Developer Chat

The purpose of this chat is to answer any questions that you may have regarding coaches getting fired within Gridiron Dynasty. Here is a brief overview: All coaches currently have a job status of 'Very Secure'. At the end of the season following the national championship games, this status will get adjusted by your athletic director based upon your season (success and reputation) and the expectations of the school (for success and reputation of the coach). If he changes your status, you'll receive a note from him in your inbox. There are 4 levels for your job status: Very secure, Secure, Little or no jeopardy, and In jeopardy. Your status can move multiple levels in a season, but only coaches who are "In jeopardy" to start the season have the potential to be fired at the end of the season. If you are fired, you'll receive an e-mail to the address on file with your account and you'll be removed from your team and marked as unemployed. Your old team will then begin accepting applications for your repl

Will these begin happening after the current season? (mumcoach - Hall of Famer - 1:58 PM)

Yes, the first coaches that will see their job status adjust will be the Rockne coaches following the conclusion of this season's championship games.

Will different schools have different expectations? Will coaches be made aware of what the expectations are at their school? (mumcoach - Hall of Famer - 2:01 PM)

The expectations at an DIA elite team will be higher than those at other BCS schools whose expectations will be higher than non-BCS DIA schools. The expectations are roughly the same as was required to be hired on in the first place --- if you have a sub-par season for your school, your AD will let you know. If you are have a good season, he'll also let you know. Additionally, you'll be able to see your job status adjust.

Will recruiting violations play into the firing process? (nwurth - Hall of Famer - 2:02 PM)

Yes in that recruiting violations will effect your reputation, which plays a role in how your AD view your job status. A coach with a poor reputation will have to be more successful than a coach with a great reputation.

hiring process-are you going to be able to factor in success relative to expectations? or do i have a better chance of being fired taking over a team of walk ons compared to a national champion. (plague - Hall of Famer - 2:04 PM)

Expectations are based upon the level of the school and not the talent currently on the roster, but yes your success is viewed relative to the expectations of the school.

What, exactly, will happen to fired coaches? Will they be able to apply for open positions right away, or will they have to sit out a season? And will they have to drop down a level (elite to BCS, BCS to non-BCS etc.) and build their resume back up? (antonsirius - Hall of Famer - 2:09 PM)

Fired coaches will be marked as unemployed and will be able to apply for another job right away. They will also have the option of remaining unemployed for the next season (it will not use a season) and apply for a job during the next season. Fired coaches will have to drop down a level, possibly more depending upon their resume.

when i take over a team how many seasons do i get with that team before it's possible i can be fired? (plague - Hall of Famer - 2:10 PM)

The quickest you could possibly be fired is after 2 seasons.

What sorts of warnings will coaches receive that their jobs might be in jeopardy, and how much warning time will they get to give them a chance to save their jobs? (antonsirius - Hall of Famer - 2:11 PM)

Your job status will be updated after each season. If you drop to "In jeopardy", your AD will tell you what you need to do to save your job the following season.

If a coach is at an elite school and goes 9-5 three years in a row, would he be fired? (breum - Hall of Famer - 2:13 PM)

A coach is rated relative to everyone else in the world, so I can't really answer this. However, an elite school will more than likely not be happy with a 9-5 record assuming no conference championships or bowl wins.

Is this going to Allow Lower division coaches a chance to move a little faster? (jconner - Prospect - 2:15 PM)

The qualifications for moving up divisions remain the same, but this should allow for the best coaches to advance up the coaching ranks. Also, coaches that advance but can't compete at the next level will have to go back down and refine their strategies.

Will there be any modifications to the promotions process as well? (barbam - All-Star - 2:17 PM)

No. We refined the rating of coaches at the DIA level slightly with this release, but the process itself remains unchanged.

How will the system address rebuilding projects at DIAA and non-elite DIA schools - i.e., take over a team that's won 2 games in 3 years, and win 1,3, and 5 games in your first 3 seasons? (treyomo - Hall of Famer - 2:17 PM)

Rebuilding projects are still viable, but you will have to win after 3 or 4 seasons as this is when the team consists of mostly your recruits and you should be able to have a good season. You can't rebuild forever.

Will this be based only on wins and losses, or will recruiting success have something to do with it? (mumcoach - Hall of Famer - 2:18 PM)

Recruiting will not play a role --- you could recruit the best players in the country, but if you can't win you won't have a job for long.

#1 Will there be more weight on the performance of a coach in bowl games vs. regular season success in determining if a coach will be fired? #2 Will performance that has occured so far factor into firings or will schools make their decisions based on the performance since the firing option began? (shattujw - All-Star - 2:20 PM)

Bowl wins carry a lot of weight in determining the success rating of a coach. The coach's performance over the past 4 seasons is considered.

I assume job status will be a good indicator of a possible firing. What are the different levels for job status in order from most safe to least safe? (BrianCampos - Hall of Famer - 2:22 PM)

There are 4 levels for your job status: Very secure, Secure, Little or no jeopardy, and In jeopardy.

When fired from a 1A school, what options does the newly fired coach have? Can he coach another 1A school? (pvc4twenty - Hall of Famer - 2:22 PM)

If the coach is fired from a IA school, then he likely is not rated high enough to coach another IA school on the same level. The newly fired coach will be able to apply for other jobs for which he qualifies or he could choose to spend the season unemployed.

I like the idea that someone posted on the forums about setting a coaches standards and goals before hand so he knows what his achievements need to be before he will be fired. This way he can't be too upset or surprised if he should be fired. Any chance of implementing something like this? (scottso14 - Hall of Famer - 2:25 PM)

Success is relative and there aren't any "set in stone" standards for wins, conference championships, etc. Also, a coach's reputation plays a role and can effect how his success is viewed by the school. You should have an idea of the expectations based upon what it took to get the job in the first place and then you'll be able to see how your job status adjusts each season to refine your understanding of what the AD expects out of you each season. If you are every "In jeopardy", your AD will tell you pretty straightforwardly what you need to accomplish in order to save your job.

What impact will the firing have on a coaches reputation and loyalty? (BrianCampos - Hall of Famer - 2:26 PM)

The act of getting fired will not change your reputation and loyalty ratings.

when you say "fired coaches will have to drop down a level," does that mean BCS Elite to 1) BCS non-elite, 2) non-BCS, or 3) D1AA? (muddapucka - Hall of Famer - 2:28 PM)

How bad the coach was will determine how far he has to drop down --- you could go from BCS elite to a BCS non-elite....or if you go winless of a couple years and have a poor reputation to get fired, you may have to drop all the way down to DIAA or even DII.

So I get the chance to move up to my "dream job" of an elite school, but they have been historically bad, winning 7 games over the past two years and I only win 13 games over the first two years, what are my chances of getting fired? (blackmink18 - Hall of Famer - 2:29 PM)

You'd likely be OK, but your AD will expect big things that 3rd season.

What Divisions will the firings effect? (jconner - Prospect - 2:29 PM)

DIA and DIAA only.

this is really not a question, but a statement: it sounds like it is not such a good idea to take on a lousy roster, especially at a good school with high expectation. You only have two seasons to start winning. (DKC - Hall of Famer - 2:31 PM)

Actually....you'll likely have to put together a very good 3rd season. Of course, this depends upon the level of the school -- more time at DIAA to turn the team around and less time at an elite.

Define Big Things that 3rd Season? (breum - Hall of Famer - 2:32 PM)

Conference championship since we are talking about an elite.

will a fired coach be allowed to apply to the school he was fired? or will he have to wait X amount of seasons before applying to the same school? (plague - Hall of Famer - 2:33 PM)

No. Fired coaches will only be able to apply to schools for which they qualify. Since the coach was just fired, he would no longer qualify for that job.

Are current expectations based on world specific school history or that of the school's actual real history? (pvc4twenty - Hall of Famer - 2:35 PM)

The school's expectations are based upon their level within the game -- (order of expectations) BCS elites, BCS non-elites, non-BCS, DIAA. The expectations are the same within each level.

how will success relative to expectations work? will taking over a 1 win team and winning 10 games be more valuable than taking over a 8 win team and winning 10 games. (plague - Hall of Famer - 2:36 PM)

It is expectations of the school --- winning 10 at DIAA will put you in a better position with the school than winning 10 at an elite level school.

If the current talent level at a school plays no role, isn't this a dis-incentive to take over rebuilding projects? (NailOne - Hall of Famer - 2:36 PM)

No --- I think many coaches enjoy the challenge of building a team on their own and they will be given the chance to turn things around.

Should a coach be fired, will it affect his reputation for future jobs? And if so, how significant will the effect be? (disaacs - Hall of Famer - 2:37 PM)

No, the coach's reputation is not affected by getting fired.

As was suggested on the forums, is the're any way each coach could get a checklist of sorts to let him know what his goals and achievements should be when he is hired? (scottso14 - Hall of Famer - 2:38 PM)

Every school has the same checklist --- national championship, conference championship, bowl wins, playoff victories, regular season wins, etc.

If you've been fired and have to go down a level, would you typically be considered a top candidate for the lower level? (evegoe - Hall of Famer - 2:39 PM)

It depends upon how poorly you performed at your last job --- you could be one of the top coaches at that level or you could be in the middle or at the bottom.

Will there be an improved opportunity for “WCAA officials” to step in and “fire” coaches at ALL levels who have either abandoned or deliberately trashed their teams? If not, is some intervention available to you for such circumstances? (snake_p - Hall of Famer - 2:41 PM)

Our hands are really tied in this type of situation --- the coach has paid for his team and can run it how he sees fit -- and we cannot simply remove the coach. We'll contact the coach and ask him to try to field a competitive team and try to work with him in that regard in these situations.

Obviously there are levels in DI-A, but since you said a fired coach would have to drop down a level (maybe more) would a coach fired from a DI-AA school have to drop down to DII or are there tiers in DI-AA as well? (crazyjoe02 - Hall of Famer - 2:43 PM)

He'd have to drop down to DII.

does the past history of a school factor into your expectations and factor into you eventualy being firred? as a example, would a 5 win season for california golden bears be good if the team had 10 straight 1 win seasons but be bad if it had 10 straight 12 win season. (plague - Hall of Famer - 2:44 PM)

No -- a 5 win season at a BCS school will always be below expectations. Expectations are based upon the level of the school and not the history of the school.

If a coach takes over a non-competitive elite program how will the system differentiate between them and the elite perennial powerhouse? It would seem like a deathtrap to enter an elite program without the talent to win immediately. (ddingo - Hall of Famer - 2:45 PM)

You won't have to win immediately, but you will have to win within 3-4 seasons or you'll more than likely get fired. I think this is consistent with the big name schools in real life.

Currently, reputations and perhaps loyalty can go so high that even an adverse event (eg., cut two players, apply for two jobs) don’t appear to adversely affect your rating. Will hirings have a similar feature, where a long enough string of successful enough seasons buys you a little more leeway? (snake_p - Hall of Famer - 2:47 PM)

A long string of successful seasons will by you leeway in the sense that your job status will be "very secure" and therefore you'll need several poor seasons before you get fired. By the way, reputation is capped and loyalty currently is not (we will be addressing this soon to help prevent job jumping).

While a coach is "unemployed" for a season or more, does his reputation rehabilitate in any way? (snake_p - Hall of Famer - 2:48 PM)

Yes, his reputation will gradually get better.

when you get fired from a team what is the job status of your next team? is it going to be very secure? (plague - Hall of Famer - 2:48 PM)

Yes --- all new coaches (at a school) start out at "very secure".

When exactly will the coaches be fired? (blackmink18 - Hall of Famer - 2:49 PM)

At the end of the season following the national championship games and just prior to the job change period.

If performance from the past 4 seasons is considered, does that include previous schools? Would a NC at a previous school make a coach less likely to be fired from the current school? (javabuzz_24 - All-Star - 2:50 PM)

Yes, because you have a track record of success and were likely well above the minimum requirements for the job. If you barely squeak into a position, you'll have to prove yourself a little more.

Let's say that a coach had to go all the way to DII and there were no openings. Does the coach have to stay "unemployed" for that season? (pioneerfan3 - All-Star - 2:52 PM)

...if there were no DII schools available (very unlikely since DII coaches will be moving to DIAA and also some simply retiring), he could drop to DIII.

Will tougher conferences have more lenient AD's say your coaching in a conference that has 4 ranked teams and you take over a bottom feeder program will your AD be more lenient or are you held to the same standards as those ranked teams? (jktcat - Hall of Famer - 2:52 PM)

The AD won't be more lenient, but your rating as a coach will take this into account.

Is there any plans to allow coaches at the DIAA level to view (and thus sign) all possible recruits? The reason I ask this now, is earlier you mentioned that 3 or 4 years is when schools expect results, but if a coach takes over a DIAA program and can't even view the top recruits, it makes it much more difficult to build a winner quickly. (moranis - Hall of Famer - 2:54 PM)

There are currently no plans to adjust which recruits schools can view during recruiting.

The Big 10 and the SEC have 4 elite teams. Every elite can't win a CC every 3rd season. What would meet the "big things" requirement if the CC doesn't happen? (ddingo - Hall of Famer - 2:56 PM)

No...but they could be winning high level bowl games and never find themselves in jeopardy despite not winning conference championships. Success is a "moving target" and there are numerous ways in which you can meet goals and avoid losing your job.

Are the schools considered BCS elites and BCS non-elites dynamic or will a BCS elite team always be considered elite despite its world specific history? (evegoe - Hall of Famer - 2:58 PM)

Elite schools will always be elite....non-elite will always remain non-elite. (I don't like to say never, but we don't have plans to change this and I don't see any real need to change it right now.)

Will a coach be fired before the job application process begins, or during the hiring period? (asher413 - Hall of Famer - 2:59 PM)

Just prior to the start of the job change period.

what do you mean when you said that loyalty rating is not capped? Isn't A+ the top rating already? (DKC - Hall of Famer - 3:00 PM)

A+ is the top....but there isn't a ceiling (100 = A+.....125=A+......150=A+) and you can build points by staying at a single school for a long time.

So if I acheive a job at Indiana, a BCS but traditionally poor school, I could get fired for 5 or 6 wins? (asher413 - Hall of Famer - 3:01 PM)

Maybe if you only have 5 or less wins for 4-5 straight seasons....eventually every school is going to want to win something.

i keep rewording the same question because i am not getting the question i want answered. ignore the level of the school..in general will my success relative to expectations be less on a school with a poor past history. (plague - Hall of Famer - 3:01 PM)

No.

Thanks for taking the time to post your questions, comments and suggestions.