How you will know ...

[rosconey]

A lot of this talk is "4 wins is unacceptable" and "we shouldn't be happy with 4 wins." That is not the question. NO ONE wants to see 4 wins--not the fans, not the players, not the coaches, nor anyone in the athletic department. You don't base decisions on "were we happy THIS season or the season before?" You cannot get rid of a coach after 3 years on the job unless you are absolutely sure he will continue to be a wrong decision in the future. The coach has 3 years invested in your school, getting more comfortable with all the responsibilities of being a head coach there, making connections, and personally developing in his craft, that you risk throwing out 3 years of building blocks that your university has paid for.

yup this train of thought worked out wonderfully with the great guru - its always best to carry dead weight for way too long than cut it free early

 

[Scooch]

This is meaningless conjecture until we know who the SU AD is for the 2015 season.

 

[Crusty]

This is what I've been saying for years. Because of our recent history (past 15 seasons or so) it's not just about winning - the program needs to be entertaining too. At this point I think a lot of people would feel better with a losing record where we drop a bunch of games with 45-38 scores versus clawing out six wins with a bunch of 17-14 victories. I would at least. I'm not going to buy that we're getting better until I see real progress on the offensive side of the ball.

If we have a bunch of games where we score 38-45 points, dinner is on me.

 

[rrlbees]

If Giansante or any non-Dr. Gross employee who isn't a coach in the AD is on anything but a year to year contract that is crazy.

Agree. Most of those people are just employees. Not under any contract.

 

[IHeartSUFball]

Who knows if gross makes it through investigation, a new ad shafer be on tight rope

 

[Scooch]

... if he really loves me?

 

[Whitey23]

... if he really loves me?

i keep saying that out loud whenever i see this thread pops up.

 

[Orijinal]

... if he really loves me?

Haha! Beautiful

 

[dasher]

4 wins satisfies the Syracuse faithful. That is all you need to know. Turn out the lights.

Bill Walsh was 5 and 22 to start his career. The 49 niners should have fired him on the spot.

 

[Scooch]

Bill Walsh was 5 and 22 to start his career. The 49 niners should have fired him on the spot.

Huh? Walsh won a Super Bowl in his 3rd year in SF. He took over a 2-14 team, went 2-14, 6-10 and then 13-3 to win a title. He's like the worst possible comp for Shafer.

 

[OrangeTarheel]

This is what I've been saying for years. Because of our recent history (past 15 seasons or so) it's not just about winning - the program needs to be entertaining too. At this point I think a lot of people would feel better with a losing record where we drop a bunch of games with 45-38 scores versus clawing out six wins with a bunch of 17-14 victories. I would at least. I'm not going to buy that we're getting better until I see real progress on the offensive side of the ball.

Really, just being competitive -- regardless of outcome -- revived my interest in the team after HCDM got onboard. At the moment it is offense that is our challenge but that can change from year to year. Just having an opportunity to win would be nice.

 

[Ozcuse]

Shafer was supposedly retained to keep up the momentum from Marrone and the 2012 year where we finished 8-5 with a 38-14 win over WVU in the Pinstripe bowl.

Since then:

2013: 7-6 with more lopsided blowout losses than in the previous 4 years of Marrone combined
2014: 3-9 several more lopsided blowout losses to PEER schools (Maryland, Louisville, Pitt, Boston College)

That looks like a downward trend to me. If Shafer finishes less than 5-7 in 2015 and he doesn't have any good excuses like the entire team coming down with Mono (don't steal my idea, Shafer!) then HE GONE.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Really, just being competitive -- regardless of outcome -- revived my interest in the team after HCDM got onboard. At the moment it is offense that is our challenge but that can change from year to year. Just having an opportunity to win would be nice.

I think that works for you, but I think there are a lot of people in CNY that need the football to be more fun than just competitive in order to pony up for tickets regularly and really get in to things again.

 

[Orangejet]

7 wins minimum or fire the entire staff and bring in Lane Kiffin or Butch Davis for $3.5MM per.

 

[Frozen]

7 wins minimum or fire the entire staff and bring in Lane Kiffin or Butch Davis for $3.5MM per.

Butch is going to turn 64 years old during next football season. No thank you. #ageism

 

[Orangejet]

Butch is going to turn 64 years old during next football season. No thank you. #ageism

Wow! Didn't know Butch was that old. Maybe DG would bring in Ron Panz, the current Elmhurst College HC for $250K per year...

 

[Whitey23]

Wow! Didn't know Butch was that old. Maybe DG would bring in Ron Panz, the current Elmhurst College HC for $250K per year...

Cheap. Can save cash for a new baseball staff.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

7 wins minimum or fire the entire staff and bring in Lane Kiffin or Butch Davis for $3.5MM per.

Yeah, on the heels of NCAA investigation. Really?

 

[matcuse]

HCSS will get the next two years unless he completely bombs. 4 wins and he is back

4 wins? I say bowl or bust... I like coach a lot, love his passion but this is a business and we need to be on par with the rest of the league.. moral victories aren't gonna sell this program anymore.

 

[IthacaMatt]

SS has to get 6 wins next year or he should be gone. This team has been horrible offensively against P5 teams. If we go 4-8 or 5-7 and keep SS for a fourth year our fanbase will become even more apathetic. Keeping SS after this cluster season wasn't right IMO.

This coaching staff used up all of its rope either 6 games or we wish you well in your future endeavors SS and band.

In my opinion, he gets a mulligan for last year due to all the injuries to key offensive players, in particular. The only way he should be retained if he wins only 4 or 5 games is if one of those is a signature win - Louisville, Clemson, Florida State. Even when we were rebuilding under Marrone, he still managed to beat a few teams that were unexpected (WVU twice, Louisville). Shaffer needs that kind of win.

 

[elimunelson]

is Gross getting canned a real thing? I would think that trumps all in terms of the Shafer leash. That changes every single dynamic in terms of what a new AD would want out of their football coach, how much to pay, etc. That shoe has to drop, or not before we can even answer this question.