What to make of Early Signing Day

The looming aspect of the coaching search was always the Early Signing Day. This was always going to be a smallish recruiting class (mid teens) but Addazio filled the class with good quality. It was important to hold it together. But like all transition classes, there were a few hiccups. One player, Jah Joyner decommited and signed with Minnesota. Two others OL prospects -- Addison Penn from Texas and Dwayne Allick from Maryland -- are both waiting until Jeff Hafley completes his staff to commit.

As of now there are ten guys signed (nine official with OL prospect Kevin Pyne not counting but he is enrolling in January). Considering it is such a small class, there is no one position of focus nor a major geographical trend. It is just a little bit of everything that should add some depth. The best player and best story is Ozzy Trapilo. Like his father, he was a star at BC High and hopes to be a star at BC.

I am not worried about the small size of this class (nor the potential of guys transferring out of the program). Jeff Hafley is about to get an enormous amount of national publicity. That should help with any kid still looking for a shot and it will help as a sales pitch to players looking to transfer.

Breaking down the Hafley press conference: the Earnest Eagle

I don't remember Tom O'Brien's introductory press conference (or if there even was one). But every football coach since has been introduced in a similar manner and usually the introduction foreshadows the era ahead. (Jags: a little crazy and loose, but fun. Spaz: uncomfortable with an uneasy feeling in the room. Addazio: lots of passion with a little bluster and a scattershot direction.) If Hafley's introduction is as telling, then we are in for a special time. I can't remember a coach who came off as earnest.

Hafley hit all the usual notes but did so in a measured, controlled way. He didn't over promise. He didn't come off as ill prepared. He was certainly selling, but not in that over the top way. He is very calculating but not in a cold way. He wasn't afraid to show emotion yet didn't wear it on his sleeve. Over and over he mentioned people and prior relationships. We don't know specifics of his  Xs & Os but all the other aspects of leading the program (organization, communication, recruiting, development) seem perfectly aligned. This is going to be different then the last decade.

Hafley didn't tip his hand with regards to staffing. He plans to take his time. The early Signing Period helps that because he can lock in most of his open scholarships this week and doesn't need as many assistants out on the road immediately. He gave no indication of what type of offense or defense he will run. He was asked specifically about Anthony Brown and avoided any trap or commitment other than he will talk to Brown.

Our last three coaches have used the press conference to say that BC was their dream. Hafley didn't. He just said this was one of those jobs that seemed special. He also referenced about how until coming back to college, he had planned on being an NFL head coach. Based on today, I think that he will be. But his first step is making a name for himself at BC.

BC's asking for money and they are right

I think it is fair to say Addazio was unpopular with most BC fans. The hardcore have been frustrated for a few years and the casual have been showing their lack of enthusiasm by not coming to Alumni. As I have said, Jeff Hafley represents many things, but best of all is hope. Hope that things will be fun again. Martin Jarmond heard the fans. He made the change and he identified a prime candidate and closed on him. I think most of us are happy about this. Now we have to show our part.

If you follow social media you might have seen a few pleas for people to buy tickets or reminders to give. This is pretty transparent but also appropriate. If you like what happened vote with your dollars. Here are three very specific ways to show your approval.

1. Give BC money. Direct your donation to the Flynn Fund to show your approval of what happened. Or if you give to the BC Fund (that's my usual direction) perhaps allocate a portion to the Flynn Fund. My rationale for giving to the BC Fund over the Flynn Fund is I usually defer to BC as to where they feel the money is most impactful. The reason I might do things differently this year is because I want to show my support of this action.

2. Buy tickets for next year. We won't know what sort of brand of football Jeff Hafley brings to BC yet, but there is no reason to stay away next year. Even if it is a bumpy transition, the players and new coaches deserve our support.

3. Buy BC merchandise. While not as directly lucrative as tickets or straight giving, buying BC merchandise is a show of support...especially if you buy it from BC. It is Christmas time anyway. This can be a good gift and help the school!

A new face and a new start

Martin Jarmond tweeted white smoke and Thamel is siting sources, but Jeff Hafley is the new Boston College Football head coach. Official announcement will come Saturday morning. There is a lot to digest with Hafley and the hiring process, but that can wait. My gut reaction: this is a great hire and a great fit. 

Hafley shares a profile with the guys who have had the most success at BC in the last 30 years. He's a coordinator in his 40s. He's hungry and looking for his first shot as a head coach. He either had prior experience at BC or at places that were similar enough to know how to leverage what BC is and can be.

Beyond the profile fit, the best thing about hiring a first time head coach is that he is 0-0 and has little baggage. We can project a bright future on him and will be patient as he learns. 

For 11 years it has felt like BC Football had a clear ceiling. For now that ceiling is gone. That's exciting.

Addazio and Colorado State did BC a favor

Colorado State hired Steve Addazio Wednesday. I don't think it is a fit for either, but let them figure it out. But Addazio's hiring is great news for BC.

1. It reduces BC's obligation to Addazio. Addazio's buyout didn't prohibit BC from making a move and now we will get even more relief. Because BC is private, we won't know the official numbers, but multiple people say there is a provision to reduce the buyout if he is hired by another school.

2. He is very unlikely to recruit against BC. If Addazio ended up at Rutgers or UConn or even Florida Atlantic, he would have crossed paths occasionally with BC on the recruiting front. Regardless of what you think, the guy can recruit. Colorado State is a very different sell and in a very different geographic footprint. Recruiting against Addazio will not be an issue.

3. It makes the BC job look that much better. Some jobs are considered coach killers in that once you leave you'll never get a head coaching job again. BC is not. We just gave him seven years and he was able to leverage that body of work into another job.

All good things to those who wait

BC fans are getting antsy because we haven't named a new coach. Our last football search took nine days and gave us seven years of .500 ball. Do we want that again? The truth is there was never any need to rush. This was a relatively slow coaching carousel and we had no real competition for the type of job we are offering nor the type of candidate we want. Luke Fickell was the only name associated with our job who was also floated for the other openings. All those openings are filled and Fickell is still with Cincy. We didn't need to rush him or bid against others.

Why is it taking this long? Aside from the obvious targets being tied up with Championship games last weekend, there were also NFL people to talk to. That carried into this week.

In the meantime, a few names have entered the transfer portal and Dillon declared for the NFL Draft. Dillon declaring happens regardless of the coaching change. The transfers are typical for a coaching change. You don't rush these sorts of things to appease a few guys on the roster. A head coach's impact is much bigger and with a school much longer than a few players. It is important to name a coach before Signing Day but that is still more than a week away.

In the end this has been a more thorough process than our last football searches. I remain optimistic that BC will hire a good coach. For now, we continue to wait.

RIP Peter Frates

Former BC Baseball player Peter Frates passed away Monday after his long battle with ALS. I did not know Frates, but to say he was beloved by the BC Athletics community would be an understatement. His battle with ALS inspired many and he was the driving force in the Ice Bucket Challenge which led to unprecedented fundraising for ALS. His work and sacrifice will hopefully lead to a cure.

What I know and what I think

Things have been relatively quiet on the coaching search front. Most of what you are hearing is speculation. For the first time that I can remember, BC fans have gotten into the flight tracking game and it appears there was a flight earlier in the week that went to Cincinnati. That would make sense as it would allow Jarmond and his small crew of BC folks to talk to Luke Fickell, Jeff Hafley and potentially Al Washington. From there we have no idea where the BC crew went.

Things I know
-- There are plenty of names that at least got looked at and/or reached out that have not been posted anywhere. Also more NFL names than people realize. I know some are concerned about the NFL and the signing period, but many coaches have made the transition and usually an NFL team will let the coach recruit while still finishing out the NFL season.
-- There has been lots of discussion of salary among BC fans. BC has enough to pay a new coach. The challenge is always do we pay enough for the coaching and support staff. Supposedly that has been addressed and will not be an issue with the new guy.
-- Don't believe that anyone is close and could be done this week (like some have speculated). Father Leahy is not involved in the search process, but will meet with the finalists. That hasn't happened yet.
-- This is probably the best coaching cycle timing we've ever had. There aren't many openings and there is no opening even comparable to BC. Even a guy who seems to have plenty of options and zero fit with BC, like Mike Norvell, has interest. In part to get leverage but also because our job is viewed as an opportunity. It is relatively low pressure and you can win at BC. While the other jobs like Arkansas or FSU pay more, they also come with huge expectations. Even a place like Mizzou fired their .500 coach after four years. We gave Addazio seven.

Speculation
Army coach Jeff Monken's name floated up Wednesday. Monken has done well at West Point, but he would not even come close to Jarmond's idea of a retool vs a rebuild. Going to option football would be a total revamp. And if Monken ditched the option, then you are taking a big risk that he can adapt from the scheme he has built his entire career on. I doubt he gets the job.

Buckle Up: Coaching Search 2019!

Addazio is gone. Gunnell is the interim. Jarmond is leading a search. That's what everyone knows. This is what I've been told.

Addazio

The writing was on the wall a long time ago. But things have been falling apart behind the scenes since the Kansas game. You saw testiness from the staff online and even behind closed doors (an alleged assistant fight). Addazio didn't know if he would be fired for certain, but that was the rumor going around the team after Notre Dame. BC also granted Rutgers permission to talk to Addazio, so that also sent a message. 

Gunnell

While they could have gone in many different ways with the staff, Gunnell was a relatively safe pick. He can focus on recruiting between now and the bowl (mostly keeping verbals committed) and let the coordinators get ready for the bowl game. He is well liked by all and will be a very likely candidate to stay on with the new coach. 

The Search

Lots of names have been floated by Feldman and Thamel. Most are predictable and are close to what I have heard. The only name that I think will get a real look that wasn't floated out by those two is Bret Bielema. While there have been feelers and guys who have been reached out to, nothing is even close to being done and no one has had a formal interview. That will start soon (probably later this week). Father Leahy has traditionally been a Wild Card in these events with regards to budgets and approvals, but supposedly he is truly going to let Jarmond run the show (see the wording in the press release).

The Al Washington stuff is pure gossip or speculation. Al might end up being the guy, but this wasn't predetermined and it certainly won't be decided early this week. The Al/Don Brown package is also not a thing. 

If I were betting, I would predict Jeff Hafley but this process never settles on the first hot name (see Mark Whipple, Jack Bicknell Jr or Bob Diaco).

Steve Addazio

When he was hired I said Addazio would turn out to be a "rah rah" version of TOB. He never even did that. The coach deserves our thanks for rebuilding after the Spaz disaster, but we had passed the time to move on. BC can be great and can certainly be better than we've been. It is up to Martin Jarmond and our new coach to get us there.

Now what?

Before I start, as a reminder, this will be a decision between Martin Jarmond and Father Leahy. Everything you hear or read on twitter or message boards is gossip or speculation. I don't know what Jarmond is thinking. I do know that he does have to sell his decision to Father Leahy. Firing a bowl-bound coach makes a lot of sense to many of us. I have no idea if it makes sense to our president.

Here are some things that are not speculation. I think all are relevant:

-- Addazio's current deal and buyout are very manageable. 

-- Rutgers has permission to talk to Addazio, however, reports out of New Jersey say that Rutgers and Schiano are close to a deal.

-- Many agents think the job will open. 

-- Many BC staffers think a change is coming.

-- Many players think a change is coming.

Speculation from me

I think Jarmond wants to make a change. He knows the team has underachieved the past two seasons. He also knows that he will need to make a major hire for his own resume. However, the basketball situation complicates things. I don't know if Jarmond has the political capital or the desire to change both coaches in the same school year. If he is justifying a change, Christian is the easier decision (and he also has a BC-friendly buyout). 

If a change is made, it will be soon. BC won't know its bowl status for a week and is guaranteed a spot via the ACC. It doesn't need Addazio to get invited to a bowl. 

I am going to say there is a change coming but I am just guessing.

The tricky balance of "fit" when making a coaching hire

Fit is very important in college football. There are unique institutional and regional challenges to every job and if a coach is not prepared for those challenges, he is constantly battling up hill. For recent examples you can look at Chris Ash never connecting with New Jersey high school coaches and their recruits at Rutgers or the already awkward relationship between Joe Moorhead and the Mississippi State fanbase.

But you have to be careful when considering fit. You don't want to overlook someone just because he hasn't played or coached at your school. For me, I want someone who understands the type of challenges BC faces, but also understands how to leverage its advantages.

But the biggest trap when considering fit is limiting the search to just candidates the fans know. I write this because of the rumors that Al Washington and Don Brown are favorites to replace Addazio. I don't think this is true (for a variety of reasons). I also think it is way premature to assume anyone is the favorite. But even accepting it at facevalue, I think hiring Brown or Washington now would be a huge risk and a sign of a bad process. Are both guys beloved and respected around BC and New England? Yes. But would any other Power 5 school even have them among their final choices? No.

This is also hard for me to write but age is the biggest factor against both. Brown is too old and Washington is too young.

Brown will be 65 this summer. While he seems to have the energy of a younger man and seems to relate to young players, these jobs are a real grind that will wear even the best. Plus his age will be used against BC over and over in recruiting. Could he do it? Sure. But is he the guy to take BC to the next level? I don't think so. And I think we can do better this time around.

Washington is 35, which while young, isn't a deal breaker. But Washington's resume lacks any coordinator experience. He has never managed a game and never hired a staff. It would be a huge unknown. I like that he has been getting experience away from BC, but he still hasn't checked all the boxes.

If either of these guys are hired, they will have my support. I just don't think it is the right time for either and would be a sign that the searched prized BCness over everything else.

BC-Pitt preview

Under normal circumstances all the gossip about Addazio to Rutgers or the pressure he has at BC would be a major distraction. I actually don't think it is a big deal. The players and staff have known about Addazio's Hot Seat all season. At this point they are used to it. If anything, they know that this game is important for everyone but Addazio. They need to win to keep playing. They need to impress future coaches. This won't be about Addazio. It will be about this group fighting for one more game.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
There is an outside chance that BC could play in a bowl even if they lose this game. IF not enough teams qualify for bowls, the empty slots are then filled with teams with the best APR. Right now Duke holds the first spot. BC is No. 2. This remains a long shot, but it could happen. I would prefer to just win, but more BC football is always welcome.

Three Simple Keys
1. Scoring before the half. This is directly related to last week but it was a problem for the whole Addazio era. He has wasted time and possessions over and over. This is probably his last game. Try to be smart.
2. Grosel using his feet. There will be plenty of chances for him to run. He needs to be smart and convert when given the chance.
3. Don't allow big plays. For Pitt, I would prefer a little bend but don't break. Make them work the field and hope for mistakes.

Gambling Notes
-- Pitt leads the series 17-12
-- Addazio is 3-3 in season finales
-- BC is 0-2 at Heinz Field
The current line is BC+8.5

Factoid
This is the first time BC has played in Pittsburgh in an ACC game.

Scoreboard Watching
Michigan-Ohio State. Beyond all the BC connections on both sides, there are two names attached to watch: Jeff Hafley and Anthony Campanile. Both will be mentioned for the BC job...probably as early as Monday.

BC is in trouble if...
Pitt stops the running game. Narduzzi is a good defensive coach and will try to make BC one-dimensional. If Pitt controls line and stops the running game, BC will not win.

I hope to see...
A huge day from Dillon. This is probably his final game at BC. He has been great. Unfortunately the team has been forgettable during his three seasons. It would be nice to go out with a big win.

Bottom Line
I think we control the line of scrimmage and Grosel has a big day. The D gets a bit lucky with turnovers and we grind away with the run game in the second half.
Final Score: BC 28, Pitt 20

Coaching Candidates: BC Guys

There will be lots of names floated for any BC opening. And with each coaching carousel there are plenty of names mentioned for every opening. However, there will be a few BC-specific names that will at least get a look. These are the sorts of candidates who won't get interviewed at any other P5 jobs and probably wouldn't be considered for BC if not for their alumni status. I would be very surprised if any of these guys got the job, but all might be worth the risk. Getting a true BC guy to take us to the next level would be special.

Mike Reed '95
Defensive Backs Coach, Clemson 
Bio: A player from the Coughlin era, Reed has been in coaching for 18 years. He had a stint coaching in the NFL with Eagles, then worked for TOB at NC State and has been with Dabo in Clemson during their championship run.
Pros: Reed is considered a very good recruiter and is well liked by the BC Football alumni. He works in the ACC. He has been part of one of the most successful college programs of the decade.
Cons: Reed has never been a coordinator and has turned down chances to come back to BC as an assistant (under TOB, Jags and Spaz).
Bottom Line: If Reed was one of Clemson's coordinators, he would already be a Head Coach. Unlike Brent Venables -- who is not particularly polished -- Reed can be the face of a program. The only hole on his resume is the lack of track record of calling a game on one side of the ball.

Pete Carmichael Jr. '94
Offensive Coordinator, New Orleans Saints
Bio: Carmichael is a former BC baseball player and his dad was a football coach at BC under Yukica, Bicknell and Coughlin. He has been the offensive coordinator for one of the NFL's best and most dynamic offenses for a decade. At 12, Pete served as Bicknell's headset/cord guy. That is young Pete getting the headset right after Flutie's Hail Mary.

Pros: The Saints have been innovators at the NFL level, so you assume Carmichael would bring an exciting product and also blend the best of the NFL and college. His NFL pedigree could be an effective recruiting tool.
Cons: Carmichael doesn't call the plays in New Orleans and Payton and Brees tend to get all the credit. He hasn't coached or recruited in college since the '90s.
Bottom Line: Despite expressing interest Carmichael never even got a sniff at the job when Bates fired Spaz. It was surprising then and also remains a bit surprising that he hasn't been given a shot in the NFL.

Marc Colombo '02
Offensive Line Coach, Dallas Cowboys
Pros: He coaches arguably the best offensive line in the NFL. He transitioned seamlessly from his playing career to coaching. The Jones family loves him and there is already speculation that he will be a Cowboys Head Coach one day. He would continue the BC tradition of developing great OLines.
Cons: He has only coached in the NFL and only been an official coach with the Cowboys for three seasons (prior to that he was in their front office). He has no experience recruiting and no experience running one side of the ball.
Bottom Line: Colombo might turn out to be one of those names that has us saying "what if" a decade from now, but if he were to come to BC this year it would be a huge risk. His lack of experience would probably create growing pains that other candidates wouldn't face.

Dominoes fall: Rutgers and Schiano can't reach deal

Rutgers and Greg Schiano couldn't agree to terms and their former coach will not return to the New Jersey school. This impacts BC on two fronts. One, it leaves Schiano as a prime candidate for the BC job. He has plenty of baggage and plenty of detractors, but he will also have some very influential supporters in his corner. I will dive deeper into Schiano this week, but in my opinion, he would be very good at BC.

The second way this could impact BC is Rutgers needing a Plan B. The New Jersey media is already listing two names previously floated for BC: Anthony Campanile and Joe Moorhead. I will go deeper into both of those guys too. But I think ultimately their Plan B will include Steve Addazio. While I don't think interest from Rutgers will change perception of Addazio at BC nor protect him from a firing, having Rutgers hire him away (either pre or post firing) would reduce his BC buyout.

The odds that Schiano ends up at BC and Addazio ends up at Rutgers are very, very slim, but would be a win-win for all.

It's over

I am not breaking news, just combining speculation, rumor and my opinion. Notre Dame blowing out BC was the worst possible outcome for Addazio. He might rally the troops next week and get to a bowl, but this season has more than answered any questions about the direction of the program. It also sent a message to both the diehard and the casual fans. Addazio at his best is a seven win coach and he will never deliver those special moments when BC "shocks the world." It is time for a change.

As we know from last year, these decisions are not simple and straight forward. Could Father Leahy and/or the BOT prevent Jarmond from making a change? Of course. But I don't think there are any real financial barriers nor anyone going to bat for Addazio. It's over.

I will start coaching profiles this week.

BC-Notre Dame preview

This is the last stand for Addazio. Despite what I wrote just last week, I think the mood has changed to the point that beating Pitt next week is not enough. I don't know what Leahy, the Board and Jarmond are feeling, but the fanbase has certainly checked out. Even at a place like BC -- where the fans don't run things -- you can't let your customer base continue to erode. Right now under Addazio, we are on the road to nowhere. It is up to the coach and the players to show the community that we are wrong and there is still fight and hope.

What's on my mind (not TOTALLY related to this game)
Earlier this week Addazio had Ricky Brown, Josh Beekman and Rich Gunnell address the team to tell them the importance and history of this game. I don't think Addazio intended to frustrate long-time fans like me with his actions but it did. Just 15 years ago, this was THE game on the BC calendar. All the fans cared. Many traveled. The media made a big deal of it. The players came out of the locker room with passion and energy. It was great. Now it shows how short institutional memory is that Addazio has to bring in people to remind the ream that this game used to mean something. How about this coach, if you want it to mean something, how about actually win a big game? How about actually play to the level of a ranked opponent? How about comeback when down? How about managing a game in a way that helps your team? If you want it to matter, then win the stinking game! Addazio didn't have an annual game with the Irish built into the schedule like TOB did, but he has done nothing to show that he can upset teams on a consistent basis nor that he can get the team to win games that are of extra importance. Now stop talking. Stop making excuses and go win the damn game.

Three Simple keys
1. Play action passing. The Irish pass D is not good. As much as I believe in sticking with the run, I know that early play action will work and help BC move the ball.
2. Tackling. I don't think the team will suddenly become tackling machines, but we've had an off week. Let's hope they worked on it. One or two more tackles and they would have won the Florida State game.
3. No field goals. Don't bother. The Irish can score. We will need seven instead of missed 3s. Just keep going for it on 4th down.

Gambling Notes
-- Addazio is 4-9 coming off a bye
-- Addazio is 0-2 vs the Irish
-- Addazio is 1-16 vs ranked teams
The current line is BC+20

Factoid
It has been eight years since our last trip to South Bend. That is the longest break in between trips to South Bend since BC began playing there in 1987.

Scoreboard Watching
Nothing really matters at this point. Win a game and we are going bowling. We are only looking at the lowest of the lower tier bowls, so the impact of other ACC teams is minimal.

I hope to see...
The team playing with emotion. If you believe the rumors, the players expect a coaching change. It can be hard to get up for a game at this point in the season if you feel there is nothing on the line. I don't know how they feel about Addazio and if they will want to go "win one for the Gipper" (if you will) but they still have each other and the school. Let's hope they come out ready to play and win the game. Although it might not mean much, it would mean everything in the long run.

BC is in trouble if...
Notre Dame builds a double digit lead in the first half. We all know Addazio's teams are not known for comebacks. I would really be shocked if they came back in this sort of situation.

Bottom Line
Can Notre Dame be beaten? Yes. Can BC score enough on them to win? Yes. But it is going to take a great defensive effort. I don't know if we have that. I also clearly don't trust Addazio to push the right button.
Final Score: Notre Dame 38, BC 24

Perspective on Addazio at BC and among his peers

Tuesday got a little heated on the BC-twittersphere after two different ESPN talking heads started defending Addazio in response to BCI's "fire Addazio" post. The ESPN crew's case for keeping Addazio was weak but the points that hit a nerve were "it is hard to win at BC, we (the fans) are taking seven wins for granted and be careful what you wish for." I spent a long time on Twitter shooting holes in that argument, but I wanted to use this post to provide more perspective.

This is Addazio's seventh season. BC has given him plenty of time to build and shape the program. There has been plenty of time to put one great season together. There have been plenty of games to learn from and adapt. He hasn't and will be very lucky to win seven this year. What he is accomplishing is not impressive when you compare it to his BC peers, his ACC peers and the other coaches hired for the 2013.


Addazio when compared to modern era BC coaches

Addazio is exactly .500 overall (43-43) which ranks fifth out of seven B.C.head coaches hired since 1981. https://t.co/Wz8gaZyblS

— Matt Hinton (@MattRHinton) November 12, 2019

Jeff Jagodzinski -- 2 seasons, .714 Winning Percentage

Tom O'Brien -- 10 seasons, .625 Winning Percentage

Tom Coughlin -- 3 seasons, .614 Winning Percentage
Jack Bicknell -- 10 seasons, .517 Winning Percentage
Steve Addazio -- 7 seasons, .500 Winning Percentage
Dan Henning -- 3 seasons, .458 Winning Percentage

Frank Spaziani -- 4 seasons, .431 Winning Percentage

ACC Coaching Tenure

Another reminder that BC has been patient with Addazio and given him plenty of time is ACC Tenure. Addazio and Dave Doeren are tied for the third most seniority in the conference. Doeren has a very similar record. Dabo obviously has an incredible record. Cutcliffe's run at Duke doesn't look great based on winning percentage, but he has been much better than his predecessors, which is something Addazio can't claim.

David Cutcliffe (12 seasons): 71-77 (ACC record 36-60)

Dabo Swinney (12 seasons): 126-30 (ACC record 75-16) 

Dave Doeren (seven seasons) : 47-39 (ACC record 21-32)

Steve Addazio (seven seasons): 43-43 (ACC record 21-34)

Coaches Hired for the 2013 Season
Finally there is the group of coaches who started at their respective jobs the same time Addazio started his time at BC. Believe it or not, 30 coaches took new FBS jobs that year. Only five still hold that same job. This is how Addazio stacks up among his peers.

Gus Malzahn: 60-29
Skip Holtz:  54-34

Dave Doeren: 47-39

Steve Addazio: 43-43 
Mark Stoops: 40-44

Once again, BC appears patient. 25 other teams who made changes entering the 2013 season have changed again. BC is still employing Addazio and he has the the second worst record of the remaining coaches (and one could argue Mark Stoops' 10-win year more than offsets for being four wins behind Addazio).

I want change. There could be an argument not to make the change, but the ESPN crew's argument that Addazio is accomplishing a lot at BC doesn't hold up historically or nationally.

Can Addazio still save his job?

While nothing has ever been said publicly, I think the consensus among those around BC Football is that Steve Addazio's seat has never been hotter. Sitting at 5-5, his odds of another winning season are not great. Plus there is a general feeling of disappointment in the losing and the excuses. While harder to measure -- because they're not vocal -- there is also a growing apathy among the fanbase.

But just because I want change doesn't mean that is guaranteed. BC, like all colleges, is very political and a big decision like this is not simple. Jarmond has a boss and his boss answers to a Board of Trustees. I think both Father Leahy and the BOT could keep Addazio around if the following happens:

1. BC beats Notre Dame and Pitt. This would leave us at 7-5 with a lot of public momentum. The casual BC fans would be ecstatic about the Notre Dame win. It would also mean Addazio would enter the bowl game with a chance at eight wins. His contract would still be favorable to BC and he has a decent recruiting class coming in. I don't see BC making the move in this situation.

2. BC wins big over Notre Dame and loses to Pitt in a close game. While this scenario would reinforce the Addazio critics' narrative, I think a resounding victory over a ranked Irish team would give him enough breathing room to lose to Pitt the next week. 6-6 would put BC in a bowl and give the team another shot at seven wins.

But those are the only two scenarios where Addazio is safe. He has to beat Notre Dame. He also cannot get blown out in either remaining game. This is speculation on my part, but the narrative paths are taking shape and the narrative is important to all the parties involved. Not all seven wins are created equal and BC's leadership needs support of the BC community. If they want people buying in on Addazio Year 8, the coach needs to pull out a big win and avoid any more embarrassments.

Basketball starts 2-0, yet I remain skeptical

BC Basketball improved to 2-0 in this new season with its win over USF Sunday. I am probably coming off like a bit of a Scrooge, but I am still a bit pessimistic about the season ahead. We beat Wake but they're terrible. The USF game was a good defensive effort and a nice road win, but the team turned the ball over 27 times. That can't happen going forward if the team wants to win.

The good news is that Thorton seems like one of those guys who is going to be a player. While this rule isn't fool proof, BC guys who make an impact early tend to be really, really good. 

BC takes on High Point Wednesday. I know the heart of the ACC schedule is on the horizon, but Christian's first test will be handling the soft part of the schedule. Every year he has a hiccup during these games. Let's hope that doesn't happen this year.