Why didn't Syracuse football ever hire Randy Edsall? It's complicated | Syracusefan.com

Why didn't Syracuse football ever hire Randy Edsall? It's complicated

sutomcat said:
Does anyone know the question that Jake asked? Hard to believe Randy won't talk about it to this day...
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Am I nuts for interpreting the DeLeone workaholic tidbit as implying the question had something to do with Randy's willingness to grind in a similar fashion?

If so, that insane work/life imbalance (that's endemic to football coaches and is IMO idiotic) contributed to the revolving door of assistants P & D had in the latter years of their tenure - in conjunction with lower salaries.
 
It was a good article and SU would have certainly been ahead of its time with the hire. Had Edsall succeeded, he would have paved the way much earlier for younger head coaches who had proven themselves as assistants and recruiters. Leaving UConn for Maryland is the only blemish on his career. Maryland was a bigger name, but even before McNair's death, it was an athletic department in turmoil. Firing Ralph pissed off alumni and donors. They were also deep in the red which was the impetus for them leaving the ACC for the B1G.
 
They didn’t hire him at first because they went with the older guy with HC experience and coordinator experience. Dude wasn’t ready yet.

Then we didn’t hire him because he wasn’t interested (and prolly butt hurt from not getting the job 1st go around). He also made a bet that conference realignment would include UCONN. He and Mink thought it was a lateral move... He chose poorly.
 
I think Randy was honest with Jake and told him that the university had to step up with increasing funding for the football program. They were doing nothing at that time and eventually it was the downfall of the football program. Paul was just happy to get the job and didn’t push for additional funding. Randy was more progressive and pushy and Jake didn’t want to hear it. History says Randy was correct and SU was doing everything on the cheap!
 
hoopsupstate said:
I think Randy was honest with Jake and told him that the university had to step up with increasing funding for the football program. They were doing nothing at that time and eventually it was the downfall of the football program.
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After reading the article I think it was this and/or keeping coach DeLeone on as OC. The article leans towards investment in the program and Mink hinted in the comments it had to do with staff continuity.
 
elimunelson said:
Jake lives near my parents on the cape. Now I have my ice breaker question for him.
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ForCuseSake said:
Am I nuts for interpreting the DeLeone workaholic tidbit as implying the question had something to do with Randy's willingness to grind in a similar fashion?

If so, that insane work/life imbalance (that's endemic to football coaches and is IMO idiotic) contributed to the revolving door of assistants P & D had in the latter years of their tenure - in conjunction with lower salaries.
Expand...

steinbrenner-george-car-the-caddy-seinfeld.jpg
 
hoopsupstate said:
I think Randy was honest with Jake and told him that the university had to step up with increasing funding for the football program. They were doing nothing at that time and eventually it was the downfall of the football program. Paul was just happy to get the job and didn’t push for additional funding. Randy was more progressive and pushy and Jake didn’t want to hear it. History says Randy was correct and SU was doing everything on the cheap!
Expand...

The increase funding for football wasn't gonna be done in a vacuum though. The conference money at that point was zero (we were either just big east or at tail end of eastern independents) and the excess money was probably via bowl games. So the magic wand results of more funding for the football program wasn't gonna just happen. The operation was probably run on a shoe string because it could be. Dick Mac wasn't making 4mm (or even 400k i bet). This was a different time and different issues. We were firmly with the pack on what we did with the program and slightly ahead b/c we had the Carrier Dome (which was light years ahead of our peers).
 
I'll defer to others, but I had heard Randy was quite unpopular at the end of his tenure with Cuse.
 
I don't know that it was about funding. At that time, I don't recall there being any talk of SU under-funding its football program.

The way Edsall said he was up front and honest makes me think it was one of those interview questions such as do you see this as your destination job, or would you move on with success. The last thing Jake wanted was another search in 3-4 years, he wanted a 10+ year head coach.

Could have also been a Deleone thing. But I don't really understand why Edsall wouldn't keep him as OC, considering George was willing to stay. That would be dumb and disqualifying for sure, but just don't see him being "upfront and honest" and holding no regret for that dumb answer, as the article indicates.
 
Chip said:
I don't know that it was about funding. At that time, I don't recall there being any talk of SU under-funding its football program.

The way Edsall said he was up front and honest makes me think it was one of those interview questions such as do you see this as your destination job, or would you move on with success. The last thing Jake wanted was another search in 3-4 years, he wanted a 10+ year head coach.

Could have also been a Deleone thing. But I don't really understand why Edsall wouldn't keep him as OC, considering George was willing to stay. That would be dumb and disqualifying for sure, but just don't see him being "upfront and honest" and holding no regret for that dumb answer, as the article indicates.
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I agree that its doubtful the question was about program funding.

I think it was something along the lines of, "We're looking to maintain staff continuity, are there any colleagues you would have difficulty retaining?"

And Randy probably said, "Yeah, George DeLeone is a psychotic workaholic and I don't subscribe to that level of manic obsession. I'll bust my arse for this program, as I have for 15 years, but that's not the culture I think will maintain success here."
 
As PP did a good job at Syracuse, the big issue that Syracuse failed on, like everybody else in the northeast except PSU, was discerning that Big Time football in the northeast required major ties, conference ties, to either the midwest or the South. The northeast could support a truly Big Time basketball league, but not a Big Time football league. And the day of independents was rushing into the grave.

Gene Corrigan has declared that when the Big Ten adding PSU and then the SEC going to 12 forced the ACC to expand, that 2 schools immediately came to mind and were seriously considered by the ACC: Florida St and Syracuse. I think it is clear that Corrigan wanted both, making the ACC a 10 team conference.

If that had happened, how would Syracuse football have developed?
 
Jake said:
Might have been his willingness to retain others vying for the job. Just my hunch.
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This is what I was thinking. No inside info. Would love to know the answer for certain.
 
sutomcat said:
Does anyone know the question that Jake asked? Hard to believe Randy won't talk about it to this day...
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I imagine it went something like this; "So, Randy, just because we (the Brass) spew to our community that 'this is the only game in town' and 'to get a life' certainly doesn't mean that we'd expect you to too, especially at your youthful age. With that in mind, if we hand you this head coaching position, you good with that?" ;):)
 
Jake's question: "I have complete control over this hiring and am going to make sure your paid very well, and as such, I am going to need you to give me 25% of it under the table, OK?

Deleone: OK, sounds good.
Edsall: No way in hell I'm giving you any money.
Pasqualoni: I'll give you 50%.
 
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