Coach Shafer - you just gotta love this guy

[Crusty]

Just watched Coach's Texas Bowl presser and had the same reaction every time I hear the guy. Usually, I root for our coach to succeed so that the program succeeds knowing full well it may mean the coach will get hired away but the program will advance. With Shafer, I seem to find myself simply rooting for this guy to succeed for his own personal benefit!

I really hope things progress each year over the next few years because I want him to be our coach for many years to come. It would be great for the program.

 

[BORZAK]

He should be around a while

 

[DocFlanders]

I get the feeling he won't go anywhere with success. He's a college guy through and through and really seems to like Syracuse. He's a keeper assuming he performs.

 

[kcsu]

if he does well next year i would be for a long term extension. I really wanted this guy to be our coach and feel that with time he is going to become a great one. He is in tune with and truly likes upstate ny so i can see him staying here for a long time. Im not sure what it would take but i would say 2-2.5 a year and he is ours for a very long time

 

[SmilinBob]

Love his enthusiasm and passion. As long as he continues to learn and adjust to changing environments mainly regarding recruiting...I think SU will be in fine shape.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

It depends, was this his dream job?!

 

[djorange1989]

I am hopeful for the future with HCSS running the show. I am also hopeful that we can keep him. His bad experience at Michigan had a major effect on how he looks at different jobs. Just because it's a bigger name doesn't mean it's better. With ACC cash now coming in, we can afford to pay our coaches better, not football factory or NFL better, but better.

 

[jekelish]

How many wins would necessitate a long term extension? Would 7 regular season wins and another bowl do it? Or would he need to get to 8-9 regular season wins to deserve the long term deal?

 

[Crusty]

How many wins would necessitate a long term extension? Would 7 regular season wins and another bowl do it? Or would he need to get to 8-9 regular season wins to deserve the long term deal?

7-5 and another bowl (2 for 2) and recruiting success would do it for me.

 

[RF2044]

How many wins would necessitate a long term extension? Would 7 regular season wins and another bowl do it? Or would he need to get to 8-9 regular season wins to deserve the long term deal?

7-5 and another bowl (2 for 2) and recruiting success would do it for me.

Great question. Here's the thing: on paper, we are returning our starting QB, 4 starting OL, our top 3 RBs, and our best WRs. We lose Bromley / Spruill on defense--two very good players--but return just about every other key player on that side of the ball.

We also are bringing in our top recruiting class in easily a decade.

All of which adds up to me--my opinion only--that we need to kick things up a notch next season. I don't know exactly what that means, but 8-9 wins is my initial reaction. 7 is fine--gets us to a bowl and guarantees a winning season--but I wouldn't view that as "automatic" extension material, given what we have returning. We also had just about an entirely new coaching staff--which correct me if I'm wrong, but of which only Shafer and Moore were holdovers, and Shafer was in a new role. So I would expect the staff, as an aggregate whole, to be "better" for having gotten this year's worth of experience under their belt.

I don't have illusions about us being a double digit win team. I still think that we have some work to do on the recruiting trail long-term to position us for sustainable success and top 25 contention. But we're knocking on the door, and the year-over-year continuity we'll have next season suggests that the foundation is in place to do a little better than we did this season.

Again, my opinion only.

 

[kcsu]

A solid 7 wins gets an extension. Im looking for wins of course but also looking for signs that the program is on the rise beyond wins. Closer more competative games against the top tier teams, continued improvement on the recruiting front, Solid kids good students, team unity, coaching staff growing into their roles... For me this year was about the fact that the kids never gave up. It is obvious they like each other, like the staff, and represent the school on and off the field well. If HCSS can build on that foundation and continue to win he deserves an extension.

 

[Timonen]

I get the feeling he won't go anywhere with success. He's a college guy through and through and really seems to like Syracuse. He's a keeper assuming he performs.

I fear this is shortsighted, but him moving for something better means that he succeeded here so we all win. I really hope Dantonio leaves MSU this year. That's the type of job that, with another year of success here, could be mutually attractive...and should be, honestly.

 

[SmilinBob]

I'd have to guess that Ohio State would be an incredible chance for SS, especially being from Ohio and after Fred Sanford gets canned OSU will want to clean things up.