It's Time to Move On

Three years ago, I wrote “It’s time for more.” It led to a five part follow-up series that examined the state of the Middle Tennessee athletic program.

Now, some three years later, little has changed. Sure, they slapped some paint on the walls and introduced a few new amenities. The problems, however, persisted. They’ve ignored the warnings, avoided treatment, and kicked the cure down the road. They treated the symptoms, but didn’t cure the disease.

And the disease is indifference.

Indifference by the alumni, community, and student body. Indifference by an athletic department content with six win seasons. Indifference by an institution that won’t dare to dream, to shoot for the stars, and to challenge the status quo.

Middle Tennessee has created a culture where mediocrity is considered satisfactory and an ordinary season is rewarded with a contract extension. It’s created a culture mired in mediocrity.

Culture eats strategy for breakfast. And the Middle Tennessee culture is eating itself alive. The cure is simple, but painful. It’s gut-wrenching, but necessary.

It’s time to move on from head coach Rick Stockstill.

It’s time for a new leader to guide Middle Tennessee into the next decade. A new perspective to breathe new life into a dying program.

And I hate it. I hate that Rick Stockstill couldn’t get the job done. He is a good man who genuinely cares about the well-being of his players.

Fans have endured his tenure filled with endless cliches, boasts of bowl eligibility, and even a 2-10 season in 2011, but it’s time to move on. Stockstill simply hasn’t won enough.

It’s time to move on from a head football coach with a career record of 91-86, a 15-33 record against Group of Five programs with winning records, and a 2-6 record in bowl games. They’ve watched the Stockstill 2-8 against regional rivals Vanderbilt and Western Kentucky since 2014 and stood in horror while the Blue Raiders snatched defeat from the jaws of victory time and time again.

Twenty years into the FBS experiment and 14th under Rick Stockstill, it’s time for Middle Tennessee to look beyond the APR score. It’s time to pursue championships. It’s time to expect greatness - or at least something more than mediocrity.

And, quite frankly, the Blue Raiders weren’t even average this season. They were bad.

Yes, injuries decimated the roster in 2019 and three Power-5 opponents is a challenging out-of-conference schedule. The 2019 Blue Raiders, however, were uncharacteristically bad. The Blue Raider offensive and defensive lines were dominated in conference play while the rest of the roster - with very few exceptions - lacked speed and power.

This was a disaster several years in the making. The loss of strength and conditioning coach Jason Spray, combined with poor on-field coaching, left the Blue Raiders raw, inexperienced, and exemplified their struggles on the recruiting trail.

While it’s easy to blame the recruiting woes on poor facilities, difficult schedule, and poor community support, Stockstill has been at the helm of Middle Tennessee football for 14 years. He’s been given 14 years to rally the Blue Raider faithful to support the program and facility improvements.

Stockstill hasn’t. The face of the Middle Tennessee State Univeristy isn’t the football coach, basketball coach, or even the athletic director. It’s Mrs. McPhee’s hats.

This is why, after 14 years of Stockstill at the helm, the program has gone back in time to 2005. It’s dead-on-arrival. The program is a revolting combination of an uninspired product and a lethargic head coach.

The fans are tired of it. Attendance has fallen by more than 5,000 fans per game over the last ten years to a meager 14,252 fans in 2019 - almost 275 less than Andy McCollum’s last season in Murfreesboro.

Let me put it another way : If athletics is the front porch of the university, few people are knocking on the front door.

Middle Tennessee needs an energetic coach to engage the campus and community. It needs a coach that is hungry for a championship.

It’s clear Stockstill is not that man. And that’s fine. It’s time to move on.

Stockstill looks tired. He looks defeated. It’s time for him to resign or retire. Do it for the the student-athletes, for the program, and for the good of the university. Do it for your own personal healthy and well-being.

It’s your move, coach.