Going Into Year 8, I Still Don't Know What To Think of Dino

[OrangeFoo]

I was co-piloting the Dino bandwagon with Crusty and couldn't believe when we actually got him.

He hasn't been what I expected. He was at first. He brought the unpredictability, excitement and scoring I felt we were desperate for. He understood the value of the Dome.

And then after the 10 win season he walked away from that. I don't really believe the offense got "figured out." I think we executed poorly, and backed away from it. Orange is the new slow ain't it. I'm optimistic that Beck is going to return us to prolific offense.

He does a lot of things well. We clearly have recruiting profiles we value. We get our guys on campus. We seem to navigate the portal world well so far. He's an excellent program ambassador.

He just needs to win more. Get to bowl games. Have a handful of higher profile seasons. Keep putting guys in the NFL.

These things are virtuous cycles. He's had a long time to get into those cycles. Have to maintain them. If he doesn't make a bowl this season, I'd move on.

I don't think it will come to that. But he has to make a bowl this season because the 2024 schedule looms as more challenging than 2023.

Ironically enough I found nothing about his offense to be that exciting. The only excitement came when Dungey did something insane on a broken play. The Babers offense made games last like 4 hours and they were painful too because of all the 3 and outs. We never used the middle of the field and most of the passes were horizontal. I found myself fast forwarding through bug chunks of quarters.

The d under Babers on the other hand had been fun and worth the price of admission. We hired an offensive genius and his defense was better. That seems like a fireable offense right there.

 

[baggerbob]

Letting Beck manage all 2 minute and time out situations, like Mendenhall did at UVA, would be a great place to start.

Agree with let Beck take care of the offense, I really believe he will be the next Head Coach when Dino steps down.

 

[shu 49]

Ironically enough I found nothing about his offense to be that exciting. The only excitement came when Dungey did something insane on a broken play. The Babers offense made games last like 4 hours and they were painful too because of all the 3 and outs. We never used the middle of the field and most of the passes were horizontal. I found myself fast forwarding through bug chunks of quarters.

The d under Babers on the other hand had been fun and worth the price of admission. We hired an offensive genius and his defense was better. That seems like a fireable offense right there.

I disagree a bit. In the beginning with our first oc we used middle of field quit a bit. Phillips had a gazzillion receptions there and so did another guy who his name escapes me. Td threw a lot of inside hash receptions. When lynch took over at oc we stopped throwing in middle. Never understood it either. Now we are back to throwing it all over. The key though is if we have good run production, we will have a good air attack. Gs not having to run every play keeps him in the game longer in the year. I think we have a great chance to do something this year we haven’t done since 2018. Let’s in go Orange.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Agree with let Beck take care of the offense, I really believe he will be the next Head Coach when Dino steps down.

If Beck has success at Syracuse he will be tough to retain because Dino would then be successful as well. Thus, Beck will get looks as an OC from bigger schools or as a HC at another school. They would have to somehow have to pay him more than his current pay and Dino maybe a bit less on his new deal. Good problem to have but I don't see Dino retiring anytime soon if he puts a couple winning seasons together but you never know I guess. In demand assistants don't stay put very long, can't say I blame them given the current landscape.

 

[elimunelson]

I’m not sure we can get anyone better than Dino without getting really freakin lucky and ever then he isn’t staying around long. And I love Dino and think he likes it here. He gave me the best season of my fandom by far.

So I just hope he starts making bowl games three out of four years because I think it’s far more lucky our next coach is worse than him. Unless it is someone like Jason Beck (or Tony White) who has been in the culture for years and has real experience.

and to think 2018 would have probably been the 6th-7th best season for Pasqualoni in the 90s. That stinks for the younger folks that this is the high water mark.

I'd argue the 94 team (which would have bowled in whatever equivalent bowl we went to in 18) was on par as well from an excitement standpoint. We got to freakin 10th in the country and punched Miami in the mouth for a half or so.

1991
1992
1995
1996
1997
1998

 

[PhatOrange]

If Beck has success at Syracuse he will be tough to retain because Dino would then be successful as well. Thus, Beck will get looks as an OC from bigger schools or as a HC at another school. They would have to somehow have to pay him more than his current pay and Dino maybe a bit less on his new deal. Good problem to have but I don't see Dino retiring anytime soon if he puts a couple winning seasons together but you never know I guess. In demand assistants don't stay put very long, can't say I blame them given the current landscape.

Very true......and lets not get into a 'coach in waiting' scenario. Beck either stays on his own and is promoted or he moves on.

 

[Scooch]

I’m not down with the notion that Dino is the best SU can hope to do. I’d grade him at a C- over his tenure. C+ for the soft skills, D for the hard skills.

I don’t want a turnstile at HC, and I’m not clamoring for his removal. But on the whole… Dino is OK-ish, at best.

One should never be so afraid of the future that it negatively impacts making a necessary decision in the present. It’s not like Dino has a long history of 6-win seasons that we’d be endangering. We’ve had two good seasons in 7 years. If that becomes 2 out of 8 I don’t get why people would be so scared of moving on.

 

[orangecuse]

Then why is he still here if the admin does not believe he is the best man for job? If they had a legitimate alternative why is he/she not here?

Well, you've been here since '11, so it has, for the most part, been a consensus comprehensive/blanketed belief that that extended contract Dino maintained was the overwhelming proximate cause. And, for the lack of a better saying, the lessor of two evils (considering how SU rollls and generally always has) was to retain Babers vs. eating his contract while simultaneously having to paying another coach millions to boot. Now that the said contract allegedly expires next year, it certainly will be interesting to see what happens after this season if Dino is sub .500 and fails to make a bowl game, etc.

Perhaps, if Bill Belichick had a daughter in coaching, then there would be no doubt, regardless of the circumstances, that she would clearly be our head gal.

 

[elimunelson]

I’m not down with the notion that Dino is the best SU can hope to do. I’d grade him at a C- over his tenure. C+ for the soft skills, D for the hard skills.

I don’t want a turnstile at HC, and I’m not clamoring for his removal. But on the whole… Dino is OK-ish, at best.

One should never be so afraid of the future that it negatively impacts making a necessary decision in the present. It’s not like Dino has a long history of 6-win seasons that we’d be endangering. We’ve had two good seasons in 7 years. If that becomes 2 out of 8 I don’t get why people would be so scared of moving on.

It's funny to think that the majority of syracusefans MOCKED Tom O'Brien at BC and yet he won 7-9 games a year for like 8 straight seasons.

i'm fine with either move at this point because my interest in SU is tethered to whether they can compete or not. It's not competing for a national title (like my interest in hoops is) but compete week in and week out. Now my counter weight for the past 20 years was Patriots football which allowed me to be realistic about success on saturdays when success on Sundays was a formality.

I think Dino will survive 2023 because I think we'll compete and I think JW has found a partner in Dino to keep the team afloat. Uncertainty is a scary proposition when lax and hoops are currently in that spot with their new HCs.

To me the doomsday is if we win 5 games and it comes with a massive losing streak to end the season. Curious what JW would do in that scenario

 

[IthacaBarrel]

I’m not down with the notion that Dino is the best SU can hope to do. I’d grade him at a C- over his tenure. C+ for the soft skills, D for the hard skills.

I don’t want a turnstile at HC, and I’m not clamoring for his removal. But on the whole… Dino is OK-ish, at best.

One should never be so afraid of the future that it negatively impacts making a necessary decision in the present. It’s not like Dino has a long history of 6-win seasons that we’d be endangering. We’ve had two good seasons in 7 years. If that becomes 2 out of 8 I don’t get why people would be so scared of moving on.

completely agree but you hire a new coach, he better have a clue about what they are getting into and what it would take to be somewhat successful at Syracuse and understand the problems from day one. You go out and hire the hot MAC coach again because he's looking for a P5 job and payday, well I think you could be asking for trouble. I feel like every coach that shows up here is taken back first few years about what it takes to win here and what recruiting here actually entails.

very curious if Dino has finally figured things out, this after all is year 8 but I feel like we should get 6-7 and hopefully keep building. I am still more a Dino guy than most though and not hoping for a miracle which is what I think it would take to win 8-9 games here consistently.

We could certainly do worse as well. Only season I see as a disaster was the covid year but that was beyond strange for so many reasons. It did happen but certainly can see the flip side as well

 

[OrangeFoo]

I’m not down with the notion that Dino is the best SU can hope to do. I’d grade him at a C- over his tenure. C+ for the soft skills, D for the hard skills.

I don’t want a turnstile at HC, and I’m not clamoring for his removal. But on the whole… Dino is OK-ish, at best.

One should never be so afraid of the future that it negatively impacts making a necessary decision in the present. It’s not like Dino has a long history of 6-win seasons that we’d be endangering. We’ve had two good seasons in 7 years. If that becomes 2 out of 8 I don’t get why people would be so scared of moving on.

Not sure if "scared" is the right word... "scared" implies that I am still invested enough in the program where outcomes from it impact my emotions to that extent. For better or for worse they don't... if they win I'm very happy... if they lose it's acceptance of more of the same.

My concern with letting Dino go is we are resetting the clock yet again and the odds (based on historicals) are that we will be doing this all over again in 3 to 5 years.

 

[TheCusian]

One thing that now must be evaluated as a reason to keep or fire a guy is your ability to re-recruit or retain your own. I think he’s pretty good at building a culture in the time of the “leave if ya want” transfer portal era.

 

[CousCuse]

He's using the portal in a smart way to get the depth that Syracuse usually doesn't have. I do think that where he is in his tenure and where the team is in its talent cycle, less than 8 wins would be a fail. Baring injury's, I think they should get 8 wins. 6 wins, I mean Mora got 6 wins in his first year with Conn. 7?, borderline.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

It's funny to think that the majority of syracusefans MOCKED Tom O'Brien at BC and yet he won 7-9 games a year for like 8 straight seasons.

I mean, I mock the BC coaches because they're a meathead program that plays meathead football.

 

[Chip]

I’m not down with the notion that Dino is the best SU can hope to do. I’d grade him at a C- over his tenure. C+ for the soft skills, D for the hard skills.

I don’t want a turnstile at HC, and I’m not clamoring for his removal. But on the whole… Dino is OK-ish, at best.

One should never be so afraid of the future that it negatively impacts making a necessary decision in the present. It’s not like Dino has a long history of 6-win seasons that we’d be endangering. We’ve had two good seasons in 7 years. If that becomes 2 out of 8 I don’t get why people would be so scared of moving on.

If Dino can't win 7 regular season games with this roster and this schedule, we should all be very concerned.

If he can't win 6, we should be alarmed.

 

[RF2044]

If Dino can't win 7 regular season games with this roster and this schedule, we should all be very concerned.

If he can't win 6, we should be alarmed.

Agreed.

 

[NJCuse97]

I’m not sure we can get anyone better than Dino without getting really freakin lucky and ever then he isn’t staying around long. And I love Dino and think he likes it here. He gave me the best season of my fandom by far.

So I just hope he starts making bowl games three out of four years because I think it’s far more lucky our next coach is worse than him. Unless it is someone like Jason Beck (or Tony White) who has been in the culture for years and has real experience.

Tony White posted Nebraska’s new locker/training facility. He’s not coming back.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

I'm cool with Dino not many successful coaches are going to stay here and not bolt first chance they get. There have been a couple assistants I'd have been OK giving the keys to if we had one or two more losses certain years and sticking with them but this is not an easy program to hire for.

 

[CanadianSU]

6 wins if not he should be gone.

How’s that for a summary

 

[CuseBlock]

Not that this hasn’t already been said, but context matters. Going .500 as a basketball focused school should be considered a solid season. I wouldn’t mind if he continues to have us around that record. Hate the programs lack of ambition, but what’s really the alternative here.

 

[elimunelson]

Everyone mentions that Dino has stuck around but has there been specifics with him turning down a better job? I would assume the only window was post 2018 season.

After that he’s been mediocre or bad in terms of other programs trying to poach him.

 

[NJCuse97]

I disagree a bit. In the beginning with our first oc we used middle of field quit a bit. Phillips had a gazzillion receptions there and so did another guy who his name escapes me.

Brisly Estime?

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Everyone mentions that Dino has stuck around but has there been specifics with him turning down a better job? I would assume the only window was post 2018 season.

After that he’s been mediocre or bad in terms of other programs trying to poach him.

They do? I think Dino leveraged the 2018 season for a long term /bigger deal but not sure there was anywhere for him to really go that year. Syracuse paid him and was probably the right call at the time regardless of the revisionist history we see today. I don't remember "EVERYONE" talking about a coach that should consider himself very fortunate to still be employed at Syracuse discussing his brand loyalty. He's still here because he gets paid a ton of money under his current contract and most likely would have been fired 2 years ago by 9 out of 10 P5 programs. As of today, no program is going to pay him to be a HC for more money than he makes at Syracuse. That is not loyalty or sticking around. I have no idea if Dino likes living in Syracuse or the job all that much but I am sure he likes the direct deposit every couple weeks.

 

[shu 49]

Brisly Estime?

Yes thank u

 

[OrangeFoo]

Tony White posted Nebraska’s new locker/training facility. He’s not coming back.

Wait… a DC who left for a lateral position that offered more money won’t come back for a HC position with a former employer that will also pay him more money?

My main concern would be that he is a flight risk as a HC as he has shown he will leave for more money.