Is Lester 100% going to be our OC next year?

[nzm136]

Apparently there was an announcement that I missed that said that he was going to be the OC "moving forward." I'm not sure if "moving forward" meant "until the end of the season" (the announcement was made during the season), or if it meant "into next season" and would appreciate clarification.

If it means into next season, then why? Is it a funding thing, is it a misplaced loyalty thing, it is something else, or is it a combination of all of the above?

 

[OrangeXtreme]

http://www.syracuse.com/orangefootb...ld_the_offense_in_offseason_return_as_of.html

 

[ssmorol]

I hope not!
I don't think there was anything official...I think just a lot of assuming, and you know where that gets you!

 

[ssmorol]

Well, that sucks.

 

[orangeinjersey]

Great, next years excuses for abysmal offensive results is already being baked in...

"Guys, we are working with a 1st year OC!"
"Guys, this is the first year of installing a new offense!"
"Growing pains guys, give it some time, patience!"
"Guys, this is hunts first year with the new offense, its going to take time to complete 10 yard seams up the middle"

 

[kcsu]

It looks like Lester is our OC next year

 

[RF2044]

Great, next years excuses for abysmal offensive results is already being baked in...

"Guys, we are working with a 1st year OC!"
"Guys, this is the first year of installing a new offense!"
"Growing pains guys, give it some time, patience!"
"Guys, this is hunts first year with the new offense, its going to take time to complete 10 yard seams up the middle"

No they won't.

Shafer has made his bed with this decision. His career at SU is on the line, and will be tied to the team's offensive performance, and whether the ship is righted from a record standpoint. If we falter on either or both accounts, he's done. Instead of going outside of the program to bring in an OC, he's made the decsion to ride it out with Lester.

Excuses won't fly next year.

 

[SUFan44]

"I think he just does a good job managing what he has to work with," Shafer said. "It's been difficult up front with the injuries and bouncing kids around. So it's been a great challenge, but he's taken it head on and done a good job with it."

Done a good job with what, exactly? We scored 14 points over our last two games, and averaged less than 10 points per game (?!) over our last 5 games. That's horrific.

 

[RF2044]

"I think he just does a good job managing what he has to work with," Shafer said. "It's been difficult up front with the injuries and bouncing kids around. So it's been a great challenge, but he's taken it head on and done a good job with it."

Done a good job with what, exactly? We scored 14 points over our last two games, and averaged less than 10 points per game (?!) over our last 5 games. That's horrific.

Even accounting for the extenuating circumstances of the injuries.

 

[orangeinjersey]

HCSS has some serious brass balls. I mean, lets say I am PMing a project at my firm. My "lead engineer" who I hired as a hot shot up and comer last year failed spectacularly and I was told by management, you HAVE to turn this thing around THIS YEAR or you're gone. You know what my next step WOULDN'T BE, hiring another friend who is an up and comer to lead my project.

 

[Crusty]

As I mentioned in another thread, Lester was a HC for 5 years at Elmhurst and called his own plays. You would think that he had developed a system that he believed in and that he should be able to dust off, make a few changes and be ready to install it. When I would have imagined that before Shafer hired him Lester told him the type of offense he preferred. I hear that he and Shafer are going to sit down and decide how to change the offense I get very concerned that he doesn't really have a plan.

Describing the offense as "variable" and "multiple" doesn't tell us much. At least McDonald told us exactly what he was going to run.

Lester is a smart guy so maybe he will surprise us with a solid plan. I certainly hope so because there are many good OC's that will be available this season with track records in D1 or even P5.

 

[phil77]

We demoted McDonald mid-season and promoted Lester because the offense was not producing. Well our offense got worse and we extended Lester. You can give me the excuse about not being Lesters system blah blah blah but that doesn't have anything to do with play calling and feel for the game. Lester was the QB coach and our QB's sucked even when Hunt was playing he looked like he regressed. Lester has had over 1.5 years working in the system and he could called decent enough plays to score more than 14 points in the last two games against PITT and BC? That PITT game told me all I needed to know about Lester. Two weeks to prepare and threw up a stinker and 7 points. I don't care what system you are coaching two weeks and 7 points is awful. Extending Lester without looking around tells me all I need to know about Shafer.

 

[PhatOrange]

HCSS has some serious brass balls. I mean, lets say I am PMing a project at my firm. My "lead engineer" who I hired as a hot shot up and comer last year failed spectacularly and I was told by management, you HAVE to turn this thing around THIS YEAR or you're gone. You know what my next step WOULDN'T BE, hiring another friend who is an up and comer to lead my project.

You'd feel more comfortable hiring someone off the street you didn't know ? - keeping in mind you don’t have the budget to hire the proven Stanford engineer?

I see CEO's and Directors hiring their buddies (or at least people they're familiar with) all the time. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Shafer isn't staking his career on this hire though. He'll get another high paying DC job just like they always do.

 

[orangeinjersey]

You'd feel more comfortable hiring someone off the street you didn't know ? - keeping in mind you don’t have the budget to hire the proven Stanford engineer?

I see CEO's and Directors hiring their buddies (or at least people they're familiar with) all the time. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Shafer isn't staking his career on this hire though. He'll get another high paying DC job just like they always do.

I'd feel comfortable hiring a stranger off the street that had a PROVEN TRACK RECORD for completing similar tasks/projects at a high level, yes. I'm not saying he has to be the stanford engineer. He can be the San Jose State Engineer, as long as he has a proven track record for succeeding at previous stops.

What makes this analogy worse is that my interim engineer (Lester) also failed spectacularly with no sign of improvement. I wouldnt be laying my career on the line with those results.

 

[PhatOrange]

I'd feel comfortable hiring a stranger off the street that had a PROVEN TRACK RECORD for completing similar tasks/projects at a high level, yes. I'm not saying he has to be the stanford engineer. He can be the San Jose State Engineer, as long as he has a proven track record for succeeding at previous stops.

What makes this analogy worse is that my interim engineer (Lester) also failed spectacularly with no sign of improvement. I wouldnt be laying my career on the line with those results.

Theres nothing wrong with Lester’s design. Does he occasionally get some things wrong (play calling) sure, but I’m also sure your engineer off the street might to. Lester has a proven track record, it’s too bad though he couldn’t have written a change order midseason and then went out and picked up 4 shiny new D10s from CAT to finish his project.

your analogy is dumb because Shafer isnt' running Parsons.

 

[BlazeOrange]

Shafer has made his bed with this decision. His career at SU is on the line, and will be tied to the team's offensive performance, and whether the ship is righted from a record standpoint. If we falter on either or both accounts, he's done. Instead of going outside of the program to bring in an OC, he's made the decsion to ride it out with Lester.

Excuses won't fly next year.

Do you think he actually had to make that play or has TGD remained hands-off? I could also see ultimatums being delivered after next season to either change up the staff or be relieved. Then HCSS would either have to fall on the sword with his guys or bring in administration-approved assistants, which may include an informal HCIW just in case.

 

[RF2044]

Do you think he actually had to make that play or has TGD remained hands-off? I could also see ultimatums being delivered after next season to either change up the staff or be relieved. Then HCSS would either have to fall on the sword with his guys or bring in administration-approved assistants, which may include an informal HCIW just in case.

Just to be clear--I don't think that TGD issued an ultimatum. I'm talking strictly about what another poor year will do to HCSS's employment prospects here at SU. If we flop again, then I wouldn't expect him to be retained. Given that, it probably behooves him to solve the offensive problems--whether that be by bringing in some external resource who is a stud OC, shuffling the deck in house, etc. If I were in Shafer's shoes, I'd be highly motivated to bring in someone with the offensive background that would help me keep the million dollar+ per year job I have, even if that that means letting some of his buddies on the current staff go. I'm not sold on Lester; Shafer apparently is--and my guess is that his ultimate fate at Syracuse will be tied to how this decision works out.

I would love to be proven wrong about Lester, for the record, because that would be good for Syracuse football. I'm not anti-Shafer--would love to see the guy succeed. I'm just not confident that he can, based upon the coaching ineptitude often on display this past year on the offensive side of the ball.

 

[TheCusian]

HCSS has some serious brass balls. I mean, lets say I am PMing a project at my firm. My "lead engineer" who I hired as a hot shot up and comer last year failed spectacularly and I was told by management, you HAVE to turn this thing around THIS YEAR or you're gone. You know what my next step WOULDN'T BE, hiring another friend who is an up and comer to lead my project.

Why should the first ones failure count against the new guy? It will look bad!

That's a horrible reason to not go with a guy you trust.

I like that Shafer is going to the wall for his guy. Shows he's willing to ignore the safe route based on his conviction.

 

[TheCusian]

We demoted McDonald mid-season and promoted Lester because the offense was not producing. Well our offense got worse and we extended Lester. You can give me the excuse about not being Lesters system blah blah blah but that doesn't have anything to do with play calling and feel for the game. Lester was the QB coach and our QB's sucked even when Hunt was playing he looked like he regressed. Lester has had over 1.5 years working in the system and he could called decent enough plays to score more than 14 points in the last two games against PITT and BC? That PITT game told me all I needed to know about Lester. Two weeks to prepare and threw up a stinker and 7 points. I don't care what system you are coaching two weeks and 7 points is awful. Extending Lester without looking around tells me all I need to know about Shafer.

It also coincided with the loss of our only experienced QB.

 

[SUFan44]

Theres nothing wrong with Lester’s design. Does he occasionally get some things wrong (play calling) sure, but I’m also sure your engineer off the street might to. Lester has a proven track record, it’s too bad though he couldn’t have written a change order midseason and then went out and picked up 4 shiny new D10s from CAT to finish his project.

your analogy is dumb because Shafer isnt' running Parsons.

7 points in each of last two games.

Maine scored more than we did against BC. FIU - 4-8 in the Sun Belt - scored 25 against Pitt.

We had 128 total offensive yards against BC. We had 255 against Pitt. And 224 vs. Duke. The BC game was the 25th-worst offensive game against an FBS team this year - this includes against FCS teams. That is mind-numbingly bad.

Even with injuries, these numbers are off the charts.

 

[TheCusian]

7 points in each of last two games. Maine scored more than we did against BC. FIU - 4-8 in the Sun Belt - scored 25 against Pitt. We had 128 total offensive yards against BC. We had 255 against Pitt. And 224 vs. Duke. The BC game was the 25th-worst offensive game against an FBS team this year - this includes against FCS teams. That is mind-numbingly bad. Even with injuries, these numbers are off the charts.

I don't think it's that hard to figure out. QB with an OC who's not running his system in a meaningless game with no confidence.

 

[Millhouse]

I don't think it's that hard to figure out. QB with an OC who's not running his system in a meaningless game with no confidence.

you're trying too hard. part of the reason it was meaningless is because his offense stunk before that. bringing up "meaningless" is just another way to throw out data from a track record that is already way too lean

 

[Crusty]

You'd feel more comfortable hiring someone off the street you didn't know ? - keeping in mind you don’t have the budget to hire the proven Stanford engineer?

I see CEO's and Directors hiring their buddies (or at least people they're familiar with) all the time. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Shafer isn't staking his career on this hire though. He'll get another high paying DC job just like they always do.

True but less than half the compensation of a HC.

 

[phil77]

It also coincided with the loss of our only experienced QB.

Back-ups and true freshman are playing all over the county and putting up points and yard. Our situation is not special and other programs are able to be respectable on offense still. No matter who the QB you should be able to game plan for PITT and score more than 7 points IN TWO WEEKS. PITT is one of the worst defenses in the ACC and have given up over 40 points the 3 games prior to playing SU. Scoring 7 points is awful. Lester as the QB coach should be able to get better play out of the QBs after all he is coaching and recruiting these guys right? Hunt is the QB on the roster he didn't recruit.

 

[orangeinjersey]

Theres nothing wrong with Lester’s design. Does he occasionally get some things wrong (play calling) sure, but I’m also sure your engineer off the street might to. Lester has a proven track record, it’s too bad though he couldn’t have written a change order midseason and then went out and picked up 4 shiny new D10s from CAT to finish his project.

your analogy is dumb because Shafer isnt' running Parsons.

Don't get into the minutiae, while my analogy is broad, it does fit here. I hire a buddy who was inexperienced and the result was failing miserably, i would be taking a different approach for my next hire.

Heres a question for the pro lester guys, if Lester is such a strong candisate, why wasnt he hired as the OC from the get go? It has only been 1.5 years, what has Lester shown, (that is quantifiable in our QB play) that he deserved a promotion.

In addition, why are we so quick to give him a mulligan for this years results, which I may state, were a dumpster fire in their own right.

Where is Millhouse, I'd like him to look up stats for teams who fired an OC during the year, and how their offenses looked before and after. Maybe there is some historical data we can be looking at to determine if Lester deserves this mulligan that so many of you are looking to give him.