These are uncertain times for the Idaho football program, an unescapable fact for those charged with improving the Vandals’ fortunes and for those rooting for a revival.
While the conference landscape shifts and the television rights market skyrockets and the salaries for assistant coaches escalate, the Vandals are left to hold things together in the perpetually rebuilding Western Athletic Conference.
“We can’t control those issues,” Athletic Director Rob Spear told a crowd of nearly 200 Vandal fans during a National Signing Day event in Boise on Saturday.
Even always-optimistic coach Robb Akey is concerned about where the Vandals fit in college football’s new look. Idaho lost a recruit to New Mexico on signing day because of conference strength.
“The WAC scares me. What is it going to be? If we’re going to be the WAC, we need to get some more teams. When is that going to take place?” Akey said.
“That concerns me. That will be more of a challenge in recruiting. We’ve consistently recruited against Colorado State and Nevada and Fresno (State) and San Diego State and Wyoming. And we were able to get those kids.
“But if we’re going to be perceived at a different level, now that’s going to make it harder to win recruiting battles. That’s what kind of talent your football team ends up being and that makes it a little more difficult to win those games when you’re playing outside of conference.”
The conference shuffle is affecting his program in other ways. The WAC defections left holes on the Vandals’ schedule. To fill them — and pay the bills — the Vandals are taking to the road this season. They have games at LSU, North Carolina, BYU and Bowling Green. Idaho has seven road games and five home games in 2012.
Plus, the Vandals are likely to need seven wins to become bowl eligible as they can only count one victory against FCS Eastern Washington and FBS provisional member Texas San-Antonio for bowl purposes.
“Does (having seven road games) add to the degree of difficulty? Sure it does. To be playing more than one money game, that adds to the degree of difficulty,” Akey said. “So we better become a good road team.”
Then, in typical Akey fashion, he got off a perfect one-liner about perennial national power LSU: “They thought they had their hands full with Alabama, wait ’til they get a load of us.”
The uncertainty is closer to home, as well. He is replacing three offensive assistants, including coordinator Steve Axman. None of the replacements have been announced by the university, though Akey expects to introduce two coaches this week. Former Washington State aide Mike Levenseller will join the staff.
Idaho’s offense was dismal during its 2-10 season in 2011, ranking 111th (out of 120 teams) in total offense and 107th in scoring offense.
“I’m not going to sit here and say it’s our offense’s fault, but I am going to say we need to do things better offensively than we did,” said Akey, who is 19-43 entering his sixth season as head coach in Moscow.
He knows time may be running short, particularly if the Vandals are not competitive in the watered-down WAC. Idaho added seven junior college transfers, an infusion of immediate talent for a program with immediate needs.
The Vandals’ breakout 2009 season is Akey’s lone winning season, and last year represented a major step back after the program managed 14 victories in the previous two seasons.
More uncertainty in a program that needs stability almost as much as it needs more victories.
Brian Murphy: 377-6444
