How many of you guys like rebuilding teams that had bottomed out completely?

An example would be my Willamette team in Dobie. A mediocre team that went to SimAI coach and wound up #228 (absolute bottom ranking). I went looking for a team at the bottom and this one was it. AC signed and SIM recruited players. It was ideal. I've had some success in turning it around but still have a long way to go to making it a consistent contender. Five seasons into it, went from a SIM coached 1-12 #228 to last years record of 15-2 #5 and a 3rd round playoff appearance, also 3 CC during that span. Pretty good, but not really a team that was on the ropes even with the #228 rank and AC recruits.

I went looking for a team to in Yost world and picked a sub-par Manchester team that has been SIM coached to 6 losing seasons. I really wanted the team that was ranked #228 but someone already had it. I thought they picked it up to rebuild it but this is their 5 season (hopefully on only a 5 pack). All previous 4 season were AC recruits. No practice plan set, so they have all been losing points in every attribute except WE. 2 consecutive 0-fer seasons.

I can't wait until this season ends (hoping the abandoning coach only had a 5 pack) so I can try to lateral and become their coach. This would be the funnest rebuild yet!

What is the worst team you have taken over with the intent to rebuild?

 

There are good things about complete rebuilds and then there are bad things about them.

Obviously, rebuilding teams, whether they are bottomed out or just really bad, brings quite a sense of accomplishment when you finally make them playoff contenders.  No one can dispute the accomplishment of taking a bottom feeder and making them nationally relevant.

However, coaches that do rebuilds often rely on the "it was a rebuild" excuse for why they don't win in-game accolades or measure up to others' accomplishments.   Plus, its an easy cop-out that usually doesn't gain a lot of respect.  Add to that the fact that most rebuilds are done at the D3 level where its really not that hard to do rebuilds in the first place, especially now that many of the veteran campers are gone.  Listen, it does take some skill to rebuild a crap team (maybe not more than taking a good team and making them great, however) but If you want to really impress people with your rebuild skills, try getting Purdue to a level 5 bowl game.  Then you will earn mad respect!

My UMHB team in Yost was completely AC signed recruits, with only one guy ranked over 455.

In other words, it's probably the most rewarding thing I am doing.

I've got three teams in varying stages of rebuild now, DIII, DII, and DIAA. None were rock bottom, but all three were multi-season SIMs with crappy vision when I got them. It's fun going through the different stages building vision, shuffling schollies to balance the roster, etc. I had a dynasty going at  Warner/Long Island, but I took over a pretty decent team there (Thanks, displacednyr!) I want to see if I can build dynasties from scratch, and polish my basics before going back to DIA.

Rebuilds have given me the most satisfaction of anything at GD. I have done 4 notable rebuilds at D3 and four at 1A.

The 1A ones I'll list here.

I did UTEP in Warner. It was a 2 year sim and the incoming senior class were AC signings from the fleeing coach and a very large class. He left me 3 Rsed players that were good. I was only there for 4 seasons but made the CC every season and won the last 2 and finished with a final ranking of #12.

Minnesota in Warner. This was a 4 year sim but only a handful of the players were 1A caliber. I never won a CC here but in 11 seasons I made 10 bowl trips. Made a level5 bowl  by season 6 and the high water mark was my next to last with another level 5 and a final ranking of #4.

Minnesota in Rockne. This was the hardest one I've done since the entire roster that I inherited were AC signings form a guy that had abandoned. I believe over 40 players. 7 seasons and a bowl every one. Won the CC and a level 5 bowl in my 4th season. The last 3 seasons the team was inconsistent and I only made level 3 bowls and I left frustrated.

Lastly we have Army in Yost. This team too came in with almost all AC signings. Now in the third season and is still incomplete but the pieces are in place for success. In the 2 seasons thus far have yet to make a bowl but I suspect this team will soon shine. Will likely be open after the season so if someone who reads this wants to ride on the shirttails of my work they should keep their eyes peeled for Army in Yost.

Quite frankly I don't find much difference between a 1A rebuild or lower level. At 1A you get to see every player and if you are in the right area can snag some game changers quickly, that's why I consider Minnesota a great place to rebuild. At 1A you deal with prestige problems in recruiting but at D3 you have to build some success to build up your vision to be able to snag better recruits. At all levels you need to look for diamonds in the rough. Main difference in levels are the coach's.  It is fun with the growth level at D3 to watch the players you bring in grow.

Im not sure you consider it a rebuild but my CAL tema with this ID went from 3 yr sim (all sim recruits when I took over) to CC and WIS CHAMP loss in 5 yrs.  It is CAL though so the recruitng in a TON better than most other BCS teams

and then COLO ST with this ID,  again like CAL 3 yr sim but in a pretty good recuiting area (most yrs) as long as no COLORADO or AIR FORCE bein g coached.  Took them to a Natl Title in my 4 season

and IOWA was coached previously but was well below avg in talent.

none of my 3 are true rebuilds becuase they were definitly challenged in 1 form or another

Posted by jibe on 8/1/2012 1:17:00 PM (view original):
Rebuilds have given me the most satisfaction of anything at GD. I have done 4 notable rebuilds at D3 and four at 1A.

The 1A ones I'll list here.

I did UTEP in Warner. It was a 2 year sim and the incoming senior class were AC signings from the fleeing coach and a very large class. He left me 3 Rsed players that were good. I was only there for 4 seasons but made the CC every season and won the last 2 and finished with a final ranking of #12.

Minnesota in Warner. This was a 4 year sim but only a handful of the players were 1A caliber. I never won a CC here but in 11 seasons I made 10 bowl trips. Made a level5 bowl  by season 6 and the high water mark was my next to last with another level 5 and a final ranking of #4.

Minnesota in Rockne. This was the hardest one I've done since the entire roster that I inherited were AC signings form a guy that had abandoned. I believe over 40 players. 7 seasons and a bowl every one. Won the CC and a level 5 bowl in my 4th season. The last 3 seasons the team was inconsistent and I only made level 3 bowls and I left frustrated.

Lastly we have Army in Yost. This team too came in with almost all AC signings. Now in the third season and is still incomplete but the pieces are in place for success. In the 2 seasons thus far have yet to make a bowl but I suspect this team will soon shine. Will likely be open after the season so if someone who reads this wants to ride on the shirttails of my work they should keep their eyes peeled for Army in Yost.

Quite frankly I don't find much difference between a 1A rebuild or lower level. At 1A you get to see every player and if you are in the right area can snag some game changers quickly, that's why I consider Minnesota a great place to rebuild. At 1A you deal with prestige problems in recruiting but at D3 you have to build some success to build up your vision to be able to snag better recruits. At all levels you need to look for diamonds in the rough. Main difference in levels are the coach's.  It is fun with the growth level at D3 to watch the players you bring in grow.

Yes, Army will be very good in Yost. I helped out there for a bit, but the credit does go to Jim.

Posted by cydrych on 8/1/2012 10:41:00 AM (view original):
There are good things about complete rebuilds and then there are bad things about them.

Obviously, rebuilding teams, whether they are bottomed out or just really bad, brings quite a sense of accomplishment when you finally make them playoff contenders.  No one can dispute the accomplishment of taking a bottom feeder and making them nationally relevant.

However, coaches that do rebuilds often rely on the "it was a rebuild" excuse for why they don't win in-game accolades or measure up to others' accomplishments.   Plus, its an easy cop-out that usually doesn't gain a lot of respect.  Add to that the fact that most rebuilds are done at the D3 level where its really not that hard to do rebuilds in the first place, especially now that many of the veteran campers are gone.  Listen, it does take some skill to rebuild a crap team (maybe not more than taking a good team and making them great, however) but If you want to really impress people with your rebuild skills, try getting Purdue to a level 5 bowl game.  Then you will earn mad respect!

I got Tulane in DIA Heisman :) while not a total rebuild, they are coming off a 3 losing seasons of SIM coach football sporting a single-digit win total. First season, I may come away with 2 wins....... But I got next season, so watch out!

My first two rebuilds are at the lower levels. I'd recommend dipping your toes in the water with rebuilds before jumping to a D1 rebuild. LOL

Posted by caesari on 8/1/2012 3:35:00 PM (view original):
My first two rebuilds are at the lower levels. I'd recommend dipping your toes in the water with rebuilds before jumping to a D1 rebuild. LOL

Did somebody get over there head in HEisMAN 1A? You know the one that just lost to Arfy.

Could babcick's D2 Fort Lewis team beat UNT?




LOL

Posted by jibe on 8/1/2012 6:28:00 PM (view original):

Posted by caesari on 8/1/2012 3:35:00 PM (view original):
My first two rebuilds are at the lower levels. I'd recommend dipping your toes in the water with rebuilds before jumping to a D1 rebuild. LOL

Did somebody get over there head in HEisMAN 1A? You know the one that just lost to Arfy.

Could babcick's D2 Fort Lewis team beat UNT?




LOL

Lol I am completely in over my head. My very first D1 experience comes in the toughest world for it.

Luckily, Warner D1 is about to have another coach.

Augsburg in Heisman D3....not exactly a rebuild, but made some deep playoff runs in season 4, 5, 6 with 2 conf championships.  Left the team with much improved talent and great vision.

Ive enjoyed many rebuilds. Ive enjoyed cherry picking;but even when I do cherry pick I always make the team better.  
But my favorite  is picking a semi decent team (9-4, 10-3,  or thereabout but Human Coached.)   Then I can upgrade her to NC competitor without going  through many seasons of  frustration.

I love rebuilds. I did exactly what kilabe did. In Bryant, I looked for a team that was really bad and scanned their history. I was looking for a team that had never won a conference title and never even made the playoffs. I found Southwest Minnesota State. In my second season, I finished with a #44 ranking, highest in the 77-year history. By the time I made it to my 5th season, I pulled off an incredible season in which I beat three top 25 teams. I didn't win the conference but finished #28 and was selected as an 8th seed to go to the playoffs: The first playoff appearance in the 80-year history. I'm still there since I'm probably considered the greatest coach in their school history. I plan on being there for a long time.