Wildhack retiring July 1

[elimunelson]

Absolutely agree. Simmons has a huge platform, and to be blunt, there's a lot of people like elimunelson who take everything he says as gospel without realizing there might be another side or more to the story. It's publicity I'd rather not have.

Ok that’s fair but bill has a massive platform and is communicating to the world that JW isn’t a good person. How is that good?

I like bill. Known him since digital cities. He’s def thin skinned but he’s taken some arrows as well. Wildhack is a c suite guy who brought some well needed c suite to SUAD. He also didn’t have the success prior ads have had at SU like Jake. I argue what Jake did was more important . Open to argument for sure

Truth can be in the middle here .

 

[OrlandoCuse]

Reading between the lines:

First, JW has already informed Red he will be dismissed at the end of the year. The school just decided to keep it quiet.

Second, I think they most likely have Hodgson lined up to replace Red.

 

[JimBoston]

Hard to hire a top basketball coach without an AD and Chancellor in place. This past year has been tough for football and mens basketball and Wildhack has to take the blame. Hired 2 head coaches with no head coaching experience and at Syracuse, a P4 school, that is unacceptable. Fran Brown had a great year 1 and a terrible year 2, so this year is critical. Autry was just not ready to be a head coach.

 

[Brooky03]

Hard to hire a top basketball coach without an AD and Chancellor in place. This past year has been tough for football and mens basketball and Wildhack has to take the blame. Hired 2 head coaches with no head coaching experience and at Syracuse, a P4 school, that is unacceptable. Fran Brown had a great year 1 and a terrible year 2, so this year is critical. Autry was just not ready to be a head coach.

Wildhack takes the blame for the Autry hire but there’s no blame needed for Fran. He lost his QB. The backup QB sucked, but it’s Syracuse. Even in our ‘prime’ we weren’t the type of school that was going to have the depth to do much with a backup QB, with few exceptions. It’s not the kind of loss football teams except the elite schools are expected to overcome.

We’re likely not in the market for a ‘top’ coach, depending on how that’s defined. We’re going after up-and-coming midmajor coaches. It seeming more and more likely Hodgson is our guy, which won’t be influenced by the new AD or Chencellor (he’d come if a potato was his boss).

 

[Col. Bleep]

No, Bill Simmons has an agenda and is a moron.

He may be.
But there were a number of top people at ESPN who did not care for John Wildhack.

 

[elimunelson]

Wildhack takes the blame for the Autry hire but there’s no blame needed for Fran. He lost his QB. The backup QB sucked, but it’s Syracuse. Even in our ‘prime’ we weren’t the type of school that was going to have the depth to do much with a backup QB, with few exceptions. It’s not the kind of loss football teams except the elite schools are expected to overcome.

We’re likely not in the market for a ‘top’ coach, depending on how that’s defined. We’re going after up-and-coming midmajor coaches. It seeming more and more likely Hodgson is our guy, which won’t be influenced by the new AD or Chencellor (he’d come if a potato was his boss).

What Fran did was worse imo. He quit when the going got tough. I can’t believe people are ok w that. I’m fine w fighting and losing. But not resetting the video game when you’re down

 

[Brooky03]

What Fran did was worse imo. He quit when the going got tough. I can’t believe people are ok w that. I’m fine w fighting and losing. But not resetting the video game when you’re down

There was nothing to play for. Was he supposed to come up with an entirely new offense to just lose by less?

Anyway, to the point, this last football season doesn’t reflect poorly on Wildhack. The coaching hire was right, or at least appears right so far.

 

[Newhouser]

There was nothing to play for. Was he supposed to come up with an entirely new offense to just lose by less?

Anyway, to the point, this last football season doesn’t reflect poorly on Wildhack. The coaching hire was right, or at least appears right so far.

Um yeah he was - his job is to try as hard as he can to win every game. What Fran did at the end of the season was not even close to that.

 

[donniesyracuse]

Wildhack takes the blame for the Autry hire but there’s no blame needed for Fran. He lost his QB. The backup QB sucked, but it’s Syracuse. Even in our ‘prime’ we weren’t the type of school that was going to have the depth to do much with a backup QB, with few exceptions. .

I don’t think anyone expects “much,” but can’t we expect anything?

 

[Consigliere]

I think he was pushed. No inside info, but this is just weird timing.

Couldn’t be farther from the truth

 

[Consigliere]

Timing is extremely strange.

In May of last year, Wildhack was appointed to the NCAA Men's Basketball Committee. Appointments are for five years, and his tenure would have run through 2030 (it still may, not sure if you can be a part of it as a retired person).

John Wildhack appointed to NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee

This leads me to believe that something changed between then and now. Maybe I'm wrong, but why would you take the appointment if you knew you were going to retire?

If you listen to the OrangeNation interview you would know John’s contract expired in July of 2025. He did not want a multi year extension and asked to go year by year. He’s been working for 46 years, will be 68 in October with his youngest a senior in college and is ready to enjoy the next chapter.

 

[mathgeek444]

What Fran did was worse imo. He quit when the going got tough. I can’t believe people are ok w that. I’m fine w fighting and losing. But not resetting the video game when you’re down

To piggy back on this -- If you are forced into hiring an inexperienced Autry you then definitely do not go and hire an inexperienced football coach.

I don't think people appreciate how big a missed opportunity 2024 was in football. We absolutely had the NFL talent/favorable schedule to win what was a horrible ACC and only managed to go 5-3 in conference/against P4 teams with NFL talent running all over the field.

Fran lost the fair weather fan a long time ago because even the wins in 2024 were absolutely excruciating to watch. UNLV was a comedy of errors, GT/NCSU/Cal we had to cling on for dear life after completely outplaying them, Wazzou was so decimated they had no business being in that game at all, hard to watch FCS win, Uconn, Ohio's "NFL draft prospect" RB, and a miracle comeback OT win against a very bad Vtech who was playing with a backup QB (I was told this year mediocre teams with backup QBs could not be competitive). Miami was the only win where you could sit back and say "yeah, our guys played well, that was enjoyable."

If we start anything other than 4-0 this year the dome will be a morgue, because the fanbase (other than the people excited we paid a ton of money to a developmental 5 star WR) is already long checked out on Fran. Even when it was good it wasn't a fun product to watch, which is wild to say given the offensive numbers we put up.

It's another debate entirely but I suspect the poor bball attendance is not solely about bball -- it's the fans telling the university "we find your entire sports product unacceptable."

 

[Consigliere]

I firmly believe that the new AD will be in place and working with Wildhack.

John did mention he would be spending a lot of time working with his successor.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Couldn’t be farther from the truth

Do you think the timing looks good?
If the next AD isn't on board before the next coach is hired, it will limit our available candidates.

 

[Dcuse]

To piggy back on this -- If you are forced into hiring an inexperienced Autry you then definitely do not go and hire an inexperienced football coach.

I don't think people appreciate how big a missed opportunity 2024 was in football. We absolutely had the NFL talent/favorable schedule to win what was a horrible ACC and only managed to go 5-3 in conference/against P4 teams with NFL talent running all over the field.

Fran lost the fair weather fan a long time ago because even the wins in 2024 were absolutely excruciating to watch. UNLV was a comedy of errors, GT/NCSU/Cal we had to cling on for dear life after completely outplaying them, Wazzou was so decimated they had no business being in that game at all, hard to watch FCS win, Uconn, Ohio's "NFL draft prospect" RB, and a miracle comeback OT win against a very bad Vtech who was playing with a backup QB (I was told this year mediocre teams with backup QBs could not be competitive). Miami was the only win where you could sit back and say "yeah, our guys played well, that was enjoyable."

If we start anything other than 4-0 this year the dome will be a morgue, because the fanbase (other than the people excited we paid a ton of money to a developmental 5 star WR) is already long checked out on Fran. Even when it was good it wasn't a fun product to watch, which is wild to say given the offensive numbers we put up.

It's another debate entirely but I suspect the poor bball attendance is not solely about bball -- it's the fans telling the university "we find your entire sports product unacceptable."

How many votes for the " Worst post this Millenium?"

 

[oldpinepoint]

John did mention he would be spending a lot of time working with his successor.

Chancellor announcement soon, then AD shortly after that. I think the wheels have been In motion on this for a while. Just my thoughts and no inside info. Just seems to make sense.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Fran lost the fair weather fan a long time ago because even the wins in 2024 were absolutely excruciating to watch.

If we start anything other than 4-0 this year the dome will be a morgue, because the fanbase (other than the people excited we paid a ton of money to a developmental 5 star WR) is already long checked out on Fran. Even when it was good it wasn't a fun product to watch, which is wild to say given the offensive numbers we put up.

I don't agree with this take. "Excruciating to watch?"

In 2024, we had the best QB in college football slinging it all over the place. He threw for 34 touchdowns, and we scored 34 points a game!

Even this year, we won at Clemson with Angeli. Sure, they had a down year, but that's like us winning at Penn State.

I think the end of the 2025 season, the coaches laid a big egg, not even being somewhat competitive behind a more running oriented offense. But I don't think people are "checked out on Fran" at all.

I think this year is the real test. He has to win at least 8 games, and then he's back on track.

 

[Brooky03]

I don’t think anyone expects “much,” but can’t we expect anything?

I’m not a ‘margin of loss’ kinda guy. I guess we could have expected 2 more wins. But in the end, a lost season is a lost season. Marginally more entertainment doesn’t factor into it much for me.

 

[Brooky03]

Um yeah he was - his job is to try as hard as he can to win every game. What Fran did at the end of the season was not even close to that.

So we’re complaining about not having moral victories?

The comment about building a new offense was tongue in cheek. I do t think that’s feasible.

 

[MSOrange]

To piggy back on this -- If you are forced into hiring an inexperienced Autry you then definitely do not go and hire an inexperienced football coach.

I don't think people appreciate how big a missed opportunity 2024 was in football. We absolutely had the NFL talent/favorable schedule to win what was a horrible ACC and only managed to go 5-3 in conference/against P4 teams with NFL talent running all over the field.

Fran lost the fair weather fan a long time ago because even the wins in 2024 were absolutely excruciating to watch. UNLV was a comedy of errors, GT/NCSU/Cal we had to cling on for dear life after completely outplaying them, Wazzou was so decimated they had no business being in that game at all, hard to watch FCS win, Uconn, Ohio's "NFL draft prospect" RB, and a miracle comeback OT win against a very bad Vtech who was playing with a backup QB (I was told this year mediocre teams with backup QBs could not be competitive). Miami was the only win where you could sit back and say "yeah, our guys played well, that was enjoyable."

If we start anything other than 4-0 this year the dome will be a morgue, because the fanbase (other than the people excited we paid a ton of money to a developmental 5 star WR) is already long checked out on Fran. Even when it was good it wasn't a fun product to watch, which is wild to say given the offensive numbers we put up.

It's another debate entirely but I suspect the poor bball attendance is not solely about bball -- it's the fans telling the university "we find your entire sports product unacceptable."

I guess you could look at it from that perspective of somehow making the most exciting football season in years seem like a prostate exam. Guessing a native CNYer?

 

[OrangeXtreme]

I guess you could look at it from that perspective of somehow making the most exciting football season in years seem like a prostate exam. Guessing a native CNYer?

Rutgers troll.

 

[Consigliere]

Chancellor announcement soon, then AD shortly after that. I think the wheels have been In motion on this for a while. Just my thoughts and no inside info. Just seems to make sense.

Any enterprise of the magnitude of a P4/5 athletic program always has a succession plan for key positions. In my past lives we had quarterly meetings to review. It’s constantly revised and updated based on changes in candidate pool but when the time comes they simply move into the execution phase. And I would be surprised if John hasn’t played a large role in crafting the plan for his own successor.

 

[Orangezoo]

Any enterprise of the magnitude of a P4/5 athletic program always has a succession plan for key positions. In my past lives we had quarterly meetings to review. It’s constantly revised and updated based on changes in candidate pool but when the time comes they simply move into the execution phase. And I would be surprised if John hasn’t played a large role in crafting the plan for his own successor.

Yeah this is long standing standard practice for large firms /organizations alike when it comes to major leadership changes in the private sector

 

[OrangeFoo]

If you listen to the OrangeNation interview you would know John’s contract expired in July of 2025. He did not want a multi year extension and asked to go year by year. He’s been working for 46 years, will be 68 in October with his youngest a senior in college and is ready to enjoy the next chapter.

Seriously... if you can afford to retire then why keep working? I guess if you like your job but as people have pointed out there is nothing enjoyable about college athletics in this day and age of NIL.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Any enterprise of the magnitude of a P4/5 athletic program always has a succession plan for key positions.

It certainly hasn't seemed like it over the past 25 years.