Five Reasons Why You Can't Blame Greg Robinson

[OrangePA]

for the debacle at Syracuse University. Indeed his time at SU was doomed to failure from the start as he and an new school/athletic administration began the process of learning on the job.

Here are the five reasons you can't blame Coach Robinson:

1. He is an outstanding football coach having had major success at UCLA and the Broncos - Rose Bowls and two Super Bowl wins - he obviously understands the game, especially on the defensive side of the ball;

2. He was hired late - in early January, 2005, and as a result little chance of securing a decent recruiting class and to hire the assistants he probably wanted to hire;

3. He was hired in the context of a new AD and new Chancellor - nobody knew what Syracuse University was at that point - the administration was just getting its feet wet;

4. His ability to recruit from the outset was hindered by the fact that he was not an northeastern guy - he had no HS contacts and he had bad luck - losing out on Colt Brennan, Jermaine Pierce and other decent recruits;

5. Nobody realized the extent to which the Football Infrastructure had deteriorated by the time took over - certainly Robinson had no idea and really had no idea what he was getting himself into or where the program had been headed during the previous ten years.

 

[RF2044]

You make some good points, but #4 is something we can absolutely hold him accountable for. And I categorically disagree with your item #1. He certainly did have success, but his more recent track record at minimum calls into question whether he was an "outstanding football coach."

 

[Geode]

<Water> Hey look at the bridge we are flowing under...

 

[oldpinepoint]

for the debacle at Syracuse University. Indeed his time at SU was doomed to failure from the start as he and an new school/athletic administration began the process of learning on the job.

Here are the five reasons you can't blame Coach Robinson:

1. He is an outstanding football coach having had major success at UCLA and the Broncos - Rose Bowls and two Super Bowl wins - he obviously understands the game, especially on the defensive side of the ball;

2. He was hired late - in early January, 2005, and as a result little chance of securing a decent recruiting class and to hire the assistants he probably wanted to hire;

3. He was hired in the context of a new AD and new Chancellor - nobody knew what Syracuse University was at that point - the administration was just getting its feet wet;

4. His ability to recruit from the outset was hindered by the fact that he was not an northeastern guy - he had no HS contacts and he had bad luck - losing out on Colt Brennan, Jermaine Pierce and other decent recruits;

5. Nobody realized the extent to which the Football Infrastructure had deteriorated by the time took over - certainly Robinson had no idea and really had no idea what he was getting himself into or where the program had been headed during the previous ten years.

Good points PA, however i disagree with a few of them specifically #1, 3, 4, and 5.

1. I undersand your point here and its hard to argue however i think he is a product of a good head coach especially with the Broncos.
3. Im not sure how this would impact his coaching, the AD and Chancellor dont coach, recruit, train, etc. If they provided a lack of monetary support or other items i could see it
4. He should have hired good assistants who knew the area to recruit. He could also have done other things to introduce himself to the area coaches. I would have said his ability to recruit, especially in NJ was hindered by the way Coach P was let go more than anything else.
5. All you needed to do was look around and see the faciltiies. If GR didnt do his homework and understand what he was getting into that is his problem. I think an established college coach would have known. It can be a downside to hiring a pro coach i guess.

 

[orange03]

lol at #1.

So because he was a competent football coach before, he can't be blamed for what he did here? So based on that theory, does Hitler for example get a pardon because he raised money for a church before he decided to start a world war?

 

[Noexcuse]

for the debacle at Syracuse University. Indeed his time at SU was doomed to failure from the start as he and an new school/athletic administration began the process of learning on the job.

Here are the five reasons you can't blame Coach Robinson:

1. He is an outstanding football coach having had major success at UCLA and the Broncos - Rose Bowls and two Super Bowl wins - he obviously understands the game, especially on the defensive side of the ball;

2. He was hired late - in early January, 2005, and as a result little chance of securing a decent recruiting class and to hire the assistants he probably wanted to hire;

3. He was hired in the context of a new AD and new Chancellor - nobody knew what Syracuse University was at that point - the administration was just getting its feet wet;

4. His ability to recruit from the outset was hindered by the fact that he was not an northeastern guy - he had no HS contacts and he had bad luck - losing out on Colt Brennan, Jermaine Pierce and other decent recruits;

5. Nobody realized the extent to which the Football Infrastructure had deteriorated by the time took over - certainly Robinson had no idea and really had no idea what he was getting himself into or where the program had been headed during the previous ten years.

Last seen shopping at Topps. TOPPS! Not even Wegmans!

 

[OrangePA]

lol at #1.

So because he was a competent football coach before, he can't be blamed for what he did here? So based on that theory, does Hitler for example get a pardon because he raised money for a church before he decided to start a world war?

Comparing Greg Robinson to Adolph Hitler?

Or comparing any American athletic figure to the most evil human in world history?

You or the Administrator might want to consider deleting that unfortunate post.

 

[JD]

I would say #4 was directly impacted by the timing of #2 if Gross had not been pressured into firing P it could have been alot different. Assuming P was let go and GRob was still brought in I imagine his staff would have looked vastly different. He is a good guy who knew his stuff people would have wanted to work with him.

P.S. Michigan does not count because Rich Rod dictated the use of the assinine 3-3-5 formation.

 

[SUFan44]

Why? Why are you posting this now? What relevance does it have? What are you trying to prove?

We are now going into year four of the Doug Marrone Era. Who cares about Greg Robinson?

And just so you know - you can ABSOLUTELY blame Greg Robinson for a lot of the maladies that the program has felt over the last 8 years.

Totally agree with RF that #4 is his fault. And to a certain extent #2 is his fault (not the recruiting class, but the assistants).

Do we know the extent of it? Absolutely not. And is everything his fault that went wrong? No. But to completely absolve him of blame for the state of the program is very, very wrong.

BUT WHO CARES?!

 

[tipphill]

Good points PA, however i disagree with a few of them specifically #1, 3, 4, and 5.

1. I undersand your point here and its hard to argue however i think he is a product of a good head coach especially with the Broncos.
3. Im not sure how this would impact his coaching, the AD and Chancellor dont coach, recruit, train, etc. If they provided a lack of monetary support or other items i could see it
4. He should have hired good assistants who knew the area to recruit. He could also have done other things to introduce himself to the area coaches. I would have said his ability to recruit, especially in NJ was hindered by the way Coach P was let go more than anything else.
5. All you needed to do was look around and see the faciltiies. If GR didnt do his homework and understand what he was getting into that is his problem. I think an established college coach would have known. It can be a downside to hiring a pro coach i guess.

no longer relevant, no one really cares anymore

 

[timkay99]

Here are the five reasons you can't blame Coach Marrone if he fails here:

1. He is an outstanding football coach having had major success at New Orleans and New York.

2. He was hired late - in mid December - leaving little time to put together a recruiting class.

3. He was never the top choice of the administration or AD and was only given the job after there were failed attempts at other candidates.

4. His ability to recruit from the outset was hindered by the fact that he had spent most of his previous time in the NFL

5. Nobody realized the extent to which the Football Infrastructure had deteriorated by the time took over - certainly Marrone had no idea and really had no idea what he was getting himself into or where the program had been headed during the previous ten years.[/quote]

Filled it in for Marrone above.

In the end, Robinson failed. To say anything otherwise or to say why he shouldn't be looked at as failing is to ignore facts.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Seriously, who give a flying F at this point, lets move on past P and GROB, so ridiculous to keep discussing it, one way or the other. I know, I know it's a discussion board but my god.

 

[orangenirvana]

You're right, Paul Pasqualoni should get most if not all of the blame.

 

[44PRIDE]

Every time I read about that particular head coach, I get agida

 

[orangenirvana]

Comparing Greg Robinson to Adolph Hitler?

Or comparing any American athletic figure to the most evil human in world history?

You or the Administrator might want to consider deleting that unfortunate post.

Ugh.

How about addressing the man's point rather than playing the role of the noble analogy police.

 

[OrangeMojo]

Here are the five reasons you can't blame Coach Robinson:

1. He is an outstanding football coach having had major success at UCLA and the Broncos - Rose Bowls and two Super Bowl wins - he obviously understands the game, especially on the defensive side of the ball;

His offense never ranked higher than 105th nationally during his 4 year tenure. His defenses got worse during his time at SU and his 3rd and 4th year with the program they were ranked 105th in total defense each year. I can't comment on his time at UCLA or in Denver - but he was a piss-poor football coach at Syracuse University - and that is indisputable.

 

[MaxwellCuse]

Go talk to some Broncos fans then report back what you heard. My guess is that reason #1 "disappears" quickly.

 

[44PRIDE]

Not exactly sure what the goal of this thread is. I'm guessing you're just looking to pick a fight during the slow season...

You don't really think anyone is going to defend Gerg...do ya?

 

[orange03]

Comparing Greg Robinson to Adolph Hitler?

Or comparing any American athletic figure to the most evil human in world history?

You or the Administrator might want to consider deleting that unfortunate post.

Oh shut up. You made a stupid post about a guy who shouldn't be talked about anymore and get mad when you get a response? Whether I mentioned Hitler or whoever, the point still stands. It was a stupid argument on your end.

 

[OrangePA]

Oh shut up. You made a stupid post about a guy who shouldn't be talked about anymore and get mad when you get a response? Whether I mentioned Hitler or whoever, the point still stands. It was a stupid argument on your end.

Please delete your inappropriate post.

Thank you.

 

[orange03]

Please delete your inappropriate post.

Thank you.

No.

But while on topic, please stop starting stupid posts regarding Greg Robinson.

 

[OrangePA]

Ugh.

How about addressing the man's point rather than playing the role of the noble analogy police.

Maybe you're right. Come to think of it, it was a very insightful analogy.

Lets see. The quote was "So based on that theory, does Hitler for example get a pardon because he raised money for a church before he decided to start a world war?"

Hitler raised money for a church.

I have read a few books about Hitler in my time. I do not recall him "raising money for a church." But I digress.

But, I get it. It is silly to look upon past performance while assessing the subsequent performance of a football coach.

Well, a few things come to mind when I think about the comparison to Adolph Hitler.

First, Hitler believed that god was on his side - that Providence was behind his rise to power. He was convinced that it was God's will that he lead the Third Reich. So, in his mind, "raising money for a church" was perfectly consistent with his goal of defeating Bolshevism and establishing German hegemony over Europe. There was, therefore, no inconsistency between his supposed charity and his decision to commence military action against France and Poland and eventually Russia.

The poster seems to believe, incorrectly, that Hitler became evil after exhibiting charity. Of course, that is not true. Hitler developed his ideology soon after WWI and pursued his goal of European domination and the destruction of the Jews for many years after that while attempting to secure power in German first in an ill-fated putch and thereafter through the electoral process.

There was no transformation - there was an unshakable ideology that was put forth in writing years earlier in Mein Kampf.

In the case of Greg Robinson there was no consitency between what he accomplished before SU and what he accomplished at SU.

When he coached UCLA and Denver when both teams had a great deal of success. In fact, Greg's Denver defenses played a large role in the team winning two Super Bowls. He also had success with the New York Jets and in 2004 with the Texas Longhorns.

So, he came to Syracuse University with a great deal of experience and with a strong football pedigree. Everybody agreed that he was an accomplished football coach even though he had never been a head coach.

In other words, he knew the game of football from a strategic standpoint.

Perhaps his football acumen - which seems indisputable given his experience and level of success - does not explain the won-loss record he had at SU - unlike Hitler there was no consistency in his performance or his goals. That suggests that there were perhaps there were other factors at play - some of which have been included in the original post.

So, the analogy between Adolph Hitler and Greg Robinson, I think, is strikingly misguided and offensive.

Was that better?

 

[kcsu]

I know DV pretty well actually very well and had access the entire time he was in KC. Suffice to say that coach Grob will go down as one of the luckiest guys on the planet. Dick loved him as a person but asked him to leave. Grob only did well when he had superior talent. I challange anyone to find a time when his teams did better than expected. The guy was simply in over his head. Good dog cant hunt

 

[orange03]

Maybe you're right. Come to think of it, it was a very insightful analogy.

Lets see. The quote was "So based on that theory, does Hitler for example get a pardon because he raised money for a church before he decided to start a world war?"

Hitler raised money for a church.

I have read a few books about Hitler in my time. I do not recall him "raising money for a church." But I digress.

But, I get it. It is silly to look upon past performance while assessing the subsequent performance of a football coach.

Well, a few things come to mind when I think about the comparison to Adolph Hitler.

First, Hitler believed that god was on his side - that Providence was behind his rise to power. He was convinced that it was God's will that he lead the Third Reich. So, in his mind, "raising money for a church" was perfectly consistent with his goal of defeating Bolshevism and establishing German hegemony over Europe. There was, therefore, no inconsistency between his supposed charity and his decision to commence military action against France and Poland and eventually Russia.

The poster seems to believe, incorrectly, that Hitler became evil after exhibiting charity. Of course, that is not true. Hitler developed his ideology soon after WWI and pursued his goal of European domination and the destruction of the Jews for many years after that while attempting to secure power in German first in an ill-fated putch and thereafter through the electoral process.

There was no transformation - there was an unshakable ideology that was put forth in writing years earlier in Mein Kampf.

In the case of Greg Robinson there was no consitency between what he accomplished before SU and what he accomplished at SU.

When he coached UCLA and Denver when both teams had a great deal of success. In fact, Greg's Denver defenses played a large role in the team winning two Super Bowls. He also had success with the New York Jets and in 2004 with the Texas Longhorns.

So, he came to Syracuse University with a great deal of experience and with a strong football pedigree. Everybody agreed that he was an accomplished football coach even though he had never been a head coach.

In other words, he knew the game of football from a strategic standpoint.

Perhaps his football acumen - which seems indisputable given his experience and level of success - does not explain the won-loss record he had at SU - unlike Hitler there was no consistency in his performance or his goals. That suggests that there were perhaps there were other factors at play - some of which have been included in the original post.

So, the analogy between Adolph Hitler and Greg Robinson, I think, is strikingly misguided and offensive.

Was that better?

Did not read. But the bottom line is your first reason why we can't blame Gump was absolutely dumb. The whole premise of the original post was too for that matter. He's gone, no need to discuss his failures here anymore.

 

[xc84]

for the debacle at Syracuse University. Indeed his time at SU was doomed to failure from the start as he and an new school/athletic administration began the process of learning on the job.

Here are the five reasons you can't blame Coach Robinson:

1. He is an outstanding football coach having had major success at UCLA and the Broncos - Rose Bowls and two Super Bowl wins - he obviously understands the game, especially on the defensive side of the ball;

2. He was hired late - in early January, 2005, and as a result little chance of securing a decent recruiting class and to hire the assistants he probably wanted to hire;

3. He was hired in the context of a new AD and new Chancellor - nobody knew what Syracuse University was at that point - the administration was just getting its feet wet;

4. His ability to recruit from the outset was hindered by the fact that he was not an northeastern guy - he had no HS contacts and he had bad luck - losing out on Colt Brennan, Jermaine Pierce and other decent recruits;

5. Nobody realized the extent to which the Football Infrastructure had deteriorated by the time took over - certainly Robinson had no idea and really had no idea what he was getting himself into or where the program had been headed during the previous ten years.

Translation:

1. He was lucky enough to be on good teams as an asst. coach.
2. He was hired around the same time most college coaches are hired. After the end of the season.
3. The administration was getting their feet wet and hired a crappy coach. They learned a good lesson.
4. He was a poor recruiter in all regions of the United States.
5. Robinson was a deer caught in the headlights and had no clue what he was doing or where he was headed.

But nothing was his fault.