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And The Frank Spaziani Excuse Train Just Keeps On Chugging

Earlier this week I contemplated a thought regarding my posting here at BCI. Some of our readers, my Dad included, have complained that we have spent too much time berating Frank Spaziani, and we should move on. Yesterday I started to actually agree with them. Basing this not on the supporters being right, but rather because everything that could be said about Spaz has been said. That was until Frank Spaziani opened his mouth again and another columnist rushed to the aid of BC's head coach.

Today in the Boston Herald, Ron Borges -- who hardly ever talks about college sports -- opened Pandora's box again with a doozy of an article entitled "Frank Spaziani Stays Positive".

Let's start with a new gem from our boy Spaz:

"I don't think there's a reason for doom and gloom. I know we're in a better spot than we were three years ago. I know you go eight wins, seven wins, four wins it looks on the surface like a trend you don't want to happen but let's be honest: We're not a reload program."

We are better than we were three years ago? I don't even have to open up a website to know this a crock of bull. You know where BC was three years ago? Losing to Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship game. And guess what? They were bowl eligible too. Man those were some nice times. Does Spaz honestly believe that the 2011 BC Eagles were better than the 2008 Eagles in any capacity? Find me a statistic, one statistic in which this team was superior to that team. And no, Ryan Quigley's punting average doesn't count.

And yes Spaz, three years is a trend. And a trend from championship contender to basement dweller is pretty damning. We have just watched a whole slew of coaches get canned for records even better than yours. And many of them have coached those teams for fewer seasons. When should we expect this reload to happen?

The excuse train is in full swing as Borges completely buys into all of the anti-Jagodzinski propaganda that GDF is still spreading

When Spaziani took over in January of 2009 after the shocking firing of Jeff Jagodzinski followed his decision to interview for a coaching job with the New York Jets despite athletic director Gene DeFilippo's prohibition against it, BC's record was frankly better than its talent. At least better than the talent that was left. Jagodzinski favored a spread offense, which is fine if you can stockpile enough talent to keep it running. Problem is at a place like Boston College that is easier said than done. Take, for example, the quarterback who was supposed to run it.

BC didn't have dynamic talent to run the spread offense? Rich Gunnell was a nice player, but was he a superstar that would be impossible to replicate? Nope. Alex Amidon and Bobby Swigert could both be very successful in a spread system. Dominique Davis wasn't all that great either, but BC's offense was still better than it was this year. The reason this team put up points was the coaching and system that was put into place. Borges even trips up on his own words and admits that. How else would a team play better than it's talent? Who is feeding Borges the misinformation that BC doesn't have the talent to run the spread? I have one guess, and I bet you all know who I am thinking about.

Truth be told, after about 20 defections for various reasons, BC was picked to finish last in the ACC in 2009. Unfortunately for Spaziani, they ended up playing in the conference title game, thereby masking fissures in the program that would eventually rupture.

Did I miss something here? Borges might want to check his facts there.

The rest of the article is the usual Gene DeFilippo talking points about 2011's failure. Coaching turnover, injuries, young team. I don't need to beat those points to death. My question is, when is this Frank Spaziani excuse tour going to end? As many posts that Brian, Jeff and I post about Spaz's failings, they are matched by an HD/Borges/Blaudschun who continue to spew the GDF bullet points. We get it. No one cares Gene, move on.

This article just reeks of BC Athletics, who at this point have heard from many alumni and former football players who have said enough is enough. They know this is the time most alums donate to the school, and I'm sure they have heard a lot of dial tones and unanswered calls when fans see 617-552 numbers. They know that their program is completely reeling, and that support is dwindling and must be terrified what next season holds. This pro Spaz media blitz is about as desperate as a program can get. And it's pathetic.

And to Ron Borges, stick to boxing.

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by Conrad Kaczmarek on Dec 6, 2011 2:31 PM EST reply actions  

“Truth be told, after about 20 defections for various reasons …”

It amazes me that this excuse keeps coming around. Is college football the only profession where managers/coaches don’t at least take some responsibility for transfers?

Josh Haden and Justin Tuggle leaving the program 7-8 games into the season and GDF hiring Spaz … Two totally unrelated events, eh?

The administration and the coaching staff has to sack up and take some responsibility for the non-disciplinary transfers the last three seasons.

by Brian Favat on Dec 6, 2011 2:37 PM EST via mobile reply actions  

is this all really about $$$$?

Is BC having some $$$ issues? revenue down? BC has very big expenses with new buildings and growth. I am wondering if ’ol BC might just be spread too thin?

BC already has the lowest cost for permannet HC in the ACC (and I ma sure low costs for asst coaches too). We are paying something like 55% of the going rate for HC.

GDF cemented in that low HC cost for 2 more years by granting Spaz an extension.

I seriously wonder how much of GDF’s crazy conduct with hiring and extending Spaz has to do with saving million of $$.

The $$$ angle is a plausible explanation for the BS.

Of course, the whole idea of saving money (today), is really saying BC will not invest in sports success (today), which is troubling, if true.

by eagleosprey on Dec 6, 2011 2:37 PM EST reply actions  

More $$$ (where is a CSOMer when you need one!)

The $$ issue is very significant. Check out the list of coaches salaries. http://www.coacheshotseat.com/SalariesContracts.htm

Spaz is #66 out of FCS schools. But look closer, Spaz is LAST of all coaches in a BCS conference. Wilson from Indiana (worst BCS team) is a first year coach!

…………………………………………………………
BC is getting what they are paying for
…………………………………………………………

the data:

Rank
66 Frank Spaziani (age 63) Boston College 63 $1,100,000
67 Kevin Wilson (age 50) Indiana 50 $1,100,000
68 David Shaw(age 39) Stanford $1,000,000 (likely received raise)
70 Danny Hope (age 51) Purdue $950,000 (bonuses make $$ higher)
73 Pat Fitzgerald (age 36) Northwestern $800,000 (likely received raise)
75 Luke Fickell (age 38) Ohio State 38 $775,000 (out)
76 Everett Withers (age 48) North Carolina $750,000 (out)
79 James Franklin (age 39) Vanderbilt $750,000 (likely received raise)
84 Paul Wulff (age 43) Washington State $625,000 (out)

by eagleosprey on Dec 6, 2011 4:24 PM EST up reply actions  

oh! and Spaz being the lowest paid coach should mean he is the LEAST COSTLY TO FIRE

(I know it depends on how much contract term is left, but you get the idea)

by eagleosprey on Dec 6, 2011 4:28 PM EST up reply actions  

I really don’t think this is about money, EO. I think it’s about Gene hiring his buddy and making up every excuse under the sun to keep him (and his underachieving coaching staff) on the Heights as long as possible.

If it was really about money, I know another place BC could trim — fifth highest paid A.D. in the ACC. I’ll do his job for half salary.

#BrianBCI4BCAD

by Brian Favat on Dec 6, 2011 5:15 PM EST up reply actions  

i agree and don't agree

No one thinks it is about the money. But then i stopped and thought; it is always about the money in some way.

BC has almost the highest tuition in the BCS, among the highest paid AD, one of the higher endowments (not high by Ivy standards, but close to $2,000,000,000).

Doesn’t it strike you as odd that BC has the LOWEST PAID HC in the BCS??? They were cheap with TOB too. Why? Do all the sports $$ have to come from Sports revenue and the Flynn fund? There is no state legislature to fork over $$

We also know BC will never spend out of the endowment for sports. So what is going on?

Could it be the paradoxical effect of too many people refusing to give to the Flynn Fund to protest Spaz as HC that results in GDF not having enough in the budget anymore to fire Spaz?

I know people think it is all about GDF the psycho, but the $$ has got to matter.

You are an CSOM guy - follow the $$$$.

by eagleosprey on Dec 6, 2011 6:04 PM EST up reply actions  

I actually thought the article was a very candid look at what Spaz has done. And I thought there were very telling quotes from Spaz himself. At least he acknowledges that people within the BC community are not happy.

What’s more, I thought this was the most optimistic he’s ever sounded. Granted, this is now looking at a college football season more than nine months away, but still.

I think the most interesting thing about the article was what Borges touched upon with what happened behind the scenes, starting a few years ago. As much as we in the BC blogosphere love to be Monday morning quarterbacks, we really have no insight as to what goes on except for what comes out on the field.

by polarbearbrother on Dec 6, 2011 5:07 PM EST reply actions  

seriously?

AJ – your hate blinders don’t allow you to see/hear the obvious.

>>We are better than we were three years ago? I don’t even have to open up a website to know this a crock of bull. You know where BC was three years ago? Losing to Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship game. And guess what? They were bowl eligible too. Man those were some nice times. Does Spaz honestly believe that the 2011 BC Eagles were better than the 2008 Eagles in any capacity? Find me a statistic, one statistic in which this team was superior to that team.<<

“We’re in a better spot than we were 3 yrs ago DOES NOT MEAN, nor was it meant to mean, that the 2011 team was better than the 2008 team. Are you serious? That’s not what he said. You then argue with what you want to argue with.

He is referrring to the direction and future of the PROGRAM. You guys are so hung up on comparing TEAMS and team’s records. Wow, how hard is that? Yup, 9,10, 11 wins is better than 8, 7, 4. Got it. No kidding.

I agree with your father (as you know) that this subject has been hammered to death here, to exhaustion. I think you told me, “no one’s making you read it.” I hope you weren’t that harsh with your father. So I’m not going to launch into the whole thing again (I actually bowed out on this stuff 5-6 days ago). But this diatribe, certainly the part where you want to suggest that Spaz is saying his 2011 TEAM was better than the 2008 TEAM is just so off, that I had to call you out on it.

I’ll take our PROGRAM’S future right now over our PROGRAM’S future in Dec 2009 any day (Spaz or no Spaz). Besides the fact he had no loyalty at all to BC and wanted to coach in the NFL from the get-go, did you ever wonder why Jags was so keen to get out of Dodge after 2008? Because he knew the getting was good. He knew what the trajectory of the program was going to be and he knew his “star” would never be brighter than it was after 2 seasons. He was not a CFB head coach, who knew how, was interested in, or had tried to MAINTAIN A PROGRAM over the long haul.

Have fun, last word and all that. Out.

by rcmbc81 on Dec 6, 2011 5:22 PM EST reply actions  

Same reason TOB left
did you ever wonder why Jags was so keen to get out of Dodge after 2008?

Because he quickly realized he works for a micromanager of an Athletics Director who has a Napoleon complex?

by Brian Favat on Dec 6, 2011 5:27 PM EST up reply actions  

I have to agree with you

"I’ll take our PROGRAM’S future right now over our PROGRAM’S future in Dec 2009 any day "

Agreed. I have faith that we’ll only endure one more year of Spaz now. Last year I wasn’t sure.

GO BC!

by BCMike22 on Dec 7, 2011 9:27 AM EST up reply actions  

Disagree

You can’t just look at the program’s future in a vacuum. Across the ACC …

  • Clemson isn’t going anywhere, having just inked OC Chad Morris to a long-term deal (and he now makes more cash than our HC, and deservedly so)
  • Florida State is only going to get better
  • N.C. State is a sleeping giant waiting for the right coach to make some noise in the Atlantic
  • Wake Forest continues to over-achieve under Grobe
  • Maryland still sucks

And that’s just the Atlantic. VT not going anywhere. UVa getting better. North Carolina just hired Fedora. GT not going anywhere under Paul Johnson. Even Duke has shown improvement.

At least in 2009, Morris hadn’t gotten to Clemson yet, C.J. Spiller was set to graduate, Bowden had just retired, etc. Future is bright for BC football — since there’s nowhere to go but up — but it’s equally bright, if not more so, for most of the conference, too.

by Brian Favat on Dec 7, 2011 9:34 AM EST up reply actions  

I’ll take our PROGRAM’S future right now over our PROGRAM’S future in Dec 2009 any day

So would the rest of us, because the program’s future in 2009 was two seasons worse than the last.

by bc2208 on Dec 6, 2011 5:25 PM EST reply actions  

careful what you wish for

by bloomsday16 on Dec 6, 2011 7:37 PM EST up reply actions  

disingenuous

My biggest problem is the idea that making the ACC championship game was “unfortunate for Spaziani”

How is making an ACC championship unfortunate-EVER? It’s great for BC, the players, the fan base, recruiting, and the coach!

The whole article is suspect because it panders to Spaz the individual- and that is what’s really unfortunate here. That, and a coach that two runs, and taking a knee as his 2 minute drill

by cwm2005 on Dec 6, 2011 10:24 PM EST via iPhone app reply actions  

The only thing unfortunate about making the 2009 ACC Championship Game is that it never happened.

by Brian Favat on Dec 7, 2011 9:34 AM EST up reply actions  

$$$$

No donations until Spaz goes

by suffolk eagle on Dec 7, 2011 9:01 AM EST reply actions  

Make it $1

$1 helps our ranking but sends a clear message we’re pissed.

GO BC!

by BCMike22 on Dec 7, 2011 9:28 AM EST up reply actions  

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