Confirmed- Dino returning next season

[IthacaBarrel]

I guess my question is what are people expecting in Syracuse? As I look at the landscape of college football I see NO northeast power house team. I always viewed Penn State as the best the NE has but even they don't stand out like they used too. Don't matter what coach you bring in, things are not the same as they were in the 80s and 90s. The south has seized football for itself. So if you can get 6-8 wins and occasionally get a 10 win season enjoy it! Ask yourself with the current projectory which NE team can you see in the playoffs? Maybe when they expand it, but even that is a stretch. I am fine with what Dino has done. Can he get better? Definitely the penalties are ridiculous. However, we have ran through coach after coach and the recruiting and other issues have persisted. Northeast football is just not that good right now and we and all the other teams in the northeast reflect it.

And BC fired a coach that won 6-7 games most years and hired the new hot shot flavor of the month, GREAT RECRUITER!!! how did that work out? He was going to bring in all sorts of talent to BC. Looks like a poor hire that will set them back

Given the landscape I don't think bowl games get you fired at Syracuse.

A few years ago many were asking "well we should be at least as good as Boston College?"

Have to be careful

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Agree, the goal posts have been moved, If we were to get a bowl bid next season it would be the first back to back bowl trips since Coach P. 4 years of Grob really changed the landscape.

I don't think it's crazy to think that way either but Dino still needs to deliver

 

[kcsu]

I don't think it's crazy to think that way either but Dino still needs to deliver

A big part of our poor recruiting has been losing. If we start to string together winning seasons recruiting will improve. Combined with new facilities, better coaches, and having kids drafted and playing in the NFL we will do fine.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

Agreed. I used the word "minimum" to describe this year because that's really what he accomplished. He had the chance to exceed expectations and didn't. Granted, there were mitigating factors, but the bottom line is that he did just enough to keep his job.

Dino's gotta at least equal it next season. If we backslide a single game he's gotta be gone, IMHO.

After the past decade of SU football I've become convinced that a competent coach (meaning, not Robinson) can win 6 or 7 games at SU and make low tier bowls. Three HCs have done that, and I'd think it's fair to say that only one of them can be classified as unequivocally "good".

If Dino can't get us 8+ wins in the next couple years then I'd have zero issue with moving on. Because I feel comfortable knowing that a non-disaster hire can get us 6 more often than not. Might as well take a shot for something better.

I think we should be willing to eat one year of contract if he goes a disappointing 6-6. Assuming he has 2 years left on his contract and he goes 6-6 next season, do you really bring him back for his last year? Has he earned the right to one more chance?

I think having a HC in a contract year is a bad situation. If they do well, they can walk away for free or they have leverage for the new contract. I have no problem extending him for 6-6 after next season. I do think there is a risk in kicking the decision down to the last year.

 

[javadoc]

Yep. No excuses next year. He has a lot coming back, there are opportunities for transfers, so they have to sell it. Easier schedule. 5-7 doesn't cut it. 6-6 probably shouldn't either, but I guess depends on how the season unfolds to get there.

There's enough smoke pertaining to issues with in-game decisions to make me think that DFB has limitations. Two things concern me for his future as our coach.

I think he still needs another ace recruiter. He needs to find a staff position that he can swap out for a better recruiter, regardless of how well-liked the current staff member is.

The bigger problem may be the program support components that deal with the physical development and well being of the players. There seems to be a lot of smoke here too. Nutrition has been discussed and seems to be in the spotlight of the AD. But what about the turf? What about recovery facilities? Players are a lot bigger and faster now than they were back in the 1990 timeframe, and doesn't that mean the resources and process for keeping kids' bodies in good working order has to have changed a lot? It sounds like we haven't paid enough attention to that. Do we even have the right people in the AD to know what to ask for?

Clearer heads inside the department need to assess what is DFB's fault and what isn't. Don't fire someone for things outside his control. So much of our late season collapse seems related to injury and depth. I just fear that we are facing a double-whammy of "not enough talent" and "existential challenges". Don't fix the existential stuff and you essentially need an ACC-ready 3 deep at every position. I don't think we will ever be there, no matter who the coach is. Fix some of it and go 2-deep, should be better results. Add in a recruiting uptick and it's even better.

 

[CuseMan4]

It’s hard to predict next season with the transfer portal, who is leaving and staying. Coaching turn over, recruiting not being finished, etc…

But you have to like where we stand so far for next year and what is likely coming back, what might be coming back, you know Dino will hit the transfer portal hard and get some good players. If this upcoming off season is anything like last, I like where we are next season. Not to mention the schedule next year isn’t as brutal as this year.


That being said I hope Dino succeeds as he is a great guy and great personality. He definitely has his flaws as a coach but he has some great strengths too. But if he were to get canned next year we have to be careful and be realistic here.

Dino brought us our first ranking in forever and we were ranked pretty high when Dungey was here and got pretty high this year. We’ve been ranked in 3 separate seasons since he’s been here, which seemed like a damn near impossible feat before he got here. We had our first 6-0 start in decades. And we are getting some really good players and putting a lot of players in the NFL compared to the last 2 decades.

That being said you are gonna have games with Dino that are head scratchers, some dumb decisions but you are also gonna get the 6-0 starts, 10-3 seasons, a lot of players drafted and a good representative for the university and city. We have to be realistic and understand we are Syracuse, we aren’t Bama, we aren’t gonna pull an elite level coach. We’ve had 2 seasons now where Dino had us in the top 15. We need to finish stronger for sure, but we can’t expect to consistently every year to compete for Orange bowls or a playoff spot. We need to keep our bad seasons to 6-6 and go bowling and our good reason to 0-3 losses. Majority of seasons we will be 6-6 to 8-4 and every few seasons we get that team that might make a playoff or New Years bowl run. And hell with the new playoff format coming in, we can make some playoff runs. So before we think of firing Dino, think of what he’s done, what he’s capable of doing and think of alternatives, Robinson, Shafer, etc…I think Dino is capable to have a majority of 6-6 to 8-4 seasons and the occasional playoff run with the new format every few seasons….I think we sign up for that in a heartbeat considering where we’ve come from.

 

[Shrmdougluvr]

For the same reason when I sell someone's business, we tend to downplay the financial results from 2020 compared to the years that came before and after when setting a valuation.

I don't think you can make that comparison here. He handled the situation worst than most. You don't just get a pass for that. It's emblematic of the issues he has as a head coach. And it underscored the struggles he has had against the institutions that are our peers since baked in wins were removed from the schedule.

He's a meh coach at best. But I think he met the objectives for this season, and his return should have never been in question. A bowl game has to be the basement moving forward.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

It’s hard to predict next season with the transfer portal, who is leaving and staying. Coaching turn over, recruiting not being finished, etc…

But you have to like where we stand so far for next year and what is likely coming back, what might be coming back, you know Dino will hit the transfer portal hard and get some good players. If this upcoming off season is anything like last, I like where we are next season. Not to mention the schedule next year isn’t as brutal as this year.


That being said I hope Dino succeeds as he is a great guy and great personality. He definitely has his flaws as a coach but he has some great strengths too. But if he were to get canned next year we have to be careful and be realistic here.

Dino brought us our first ranking in forever and we were ranked pretty high when Dungey was here and got pretty high this year. We’ve been ranked in 3 separate seasons since he’s been here, which seemed like a damn near impossible feat before he got here. We had our first 6-0 start in decades. And we are getting some really good players and putting a lot of players in the NFL compared to the last 2 decades.

That being said you are gonna have games with Dino that are head scratchers, some dumb decisions but you are also gonna get the 6-0 starts, 10-3 seasons, a lot of players drafted and a good representative for the university and city. We have to be realistic and understand we are Syracuse, we aren’t Bama, we aren’t gonna pull an elite level coach. We’ve had 2 seasons now where Dino had us in the top 15. We need to finish stronger for sure, but we can’t expect to consistently every year to compete for Orange bowls or a playoff spot. We need to keep our bad seasons to 6-6 and go bowling and our good reason to 0-3 losses. Majority of seasons we will be 6-6 to 8-4 and every few seasons we get that team that might make a playoff or New Years bowl run. And hell with the new playoff format coming in, we can make some playoff runs. So before we think of firing Dino, think of what he’s done, what he’s capable of doing and think of alternatives, Robinson, Shafer, etc…I think Dino is capable to have a majority of 6-6 to 8-4 seasons and the occasional playoff run with the new format every few seasons….I think we sign up for that in a heartbeat considering where we’ve come from.

I think most people understand that 6 Ws is the minimum goal. The understand that we won't have many top half of the ACC recruiting classes. Those are our limitations as a program. But the HC can control how "well coached" the team is.

The penalty situation is out of control. We cannot afford as a program to overcome shooting ourselves in the foot time and again. In conference games we are dead last and 2.3 penalties per game behind 13th place school. We have more than twice as many penalties as Wake, who runs more plays than anyone (632 vs our 469).

In ACC games SU has ranked...
2022 14th
2021 tied 4th
2020 8th
2019 13th
2018 12th
2017 12th
2016 14th

 

[IthacaBarrel]

There's enough smoke pertaining to issues with in-game decisions to make me think that DFB has limitations. Two things concern me for his future as our coach.

I think he still needs another ace recruiter. He needs to find a staff position that he can swap out for a better recruiter, regardless of how well-liked the current staff member is.

The bigger problem may be the program support components that deal with the physical development and well being of the players. There seems to be a lot of smoke here too. Nutrition has been discussed and seems to be in the spotlight of the AD. But what about the turf? What about recovery facilities? Players are a lot bigger and faster now than they were back in the 1990 timeframe, and doesn't that mean the resources and process for keeping kids' bodies in good working order has to have changed a lot? It sounds like we haven't paid enough attention to that. Do we even have the right people in the AD to know what to ask for?

Clearer heads inside the department need to assess what is DFB's fault and what isn't. Don't fire someone for things outside his control. So much of our late season collapse seems related to injury and depth. I just fear that we are facing a double-whammy of "not enough talent" and "existential challenges". Don't fix the existential stuff and you essentially need an ACC-ready 3 deep at every position. I don't think we will ever be there, no matter who the coach is. Fix some of it and go 2-deep, should be better results. Add in a recruiting uptick and it's even better.

Good point on the recruiter but our coaches need to be able to develop raw talent first and foremost but I see your point with having another ace recruiter. Rock and a hard place really

 

[upperdeck]

FSU/Miami had everything and struggled to be good for a chunk of time and you wonder why SU has issues? We dont have location or local talent to help bail things out.

 

[upperdeck]

I think most people understand that 6 Ws is the minimum goal. The understand that we won't have many top half of the ACC recruiting classes. Those are our limitations as a program. But the HC can control how "well coached" the team is.

The penalty situation is out of control. We cannot afford as a program to overcome shooting ourselves in the foot time and again. In conference games we are dead last and 2.3 penalties per game behind 13th place school. We have more than twice as many penalties as Wake, who runs more plays than anyone (632 vs our 469).

In ACC games SU has ranked...
2022 14th
2021 tied 4th
2020 8th
2019 13th
2018 12th
2017 12th
2016 14th

the penalties that you can fix are the mental ones.. Lets just remove the Oline and formation issues and then go from there.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

FSU/Miami had everything and struggled to be good for a chunk of time and you wonder why SU has issues? We dont have location or local talent to help bail things out.

For the most part there is parity in college football. Each conference will have a few teams that are good every year, and most of the teams that will be so so every year with the occasional good or bad seasons. We should be amongst the masses. Unfortunately we have been below that.

 

[djorange1989]

It's all on him, all of it for sure but regardless of recruiting and staff coming and going the expectations for next year DON'T CHANGE at all. That's the job, there is no more time or excuses

oh agree 100%, in regards to staff I meant if those vital staff members will be here, then I am ok with Dino coming back. if we lose those guys and we still have Dino, I will be really worried. gotta go bowling again

 

[upperdeck]

our issue is that we have been way too long without a difference maker on Offense. Tucker has been nice but with oline issues he can only do so much.. We need a WR to step up that forces teams to defend them with overlapping D. Teams dont worry about the deep ball because we seldom complete them do why bother having a safety over the top and No one doubles any one or leans the D to any of the WR. Gadsden has been nice to see but he is a move the chains threat more than someone teams really change what they do to stop.

 

[SuFTW]

I think we should be willing to eat one year of contract if he goes a disappointing 6-6. Assuming he has 2 years left on his contract and he goes 6-6 next season, do you really bring him back for his last year? Has he earned the right to one more chance?

I think having a HC in a contract year is a bad situation. If they do well, they can walk away for free or they have leverage for the new contract. I have no problem extending him for 6-6 after next season. I do think there is a risk in kicking the decision down to the last year.

I don’t think anyone is going to try and poach Dino from us.

 

[SuFTW]

Kicking the can by saying the coach will be back for one year doesn’t help recruiting pitches. But, I understand why the University says it, because they’re not ready to commit beyond that.

I honestly would not be sure if I’d even make the statement given the circumstances with the existing contract and unclear future beyond next season. Just continue with Dino as coach, like everyone here knew we basically had to regardless and keep it moving.

If I’m a coach at a rival school and Syracuse is up for the same recruit, I’m pointing to that.

I think it was more answering a question on a radio show than a formal statement. In that spot he kind of has to say something.

 

[Scooch]

I think we should be willing to eat one year of contract if he goes a disappointing 6-6. Assuming he has 2 years left on his contract and he goes 6-6 next season, do you really bring him back for his last year? Has he earned the right to one more chance?

I think having a HC in a contract year is a bad situation. If they do well, they can walk away for free or they have leverage for the new contract. I have no problem extending him for 6-6 after next season. I do think there is a risk in kicking the decision down to the last year.

To be completely honest, I don't care much at all about his contract situation and I don't really think it matters much in the grand scheme of things. Obviously the large-ish buyout has been a factor, but everyone wanted that post-2018.

Going forward I (a) have zero concern about Dino leaving for another job, (b) think we have all the leverage in the world to keep his buyout very low, and (c) think his recruiting/portal prowess has nothing to do with how many years he has on his deal.

Like we talked about last week, to me fake extensions mean nothing. Our current recruiting class ain't so hot and that's been done with more years left on his deal.

The reality is that as long as Dino is winning 7+ games (and maybe 6+) for the next few seasons his job is likely very secure. Everything else seems like extraneous window dressing to me.

 

[MikeSU02]

Kicking the can by saying the coach will be back for one year doesn’t help recruiting pitches. But, I understand why the University says it, because they’re not ready to commit beyond that.

I honestly would not be sure if I’d even make the statement given the circumstances with the existing contract and unclear future beyond next season. Just continue with Dino as coach, like everyone here knew we basically had to regardless and keep it moving.

If I’m a coach at a rival school and Syracuse is up for the same recruit, I’m pointing to that.

JW will continue to get asked about this until he answers, which he did. That's it.

Remember, he has a tsunami of questions and commentary coming from local and national pending on the horizon re JB on the bball side.

This nips one stream of Qs in the bud.

I get your point, though. I just think between Dino and JB, it exacerbates those questions in quantity and frequency between the two.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

To be completely honest, I don't care much at all about his contract situation and I don't really think it matters much in the grand scheme of things. Obviously the large-ish buyout has been a factor, but everyone wanted that post-2018.

Going forward I (a) have zero concern about Dino leaving for another job, (b) think we have all the leverage in the world to keep his buyout very low, and (c) think his recruiting/portal prowess has nothing to do with how many years he has on his deal.

Like we talked about last week, to me fake extensions mean nothing. Our current recruiting class ain't so hot and that's been done with more years left on his deal.

The reality is that as long as Dino is winning 7+ games (and maybe 6+) for the next few seasons his job is likely very secure. Everything else seems like extraneous window dressing to me.

Not a fake extension. At some point you need to make a decision to spit or get off the pot. If you think that is at the end of his contract, fine. I think that decision should come with one year left. Why keep him if you don't see him here longer than a year? Has nothing to do with recruiting. It has to do with moving forward.

 

[Scooch]

Not a fake extension. At some point you need to make a decision to spit or get off the pot. If you think that is at the end of his contract, fine. I think that decision should come with one year left. Why keep him if you don't see him here longer than a year? Has nothing to do with recruiting. It has to do with moving forward.

Gotcha. I don't know when his current deal ends. I don't have a problem letting him coach on the final year of his deal without extending him. If that's 2023, then we'll make a decision one way or the other. It's not like we're going to sign him to a series of 1 year deals going forward.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

It’s been documented, due to varying Covid protocols that Covid was different for every region and program and SU could have not played based on the # of available players but they opted to stick it out. 6 available offensive linemen, 1-10 is what you get, any program. It’s your prerogative, but I’m not counting that farce of a football season against him.

The impact of government and institutional restrictions on people in NY was far more onerous and omnipresent than in places like Florida, Georgia, etc.

 

[djorange1989]

Not a fake extension. At some point you need to make a decision to spit or get off the pot. If you think that is at the end of his contract, fine. I think that decision should come with one year left. Why keep him if you don't see him here longer than a year? Has nothing to do with recruiting. It has to do with moving forward.

oh yeah, you cannot have a lame duck coach on the last year of his deal, that is Athletic Director 101. 2024 is supposedly when his deal is up, so see what happens next year. we have another 7-5 season(or better) you extend him 2 years(with very reasonable buyout) and go from there. it does impact recruiting, though not quite as much now that kids can transfer without penalty.

 

[upperdeck]

At his age the chances he gets poached have gone down every year and its gonna take 2-3 good years to make that even happen which then means the program has gone back the right way. The buyout should be way lower as well.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

Gotcha. I don't know when his current deal ends. I don't have a problem letting him coach on the final year of his deal without extending him. If that's 2023, then we'll make a decision one way or the other. It's not like we're going to sign him to a series of 1 year deals going forward.

There is potential for a mess by letting a HC stay for his last year. Retaining assistants, attracting new assistants, keeping the coaches motivated, keeping the kids (especially the ones not getting PT) motivated, keeping the fans motivated. There needs to be some sense of stability.

If Dino goes 7-6 in 2023, and 6-6 in 2024 and any P5 job opens, he is gone. SU already said by not extending that they don't want to commit. He will have one foot out the door the entire season. How is that good for anyone?

 

[Scooch]

There is potential for a mess by letting a HC stay for his last year. Retaining assistants, attracting new assistants, keeping the coaches motivated, keeping the kids (especially the ones not getting PT) motivated, keeping the fans motivated. There needs to be some sense of stability.

If Dino goes 7-6 in 2023, and 6-6 in 2024 and any P5 job opens, he is gone. SU already said by not extending that they don't want to commit. He will have one foot out the door the entire season. How is that good for anyone?

What P5 school is hiring Dino after the 13-12 stretch you theorized? Him leaving is literally the least of my worries.

I think the most valid concern you mentioned is retaining assistants.