New A&T Football Coach on His Vision For the Aggies HINT: It involves the P-Word.

[WestCoastAggie]

And lastly, one of the discussions we recently had on Bluedeathvalley.com is that we are currently living in the golden era of A&T football … but where do we go from here? So before we let you go, let me pose that question to you. After a period of unprecedented success, including a 12-0 championship season, where does the A&T football program go from here?

Coach Washington: “I would like to see it go to the national level; not playing solely in the Celebration Bowl. I’d like to go for the big stick, the big trophy and become FCS national champions. That’s where we are headed.”

Check out the full interview here: http://bluedeathvalley.com/sam-exclusive-interview-new-head-coach-sam-washington/

NOTE: He also praised the Celebration Bowl appearances and how it helped recruiting this year. We got 6 kids in the early period that will all participate in Spring Practice, which starts March 12th.

[dewey]

It would be nice to see NC A&T schedule some of the top teams in the out of conference but how to they plan to participate in the playoffs with their tie into the Celebration Bowl.

Dewey

[ASU33]

It would be nice to see NC A&T schedule some of the top teams in the out of conference but how to they plan to participate in the playoffs with their tie into the Celebration Bowl.

Dewey

Snatch an at-large bid like they did in 2016

[grizband]

Snatch an at-large bid like they did in 2016
Which requires losing a game, so they don't get the conference bid to the Celebration Bowl.

[katss07]

Can’t they just decline going to the CB and have the runner up go? The MEAC having an at large bid in would be really cool, especially if they are a program like A&T. I know they got in a few years back, but the Aggies is seem to have made big strides in the right direction.

[JSUSoutherner]

Punting?

[Panther88]

Which requires losing a game, so they don't get the conference bid to the Celebration Bowl.


Punting?

Correct, both answers. The MEAC champion cannot opt out of The CB. Their new hc is hoping for an at-large invite from the fcs playoff committee coupled w/ a 2nd place finish in the MEAC. Where is the logic? xsmhx

[ASU33]

Can’t they just decline going to the CB and have the runner up go? The MEAC having an at large bid in would be really cool, especially if they are a program like A&T. I know they got in a few years back, but the Aggies is seem to have made big strides in the right direction.

No they cant decline. They can get into the play offs as a co-champion if the other co-champ is ranked higher or by finishing 2nd.

[WestCoastAggie]

The statement is more of a desire to build a top FCS program and expectation to compete in the playoffs in the event we don’t earn a CB berth.

As long as we’re in the MEAC, it’s the CB first.

[Lion1983]

Correct, both answers. The MEAC champion cannot opt out of The CB. Their new hc is hoping for an at-large invite from the fcs playoff committee coupled w/ a 2nd place finish in the MEAC. Where is the logic? xsmhx

Sounds like he may want to follow Hampton...

[Panther88]

Sounds like he may want to follow Hampton...
My first thought as well.

[WestCoastAggie]

Sounds like he may want to follow Hampton...

And likely end up in court like Hampton will?

[WileECoyote06]

And likely end up in court like Hampton will?

lol

Sounds like coach-speak. The Celebration Bowl has been a windfall for teams involved, financially, in terms of branding and visibility, and in terms of enrollment.

[Anthony215]

I don't see how Hampton will make out good financially leaving the MEAC especially losing out on the conference tournament money. The MEAC does pretty well with their conference tournament in Men/Women's Basketball. Unless they plan to play 2 FBS money games every year and keep Norfolk State & Howard on as OCC games I don't see them lasting long in the Big South.

[WileECoyote06]

I don't see how Hampton will make out good financially leaving the MEAC especially losing out on the conference tournament money. The MEAC does pretty well with their conference tournament in Men/Women's Basketball. Unless they plan to play 2 FBS money games every year and keep Norfolk State & Howard on as OCC games I don't see them lasting long in the Big South.

They don't want to stay in the Big South long term anyway. xlolx

[DEX]

It would be nice to see NC A&T schedule some of the top teams in the out of conference but how to they plan to participate in the playoffs with their tie into the Celebration Bowl.

Dewey

I think coach is looking long term. The Celebration Bowl has three more years. There are no guarantees it will continue beyond that.

[Mr.Loco]

They don't want to stay in the Big South long term anyway. xlolx
I have the feeling they will be back in the MEAC hat in hand

[kdinva]

And likely end up in court like Hampton will?

...not, if SOME day, they give 18+ months notice.......

[3rd Coast Tiger]

What coach should have said is to keep the Aggies on a level of sustainability. Staying at the championship level they are now is the hardest thing to do. A few key losses to injuries, eligibility, etc... can turn a 12-0 team to 8-3 or 7-4 in a matter of one season.

[VandalBasher]

Wow. This is some interesting conversation. I have always said I would like to see more of the HBCUs play in the FCS playoffs or even at the FBS level.

http://hamptonpirates.com/news/2018/2/20/football-hampton-university-response-to-conference-transition.aspx

[DeltaDevil662]

What coach should have said is to keep the Aggies on a level of sustainability. Staying at the championship level they are now is the hardest thing to do. A few key losses to injuries, eligibility, etc... can turn a 12-0 team to 8-3 or 7-4 in a matter of one season.

Sam (fellow Valley alum) might have the toughest job in FCS next year. He was the AHC on an undefeated team (that should have been co-national champs) so, as you said, he has to keep A&T at a highly competitive level of winning MEAC titles and Celebration Bowl/FCS Playoff bids.

If they can keep playing at this high level, they will be a very attractive school for the Sun Belt to consider since they compete at a high level in multiple sports

[ASU33]

Sam (fellow Valley alum) might have the toughest job in FCS next year. He was the AHC on an undefeated team (that should have been co-national champs) so, as you said, he has to keep A&T at a highly competitive level of winning MEAC titles and Celebration Bowl/FCS Playoff bids.

If they can keep playing at this high level, they will be a very attractive school for the Sun Belt to consider since they compete at a high level in multiple sports



Co-National Champs with who?

[Lion1983]

Sam (fellow Valley alum) might have the toughest job in FCS next year. He was the AHC on an undefeated team (that should have been co-national champs) so, as you said, he has to keep A&T at a highly competitive level of winning MEAC titles and Celebration Bowl/FCS Playoff bids.

If they can keep playing at this high level, they will be a very attractive school for the Sun Belt to consider since they compete at a high level in multiple sports


Hard to name co-national champs when you have a playoff system.

My cousin Lives in Orlando, he said he has seen no signs of a National Championship Trophy at UCF to date.

[Twentysix]

Pagina?

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

[unknown3]

Sam (fellow Valley alum) might have the toughest job in FCS next year. He was the AHC on an undefeated team (that should have been co-national champs) so, as you said, he has to keep A&T at a highly competitive level of winning MEAC titles and Celebration Bowl/FCS Playoff bids.

If they can keep playing at this high level, they will be a very attractive school for the Sun Belt to consider since they compete at a high level in multiple sports


The sunbelt has no reason to expand. 10 football teams, a championship game and a payout increase from ESPN. Only way that changes is if there's another round of re-alignment and that doesn't look likely in the near future. A&T will be FCS for a while. Unless they can somehow find a way to get the NCAA to grant them a waiver as Liberty did which is unlikely.

[WestCoastAggie]

The sunbelt has no reason to expand. 10 football teams, a championship game and a payout increase from ESPN. Only way that changes is if there's another round of re-alignment and that doesn't look likely in the near future. A&T will be FCS for a while. Unless they can somehow find a way to get the NCAA to grant them a waiver as Liberty did which is unlikely.

Yeah... A&T doesn't have FBS aspirations, as those went away when Chancellor Rennick left a decade ago. I don't see us leaving the MEAC either anytime soon also.

[WestCoastAggie]

Sam (fellow Valley alum) might have the toughest job in FCS next year. He was the AHC on an undefeated team (that should have been co-national champs) so, as you said, he has to keep A&T at a highly competitive level of winning MEAC titles and Celebration Bowl/FCS Playoff bids.

If they can keep playing at this high level, they will be a very attractive school for the Sun Belt to consider since they compete at a high level in multiple sports


Coach Washington has ship on the same path as Coach Broadway. He's also kept the staff in tact going into spring ball, which starts after Spring Break in March.

Right now, the kids are pumping iron, having fun maxing out with the S&C Coach. They love that guy. We also had Three guys cross over to Kappa Alpha Psi, joining the numerous Que's we have on the team.

[ASU33]

Coach Washington has ship on the same path as Coach Broadway. He's also kept the staff in tact going into spring ball, which starts after Spring Break in March.

Right now, the kids are pumping iron, having fun maxing out with the S&C Coach. They love that guy. We also had Three guys cross over to Kappa Alpha Psi, joining the numerous Que's we have on the team.


welKome to the Bond young Nupes!