Houston Nutt Announces Departure: Should Boston College Follow Suit?
by A.J Black on Nov 7, 2011 2:30 PM EST
in Boston College Football
Email
PrintAnother embattled head coach is gone, or should I say will be gone by the end of the season. Ole Miss is set to send Houston Nutt on his merry way at the end of the season. And in what seems to be a move to appease their angered fan base, they are having a press conference to tell everyone he's leaving:
"Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt will not be retained after this season, multiple sources told ESPN.com, and the university will make an announce at a 3 p.m. ET news conference. Sources also said that athletic director Pete Boone also will not return once the university hires his replacement. It's not clear when that announcement will be made."
This begs the question. If Frank Spaziani is planning on leaving at the end of this year -- forced or voluntarily -- should he or the administration let the fan base know now? Both Boston College and Ole Miss are in the same boat. Both had solid programs for years that have fallen into complete disarray. Both are coming off mind numbing losses. True the Rebels lost to Kentucky, but still, BC has lost to a handful of Kentuckys this year.
It is abundantly clear that 99 percent of the Eagles' fan base wants Spaz gone, and most of us see where this program is heading in its current state. Wouldn't it be good for the health of the program if BC announced Spaz wouldn't be returning in 2012? Think of the change in atmosphere for Saturday's game against N.C. State. If BC goes out and stinks up the joint, BC fans are going to be ruthless, but if they know that Spaz is leaving maybe the mood will be a little more cordial for the seniors final game. It would feel more like a celebration, and less like a funeral.
In terms of long term health of the program, letting the fans, players and recruits know that Spaz is leaving would only be beneficial. Fans would continue their donations to the Flynn Fund, and renew their season tickets. That would only help GDF and BC Athletics revenue. Recruits who have watched BC's season would know that the administration is serious about winning. While the current players would be free from the "play not to lose mentality" It would be a winning situation all around.
Seeing Spaz go is just a pipe dream at this point, and having him announce his departure mid-season is more like the third level of Inception. And no we do not want Houston Nutt as our coach. Stop it.
93 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Spaz would be an excellent DC/LB coach somewhere
I hope Clemson could get him to come down and coach our young LB’s
Don't give up, don't ever give up ~ Jim Valvano
I thought the current BC state quo was "We'll pay you" levels now?
Don't give up, don't ever give up ~ Jim Valvano
You drive a hard bargain. How much do you want?
Would you take Spaz and our collective agreement never to mention Tommy West?
It is going to cost Ole Miss a bundle -- but it's worth it!
over $6,000,000 (and i’ve seen higher figures floated)
I’d luv to know what the Spaz buyout would cost BC in $$ (we know what a non-buyout will cost BC in terms of football quality and future revenue — A LOT)
A move like this would certainly lighten the mood in Chestnut Hill for this weekend’s game against the TOBpack.
A pipe dream to be sure, but would definitely help smooth over alumni relations and Flynn Fund donations heading into 2012.
Editor, BC Interruption
Spaz
I have no idea where you get the “99% of the BC fan base wants Spaz gone.” Obviously that’s hyperbole and it’s based on the postings of mostly younger fans with less perspective, knowledge and patience than many older, less-likely-to-post fans/alums such as myself. That said, I don’t expect to change any “I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now” minds, but I thought I’d re-post a comment from a few threads ago which quickly got lost and overwritten by other stories. So have fun.
>>Here goes (swimming upstream). I don’t believe Spaz is solely responsible for the state of BC football in 2011. Of course you know what I’m going to say, so I guess I won’t even say it. If you don’t believe that a college football program relies on year in and year out recruiting, i.e. refilling the coffers with talent (if not bodies), and stability (coaches, coordinators and 3rd, 4th and 5th yr players), then you either know nothing about CFB, or you’re blinded by your dismay about the terrible season and simply need someone to blame. Obviously that someone is going to be the HC.
Now, before everyone goes off on me as a "Spaz apologist," I am reasonable enough to agree that his game-day coaching, i.e. game plans (specifically, offensive game plans/play-calling), clock management, conservative bent, etc. are all worth questioning, I absolutely do not agree that this 2-7 season, and all its ugliness and embarassment, is an unmistakable sign that we’re headed in the wrong direction and a change must be made. Is some tweaking in order? Absolutely. First, not sure Rettig is the answer at QB, but the other option is to go right back to tremendous inexperience. Not sure Brock is the answer at OC, but again, constant change is usually not good either. I’ll say the #1 issue is getting back to having a BIG, PHYSICAL, ANGRY O-line that can dominate the opponent. Somehow, someway, a school that has always had that, if nothing else, has lost that.
Bottom line – this program’s continuity,and simply physical maturity, was decimated by the previous coach’s tenure (which though 2 years, has a 3 yr effect on recruiting), and we will not be "back" until we are fielding a large majority of 3rd, 4th and 5th yr players as starters and on our 2-deep. We do not get 4 and 5 stars who are physically ready to compete (see FSU) against the kinds of teams we play; we teach and strengthen 2 and 3-stars, who are then ready to compete after 3, 4 or 5 yrs in the program. If we tear it all down and start over – and you do start over after firing a coach – we will be extending the rebuild an additional 2-4 yrs beyond what it already is.
Assuming we get the QB and o-line situations straightened out by next year, we’ll be 7-5’ish next year and 8-9 plus again by 2013. <<
I absolutely do not agree that this 2-7 season, and all its ugliness and embarassment, is an unmistakable sign that we’re headed in the wrong direction and a change must be made.
Sure. But the blame for the complete and utter disintegration of any semblance of offense falls squarely on the head coach’s shoulders, a coach that is a career defensive coordinator and ill-equipped to run a I-A college football offense. See also:
1) Hire / coaxing out of retirement of Gary Tranquill
2) Hire / subsequent fire of Kevin Rogers, who was supposedly “your guy”
3) Failure to recognize the most talented QB on the roster x2 (starting Shinskie in 09 … starting Rettig in 10?)
4) Nearly complete regression of the offensive line
5) Game-day coaching, i.e. game plans (specifically, offensive game plans/play-calling), clock management, conservative bent
Editor, BC Interruption
I get it Brian, you have strong feelings, an agenda, call it what you like and your mind"s made up. You are missing the point about having PLAYERS. Mature, physical, experienced players. You can’t just cite hires/fires, let’s say management decisions, and say that’s proof of ineptitude. College sports is ALL ABOUT recruiting, feeding the program. We had a 2-3 yr complete, abject failure in that regard (don’t bother citing a player or 2 Jags brought in, I’m talking about 15-20 per year, at least half of which you need to be playing and starting in their 3rd, 4th and 5th yrs). We had a gaping hole in the program and we’re still paying for it.
When/where/how is Rogers “my guy?” Huh?
- is a legitimate point.
Rogers was "Spaz's guy," not yours
GDF made it clear Spaz made that hire. Then he turns around and basically fires him due to a difference of opinion?
“Not nearly as much as one might imagine. Spaz and I talk about everything, but Spaz makes the decisions on who we recruit, who plays, his staff, who’s going to be redshirted, etc. In the last coaching staff search, Spaz made a phenomenal hire in Kevin Rogers. I think Spaz interviewed seven or eight men for that position. I did not interview any of them, and I never spoke to Kevin Rogers prior to his arrival here on campus.”
[snip]
No, I never spoke to Kevin about the job. My son was a graduate coach under Kevin at Notre Dame, and I had met Kevin several times and we are acquaintances. I hadn’t spoken to him in five or six years. I never spoke to him about the job, and I never interviewed any of the candidates that Spaz brought in. As I said, Spaz decides who plays, Spaz chooses his staff, Spaz decides who we’re going to recruit. Spaz makes these decisions along with input from his coaching staff. People might think that I’m making football decisions, but that’s simply not the case, and the hiring of Kevin is an example of that. You want an example of how I am involved in the football program? When Spaz comes to me and he says, "Gene, Kevin Rogers is making a pretty good salary with the Minnesota Vikings, but I’d really like to have him on my staff. Can you help me hire him?" That’s how I help the football program."
Editor, BC Interruption
You can’t just cite hires/fires, let’s say management decisions, and say that’s proof of ineptitude. College sports is ALL ABOUT recruiting, feeding the program.
You can be the world’s best recruiter, but if you don’t surround yourself with competent coordinators and assistant coaches, then you aren’t going to succeed. Hiring a competent staff, particularly on offense when your expertise is on the other side of the ball, is absolutely in a college football head coach’s job description.
As it stands, Spaz has failed in this regard … twice.
Editor, BC Interruption
Of course Spaz chooses his coaches. I don’t agree with you that there is proof he has failed in that regard. An offense not succeeding has a hell of a lot more to do with the players on the field, and particularly the QB, than it does with who the coordinator is. You can’t put Mario Andretti in a Studebaker and expect him to win the Indy 500. Surprisingly enough, most of the “geniuses” in the sport have a team with a ton of talent.
If Spaz had a problem with an employee that could not be resolved, manged or overcome, then that employee ought to be let go. Um, that’s called leadership.
I’d say our offensive ineptitude is based on (in order): 1. poor o-line play; 2. poor QB play; 3. inexperience at RB; 4. play-calling (yes, o-coord, but it’s 4th most imp thing).
How do you get the players on the field? Through coaches recruiting.
Reason 1 is on coaching.
Reason 2 is on the players and the coaches for not putting together an offensive game plan that puts the kids in a position to succeed.
Reason 3 is only partially based on Harris’ injury, but it’s not like AW game into this season completely green. This is more due to reason 1 more than anything, which again goes back to coaching.
Reason 4 is much higher than 4th on this list. Spaz’s anemic offensive calls have been the direct cause of the NU and Duke losses, and possibly the Wake Forest loss.
Editor, BC Interruption
What agenda?
If by agenda you mean wanting to see my alma mater return to playing a brand of football that I can be proud of, then yes, I have an agenda.
But I’m clearly not alone in this sentiment. I think you’ll be hard pressed to find another BC blogger, alum or fan that doesn’t want a change at the top (and for some, “the top” means even higher).
Editor, BC Interruption
Total Offense ranks 2007-2011
2007: 33
2008: 93
2009: 98
2010: 109
2011: 109
Fairly clear trend line, accomplished with guys Spaz recruited. As for the assertion that "we will not be “back” until we are fielding a large marjority of 3rd, 4th and 5th yr players as starters on our 2-deep," maybe someone should clue Spaz in to this fact. Maybe he wouldn’t have scared off and/or refuse to play the few upperclassmen or highly touted recruits we actually had on the spring roster.
E.g. Dominick LeGrande, Okechukwu Okoroha, Shakim Phillips, Clyde Lee, Will Thompson?, playing Billy Flutie, Thomas Claiborne-Spaz tiff, getting our talented upperclassmen TEs (Pantale, Anderson) even remotely involved in the offensive gameplan
Editor, BC Interruption
Scared off?? He enforces the rules and standards of Boston College. I for one, like it. But I’m an old guy who loves BC for a lot more than football.
Yeah, I’m generalizing, but younger alums and fans want a football powerhouse, now and always. That’s not BC, never has been, never will be. As I recognized 5 yrs ago, the TOB yrs were good years for BC football and the “fan-base” that ran him out of town is the same fan-base that loved Jags and is ripping Spaz. You have no perspective.
As the Thurs night announcers were scourging BC and it’s recruiting, I was dying for them to say we can’t recruit FSU’s frosh beasts b/c 90% of them would not be granted admission to BC. But that’s not PC, so it can’t be said.
Why were you...
dying for them to say such a thing? I’m dying to see proof that your assumptions of 90% of the “frosh beasts” wouldn’t be granted admission to BC. The reality, standards aside, is that BC can allow admission to any person they would like, Having said that, it’s absolutely a must, that BC show some interest in recruiting said “beast”.
I’m all for academic standards, however, scoring 1600 on the SATS and graduating the top 5% of your class is hardly the only indicator that a student would be successful academically at BC or any other institution.
I’m sick of the inferences that other teams, other conferences have simply lowered their standards and more importantly their expectations for the sake of fielding successful teams. The REALITY is that most of these kids graduate. The reality is that they are given a chance that other institutions do not afford them. Ok..BC has an outstanding graduation rate and that is to be commended. It still does not mean that when it comes to recruiting that they should not expand their horizons. I look at the roster and many of the BC players are from rural communities, prep schools or catholic schools.
Good players and good students can be found beyond the aforementioned restrictions. More importantly, they can be found beyond assumptions that only serve as roadblocks.
let's ratchet down the rhetoric
90%? I don’t know if it’s 90%, but I’m pretty comfortable saying it’s the majority. BC cannot recruit and admit at least half of the players that the LSUs, Oklahomas, Alabamas and Florida States go after. No, we’re not limited to 1600 SATs and top 5% of the class – and you know that – but there is no way on God’s green earth that the BCs, Dukes, Northwesterns and Vanderbilts of CFB can recruit and admit the same players as the schools already mentioned.
You know it, I know it, everybody knows it – it just can’t be discussed in polite company.
And don’t bother citing Stanford to me. Yup, they’re up right now (great QB), but so were we a few years ago with a great QB. Yes, these teams can capture some short term great success, but we’re not going to be a perennial top 5 or top 10 program. And finally, it’s not just academics either, geography, climate, etc., also come into play.
I don't know
anything and the point of my post is to say neither do you. Here we are compromising on whether the number is 90% or 50%. If the number is 50%, then my point is why would BC not look at the other 50% more aggressively? The question is why doesn’t BC expand it’s recruiting patterns. It starts with showing an interest in the recruit. Who wants to go to a school when the school shows no interest?
I’m a polite guy. I just think that there are players on the other side of the ball that could handle the BC academics that BC never looks to recruit. And the question is…why not?
and you know that – but there is no way on God’s green earth that the BCs, Dukes, Northwesterns and Vanderbilts of CFB can recruit and admit the same players as the schools already mentioned.
Why not?
I'm not arguing
that you can’t recruit 5 star athletes. I’m making the point that I don’t see the effort or planning to get them. BC can’t just stay in New England and Pennsylvania. Go South…and not just Florida.
Stanford doesn’t have stringent academic standards, either.
Latest BCS rankings:
1. LSU
2. Oklahoma State
3. Alabama
4. Stanford
Editor, BC Interruption
Your program is either historically good or historically crap, with schools with very sound academics falling on either side of the equation.
1. Notre Dame .732
2. USC .702
3. Miami .633
4. Boston College .587
5. Syracuse .582
Stanford .567
Duke .489
Northwestern .438
Wake Forest .410
There are solid football programs on either side of the academic divide. The “we can’t recruit 5* kids” argument due to academics argument rings hollow.
Editor, BC Interruption
As I recognized 5 yrs ago, the TOB yrs were good years for BC football and the "fan-base" that ran him out of town is the same fan-base that loved Jags and is ripping Spaz. You have no perspective.
No one ran him out of town, he quit because he hated our fan base and thought we didn’t give a crap. He wanted to play down south.
Writer at BC Interruption SBN's Boston College Eagles blog
Follow me on Twitter
You sidestepped my question about the O-line in the last post. If you’re blaming Jags for destroying it, why can’t Spaz be blamed for not improving it? What has he done to fix the problem?
Observer College redux
This reads like an Observer College spoof. I hope so, because if you are serious then you need some help. First the age of the posters is not relevant OR even knowable. I think the comments here, at ATL and EO reflected decades of graduates.
AND over 90% are in favor of dumping this very bad, program-killing coach.
You make this point: “a college football program relies on year in and year out recruiting” Agreed. But add this too: A successful program on the field is a more successful program in recruiting.
That is the big problem: Spaz and his staff are doing a bad job recruiting (look at OL and DL) and all signs are that b/c of the failure of the program, the recruiting is failing too.. all of this will be snowballing over the next few years unless something is done. Combine bad and worsening recruiting, with poor coaching and you are headed right to the bottom — which is where the program currently resides.
Do you like Maryland, Duke, Wake, Clemson, VT, Mia etc. all laughing in our face?
I think your point about Spaz failing in recruiting is just flat out wrong. Let me repeat: unless you’re getting the rare, physically mature 4-5 star recruits, and we don’t – by the way, this is mostly about lineman (which happens to be where football games are won and lost) – then you can’t judge a BC recruit and player until he’s 3+ yrs in the program. Spaz has been forced to field a JV team for the last 2.5 yrs. And by the way, we’re not even discussing that we didn’t have a QB for 2 yrs, and then we had a frosh and soph. These are growing pains people, rebuilding from a train-wreck.
Do you really want Spaz to be the guy that drives the train wreck into the repair yard and back out? NOT ME. The guy is really embarrasing to BC on so many levels and offers nothing that another coach could not do 10 times better.
But as to your need-for-continuity point, consider the wisdom of Emerson: A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.
(ps. graduating BC in 1981, assuming that is what rcmbc81 signifies, hardly qualifes you as some kind of grey-haired elder stateman)
Disagree
If you graduated college in ‘81, you’re old. Trust me on this one. I know.
It would be one thing if Spaz was only failing at one aspect of his job (in-game coaching, conservative read: non-existent offensive). But he hasn’t done much of anything on the recruiting trail, either. Our recruiting classes are continually ranked lower and lower each year.
And the biggest thing about the recruiting gap that rings hollow in my mind is that Spaz has been on this staff for 12+ years. He was recruiting when Jags was here. He’s recruiting now. What has changed, other than the quality of players Spaz brings on campus?
Editor, BC Interruption
Assuming we get the QB and o-line situations straightened out by next year, we’ll be 7-5’ish next year and 8-9 plus again by 2013
how is that going to happen? Magical thinking
you can throw in the DL are a glaring weak spot too. Fixable in a year? not so
Yeah, this is simply not happening under Spaz. There is really nothing you can point to from Spaz’s track record that would suggest we’ll get seven wins next season against a lineup that includes:
Clemson
Virginia Tech
at Florida State
Notre Dame
Miami
at Georgia Tech
BC has been non-competitive with Clemson and Virginia Tech under Spaz. Was blown out by FSU this season. Will likely get blown out next week at Notre Dame.
Editor, BC Interruption
Spaz didn't arrive from nowhere
First, Jags’ recruiting classes weren’t measurably worse than Spaz’s have been to date. Eagle in Atlanta did a great takedown of this argument.
Second, Spaz was part of the recruiting process in the previous regime, so he personally owns some of those results if they in fact are the source of the problem.
Third, Spaz hired/retained the recruiting coordinator from the former regime, as well as basically the entire remaining staff. Putting it on the coach who was here three and four years ago might make a little more sense if this wasn’t essentially the same staff.
Fourth, Spaz is tasked with running the program. Year 1, absolutely he gets/got a pass for talent not fitting his system. Year 3? I don’t think so. He’s had two years to get his guys in here. We are objectively terrible this year. One of the worst teams in college football.
Fifth, even then, it might be one thing if there was a positive trend. This season is massively worse than the two before it. The more time Spaz has had to recruit new players and coach up all of the available players, the worse things have become. Exhibit A is the QB and line play on both sides. Do you see ANY evidence those have improved over the last three years?
Sixth, exactly what is it we are waiting for at this point? Trends are bad, Spaz has been putting his stamp on this program for three years and heavily involved for a long time before that. Despite that, you counsel patience and a leap of faith. Surely you would admit there is at least some risk in that approach, yes? That the three year regression we have seen could in fact mean that a very good defensive coordinator got promoted above his ability and is failing? What is the upside payoff for accepting that risk? Spaz is 64 now and will be 65 when next year’s season starts. It isn’t like we have someone who, if we just stick by him and show patience and faith, he could be a program builder for the next two decades. There isn’t even a strong upside to support ignoring the total failure of this season.
Seventh, if you are right (and for reasons one through five above, I do not believe you are) what is the downside? Your argument is essentially, sure he has weaknesses as a coach, but we’ll do well anyway with an experienced team. In that case, might as well bring in a better gameday coach – hey, he’ll have an experienced team and so he will win, right?
by CSOM_97 on Nov 7, 2011 3:54 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
Yup, there’s some risk in keeping Spaz another 2 yrs to see if I’m right.
What’s the downside? HC changes wreak havoc on a program. You can take programs that supposedly just “re-load,” and even those programs are decimated by constant HCing changes (see ND).
Don’t give me Spaz was responsible for anything during the Jags yrs – Jags was responsible, and failed miserably.
Why were we better in his 1st and 2nd yrs than his 3rd? One, the schedule (didn’t I see at the beginning of the yr, BC was said to have 1 of the toughest 5 schedules in the country this year? How many times has that been the case with BC? Not many, or any). Two, injuries (um, we lost the pre-season ACC PLAYER OF THE YEAR, among others), expulsions, suspensions. Three, in his 1st and 2nd yrs, the remnants of the TOB yrs were still on the roster, again, where it counted most, in the trenches.
You all just aren’t getting the gaping, sucking chest wound the program sustained from the previous charlatan.
Who Hired the Charlatan?
Its nice to have a counterpoint and I admire you for sticking to your guns – even though you are horribly , horribly wrong!! The gaping, sucking chest wound you describe was caused by a guy who was hired by our illustrious AD. Getting rid of Spaz and having GDF choose his successor is a non starter. GDF’s judgment on personnel (and their contracts) cannot be trusted. The lead athletic program is in shambles and it should never have been allowed to get this far out of control. Guys that get paid their kind of money don’t get to assert excuses (even good excuses) for this kind of performance.
Wait so Jags was the sole owner of the problems with his teams?
Yet….you are giving away all of Spaz’s blame.
Pretty terrible argument all around. Come up with something better than Jags messed things up before you try to make another argument to keep Spaz.
My Twitter @totheights
This
Second, Spaz was part of the recruiting process in the previous regime, so he personally owns some of those results if they in fact are the source of the problem.
Editor, BC Interruption
Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your viewpoint) the University of Mississippi doesn’t have championship-calibre ice hockey and sailing to fall back on …
Editor, BC Interruption
I am a young alum that does not expect BC to be a football powerhouse. Would I love for the team to be competitive year in and out? Yes. Most definitely. But I understand that college football has its regressions and progressions.
I’d be okay with a losing season, and having the HC keep his job. I seriously would, so long as the HC was attempting to win the game, playing all four quarters, all sixty minutes. I can excuse a losing a season for a head coach that cares for his players and shows passion. Down by 17 heading into the fourth quarter? If the coach is still going for it, but loses in the end, at least he’s putting for the effort.
I started out this season as a supporter of Spaziani. I do think coaching turnover can affect coaches, so I think a coach should be given three seasons, at minimum. Spaz deserved this season, if at least to bring in his own players. This team was handicapped from the get-go with injuries. Our first game, we were out some of our top players. I can understand losing when you don’t have your best personnel on the field.
But injuries do not give a coach the right to thrown in the towel. Neither do staff changes. I’d honestly be willing to give Spaz a pass for this season, if he played every game! But when he gives up on national television, when he throws his players under the bus, when his coaching is so uninspired that it is apparent he is not playing to win, he needs to go.
The argument that he deserves to develop his players is ruined by the type of message he’s passing on. Down by two touchdowns in the fourth? “Sorry, guys, we’re not going for it. You’re just not developed enough.”
Like I said, I can excuse a losing season, even multiple losing seasons. The coach needs to play with passion, he needs to show the faith he has in his players, and he needs to play a full sixty minute game. All injuries, scheduling, personnel issues aside, does any really believe that Spaz has earned his contract? i.e. has he played the game to the best of his ability?
I have no idea what it takes to be a head coach. But I’ll take all David Cutcliffe’s losing seasons at Duke over this season of Frank Spaziani, because at least Cutcliffe doesn’t play to lose.
by polarbearbrother on Nov 7, 2011 4:54 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
I’ll take all David Cutcliffe’s losing seasons at Duke over this season of Frank Spaziani, because at least Cutcliffe doesn’t play to lose
well said
by #)&!*$&( on Nov 7, 2011 5:20 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
You’ve also described the difference between Spaz and Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald here. No one is calling for that guy’s head during a sub .500 year because Fitz sticks up for his players, doesn’t take on a defeatist mentality and doesn’t play not to lose.
Editor, BC Interruption
Let’s face it-for some unfathomable reason, a large contingent of Boston College football fans are always be more comfortable excusing mediocrity than enjoying success, although in this case, the term “mediocre” is way too generous-utterly disastrous best describes Spaz’s tenure. Remember all those who defended TOB’s play of Quentin Porter after Matt Ryan’s clear superiority was well-established, citing academic standards as the reason for his decision? .
by janebc on Nov 7, 2011 6:43 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
The road not taken
Yes, BC hIstorically has had a very conservative, risk adverse culture.
a large contingent of Boston College football fans are always be more comfortable excusing mediocrity than enjoying success,
So true..
This why BC produces more accountants than CEOs, more doctors than scientists and more lawyers than entrepreneurs
But things are changing…BC is rising ever higher and all, almost all, BCers want a new coach with a real plan for success – not success-in-a-can, but a plan to restore excellence where it has gone wanting. But there are always going to be a few old goats trailing the pack, like rcmbc81.
It never ceases to amaze me that people are making excuses for a THIRD YEAR coach by, amongst other things, pointing to his predecessor (who won the division twice BTW) as the reason for the team’s rapid decline. What really gets me is that if Spaz comes back and we’re like this again — and I have no reason to believe we wouldn’t be, given how BC’s gameplanning is no better than something you’d find scrawled on the back of a napkin — these same people would be making the SAME EXCUSES for him this time next season and banging the “we are what we are” drum.
Soaring to Glory: On the #FireSpaz bandwagon before it was cool
by SoaringtoGlory on Nov 8, 2011 1:30 AM EST up reply actions
third level of inception
Really enjoyed that line. Someone needs to go leo dicaprio on gdf. Plant the essence of the idea of firing spaz.
I’m in . . .
by cwm2005 on Nov 7, 2011 7:31 PM EST via iPhone app reply actions 1 recs
remember when we plant the seed
positive catharsis trumps negative emotion every time, “yes Gene! Spaz actually WANTS you to split up this disgusting empire you’ve built together, its what he’s wanted the whole time”…. Oh man, I’ve seen that movie too many times
Hey,
can you guys hire Edsall?
I like Turtles!
Follow @HarryHareBear
never been to that site
its interesting to see the different salaries though… does anyone know how the average salary breaks up by conference?
my take
my inclination is to agree with rcmbc. that’s just how i’m inclined. injuries, youth, inexperience, give the guy a chance…..and i’m not an alum and don’t really have a connection to bc other than my kid going there. so give him a chance. seems lke a nice guy. that’s my inclination. and despite it, i think spaz should go. so if I think spaz should be fired, i can’t see how anyone couls still support him. this is only my 2nd year following BC and i like coming here to get up to speed and that means on this past, too. i enjoyed this discussions buts for all the talk about play calling, o-line, rettig, recruiting, jags, TOB, all that stuff, know what got me on the fire spaz bandwagon? body language. during the UCF game. i saw it and somebody here mentioned it. and i don’t just mean the defense dragging ass for being on the field 40 minutes. everybody just seemed so frustrated and demoralized and i thought whatever else you say about spaz, there is no excuse for kids going out, busting their asses and being so down on themselves in the 4th quarter. no excuse for that and it’s 100% on the head coach. so, that may be a silly reason-body language- but but it’s why I came to believe spaz had to go. since then… my god. the play calling? Holy shit! If these kids aren’t top shelf recruits, BC can still be pretty good if they play to their potential won’t happen under spaz..
Were you present at UCF game Beerfart?
Rumor is that Spaz and Rogers had a loud public argument on sidelines? (not sure it could be true b/c Roger would be upstairs). See anything?
This is when Rogers was ‘injured’ ha!!
no
watching that debacle on TV. Over the summer I had considered going. That was before I knew—or anybody knew-just how bad things were going to be. not just in that game, for gthe whole season. glad i didn’t. As for Rogers, I feel I must respect his privavcy.
Privacy!
Yes, we must respect Roger’s privacy! So sad his injury was to his balls , as in conspiring with GDF and lying his balls off lacking full candor about why he left (it was obviously an agreed upon lie statement.) Really hideous GDF will so easily and willingly lie to suit his agenda not be as candid as hoped
I resspect
Mr. DeFillipo’s privavcy too. If he wants to lie to us, I’m sure he has a darn good reason and I trust him to do the right thing.
like I said...
didn’t expect to change anyone’s mind. All I’m hearing is that despite the obvious objective reasons for a down season, EVERYTHING is Spaz’s fault, to include the ball not having enough air on Quigley’s punts (yup, made that up). It’s kind of like the 2nd string goalie or QB phenomena – if you’re not winning, forget any discussion/debate why, somebody, anybody, is better than who you already have.
Firing Spaz now will be a mistake. It will set the program back, again, for another 3-4 years. This is not unlike the fire Beamer crowd 3-4 yrs into his tenure. CFB programs cannot be turned around on a dime (see Dooley at Tenn, which has a million built-in advantages to BC). And we’re not even talking continuity here, as in Spaz taking over for TOB – we had a 2-3 yr disaster occur (not the record people, that was 80% TOB, but the damage to recruiting and sustaining the program w/ quality bodies, particularly at QB), so it’s not a shock that it’s taking time to right the ship.
But, that said, many people want instant, or constant, success, and don’t understand how hard that is to come by, so… run him out-of-town if you want. No patience. “I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now.” That’s not the way the world, or CFB, works.
Tennessee may have a million built-in advantages over BC, but they also have to play LSU, Alabama, Arkansas, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida every season. The ACC is not the SEC, and there’s simply no excuse for a program like BC losing to Wake Forest and Duke in conference … and being non-competitive against Clemson, Florida State and Virginia Tech.
Editor, BC Interruption
All I’m hearing from you is that ditching Spaziani right now would be a mistake. Still waiting on you providing us one good reason why.
- Continuity in the coaching staff? Argument will be blown out the window this off season as we search for our third OC in four years (mind you, the first two were hired by Spaz).
- Allowing Spaz’s recruits another year in the system? They’ve had 3 years under their belts now and … wait for it … Spaz has been recruiting on the Heights for 12+ years now. He kept the recruiting coordinator from the previous staff. If there was a problem with recruiting, isn’t it on Spaz to fix that by now? In the meantime, each successive recruiting class has gotten worse as we’ve gone.
- Putting the kids in a position to win ball games? Because that ain’t happening under Spaz with his defeatist and “let’s punt the ball down 31 points mentality.”
- To recruit another stud QB and wait another 3-4 years from him to grow up through the system? You could put Andrew Luck on this team and Spaz’s offensive game plan and O Line which has continually regressed under his watch wouldn’t win the ACC let alone the Atlantic Division.
- So BC’s offenses can put up points in numbers? BC has averaged a pathetic 15.1 points a game against I-A team this season .. 16.8 last season … and 22.3 in 2009. I don’t think we can go much lower, but why is there reason to believe our O will score more points going forward?
So keep chalking this up to people wanting instant, constant success. Or on age, as ridiculous as that sounds.
Frankly, achieving even a modicum of success in the ACC should not be that difficult after a program like BC takes care of its I-AA opponent, a MACrificial lamb and four ACC opponents the caliber of Wake Forest, Duke, N.C. State and Maryland.
Editor, BC Interruption
The "continuity" argument
I hear people make it, and it baffles me. Why would anyone want continuity and the status quo in this program? We’re 2-7 for god sakes!
Soaring to Glory: On the #FireSpaz bandwagon before it was cool
by SoaringtoGlory on Nov 8, 2011 12:33 PM EST up reply actions
it's about players...
that’s as simple as I can make it for you all. No one’s really refuted that argument. I’ve heard Atlanta Eagle did; hah, I read it; weak as can be. Haven’t we learned that you can’t rate BC recruiting by Rivals rankings and stars? Hello McFly’s!! We need 3-5 yrs to develop a good, ACC-caliber BC starter. Spaz has recruited for 2 yrs (3 if you count coming in late after Jags firing). And the point is those guys are 18, 19 and 20, not 21, 22 or 23. Then, as we all know, we’ve had key injuries this year (umm, like the ACC player of the year). KPL has been out for 3 games, maybe the season. Who plays in his place? A frosh, a frickin’ 18 yr old. Same in the secondary; same on the d-line. People, you’re arguing that 18 and 19 yr olds should be winning – NOT IN CFB – turning boys into men thru redshirts and 2-3 yrs of seasoning is how teams like BC win.
Still waiting on 1 good reason Brian? I’ve only repeated this 4-5 times, maybe more. If, according to you, that’s not a good reason, so be it. We disagree.
By the way CFB blogging expert – Tenn doesn’t play Alabama, LSU and Arkansas every year. Tenn is in the SEC East, they’re all in the West. But the argument is relative anyway. Yup, the SEC is better than the ACC, good call, got it. Doesn’t change the argument about it taking yrs to make a program yours.
Every argument made here for firing Spaz ignores the youth (and injuries) issue(s). Someone refute that.
They played Alabama and LSU this year. BC played Duke and Miami from the other side. You don’t need to be a CFB blogging expert to know the difference.
Editor, BC Interruption
If its about the players ...
Then we can agree that a coach’s job is to put the players in a position to win. Not set them up for failure with a nonexistent offensive game plan and then throw the players under the bus in post game pressers.
Not sure how these behaviors really build up 18 and 19 yr olds and teach them how to go about life.
Editor, BC Interruption
Andretti and the Studebaker
You refuse – actually, are unable – to refute this line of reasoning. “Put players in a position to win.” Our players AREN’T GOOD ENOUGH this year. We’re too young, physically immature and inexperienced.
So Andretti should be able to win the Indy 500 driving a Studebaker (when everyone else is driving an Indy car). Ridiculous.
Why can’t KPL’s replacement be senior Will Thompson? Spaz throws out Duggan in KPL’s place over a senior, not out of necessity but based on his call. The youth argument rings hollow when you think about all the underclassmen who have gotten starts over seniors over the last three seasons.
And injuries? BC must be the only I-A program in the country to deal with the injury bug. My bad.
Editor, BC Interruption
Spaz has recruited for 2 years?
No. Spaz has recruited for 13-14 years. Apparently the assistants and coordinators don’t do any recruiting.
Editor, BC Interruption
stop
Spaz was responsible for the defense and we were consistently one of the best in the Country. So he failed…how?
Got it – you want Spaz gone. I disagree.
Finally, I notice the ESPN ACC blog agrees it’d be a set-back to fire Spaz. Hmm, I’m not the only one (even if the rest of you have so decreed).
You are using something Heater Dinich wrote about the Boston College football team to prop up your argument. You’re the one that needs to stop.
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Nov 8, 2011 8:07 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Or Heather, though Heater had a nice ring to it.
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Nov 8, 2011 8:07 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
That’s great. You disagree with me.
You also disagree with 90 percent of the fan base that sees the writing on the wall that Spaz was a great DC but is now ill equipped to run a BCS conference football program.
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Nov 8, 2011 8:09 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
hmm, 9% gain
Haha, we started this with you saying 99% of the fan base wants Spaz gone, now we’re down to 90%. I must be winning this argument. Point being, you have no idea what percent wants to make a change. As I said from the beginning, all you can rely on is the “blogosphere,” message boards, etc., where the most vocal and energetic (and yes, that means younger fans) are likely to post their frustrations.
I’ve followed your blog all season – hey, that’s good news, isn’t it? – and yes Brian, you’ve had an agenda. Ok, so you’ve whipped up support for your position and those people post on your blog. Great, that’s what it’s all about really, eh? So you keep doing what you’re doing and I hope it works out great for you. For now, I’ll just read occasionally, watch football and fade back to the background.
The fact of the matter is, unless Spaz wants to step down, he will coach at least 1 more season. And I can all but guarantee we’ll be better, and he isn’t going to get fired with an improving team after 2012.. We will then be better again in 2013. As I’ve said, it takes time to build a program, and he’s going to get the time. Why? Because people who know far more about college football, and BC in particular, than you are making these decisions. Now you can go off on GDF too – I’ll just sit back and laugh.
Firing Spaz now will be a mistake. It will set the program back, again, for another 3-4 years. This is not unlike the fire Beamer crowd 3-4 yrs into his tenure.
yuk, yuk, yuk
IF SPAZ = BEAMER, than rcmbc81=CollegeObserver (but done badly)
Whoa.
The Spaz apologists on this thread are incredible. The guy isn’t getting it done. He had three years and got progressively worse. What else needs to be said?
If you were in a mutual fund that had historically done quite well but then a new portfolio manager was brought on board and you saw your returns consistently fall year after year would you say “hey, this guy might just turn it around” or would you simply find a new fund that has, at worst, an unknown track record or, more likely, an established record of at least some success recently? Arguing for the former is pretty difficult to do and is why the apologists sound sort of silly.
You can hope it will rain on your crops every day or you can build an irrigation ditch.
by LineBackersForHeisman on Nov 8, 2011 11:58 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
great analogy
the stock market and college football programs. Uh huh.
In this scenario, Gene bought low and will sell a penny stock
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Nov 8, 2011 8:06 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on BC Interruption
Related FanShots on BC Interruption
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
