My honest perspective...

[Rocco]

I think I've read every single post on the Football forum over the last week or so. The views are so incredibly across the board, which is what makes this forum a great place over all of the alternatives out there. Some people are calling for Doug to be fired right now, some are holding out hope that he returns, others feel we will be fine if he leaves and others think we're headed back into another uncontrollable downward spiral into the depths of college football hell. Just a few things I'd add:

• There is absolutely nothing wrong with Doug interviewing with a few NFL teams. Frankly, it is an incredible honor to him, and our university IMO, that he is widely coveted as being a future HC at the next level. If anything, we should be applauding TGD on a great hire and thanking HCDM for bringing our once proud program out of the dungeon and infusing some excitement back into it. I personally wish that DM was the first football hire TGD made back after PP, and I know all on here would agree with me. Back in '04 however, DM was still building up his resume for his "dream job". More on that below.
• I cannot speak to whether or not Syracuse University will completely back their football program like other schools have done. I remain optimistic that might be changing in the future with the move to the ACC, but yet again, I have no inside information on that. It is very well-known that football rules the roost in the big money world of collegiate athletics. Syracuse would be remiss if they did not take the bull by the horns and strongly back their football program. There is an incredibly rich history of football at this school, and with more help, we can without any question in my mind return to being competitive year in and year out again. CIL provided a great post earlier summarizing everything here. I am not going to try and put it any better than he did.
• Put yourselves in Doug Marrone's shoes for a minute. He has a wife and a few young kids. He is a family man. Many of this board are family-first people as well I'm sure. If you had the opportunity of a lifetime to take a job at the apex of your profession, you're telling me that you wouldn't entertain talking about it? If you say no, then you are flat out full of . There is no easier way to say it. Maybe you aren't full of it, and maybe you are content carrying on in your everyday life ... that is fine too. Doug Marrone is embodying and exercising American capitalism. He is striving to improve his family's situation and ensure their well-being for generations to come. Please don't knock him for vertically moving up in his professional life. He's doing what the overwhelming majority of people would also do.
• I for one, do not want to see DM leave. I am being selfish in saying that, but I know that he is building something great here. If he leaves, all of the balls get thrown up in the air again. Hopefully, our AD will make another great hire. He is 1 for 2, but on a one-hire winning streak . There is no guarantee of anything at this point, so we are all waiting anxiously to see how everything shakes out. We would need to hire someone who can pick right up where DM left off and storm ahead. It needs to be someone who can continue to recruit the areas that DM, Anselmo, Wheatley & Adkins have cultivated (NYC, GA, FL, PA, MI). We cannot afford to hire someone who will want to install an entirely new offense/defense and begin recruiting all new areas again. Our program is still too fragile for sweeping wholesale changes. Hack is the answer if DM is gone. He's 34, energetic, great offensive mind and has a great relationship with the players. He keeps the team together and can hopefully retain certain members of the staff. We have a good recruiting class that needs to be kept intact. Just my opinion.
• "Dream job". When DM was hired, he said that the SU HC job was his dream job. At that time, this would have been the biggest job of his career. He was in the nomadic world of coaching football. He was a burned out player with bum knees and a lifelong coaching assistant. He went to Syracuse and yes, at the time he said it, I do believe that this was his dream job. He had seen how his alma mater had completely gone into the shitter. He was very passionate that he could make it right. We were fortunate that a few others turned us down first, which allowed him to get the job as the dark horse. So, he came to his dream job and made it right. We did not make it to a BCS bowl game, but we need to keep perspective of what he walked into. He has done a remarkable job. People have noticed. Now those people are courting him around and interviewing him for one of the top 32 football coaching jobs in the land. At the time, his dream job was to be the SU HC some day. He accomplished that. Now, he has his mind set on bigger things. I am in the business world. What he is doing is the definition of American capitalism. His "dream job" has changed because he has outdone himself in 4 years. "Dream jobs" will change over time if you are successful.
• I'm with CTO in drinking a glass of wine while perusing through the various threads. I have become involved in a few discussions, but will try to remain on the sidelines until something concrete surfaces. There is alot of emotion being posted on this board, and we all know that things can get a little offcenter when that happens. I was drinking a nice, full bodied Cab in contrast to your Pinot Noir, CTO. Wasn't in the mood for a single-malt scotch last night.

Go Orange.

 

[TheCusian]

This quote from JB (after his dinner with Marrone early this week, on the coaches show) goes well with wine:

JB: “You do listen to them, look at the landscape. It’s very flattering. It can actually help you with recruiting. The kids think this guy must be a good coach. He’s a loyal SU guy. I’m a big fan. The way Louisville played and the way we beat them and West Virginia (shows he’s done a good job). I hope he’s here for along time. He‘ll handle it in a class way. He‘s not looking to harm the university”

To paraphrase: Calm the junk down.

 

[GoSU96]

Well done.

I'll concur in part and dissent in part. The only thing I will take issue with is the approach to the job. I don't think he is looking this soon, I never thought he was a lifer if successful, if there weren't issues with the job.

 

[orangetom]

Thank you for posting this. You reflect my sentiments. Too many jackwagons out there who jump to too many conclusions without anything to back them up. HCDM is a class act and when appropriate will address the public. My greatest fear is that if HCDM doesn't return, the solid foundation he has built from the cesspool that existed when he arrived will be undermined. Hiring from within (Hackett) would be the only way to keep the ship upright. In the meantime, chill out.

Unfortunately, I don't drink wine. I'll have to open a bottle of Syracuse Pale Ale.

 

[FAL]

My greatest fear is that if HCDM doesn't return, the solid foundation he has built from the cesspool that existed when he arrived will be undermined.

The sum of all fears.

 

[orangenirvana]

Great post, Rocco.

I'd be all for promoting Hackett. The more I think about it, the better I feel about him as HC.

However - only after consulting with Marrone in an off-the-record, brutally honest assessment of the young kid as to whether Marrone truly thinks he can not only handle the position but use the current momentum to take it to the next level. I would trust Marrone's take on Hackett as SU's potential HC more than anyone or anything.

 

[chakka3421]

To paraphrase: Calm the junk down.

Nobody, I mean nobody, talks about or touches my junk but me!

 

[OrangeFoo]

Great post... the one part I disagree with is your third bullet about Marrone needing to do what is best for his family and that means moving up to the NFL. There is a risk reward component to every decision. During one of the games I was watching last weekend the announcers were speculating that the average NFL coach lasts about 3.5 years... so if you look at Marrone's decision he's looking at an average of 3.5 times $3MM (to keep the math easy) in the NFL which is about $10MM. From reading posts on this board he can probably get $2MM a year at SU and he can easily do that for the next 10 years if he wants to so that means $20MM pretty much guaranteed. Under this analysis if I'm doing what is best for my family I'm staying at Syracuse hands down. Now if Marrone truly wants the challenge of coaching at the apex of his profession then that's a different story and he should go for it if that's what he wants to do but please don't say he's doing whats best for his family because that is not 100% certain.

In my world of technology I'm facing that decision now... either uproot the family and move to silicon valley to take a exec position at a start up or stay in my current job in Chicago right below exec level which is very comfortable and pretty stable. The start up route has much more upside but also a much higher potential for flaming out. Obviously we're not talking anywhere near the numbers that Marrone is talking about but its the same risk/reward calculation everyone has to make.

 

[Rocco]

Great post... the one part I disagree with is your third bullet about Marrone needing to do what is best for his family and that means moving up to the NFL. There is a risk reward component to every decision. During one of the games I was watching last weekend the announcers were speculating that the average NFL coach lasts about 3.5 years... so if you look at Marrone's decision he's looking at an average of 3.5 times $3MM (to keep the math easy) in the NFL which is about $10MM. From reading posts on this board he can probably get $2MM a year at SU and he can easily do that for the next 10 years if he wants to so that means $20MM pretty much guaranteed. Under this analysis if I'm doing what is best for my family I'm staying at Syracuse hands down. Now if Marrone truly wants the challenge of coaching at the apex of his profession then that's a different story and he should go for it if that's what he wants to do but please don't say he's doing whats best for his family because that is not 100% certain.

In my world of technology I'm facing that decision now... either uproot the family and move to silicon valley to take a exec position at a start up or stay in my current job in Chicago right below exec level which is very comfortable and pretty stable. The start up route has much more upside but also a much higher potential for flaming out. Obviously we're not talking anywhere near the numbers that Marrone is talking about but its the same risk/reward calculation everyone has to make.

All points I've considered... if Marrone were to make it to the NFL, there is no guarantee that he would last 3 years; while on the flip side, there is no way to rule out that he is the next Sean Payton. There are always risks with every job. The higher up you go in your profession, the more stress, pressure and eyeballs are on you. Knowing DM, I am sure that all of those things have been closely analyzed. If this is something that came to fruition, I'm sure he wouldn't have done it if he thought he'd be putting his family in a worse position. You make very fair points though.

I am hopeful we don't have to worry about any of this anymore, but it is still important to point these things out.