Beyond the Orange Glasses

[OrangePA]

The term "meathead" has a negative connotation here, but I don't think it's BS to apply the term to SS's philosophy at all. The guy was if nothing else - completely in love with his defensive mentality. To a fault.

He's a DC who needs an offensive minded HC to balance out his meatheadedness.

He hired Tim Lester.

I think Lester is an outstanding offensive coach.

And I really liked what he developed with Dungey in the short time they worked together.

Shafer was looking to go uptempo when he got the HC job - that was the point in hiring George McDonald.

McDonald didn't work, but Shafer's strategy was sound.

So, the negative post I think is inappropriate.

 

[OrangePA]

"He was left with a roster that lacked talent - and a real problem at QB." That's his job, to maximize the talent he's got. Instead he turned Jerome Smith and Prince Tyson Gulley's skills over to George McDonald, turned Sean Hickey and Rob Trudo over to that inept line coach after Perles couldn't stand it and left. Shafer did worse with Marrone's players than Marrone did, because he wasn't cut out to be a winning head coach (which you concede).

And here's a counterfactual hot take: I think Charlie Loeb, surrounded by that returning talent, would've won at least 8 games for Marrone as his expected starter in 2013. But again, instead of going what was working and coaching to his players' strengths, Shafer chose a different path and did worse with them.

Regarding injury luck with QBs, arguably he had a stroke of good luck: Terrell Hunt getting hurt allowed Shafer to start the better quarterback in Eric Dungey without any of the ramifications of benching a senior.

Anyway, meathead isn't intended to be personal, I hope. In football terms, the man's conduct and words fit that descriptor perfectly.

At the time, I think most agreed that Shafer brought in a solid staff.

Clearly, McDonald failed as an OC.

Shafer took the Orange to the Texas Bowl and seemed to be on his way.

But, the injuries at the QB hurt him a lot - including the injuries to Eric Dungey.

By the end, I was convinced that it was not working for Scott Shafer as a head coach - I guess he was not yet ready for the job.

I bet with time, he would have developed into a solid HC.

But, with the W-L record and a new AD, he was never going to get that chance on the Hill.

I have no problem with his football acumen.

 

[P Vasiloff]

We're at the quarter pole of the season so not to much should be put into the results to date as a predictor of the season. We need to win at home the next two weeks and then take a breath. The games after the bye will determine the season. All are coin flips at this point and my expectation is to get to 7 wins in the regular season. That would be a successful season in my opinion. Sure I want more but never bought into last season as being sustainable this year for numerous reasons. Last year was a perfect storm for us. Its foolish to think that would be the norm moving forward.

I will say I am really surprised at the lack of fluidity and performance with the offense to date. I believed there would be growing pains with a new QB at the helm but am somewhat shocked by what I've seen to date. I won't individualize blame as I see it as a failure of the unit as a whole.

Gotta put in work this weekend on both sides of the ball, get our mojo back, and move forward to the second half of the season.

If there is any clarity at this point it's that I have no idea how this season will play out. Yet I'll keep going and cheering them on cause it's what I do.

Excellent post. You are dead nuts!

 

[TheCusian]

He hired Tim Lester.

I think Lester is an outstanding offensive coach.

And I really liked what he developed with Dungey in the short time they worked together.

Shafer was looking to go uptempo when he got the HC job - that was the point in hiring George McDonald.

McDonald didn't work, but Shafer's strategy was sound.

So, the negative post I think is inappropriate.

You’ve been around long enough to know you’re in the minority on “is Shafer a meathead?”

 

[hungrychuck]

I’m convinced by the OP.

How much will we need to pay to get Shafe back from that big HC job he landed at...at...wait, where was that again?

 

[Pyle]

I’m convinced by the OP.

How much will we need to pay to get Shafe back from that big HC job he landed at...at...wait, where was that again?

Do be our DC? Probably about 500k, 750k maybe? No where did I say I wanted him to be our HC again, ever. Maybe read it again without your eyes rolled back into your head or read the responses which pretty much flush out exactly what I was after. You're a day late on your snarky comment.

 

[Cuseregular]

He was absolutely a meathead

You know how I know he’s a meat head? Forget everything else on the field if one can, but his cigar chomping bit post some victory speaks volumes toward his meat head character.

 

[JDubbin]

Every time I see this thread title, I think of the Syracuse-ized version of this...

 

[OttoinGrotto]

You know how I know he’s a meat head? Forget everything else on the field if one can, but his cigar chomping bit post some victory speaks volumes toward his meat head character.

He punted from the 32 yard line once.

Which was hilarious, because a bunch of us had joked about that happening.

And then it happened.