Jags talks about BC and other links

For the first time since BC fired him, Jags spoke to the media. It was mostly Tampa folks and mostly related to what he was going to do in the NFL. You can read the whole interview here. This is what he had to say about BC:

"I had an opportunity to talk to one of the 32 teams at the pinnacle of your profession," Jagodzinski said. "I didn't see anything wrong with that. But there was a difference of opinion."

Jagodzinski hired Jan. 29 by Tampa Bay as its new offensive coordinator, spent time with the local media Tuesday discussing his plans in that role under new head coach Raheem Morris. But he also was asked several times about his departure from BC.

"The two years that I spent at BC, it was a great, great experience," Jagodzinski said. "I had a chance to be with a bunch of great kids. I had a chance to coach in the ACC as a head coach. We won a lot of football games. It was a positive experience. That chapter of my life is closed and I'm moving on. I really believe that there's a plan for myself and for my family and that's the plan that I'm living out right now."

This Tampa writer is already calling Jags a climber and salesman.

Based on the initial reactions on the message boards I don't think anything Jags says is going to change opinions. There are those, like me, who don't begrudge Jags and think Gene mishandled this and those who think Jags is a liar and disloyal. Hopefully this is the end of it all.

Speaking of unfortunate situations between BC and a former member of the community...the Sean Williams case just gets weirder. First Skinner said that he did not know about the restraining order and said "yes" when Williams asked to attend the game. A Brighton judge threw out the warrant for Williams' court date.

In better news, highly regarded QB Joe Boisture enjoyed his visit to BC.

David Glenn took a look at recent ACC bubble teams. An 8-8 assures nothing.

Raji remains high on NFL Draft boards.

Tampa names Jags offensive coordinator

Jags is now officially back in the NFL. He joins new Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris as offensive coordinator. Regardless of what you think of the BC breakup it does bring some financial relief to BC's football program. Reportedly the school's obligation is prorated based on Jags' future employement. The uncertain news is if any current BC staffers will join him in Tampa.

BCeagles.com gets new look and other links

BC's official website bceagles.com unveiled a new design Tuesday. I think the colors pop a bit more and the navigation, buttons and links are all a bit cleaner and more intuitive. This is a definite improvement. They also have a links section to BC-related stories...wonder where they got that idea?

Corey Raji had a strong night but BJ is the Raji having a really good week. He's probably working his way into the Top 15 of the draft.

BC guy Tim O'Shea's program at Bryant is taking baby steps.

Ayla Brown will sing the national anthem at the American Hockey League All-Star Game.

Former BC coaching bridesmaid Mark Whipple is a candidate for Miami's open offensive coordinator job.

Jags has emerged as a leading candidate for the 49ers open offensive coordinator job. Regardless of how you feel about him, Jags getting hired is a good thing as it would reduce BC's financial obligation to our former coach.

BC winning the PR battle

I've questioned how BC handled this situation in general, but one thing is clear: the administration won the PR battle. Sure some people took Gene to task for overreacting but most have gobbled up Gene's quotes and are now applauding his stand. Supposedly the Globe is prepping a piece that will bury Jags and make it look like he's been angling for any NFL job from Day 1. Here are some of Wednesday's reactions.

Dan Wetzel thinks Gene did the right thing.

Gregg Doyel takes an even stronger stand applauding BC.

Kevin Armstrong agrees with me that this should have stayed behind closed doors.

Brian Cook thinks we should hire Charlie Strong.

HD thinks BC's stance means we won't get an ambitious head coach.

Parsing the joint statement

You can read it here. Thankfully, both sides took the high road.

As you would expect all the language is safe and vague. Key points for me anyway are:

"vision for the future"
-- No idea what that means or how they differed. In the press conference Gene spoke of winning at BC and included the standard talking points (good students, good people, etc). I imagine based on this Gene's vision involved a long-term coach that was partners with him. Jags clearly envisioned this job as a stepping stone.

"terminated without cause"
-- Using this phrase could have been part of the settlement. But if BC felt they were wronged legally and/or ethically using 'without cause' might be a sticking point.

"the search for Jagodzinski's replacement would include both internal and external candidates"
-- Good news. Given the timing and Gene's history of wanting a say in key staff positions, the odds favor an internal promotion, but at least they will talk to outsiders.

Mutually Assured Destruction

There are no winners in this. Just a bunch of losers. Both parties are leaking their respective sides. Few will ever know the true ”he said, he said.” I would love to release a detail-by-detail rehash that captured who was lying to whom and who said what when and promises kept and promises made. After piecing together what I know, the reality was much more simple and unfortunately, much more human. Two once good friends let ego, power, money and ambition corrupt a very good situation. It escalated very quickly. Deception was not the issue. Hurt feelings, pride and of course, money were. It could have been saved through early Sunday night, but once things went public, it was over.

I hope Jags gets the NFL Head Coaching job he longed for and comes out ahead from all this. He’s got a very nice family and his power play just turned their lives upside down.

I hope Gene makes a perfect hire. I hope we get the national-championship winning lifer we’ve all longed for. But the reality is his power play just blew up a good thing (that he himself put together) over minor issues.

I will continue to defend Jags’ right to advance his career and continue to thank him for two great years.

I will have more on our new coach, the future of the program and opinions on the news of the day as they play out. Now I just feel depressed.

Press Conference for 3 PM

Just Gene. No Jags. No other coach.

Looking through the archives

One of the challenges of blogs is that you write in the moment. Sure I prep things or tweak them if I don't like how it came out, but in general the thoughts here are often raw. Knowing that, I went back to read some of the stuff around the Jags hiring. I didn't think we have a moment like this two years in, but I think I still stand by much of what I wrote.

The first mention of Jags:

Jeff Jagodzinski. Offensive Coordinator, Green Bay Packers.
Pros: Great NFL experience. Good line coach and would bring back a focus on the running game. Aggressive recruiter.
Cons: Remember the four straight runs in the closing minutes of the 1998 Notre Dame game? Although it might have been TOB’s call, Jags was on the head set for that.
Bottom Line: Might not want the job as he has been an NFL guy since he left BC.

Winners and Losers:

Jury is still out

Gene Defilippo. In ten years on the job Gene accomplished many things, but never had to fill one of our marquee positions. Jags will be his legacy. Instead of going the safe route with Whipple, he rolled the dice. With a new seating license and growing monotony, Gene needs Jags to win over fans and alumni. Let’s hope he does.

First reactions to Jags after his official introduction:

I am not naive enough to think that Jags will be here forever or that he will not explore other opportunities. But like Coughlin, I think Jags will always hold a special place in his heart for the Heights. And if he has the same sort of success as Coughlin, I'll be sad to see him go, but wish him the best.

Globe says it is over

Although the body of the post says the firing hasn't taken place yet, the headline announces the seemingly inevitable. Stay tuned.

End of the Day Coaching Standoff Recap: Day 2

This blog could use Ted Koppel right now.

Although this post is becoming BC's version of Nightline** I am pretty sure this will be resolved publicly by late Wednesday morning. I cannot confirm if BC will make an announcement on a replacement, but I think Gene will bring some official closure to Jags' status.

What we do know
-- Jags met with the Jets.
-- Multiple sources say BC will fire Jags.
-- BC Guy Kevin Armstrong, who has better BC sources than most national writers, leaves a sliver of hope that Jags could be retained.
-- Speculation is that if Jags doesn't get the Jets job, he'll have a safe landing as the Offensive Coordinator in Seattle.

What we don't know
-- If a new coach will be introduced Wednesday. The prevailing rumor is Spaz. I am holding out hope for other candidates.
-- If there is a chance Gene and Jags can make up. I think it is highly unlikely and would mean one side backs down.

**For those to young to remember, Nightline started as a nightly update show during the Iran hostage situation.

Everyone's got an opinion, no real news and other links

First let me get this out of the way. As of this morning no BC press conference has been scheduled. That could change. According to reports Jags is meeting with the Jets now. The overriding rumor is that Spaz will take over. I hope that is not the case, but will address it more if it happens. If we are going internal, my strong preference would be for Jack Bicknell Jr.

Here is what the rest of the sports world thinks.

Bob Ryan's opinion is close to mine: this is how the game is played.

Gerry Callahan thinks Jags is a phoney.

Outsiders still think BC is overreacting.

Folks in North Carolina are just excited about the prospect of having Steve Logan back on the radio.

Eric Wilbur doesn't understand why BC would expect non-alums to view the job as the "end all, be all."

In basketball news, Skinner wasn't surprised by the UNC upset. Reggie Jackson came to BC to play in games like that. Sanders wants to build on his defensive effort.

All Quiet on the Western Front

I haven't posted much this evening because there is still more speculation than sound information. Here is a brief recap.

What has been cleared up
-- There was no clause in the contract regarding Jags looking outside. You can talk spirit and intent all you want but if BC sources are saying BC would owe Jags the remainder, then it wasn't in writing. Most likely lawyers will settle this behind closed doors.

What we don't know
-- When will this end? The longer this goes on the more bizarre it becomes. Speculation on the new head coach has ranged from the likely in house candidates to long shot staffers (Coach McGovern?!?, Coach Day?!?) to old friends of the program to old friends of Gene (Fulmer?!?). Even with all the nonsense there is still a narrow possibility that Jags returns!

This cannot go on forever. I expect some formal announcement Tuesday but given how things have transpired, we might not know who the coach is at kickoff in September.

What others have to say

As we all await for the smoke signals from the Heights, the media world and blogosphere is weighing in on the pissing match. Some of them reference back to this blog, but here are a few of the takes.

-- Dr. Saturday reminds us that this interview/flirtation process is standard when ever you have a winning coach.
-- Fanhouse thinks that Gene's record of showdowns with TOB and Jags speaks to a bigger problem.
-- Ray Ratto thinks both are childish and hurting the players and fans.
-- The Interruption guys feel like kids caught in a divorce.
-- ESPN muses that Jags just may have faith in himself that he'll get the Jets job.
-- Fanblogs equates BC to a scorned lover.

Ultimatums, contract provisions, leaks and what no news means

Instead of responding over and over in the comments, I thought I would just address the pressing issues from the earlier post.

Ultimatums
It doesn't matter if Jags was going to get the Jets job or if it was a negotiation ploy on his part. If it rubbed Gene the wrong way, you fire him on the spot and call Al Golden or Mike London or Brian Kelly before Jags can get up out of the chair. The ultimatum made the situation ten times worse.

The leak
I don't know who leaked the ultimatum but I can tell you it wasn't Jags. To say his camp was caught off guard with the public pronouncement would be an understatement. I am not a reporter. I am a fan and alum with a blog. I am not here to break news. Trust me if you choose, but I can assure you it did not come from Jags. Does that mean it came from Gene? I don't know. You can read the tea leaves and people playing connect the dots on the message boards.

Contract provisions
I am obviously not privy to the contract, but I don't buy the no NFL job for three years rumor that is out there. All reports when signed and all behavior regarding the Auburn and Iowa State interest in Jags seem to reflect standard buyout provisions and what not. Also Peter King had this to say regarding a potential clause [I bolded the part of interest]:

That's a ridiculous demand by Boston College, unless there's a clause in his contract that the coach cannot interview for NFL jobs, which I don't believe exists.

Jags still hasn't been publicly fired yet
The longer this situation goes on the weirder it gets. All reports say Jags is meeting with the Jets today. Will the ultimatum be enforced? The longer BC is silent may indicate that there will be some face saving all around.

Airing dirty laundry; Cutting off your nose…

I am already getting questions about my criticism of Gene and being asked why I am not more critical of Jags. I’ll let it all play out before coming down one way or another. My loyalty and interest first is to BC the institution and the players who are caught in the middle. Long after Gene and Jags are gone, BC will still be there and most of the kids in that locker room will be Boston College alumni. They are the ones getting screwed.

But this is why I am frustrated with our Athletic Director and not really mad at our head coach…

The Job and Loyalty

Boston College is not a final destination job. Few jobs in any sport are. You have to be in a great spot with great support not to look elsewhere. Even if you win at unprecedented levels, fans, owners, alumni, and players get tired of the same old, same old. In my experience most coaches have thin skin and rabbit ears too. They want to be appreciated and adored and compensated. So the nature of the profession is for them to flirt with other jobs. They are people just like us and often get sucked in to the seemingly greener grass. I bet Bob Stoops and Urban Meyer will both be mentioned for NFL jobs and despite their current riches and security, both will listen. It’s ego. It’s economics. It’s the nature of the beast.

That being said, why should we expect Jags to act any differently? After TOB’s first winning season, he got involved in the North Carolina job and subsequently floated his name and/or interviewed every offseason.

I would love to have a BC lifer…our own Bobby Bowden or Joe Paterno. But those situations are rare. If we cannot have a lifer, I have no problem being a grooming stop for young, up and comers, like Coughlin and Jags and even TOB. Heck, the position becomes that much more attractive to bright young coaches if they know they can go to BC and then move onto the NFL.

I know that Jags has passed on other college jobs since he has been at BC. Although he would never say anything publicly like this, I think he would only leave BC for an NFL job. That should have been obvious to Gene when he hired an NFL guy.

Contracts, Negotiation, and Leverage

I don’t care if Jags had an iron-clad contract that forbid him from even watching an NFL game. The reality of the industry is that these contracts are rarely enforced and never successfully used as implements to block someone from taking another job (see Rich Rodriquez, see Bobby Petrino, etc.) Gene knows this. So Gene has choices when situations like this arise.

1. Renegotiate and give Jags more money
2. Let him talk and potentially walk

Instead he picked the nuclear option of an ultimatum. What good can come of that? You either lose your coach or keep him and have him resent you and the job. There is no coming back from an ultimatum. Even now these two might publicly save face, but do you think things will be rosy between them. Their Friday golf outings might be off for a bit..dontcha think?

Letting it go public

This is my biggest problem. Regardless of where the leak came from, it got out. Now BC has a PR nightmare that will hurt the current recruiting class, ensure short term instability and make finding a good new coach that much more difficult as long as Gene is still Athletic Director. This is not a baseball coach or a women’s basketball coach. Hardball was the wrong way to go. Gene has played his cards right in the past (ACC expansion, Cathy Inglese, TOB, the first coaching search). He may come out of this even better for it, but I am not optimistic. Even when things are going wrong, the AD should do his best to keep it all behind closed doors.

My opinion

BC should have let Jags talk to the Jets and let this thing play out. I love Jags, but everyone is replaceable. BC is a great place and should be a great job. We could have found another good coach. Handling it in this way burned bridges and made the school look bad.

Coaching Candidates

When news first broke of the NFL's interest in Jags, I started prepping profiles of potential replacements. I assumed that like last time we would have a normal, national search. Now that is out the window. Gene has already pulled a major power play. He better have something lined up quickly. As I have said, long term I think BC will be fine. Short term is another matter. What Gene does in the next week will impact us for good or bad for at least the next five years. I've abbreviated this a bit from last time due to the circumstances. I'll flush the candidates out more as the situation plays itself out.

In house
Given the timing, this is the likely way to go. I don't know if I am thrilled with the choices though.

Jack Bicknell, Jr. -- Great guy. Could be a good face of the program. Has true ties to the school. Unfortunately he had a losing record as Head Coach at Louisiana Tech. Probably the safest choice short term.
Steve Logan -- An experienced head coach and great offensive mind. Ties to Jags may make this unfeasible. If we go in house, this would be my preferred choice.
Frank Spaziani -- The glue that held the last transition together. His relationship with Gene makes him a favorite for the spot, but I think the reasons he didn't get the job last time still hold.

All the other guys on the staff are either too inexperienced or not the right guy to handle this awkward situation. The only benefit to promoting one of these guys is that you can keep the staff intact for the 2009 season.

TOB Guys
Gene went with a former TOB staffer last time. He may go that way again. But given the Jags things, would anyone trust Gene now?

Al Golden; Head Coach, Temple -- the timing was wrong for Golden the last time around. I'd have numerous gripes about bringing him on, but the upside is he knows BC, knows the ACC, knows Gene and has relationships with many of the current staff.
Mike London; Head Coach, Richmond -- Has BC ties, NFL ties and ACC ties. Just won a DIAA national championship. Is a rising star. Would he touch this job given the circumstances?
Don Treadwell; Offensive Coordinator, Michigan State -- BC ties and has been a coordinator for many years. Just got passed over at his Alma mater though. Has a TOB like personality.

Long shots
If Jags had left under normal circumstances the following guys would have been long shots. Now none are even likely to take Gene's call. They are all in good positions. Why risk taking a job with a guy who just gutted a coach who won 20 games in two years?

Brian Kelly; Head Coach, Cincinnati -- The only reason he would take the job is because he longed to be the BC coach. Even if we gave him a blank check, why should he trust Gene?
Chip Kelly; Offensive Coordinator, Oregon -- He is now the coach in waiting and Nike will match any money we offer. If he were to take it, it would be just to get back to New England.
Randy Edsall; Head Coach, UConn -- This is a guy who knows what it is like to get surprised by a BC AD! He thought he had the job 12 years ago. He wants out of UConn, but can probably wait for a better situation.

There are other big fish out there who may have considered the job a week ago (Turner Gill, Mike Leach, Jim Fassel), but I doubt that will happen now.

Bridesmaids
The following guys all interviewed last time and did not get the job. Would they want it this time? Would Gene go to a guy he passed over once?

Mark Whipple; Philadelphia Eagles, Offensive Assistant -- he didn't kiss Gene's ring enough last time. Will he use Gene's desperation against him this time around.
Kevin Gilbride; Offensive Coordinator, New York Giants -- He just won a Super Bowl and might win another. He doesn't need this headache.
Jay Norvell; WR Coach, Oklahoma -- He might still be interested. I would be very, very lukewarm if he were selected.

NFL Guys
Given that BC doesn't seem to let their coaches return to the NFL, I don't think a rising NFL assistant will have much interest this time around. That said, I would think these two would be good fits.

Mike Sullivan; WR coach, New York Giants
Bill Musgrave, QB coach, Atlanta Falcons

College Guys
There are dozens of college guys looking for their shot who would put up with any of the nonsense around. Some of their names might surface. But if we were conducting a normal search I would hope Gene would reach out to these two guys:

Charlie Strong, Defensive Coordinator, Florida
Kevin Wilson, Offensive Coordinator, Oklahoma

Both have good profiles, have worked at schools like BC, have risen to the top and under normal circumstances would probably be very interested in BC.

Bottom Line
This will not be a normal search. For a guy to take this job right now, he will either have love for BC, trust Gene or really be desperate for a shot as a head coach.

I hope we get another Jags, a guy who is a good coach and appreciates what BC is all about. My fear is that this is going to be handled as well as this Jags standoff.

Thank you Jeff Jagodzinski

As I did when TOB left, let me say thanks to Jags. Regardless of how this plays out, he did an excellent job over two years. He provided a boost of energy and passion we all desired and he clearly bought into what BC was about. I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

How did this happen?

There is a ton of speculation flying tonight. Let's take a deep breath and recap what we know (with my opinions sprinkled in).

1. The Jets have interest in Jags. Despite the initial denials, it is clear that they want to interview him. Assuming it would be wrapped up relatively quickly -- this should have been a good thing. If he gets the job, congrats, thanks for two great seasons. Gene could go find the next Jags. If he doesn't get the job, he and Gene have a big public show of him "staying at BC." You then show to the college football world and recruits that the BC coach is hot and has NFL connections.

2. Jags and Gene disagreed on how the Jets situation was handled and an ultimatum was given. The full story will never surface publicly (unless there is a lawsuit coming) but clearly Jags and Gene saw things differently. Even if there was deception or insubordination or power plays, an ultimatum is a dangerous and stupid thing in any line of work. What does the ultimatum solve? After the Maryland game Gene was crowing in the postgame press conference that Jags should be the coach of the year. Do that sort of stuff and you lose your leverage to fire him for cause six weeks later. Why force Jags' hand especially on a job that he is the long shot for? If Gene didn't like how Jags dealt with the situation, then fire him on the spot. An ultimatum is ugly.

3. Someone leaked the showdown to ESPN's Chris Mortenson. There is debate on all the message boards over who leaked this. It doesn't matter. Leaking it makes it the point of no return. Can either trust the other again?

Where do we go from here?
I am assuming the Jags era is over. The only way this can be saved is if the two parties kiss and make up soon. I don't think that can or will happen.

Jags will be fine. His life gets turned upside down in the short term, but he'll land on his feet. BC will be fine in the long term...the school has overcome worse. The big question is what happens in the near term with the players and Gene. Unless he works some sort of magic shortly this will blow up in his face.

Stuff is going down

ESPN is reporting that Jags will be fired if he interviews with the Jets. Stay tuned.

My take on Jags to the Jets rumors

The talk of the day is the Jets alleged interest in Jags for their head coach vacancy. Here is a news rundown:
-- Jags himself denied it directly to the Globe.
-- Gene and Jags echoed that sentiment to NECN.
-- The Jets are also denying that Jags is candidate.
-- The Daily News captures the challenge of this whole situation:

The Jets wouldn't confirm or deny the interview. Know this: During recruiting season, college coaches will lie to their mother about prospective jobs. Could you imagine the fallout if the Jets hired Jagodzinski? Everybody would be saying Favre hired the coach.

My take: I don't think Jags will be the Jets coach. I think the timing is wrong, the situation in New York is too unsettled, and if he plays his cards right better opportunities will be waiting for him. But all that said, I don't think Jags is going to be a BC lifer. I see him in the Coughlin mode of using this as a stepping stone. But like Coughlin, I think he has a true appreciation for BC and will always be a friend of the program (unlike his predecessor). You can't begrudge him for listening to other offers. He's got to think about what is best for his family and his career. Let's just hope that as long as he's at BC we keep winning. If things do progress with this or other NFL openings, I'll dive deep into it like I did during the last coaching change.