Dino's Week 12 Press Conference for Duke

[bigmike]

I like Dino. He made a tough but needed decision. He knows what he's got on both sides of the ball, and based on talent and expectations, the performance of the D has been worse (which does seem hard to believe). I salute him for making a tough call.

As disappointing as this season has been, I remain confident that next year we will get back on track.

 

[Acesn8s]

My confidence level for this program is shook for sure, I couldn’t remember a sports season I was more hyped for then this football season, my small glimmer of hope is we play such a weak schedule next year it could get us back on track, the concern is we most likely open up at Clemson and assume we get steam rolled it will take 6 weeks to get confidence back. And top that off I think losing out defensive ends is going to be a killer. We shall see. We need to hammer transfer portal for some key positions, and hope to win a couple recruiting battles.

 

[All4SU]

In addition to the comment implying the negative recruiting, my biggest takeaway was his last comment about making sure you don’t get “the wrong recruits.” I take that to mean not wanting to recruit kids who won’t work hard, or study hard, or be team players, or... who knows what. But interesting that he views that as being more critical that recruiting...what, stars?

 

[TheCusian]

I hope you are right, but if you are being honest where is the influx of talent that will make us significantly better next year. In fact I am worried about this significant departure of talent even if they under performed all year.

The answer is the flip side of the argument that has been brought up here (“He’s never been some place long enough to have a full roster of his guys”)... He prob feels pretty good about the guys he has recruited or is recruiting - and we already know when he doesn’t, he’ll go out and try to plug a hole with a transfer.

I think the he’s always trying to get better talent (as are all coaches). But I think the lack of talent always gets brought up in the midsts of a losing streak around here and sometimes it’s other stuff or overblown some. Sometimes it’s youth or inexperience. Sometimes it’s coaching. Sometimes it’s leadership. Sometimes it’s a little bit of everything. And all that can look same to us.

 

[TheCusian]

In addition to the comment implying the negative recruiting, my biggest takeaway was his last comment about making sure you don’t get “the wrong recruits.” I take that to mean not wanting to recruit kids who won’t work hard, or study hard, or be team players, or... who knows what. But interesting that he views that as being more critical that recruiting...what, stars?

If you’re at Syracuse and you’re not getting 5* kids on the regular, you’re going to have to develop your guys. Sometimes a gritty, work real hard 3* is better than a lazy prima Donna 4*...

 

[kcsu]

This is uncharted territory for Dino. Not just as a coach but more importantly as a person, husband, father. Same for his wife and kids. Since Dino has been alive he has been on the move. A modern day Nomad. Moving for him and his family is their normal. This is not just about him as a coach its about his entire being and his family.
I personally dont think that he has the ability to think about permanence. How could he. His families routine is based on change. Its going to be a interesting to see how he handles building vs fixing.

 

[javadoc]

Yes, let’s all cross our fingers and hope everyone else we play sucks next year so we can have a successful season. The teams we played this year are pretty bad, BE bad, maybe worse. Let’s hope they’re even worse next year so we have a shot at looking better.

I hope playing a super soft schedule isn’t what’s going to make us feel better. Kind of like everyone trying to convince themselves that MD would be competing for the top of the B10.

I’ll take a super soft schedule while we build name recognition again. Kids are only going to see the win numbers. Enough 7,8-win seasons, regardless of who the opponents were, go a long way toward getting the better players. As part of a known process, sign me up.

 

[kcsu]

If you’re at Syracuse and you’re not getting 5* kids on the regular, you’re going to have to develop your guys. Sometimes a gritty, work real hard 3* is better than a lazy prima Donna 4*...

I think he is talking about skill sets vs attitude. Depending on the scheme run what type of athletes do you recruit.

 

[CuseLegacy]

My confidence level for this program is shook for sure, I couldn’t remember a sports season I was more hyped for then this football season, my small glimmer of hope is we play such a weak schedule next year it could get us back on track, the concern is we most likely open up at Clemson and assume we get steam rolled it will take 6 weeks to get confidence back. And top that off I think losing out defensive ends is going to be a killer. We shall see. We need to hammer transfer portal for some key positions, and hope to win a couple recruiting battles.

Unless the player is a Grad transfer kids in the transfer portal have to sit a year. Hammering the transfer portal won't help depth for next year.

 

[CuseLegacy]

This is uncharted territory for Dino. Not just as a coach but more importantly as a person, husband, father. Same for his wife and kids. Since Dino has been alive he has been on the move. A modern day Nomad. Moving for him and his family is their normal. This is not just about him as a coach its about his entire being and his family.
I personally dont think that he has the ability to think about permanence. How could he. His families routine is based on change. Its going to be a interesting to see how he handles building vs fixing.

Before we moved to NC my husband and I were corporate nomads. Moving across the country, up the corporate ladder. When you reach a certain age and point on the ladder, you make a decision to stop wandering and settle somewhere. Unless Babers wants another P5 HC job he has reached the top of the ladder.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

This is uncharted territory for Dino. Not just as a coach but more importantly as a person, husband, father. Same for his wife and kids. Since Dino has been alive he has been on the move. A modern day Nomad. Moving for him and his family is their normal. This is not just about him as a coach its about his entire being and his family.
I personally dont think that he has the ability to think about permanence. How could he. His families routine is based on change. Its going to be a interesting to see how he handles building vs fixing.

He's a football coach man, bit dramatic here. Good lord. His kids are all solid citizens and doing fine, At the end of the day, he's a professional and has a job to do just like a lot of people, he will do his job and I think he will be fine. if he doesn't he will move on. He's almost 60, think he's fine where he is in life and highly doubt this is some type of battle for his soul. it's a tough football season for a highly compensated P5 coach, goes with the territory

 

[kcsu]

He's a football coach man, bit dramatic here. Good lord. His kids are all solid citizens and doing fine, At the end of the day, he's a professional and has a job to do just like a lot of people, he will do his job and I think he will be fine. if he doesn't he will move on. He's almost 60, think he's fine where he is in life and highly doubt this is some type of battle for his soul. it's a tough football season for a highly compensated P5 coach, goes with the territory

When Dino took the SU job i question if he looked at SU the top of the ladder or as another step towards the top.

 

[OrangeinBoston]

When Dino took the SU job i question if he looked at SU the top of the ladder or as another step towards the top.

Yeahhhhh.....No

 

[IthacaBarrel]

When Dino took the SU job i question if he looked at SU the top of the ladder or as another step towards the top.

I bet he looked at it as a bigger paycheck as most would but he also had offers for bigger ones at a couple others that same year so he must have liked something about Syracuse for sure and I don't think if he was 7-2 right now with USC knocking at his door there would be anyway he would stay at Syracuse because again it would be a much bigger paycheck and back to an area that clearly likes. All that said, he's a football coach they all know the game as well as their families

 

[bothsocksup]

Pretty somber news conference. Get the feeling that Dino didnt want to make a change at DC. I think this season has really worn on Dino. You can feel the frustration

 

[Keger03]

I think this is huge because he has won at other schools and divisions with a certain type of recruit. We have those on our roster now. He has not had to play big boy football in the ACC and I think this is what is going to take time for him to understand is, with his model and scheme, what players fit his system while being able to play big boy football.

 

[orange44]

I think this is huge because he has won at other schools and divisions with a certain type of recruit. We have those on our roster now. He has not had to play big boy football in the ACC and I think this is what is going to take time for him to understand is, with his model and scheme, what players fit his system while being able to play big boy football.

Agree.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Pretty somber news conference. Get the feeling that Dino didnt want to make a change at DC. I think this season has really worn on Dino. You can feel the frustration

Sure it's worn on him but I highly doubt Dino was "forced" to fire Ward with 3 games left by anyone.