Lynch’s success last year still in some fans’ minds

It was barely into the third quarter during Saturday’s game against Iowa when the “boos” started coming down.

Eventually losing 45-9, the IU football team felt its fans show their displeasure simply by leaving, making the student section as empty as the North End Zone Project. For IU student junior Rich Lesser, the 2008 football season has shown the Hoosiers are once again comfortable at the bottom of the Big Ten.

“It’s what I expected,” Lesser said. “I didn’t think we’d be as good as last year, but I thought we may have a chance to be as good as last year. As of now, it doesn’t look too good.”

With a lack of support in the student section throughout their current four game losing streak, IU coach Bill Lynch urged the fan base during his weekly press conference Tuesday to continue to give the Hoosiers support regardless of the team’s 2-4 record.

“The energy in a football stadium can be electric and if that energy is focused on your football team, it goes a long way toward the energy of which you can play,” Lynch said. “We are not giving up on this thing, I certainly hope they don’t give up on it, and come back.”

Throughout the game and earlier in the week, IU fans voiced their displeasure with the performance of their team. Last November, the Hoosiers gained considerable interest from their fan base when senior kicker Austin Starr nailed a 49-yard field goal to send the Hoosiers to their first bowl game since 1993.

With a 7-5 regular-season performance – the program’s best since winning percentage in 14 years – Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan signed IU coach Bill Lynch through 2012. Since then, there has been disagreement among the fan base as to whether the extension was the right decision.

“I would have liked to see them bring in a new coach,” said junior Mark Molter. “I think with the talent level they have, to lose to Minnesota, that would fall on Lynch.”
In an Indiana Daily Student column that ran on Oct. 9, several students interviewed were dissatisfied with Lynch and the direction he is taking the program.

However, other fans more recently said they remain supportive of his efforts, which took the Hoosiers to the 2007 Insight Bowl.

“I know everyone is quick to jump on Coach Lynch, but he’s also the coach last year that held the team together and actually got them to a bowl game,” said Bloomington resident Gary Meyer. “I don’t really think you can make a sound judgment on one individual.”

Lynch is in his 16th year as a head coach. Prior to IU, he coached at Butler, Ball State and most recently, DePauw. At Ball State, Lynch went 37-53 and took the Cardinals to the Las Vegas Bowl in 1996.

Freshman Julian Bellamy added that the fan base should not harp solely on Lynch, because he said the players are just as much to blame for the lackluster start to the year. Additionally, he said, IU needs continuity at head coach.

“I went to a high school where we changed head coaches all the time, and you can’t do that,” Bellamy said. “You can’t build a program if you change head coaches a lot.”

Starting with Cam Cameron in 1997, IU has had four head coaches, including the late Terry Hoeppner.

“I think last year, we were riding a lot on remembering coach Hep, just riding that vibe,” said senior Chris Crohan. “This may sound old-school, but you know the players are trying their best, and you know the coaches are trying their best. It’s just a matter of simple execution.”

With a lack of support in the student section throughout the four game losing streak, IU coach Bill Lynch urged the fan base during his weekly press conference Tuesday to continue to give the Hoosiers support regardless of the team’s 2-4 record.

“The energy in a football stadium can be electric and if that energy is focused on your football team, it goes a long way toward the energy of which you can play,” Lynch said. “We are not giving up on this thing, I certainly hope they don’t give up on it, and come back.”

Throughout the game and earlier in the week, IU fans voiced their displeasure with the performance of their team. Last November, the Hoosiers gained considerable interest from their fan base when senior kicker Austin Starr nailed a 49-yard field goal to send the Hoosiers to their first bowl game since 1993.

With a 7-5 regular-season performance – the program’s best since winning percentage in 14 years – Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan signed IU coach Bill Lynch through 2012. Since then, there has been disagreement among the fan base as to whether the extension was the right decision.

“I would have liked to see them bring in a new coach,” said junior Mark Molter. “I think with the talent level they have, to lose to Minnesota, that would fall on Lynch.”

In an Indiana Daily Student column that ran on Oct. 9, several students interviewed were dissatisfied with Lynch and the direction he is taking the program.

However, other fans more recently said they remain supportive of his efforts, which took the Hoosiers to the 2007 Insight Bowl.

“I know everyone is quick to jump on Coach Lynch, but he’s also the coach last year that held the team together and actually got them to a bowl game,” said Bloomington resident Gary Meyer. “I don’t really think you can make a sound judgment on one individual.”

Lynch is in his 16th year as a head coach. Prior to IU, he coached at Butler, Ball State and most recently, DePauw. At Ball State, Lynch went 37-53 and took the Cardinals to the Las Vegas Bowl in 1996.

Freshman Julian Bellamy added that the fan base should not harp solely on Lynch, because he said the players are just as much to blame for the lackluster start to the year. Additionally, he said, IU needs continuity at head coach.

“I went to a high school where we changed head coaches all the time, and you can’t do that,” Bellamy said. “You can’t build a program if you change head coaches a lot.”

Starting with Cam Cameron in 1997, IU has had four head coaches, including the late Terry Hoeppner.

“I think last year, we were riding a lot on remembering coach Hep, just riding that vibe,” said senior Chris Crohan. “This may sound old-school, but you know the players are trying their best, and you know the coaches are trying their best. It’s just a matter of simple execution.”