Tuesday, October 03, 2017

Addazio needs to learn to say nothing

Each week Addazio has media responsibilities. The format is pretty predictable. At some point he will get a general question about his upcoming opponent that allows him to riff on that school in pretty much any direction he wants to go. For Virginia Tech, there is clearly something on Addazio's mind. In both his press conference Monday and his radio show, he referenced Virginia Tech's patience with Frank Beamer as the reason for their success today. To the highly cynical it seems like Addazio is shaping the narrative that he needs to return to BC for a 6th year. I am also predicting that as he speaks with the ESPN crew covering the game, he will emphasize the injuries. ESPN will be sure to mention it during the game and probably flash up a helpful graphic. I understand why Addazio is doing this, but he needs to stop. It is only going to make things worse at BC.

I am not telling the coach to stop talking to the media. That is an essential part of the job. Instead, when he does talk to them, whether it is about Virginia Tech or another opponent or Alabama or whatever, just answer in the most banal, empty way. "They've got a great team...", "We've got our hands full...", "We can do it...", "It has been a great week of practice..." , etc. Don't give VT any bulletin board material but also don't do anything to anger your own fans. 

When Addazio talks about Virginia Tech's patience or tells an ESPN crew, who is presumably less familiar with BC, about our injuries, it comes off as self-serving. Down the road, we can talk about whether or not Virginia Tech in the early '90s is a good comparison to current BC (it's not), but Addazio bringing it up has nothing to do with this game or winning this game! He needs to focus on how he is going to beat the Hokies this week. If he is trying to use the media to get a message to fans and recruits, he needs to take a different tone. If you are trying to shape a narrative, have it be that the players are getting better and we can win every game left on the schedule. Don't have it be about patience or struggling in Year 5! 

The injury talk has the same effect. I know he's frustrated with all the injuries. You know who is also frustrated? Every team in the country! Injuries happen everywhere. It is up to the coach to work through them or recruit at such a level that it does not hold the team back. The only loss that you might successfully argue was due to injury was Wake Forest. Since then the Offensive Line backups have played well and the Linebacker backups have been better. Getting blown out by Notre Dame and Clemson can not be explained away by the injury bug. 

Addazio has a new boss and relatively new Sports Information Director. Neither were around for his Year 3 disaster. They might not be aware on how heavily he leaned on injuries as a media narrative then. If you keep using the same excuses, the people paying attention -- the diehard fans -- are going to see through it. And with hindsight, you can start to see that 2015's struggles were not really based on injuries. Addazio had the best D in the country and clearly didn't have the offense ready. He's churned through coordinators and QBs since and still doesn't have the answers. 

Jarmond will have to make a decision on Addazio as the season progresses. I hope he realizes that media narrative does not matter. Winning games does. Addazio needs to stop using the press to preserve his job and instead use all of his energy on turning things around. 

31 comments:

Unknown said...

Hard to imagine that such a HORRENDOUS EXCUSE FOR a coach would have the BRASS to mention

his lousy self in the same universe with a Hall of Fame Coach like Frank B.

The thought of him seeing a sixth season strains credulity.

DAZ EUNDA EST . BE GONE LOSER BE GONE !!!

Geezer eagle said...

ATL, what will it takes for you to call for Daz's termination? Enough. This clown must go.

Big Ern said...

Narrative? He is 2-8 in his last 10 ACC games. He is 3-17 in his last 20 games. These numbers are horrendous.

For comparison Spaziani was 3-7 in his last 10 ACC games and 8-12 in his last 20. I didn't think it would get worse than Spaz but these numbers are clear.

Points per game national Ranking

Spaz
2012- 111
2011- 112
2010- 109
2009- 79

Daz
2017- 118
2016- 119
2015- 121
2014- 86
2013- 70

Look no further as to why seats are empty at Alumni. Who wants to go watch an offense as patentedly predictable, inept, and boring as the last 9 years?

Napolean Bonaparte said...

Couldn't agree with you more ATL. Even friends of mine who don't follow BC as closely as we do have picked up on it from local coverage noting that he sounds like an aluminum siding salesman. If I were Jarmond - I'd shorten/cut the interviews and the needless blather in favor of game preparation. Jarmond needs to be firm with this guy and let him know in a professional way that while he appreciates the challenges - those challenges are why Daz gets paid $2.5 million a year and it's his job to meet them and execute. Honestly, some of these coaches seem oblivious to how much money they make and the expectations that go along with that.

MattBC03 said...

I mentioned this on another blog but according to a source, Addazio walked into Jarmond's office unannounced, bypassing his secretary. Jarmond was on the phone and threw Addazio out of his office, telling him if he wanted to meet with him he needed to make an appointment.

I like hearing this as it sets the tone of who's in charge. I've wondered if there would be a power struggle with an older, experienced coach reporting to a new, young A.D. Now this doesn't necessarily say there's a struggle, just that it's clear who runs the show.

bceagle93 said...

As we continue to see, Daz is only about one thing: Daz.

He is not about BC and he is certainly not about his players. While there is no "I" in team, Daz makes sure everyone is aware that there is one in Addazio.

True leaders shoulder the blame for mistakes, don't make excuses, and put their heads down to work to solve the problem. The team knows this. The alumni know this. The faculty knows this. Hopefully Jaramond is seeing this.

No matter what the wins and losses on the field look like, this is NOT "Ever to Excel." Clown show got to go.

JERZeagle said...

best part about all of this nonsense is that brad bates is out there "consulting" and using his "experience" to guide other sports departments. meanwhile he legitimately hired and EXTENDED, two of the most outmatched head coaches in NCAA history. what brad bates did to boston college has to be borderline criminal, right?

also, the narrative from steve addazio should be "this is on me, and only me. its year 5. i need to recruit better and put my guys in a position to win. i have let the boston college fan-base down and i know that i run the most uninteresting offense in the country for 3 years now." i would respect him for that.

lastly, va tech 1,752 - BC - 3

JBQ said...

@JERZeagle: The criminal part is the three year extension at 2.6M per.

JERZeagle said...

JBQ - you have to believe that bates is getting a kickback on that. after an 0-8 season, it made ZERO sense to extend the guy; especially because he had another year or so left on the original deal!

anyone with half a brain would play the "eh, give him another year, lets see what he can do" card. but NO, BB extended the clown. unbelievable. what, did bates fear he was going to leave for greener pastures? the guy was a dead man walking if he didn't improve considerably, but yet, he extended him. wild stuff.

downtown_resident said...

Daz is 58 years old and is 26-30 at BC (11-23 ACC) and has a losing record as a head coach overall. This is his last head coaching job and he knows it. In his heart of hearts he probably also realizes that he hasn't done a good enough job recruiting and developing a team so that he can do the one thing that would rightfully allow him to remain a head coach-- i.e., win football games-- so excuses and vague allusions to better days in the future are what he's got in the hopes of hanging on another year.

Unknown said...

Run him out of town before he brings even more shame and disgrace on "THE Heights"

Jarmond did well next throw him from the Heights "FOR BOSTON .

Knucklehead said...

The AD agrees with the crybaby mentality. Listen to his sideline interview from the Clemson game. Two peas in a pod.

Leahy is the problem.

The new board will push Leahy out. Sooner the better.

EL MIZ said...

"While there is no "I" in team, Daz makes sure everyone is aware that there is one in Addazio." - this made me LOL - well done!

recall last year every broadcast would feature extended shots of Anthony Brown on the sideline as the announcers would talk about how much Addazio loves his next QB and if only he didn't have to redshirt him. now its injuries, as it was back in the winless ACC season. enough is enough, as ATL said - we can only hope there is a massive blowout or upset loss coming to make it indisputable that he is gone.

sad to see a guy act like this - his money is guaranteed. you'd think that would enable him to be a man and take responsibility for the team stinking. as others have mentioned, it might actually buy him more time if he were honest instead of trying to play us all like rubes. "its been tough, but its on me and everything around here starts and stops with me. we need to get better, from the coaching staff on down." instead its a bunch of "why me", "not my fault", "wait til next year", "pound da rock and da good things'll happen ok i seen it."

we are 11-23 in the ACC. in Daz's 7 seasons as a head coach (at BC and at Temple) only ONE TIME has he won more than he has lost against his conference peers, his very first season at Temple. since then its all 500 or below. the track record speaks for itself - one can only live off the glory of what was a once in generation college team (the Tebow Gators) for so long.

Unknown said...

I will say this until blue in the face....,, NO POWER 5 HOME WINS SINCE 2014!!!!!

Deacon Drake said...

I cannot imagine a scenario that would encourage me to pick up my season tix again with his BS. It just really hurts when I can sit in the South end zone and call out the plays and adjustments that he and his staff cannot... I end up screaming myself horse until devolves into obscenities... so not worth it. At least in the TOB days, it would usually be one or two decisions that left you standing there asking "What just happened?" Now it starts on the second possession when you can see the defense overloading or bringing the safety up on first down... where's the check? Where is the counter or misdirection, or God forbid, play action down the field. Watching us blitz time and time again through the A, knowing it's just a matter of time before the TE shakes down the seam for a big game... mix it up and force them wide wtf!

And at some point, the coach has to take responsibility for the injuries... stop running a toilet clogging offense that piles all 11 guys in the middle of the field... spread and compress... force the defense to adjust their gaps and penetrations on every play so they don't get a rhythm. Seriously, this is like, remedial tactics he cannot employ.

EL MIZ said...

also, it is worth noting that the above complaints are the EXACT same stuff we heard from both Florida fans AND Temple fans! this has been the book on Addazio for over a decade - it isn't a new development and it certainly isn't changing. time to fire daz.

PerishTheEagle said...

Vivid Seats has $4 tickets for NC State and $5 for VT. What a shame this team has become!

JBQ said...

@PerishTheEagle: You've got to be kiddin'. When conglomerates buy up tickets, they add their own markup. You have to presume that the seats were going for 1.50 and 2.00. This is absolutely disgusting. The ACC is still giving BC their share of the market. How much longer will that go on? BC is dragging down the profit margin? Doesn't the socialist Leahy see that modified capitalism is lots better than redistribution of wealth?---I have met the red headed Father Leahy. His bachelor's and master's are from St. Louis University. This is the same SLU where last year not one team made the NCAA playoffs in any capacity. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the radical socialist daily, trumpeted in an editorial that this was good. That SLU was advancing social justice and equality.---Is that what BC wants? SLU dropped a successful hockey program and a club football attempt to bring back football to placate Title IX. I say it again. Is that what BC wants? It appears that is exactly where they are going.

downtown_resident said...

El Miz, glad you pointed out the Anthony Brown thing from last season. Daz knew his seat was getting hot and fed the media guys information to lead them to believe Brown was the second coming of Jameis Winston. While I'm still optimistic about Brown, he's clearly no program-changer (at this point) and what else can you conclude except that Daz was desperate and sold some false hope to the fans and administration in an effort to save his job.

modest34b said...

Can you you stop Trump from tweeting? no

Can you stop Daz from bullshitting at a presser? no

Big Jack Krack said...

Here's a funny (and true, in that it actually happened) story. The fellow who runs our Men's Golf Association is a huge Clemson fan and former High School Coach who is close to the "scene".

After play today he said to me - Addazio - to which I replied well he's an a$$hat - we're about over him.

The fellow then said "Dabo loves Addazio - he's an Offensive Line Coach guy. Our OL Coach is getting ready to retire. If BC cuts Addazio loose, Dabo will hire him! :-)

Now I am not saying this would ever be so, but the conversation happened at 5:30pm today.

We live near Athens, GA about an hour from the Clemson campus.

Too funny and wishful thinking.

BTW - wouldn't such a thing reduce BC's financial liability to Addazio?

Go BC.

bceagle91 said...

BJK, indeed it would reduce our financial liability. At this point, I'd pay for his flight to Clemson.

Knucklehead said...

Dazzler will not have the guts to coach in the ACC when he is told his time is done fucking Boston college. He is running back to the loving arms of Urban the douchebag Meyer undoubtedly.

Napolean Bonaparte said...

Assuming he's invested and hasn't spent like a pig - with the money he's been making and will continue to make - he doesn't need to run back to anybody's loving arms.

Shabby1011 said...

Clearly the Dazzler is feeling the heat and isn't get the reassurances that he was from pathetic Bates

I would guess him and MJ are not speaking at this point which means he knows he is a goner. I would be surprised if he doesn't get his pink slip on the flight home from Cuse

I just hope MJ has a very very short list and has a coach in place by Dec 1. If we go the national search interview multiple candidates then we can't be confident in the outcome.

MJ has to know who he wants and go get him ala VT AD and Fuente. Fuente was the target and he went and got him before the media or anyone caught on. Same thing has to happen

knucklehead said...

Need is different than want.

knucklehead said...

Leahy decides when Dazzler goes. Jarmond is providing input. Leahy makes the call on Dazzler and Jarmond executes it.

Napolean Bonaparte said...

Probably true knuck. Will Leahy dump a guy for over $10MM who keeps his guys out of trouble, makes them wear ties, takes them to church, and says wonderful things about the institution, etc.? I'll believe it when I see it. For sure - nothing will happen until the season is finished. Will be curious as to whether the changes in the BOT will have any impact. Leahy is a highly intelligent academician - but by no means a hard nosed manager. I'm not sure what his priorities are outside of the faith, as he is rarely interviewed - but athletics is probably not at the top of his list.

downtown_resident said...

Of course Dabo loves Daz. Daz is 0-5 lifetime against him. You know who else loves Daz? Jimbo Fisher (4-0 against Daz), Bobby Petrino (3-0 against Daz), and Brian Kelly (2-0 against Daz). That doesn't mean any of them will hire him, and my guess is the same as the earlier poster and Daz runs back into the arms of Urban or somebody else on Urban's coaching tree, possibly Fickell.

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Ramman said...

Interesting. But if he wins 2 of the next 3 this will all be noise!