Could Saban Be Tired of Constant Winning at Alabama?
By Chris Jackson Tuesday December 18, 2012
TUSCALOOSA, AL-With all of these dominating, juggernaut teams
Saban has won championships with at Alabama, it raises the question you hear
from many fans, could Alabama head coach Nick Saban possibly be tired of winning
too much at Alabama?
Alabama athletic director Hal Moore doesn’t seem to think so.
"He's expressed to me on several occasions ... that he's happy
here," Moore said. "He feels very comfortable, and I believe him."
It’s hard to believe any coach, even though Saban is one of the
most honest coaches out there.
When you are such a good coach like Saban is, you have to love
building teams into juggernaut squads that no one wants to face.
Saban is almost one of those video game-type coaches. He wins
with ease. It seems like even though he is playing on Heisman difficulty. When
you win all the time with a school on dynasty mode on a video game, you want to
coach somewhere else and win and build that team. Getting tired of winning at
the same school has to be going through Saban’s mind a little bit.
To all of you NCAA Football 13 players, you know that it’s true
you get tired of winning at one school on the game. You want to win everywhere
and not just at the same place.
Don’t be surprised if Nick Saban is NFL bound after this season.
He is one great coach that knows how to coach great defenses, offensive line,
running backs and some good quarterbacks.
No doubt he will receive NFL coaching offers. It wouldn’t be a
surprise if he gets offers from the Jets (if they fire Rex Ryan), Philadelphia
(if they get rid of Andy Reid) and Kansas City (if they get rid of Romeo Crennel).
Saban does enjoy coaching college football, he said it’s his passion.
"This has been a good thing for my family to be here," Saban
said. "College football has been very good for us. The positive impact that you
can have on these young men as players and as people, that's just something that
we really enjoy and something that I learned about myself.
"I really enjoy what I'm doing here right now. I'm getting old
now. I don't think we've got too many moves left in us ... Hopefully I'll be
able to stay here for a long, long time."
He might be enjoying coaching college football, but who wouldn’t
enjoy coaching in the NFL? It is almost any coaches dream job, but coaching at
Alabama is a dream job to.
We will have to see what happens to coach Nick Saban after this
season. He might stay or he might go. He might be listening to The Clash’s son
“Should I Stay or Should I Go” to figure out what to do. That song is what will
likely be going through his mid after the season especially with NFL offers. The
NFL is the big stage as almost any coach knows and coaching in the SEC is the
big stage in college football.
Should he stay or should he go?
TUSCALOOSA, AL-With all of these dominating, juggernaut teams
Saban has won championships with at Alabama, it raises the question you hear
from many fans, could Alabama head coach Nick Saban possibly be tired of winning
too much at Alabama?
Alabama athletic director Hal Moore doesn’t seem to think so.
"He's expressed to me on several occasions ... that he's happy
here," Moore said. "He feels very comfortable, and I believe him."
It’s hard to believe any coach, even though Saban is one of the
most honest coaches out there.
When you are such a good coach like Saban is, you have to love
building teams into juggernaut squads that no one wants to face.
Saban is almost one of those video game-type coaches. He wins
with ease. It seems like even though he is playing on Heisman difficulty. When
you win all the time with a school on dynasty mode on a video game, you want to
coach somewhere else and win and build that team. Getting tired of winning at
the same school has to be going through Saban’s mind a little bit.
To all of you NCAA Football 13 players, you know that it’s true
you get tired of winning at one school on the game. You want to win everywhere
and not just at the same place.
Don’t be surprised if Nick Saban is NFL bound after this season.
He is one great coach that knows how to coach great defenses, offensive line,
running backs and some good quarterbacks.
No doubt he will receive NFL coaching offers. It wouldn’t be a
surprise if he gets offers from the Jets (if they fire Rex Ryan), Philadelphia
(if they get rid of Andy Reid) and Kansas City (if they get rid of Romeo Crennel).
Saban does enjoy coaching college football, he said it’s his passion.
"This has been a good thing for my family to be here," Saban
said. "College football has been very good for us. The positive impact that you
can have on these young men as players and as people, that's just something that
we really enjoy and something that I learned about myself.
"I really enjoy what I'm doing here right now. I'm getting old
now. I don't think we've got too many moves left in us ... Hopefully I'll be
able to stay here for a long, long time."
He might be enjoying coaching college football, but who wouldn’t
enjoy coaching in the NFL? It is almost any coaches dream job, but coaching at
Alabama is a dream job to.
We will have to see what happens to coach Nick Saban after this
season. He might stay or he might go. He might be listening to The Clash’s son
“Should I Stay or Should I Go” to figure out what to do. That song is what will
likely be going through his mid after the season especially with NFL offers. The
NFL is the big stage as almost any coach knows and coaching in the SEC is the
big stage in college football.
Should he stay or should he go?
Mike MacIntyre Left a Short Legacy at SJSU
By Chris Jackson Tuesday December 11, 2012
SAN JOSE-It may have only been a 3-year tenure at San Jose
State, MacIntyre made the program in San Jose one that was starting to become a
west coast power.
When MacIntyre first arrived at San Jose, he didn’t know what to
expect, and neither did anybody. The San Jose State football program was in the
dumps, and it looked like they would never climb the ladder. But they climbed
that ladder and the Spartans finished the regular season this year with a 10-2
record and will be playing in the Military Bowl in Washington, DC-their
1st bowl game since 2006.
In December of 2009, when he was 1st hired, he came
into a program in complete disarray that was among the lowest in the country and
would struggle against the even mediocre FCS programs.
During MacIntyre’s 1st season as the Spartans head
coach, they fnished the season with just 1 win. They were again among the
bottom programs in the college football landscape.
The 2nd season turned out to be a better season. They
finished 5-7 and were just a couple of plays away from finishing 6-6 or even
7-5. Although neither one happened, his 3rd and final season proved
to be one that will go down in San Jose State history.
San Jose State finished the regular season 10-2 this season.
They were just a few plays away from beating 6the 6th
ranked and Pac-12 champs in the Stanford Cardinal. If they would have been
effective on 1 or 2 more plays in that game, they could have won and could have
finished the season 11-1. That was one of those “coulda, shoulda, woulda” games
for the Spartans.
Just take a moment and look at the progress he made there in
those 3 years. In just 3 years he got San Jose State to complete one of their
best seasons ever finishing with a 10-2 record and 2nd place in the WAC.
They are ranked 24th in the BCS standings. This is
the 1st time they have ever creeped into the BCS standings, and you
know what, they are deserving of that #24 ranking because of the way they
played the game of football this season and they always played good against
tough competition.
Here’s a look at some of their quality wins. They beat San Diego
State (38-34), beat BYU (20-14), and they beat Louisiana Tech
(52-43).
It’s no surprise when the SJSU players heard the news that
MacIntyre was leaving, that they were going to miss him. He helped transform a
program in the dumps to a team of excellence, and MacIntyre was also a loveable
guy in the locker room for them.
It's hard when you see a guy you admired and respected and you
worked hard for put on another school's colors and go out there and have a press
conference like that," senior offensive lineman David Quessenberry said. "You
kind of feel like you just got broken up with. I'm happy for him. He's pursuing
his dreams. Colorado's got a great guy, a good coach and a good recruiter. He's
going to be able to accomplish there what he did here."
ManIntyre said his players played with a lot of heart this
season, and is proud to see what the program has become.
“I just left a program of young men who cared deeply," MacIntyre
said. "Who went from 120th in the nation to 24th in every poll in two and a half
years. Raised their APR from 930 to 981 and committed to being successful."
Now at San Jose State, they should make a sigh saying “Committed
to Excellence.” MacIntyre started to get some of the best recruiting class in
the WAC.
Unfortunately he won’t be able to coach them when they make
their debut in the Mountain West next year. But he will be able to try and take
a Colorado team with a rough season into a team that gets recognized by the
whole country and get them back to national prominence, like they used to be a lot.
Colorado is getting a great coach in MacIntyre. It may take a
few years to turn around the program in Boulder, but he can do it. Look at how
he turned around San Jose State. He will need to attract recruits though. Folsom
Field is nice, and that will help attract recruits. But he will need to show
interested high school players what he did at San Jose State and try and
convince them that Colorado will be back to being a well-known college football
team.
We will wait and see what will happen at Colorado. It may be tough, but how could
Mike MacIntyre not like a challenge? He won the challenge at San Jose. So can he
win the challenge at Colorado? There is no reason why he won’t win the
challenge. So let’s just observe to see what happens.
SAN JOSE-It may have only been a 3-year tenure at San Jose
State, MacIntyre made the program in San Jose one that was starting to become a
west coast power.
When MacIntyre first arrived at San Jose, he didn’t know what to
expect, and neither did anybody. The San Jose State football program was in the
dumps, and it looked like they would never climb the ladder. But they climbed
that ladder and the Spartans finished the regular season this year with a 10-2
record and will be playing in the Military Bowl in Washington, DC-their
1st bowl game since 2006.
In December of 2009, when he was 1st hired, he came
into a program in complete disarray that was among the lowest in the country and
would struggle against the even mediocre FCS programs.
During MacIntyre’s 1st season as the Spartans head
coach, they fnished the season with just 1 win. They were again among the
bottom programs in the college football landscape.
The 2nd season turned out to be a better season. They
finished 5-7 and were just a couple of plays away from finishing 6-6 or even
7-5. Although neither one happened, his 3rd and final season proved
to be one that will go down in San Jose State history.
San Jose State finished the regular season 10-2 this season.
They were just a few plays away from beating 6the 6th
ranked and Pac-12 champs in the Stanford Cardinal. If they would have been
effective on 1 or 2 more plays in that game, they could have won and could have
finished the season 11-1. That was one of those “coulda, shoulda, woulda” games
for the Spartans.
Just take a moment and look at the progress he made there in
those 3 years. In just 3 years he got San Jose State to complete one of their
best seasons ever finishing with a 10-2 record and 2nd place in the WAC.
They are ranked 24th in the BCS standings. This is
the 1st time they have ever creeped into the BCS standings, and you
know what, they are deserving of that #24 ranking because of the way they
played the game of football this season and they always played good against
tough competition.
Here’s a look at some of their quality wins. They beat San Diego
State (38-34), beat BYU (20-14), and they beat Louisiana Tech
(52-43).
It’s no surprise when the SJSU players heard the news that
MacIntyre was leaving, that they were going to miss him. He helped transform a
program in the dumps to a team of excellence, and MacIntyre was also a loveable
guy in the locker room for them.
It's hard when you see a guy you admired and respected and you
worked hard for put on another school's colors and go out there and have a press
conference like that," senior offensive lineman David Quessenberry said. "You
kind of feel like you just got broken up with. I'm happy for him. He's pursuing
his dreams. Colorado's got a great guy, a good coach and a good recruiter. He's
going to be able to accomplish there what he did here."
ManIntyre said his players played with a lot of heart this
season, and is proud to see what the program has become.
“I just left a program of young men who cared deeply," MacIntyre
said. "Who went from 120th in the nation to 24th in every poll in two and a half
years. Raised their APR from 930 to 981 and committed to being successful."
Now at San Jose State, they should make a sigh saying “Committed
to Excellence.” MacIntyre started to get some of the best recruiting class in
the WAC.
Unfortunately he won’t be able to coach them when they make
their debut in the Mountain West next year. But he will be able to try and take
a Colorado team with a rough season into a team that gets recognized by the
whole country and get them back to national prominence, like they used to be a lot.
Colorado is getting a great coach in MacIntyre. It may take a
few years to turn around the program in Boulder, but he can do it. Look at how
he turned around San Jose State. He will need to attract recruits though. Folsom
Field is nice, and that will help attract recruits. But he will need to show
interested high school players what he did at San Jose State and try and
convince them that Colorado will be back to being a well-known college football
team.
We will wait and see what will happen at Colorado. It may be tough, but how could
Mike MacIntyre not like a challenge? He won the challenge at San Jose. So can he
win the challenge at Colorado? There is no reason why he won’t win the
challenge. So let’s just observe to see what happens.
The BCS Controversy Continues
By Chris Jackson Monday December 3, 2012
Can there really be another controversy to this illogical BCS
system?
Yes there can. But this new rule is just a complete overrated
type of rule that should not allow a non-BCS school to qualify for a BCS game if
they are in the top 16.
This rule isn’t fair. But luckily this system will be over in a
few years and there will be a 4-team playoff. But obviously, there will be
controversy to that to.
In the long run, the playoff system is more fair. You can’t just
qualify as a conference champion or being a certain ranking as a non-BCS school.
You have to work really hard to get into the top 4 and qualify. And let’s face
it, that is what is best for college football.
Even ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit went crazy over the fact about
Northern Illinois getting to play in the BCS. He said that it’s not fair, and
you know what, I couldn’t agree with him more.
Northern Illinois is a good football team with quarterback
Jordan Lynch and all, but they lost to a below-average Iowa team this season.
But then again, that was the first game of the season and Northern Illinois
improved all year.
But the problem is, they barely beat a 1-11 Kansas team by a
score of 30-23. They also narrowly escaped a victory at 2-9 Army as they won
41-40. That isn’t very convincing to me, but apparently it was to the BCS
committee, and most people don’t get how Northern Illinois jumped 5 spots in the
BCS poll within a week to qualify for BCS.
To be honest, this game for them against Florida State in the
Orange Bowl might not turn out well. Florida State has played and beat way
better quality opponents. They have a better resume then the boys from Illinois.
They also have more depth and more talent at the skill
positions.
And if Northern Illinois is considered deserving, then how come
San Jose State isn’t deserving? San Jose State has a better resume even though
they have two losses, but both to really good opponents. Those two losses were
to Utah State and Stanford.
Not that either school would be deserving, but San Jose seems
more deserving then Northern Illinois. They might not have a standout player,
but they have more players to go to, and they also lost to Stanford by only
three points, and arguably, they played better than Stanford for most of that
game.
I’m not saying either school should even be in a BCS game. But
even though San Jose State didn’t qualify, they would be more deserving than
Northern Illinois.
How fair is this to LSU, Texas A&M and Oklahoma?
All of those schools are way more deserving than Northern
Illinois. The rule that states there can’t be more than two teams in the BCS
from one conference is another illogical rule. That isn’t fair to Texas A&M,
LSU, or Oklahoma. All had great regular seasons and way, way better resumes than
Northern Illinois.
Texas A&M beat Alabama, who is in the National Championship.
They finished in the top 10, but they are not in BCS. How is that
fair?
In a head-to-head matchup, LSU, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M
would destroy Northern Illinois. Maybe that’s an exaggeration, but they would
beat the Huskies by double-digits.
All three of those schools have played great opponents in their
conference and they beat a majority of them.
This controversy continues. But thank goodness there is a new
playoff system in place starting in the 2014-2015 system. This is again not an
overreaction, but the way just about every college football insider and writer
has reacted to Northern Illinois getting in the
BCS.
Can there really be another controversy to this illogical BCS
system?
Yes there can. But this new rule is just a complete overrated
type of rule that should not allow a non-BCS school to qualify for a BCS game if
they are in the top 16.
This rule isn’t fair. But luckily this system will be over in a
few years and there will be a 4-team playoff. But obviously, there will be
controversy to that to.
In the long run, the playoff system is more fair. You can’t just
qualify as a conference champion or being a certain ranking as a non-BCS school.
You have to work really hard to get into the top 4 and qualify. And let’s face
it, that is what is best for college football.
Even ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit went crazy over the fact about
Northern Illinois getting to play in the BCS. He said that it’s not fair, and
you know what, I couldn’t agree with him more.
Northern Illinois is a good football team with quarterback
Jordan Lynch and all, but they lost to a below-average Iowa team this season.
But then again, that was the first game of the season and Northern Illinois
improved all year.
But the problem is, they barely beat a 1-11 Kansas team by a
score of 30-23. They also narrowly escaped a victory at 2-9 Army as they won
41-40. That isn’t very convincing to me, but apparently it was to the BCS
committee, and most people don’t get how Northern Illinois jumped 5 spots in the
BCS poll within a week to qualify for BCS.
To be honest, this game for them against Florida State in the
Orange Bowl might not turn out well. Florida State has played and beat way
better quality opponents. They have a better resume then the boys from Illinois.
They also have more depth and more talent at the skill
positions.
And if Northern Illinois is considered deserving, then how come
San Jose State isn’t deserving? San Jose State has a better resume even though
they have two losses, but both to really good opponents. Those two losses were
to Utah State and Stanford.
Not that either school would be deserving, but San Jose seems
more deserving then Northern Illinois. They might not have a standout player,
but they have more players to go to, and they also lost to Stanford by only
three points, and arguably, they played better than Stanford for most of that
game.
I’m not saying either school should even be in a BCS game. But
even though San Jose State didn’t qualify, they would be more deserving than
Northern Illinois.
How fair is this to LSU, Texas A&M and Oklahoma?
All of those schools are way more deserving than Northern
Illinois. The rule that states there can’t be more than two teams in the BCS
from one conference is another illogical rule. That isn’t fair to Texas A&M,
LSU, or Oklahoma. All had great regular seasons and way, way better resumes than
Northern Illinois.
Texas A&M beat Alabama, who is in the National Championship.
They finished in the top 10, but they are not in BCS. How is that
fair?
In a head-to-head matchup, LSU, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M
would destroy Northern Illinois. Maybe that’s an exaggeration, but they would
beat the Huskies by double-digits.
All three of those schools have played great opponents in their
conference and they beat a majority of them.
This controversy continues. But thank goodness there is a new
playoff system in place starting in the 2014-2015 system. This is again not an
overreaction, but the way just about every college football insider and writer
has reacted to Northern Illinois getting in the
BCS.
BCS Bowls
BCS National Championship: Notre Dame vs. Alabama
Allstate Sugar Bowl: Florida vs. Louisville
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Kansas State vs. Oregon
Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio: Stanford vs. Wisconsin
Discover Orange Bowl: Northern Illinois vs. Florida State
Allstate Sugar Bowl: Florida vs. Louisville
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Kansas State vs. Oregon
Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio: Stanford vs. Wisconsin
Discover Orange Bowl: Northern Illinois vs. Florida State
Irish Jig......Give Notre Dame Credit
By Chris Jackson Thursday November 29, 2012
SOUTH BEND, IN-Let’s all stop the hating on
Notre Dame and realize that they’re for real.
Offensively, they may not be gifted, but they
have the talent. The running back position is arguably one of the deepest in the
country. They will go to seniors Theo Riddick and Cierre Wood and also go to
sophomore George Atkinson III. Riddick has 880 yards rushing while Wood has 740
and Atkinson III had 361.
Those three running backs have helped account
for the 27th ranked run game, which averages 202 rushing yards per
game.
Never forget about sophomore dual-threat
quarterback Everett Golson. He has 2135 passing yards and 305 rushing yards.
Many analysts say he has that “kind of awareness” at quarterback that many
coaches look for. While he may force throws sometimes, he knows how to help the
Irish do their jig after every single win-that’s 12 by the
way.
This offense may not be loaded at every
positions, there’s no reason to say that their offense “stinks or anything like
that. Just because they’re Notre Dame, doesn’t mean that you can criticize them
at every position. Let’s face it every Notre Dame hater, they’re pretty good on
offense, just admit it.
Manti Football, right?
Yeah he’s the star player for Notre Dame. He’s a
menace on defense. He makes almost every tackle for the Irish, at least it
seems like it. He’s got 103 tackles this season, and what’s not to like about
that.
Yeah I might be making it “Manti Football”
instead of “Johnny Football,” but let’s face it, he’s the Johnny Manziel on
defense. There are other numerous studs for other schools on defense, like Chase
Thomas at Stanford or Jarvis Jones at Georgia. But Te’o surpasses all of them in
every facet, so cut the “well, he’s overrated cause I hate Notre Dame.” He’s the
best defensive player in the country, just admit
that.
"It's definitely a relief to be able to look at the big picture now, but it's a short
window," said Te'o, who had a key interception and became the second Irish
defender with three 100-tackle seasons. "We can enjoy this, but then we're
going to have to get prepared for one more game."
That’s where most of their style points have
come, on the defensive side of the ball.
"Well, that's who we are," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said. "It's been our defense
all year. Our offense is able to manage enough points."
With a 12-0 undefeated regular season, it’s
appropriate for them to do the Irish Jig.
"I'm still in awe," Irish defensive end Kapron
Lewis-Moore said. "I don't think it's hit anybody yet. We're
trying to relish the moment."
Everyone’s in awe. The Irish were not expected to go undefeated
in the regular season and be the number one team in college football. And I’ll
admit it, I didn’t think they would even get nine wins, but they got twelve, and
they still want that 13th win in the National Championship on January
7th.
Something doesn’t click when people say that Notre Dame is
overrated. They are rated right where they should be, and that’s at number
one.
Every week, people were saying that Notre Dame would lose, and
then they won. Then that got people to say, “well, they’re going to lose next
week.” Well they never lost. That proves the hatred and just complete
dissatisfaction toward Notre Dame football.
Why do people decide to not give the Irish credit on this
remarkable season?
It stumps me, it stumps college football experts, it stumps the
Notre Dame players and coaches, and it stumps their fans. They’ve earned the
love this year.
If you can’t admit that Notre Dame is a legitimate football team
this year, than you’re not a football fan. You’re just a fan of your team and
hating Notre Dame for whatever reason. If you’re a real college football fan,
you’ll at least give the Irish some credit, and the bottom line is that they
deserve a ton of credit.
SOUTH BEND, IN-Let’s all stop the hating on
Notre Dame and realize that they’re for real.
Offensively, they may not be gifted, but they
have the talent. The running back position is arguably one of the deepest in the
country. They will go to seniors Theo Riddick and Cierre Wood and also go to
sophomore George Atkinson III. Riddick has 880 yards rushing while Wood has 740
and Atkinson III had 361.
Those three running backs have helped account
for the 27th ranked run game, which averages 202 rushing yards per
game.
Never forget about sophomore dual-threat
quarterback Everett Golson. He has 2135 passing yards and 305 rushing yards.
Many analysts say he has that “kind of awareness” at quarterback that many
coaches look for. While he may force throws sometimes, he knows how to help the
Irish do their jig after every single win-that’s 12 by the
way.
This offense may not be loaded at every
positions, there’s no reason to say that their offense “stinks or anything like
that. Just because they’re Notre Dame, doesn’t mean that you can criticize them
at every position. Let’s face it every Notre Dame hater, they’re pretty good on
offense, just admit it.
Manti Football, right?
Yeah he’s the star player for Notre Dame. He’s a
menace on defense. He makes almost every tackle for the Irish, at least it
seems like it. He’s got 103 tackles this season, and what’s not to like about
that.
Yeah I might be making it “Manti Football”
instead of “Johnny Football,” but let’s face it, he’s the Johnny Manziel on
defense. There are other numerous studs for other schools on defense, like Chase
Thomas at Stanford or Jarvis Jones at Georgia. But Te’o surpasses all of them in
every facet, so cut the “well, he’s overrated cause I hate Notre Dame.” He’s the
best defensive player in the country, just admit
that.
"It's definitely a relief to be able to look at the big picture now, but it's a short
window," said Te'o, who had a key interception and became the second Irish
defender with three 100-tackle seasons. "We can enjoy this, but then we're
going to have to get prepared for one more game."
That’s where most of their style points have
come, on the defensive side of the ball.
"Well, that's who we are," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said. "It's been our defense
all year. Our offense is able to manage enough points."
With a 12-0 undefeated regular season, it’s
appropriate for them to do the Irish Jig.
"I'm still in awe," Irish defensive end Kapron
Lewis-Moore said. "I don't think it's hit anybody yet. We're
trying to relish the moment."
Everyone’s in awe. The Irish were not expected to go undefeated
in the regular season and be the number one team in college football. And I’ll
admit it, I didn’t think they would even get nine wins, but they got twelve, and
they still want that 13th win in the National Championship on January
7th.
Something doesn’t click when people say that Notre Dame is
overrated. They are rated right where they should be, and that’s at number
one.
Every week, people were saying that Notre Dame would lose, and
then they won. Then that got people to say, “well, they’re going to lose next
week.” Well they never lost. That proves the hatred and just complete
dissatisfaction toward Notre Dame football.
Why do people decide to not give the Irish credit on this
remarkable season?
It stumps me, it stumps college football experts, it stumps the
Notre Dame players and coaches, and it stumps their fans. They’ve earned the
love this year.
If you can’t admit that Notre Dame is a legitimate football team
this year, than you’re not a football fan. You’re just a fan of your team and
hating Notre Dame for whatever reason. If you’re a real college football fan,
you’ll at least give the Irish some credit, and the bottom line is that they
deserve a ton of credit.
Apple Cup Win Shouldn't Help Leach Keep Job
By Chris Jackson Friday November 23, 2012
PULLMAN, WA-Overtime win, which could have been
lost at the end in regulation, shouldn’t help keep Mike Leach’s
job.
Well you may ask why? And do you want a
straight-forward and honest answer?
One conference win. They lost to one of the
worst teams in the country in Colorado, and how does that
happen?
Colorado lost to a barely above average FCS
opponent in Sacramento State at the end, and somehow escaped in Pullman, which
helped many people pondering was Leach the right guy to
hire?
And my answer is no, he wasn’t. He promised a
great season, and look what happened. The Cougars finished with a three-win
season, and just one win in the conference. Not only that, but he supposedly got
star receiver Marquess Wilson to quit. But that’s allegedly because there was
complaints from Leach that a lot of players didn’t have a great attitude in
practice, and that included Wilson.
He didn’t just promise the season would be good,
but he promised they would run the ball effectively, and he didn’t. They average
just 30 rushing yards per game, which is the lowest at the FBS
level.
Then there’s that defense. They are rated
105thin the country averaging giving up 34 points per
game.
Promises?
Yeah, Leach made promises, and how many promises
worked?
One. Just one. And that was their passing game,
which is ranked 10th in the country. He helped Jeff Tuel and Connor
Halliday passing the ball to big name receivers in Dominique Williams and
Marquess Wilson, and Wilson quit because he claimed verbal and physical abuse by
the whole coaching staff.
Promises are promises? Right?
They should be. And the way things have went in
Pullman, anything’s possible. Leach’s hire may have not been for this year, but
for upcoming years. But it sure seemed like they promised the hire of Leach
would help the Cougars right away, but it didn’t.
This Washington State squad had a lot of
promise, but nothing happened with it. They almost lost to FCS school Eastern
Washington, narrowly escaping with a victory. They also barely beat UNLV, which
UNLV is in the lower tier of the Mountain West conference in
football.
They had promise in their quarterbacks and
receivers, and all that panned out quite well, except again for Wilson quitting.
There was promise in the running game, which honestly didn’t
work.
It’s true that many coaches don’t succeed, even
though it was expected they would. The hiring of Charlie Weis at Notre Dame a
few years ago looked promising, but that didn’t necessarily work as good as it
should have. The main problem to that though is that Weis is more of a great
coordinator, and it shows he succeeds more as a coordinator than a head
coach.
Leach isn’t the guy for Washington State. His
attitude may not be superb, but he’s a great offensive specialist in the passing
game, but he doesn’t have a track record for coaching defenses. And you asked
for my honest opinion and you got it. Mike Leach is an offensive mastermind but
in the end, he’s not the right fit for Washington State. I’m not just saying
that because of a bad season, but the next few years don’t look promising with
him. As the article states, an Apple Cup win doesn’t help Leach keep his job,
even though they beat a ranked Washington Huskies
squad.
PULLMAN, WA-Overtime win, which could have been
lost at the end in regulation, shouldn’t help keep Mike Leach’s
job.
Well you may ask why? And do you want a
straight-forward and honest answer?
One conference win. They lost to one of the
worst teams in the country in Colorado, and how does that
happen?
Colorado lost to a barely above average FCS
opponent in Sacramento State at the end, and somehow escaped in Pullman, which
helped many people pondering was Leach the right guy to
hire?
And my answer is no, he wasn’t. He promised a
great season, and look what happened. The Cougars finished with a three-win
season, and just one win in the conference. Not only that, but he supposedly got
star receiver Marquess Wilson to quit. But that’s allegedly because there was
complaints from Leach that a lot of players didn’t have a great attitude in
practice, and that included Wilson.
He didn’t just promise the season would be good,
but he promised they would run the ball effectively, and he didn’t. They average
just 30 rushing yards per game, which is the lowest at the FBS
level.
Then there’s that defense. They are rated
105thin the country averaging giving up 34 points per
game.
Promises?
Yeah, Leach made promises, and how many promises
worked?
One. Just one. And that was their passing game,
which is ranked 10th in the country. He helped Jeff Tuel and Connor
Halliday passing the ball to big name receivers in Dominique Williams and
Marquess Wilson, and Wilson quit because he claimed verbal and physical abuse by
the whole coaching staff.
Promises are promises? Right?
They should be. And the way things have went in
Pullman, anything’s possible. Leach’s hire may have not been for this year, but
for upcoming years. But it sure seemed like they promised the hire of Leach
would help the Cougars right away, but it didn’t.
This Washington State squad had a lot of
promise, but nothing happened with it. They almost lost to FCS school Eastern
Washington, narrowly escaping with a victory. They also barely beat UNLV, which
UNLV is in the lower tier of the Mountain West conference in
football.
They had promise in their quarterbacks and
receivers, and all that panned out quite well, except again for Wilson quitting.
There was promise in the running game, which honestly didn’t
work.
It’s true that many coaches don’t succeed, even
though it was expected they would. The hiring of Charlie Weis at Notre Dame a
few years ago looked promising, but that didn’t necessarily work as good as it
should have. The main problem to that though is that Weis is more of a great
coordinator, and it shows he succeeds more as a coordinator than a head
coach.
Leach isn’t the guy for Washington State. His
attitude may not be superb, but he’s a great offensive specialist in the passing
game, but he doesn’t have a track record for coaching defenses. And you asked
for my honest opinion and you got it. Mike Leach is an offensive mastermind but
in the end, he’s not the right fit for Washington State. I’m not just saying
that because of a bad season, but the next few years don’t look promising with
him. As the article states, an Apple Cup win doesn’t help Leach keep his job,
even though they beat a ranked Washington Huskies
squad.
Don't Overlook Tedford's Firing
By Chris Jackson Tuesday November 20, 2012
BERKELEY-Coach Tedford’s job is gone, and there’s just some
problems to firing him.
Tedford transformed the Cal program for the better. The year
before he arrived, Cal’s football program had just one win. Then once he
arrived, the Bears made it to nine straight bowl games.
And athletic director Sandy Barbour gives him credit, while she
also admitted this was a hard decision to make, and it was one of her hardest
decisions she has ever made on the job.
"This was an extraordinarily difficult decision, one that
required a thorough and thoughtful analysis of a complex set of factors,"
Barbour said. "Ultimately, I believed that we needed a change in direction to
get our program back on the right track. Cal football is integral to our
department and our university, and its influence can be felt well beyond the
walls of Memorial Stadium. The program clearly serves as an important part of
the connective tissue that binds our community together, and it is imperative
that Cal football be recognized as a leader in competitive success, academic
achievement and community engagement.
"For many years, under Jeff
Tedford's leadership, our program represented all that and more," Barbour
added. "Coach Tedford deserves credit for the extraordinary effort he undertook
to turn this program around and bring us to the heights of a Pac-10
co-championship in 2006. He has served his University admirably, and I will
forever be indebted for his commitment and expertise, as well as the positive
impact he has made in so many young men's lives over the
years."
She’s right about them needing a change, but sometimes firing a
coach that did so many good things for the program can just spiral the program
downhill. While they needed the change, who will they try and hire? Because if
they hire someone new, how do they know if his style of play will work? How do
you know if Cal gets that coaches types of player historically?
Look at Michigan under Rich Rodriguez. That didn’t work since
his style of offense doesn’t fit the types of players Michigan has historically
recruited. Michigan is known for pro type players with lots of physicality.
That’s why Brady Hoke’s style of play works there, even though he still doesn’t
have his types of quarterbacks.
But the reason why Rodriguez’ style of play works at Arizona is
because that’s the style of players Arizona usually gets. They get fast players
from the state of Arizona and southern
California.
Historically, Tedford has down a great job at Cal with a 82-57
overall record there. He helped transform the program into a Pac-12 powerhouse
for a number of years and helped get all new facilities in
Berkeley.
He got Cal to renovate Memorial Stadium and to make it one of
the nicest football stadiums on the west
coast.
As former Cal player Gary Hein says, Tedford is a “victim of his
own success.”
"I think I speak on behalf of a lot of former
players and alums: We're indebted to Jeff for the way he's raised the
expectations of the football program," said Gary
Hein, an East Bay attorney who played
defensive back at Cal in the 1980s. "To a large degree, he's a victim of his own
success."
When you look at Oregon State’s Mike Riley, who led the Beavers
to just a 39 record in 2011, he has gotten them to a Pac-12 power. Not saying
that Tedford will do that, but it’s possible with the freshman they have right
now.
They may have had a rough last couple of years, since they
haven’t made it to a bowl game twice in the last three years, but sometimes
programs might have a rough two or three years. And when you look deep down into
what Tedford did to the Cal Program, he did so many good things, and when you
get Aaron Rodgers to say not to get rid of him, there’s something the school
should listen to, but don’t forget, that was a few years ago when Rodgers played
in Berkeley.
So should Cal have gotten rid of
Tedford?
Probably, but historically he was a good coach. Cal might be
doing the right thing firing Tedford, but as I say, don’t overlook his firing,
because it may come back to haunt the program.
· Rumors are that Cal may be interested in Boise head coach Chris Peterson. His style of
play could work with the type of players Cal has, but would he want to leave
Boise?
· When Tedford coached at Cal, they had one of the lowest graduation rates in the
Pac-12 so that may have had something to do with his firing also, but a very,
very small part.
· USC may be interested in hiring Tedford at one of the assistant
positions.
BERKELEY-Coach Tedford’s job is gone, and there’s just some
problems to firing him.
Tedford transformed the Cal program for the better. The year
before he arrived, Cal’s football program had just one win. Then once he
arrived, the Bears made it to nine straight bowl games.
And athletic director Sandy Barbour gives him credit, while she
also admitted this was a hard decision to make, and it was one of her hardest
decisions she has ever made on the job.
"This was an extraordinarily difficult decision, one that
required a thorough and thoughtful analysis of a complex set of factors,"
Barbour said. "Ultimately, I believed that we needed a change in direction to
get our program back on the right track. Cal football is integral to our
department and our university, and its influence can be felt well beyond the
walls of Memorial Stadium. The program clearly serves as an important part of
the connective tissue that binds our community together, and it is imperative
that Cal football be recognized as a leader in competitive success, academic
achievement and community engagement.
"For many years, under Jeff
Tedford's leadership, our program represented all that and more," Barbour
added. "Coach Tedford deserves credit for the extraordinary effort he undertook
to turn this program around and bring us to the heights of a Pac-10
co-championship in 2006. He has served his University admirably, and I will
forever be indebted for his commitment and expertise, as well as the positive
impact he has made in so many young men's lives over the
years."
She’s right about them needing a change, but sometimes firing a
coach that did so many good things for the program can just spiral the program
downhill. While they needed the change, who will they try and hire? Because if
they hire someone new, how do they know if his style of play will work? How do
you know if Cal gets that coaches types of player historically?
Look at Michigan under Rich Rodriguez. That didn’t work since
his style of offense doesn’t fit the types of players Michigan has historically
recruited. Michigan is known for pro type players with lots of physicality.
That’s why Brady Hoke’s style of play works there, even though he still doesn’t
have his types of quarterbacks.
But the reason why Rodriguez’ style of play works at Arizona is
because that’s the style of players Arizona usually gets. They get fast players
from the state of Arizona and southern
California.
Historically, Tedford has down a great job at Cal with a 82-57
overall record there. He helped transform the program into a Pac-12 powerhouse
for a number of years and helped get all new facilities in
Berkeley.
He got Cal to renovate Memorial Stadium and to make it one of
the nicest football stadiums on the west
coast.
As former Cal player Gary Hein says, Tedford is a “victim of his
own success.”
"I think I speak on behalf of a lot of former
players and alums: We're indebted to Jeff for the way he's raised the
expectations of the football program," said Gary
Hein, an East Bay attorney who played
defensive back at Cal in the 1980s. "To a large degree, he's a victim of his own
success."
When you look at Oregon State’s Mike Riley, who led the Beavers
to just a 39 record in 2011, he has gotten them to a Pac-12 power. Not saying
that Tedford will do that, but it’s possible with the freshman they have right
now.
They may have had a rough last couple of years, since they
haven’t made it to a bowl game twice in the last three years, but sometimes
programs might have a rough two or three years. And when you look deep down into
what Tedford did to the Cal Program, he did so many good things, and when you
get Aaron Rodgers to say not to get rid of him, there’s something the school
should listen to, but don’t forget, that was a few years ago when Rodgers played
in Berkeley.
So should Cal have gotten rid of
Tedford?
Probably, but historically he was a good coach. Cal might be
doing the right thing firing Tedford, but as I say, don’t overlook his firing,
because it may come back to haunt the program.
· Rumors are that Cal may be interested in Boise head coach Chris Peterson. His style of
play could work with the type of players Cal has, but would he want to leave
Boise?
· When Tedford coached at Cal, they had one of the lowest graduation rates in the
Pac-12 so that may have had something to do with his firing also, but a very,
very small part.
· USC may be interested in hiring Tedford at one of the assistant
positions.