Friday, January 27, 2012

Riffing on BC news

There are a few stories that deserve more than just a link but not their own posts...


Tampa Bay hired Greg Schiano and it had a ripple effect on BC recruiting. BC is targeting Don Bosco WR Leonte Carroo. They are also trying to get TE Michael Giacone. This shift is a gift for a BC class that had numerous holes to fill. Let's hope our staff is working overtime to close these kids.


Jags and McGovern were both mentioned as candidates for the Rutgers job. I don't think either will get much beyond an interview. Rutgers will reach for someone with some sizzle. I am not sure how Jags would fit in Piscataway, but I actually think McGovern would do very well at Rutgers. He's not the showman that Schiano was but he knows New Jersey. Leveraging those roots could build on Schiano's recruiting momentum. The question that will haunt McGovern in any interview is how much the defense is his doing and how much is Spaz.


Regardless of whether he salvages this recruiting class by flipping some Rutgers recruits, I think this recruiting season raises concerns about Spaz's ability and willingness to close on these BC targets. Two recent articles really jumped out with damning quotes. First Jameson McShea -- who called BC his dream school -- said this regarding head coaches in his recruiting process:

“I spent a lot of time with Coach Murphy and not much time with Spaz [BC head coach Frank Spaziani],” McShea said. “That's basically what it came down to.
BC slow played McShea so you can sort of rationalize Spaz not putting time in with the kid, but that just raises other questions. Why don't we cultivate our backups better? Why don't we kick up the sales pitch when it appears that other recruits are waivering? The other story was BC missing out on QB Matt Johns. How did we lose him? Mike London's charm and sales pitch.
“When I went to Boston College I was like, ‘this is it,’” Johns said. “My parents said, ‘let’s go visit Virginia.’ We actually went down and spent a day with the coaches and got to talk with them and then I had a little sit down with Coach [Mike] London.


“After that point, there was no No. 2 school.”



Army announced earlier this week that they had switched dates with BC. We will travel to West Point this fall and they will return in 2013. There's been speculation as to why they switched. I think it comes down to BC trying to change perception and tweek demand. A seven game home slate going into 2012 with Spaz and a lagging economy is not enticing to BC. If they keep it smaller and highly desirable (ND, Miami, Clemson, VT) there won't be as much Grouponing. The hope would be that the program and the economy would be in better shape to help ticket sales when Army returns in 2013.

9 comments:

Erik said...

BC won't reduce their tailgate fees by 1/7, though. That said I've been waiting for a game at West Point for a lOng time now. Couldn't make the last one. Love a rare drivable road game.

mod34b said...

McGovern: Does he have a winning personality? An HC personality?

I've never heard him utter a word and rarely see any press comments by him.

Can't imagine him as a Schiano replacement.

EL MIZ said...

those are some pretty alarming quotes about spaz. i am OK with 2 kids leaving the class to play at schools that will have 2.5x the amount of fans at every home game, but i am not OK with losing another 2 recruits because spaz can't fit them into his schedule... that is outrageous.

i'm not a believer at all in the "recruiting rankings" and the star system. i do think, however, that bringing in the most kids you can every year is pivotal, as you never know what will happen (like the DB getting kicked off the team to start the year, injuries, guys not making grades, transfers, etc) and the more people you have, the better your chances. this was the staple of the TOB teams, and look at the guys that were unheralded coming into camp (jamie silva was a 2-star recruit, raji a 3-star) that wound up being team leaders.

i have high doubts that we are going to be able to poach these rutgers kids, especially with spaz being MIA, but who knows. i would love to see a post once signing day passes (can we still get commitments after signing day?) to analyze the #'s -- how many seniors are leaving, and how many guys are we bringing in.

Big Jack Krack said...

Hey Spaz - if all of Spurrier's recruits sign up next week, South Carolina will have to find an excuse to dump 6 players. They will have 91 players on scholarship.

Stay alert. :-)

You have positioned us well to accept castoffs.

eagle1331 said...

As someone from NJ that worked with McGovern at BC for a year, and knows several family members and friends, he's a great guy and coach but very loyal to BC. The only time he talked about leaving in his tenure was when Spaz was promoted if he didn't get the DC job. He has much more "normal" of a personality than Spaz and the kids always seemed to like him... definitely a passionate coach. I think he could be a pretty decent HC and especially at RU would hurt us...

dixieagle said...

Spaz... get off your duff and get aggressive for once.

EL MIZ said...

eagle 1331, if MCG has a more "normal" personality than spaz, what exactly is spaz's personality like? i shudder to think he is like how he is portrayed in the media (pessimistic, downtrodden, blaming others/not taking responsibility).

JBQ said...

If Jags should get the Rutgers job which he won't, then BC would be in real trouble. Jags recruits the mothers and has "kittens jumping out of trees". Spaz couldn't recruit a "raincoat in a hurricane". Spaz was great and loyal at his level of expertise. When will WPL make a move? Feb 1 will say a lot and is there any more word on whether any current players are leaving. If Harris has his degree, then he could play elsewhere as is Crist on his move to Kansas with Charlie the tuna.

Scoop said...

BC has a shot at snagging RB Steve Longa (Saddle Brook), who committed to RU last summer, according to the Bergen Record. He has two visits left and might check out BC. He said he is keeping his options open.

The paper also noted the star QB Devin Fuller is undecided now and BC is still listed as in the mix.