UVA Players in the Portal

[money3189]

Thanks for the info and it doesn't surprise me that some of the players didnt care for Anae. I would think there are players on every team who dont like particular coaches. Some of the best coaches might not have the personality that is well liked. As a player I want to go to a coach that allows me to maximize my ability to perform. Not necessarily looking for him to be this great players coach. Everyone is different though.

 

[hoopsupstate]

This has been a great informational thread for me. Thanks to all.

Btw, my first observation of good cop/bad cop was on Hill Street Blues in the ‘80’s.

JB and Hop

 

[cuse309]

Thanks for the info and it doesn't surprise me that some of the players didnt care for Anae. I would think there are players on every team who dont like particular coaches. Some of the best coaches might not have the personality that is well liked. As a player I want to go to a coach that allows me to maximize my ability to perform. Not necessarily looking for him to be this great players coach. Everyone is different though.

Yeah, I'm guessing Saban is less than jolly to be around. Seems to work ok when you get results.

 

[721Comstock]

. I'm too old to be a troll, and too thick-skinned to care if someone gets their panties in a bunch over something I post!

Yeah, JB says those same things.

 

[All4SU]

I think all coaches have players they get along great with and others not so much. I don’t see the point of it. At the point when fans are the most enthusiastic they have been for a while we’re going to dwell on whether or not the guy is beloved by all.

 

[PhatOrange]

Based on what I've heard, don't expect many (if any) UVA portal players on offense. Anae was not exactly loved by the UVA offensive players.

no one should have ever expected this though. Its something that doesn't normally happen with any team (a token player here and there) but I'm not sure why so many people worked themselves up in a frenzy that half the UVA team was going to transfer to Syracuse. That was just not realistic and sort of dumb.

imho Anea is a stop gap until Beck takes over the OC job.

 

[Chip]

Herb Brooks : I'll be your coach, I won't be your friend. If you need one of those, take it up with Doc or Coach Patrick.

 

[A Clockwork Orange]

I think all coaches have players they get along great with and others not so much. I don’t see the point of it. At the point when fans are the most enthusiastic they have been for a while we’re going to dwell on whether or not the guy is beloved by all.

To be clear, I don't care if he was beloved or not by UVA players. I simply stated I wouldn't expect UVA offensive transfers based on Anae's relationship with the players.

With that said, I'm hoping he and Beck can reel in some portal players that will really fit the mold they're trying to build here. To new beginnings!

 

[A Clockwork Orange]

Herb Brooks : I'll be your coach, I won't be your friend. If you need one of those, take it up with Doc or Coach Patrick.

I don't want to beat an already dead horse - but it is a bit more than what you're talking about. It wasn't the "gruff coach who wants the best for his players" issue.

It was systemic throughout the program and athletic department with him. It's not that he wasn't "buddy-buddy" with the players, or whatever. It's that he torched a lot of relationships throughout the entire network of people in the UVA football program and athletic department.

And whatever, I don't really care - but I just don't want this misconstrued as a "tough coach/baby players" thing, because from what I've heard that's NOT what this was about.

Again though - his results speak volumes. If we can have him for a few years and then potentially transition to Beck I think this will be an absolute home run hire.

 

[sutomcat]

no one should have ever expected this though. Its something that doesn't normally happen with any team (a token player here and there) but I'm not sure why so many people worked themselves up in a frenzy that half the UVA team was going to transfer to Syracuse. That was just not realistic and sort of dumb.

imho Anea is a stop gap until Beck takes over the OC job.

Well, Coach Anae just turned 63. His new HC is younger than he is. His last good chance to get a HC job should have been the UVa job and I don't think he was even seriously considered.

So yes, at this point, I would guess he probably has given up on becoming a HC and is intent on making as much money as possible before he retires. I believe he made over $600K at UVa and I believe he likely got a nice raise to come to Syracuse. I am guessing he got at least a 2 year contract to come here.

So he is setting himself up really well for retirement.

Back to the subject of the thread. I think Coach Anae has established himself and his program as a place you want to go if you are a TE who wants to catch passes and get noticed by the NFL.

The last 2 seasons, UVa was able to land one of the best TE transfers on the market, and that transfer was able to put up impressive enough numbers to get on an NFL team.

Tony Poljan transferred into UVa after graduating from Central Michigan in 2019. Finished 7th in the nation in TE receptions (28) and TD touchdowns (6) in his one season with the Cavs. He is playing in the NFL now.

In 2021, UVa brought in Jelani Woods as a transfer from Oklahoma State. Played there 3 years and ended up with 31 catches, 351 yards and 4 TD receiving for his career there. At UVa, he finished 1st team All ACC with had 44 receptionsm with 508 yards and 8 TDs receiving.

He is a lock to get drafted and play in the NFL next season.

Both were 6'7 265.

The impressive thing to me is that both came in from other programs, where they didn't do much and played at a high level from day one. Anae has also coached at least 2 tight ends at BYU who became All Americans.

He has a well deserved reputation as a TE guru and I like our chances of getting one of the best transfer TEs available. He is going to help us recruit TEs from HS too.

If Lafayette TE transfer Steven Stilianos does some research, he will want to come here. I hope he checks things out, and others do as well.

 

[Chip]

I don't want to beat an already dead horse - but it is a bit more than what you're talking about. It wasn't the "gruff coach who wants the best for his players" issue.

It was systemic throughout the program and athletic department with him. It's not that he wasn't "buddy-buddy" with the players, or whatever. It's that he torched a lot of relationships throughout the entire network of people in the UVA football program and athletic department.

And whatever, I don't really care - but I just don't want this misconstrued as a "tough coach/baby players" thing, because from what I've heard that's NOT what this was about.

Again though - his results speak volumes. If we can have him for a few years and then potentially transition to Beck I think this will be an absolute home run hire.

It's just one of my favorite quotes from the movie.

It does seem odd to me how he preserved the great relationship with Beck. Maybe that's more on Beck, who knows.

 

[A Clockwork Orange]

It's just one of my favorite quotes from the movie.

It does seem odd to me how he preserved the great relationship with Beck. Maybe that's more on Beck, who knows.

I've wondered that too. My assumption is they were both hired with the intent that Beck will eventually take over the OC duties once Anae decides to retire. I think that would be a nice carrot to get him to come.

It also seems as if Beck is really well-liked by everyone - kind of the opposite of how Anae was portrayed to me. It could be he gets Anae and understands where he's coming from. Who knows?

I know a lot of people think my old man is a giant a-hole (and he definitely can be) but I understand the dude and can look past some of his a-hole-ish tendencies because I get him.

This message was brought to you by the Syracusefan Psychological Association.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[RF2044]

Dang it... this was one of the UVa portal options I was hoping we'd get involved with.

 

[orangepassion]

Dang it... this was one of the UVa portal options I was hoping we'd get involved with.

Truthfully, it's more surprising that he wouldn't stay at UVA considering they retained his OL coach. Armstrong lost practically his entire OL-Would be a big gamble on his part if he sticks around.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Hey OiB, I received the info from a good friend who has covered UVA football for 10 years. He's a great journalist and someone I trust implicitly with info like this. Obviously, it needs to be taken with the requisite grain of salt.

Most of the players loved Beck but really hated the way Anae coached and mentored. The results speak for themselves, but apparently, everyone from admins to players to support staff were not enamored with Anae.

Well, they sure played great for a coach they all supposedly hated.

Nobody took Vince Lombardi out for ice cream after a game, I'll bet.

 

[A Clockwork Orange]

Well, they sure played great for a coach they all supposedly hated.

Nobody took Vince Lombardi out for ice cream after a game, I'll bet.

Please take a look at my other posts on the subject. As I've said ad nauseam at this point, it wasn't just players, or other coaches, or reporters, or the athletic department. It was all of them.

Not because he was gruff, but because he's apparently an unlikeable a-hole that the entire AD had had enough of. Which is one of the things that led to Mendenhall leaving. Not the only thing, but one of them.

And have you ever met a player that didn't want to play their absolute best despite a coach they didn't like? Especially when there are a ton of other coaches they work with more closely that they love?

I'm passing along good info with someone who has connections to the very top of the athletic department. If you don't want to believe it, that's fine. It's your prerogative. As I've mentioned a number of times in this thread, I'm all for the hire because I think he's a great X's & O's guy who brought a rising star in coaching with him. That's good enough for me.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Please take a look at my other posts on the subject. As I've said ad nauseam at this point, it wasn't just players, or other coaches, or reporters, or the athletic department. It was all of them.

Not because he was gruff, but because he's apparently an unlikeable a-hole that the entire AD had had enough of. Which is one of the things that led to Mendenhall leaving. Not the only thing, but one of them.

And have you ever met a player that didn't want to play their absolute best despite a coach they didn't like? Especially when there are a ton of other coaches they work with more closely that they love?

I'm passing along good info with someone who has connections to the very top of the athletic department. If you don't want to believe it, that's fine. It's your prerogative. As I've mentioned a number of times in this thread, I'm all for the hire because I think he's a great X's & O's guy who brought a rising star in coaching with him. That's good enough for me.

All I'm saying is you've posted a whole string of comments about what a jerk our new OC is. Must've said it 10 times now, right? We get it. Now, maybe you could show a little class.

I think that people deserve to be able to make their own First Impression without you coloring it with these endless nasty remarks before he's even had one practice with the team.

 

[money3189]

Please take a look at my other posts on the subject. As I've said ad nauseam at this point, it wasn't just players, or other coaches, or reporters, or the athletic department. It was all of them.

Not because he was gruff, but because he's apparently an unlikeable a-hole that the entire AD had had enough of. Which is one of the things that led to Mendenhall leaving. Not the only thing, but one of them.

And have you ever met a player that didn't want to play their absolute best despite a coach they didn't like? Especially when there are a ton of other coaches they work with more closely that they love?

I'm passing along good info with someone who has connections to the very top of the athletic department. If you don't want to believe it, that's fine. It's your prerogative. As I've mentioned a number of times in this thread, I'm all for the hire because I think he's a great X's & O's guy who brought a rising star in coaching with him. That's good enough for me.

Thanks for sharing

 

[sutomcat]

Please take a look at my other posts on the subject. As I've said ad nauseam at this point, it wasn't just players, or other coaches, or reporters, or the athletic department. It was all of them.

Not because he was gruff, but because he's apparently an unlikeable a-hole that the entire AD had had enough of. Which is one of the things that led to Mendenhall leaving. Not the only thing, but one of them.

And have you ever met a player that didn't want to play their absolute best despite a coach they didn't like? Especially when there are a ton of other coaches they work with more closely that they love?

I'm passing along good info with someone who has connections to the very top of the athletic department. If you don't want to believe it, that's fine. It's your prerogative. As I've mentioned a number of times in this thread, I'm all for the hire because I think he's a great X's & O's guy who brought a rising star in coaching with him. That's good enough for me.

I like that you are raising a valid concern here and don't want to discount it.

By this point, we should all have learned to heed the comments of people with knowledge, good or bad, about new people we are bringing into the football program.

So I am a little concerned, but feel better about things in Syracuse given

a) Coach Anae does not have a long history with the head coach, and probably will not get the level of leeway and trust Bronco apparently gave to his long time and loyal friend.

b) Coach Anae just turned 63. At this point, I would think he is done with thoughts of empire building, power acquisition/abuse, etc. I would hope he is looking for a job that gives him a few more years in the game he loves, and all the changes and lack of familiarity with the program and his new boss will reign in much of the dark side of his personality.

Dino just got rid of an assistant who had a similar reputation and I suspect it was because he doesn't like or want that kind of behavior from his staff. But then again, I am an optimist. Guessing Dino is well aware of the good and bad the new hires bring to the table and will monitor things appropriately.

 

[Cheriehoop]

Hey OiB, I received the info from a good friend who has covered UVA football for 10 years. He's a great journalist and someone I trust implicitly with info like this. Obviously, it needs to be taken with the requisite grain of salt.

Most of the players loved Beck but really hated the way Anae coached and mentored. The results speak for themselves, but apparently, everyone from admins to players to support staff were not enamored with Anae.

Interesting. Well it’s good that Beck seems to be enamored with Anae. Wonder if it’s positional - there usually has to be a tough guy in the upper coaching ranks - usually it’s the head coach. Maybe it’s the coordinators who take the hit when players have to get bad news, or must take a tough stand rather than the everyday position coach who has to work and motivate the players every day. Someone always has to be the bad guy.


Just read Tomcat’s post - sorry - I agree totally - his take is expressed much better than mine.

 

[A Clockwork Orange]

All I'm saying is you've posted a whole string of comments about what a jerk our new OC is. Must've said it 10 times now, right? We get it. Now, maybe you could show a little class.

I think that people deserve to be able to make their own First Impression without you coloring it with these endless nasty remarks before he's even had one practice with the team.

Are you serious? Show a little class? I'm passing on information and people keep coming back painting what I've said differently from how I said it. If you'd use a little reading comprehension you'll see that what I've said is as follows:

1. UVA admin from the football program up to the AD were not fans of Anae because he apparently has a bad attitude.
2. He is a great coach and I'm excited he's here, despite those issues at UVA.
3. This was not a "players being babies" issue, which is how you and about four other people in this thread have framed it.
4. I think Anae is a hard-hit double to the corner, and Beck is a homerun.

Don't ever accuse me of not having class on an anonymous internet message board where I'm giving inside information from a source that is well known and respected in the field of journalism and is basically a mainstay ACC reporter. I've repeated myself because people have misconstrued what I said, as you did. And by the way, I only responded to comments where people asked for clarification or people didn't completely get what I was saying (which I'll take the blame for as a simple communication error).

I'm sorry that what I've said might color some people's opinions on the man. I'm on the record as saying I'm excited for the hire despite the issues I've heard of.

 

[A Clockwork Orange]

I like that you are raising a valid concern here and don't want to discount it.

By this point, we should all have learned to heed the comments of people with knowledge, good or bad, about new people we are bringing into the football program.

So I am a little concerned, but feel better about things in Syracuse given

a) Coach Anae does not have a long history with the head coach, and probably will not get the level of leeway and trust Bronco apparently gave to his long time and loyal friend.

b) Coach Anae just turned 63. At this point, I would think he is done with thoughts of empire building, power acquisition/abuse, etc. I would hope he is looking for a job that gives him a few more years in the game he loves, and all the changes and lack of familiarity with the program and his new boss will reign in much of the dark side of his personality.

Dino just got rid of an assistant who had a similar reputation and I suspect it was because he doesn't like or want that kind of behavior from his staff. But then again, I am an optimist. Guessing Dino is well aware of the good and bad the new hires bring to the table and will monitor things appropriately.

I fully believe he's here to help build his system into the program and then turn it over to Beck when the time comes. That's not something I've been told, just reading the tea leaves.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Are you serious? Show a little class? I'm passing on information and people keep coming back painting what I've said differently from how I said it. If you'd use a little reading comprehension you'll see that what I've said is as follows:

1. UVA admin from the football program up to the AD were not fans of Anae because he apparently has a bad attitude.
2. He is a great coach and I'm excited he's here, despite those issues at UVA.
3. This was not a "players being babies" issue, which is how you and about four other people in this thread have framed it.
4. I think Anae is a hard-hit double to the corner, and Beck is a homerun.

Don't ever accuse me of not having class on an anonymous internet message board where I'm giving inside information from a source that is well known and respected in the field of journalism and is basically a mainstay ACC reporter. I've repeated myself because people have misconstrued what I said, as you did.

Go back to school and learn how to read so I don't have to spell it out for you. Some people asked for clarification, I gave it. I'm sorry that might color some people's opinions on the man. I'm on the record as saying I'm excited for the hire despite the issues I've heard of.

My suggestion to you is to stop being a little b**tch.

Mods, feel free to delete because of the name-calling, this one struck a nerve.

I'll say it one last time. I'm sure your point is view, and that of your source, is impeccable. Of course, it is only one person's opinion.

I begin to question your motives, or those of your sources, when you persist so adamantly in this conversation. This is a public board. Recruits and their families are known to frequent this board.

Would you treat a new recruit to this level of vitriol? Why are you doing it with a new coach, as he moves to a new city to start a new job? I mean, OK, WE GET IT. But when is enough for you? FFS. Give it a rest.

 

[Nahson]

Are you serious? Show a little class? I'm passing on information and people keep coming back painting what I've said differently from how I said it. If you'd use a little reading comprehension you'll see that what I've said is as follows:

1. UVA admin from the football program up to the AD were not fans of Anae because he apparently has a bad attitude.
2. He is a great coach and I'm excited he's here, despite those issues at UVA.
3. This was not a "players being babies" issue, which is how you and about four other people in this thread have framed it.
4. I think Anae is a hard-hit double to the corner, and Beck is a homerun.

Don't ever accuse me of not having class on an anonymous internet message board where I'm giving inside information from a source that is well known and respected in the field of journalism and is basically a mainstay ACC reporter. I've repeated myself because people have misconstrued what I said, as you did. And by the way, I only responded to comments where people asked for clarification or people didn't completely get what I was saying (which I'll take the blame for as a simple communication error).

I'm sorry that what I've said might color some people's opinions on the man. I'm on the record as saying I'm excited for the hire despite the issues I've heard of.

Good post, I just wish it had a little more class.