Curse of Coach P

[elimunelson]

15 straight winning seasons from 87-01. We were a good program and 6-6 was a down year.

now we’re coming off almost 20 years of mostly bad to average teams where 6-6 has been a good year.

Great way to put it.

I was looking back at the mid/late 90s Pasqualoni teams and it's truly amazing when the team was humming, they were humming. In 97 for example, after a very close Tulane game (basically a pick 6 from losing) they score 200 pts in 4 games.

1997 may be the strangest P season ever. I'd watch a documentary on this season.

 

[NKR1978]

The big issue was Jake retiring. Had he stayed the transition would have been smoother. P was going to leave at some point. The time he did was atrocious. Give him 2005/2006 and maybe the UConn ascension is minimalized, maybe Rutgers stays mediocre.

Jake was the one who let the program atrophy. Whether he fought for more money/facilities or not, it still happened on his watch.

His treatment of the "minor" sports was pathetic. We likely had more Big East/ACC championships across more sports in the 10 years after he retired than we did combined in his tenure.

 

[dollarbill44]

Jake was the one who let the program atrophy. Whether he fought for more money/facilities or not, it still happened on his watch.

His treatment of the "minor" sports was pathetic. We likely had more Big East/ACC championships across more sports in the 10 years after he retired than we did combined in his tenure.

He did a lot in the late 70s/very early 80s. It seemed like things kind of ran themselves through the 90s, until the college sports landscape changed and facilities became a huge battleground. When Miami, VaTech and BC bolted, it got even harder and Jake was at the end of his career, as was Buzz. There were a whole host of factors that all converged at SU at the worst time for the football program. It wasn't one person or one factor. Dare I say, it was "multiple". A snowball that really caught fire.

 

[HOFCeluck]

Yeah kinda ok we didn’t end up with Ray Rice not gonna lie.

 

[NKR1978]

He did a lot in the late 70s/very early 80s. It seemed like things kind of ran themselves through the 90s, until the college sports landscape changed and facilities became a huge battleground. When Miami, VaTech and BC bolted, it got even harder and Jake was at the end of his career, as was Buzz. There were a whole host of factors that all converged at SU at the worst time for the football program. It wasn't one person or one factor. Dare I say, it was "multiple". A snowball that really caught fire.

My main issue with him is that the vast majority of our teams were terrible.

 

[HOFCeluck]

The Coach P transition was doomed from the start. Gross was going to get "his" guy in there regardless, and he had a specific "type" he was looking for. Look at the other guys who were under consideration. Donnie #$^ing Henderson? Did he ever make it head coach at any point?

 

[OrangePA]

point taken. but if my memory serves P was not always the best game clock manager either.

And neither is Andy Reid, according to many in Philadelphia.

I think that measure of coaching is highly overrated and extremely subjective.

I don't really buy into any of that - for any coach.

 

[OrangePA]

The Coach P transition was doomed from the start. Gross was going to get "his" guy in there regardless, and he had a specific "type" he was looking for. Look at the other guys who were under consideration. Donnie #$^ing Henderson? Did he ever make it head coach at any point?

I don't think that's accurate.

Dr. Gross was put in an untenable position at halftime of the Champs Bowl.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

P should have grown a pair and went public about Shaw siphoning off the money.

A company man like P would never do such a thing. Old School just the way he was.

 

[All4SU]

I don't think that's accurate.

Dr. Gross was put in an untenable position at halftime of the Champs Bowl.

I think we know with 100% certainty that Gross got forced to make the change, and went to Pete Carroll for a recommendation.

 

[Cadillac]

I’m so glad this fanbase is still debating the firing of Coach P.

We know it was the hinge point and good God was I WRONG.

Michael Vick was a million dollar scratch-off.

Firing P was pushing all our chips in on 00.

 

[OrangePA]

A company man like P would never do such a thing. Old School just the way he was.

Very true

 

[elimunelson]

A company man like P would never do such a thing. Old School just the way he was.

Plus it's kinda not his place to say anything about how the university spends money.

Classic old school guy who was a true professional

 

[Marty McFly]

I think he is getting inducted into the Syracuse Sports HOF this year, and rightfully so.

 

[tbonezone]

And neither is Andy Reid, according to many in Philadelphia.

I think that measure of coaching is highly overrated and extremely subjective.

I don't really buy into any of that - for any coach.

managing the clock is much more than just burning timeouts. it's knowing when to pump the accelerator and when to ride the brakes. and that's tempo . it's players knowing when to stay in bounds and when to get out. and that's coaching. and it's having plays pre- called and getting the right personnel on the field in a timely manner to deal with all these late game machinations. and that's called winning .

 

[OttoMets]

Jake was the one who let the program atrophy. Whether he fought for more money/facilities or not, it still happened on his watch.

His treatment of the "minor" sports was pathetic. We likely had more Big East/ACC championships across more sports in the 10 years after he retired than we did combined in his tenure.

Yeah. As bad as people think his handling of football investments was, what we now call the Olympic sports were really starved. I remember that the '93 Fiesta Bowl money was supposed to be used in part to resurface the Manley floor (last replaced in 1978) for all the teams that used the space. Didn't happen for almost another ten years.

It was a very different time in athletic administration, to be kind.

 

[OrangePA]

I think we know with 100% certainty that Gross got forced to make the change, and went to Pete Carroll for a recommendation.

He wasn’t forced to do anything.

The decision was made without his knowledge or consent.