Recruiting, Culture, Prep or Game Day - HC top responsibilities

[Newhouser]

For me, coaching involves 4 key components - Recruiting, Prep/scheme, Game Management and Culture (which I think is overstated and a distant 4th on the importance scale).

I don't believe we will ever recruit at a super high level and therefore need to have a coaching staff that can create schematic advantages prior and during the game.

Dino's biggest strength appears to be building culture with finding undervalued players another asset.

Curious what the smarter folks on this board see as the top priority and how Dino improves (as I don't think he is getting let go).

 

[elimunelson]

if history is any guide, we were innovative and managed the big games against the upper class programs as well as anyone (talking 87-98 period). Very rarely were we taken to the woodshed out of conference by a blue blood.

Our ability to recruit black qbs in the 80s/90s went against the grain and propelled us into a real progressive system that is emulated and enhanced in the 2000s now.

I think recruiting comes with results more often than not. And results beget buzz and a feel for momentum. Macpherson had momentum off of 87, Pasqualoni off of the Fiesta Bowl. Those moments propelled our recruiting. I don't think anyone would confuse Paul for Rick Pitino.

Dino is probably our most charismatic coach since Dick Mac and his recruiting is mediocre because the results are.

 

[OrangeTarheel]

I wouldn’t underestimate the culture side of things and it’s probably the toughest for outsiders to assess. Culture is what helps create a durable team mentality and I imagine it is terribly tough to grow and maintain a positive culture with young people … and with replacing 25% of your young people every year.

A few of us have critiqued Dino as being poor at growing/maintaining a culture of winning this past three games. Tough to tell. I imagine if you have recruiting and prep/scheme then you can more easily rate poorly at game management and culture. Those first two are the things we keep saying this program can’t seem to afford …

 

[Goin' Deep]

One thing I would add to what a coach should be responsible for would be some sort of player development program. CUSE doesn't get many 4 star players, so to a point for the program to be successful, they must be created. EVERY player should work on their strength, speed, technique like TUCKER DID. Put that committed high school senior on a 2 year program so that when camp starts for their junior year, they are ready to compete against the Fla St/Clemson athlete.

 

[Newhouser]

One thing I would add to what a coach should be responsible for would be some sort of player development program. CUSE doesn't get many 4 star players, so to a point for the program to be successful, they must be created. EVERY player should work on their strength, speed, technique like TUCKER DID. Put that committed high school senior on a 2 year program so that when camp starts for their junior year, they are ready to compete against the Fla St/Clemson athlete.

I agree I would put that under prep but good point.

Another one that might crop up is fundraiser - coaches are going to have to raise cash unless we find deals like Miami just inked with the Bahamas bucking up to be official destination sponsor of athletics.

 

[upperdeck]

I think Culture is often the highest priority for some programs. There is a reason some teams with great talent dont do much and others with less talent do well..

If you get around a team you get to understand how much culture does to help a team perform well.

 

[Consigliere]

One key element you are missing is Enterprise Administration. Head count responsible for football is now over 40.Staffing and managing a team that large takes a very specific set of skills. If done well, the HC job becomes much more manageable. If done poorly the HC has to become much more involved with the details of day-to-day operations and dilutes his impact. Dino has never managed a staff this large. SU has never employed a staff this large. Recent investments in assistant coaching salaries and support staff have given him the chance to work with not only a larger, but a more experienced and skilled staff.

 

[SoBristol]

I would underscore recruiting - to include the portal and roster management. We have to keep upgrading, as the staff did with the OL and the secondary, as well as the QB room.

It helps obviously to have buzz from winning, but Coach Mac built that 1987 team by his recruiting in his first 3 or 4 years before he was winning. Alot of his pitch was based on his personality, some on his success at U Mass, and some on the Dome.

 

[TheCusian]

For me, coaching involves 4 key components - Recruiting, Prep/scheme, Game Management and Culture (which I think is overstated and a distant 4th on the importance scale).

I don't believe we will ever recruit at a super high level and therefore need to have a coaching staff that can create schematic advantages prior and during the game.

Dino's biggest strength appears to be building culture with finding undervalued players another asset.

Curious what the smarter folks on this board see as the top priority and how Dino improves (as I don't think he is getting let go).

Culture used to matter less. I think with the transfer portal, it’s a bigger deal.

Guys can just leave if they’re not feeling it. Culture can help keep a player bought in longer and be an asset to attract new transfers.

 

[TheCusian]

To be successful, we need all 4 plus alignment in AD, school, major boosters, and fans.

 

[SUDadx2]

One key element you are missing is Enterprise Administration. Head count responsible for football is now over 40.Staffing and managing a team that large takes a very specific set of skills. If done well, the HC job becomes much more manageable. If done poorly the HC has to become much more involved with the details of day-to-day operations and dilutes his impact. Dino has never managed a staff this large. SU has never employed a staff this large. Recent investments in assistant coaching salaries and support staff have given him the chance to work with not only a larger, but a more experienced and skilled staff.

That is a key element and Syracuse most certainly has increased the number of support staff to the program in recent years. However, the Syracuse Football program still lags behind many other programs in the conference. Wildhack is on record Syracuse athletics is committed to competing on the field and in NIL, but the reality of such a commitment gets you nowhere if you don't also commit the money to the program.

Over the years I have read how Syracuse is spending more money here and more money there, but how does our spending compare to the teams we compete with on the field?

Perhaps a local journalist could do some research and let us know where Syracuse Football stands in comparison to the other programs in the ACC when it comes to areas like the following. The most recent article related to this were from 2021. A lot has changed in college football since 2021.

• Staffing resources and budgets
  • Salary pool for assistant coaches.
  • Budgets for support staff.
    • Athletic training staff
    • Sports performance staff (strength and conditioning).
    • Nutrition specialist(s).
    • Psychological support staff.
    • Academic support staff.
    • Administrative support staff.
• Recruiting budget$
  • How many staff are assigned to assist with recruiting.
    • What is the experience level of these staff?
• NIL resources. "If you’re gonna compete at the highest level, which is what we want to do, you need to have a good NIL program.” John Wildhack, September 2023
  • How do the NIL resources at Syracuse stack up against the same type of resources at the other ACC schools?
    • Are there enough NIL resources available to Syracuse football to retain players we already have and to attract better players?

Syracuse may have 40 or so support staff, but Clemson looks like they have an army (close to 70?). The discrepancy may not be a great as it appears, but there is a discrepancy in both spending and on-field performance.

Dabo Swinney

IF the following is even close to accurate..

• Our recruiting rankings are in the bottom third of the conference every year.
  • 2022, ranked 12/14.
  • 2023, ranked 14/14.
  • 2024, ranked 12/17.
• Are our NIL resources in the bottom half of the conference?
• The salary pool for assistants is in the bottom half of the conference (?)
  • Our HC salary ranks 11/14 in the ACC.
• How does the overall budget for the program compare to the other programs in the conference?

Things may have improved, but have they improved enough to be competitive?