The answer to whether Coach Mo is going to return next year or not should be answered over the remaining 5 games. If Coach Mo gets us to 5 wins (winning 3 of the remaining games), then IMO he should return for his 4th year. If he can't get to 5 wins (after promising 6) then its hard to see how his 4th year can be justified. Whether there is an AD in place or not should not be a factor. If having an AD was that important, then the Administration should have hired one. It's not like they didn't know this was going to be a possibility. The fact that we still don't have an AD after almost 8 months shows me that they don't think it is that important, athletics doesn't stand still just because there is no AD in place. Imagine this scenario: there is a real possibility that we wind up the season at 3-9 for the third year in a row. How do you think the fans would react to the Administration saying "we can't make any changes because we don't have an AD in place". Do you think fans would see this as good leadership on their part? Or would they see it as just another example of a failure of leadership?

So, for the first time, App State is in the top 25. Maybe we need their AD!

Offensively I’d the issue Coach Mo or the Offendive Coordinator? What’s seems very strange to me is that we keep losing with homegrown talent and speed standing idle on the sideline every game while we run the same offense plays each game. So what if they are freshmen? Many of the huge programs like Alabama field freshmen every week. Why is Brown returning the ball ever?

Finally, sensible and thoughtful comments! I'm still on board! Count me in for two more in Greenville, and a win in Raleigh!

You have to put a decent competitive product on the field for the fans to come and spend their hard earned money . Sure us diehard Pirates will always pull for the Purple and Gold but poor coaching and poorly unprepared performances are not what good football teams and programs do......our program is headed in the wrong direction and moving further that way quickly. A change at the top is all that can fix this problem.

Not sure why Blake Proehl is not playing or being involved in the game ? Is he hurt ? Just seems like he is the perfect short yardage get the first down type of player. Somebody the Patriots would love to have with Tom Brady. Agree with O line diagnosis. Ahlers is running for his life back there with every snap. Please recruit a running back with some speed please. Ours looks slow as me, and I am sixty years old.

How many OL starters were out Sat. night, at least two?? That was the biggest problem, no running whatsoever, except by HA. The d has improved immensely from last year, but still has a ways to go in the secondary. I was thinking (as someone has already said) that Mo needs to collect a bare minimum of 5 wins this year to survive, and they have it in them to do that, but the external realities that this analysis considers undoubtedly are more favorable to Mo staying than not.

Well said...thank you for this! Go Pirates!!

This article is reality. It's not practical for us to make a change now. There is not a decent head coach that would step into this environment right now without a permanent AD and with this non-supportive fan base. If you are a true Pirate fan, I have no idea how you can withhold support financially and not show up to pull for your Pirates. How can anyone possibly think either is helpful?!?! Too many people associate Ruff's firing with Mo. Coach Mo had nothing to do with it. I assume Compher made the decision based on some upper echelon financial supporters that wouldn't get behind the Southside renovation project without his dismissal. Ruff would have stayed forever but that ship has sailed. I'm so happy things have worked out for him at OU. Again, none of this is really Mo's fault. He landed a position he probably wasn't ready for, however, we've now provided 3 years of on the job training. If you haven't seen improvement this year, then you just are too jaded to look at it realistically. Think about if our offense improves over the last half of the year and going into next year as much as our defense did in the off season, where will we be? We will be moving back to the Pirates we all love. While there will always be coaching decisions we all question, the majority of issues I have seen so far had more to do with our players executing than with coaching. For instance, our receivers need to step up big time to help our young quarterbacks out. These guys need to look at some tape of Dwayne Harris, Justin Hardy and Zay Jones who have set the benchmark. We have 3 winnable games and then need to find a way to beat Cincy or the Pack to become bowl eligible. I'll be pulling hard for that. Getting a bowl would be a huge step in the right direction. It would essentially provide our young players with another "spring practice" which will only help them grow. I played football at ECU, I graduated from ECU, I support the Pirate Club, I have football season tickets and I was there Saturday night and will be for the last 2 home games (BTW, I'll also be in Raleigh since there is no way in hell State make s the ACC Champ game). Let's stop all the negative nonsense and get behind OUR PIRATES!!

I had the opportunity to meet Terry Long one day in Greenville before he went on to a career protecting Steelers QB's. Met others on the O line, too. In the past couple of years I've had the opportunity to meet some of our starting offensive linemen. The guys from years ago were lean, fast and strong as an ox. The offensive linemen today, and I hate to say this, just look fat. And I'm sorry guys, when you put your hair up in a feminine "man bun" like what my mother used to wear it just makes you look like a big P. If you act like a pushover and look like a pushover in a contact sport like football -- guess what? Somebody had to say it! OK, I'm ready to take my beating from the PC'ers out there.

I remember when Jeff Connors could turn a boy offensive lineman into a hulk. A very quick speedy hulk. I wonder what happened? Are we out-thinking ourselves and need to fall back on the things that worked in the past maybe?

I thought it was just me! I have wondered the exact same thing.

It has been a while since I really looked forward to basketball season...……..

Holton is a winner! Sure would like to see him have a coach - Our D coach would be a great interim - He has earned it! Mo, just seems lost to me. When we ran 4 QB runs in a row the other night, I was just praying we didn't put our future in harms way. That is ridiculous. He is not a fullback! No imagination - I'd like to see this team and these players have a real leader. No reason for us to be losing. CF was not that good IMO. Jump pass? Good grief, it's like a bad JV team. Sure like to see a punt returned for a change.

Assuming the rumors are true that Hart is about to be named AD or some Chancellor of Athletics title that basically means AD he’ll have the power and ability to make a decision on Mo. Now I think he’s prefer to not have to fire him, but I think he’s likely gotta get to 5-7 or better to be able to sell to an already beaten down fan base that this is one year from turning around. I think it might very well be 1 year from a breakout, but 3-9, 3-9, and then something like 3-9 or 4-8 makes that an impossible sell with the new expansion opening up next year.