CoachDMustStay.com... | Syracusefan.com

CoachDMustStay.com...

A Clockwork Orange

2022 Cali Winner (Overall Record)
Joined
Aug 14, 2011
Messages
1,851
Like
5,539
Okay, okay, I'm as frustrated as anyone about Dino and his in-game coaching woes. He has always had them, and they really haven't gotten a ton better. But I want everyone to try and look at this in a different way.

As the esteemed SWC75 has discussed numerous times here, Virginia Tech basically gave Frank Beamer an ultimatum - change your coordinators or we'll change the head coach. He did, Bud Foster came in, and the rest is history.

I actually think Dino has done what he needs to do on the assistant coach front.

1) Tony White seems like a solid DC and he firmly believes in getting a lot of guys playing time. That helps with depth and with growth. A very solid hire.
2) Swag Daddy is a dude this team can't afford to lose. Top-notch recruiter and has done a FANTASTIC job at coaching up the safeties and nickels. He has been here right along with Dino, and they need to do everything they can to keep him in the fold.
3) Chip West is a long-time top recruiter in the Delmarva area and has done well in recruiting and coaching up the corners.
4) Sterlin Gilbert is an OC that wants to run the ball. It's also what Dino wants to do. Unfortunately, the Offensive Line has always been too thin, or not up to ACC standards. This year he has a scheme, a QB, an RB, AND an OL that makes this approach work. Defenses look nervous and confused out there. They have to pick their poison.
5) Mike Schmidt is the solution to Sterlin's OL issue. The dude is a top-notch OL coach. He has coached up the young guys and also has done a great job getting the vets to play with more aggression out there. This OL is a huge reason why Tucker and Shrader are running so well. I've been watching replays of each game, and man they are road graders.
---

The assistants are in place to coach up players. That's exactly what SU needs. This will never be a destination for fully formed top-level D1 athletes. They need to be made into those through coaching and S&C. I'm encouraged by how this coaching staff is handling all the young players and is helping them develop. It bodes well for the future.

Dino is a great leader of men, off the field, in the locker room, and with his morals and beliefs about how a program should be run. I believe his values match what SU wants in a head coach. He is also beloved by the ACC press corps. I'm friends with quite a few of them, and they all love Dino. Great guy, a fun storyteller, a nice dude who takes the time to talk to these reporters. He's a great ambassador for SU and SU football.

His one glaring weakness isn't his inability to change. He's been willing to fire people on his staff and look for upgrades where he needs them. He almost always holds onto his recruiting classes because he creates a family atmosphere and is a trustworthy guy.

His one weakness is his cluelessness in in-game decision-making. He has actually impeded this team's progress by making (or not making) some decisions during the game. For whatever reason, he seems flustered and nervous about the type of decisions he makes in-game. It's obvious he's self-conscious about it given his presser on Monday. No dude with confidence in those abilities would say they did nothing wrong in-game. Someone with confidence is willing to say "Yep I made a mistake there but won't next time." He doth protest too much.

He needs someone to take over those decisions or needs to be hearing just one voice in his ear about what to do with things that run the gamut from calling timeouts, to taking or not taking penalties, to clock management, etc... Big picture game plans have been fine this year (with the possible exception of Rutgers). It's the in-game calls that are questionable.

Wildhack needs to get someone in here who can help focus Dino in making the right calls, and more than anything having a consistent attitude about how to handle game situations. What I mean by this is he needs someone to help him be more consistent in his decision-making process because currently, it seems as if a lot of his decisions are "fly by the seat of your pants" and not something that is a part of what they believe the culture of the team is. Are you going to be a riverboat gambler or a conservative coach who plays it close to the vest? What are the strengths of your team and the weaknesses and are you constantly going to take advantage of those strengths and weaknesses throughout the game and not just willy-nilly when the feeling hits?

I'm not sure who that person is or what their designation is, but he needs a Czar of In-Game Decision Making in the worst way. Let Dino have the final say, but make the czar be the one voice in his ear who pays attention to all of the above so Dino can make the most well-informed and analytical decision that the situation requires. Do that and I think this program starts cooking with grease.
 
Last edited:
Maybe that “someone” that Wildhack is supposed to find should be the OC when we have the ball and the DC when our defense is on the field. Or, maybe Mike Lynch (former OC). I don’t think it is feasible to bring in “someone” who isn’t going to have one of those roles.
 
Maybe that “someone” that Wildhack is supposed to find should be the OC when we have the ball and the DC when our defense is on the field. Or, maybe Mike Lynch (former OC). I don’t think it is feasible to bring in “someone” who isn’t going to have one of those roles.
Would prefer Dino let his OC, and DC take care of both sides of the ball, and let them make most game time decisions. They have a better feel for how their players will react in game situations.
 
Okay, okay, I'm as frustrated as anyone about Dino and his in-game coaching woes. He has always had them, and they really haven't gotten a ton better. But I want everyone to try and look at this in a different way.

As the esteemed SWC75 has discussed numerous times here, Virginia Tech basically gave Frank Beamer an ultimatum - change your coordinators or we'll change the head coach. He did, Bud Foster came in, and the rest is history.

I actually think Dino has done what he needs to do on the assistant coach front.

1) Tony White seems like a solid DC and he firmly believes in getting a lot of guys playing time. That helps with depth and with growth. A very solid hire.
2) Swag Daddy is a dude this team can't afford to lose. Top-notch recruiter and has done a FANTASTIC job at coaching up the safeties and nickels. He has been here right along with Dino, and they need to do everything they can to keep him in the fold.
3) Chip West is a long-time top recruiter in the Delmarva area and has done well in recruiting and coaching up the corners.
4) Sterlin Gilbert is an OC that wants to run the ball. It's also what Dino wants to do. Unfortunately, the Offensive Line has always been too thin, or not up to ACC standards. This year he has a scheme, a QB, an RB, AND an OL that makes this approach work. Defenses look nervous and confused out there. They have to pick their poison.
5) Mike Schmidt is the solution to Sterlin's OL issue. The dude is a top-notch OL coach. He has coached up the young guys and also has done a great job getting the vets to play with more aggression out there. This OL is a huge reason why Tucker and Shrader are running so well. I've been watching replays of each game, and man they are road graders.
---

The assistants are in place to coach up players. That's exactly what SU needs. This will never be a destination for fully formed top-level D1 athletes. They need to be made into those through coaching and S&C. I'm encouraged by how this coaching staff is handling all the young players and is helping them develop. It bodes well for the future.

Dino is a great leader of men, off the field, in the locker room, and with his morals and beliefs about how a program should be run. I believe his values match what SU wants in a head coach. He is also beloved by the ACC press corps. I'm friends with quite a few of them, and they all love Dino. Great guy, a fun storyteller, a nice dude who takes the time to talk to these reporters. He's a great ambassador for SU and SU football.

His one glaring weakness isn't his inability to change. He's been willing to fire people on his staff and look for upgrades where he needs them. He almost always holds onto his recruiting classes because he creates a family atmosphere and is a trustworthy guy.

His one weakness is his cluelessness in in-game decision-making. He has actually impeded this team's progress by making (or not making) some decisions during the game. For whatever reason, he seems flustered and nervous about the type of decisions he makes in-game. It's obvious he's self-conscious about it given his presser on Monday. No dude with confidence in those abilities would say they did nothing wrong in-game. Someone with confidence is willing to say "Yep I made a mistake there but won't next time." He doth protest too much.

He needs someone to take over those decisions or needs to be hearing just one voice in his ear about what to do with things that run the gamut from calling timeouts, to taking or not taking penalties, to clock management, etc... Big picture game plans have been fine this year (with the possible exception of Rutgers). It's the in-game calls that are questionable.

Wildhack needs to get someone in here who can help focus Dino in making the right calls, and more than anything having a consistent attitude about how to handle game situations. What I mean by this is he needs someone to help him be more consistent in his decision-making process because currently, it seems as if a lot of his decisions are "fly by the seat of your pants" and not something that is a part of what they believe the culture of the team is. Are you going to be a riverboat gambler or a conservative coach who plays it close to the vest? What are the strengths of your team and the weaknesses and are you constantly going to take advantage of those strengths and weaknesses throughout the game and not just willy-nilly when the feeling hits?

I'm not sure who that person is or what their designation is, but he needs a Czar of In-Game Decision Making in the worst way. Let Dino have the final say, but make the czar be the one voice in his ear who pays attention to all of the above so Dino can make the most well-informed and analytical decision that the situation requires. Do that and I think this program starts cooking with grease.

That one weakness you identified is a pretty big one no? In game decision making is what you hire a HC to do. If if your looking for Wildhack to bring someone in to help him as you outlined in your post that would be Wildhack bringing in a new head coach. What AD is going to hire a decision guy to tag along with his D1 coach to make all the crucial calls and what HC in his right mind is going to agree to that. I know you guys want Dino here past this year and are trying to figure out how but this is crazy.
 
That one weakness you identified is a pretty big one no? In game decision making is what you hire a HC to do. If if your looking for Wildhack to bring someone in to help him as you outlined in your post that would be Wildhack bringing in a new head coach. What AD is going to hire a decision guy to tag along with his D1 coach to make all the crucial calls and what HC in his right mind is going to agree to that. I know you guys want Dino here past this year and are trying to figure out how but this is crazy.
I think anytime you lose games on the last play of the game, your decisions weigh more and are looked at more critically. It’s no surprise that the rash of “he’s bad at in-game decisions” came after the last two games.
 
Sterlin Gilbert has brought in a stable of excellent QB's, as good as SU has ever had. Tony White is doing a solid job as DC, but those QB's, Gilbert has to be retained. Move him up if Sino doesn't work out, you need a southern coach in the ACC.
 
I think anytime you lose games on the last play of the game, your decisions weigh more and are looked at more critically. It’s no surprise that the rash of “he’s bad at in-game decisions” came after the last two games.

True, and that's a good point but it also comes back to his decisions using timeouts and clock management which have been horrific, even you have to admit that. The choice to go for 2 or not is up in the air and one you can argue effectively either way but some of the other stuff is not. The bigger concern I think people have is that Babers publicly saying he agrees with all his decisions and wouldn't change a thing is a real bad sign and doesn't lead to much confidence in him getting right moving forward more times then not.
 
Is that somehow offensive to someone or do you mean that the group of QB's isn't that good?

It's meant to note that your comment makes no sense. Gilbert's brought in one QB who we know can play so far and thats Shrader. Nick Saban has brought in a Stable, Kirk Ferentz has brought in a stable, Gilbert has 1.
 
It's meant to note that your comment makes no sense. Gilbert's brought in one QB who we know can play so far and thats Shrader. Nick Saban has brought in a Stable, Kirk Ferentz has brought in a stable, Gilbert has 1.
Morgan looked real promising. Mankiewicz, a Texas QB who has all the tangibles and Lamson who I hear is another in the style of Dungey/Shrader. I really like that QB room. All the time Dino has been here he really only brought in 1 guy, Devito, and that was a square peg for a round hole that he would not stop trying to make fit.
 
Morgan looked real promising. Mankiewicz, a Texas QB who has all the tangibles and Lamson who I hear is another in the style of Dungey/Shrader. I really like that QB room. All the time Dino has been here he really only brought in 1 guy, Devito, and that was a square peg for a round hole that he would not stop trying to make fit.
Mankiewicz?
 
It’s pretty simple. Whatever it is he thinks he should do….do the opposite
george costanza ladies GIF
 
Mankiewicz?
What I think I'm getting here is this deja vu with Lester and Gilbert. Lester goes out and gets Dungey and then doesn't get to coach him or build on that and get more QB's like him. Gilbert goes out and gets Shrader and if Dino were to not be retained, then the same thing would happen to him. I think a lot of people wish Hacket was made the HC instead of Shafer and similarly, a lot of people think Lester would have done well and is now a successful head coach. I think Gilbert is like those guys and he already proved a lot by getting GS and retooling the O, tho not as fast as many would like, and his hands could have been tied in certain matters as well.
 
That one weakness you identified is a pretty big one no? In game decision making is what you hire a HC to do. If if your looking for Wildhack to bring someone in to help him as you outlined in your post that would be Wildhack bringing in a new head coach. What AD is going to hire a decision guy to tag along with his D1 coach to make all the crucial calls and what HC in his right mind is going to agree to that. I know you guys want Dino here past this year and are trying to figure out how but this is crazy.
Absolutely it's a big one. I also have come to the realization that this program will go nowhere playing musical chairs with head coaches. We basically are the type of team that has to reset the whole program each time, which then means a 4 to 5-year window rebuild that loses us good assistants, recruiting ties, etc...

And there's no guarantee that head coach will be the answer, and no reason to believe that SU will ever spend the insane money to A) Buy the facilities they need to be top 10 in the country and B) Buy the type of head coach that will be a game-changer immediately.

I have no illusions about where SU stands in the grand scheme of college football. I personally think its best bet to succeed long-term is to keep a somewhat flawed but decent coach who builds bridges and helps to create a sense of camaraderie and esprit de corps within the football team.

We need continuity and winning seasons. We've had one with Dino, I think there's a chance this year could be two. With the young players on both sides of the ball, I could see this team being competitive for the next two to three years. Think 7-5, 8-4 type seasons. IF we get someone to help with in-game decisions. If that happens, everything gets easier.

If we jettison him now, we're stuck in the Dark Ages for a minimum of three to four more years because we won't hire someone who has the acumen to come in and turn things around immediately, and we also don't have the funds to upgrade facilities to the point that we become a destination school. The long game is the better one. If Dino doesn't progress this year or next year, what have we lost? A year or two would add on to an inevitable three to four-year ground-up rebuild.

We're the not late '80s, early '90s Syracuse anymore. We have no football brand. And I firmly believe our football brand can't be "five years and you're out." One assistant coach who helps with in-game management is an easier fix than a new head coach/new assistants/new schemes/new players. This team has a lot of positives. Fix the one major flaw, and you have a team that can compete in the ACC. Just my opinion of course!
 
Last edited:
That one weakness you identified is a pretty big one no? In game decision making is what you hire a HC to do. If if your looking for Wildhack to bring someone in to help him as you outlined in your post that would be Wildhack bringing in a new head coach. What AD is going to hire a decision guy to tag along with his D1 coach to make all the crucial calls and what HC in his right mind is going to agree to that. I know you guys want Dino here past this year and are trying to figure out how but this is crazy.
Like a chaperone on every date? Huh?
 

Forum statistics

Threads
167,128
Messages
4,681,622
Members
5,900
Latest member
DizzyNY

Online statistics

Members online
193
Guests online
2,039
Total visitors
2,232


Top Bottom