Wildhack Press Conference | June 28

[upperdeck]

just keep the oline together for once. you can deal with occasional depth issues in a season but starting a different group 7 times is gonna be a killer to almost any team.. Look at FSU , tons of talent but a broken oline.. Clemson struggled when oline issues happened. Every team does. Then other teams keep an oline around for 3-4-5 years sometimes.. It happens.

 

[kcsu]

Gilbert was a bad hire.

All Hat no Saddle

 

[money3189]

All Hat no Saddle

Oh snap!!!

 

[cusefan88]

just keep the oline together for once. you can deal with occasional depth issues in a season but starting a different group 7 times is gonna be a killer to almost any team.. Look at FSU , tons of talent but a broken oline.. Clemson struggled when oline issues happened. Every team does. Then other teams keep an oline around for 3-4-5 years sometimes.. It happens.

I feel like they have a nice group this year. Guards are solid with Bleich, Ellis, and Davis. It's going to be a spirited battle for RT. Center is the biggest worry. Would be happy to see a guy like Illoa lock it down during summer camp.

 

[baggerbob]

I feel like they have a nice group this year. Guards are solid with Bleich, Ellis, and Davis. It's going to be a spirited battle for RT. Center is the biggest worry. Would be happy to see a guy like Illoa lock it down during summer camp.

Have a full QB room, and start to develop a dependable receiving group.

 

[Finwad32]

Im high on multiple things this off-season, the vote of confidence isn’t one of them.

In 6 years we’ve been bowl eligible once. People are talking about hoping for 6 this year being optimistic. That’s not consistently good with occasional greatness. We’ve been consistently less than mediocre to poor. One season really driving any positive thoughts that quite honestly I attribute more to Dungey than Dino.

If employees missed the mark 6 out of 7 tries, or for annual goals, most would be unemployed.

 

[oldpinepoint]

Im high on multiple things this off-season, the vote of confidence isn’t one of them.

In 6 years we’ve been bowl eligible once. People are talking about hoping for 6 this year being optimistic. That’s not consistently good with occasional greatness. We’ve been consistently less than mediocre to poor. One season really driving any positive thoughts that quite honestly I attribute more to Dungey than Dino.

If employees missed the mark 6 out of 7 tries, or for annual goals, most would be unemployed.

Yes that assumes the goals in place were too lofty to begin with. I just don’t think we will ever be a consistently good program. There are too many factors going against us especially with NIL. I think we can be an average program with a few good years sprinkled in, but that’s just one man’s opinion.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Yes that assumes the goals in place were too lofty to begin with. I just don’t think we will ever be a consistently good program. There are too many factors going against us especially with NIL. I think we can be an average program with a few good years sprinkled in, but that’s just one man’s opinion.

Agree 100%, How good can any salesman be when selling an inferior product 9.5 out of 10 times? I really don't think there are many head coaching candidates that could turn Syracuse into a consistent winner and as you said just one man's opinion. If Dino loses the next two seasons I would imagine we will find out once again but not looking forward to it.

I would want the next coach to have a better understanding of the shortcomings of the football program whether it be a prior stop here or not but that would be beneficial IMO. And again I don't think 5 win seasons are a total failure and Dino had some nice wins the first couple years which as a fan I really enjoyed, that means something to me

 

[SUforme]

I'm all for it but what makes me mad is the wasted seasons of having a chitty coaching staff and him making very questionable calls. It seems like he is only changing now is because forced to do it. Like I said glad its getting done now but man so frustrating that he couldn't open his eyes sooner.

 

[TheCusian]

Im high on multiple things this off-season, the vote of confidence isn’t one of them.

In 6 years we’ve been bowl eligible once. People are talking about hoping for 6 this year being optimistic. That’s not consistently good with occasional greatness. We’ve been consistently less than mediocre to poor. One season really driving any positive thoughts that quite honestly I attribute more to Dungey than Dino.

If employees missed the mark 6 out of 7 tries, or for annual goals, most would be unemployed.

You think Wildhack is looking at bowl appearances as the mark to make?

 

[orangepassion]

I'm all for it but what makes me mad is the wasted seasons of having a chitty coaching staff and him making very questionable calls. It seems like he is only changing now is because forced to do it. Like I said glad its getting done now but man so frustrating that he couldn't open his eyes sooner.

I like Dino, but agree that he seemed to lack urgency until the past 1-2 years. How many years was he here until he brought in a real OL coach?

 

[Dick_in_MI]

I really don't think there are many head coaching candidates that could turn Syracuse into a consistent winner

Everybody has their own metrics of what "consistent winner" means to them. I would think that most fans would not/should not be happy with a consistent loser. Nor should the school who is paying for the salaries and other major upgrades to football infrastructure.

Hopefully, we will have a successful enough season that such discussion will be rendered moot. I hope so. We are certainly due.

 

[TheCusian]

I like Dino, but agree that he seemed to lack urgency until the past 1-2 years. How many years was he here until he brought in a real OL coach?

He was a tempo system coach with weird OL needs > made a bad hire with the Wiscy guy > and then righted the ship

Changing what you're doing mid-stream is difficult and most HC don't get that chance

 

[TheCusian]

Everybody has their own metrics of what "consistent winner" means to them. I would think that most fans would not/should not be happy with a consistent loser. Nor should the school who is paying for the salaries and other major upgrades to football infrastructure.

Hopefully, we will have a successful enough season that such discussion will be rendered moot. I hope so. We are certainly due.

This is right. I think it's "realistic chance at a bowl every year, hopeful for a special season" but I think boosters should also be realistic about the landscape and approach the w/l record with more patience than at schools where the wind is at your back

 

[721Comstock]

Everybody has their own metrics of what "consistent winner" means to them. I would think that most fans would not/should not be happy with a consistent loser. Nor should the school who is paying for the salaries and other major upgrades to football infrastructure.

Hopefully, we will have a successful enough season that such discussion will be rendered moot. I hope so. We are certainly due.

Yes, 144% this.

6 (or more) wins this year, and it’s the start of potentially a nice run of winning here.

If we only win 5 games again, that’s majorly gray area.

4 or less - unless 1 is beating Clemson, it gets very hard to justify retaining Dino.

I get that, barring some ethics type scandal, he’s likely got this year and next to get things going in the right direction;
the torches & pitchforks will likely be out if we don’t get over the hump this year.

I’m still cautiously optimistic that all the upgrades in coaching and talent this off-season will pay off for us.

 

[Dick_in_MI]

You think Wildhack is looking at bowl appearances as the mark to make?

It is hard to say. In this day and age of any P5 team with a pulse and a .500 record getting a bowl bid, "bowl appearance" and "winning season" have become synonymous. Bowls have become diluted, but a successful season has thus likewise been diluted to "6 wins is a de-facto winning season" as a result. It takes less to be "successful" than it once did. I would like to think that Wildhack has conveyed firm expectations of whatever is important to him in his talks with Dino. What those expectations are is anyone's guess. I certainly have no idea what they are.

Wildhack's expectations aside, my personal wish is this: we have one of the VERY best running backs in SU history. I really hope that we can put enough talent around him on both sides of the ball and in the coaching booth to make this a memorable season for Sean Tucker (and by extension, you and me). He could have easily bailed for a factory school and the mother of all NIL's this past off-season, but he remained loyal to the Orange. I really want him to experience team success for what likely will be his final season. He has definitely earned it.

 

[Dick_in_MI]

This is right. I think it's "realistic chance at a bowl every year, hopeful for a special season" but I think boosters should also be realistic about the landscape and approach the w/l record with more patience than at schools where the wind is at your back

I'm pretty much on that same page. I want to see more .500+ seasons than losing seasons, with an occasion special one. I also want to see us do as well as our "peer schools."

From time to time someone will use the strawman "we will never be Alabama". Well...yeah! Who ever said we would?

But there are other schools in the ACC that are not football factories, the BC's, the Wake's, etc. I think decent status relative to them is a reasonable expectation.

 

[TheCusian]

I'm pretty much on that same page. I want to see more .500+ seasons than losing seasons, with an occasion special one. I also want to see us do as well as our "peer schools."

From time to time someone will use the strawman "we will never be Alabama". Well...yeah! Who ever said we would?

But there are other schools in the ACC that are not football factories, the BC's, the Wake's, etc. I think decent status relative to them is a reasonable expectation.

Absolutely.

 

[TheCusian]

It is hard to say. In this day and age of any P5 team with a pulse and a .500 record getting a bowl bid, "bowl appearance" and "winning season" have become synonymous. Bowls have become diluted, but a successful season has thus likewise been diluted to "6 wins is a de-facto winning season" as a result. It takes less to be "successful" than it once did. I would like to think that Wildhack has conveyed firm expectations of whatever is important to him in his talks with Dino. What those expectations are is anyone's guess. I certainly have no idea what they are.

Wildhack's expectations aside, my personal wish is this: we have one of the VERY best running backs in SU history. I really hope that we can put enough talent around him on both sides of the ball and in the coaching booth to make this a memorable season for Sean Tucker (and by extension, you and me). He could have easily bailed for a factory school and the mother of all NIL's this past off-season, but he remained loyal to the Orange. I really want him to experience team success for what likely will be his final season. He has definitely earned it.

I was getting at that the line can move - years 1 and 2 had notable wins over ranked teams that might suffice as signs things are on the right trajectory. a 10 win season buys you time and gets you a new deal.

2019 and 2020* were awful, but each different. 2021 was really, really close to hitting that mark. That RB being a huge bright spot.

I think we have an AD who thinks like this, rather than a blanket .500 and a bowl being the end all, be all.

 

[JeremyCuse]

This is right. I think it's "realistic chance at a bowl every year, hopeful for a special season" but I think boosters should also be realistic about the landscape and approach the w/l record with more patience than at schools where the wind is at your back

Dinos going into his 7th year with 1 winning season at a Power 5 D1 program. That's pretty much the definition of patience as he would have been fired at probably 90% of the other P5 programs. I don't know know how much more "realistic" you can ask the few big boosters we have to be at this point if were not at least .500 this year.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Im high on multiple things this off-season, the vote of confidence isn’t one of them.

In 6 years we’ve been bowl eligible once. People are talking about hoping for 6 this year being optimistic. That’s not consistently good with occasional greatness. We’ve been consistently less than mediocre to poor. One season really driving any positive thoughts that quite honestly I attribute more to Dungey than Dino.

If employees missed the mark 6 out of 7 tries, or for annual goals, most would be unemployed.

Agreed with your thoughts here, lot of the same points myself and a few others have been making since this time last year. While there is definitely an uptick in the talent of the coaching staff I find it hard to believe Dino has beyond this year if he can't get bowl eligible barring major injuries or some other extenuating circumstances. I am rooting for us to at least get to six wins but Dino feels like a round peg the admin and fanbase is trying to jam into a square hole that simply isn't going to work out no matter how many time's we try and re-package the staff/system.

 

[OburgOrange]

Im high on multiple things this off-season, the vote of confidence isn’t one of them.

In 6 years we’ve been bowl eligible once. People are talking about hoping for 6 this year being optimistic. That’s not consistently good with occasional greatness. We’ve been consistently less than mediocre to poor. One season really driving any positive thoughts that quite honestly I attribute more to Dungey than Dino.

If employees missed the mark 6 out of 7 tries, or for annual goals, most would be unemployed.

Dino has 2 more years no matter what. More losing is very likely based on the schedule. the excuses to keep him are already baked in.

 

[Dick_in_MI]

Dinos going into his 7th year with 1 winning season at a Power 5 D1 program. That's pretty much the definition of patience as he would have been fired at probably 90% of the other P5 programs.

Agreed.

I said the same thing ad nauseum last year. I jumped off the Dino wagon at that time. Don't get me wrong; he is still the coach so I'm hoping like crazy for him to turn it around, but until shown otherwise I don't have faith that he will. I can still hope and be optimistic, because what other choice do I have?

The thing that has always struck me about Dino is that he has never been this far before as a head coach. He had a nice record for two years at Eastern IL, largely with players he didn't recruit. Then he had a nice two year record at BG, again largely with players he didn't recruit.

At neither school did he stay long enough to build a program

He had to punch in a higher weight class with the move to SU, and although he had one really historic year in Year 3, he has yet to build a successful program at SU either. The whole "consistently good" standard that he set for the program. We can argue among ourselves what success should look like at SU but let's not forget that Dino himself told us what it should be.

A number of reasons to be optimistic this off-season but when all is said and done, we need to see success and we need to see a functioning program going forward. Fingers crossed for both.

 

[rocklloyd]

Wins are going to be tough this year. Very difficult schedule.

 

[Finwad32]

You think Wildhack is looking at bowl appearances as the mark to make?

I certainly hope that’s a significant benchmark.

I get all the arguments, lack of NIL support, tough recruiting area, etc. But we’ve put more money into the athletics infrastructure since Dino’s hire, specifically football, than at any point during the history of the program 5-fold.

If he’s not, then wth is he looking at?

And btw, I’m a huge Wildhack guy. And a huge optimist. But I don’t understand the steadfast approach to Dino’s job security.