FEDORA

[PointGuard]

This dynasty report will come to you from any and all sources (coaches, players, fans, media reps, administrators, etc). The presenter of each segment will depend on who speaks up first and has something to say and it will be presented in whatever manner that person wants.

Note on setup: DDSCB2020 Challenge Mode; Standard conference alignment; Beginning season: 2019-2020; Using Option 3 of the College Mod; Injuries set at 200%; Job Pressure set at High; Illegal Recruiting allowed; Underclassmen able to declare for the pros; Recruiting Difficulty set to Brutal.

Welcome to FEDORA.

[PointGuard]

Hey, this is Perry Winkle, Athletic Director at Towson University located in….where else? Towson, Maryland. Our history (1979 to the present) for basketball is pretty bleak: 496-692 for a winning percentage of just .418 with 3 conference championships in 40 seasons, 2 NCAA tournament (exceptionally brief) appearances, and one unimpressive foray in the CIT tournament. I fired my last coach after there were rumors of a sexual dalliance with a graduate student. You just can’t be doing those things nowadays. So I promoted the 1st assistant to serve as interim head coach to finish out the season. But, while he’s a nice guy, he just doesn’t have the abilities for us to give him a contract as our new full-time head coach.

Finding a new coach wasn’t easy, though. A lot of guys just weren’t interested in coming to an unincorporated suburban area north of Baltimore with a team that has limped along for many years in the less-than-impressive Colonial Athletic Association. And Towson University’s basketball program prestige [19] is lower than the conference’s basketball prestige [30]. We started by trying to entice some guys who had just finished as head coaches at other Division 1 programs…no deal. We then went after a couple guys who had hung up their coaching clipboards a while back…not only no, but hell no. We then looked at a few Division 2 coaches who had been successful…some interest but they opted for greener pastures. I thought about going after some highly successful high school coaches in Maryland, but decided I preferred someone who knew not only how to develop players and develop and implement a game plan but who also had recruiting experience. That took me along a tortuous path trying to evaluate some Division I assistant coaches. Let me tell you, most of the good ones want more money that we could afford. There was one guy who, while he wanted more money than we were going to pay, was hungry for a head coaching job and therefore willing to accept our salary offer. After graduating from East Tennessee State University, he served as a graduate assistant and then became the 3rd assistant at Bowling Green, 2nd assistant at Georgetown, and most recently 1st assistant at Virginia Commonwealth. So the guy has done some recruiting in the region which is a plus, but this is his first head coaching job. That means we really have no idea how he’ll do. His name: Frederick Aura. He’s 42 and his top strengths are defense and recruiting.

[PointGuard]

Mr. Winkle told me to get a realtor to contact our new coach, a guy named Frederick Aura who will be moving here from Richmond, Virginia. Oh, by the way, I’m Keira Moran, an assistant to Mr. Winkle…well actually more like a go-fer. I make a lot of Starbucks runs for Mr. Winkle. Anyway, I don’t know any realtors since all I can afford is a little one-bedroom apartment near campus so I can walk to work and don’t have to spend money on a car. I’m happy to have a job and all, but this college pays starvation wages. I looked online and found Callie Crawford, a woman real estate agent, and left a message. Ms Crawford finally called me back and I gave her Mr. Aura’s info and asked her to call him about finding a place here in Towson.

About that time Mr. Winkle wanted me to run over to the office of the Dean of the History Department to see about getting some help for a football player whose grades suck, I mean are low. I’ve made far too many of those kind of runs to different departments. I’d think that guys would be delighted to get a free education and therefore would work hard to get a degree, but partying seems to be the primary concern for a lot of these guys. That and coming on to me and other girls here in the Athletic Department. But I have no time for that kind of business. Besides doing all the go-ferring, I’m taking courses here at Towson (because I work here my tuition is free) and plan to get my teaching degree so I can earn a little more money.

Oh-oh, I gotta go. Ms Crawford just called and wants to know what a basketball coach earns here. I don’t know and will have to check, but I suspect its not all that much. I mean this IS Towson, not Georgetown or the University of Maryland.

[Wayne23]

Oh my GAWD!!!

[PointGuard]

Callie Crawford, realtor: I’m always happy to get a lead for a new client. But I was sure hoping a HEAD COACH for a Division I basketball team would be making more money so we could be looking at some of the higher priced homes here in Towson. But it turns out he’s only going to make something in the low $80’s. That puts a kibosh on the nicer homes. Plus the guy has a wife and 3 kids so will need a 3 or 4 bedroom house. So with his budget that means the house will be in a middle class neighborhood.

He’s come to Towson to meet with people over at the university this weekend, so he’s stopping by our office this afternoon to meet me. I’ve got a few listings for him to look at so I can get a sense of what he’s after.

Oh! He just walked into our office. He looks younger than 42. Nicely dressed, wearing a suit, tie and a stylish hat. I didn’t know he was black but that’s not a problem. Even though blacks are only about 7% of Towson’s population, finding real estate for them isn’t all that difficult. Time to go out and meet him and put on a little charm to make sure he sticks with me and my company. Wish me luck!

[PointGuard]

Hello. My name is Janeka Aura and my husband is Frederick Aura. We just moved to Towson, MD with our 3 children, two boys (13 and 11) and a girl (3). Yes, she’s spoiled being the youngest and our only girl. The two boys are emulating their father and have become very good young basketball players. I just wish they loved studying as much as they love going out and playing ball. Towson is a predominantly white suburb of Baltimore, but we seem to be fitting in fine. While there is a town center, it’s not really a city even though they say there are over 55,000 people living in the Towson area. I’m a registered nurse, but have taken 6 months off to get my family acclimated to the new area in which we’re living. There are some good medical centers in the area, so when I’m ready to go back to work, it should be no problem finding a job. Frederick is excited to be taking on his newest challenge.

I arrived here after Frederick so the kids could finish their school year before having to switch schools. We’re getting them together with other kids in the neighborhood and nearby so by the time school starts in late August they will already have some friends. Moving was a hassle with all the packing and unpacking, but we’ve been through it before. At least this time Towson College paid for the movers. That’s not been the case during Frederick’s assistant coaching career. We’ve done do-it-yourself moves in the past and that’s even more work. The house is just so-so, pretty much a plain jane. I couldn’t get down to help Frederick pick it but it’ll do….a split-level built in the mid 1950’s with 4 bedrooms stuffed into 1800 sf. The area is very suburban but there’s lots of trees on the street and out back. Schools are also just so-so, but beggars can’t be choosers. Frederick’s salary is ok, but with me not working right now, we decided to make sure we could handle mortgage payments and had to settle for what we could afford.



Frederick is totally absorbed with his new job. There’s a lot to do and learn. I just have to give him the time and space he needs. He’s meeting almost continuously with his assistant coaches, talking with his new players, and also watching a lot of game film. We’re used to him having tunnel vision when practice begins and during the basketball season, but his degree of focus at this time of year is something new. Here’s a frequent view of him that we get as he heads back to his office.

[SouthernRebel]

Note on setup: DDSCB2020 Challenge Mode; Standard conference alignment; Beginning season: 2019-2020; Using Option 3 of the College Mod; Injuries set at 200%; Job Pressure set at High; Illegal Recruiting allowed; Underclassmen able to declare for the pros; Recruiting Difficulty set to Brutal.

Injurues 200% Job pressure high recruiting brutal. Do you find these most realistic?

[PointGuard]

Note on setup: DDSCB2020 Challenge Mode; Standard conference alignment; Beginning season: 2019-2020; Using Option 3 of the College Mod; Injuries set at 200%; Job Pressure set at High; Illegal Recruiting allowed; Underclassmen able to declare for the pros; Recruiting Difficulty set to Brutal.

Injurues 200% Job pressure high recruiting brutal. Do you find these most realistic?

I played with 200% quite a bit with CB2019 and found the number of injuries to be much closer to what actually happens in real life. I have played it with CB2020 a little bit (prior to this dynasty) and THINK that the level is similar to what was occurring with CB19.

[Wayne23]

PointGuard wears a hair shirt while he plays in order to maximize the pain...

[PointGuard]

PointGuard wears a hair shirt while he plays in order to maximize the pain...

Oh, sorry! I would have responded sooner. But I fell asleep on my bed of nails and just woke up.

Actually, the 200% injury isn't as challenging as Brutal recruiting level when you are at a lower prestige program. But who wants a bunch of Top 25 recruits anyway!