Players have concerns about Spaz's future. Jameson McShea said as much last week. I assume that players from a regular BC recruiting stop like William Penn Charter who also happen to be relatives of a recent star, have a pretty good feel for what's going on at BC. Notre Dame -- despite their constant turnover -- has a more certain future for a guy like McGlinchey than BC. And it is not like Spaz can use his tenure and history to promote stability. He's on his fourth offensive coordinator. What conclusions do you think recruits and their families will draw?
Is Spaz's heart in recruiting? Even before this latest layup recruit slipped through our fingers, there have been rumors that winning games is more important to Spaz than wooing the latest high school kid. How much more intense will he be with his job really on the line? Recruiting is hard and only gets harder as things start to slip. Spaz is incorporating new staffers and trying to bounce back from his first losing season. Does he want to be out selling? Is that vibe and feeling surrounding recruiting going to get better as things drag on?
While this all seems like a temporary problem and a Spaz problem, this does have bigger ramifications. Spaz's problems will be someone else's next year if we have holes all over our roster.
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When Coach Spaziani meets the Maker, do you really think it's going to matter that Coach Spaziani didn't take time away from his sons' baseball practices so that he could travel in person to recruit McGlinchey? Does anyone really think St. Peter is going to hold it against Coach Spaziani that he failed to call Jameson McShea back yet still managed to take time to purchase and deliver lunches for the maintenance crew?
Coach Spaziani focuses on winning (certain) games today, and on spending time doing right by his loved ones and those from whom a substantial public relations benefit can be harvested. Who among us can question that? He's doing the things we would all expect, so that we can leave this Earth in peace and solace knowing that those who matter are better for our presence.
And trust me, according to Touchdown Jesus and the rest, Boston College Football simply doesn't matter. Good for Coach Spaziani to recognize that.
McShea nailed his decision. Everything ATL points out about Spaziani is accurate for someone being recruited right now. BC strung him along for months "Hey we like you but we like Grant. If Grant is out, you're in. Just hold on for a while....."
Also, if McShea was just a marginal recruit for us to do that, then who knows how much PT he'd get in the ACC. In the Ivy League he'll play more. He'll play sooner. Since he isn't a premier recruit, then he probably isn't going to the NFL. He'll have just as much fun playing Saturdays at Harvard, and he'll now have a more prestigious degree when he's done. Slam dunk decision for him.
Spaz could buy/deliver lunch to the grounds crew AND recruit good football players if he wanted to.
As the the highest paid employee of the University it is his obligation to follow through/close with football recruits(even though it is not technically his job), it his obligation to communicate professionally with the media, and it is his obligation treat the players who eventually commit to Boston College with respect(they are there because of the University and not because of Coach Spaz obviously). Since Spaz did not go to Boston College he does not care about how his attitude effects people there.
Spaz has failed in all three of the areas above. He has ALSO proven to be a poor game tactician. See the Northwestern, Duke, and even ND game. He has proven that he cannot get along with the folks that he has hired(QB coach).
I think Spaz has the New York eff- you attitude. That attitude has not been effective for him as a head coach because he cannot recruit/relate to people. In addition he has not taken the time to study situational football which is important as the Head Coach/decision maker. The attitude is part of the reaon why.
Notre Dame is always going to get the players that they want. If Matt Ryan were offered by ND he would have gone there. Boston College used to be able to find its type of players(see Tom Obrien era) and develop its type of players into winners. Spaz does not seem capable of this as the head coach either. Boston College will never be able to get the across the board talent that ND has, recruiting-wise. However, if we can get players who have 80-90% of the talent that ND players have and 110% of the work ethic(see Tom O'brien era) then we can start playing and beating ND again(see Tom Coughlin and Tom O'brien).
You can see what the problems are: 1) Spaz is not recruiting/closing talented players. Laziness?
2) Spaz is not putting in the time to learn game strategy. Does not care?
3) Spaz is not putting in the time to develop his players in a positive manner.
Spaz is a great defensive coordinator. His attitude is perfect for defense. He is not able to close players like O'B or even Jags(fraud). He does not know game strategy. Gene did not vet Spaz properly before hiring him. The next coach out to be interviewed about his coaching philosophy, how he plans to close players, and how he would handle situational football.
To the grounds crews(that I worked on for two years in the summers as an undergraduate student at Boston College) Enjoy the spaz-wiches. I do not foresee them being an annual ritual beyond 2013.
OC - may i suggest a correction (ala your post from last year):
"Coach Spaziani focuses on winning (certain PORTIONS OF) games today"
Let's face it: BC is not in ND recruiting league. Heck, Luke Kuechly was hoping for an ND offer, and took BC once it was clear ND was not offering.
BC really has no ability to go head-to-head with ND football recruiting-wise -- ESPECIALLY now.
TEST: In the last 10 years has there been a BC football player who turned down an actual ND offer? Maybe one or two. Be surprised if there were more.
But this kid was very sought after and I am sure BC was near the bototm of his list:
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"The Penn Charter senior-to-be held more than 20 scholarship offers. Including the Irish, McGlinchey also received offers from Boston College, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Iowa, Maryland, Miami (FL), Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, Temple, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin, among others.
Scout.com rated McGlinchey as the No. 22 offensive tackle prospect in the 2013 class and a four-star prospect. McGlinchey was Scout's No. 2 offensive tackle prospect in the Keystone State, trailing only Belle Vernon Area's Dorian Johnson (No. 12 overall, four stars). Rivals.com rated McGlinchey as a three-star prospect."
Hey ObserverCollege,
Maybe Coach Spaziani should get a different job so he can spend more time helping the poor.
This is the life he chose. There are expectations about winning and losing. The ability to win is closely tied to recruiting.
Drop the sanctimonious drivel.
ccw-
As anyone who has read this blog for a while will tell you, ObserverCollege's posts are tongue-in-cheek; they are not meant to be taken seriously.
There is no justice in this world when Gdf is in the Hall of Fame and Observer and Knuclehead aren't.
Oh look, agism.
If there is a "secret word of mouth" going between recruits through whatever source against BC, then this is a significant issue. Brian Kelly is going hog wild in picking the "best of the peaches". BC has to look at what ND is doing right and copy it and then go forward. The loyalty of Spaziaini is to be lauded. However, he has turned into a significant negative image for the program. The positive image of Doug Flutie is not even being considered and appears to be one of jealousy. His statue has turned into resentment.
"copy what ND is going forward" -- like having a legitimate football tradition and playing a national schedule on NBC? ND is a more prestigious football school than BC is. this kid had over 20 offers; hard to fault spaz for this one.
i'm more than happy to blame spaz for having an incredibly shallow defensive line this year, for losing a bunch of guys at the signing deadline this year, etc. but losing a 4-star recruit who happens to be matt ryan's cousin to ND isn't the end of the world.
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