get to Virginia Tech because I am a huge Hokies fan and I think it would be fun to coach my favorite team. They are currently available after their long time national championship winning coach left about 3 seasons ago, and now it's down to a B prestige and I'm guessing it's going to go down farther because they are the only sim in the ACC. I have spent two seasons in this world in which the first I screwed up a great 9 senior team because I lost the 3 best players to academically ineligible but that is all in another thread, I was able to get immediately into D2 and picked up a C+ team left by tomcecil, I took this team to the second round of the NT as a 6 seed and got knocked out by a 14 seed in the second round. I ended up as #24 ranked and conference coach of the year (side not, does that matter towards anything? Or is it window dressing?)

anyway that is the situation right now.

The question I have is, would it be quicker to get to VT (assuming they don't get a coach and rise in prestige instead of drop) by going to low D1, to mid major, to big 6. Or is it quicker to stay in D2 and try to qualify that way. I know it will take a long time either way, but what would Be shorter, keep in mind I am not a great coach, I have only 1 NT win in all of my teams and regularly get destroyed by any good coach I face, (see my Rutgers at Newark team in Wooden).

You're going to struggle to get to VT from D2 without bigtime success. I think your best bet is probably to join a totally empty D1 conference and build a team that accrues a shiny record and an auto-bid every season.

It depends on two things. Do you have more than six years in d2, and NT success. Or do you have an empty conference in D1 you can join and build up the team to three first lost NT in four years?

So far, I went D1 three times.

10 NT appearances in D2 Phelan opened up Clemson.
In Tark, 4 years at NC Central, IUPUI, 4 years, La Salle, 8 yrs, B-, don't qualify for C+ big six teams
In Allen, 5 years St-Edwards, MVSU, 4 years, Utah, 1 yr...

So my guess is you do one of the following to go fast.

Success at D2 until you get a gig.
Low D1 asap, stick with it until something opens up. But empty conf is a must.

but VTU will be gone by the time you qualify. I expect someone to take the team this season, we'd be full in the ACC.

Oh and baseline prestige. La Salle is B-. Clemson is B. And Utah is B. That is why I took Utah. If you can get a CUSA or HORIZON C baseline prestige, and the conf is almost empty go for it. It's prolly the best solution.

key is enjoy your team, treat as if it's the last one, play a system you know ( i go man to man) and be patient. It's a long process.

Posted by zorzii on 3/1/2016 3:23:00 PM (view original):
It depends on two things. Do you have more than six years in d2, and NT success. Or do you have an empty conference in D1 you can join and build up the team to three first lost NT in four years?

So far, I went D1 three times.

10 NT appearances in D2 Phelan opened up Clemson.
In Tark, 4 years at NC Central, IUPUI, 4 years, La Salle, 8 yrs, B-, don't qualify for C+ big six teams
In Allen, 5 years St-Edwards, MVSU, 4 years, Utah, 1 yr...

So my guess is you do one of the following to go fast.

Success at D2 until you get a gig.
Low D1 asap, stick with it until something opens up. But empty conf is a must.

but VTU will be gone by the time you qualify. I expect someone to take the team this season, we'd be full in the ACC.

" 4 years " " 8 yrs, " "5 years " do you mean seasons?

Posted by CoachWard95 on 3/1/2016 4:13:00 PM (view original):

Posted by zorzii on 3/1/2016 3:23:00 PM (view original):
It depends on two things. Do you have more than six years in d2, and NT success. Or do you have an empty conference in D1 you can join and build up the team to three first lost NT in four years?

So far, I went D1 three times.

10 NT appearances in D2 Phelan opened up Clemson.
In Tark, 4 years at NC Central, IUPUI, 4 years, La Salle, 8 yrs, B-, don't qualify for C+ big six teams
In Allen, 5 years St-Edwards, MVSU, 4 years, Utah, 1 yr...

So my guess is you do one of the following to go fast.

Success at D2 until you get a gig.
Low D1 asap, stick with it until something opens up. But empty conf is a must.

but VTU will be gone by the time you qualify. I expect someone to take the team this season, we'd be full in the ACC.

" 4 years " " 8 yrs, " "5 years " do you mean seasons?

yes he does

Posted by CoachWard95 on 3/1/2016 4:13:00 PM (view original):

Posted by zorzii on 3/1/2016 3:23:00 PM (view original):
It depends on two things. Do you have more than six years in d2, and NT success. Or do you have an empty conference in D1 you can join and build up the team to three first lost NT in four years?

So far, I went D1 three times.

10 NT appearances in D2 Phelan opened up Clemson.
In Tark, 4 years at NC Central, IUPUI, 4 years, La Salle, 8 yrs, B-, don't qualify for C+ big six teams
In Allen, 5 years St-Edwards, MVSU, 4 years, Utah, 1 yr...

So my guess is you do one of the following to go fast.

Success at D2 until you get a gig.
Low D1 asap, stick with it until something opens up. But empty conf is a must.

but VTU will be gone by the time you qualify. I expect someone to take the team this season, we'd be full in the ACC.

" 4 years " " 8 yrs, " "5 years " do you mean seasons?

So your D2 10 appearances was fastest right?

I'd recommend going to D1, but keep in mind that it may fill as zorzii says. B6 jobs that are B or below tend to be snatched up pretty quickly.

I jumped from D2 W Alabama to Baylor after 11 seasons. NT1, S16, PI1, NT1, NT1, E8, NT2, NT2, NT2, NT runner up, NT1. I was qualified before I jumped for other B6 schools, but lost a couple to other coaches and jumped on Baylor as a way to at least get to Big 6 and hopefully move on over time.

I jumped from low D1 New Hampshire to Michigan after 6 seasons. 0. NT1. PI3. NT2. NT1. NT1.

I was absolutely gobsmacked that I was NOT eligible for (then C+) Fresno St after 9 seasons at New Hampshire in Smith, but moved to Georgia this season. 0.0.0.0.NT1. PI1. NT1. NT1. NT1.

Go to D1, make it to the NT, win a game there now and then and you can get to the Big 6 IF there's an opening. Big 6 dream destination school? That's super hard to do usually.

Should I wait until I qualify for like a mid major? Or just accept a D- school

Posted by MonsterTurtl on 3/1/2016 7:01:00 PM (view original):
Should I wait until I qualify for like a mid major? Or just accept a D- school

i would personally recommend waiting until you qualify for more. its pretty hard learning the ropes at d1. you can definitely do it from a d-, but you can soften the learning curve by waiting to get a d+ or c-, ideally in a higher prestige situation. basically, if you can get a job in the cusa, mwc, a10 would be ideal, or even a couple others (check the prestige thread), its going to be significantly easier than taking your standard d prestige baseline school. ideally you'd wait till you could get a d+ school with a c baseline prestige, or something like that (all a10 schools are b- prestige, but might be hard for you to get qualified).

im honestly surprised the a10 hasn't stepped up in today's game. its hard to get into major conferences, hard to compete without the money, hard to get prestige up with crap baseline. solid mid majors struggle to get above a b- because they are dragged down by d baseline, or maybe its d+, i forget. you'd think those b- baselines in the a10 (same as low BCS schools) would be worth something to folk.

It depends: are you having some success at d2?

Posted by zorzii on 3/1/2016 7:27:00 PM (view original):
It depends: are you having some success at d2?

I just made a second round this season, and I regularly make the NT on my knight D2 team, Phelen is a eisier world, I think I can succeed with at least making the NT every season, and maybe winning some games.

Gil : Tarkanian recruiting is brutal. I know you do not experience it anymore, but it is brutal, especially in the Northeast. I pretty much know what I need but it's grabbed by A- to A+ teams. So pick your battle.

Monster : It really dépends on what you like. Considering what I have experienced, I'd be enclined to remain at DII now. But, I learned the ropes at D1 before I got Clemson so I knew what to expect. D1 is a different animal and it takes time to learn and it is a lot tougher.

Someone picked up VT but it's not like I was going to get there anytime soon