Babers to Arizona OC/QB Coach

[Cusefan69]

Dino was OK, I think he gets dumped on more than is warranted. But I also remember seeing a video when he took the job at Arizona and he was asked about his time at Syracuse. What should have been a softball question which he answered with something like “Syracuse has a lot of historical football success and we had some when I was there as well, but I’m more of a good weather west coast guy so I think Arizona is a perfect fit for me” - he opted to dump on Syracuse and contrast it to how much better Arizona is.

People dumping on him here bothered me a lot less after that; this feels like a bad marriage that ended in an acrimonious divorce that left all parties with irrationally bad feelings about the experience.

Yeah different strokes for different folks. I am not necessarily offended by that comment. We all comment on weather.

 

[Brian Orange]

Has he EVER commented on his time at Syracuse since he was let go?

A weird career here. So charismatic in those locker room speeches but apparently a dud off the field?

 

[baggerbob]

I think in a few more years i'll look at the dino tenure as keeping the program treading water. Sometimes we found land, sometimes we slipped under the surface, but he didn't tank the program and he didn't ascend it.

After going through GRob & Shafer, he did something that we needed. He brought a vision, he brought hope, he brought some exciting wins and one really good season. He just couldn't consistently get over the hump -- but that led us to Fran

Regardless of how Dino left, there were pieces here for Fran to work with. Fran went into the portal, and found some help.
Fran didn't walk in blind, he had a plan and a staff he knew could produce.
He had contacts in prime recruiting areas and knew he could get players.
Now it's just building the depth that he needs to compete for the titles.
His idea of size and speed along with coaching will win a lot of games. Raw talent with desire will win games, and that's what DART is.

 

[sufandu]

Dino was OK, I think he gets dumped on more than is warranted. But I also remember seeing a video when he took the job at Arizona and he was asked about his time at Syracuse. What should have been a softball question which he answered with something like “Syracuse has a lot of historical football success and we had some when I was there as well, but I’m more of a good weather west coast guy so I think Arizona is a perfect fit for me” - he opted to dump on Syracuse and contrast it to how much better Arizona is.

People dumping on him here bothered me a lot less after that; this feels like a bad marriage that ended in an acrimonious divorce that left all parties with irrationally bad feelings about the experience.

That comment doesn't bother me. He was playing to his audience and it really isn't even dumping on CNY. People are so thin skinned. And maybe it was the truth. I like the weather more where I live too. At the same time I don't like the mountains, so if people ask me if I like my current area, when I'm honest, I tell them I would prefer somewhere else. I'm not faulting someone for having a preference.

 

[23Zone]

Has he EVER commented on his time at Syracuse since he was let go?

A weird career here. So charismatic in those locker room speeches but apparently a dud off the field?

That's what I was referring to in my earlier post. That was purely auditioning for a bigger stage trying to capitalize on social media to create a buzz about him turning a program around. When that didn't manifest the true Babers surfaced. He really tried to use Dungey as a springboard to greater things for himself. Eerily similar to the host parasite vector analogy in biology

 

[NKR1978]

I’m not hating on Babers, I’m just not going to celebrate him either. He was here 8 years and you seem to want to ignore 5 of them. Everyone dealt with challenges during the COVID year. Again, I am not saying he didn’t bust his butt to overcome them, but with one win, it’s hard to say he was successful in doing so. When I include all years, he averaged the same amount of wins that Shafer did. If I drop the high and low as you suggest, he averaged 5 wins (vs 4.6). He was not better by 3 games as you assert. He walked away with an extra $8 million in his pocket for his troubles. Bet that would have come in handy for facilities investment or revenue sharing.

Why on earth are you comparing football and basketball? Are you suggesting Babers was a better coach of collegiate athletics than HOFer and National Championship winner Jim Boeheim!? BTW hoops ranked 7 weeks and football 9 during Dino’s tenure. More than a sniff. I don’t get this take.

The football program got better over Babers tenure. Even the 5 win seasons were better than what he inherited. It's ok to disagree, but I think comparing football and basketball is relevant. The basketball team hasn't been ranked at all since the final poll of 2021 after the tournament. The football team at least gave us some excitement over the last couple years of the Babers era.

I just don't get the animosity toward him. I was happy when he was let go and have been all in with Fran, but Dino was pretty beloved here his first few years and the constant pot shots seem unnecessary for (again) a guy who handed off a 6 win program to Fran along with some nice talent that made up some pretty important pieces of this past season. And I'm only bringing that up because others have discounted 2018 as being with done with Shafer's guys.

 

[Irishsecra1]

To me, there were 2 Dinos. Before Covid Dino, where he had definite enthusiasm for Syracuse and his team.
A couple of great wins/near wins and seemed to really connect with the players.
And post Covid Dino, who seemed to be a pod person like in Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
So concerned about himself and his needs, complaining about what he didn't have and blaming everyone for it. I never got the impression that he was working incredibly hard to fund raise or recruit.
Or frankly at being a good coach!
And very disconnected with the community as time wore on.
Apparently always disconnected with the former players.
I honestly think he was happy to go and cash in on his millions.
I would have truly missed pre Covid Dino, post Covid Dino - don't let the door hit you on the way out!

 

[NKR1978]

To me, there were 2 Dinos. Before Covid Dino, where he had definite enthusiasm for Syracuse and his team.
A couple of great wins/near wins and seemed to really connect with the players.
And post Covid Dino, who seemed to be a pod person like in Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
So concerned about himself and his needs, complaining about what he didn't have and blaming everyone for it. I never got the impression that he was working incredibly hard to fund raise or recruit.
Or frankly at being a good coach!
And very disconnected with the community as time wore on.
Apparently always disconnected with the former players.
I honestly think he was happy to go and cash in on his millions.
I would have truly missed pre Covid Dino, post Covid Dino - don't let the door hit you on the way out!

The Maryland game was the beginning of the end, but he really seemed checked out after covid.

 

[Goin' Deep]

How about..."I want you to close your eyes..."
The offense is going to be so fast!!!
Problem became 3 and out...Defense got about a 2minute blow.

 

[NJCuse97]

The football program got better over Babers tenure. Even the 5 win seasons were better than what he inherited. It's ok to disagree, but I think comparing football and basketball is relevant. The basketball team hasn't been ranked at all since the final poll of 2021 after the tournament. The football team at least gave us some excitement over the last couple years of the Babers era.

I just don't get the animosity toward him. I was happy when he was let go and have been all in with Fran, but Dino was pretty beloved here his first few years and the constant pot shots seem unnecessary for (again) a guy who handed off a 6 win program to Fran along with some nice talent that made up some pretty important pieces of this past season. And I'm only bringing that up because others have discounted 2018 as being with done with Shafer's guys.

I think Irishsecra1 got it right in the way I feel. I was all in and the early results seemed on a path to match the excitement. I won't give the credit for 2018 to Shafer. I liked his style of D and I wanted him to work out, but I agree he needed to go. He had some cringe moments in the press, and his teams seemed to be getting smaller (he couldn't beat the B1G schools in his mid-west/Ohio recruiting base).

I loved Dino for the locker room excitement and the "neener neener we've got a dome" stuff. Good swagger. Even him saying "go to Franklin and PSU" exhibited a confidence in what he was doing. That went away. Football alum complaints got louder. The offense got worse (Sterlin Gilbert was a disaster). He ignored his own back yard and recruited Hawaii and California (a GRob mistake that many of us recognized fairly early). He started blaming players and using excuses for poor performance. At the end, he had all but quit and it was jarring how fast it was happening. I believe that (the speed with which it looked like we were headed back to the basement) was/is the cause for a lot of the perception of animosity toward him. The pain of returning to one win seasons was too much and many here have lashed out.

 

[Roger N]

l think that once Babers realized that 6-7 wins and a bowl was all he needed for job security he lost his edge and got lazy. l loved Babers but it was time for him to go because l don't think he fits the new NIL world of college football.

You forget he hired hi son in law’s father as QB coach and recruiter in Texas. He never recruited a single player from Texas.
Never reunited in South Jersey. He was lazy

 

[Cusefan95]

Yeah different strokes for different folks. I am not necessarily offended by that comment. We all comment on weather.

Yeah…unfortunately you misread, since I was saying that was what he SHOULD HAVE said. Instead he trashed the athletic department.

 

[Cusefan69]

Yeah…unfortunately you misread, since I was saying that was what he SHOULD HAVE said. Instead he trashed the athletic department.

Yeah my bad I guess? I see what you mean from your comment but the hyphen you used immediately after weather comment made it read like he slammed the weather. So technically I didn’t misread, you just used the hyphen wrong. I get what you are saying though. I didn’t hear his negative comments and at this point don’t care. Dude is long gone. Time to let it be.

 

[NKR1978]

I think Irishsecra1 got it right in the way I feel. I was all in and the early results seemed on a path to match the excitement. I won't give the credit for 2018 to Shafer. I liked his style of D and I wanted him to work out, but I agree he needed to go. He had some cringe moments in the press, and his teams seemed to be getting smaller (he couldn't beat the B1G schools in his mid-west/Ohio recruiting base).

I loved Dino for the locker room excitement and the "neener neener we've got a dome" stuff. Good swagger. Even him saying "go to Franklin and PSU" exhibited a confidence in what he was doing. That went away. Football alum complaints got louder. The offense got worse (Sterlin Gilbert was a disaster). He ignored his own back yard and recruited Hawaii and California (a GRob mistake that many of us recognized fairly early). He started blaming players and using excuses for poor performance. At the end, he had all but quit and it was jarring how fast it was happening. I believe that (the speed with which it looked like we were headed back to the basement) was/is the cause for a lot of the perception of animosity toward him. The pain of returning to one win seasons was too much and many here have lashed out.

You’ve definitely put this in great perspective. I absolutely see and agree with your points.

 

[CanadianSU]

The speeches were good because it was the first time in forever we had something, and he deserves credit for that. But really compare the motivational speeches to Fran and you can actually see the difference as to why one was the number one recruiter in the country. Authenticity.

Whose house our house is nice. Nothing other CFB coaches can’t cook up after a win imo. Also every fanbase brings up old coaches so it isn’t unique to Cuse to re-hash things and give opinions.

 

[CNYGuy]

I’m kinda shocked we’re still doing this 18 months later.

He definitely elevated the program. People don’t complain about Marrone (other than the exit) and he went to two pinstripe bowls… people wanted Dino fired in 2022 for making the exact same bowl game with the exact same record.

That’s because both he (and Marrone before him on a bigger scale) raises the bar for expectations from what they inherited.

 

[bigmike]

We’re married to Fran Brown now - are we going to keep talking about our old girlfriend? I for one have mind crushed him and the time he was here.

Note: I never mind crush the players.

 

[sufandu]

We’re married to Fran Brown now - are we going to keep talking about our old girlfriend? I for one have mind crushed him and the time he was here.

Note: I never mind crush the players.

Good analogy. It's weird to keep talking about your ok but forgettable ex that you had a few good times with when you're now married to your swimsuit model wife that volunteers at food kitchens and clothes homeless kids.

 

[bigmike]

Good analogy. It's weird to keep talking about your ok but forgettable ex that you had a few good times with when you're now married to your swimsuit model wife that volunteers at food kitchens and clothes homeless kids.

Swimsuit model - absolutely nailed it. Respect!

 

[Oakland]

How about..."I want you to close your eyes..."
The offense is going to be so fast!!!
Problem became 3 and out...Defense got about a 2minute blow.

Ironic that the USF team, that crushed SU at the end of Dino's last season, was just what Dino described in his speech.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Good analogy. It's weird to keep talking about your ok but forgettable ex that you had a few good times with when you're now married to your swimsuit model wife that volunteers at food kitchens and clothes homeless kids.

...

She hot?

 

[capeorange]

...

She hot?

Sometimes we just can't help ourselves.

 

[NJCuse97]

I’m kinda shocked we’re still doing this 18 months later.

He definitely elevated the program. People don’t complain about Marrone (other than the exit) and he went to two pinstripe bowls… people wanted Dino fired in 2022 for making the exact same bowl game with the exact same record.

That’s because both he (and Marrone before him on a bigger scale) raises the bar for expectations from what they inherited.

For me, this is exactly where my problem with your argument and others is. I’m really not trying to pile on Babers. There were some real highlight moments and good memories. In 2022 we had the same record and were in the same bowl, and LOST. Marrone raised the expectations and Babers didn’t meet those raised expectations. We were in exactly the same position 10 years later.

 

[sufandu]

...

She hot?

Which one?

 

[sufandu]

For me, this is exactly where my problem with your argument and others is. I’m really not trying to pile on Babers. There were some real highlight moments and good memories. In 2022 we had the same record and were in the same bowl, and LOST. Marrone raised the expectations and Babers didn’t meet those raised expectations. We were in exactly the same position 10 years later.

I don't think you compare him to Marrone as much as Shafer. Shafer had reversed Marrone's progress and had us heading back toward GRob. Babers stopped that bleeding but never got us as far we thought he could.

If we're talking hypotheticals, I think Marrone's upside was higher than where Babers ended up getting us, but we don't know how he would've faired in the NIL/portal era, and his ceiling was much lower than Fran's.