One thing that I can say with 100% confidence is that if TOB were still coaching BC, his team would win this Saturday. Maddeningly that was just the way he was at BC. Once his rebuilding was done in 1999, he never lost three in a row. We had our backs up against the wall and had lost three out of four in 2003, but he started Paul Peterson and rolled off three in a row to end the season.
TOB's approach certainly put limits on our upside but it also kept us from truly bottoming out. TOB relied on consistency. He knew that a methodical approach would pay off.
Now the question remains, did Spaz learn enough all those years to rally his team? Can he come up with an executable gameplan that will stop the slide? Can he provide some enthusiasm for his lifeless players?
A head coach's job description is a little broad. There are a lot of moving parts and each coach approaches things differently. You can be a list maker like TOB. His orderly approach gave everyone confidence that things were not falling apart and were never as bad as they seemed. Take one play at a time and BC will win more than they lose. You can be a riverboat gambler like Jags. This is more chaotic and reckless, but you always feel like you have a chance. What does Spaz have? What approach will he take? Whatever he does, he needs to rally the troops this week or things could get out of hand quickly.
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Spaz seems like a nice man, but I don't imagine him as capable of "rallying" anything.
Last year when the chips were down at VT, Spaz folded
Same re Clemson
This year, he folded in VT and ND games.
No, Spaz will not be fighting to the bitter end.
Let's hope a young coach - Day -- or some players -- Herzy, Harris, Keuchley -- steps up and lights a fire.
For once, I'm not so mad about missing football season for study abroad.
I was a big Spaz fan, but that team came out flat against ND, the offense is predictable, and Montel Harris and the O-Line have all regressed. Doesn't look good for Spaz or Tranquill.
Spaz is a conservative defensive coordinator, and most of the problems with this team are on the offensive side of the ball. I think that the "bend but don't break" will be enough to keep NC St from running away, but given our play calling and personnel, there is no way we can move the ball and score enough points.
Tranquill should resign and save Spaz the awkwardness of firing him. Give an assistant a chance to show something the last few weeks.
I still think Spaz can salvage a decent run as head coach, but it will require taking some risks and hiring a true offensive guru to take that aspect of the game off his hands.
We can only hope that Spaz can be the HC we need him to be for the rest of this season.
Here's hoping the pressure GDF & Spaz feel regarding their job security forces them out of their comfort zone. GDF needs to stop micro managing and hire coaches with some balls. Spaz needs to make some uncomfortable decisions like getting rid of Nyquil effective immediately!
BTW - I am sad to admit that I got up and walked out before the end of the 3rd Quarter - which I have never done in my life - even when it's raining and sleeting, etc.
The reason was #1 to protest and #2because I have seen the Nyquil show enough - and the definition of insanity includes doing something that does not work over and over again.
If there was any evidence of the "old college try" I would have stayed.
I originally posted this under the second viewing notes, but it's more appropriate here.
My initial impression of Kelly's ranting on the sideline was that he was an asshole. That still may be correct, but after a while I realized that what he was really doing was letting each player know that he has high expectations of them on every single play, no matter the outcome of the play. He's watching your performance, and he's going to nail your ass if you screw up. Not because he's an asshole, but because he knows you can do better. I think that gives a player a certain clarity of focus on every play.
On the other hand, I don't remember ever seeing Spaz, or any of his assistants, chew anybody out on the sideline. Sure, it's not everything, but I think it's something.
I think we've seen what kind of coach Spaz is. The kind that gives up and punts.
... twice in consecutive games.
The return of Shinskie? Can you parse the Spaz-isms from today's Globe?
"Spaziani said Marscovetra looked like the same player who had a chance to win the starting job over the summer and couldn’t
Now the question is who gets the start Saturday at North Carolina State .Spaziani wouldn’t rule Rettig out."
Sean, I'm not sure that Harris has regressed. It's kind of hard to do anything as a running back when you don't have a QB and your Oline is playing this badly.
As far as Spaz goes, he's not going to be fired even if he loses the rest of his games. He had a better than expected year last year, and this year can be chalked up to poor qb play unless something changes drastically. Besides, GDF would look terrible if he fired the loyal Spaz after firing Jags due to lack of loyalty. With a healthy and more experienced Rettig next year, we should be improved. Unless we have two losing years in a row, Spaz won't be fired. I dont see us contending regularly under him, but I think GDF is content going to lower tier bowl games. It's too bad, but it's why he schedules the Kent and Weber States of the world.
Btw- what were Spaz's halftime comments that were so bad? I missed them.
On the way off the field at halftime a reporter asked Spaz why they called a timeout and then punted. Spaz mumbled something about having a play they thought they wanted to run but then deciding not to. She asked about how the D got stomped early but then seemed to adjust -- "what adjustments did you make?". Spaz's answer to that was "the adjustment we made was that they gave us the ball" -- basically that we didn't adjust, ND just turned it over. D'oh!
He'll never be accused of thinking too much ... or too well.
Wishlist for Possible Head Coach Replacements:
1. Mark Richt
2. Butch Davis
3. Les Miles
4. Mark Whpple
5. Gary Patterson
6. Bryan Harsin (Boise State OC)
7. June Jones
8. Ron Zook
With the addition of Paul Gaughan today, BC now has 10 recruits ranked a 77 or higher by ESPN in this year's class. Recruits above that level tend to have a quick impact on our roster (ie. Swigert, KPL, Keuchly, Rettig, Noel). Thats compared to 6 last year and 4 the year before.
Spaz recruits well and aside from 1-2 bad games a year the defense is always strong. Tranq is the one who should have the target on his back, not Spaz. Time to bring in some new blood. It's been mentioned here before but Paul Petersen would be a great addition to the staff. Maybe not ready for OC yet but he could take over QBs which Tranq currently oversees.
Bob - u kidding with Butch "NCAA violator" Davis!!!
Les Miles would leave LSU for BC? - not possible
Marc Richt doubt we could attract him and/or afford him
I think we must find a FCS coach on the rise, such as the former UNH coach of a few years ago who has his team near the top of the polls.
Whipple would be very interesting now that he has some Florida chops combined with his prior NE success
Bob:
I assume you list is a joke. Whipple is not coming to BC as long as Gene D is around.
Yeah, speculating about possible HC replacements seems a bit defeatist. Spaz has earned the right to see how this year plays out, based on the resurrection job he performed last year. And we're not SEC or UGA fans, who think we should be competing for the National Championship every single year. I can't say anything that hasn't already been said about Spaz and Tranquill.
That list isn't realistic, though. Why would you want Les Miles? He's an idiot who recruits the most fertile area in the country. Richt want to take a pay cut? He's got the charisma of a doorknob and he recruits a top 5 state for talent in Georgia. And they're the dumbest team over the last three years. Butch is done. June Jones with the Chuck and Duck. Whipple with a grudge.
Some are starting to sound like UGA fans, who think all they have to do is offer their job to Chris Peterson at Boise and he'll come running. Why? He's got the perfect set-up going undefeated and not playing anyone. He'd be just another three loss team in the SEC.
BC is perfect for an up-and-comer. But that's premature. Rettig might be good. Suntrup, too. And Dan has it right. We might actually be re-stocking the cupboard. This year might be a throwaway, but Spaz needs to evaluate the whole staff after the year and make the appropriate adjustments. Like, you know, the kind he doesn't make at halftime.
It was a wish list, not necessarily a realistic list.
1. I doubt Whipple would leave Miami for the HC job at BC, but I put him on the list because of his offensive prowess and UMass background.
2. MIles and Richt are on the list because they are looking like they might be forced out at their respective SEC schools. Both have proven that they can recruit.
3. Butch Davis is definitely not a GDF hire because he has way too much baggage. I agree, this is unrealistic, but he is a top notch coach and recruiter, albeit a dirty one.
4. What would most likely happen is that we would do what UVA did last season and hire an up and comer (Mike London), and not a big name.
What's the beef with Whipple and GDF?
I agree that it's premature to fire Spaz. But Tranq needs to go. Hell, my old Nintendo Tecmo Bowl game had more offensive awareness than this guy.
I also agree that MOST of our problems are due to coaching/play-calling and not lack of talent. Yes, Jags dropped the ball on recruiting towards the end there, but I think the bulk of the problem is due to coaching.
Anyone remember that Globe/NESN did an exclusive "day in the life" video of Spaz during last year's (2009) summer camp? I don't remember all the details, but one segment struck me as a bit weird at the time. It was something like this: "11:30 am, Head coach takes his morning stroll around the Res." And then they show Spaz taking a walk outside by himself. If you want to paint a picture of a coach who is excited about his new job and is working hard to win games, this doesn't exactly fire up the fanbase does it?
Couldn't resist:
Kelly also addressed the recent spate of stories about why he is always shouting at players on the sideline
"In every situation when I am talking to a player, I am clearly articulating why I'm talking to him about a particular situation, and demanding that intensity and that mental and physical toughness that our team has quite frankly lacked. That's what we're building."
what are we building?
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