You should attend a luncheon and learn what goes into turning a college football team that was one of the worst ten teams country in 2008 into a Top 25 program. The luncheon will also offer you the opportunity to express your frustrations directly to Marrone instead of doing it on a website.
I honestly believe that you have your head in the sand because you don't realize that we have an NCAA football team in Syracuse not an NFL franchise.
1. Coach Marrone has said he would love to be in the Top 25 now but he can't go out and sign free agents to improve the SU football team overnight like he could in the NFL. He is in the process of rebuilding this program and will take some time. If an NFL team makes a mistake in the draft they cut the player and pick-up another one via free agency. In college you give a kid a scholarship and the coaches have to work their butts off to make him the best player possible since he is on a scholarship for the next 4-5 years.
2. You may think I am full of (and you won't be the first to think that) but it does take 5 years to rebuild a college football team (especially one as bad as the Cuse under GRob). In two years Marrone took this team to a bowl game and my bet is that with two weeks to prepare the Cuse will beat Cincy. That means Marrone will have taken this football program to two bowl games in the last three years. I would say that's a pretty decent start to a college coaching career.
Here is how I came to my conclusion that it will take 5 years to rebuild this football program and some things that I have heard directly from Coach Marrone:
- Year 1 (Class of 2009): Marrone was hired in December 2008 and had to put together a recruiting class in less than two months. In February 2009 he signed kids from JUCO based upon recommendations from Anselmo and also signed high school kids that he had little or no time to evaluate. Throughout 2009 Marrone could not dedicate 100% of his time to recruiting because he had to develop relationships with a number of high school coaches across the country because they were destroyed by GRob and the firing of Coach P. (He still can't get into some high schools today.)
- Year 2 (Class of 2010): Marrone said he was a year behind in recruiting in 2009 because other coaches have been onto prospects in their junior year of high school. Marrone is still working to get his foot in the door at some high schools in 2009. He was told by some coaches who he considers close friends not to even bother to stop by the school to talk with a player because he coaches at Syracuse University.
- Year 3 (Class of 2011): Marrone said he is now 6 months behind in recruiting in 2010 but is making inroads into many high schools. Marrone believes the OL he recruited/signed in the 2011 class will give the Cuse the best OL in the Big East. Marrone would love to redshirt all of the freshman in this class but due to lack of depth he can only redshirt a few. The one's he could redshirt will make an impact in the 2012 season at OL, LB, WR.
- Year 4 (Class of 2012): Marrone wins the Pinstripe Bowl in 2011 and the Cuse joins the ACC. Marrone says he has caught up to the competition in terms of recruiting and getting onto recruits early. He and Atkins have some great contacts in the Atlanta, GA area from their days at GT and the move to the ACC gives them another area to recruit that is full of D1 football players. Marrone says he has 25 commitments for the 2012 class by the end of October 2011. Marrone loves the 2012 class and he has the recruiting board up at Manley for the 2013 class by November 1, 2011.
- Year 5 (Class of 2013): Marrone said he is now 1 year ahead in recruiting in October 2011. During the WVU bye week he is on the recruiting trails making offers to juniors in high school to come play for the Cuse in 2013. Marrone figures if we can get to them first we have a great shot at landing some of these kids. Marrone said he is finally making some inroads into New Jersey high schools. The effects of the Coach P firing and destruction of the program by GRob still linger. The football facilities within Manley field house are finally getting a much needed upgrade in 2011 but we still have a ways to before we are on par with the other D1 schools (i.e. indoor practice facility) but the indoor facility at Manley is working out well.
It's not until August 2013 that Marrone will have a roster full of players that he has had an opportunity evaluate and recruit. Marrone now has enough athletes that he can redshirt the majority of the 2013 class so they may not see the playing field until the 2014 season. If my math is right it has taken Marrone 5 years (2008-2013) to get all of the players he wants for his offensive/defensive schemes on the roster.
I think if you look at things with an open mind you can see that it takes at least 5 years to rebuild a college football team. Especially one that in 2008 was one of the worst in D1 football.
Hopefully I will see you at the luncheon tomorrow.