“Dear President Luis Proenza and athletic director Mack Rhoades, You might be considering a new football coach. After all, a lot of fans are calling for you to fire J.D. Brookhart. I urge you to be patient for another year. Brookhart is a good Mid-American Conference coach.”
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Dear President Luis Proenza and athletic director Mack Rhoades,

You might be considering a new football coach. After all, a lot of fans are calling for you to fire J.D. Brookhart.

I urge you to be patient for another year. Brookhart is a good Mid-American Conference coach. Recruiting has improved drastically since he arrived.

For example, Erique Dozier was a linebacker at Akron Garfield High School four years ago. He chose to play at Bowling Green. He said Akron was not an option. I mean, come on, it was Akron. Now it’s different.

Slowly, through Brookhart’s skills as a former salesman, UA is gaining credence in football circles. Look at Bryan Williams, Akron’s emerging star running back. His mom didn’t want him to go to Akron a few years ago. After a stint at a military academy, Williams reopened his recruitment and committed to the Zips over Minnesota and Pittsburgh.

So what went wrong? First, Brookhart has lost a lot of good assistant coaches to bigger programs, such as Jim Pry and Terrell Williams.

Second, this is the MAC, where fluctuation is the only constant. No team has consistently contended over the last five years. This season’s strongest team in the MAC East, Miami, won two games last year. Perennial powers Northern Illinois and Toledo combined for seven wins this season.

Third, this year’s team was missing the key ingredient to success in the MAC: a good quarterback. The future starter, freshman Matt Rodgers, had shoulder surgery.

Mr. Rhoades and Dr. Proenza, I recommend you be patient with Brookhart. He deserves one more year.

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