Feldman Feature On The Athletic

[Chip]

Greg Robinson was fired his two jobs before Texas. And he was only co-DC as a bailout from a friend. It was far from obvious and wasn’t a name hire.

he sucked before he was hired and he was completely out of his depth as HC

it never should have happened

disorganized dope

drove a program that needed a tune up, not an overhaul, off a cliff

should have sued dr gross for malpractice

I didn't say obvious, I said inevitable. He got the endorsement from Pete Carroll and I think that was all she wrote.

GRob looked 20 years older after 4 years on the job.

 

[elimunelson]

Greg Robinson was fired his two jobs before Texas. And he was only co-DC as a bailout from a friend. It was far from obvious and wasn’t a name hire.

he sucked before he was hired and he was completely out of his depth as HC

it never should have happened

disorganized dope

drove a program that needed a tune up, not an overhaul, off a cliff

should have sued dr gross for malpractice

the program commanded respect in 04 still. results were not there but anyone w a brain in college football respected the SU program and P&D. That matters when you are building staffs and guys are asking about programs to learn the trade from.

P&D knew the recruiting pipelines as well. They needed some interior decorating as SU football entered the 2000s. unfortunately Gross decided to tear down the house and replace it with a modular house that was a piece of rubbish.

To this day the fallout continues. the SU football program is still considered bottom tier and the benfit of the doubt with it is never there.

 

[cusefan88]

Looking at who got hired that cycle, Urban Meyer and Les Miles were the big fish. Whittingham and Bronco ended up being great. Outside of that...not a lot of quality.

 

[JeremyCuse]

This has been debated ad nauseam for years. In the end both camps are right. It was time to move on from Coach P regardless of whatever criteria OrangePA comes up with it was clear the program was a shell itself and it's also true that not all of it was P's fault as the lack of investment by SU and how the money was shared with AD was criminal.

Secondly Grob was a disaster hire and one SU held onto for to long once it was clear it wasn't going to work out. Robinson did a decent job recruiting wise (which is mind boggling when you think about it) but the offenses we tried to put together were a disaster and the QB play was Temple/Rutgers mid 1990s esque. As GoSU pointed out Pariani was an absolute disaster, if Grob had gotten his 1st choice in Mitch Browning (right away versus year 4 when the die was cast) things may have gone differently but its not hard to see why SU lost so many games under Grob the skill position players were mostly D-1AA level players. How that last team beat ND is beyond a miracle.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Greg Robinson was fired his two jobs before Texas. And he was only co-DC as a bailout from a friend. It was far from obvious and wasn’t a name hire.

he sucked before he was hired and he was completely out of his depth as HC

it never should have happened

disorganized dope

drove a program that needed a tune up, not an overhaul, off a cliff

should have sued dr gross for malpractice

And he also won a Super Bowl ring and a Rose Bowl, right?
You have to be fair about it.

 

[All4SU]

but anyone w a brain in college football respected the SU program and P&D.

90 percent of this board wanted Coach P gone.

 

[GoSU96]

And he also won a Super Bowl ring and a Rose Bowl, right?
You have to be fair about it.

He was awful. The information was out there with minimal effort.

 

[GoSU96]

90 percent of this board wanted Coach P gone.

So?

 

[IthacaMatt]

90 percent of this board wanted Coach P gone.

The offense had gotten too labored, and they just weren't bringing in the same quality of athletes anymore. As I recall, we were getting killed with negative recruiting by Rutgers (and others ...) about the turf in the Dome causing injuries.

 

[elimunelson]

90 percent of this board wanted Coach P gone.

This board isn’t a bastion of reason when things get sideways

Dino was gone too by the Syracusefan board of directors too.

 

[Orangefan1]

it validates what many on here have said. P and D were well respected inside and outside the building. the way they did them dirty was outrageous.

Interesting that Rippon thought 05 had 97 potential. what a lost opportunity bringing in a new system. Cantor and Gross destroyed the football program completely.

98 had potential until a pass interference call by
an SEC ref cost us our chance

 

[SkyTopBus44]

This has been debated ad nauseam for years. In the end both camps are right. It was time to move on from Coach P regardless of whatever criteria OrangePA comes up with it was clear the program was a shell itself and it's also true that not all of it was P's fault as the lack of investment by SU and how the money was shared with AD was criminal.

It almost feels like the author of this article is a member of our board. He thought we had not had a debate about Coach P in a while and threw this out to spur us on!

We also have some conference realignment stuff on here right now, too. Post spring game it is always time for the classics.

P.S. I read these posts every time….can’t help myself.

 

[OrangePA]

I know, I may not have been clear in what I was saying. If Gross retained Pasqualoni for at least one year, it would have been one with field turf, and then you ask him what else he needed.

This is just speculation, but P struck me as a company man (I think you've said that yourself), that may not have spoken up about where we were falling behind. Marrone would have, and eventually did.

I don't know for certain, but I agree that Coach P was probably a company man about the facility situation.

Marrone absolutely spoke up and did not get what he needed - including the indoor practice facility.

HIs decision to leave prompted action.

Again, Gross did not fire Coach P.

The Chancellor fired him after having been urged to do so by members of the Board of Trustees during halftime of the Champs Bowl.

It was bad decision that should not have been considered in the middle of what was a meaningless post-season game.

Mel Eggers would never have even allowed the discussion in that context.

 

[OrangePA]

Well most of it was fact. The only real opinion was that P&D were honorable recruiters. I got the impression that they did not get down and dirty like Schiano. I also got the impression that they didn't act like clowns (see Harbaugh or Kelly). So I guess OPA had an issue with that statement.

When I have some time, I will explain why I feel your take is inaccurate.

But, I do urge you to re-read The Athletic piece because it pretty much lays to rest your criticisms.

 

[Chip]

The Chancellor fired him after having been urged to do so by members of the Board of Trustees during halftime of the Champs Bowl.

It was bad decision that should not have been considered in the middle of what was a meaningless post-season game.

I agree, maybe more in hindsight, but I do.

She basically sat on my lap in the first half. I was right behind her and that stadium wasn't designed for tall people. She kept saying what are we even doing out there. I politely said I'm the wrong person to ask.

Oh what a night, late December back in zero four.

 

[elimunelson]

I agree, maybe more in hindsight, but I do.

She basically sat on my lap in the first half. I was right behind her and that stadium wasn't designed for tall people. She kept saying what are we even doing out there. I politely said I'm the wrong person to ask.

Oh what a night, late December back in zero four.

It’s funny we were inches from back door into the fiesta bowl that year. Imagine that happened.

It probably saves P no matter what and probably allows a better group of recruits in the door.

I still contend that the bc sombrero game was the biggest What game I’ve attended. No idea how they pulled that off. Bc even with frosh Matt Ryan were better all across the field that day

 

[DuxburyO]

It’s funny we were inches from back door into the fiesta bowl that year. Imagine that happened.

It probably saves P no matter what and probably allows a better group of recruits in the door.

I still contend that the bc sombrero game was the biggest What game I’ve attended. No idea how they pulled that off. Bc even with frosh Matt Ryan were better all across the field that day

Diamond.

 

[All4SU]

I agree, maybe more in hindsight, but I do.

She basically sat on my lap in the first half. I was right behind her and that stadium wasn't designed for tall people. She kept saying what are we even doing out there. I politely said I'm the wrong person to ask.

Oh what a night, late December back in zero four.

So really it’s your fault.
Couldn’t come up with anything positive to say!?

 

[OrangePA]

I agree, maybe more in hindsight, but I do.

She basically sat on my lap in the first half. I was right behind her and that stadium wasn't designed for tall people. She kept saying what are we even doing out there. I politely said I'm the wrong person to ask.

Oh what a night, late December back in zero four.

I was standing right next to her at halftime while she was being pressed to fire P by a member of the Board of Trustees.

I could not believe what I was privy to.

In retrospect, I wish I had said to her at the very least - "We are in the middle of a bowl game. The game really doesn't mean anything. Emotions are running high due to the score. Don't make any decision right now."

 

[oldpinepoint]

I was standing right next to her at halftime while she was being pressed to fire P by a member of the Board of Trustees.

I could not believe what I was privy to.

In retrospect, I wish I had said to her at the very least - "We are in the middle of a bowl game. The game really doesn't mean anything. Emotions are running high due to the score. Don't make any decision right now."

Would be curious who the main board member who wanted him canned, can honestly say it set us back decades

 

[elimunelson]

Would be curious who the main board member who wanted him canned, can honestly say it set us back decades

to me that's irrelevant. I want to know the Trustee that pushed Nancy into such a terrible/quick strike decision. Such a bad example of management.

we're all fans on here. we should be irrational.

 

[MSOrange]

to me that's irrelevant. I want to know the Trustee that pushed Nancy into such a terrible/quick strike decision. Such a bad example of management.

we're all fans on here. we should be irrational.

I might be misinterpreting, but when he says "main board member", I think oldpoinepoint was referring to the board of trustees.

 

[oldpinepoint]

to me that's irrelevant. I want to know the Trustee that pushed Nancy into such a terrible/quick strike decision. Such a bad example of management.

we're all fans on here. we should be irrational.

I think we are talking about the same person

 

[EnviroSciGuy]

Would be curious who the main board member who wanted him canned, can honestly say it set us back decades

Hiring Greg is what set us back. P getting dismissed would have been fine if he had been replaced with an even marginally functional successor. Agree that the timing and circumstances were not good, though.

 

[FrancoPizza]

98 had potential until a pass interference call by
an SEC ref cost us our chance

It was the correct call. And the bowl game vs Florida showed that we weren’t elite. Mcnabb covered up weak line play and it got exposed that game.