Saturday, July 06, 2013

Thoughts on SI's Addazio article

I am sure most of you have read SI's behind the scenes article on Addazio's first recruiting class. It is great publicity for the program and provides an interesting look at how Addazio is attacking our talent issues head on (since he is his own recruiting coordinator). These are a few of the things that stood out to me:

-- Addazio is more than just "rah, rah" and high energy. There is some simple sales strategies and statistics at work here and that is a good thing. I don't know if this is his original thought or he is adapting from other coaches whom he worked under, but having X amount of prospects that require X amount of contact and calls per week is familiar to anyone who has worked in Sales before. You are never going to close every deal in football or business, so you need enough prospects lined up to reach your goals. It is a simple concept, but one that has been lacking around BC. Too often the past four years we went from our A List to our C List without any rhyme or reason in between.
-- Institutional guys are buying in. Most programs have a few coaches and guys who have been around a while and have seen many come and go. BC has two on staff now in Kevin Lempa and Al Washington. Both have been part of multiple BC regimes and know what works and doesn't. Both are quoted in the article and seem to be enjoying the new culture.
-- #beadude is going to get played to the hilt this fall by the media. I like the idea behind Don Brown's viral hash-tag. But as we know a good thing can become a tired cliche when we hear about it every week. I predict it will get mentioned weekly in our games and will be all over the feature articles this fall. I will try to keep from rolling my eyes as long as recruiting is going strong. I also expect Brown's magic to keep us competitive this fall. I do feel for him that he didn't trademark the phrase as it will be on signs and t-shirts in the near future.
-- High School Coaches talking about Spaz. The contrast in John DiBiaso's (Everett) and Greg Toal's (Don Bosco) comments about our former staff were telling. DiBiaso was more candid in saying the former was "all over the place." While Toal didn't defend Spaz, he did point out Spaz's success as a defensive coach. This is all validation of what most of us thought -- things were a mess under Spaz. And his staff not being cohesive was also a byproduct of the AD having influence in who was hired and who was not. None of us know if Addazio will succeed but I think it is clear he is in control. I also like that his "energy" is translating to critical high school coaches and players.

9 comments:

Big Jack Krack said...

I wanted Spaz to succeed when he was named HC, but I feared that he would not.

I didn't think he would be such a disaster at first, but it became apparent soon enough. That Napoleon DeFillipo gave him an unmerited extension was mind boggling.

Because of the previous disaster, Coach Addazio and his staff look like energetic geniuses.

Go BC - let's continue to build on this positive energy.

Benjamin said...

The article was a refreshing insight into Boston College athletics that has been missing from the program for sometime.

What I found particular - how much Addazio learned from Urban Meyer and how he was trying to implement among the staff. I appreciate the changes in recruiting, image, style, etc. because it indicates that Addazio is trying to build a system. Emphasis on the system. Addazio really believes that Boston College can become a powerhouse in the Northeast. It's evident. I would love nothing more than to see that come to fruition.

jampino said...

BC can be a powerhouse not just in the NE, but nationally. I believe that is what Addazio is after. It was what Coughlin was after. We'll see if he's successful.

mod34b said...

Being a power in the Northeast (beating UConn, 'Cuse, Rutgirls) is too little (and too easy)

Being a national power (beating 'Bama, LSU, USC???) is way too much to ask and is not likely to occur anytime soon

I'd be happy with BC being a regular ACC contender and semi-regular top 20 team

eagleboston said...

And to think that half of BC Nation went ballistic when this guy was hired. Granted, he has yet to coach a game, but I love his systematic approach to rebuilding this program. Anyone in business knows you need a scalable system with accountability if you want to have success growing your business. Clearly, Addazio has a recruiting system that is working. Now, let's hope he has a game management system and then BC will be off and running. Go Daz!

Benjamin said...

I should clarify my regional power comment. When I envision a regional power, I think about teams like Oregon and Oklahoma. Yes, these are nationally known teams, and play at a very high level. But you won't necessarily see someone from Vermont saying Oklahoma is their favorite college football team. You go to Oklahoma, and there's a very good chance that OU will be the favorite football team.

I should say that I want Addazio turn Boston College into team that becomes "the college football" of the Northeast, the same way that OU is Oklahoma. I would agree that beating a UConn, Rutgers, etc. would help solidify our position as the regional power, but beyond being a power, I want BC to be a household brand for New England football. We may not have the staying image of yearly nearly contender, but when people think of East Coast football, Boston College is the team that should come to mind.

BCMike said...

Eagle Boston--

I was in the "wait and see, but not thrilled with the hire" camp, as I really wanted a big splash.

I have to say thus far, Daz couldn't have possibly done better.

Will it play out on the field that way? Who knows, but at this point he's certainly earned the benefit of the doubt from the fans/alums.

JBQ said...

The "honeymoon" goes on. Hopefully, it will last for the entire season.

mod34b said...

"I do feel for him that he didn't trademark the phrase as it will be on signs and t-shirts in the near future"

A little (very little) law.

1. As an employee of BC, BC will very likely own the rights to advertising slogans developed by an employee, like Brown, relating to a BC activity, football.

2. No reason BC/Brown cannot apply for a trademark now.

3. Be a Dude. Why? Be a Person? Be a guy? Be a girl? Be vague and purposeless, Dude? Be a word that means anything and everything? Huh? Be a Smash-Mouth Football player.

4. Be a lawyer. NOT.