Why did McDonald rub people the wrong way??

[phil77]

When I see people say Hunt sucks and needs to be benched...

We get the "He lead us to a bowl game and a bowl win last year how soon some of us forget" and you guys give him a long leash.

When I see people say Shafer sucks and needs to be fired...

We get the "Are you crazy nobody gets fired after 1 bad season remember he lead us to a bowl game and a bowl win last year" so you guys give him a long leash.

Why is it a double standard with McDonald? Did he not lead our offense to a bowl game and a bowl win last year?

I hear people talk about how good Hunt was doing towards the end of last year as why they want to give him another shot but shouldn't that same theory be applied to McDonald?

I know what is done is done and I actually think it was the right move for Shafer to make maybe question the mid season move but none the less it was the correct decision to make but I am just wondering why the double standard and why the fan base is quick to turn on the OC and not the QB and HC?

Is it because Hunt has a great story? Is it because Shafer gives great speeches (last one not counting of course)?

 

[Full_Rebar]

I won't speak for anyone but myself here, but to me McDonald did a ton of talking and had all these promises and he's failed to deliver on them. Self-promotion is great for career advancement and recruiting, but if you can't back up those words, I'm going to judge you a bit more critically.

 

[orangeinjersey]

Werent there rumors or board speculation that someone besides GMac was running the offense the last few games last season?

 

[TheCusian]

I kind of liked him. Competitive, hard working, smart. Just didn't get the job done.

I think the local media doesn't like him.

 

[bevosu]

I think Marrone owes Nassib, Lemon, Sales, and Smith a big thank you for helping him get an NFL HC job. Particularly Nassib. It wouldn't have happened when it did without Nassib.

On the other hand...for whatever reason, I think McDonald may not have been the right guy in the right job, but the fact that Hunt has performed so poorly this year when measured against expectations has helped torpedo McDonald. I'm not sure he deserves the level of wrath he is catching?

An efficient QB can make a head coach and offensive coordinator look good...a below average QB usually does the opposite.

 

[wfschrec]

Werent there rumors or board speculation that someone besides GMac was running the offense the last few games last season?

Not rumors the play calling was "assisted" by Lester. Millhouse had a nice break down of the difference in performance. That is one reason I have a shred of hope for the season. I think McDonald has the ability to design a great offense but lacks the feel for calling the game where Lester as a QB who threw for 12,000 yards in his career at WMU might be a better fit to feel the game out and make better calls. I could be wrong but that is my take at the moment. I guess we will find out soon enough right?

 

[tep624]

Not rumors the play calling was "assisted" by Lester. Millhouse had a nice break down of the difference in performance. That is one reason I have a shred of hope for the season. I think McDonald has the ability to design a great offense but lacks the feel for calling the game where Lester as a QB who threw for 12,000 yards in his career at WMU might be a better fit to feel the game out and make better calls. I could be wrong but that is my take at the moment. I guess we will find out soon enough right?

I hope so. But I think there's a lot of truth to what you posted. It makes sense.

 

[CU44SE]

People keep saying there were board rumors of Lester helping out, but I seem to remember it being in an article and on the television broadcasts. It wasn't just a rumor.

Edit: article stating such: http://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/index.ssf/2013/11/syracuse_quarterbacks_coach_ti_1.html

Hence the improved play, but someone else can see how much more effective offense was down the stretch with him in the booth.

 

[phil77]

Not rumors the play calling was "assisted" by Lester. Millhouse had a nice break down of the difference in performance. That is one reason I have a shred of hope for the season. I think McDonald has the ability to design a great offense but lacks the feel for calling the game where Lester as a QB who threw for 12,000 yards in his career at WMU might be a better fit to feel the game out and make better calls. I could be wrong but that is my take at the moment. I guess we will find out soon enough right?

If this is really what took place last year then Shafer needed to change stuff up in the offseason not wait until the season starts. IMO

 

[tep624]

People keep saying there were board rumors of Lester helping out, but I seem to remember it being in an article and on the television broadcasts. It wasn't just a rumor.

Edit: article stating such: http://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/index.ssf/2013/11/syracuse_quarterbacks_coach_ti_1.html

Hence the improved play, but someone else can see how much more effective offense was down the stretch with him in the booth.

Interesting. We went 3-2 over that stretch after Wake, with a 1 pt loss to Pitt in a very close, winnable game and then the FSU blowout. Makes sense.

 

[phil77]

People keep saying there were board rumors of Lester helping out, but I seem to remember it being in an article and on the television broadcasts. It wasn't just a rumor.

Edit: article stating such: http://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/index.ssf/2013/11/syracuse_quarterbacks_coach_ti_1.html

Hence the improved play, but someone else can see how much more effective offense was down the stretch with him in the booth.

That says he moved to the booth not took over play calling. In fact in the quote from Shafer in that article it seems like McDonald was still calling the plays.

"I think it's been extremely helpful and gives (offensive coordinator) George (McDonald) a sense of calm knowing that when he's got his eye down looking at the next play, because that's how it works, he's got somebody like Tim Lester that can help him a long way."

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I kind of liked him. Competitive, hard working, smart. Just didn't get the job done.

I think the local media doesn't like him.

I think he's exactly the right kind of guy for our program to gamble on. Gamble didn't work, looks like.

In hindsight, I don't look too great in this post from a while back - http://syracusefan.com/threads/mcdonald-is-the-best-hope-for-syracuse-football.62065/. Good thing I had one tiny line hedging things buried in there acknowledging the gamble, otherwise I'd really have egg on my face.

 

[orangeinjersey]

People keep saying there were board rumors of Lester helping out, but I seem to remember it being in an article and on the television broadcasts. It wasn't just a rumor.

Edit: article stating such: http://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/index.ssf/2013/11/syracuse_quarterbacks_coach_ti_1.html

Hence the improved play, but someone else can see how much more effective offense was down the stretch with him in the booth.

aghhh i never knew this was actually confirmed. Well this changes things quite a bit, well it would if Hunt was still able to play at least. Im quite surprised HCSS didnt make the move over the offseason, but i could say why he wouldnt. New QB, new staff, new OC, first time OC, he wanted to give it time to gel. He waited one game too long IMHO.

 

[eddie in nc]

I think Finwads post explains it well. The guys he worked with were not confident in his play calling abilities, add to that the F*** It article and you can see this was not going to end pretty. I don't think he rubbed people the wrong way, he just couldn't perform one of the key aspects of his job. When the staff is not on the same page and someone is considered a weak link, things can get ugly in a hurry.

 

[TheCusian]

I think he's exactly the right kind of guy for our program to gamble on. Gamble didn't work, looks like. In hindsight, I don't look too great in this post from a while back - http://syracusefan.com/threads/mcdonald-is-the-best-hope-for-syracuse-football.62065/. Good thing I had one tiny line hedging things buried in there acknowledging the gamble, otherwise I'd really have egg on my face.

Agreed. Shafer had the guts to take a chance on the guy and had the guts to can him when needed.

 

[CU44SE]

That says he moved to the booth not took over play calling. In fact in the quote from Shafer in that article it seems like McDonald was still calling the plays.

"I think it's been extremely helpful and gives (offensive coordinator) George (McDonald) a sense of calm knowing that when he's got his eye down looking at the next play, because that's how it works, he's got somebody like Tim Lester that can help him a long way."

Technically yes, but I think it can be inferred that Lester was helping call the plays. Why else would they change spots like that so late in the season? You don't always need people to come out and say something, how do you think it would have come off if he said Lester was co-cordinating? Would have caused a big stir, this was a way of saying lester was helping but nothing more.

 

[OttoMets]

His play-calling was frustrating, the play-calling was less frustrating when Lester lent a hand, and he acted like a putz on Twitter and in some interviews.

 

[phil77]

Technically yes, but I think it can be inferred that Lester was helping call the plays. Why else would they change spots like that so late in the season? You don't always need people to come out and say something, how do you think it would have come off if he said Lester was co-cordinating? Would have caused a big stir, this was a way of saying lester was helping but nothing more.

If that is the case and we did have success with that set it then for me it really brings into Shafers decision making. Why would he go away from a system that brought the team and QB success late in the year.

 

[DocFlanders]

I, for one, worry about GMD leaving with his Fla. connections. Still not sure what Adam brings to the table. We need an offensive genius for OC and another recruiting ace. Tall order for sure.

 

[dinosaurbbq]

I also hope we can keep George McD and let him grow into OC just to keep the recruits. It may take some time for him to do that. This is a good place to learn. Can his ego get past the bruising? More important, can we pay him as a WR coach and recruiting coordinator what he could make elsewhere in that same role so that he doesn't have that very basic reason to leave?

 

[Sudano]

I watch enough college football to see the multitude and diverse play calling that this type of offense can provide. A lot of wrinkles, misdirection, plays that play off other plays and we had nothing coherent. We basically ran 8 plays with very little variation. Watching Ole Miss confuse Alabama with the same offense shows the potential of offense that GMC couldn't finesse. A lot of coaching make the players execute. That was a poorly coached team. Not all falls on GMC but a lot does. He deserved the demotion. The facts are the facts.
PS: The F-Bomb interview was very unprofessional and he had to know he was put on notice. Be great at what you do and we'll chalk it up as a bad day, do poorly and it becomes an issue we may not be able to look past.

 

[NKR1978]

His play-calling was frustrating, the play-calling was less frustrating when Lester lent a hand, and he acted like a putz on Twitter and in some interviews.

He got into a twitter war during the whole Atlanta/softnosed fiasco.

He seems like a good guy and I wish he worked out, but leave the twitter wars for the Beliebers.

 

[AAM62]

I also hope we can keep George McD and let him grow into OC just to keep the recruits. It may take some time for him to do that. This is a good place to learn. Can his ego get past the bruising? More important, can we pay him as a WR coach and recruiting coordinator what he could make elsewhere in that same role so that he doesn't have that very basic reason to leave?

Gotta wonder if the salaries are adjusted downward for cheaper cost of living. They should be adjusted upward for a horrible weather premium.

 

[retro44]

McDonald didn't rub me the wrong way and Shafer's speech from the other day isn't as big a deal as some would wish around here.

 

[OrangeCrush22]

I think he's exactly the right kind of guy for our program to gamble on. Gamble didn't work, looks like.

In hindsight, I don't look too great in this post from a while back - http://syracusefan.com/threads/mcdonald-is-the-best-hope-for-syracuse-football.62065/. Good thing I had one tiny line hedging things buried in there acknowledging the gamble, otherwise I'd really have egg on my face.

Good thing I didn't like that post. Good going past-me.

I notice Millhouse has stayed consistent.