Syracuse Fires Coach

[Gburyhusky]

The bar is quite low here for UConn football: (1) Compete for a bowl game in most seasons; (2) get 25k to the Rent; and (3) Don't embarrass the University. I suppose that the expectations are much higher at Syracuse based on their longer football tradition and tv revenue. We left the American because we determined that basketball success at the highest level was more important than pursuing Football in a mediocre conference. It was the correct decision.

 

[freescooter]

The bar is quite low here for UConn football: (1) Compete for a bowl game in most seasons; (2) get 25k to the Rent; and (3) Don't embarrass the University. I suppose that the expectations are much higher at Syracuse based on their longer football tradition and tv revenue. We left the American because we determined that basketball success at the highest level was more important than pursuing Football in a mediocre conference. It was the correct decision.

It was until it isn’t. And that could well be the next media deal. You know we could have been equally successful in the AAC, right? Houston has been to a Final Four. Cincinnati has been to the CFP. Had we gone all in like they did instead of whining woe-is-me we’d have been fine. And most likely in the B12 now.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Sure, that’s all that 50 or 60 other head coaches need, right?

And don’t forget that HCRE 1.0 ended in 2010, and that we were then in the BE, which was never really a “major” football conference (as evidenced by our 48-20 beatdown by Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, ending the term of HCRE 1.0).

Of course, it was major football conference. Was the ACC not considered a major conference when VaTech lost to Stamford in the Orange Bow 40-12 that same year? Love supposed fans of UConn football who are somehow dismissive of this accomplishment, done in relatively short fashion. Same for those who feel that UConn backed into the invite as the Big East representative.

 

[J187Money]

Especially Wisconsin. Is Barry Alvarez still the AD? Hmmmm…..

He retired in 2021. Sadly. He single-handedly brought the Badgers back to life.

 

[GoConn]

the ACC is very average. If Cuse can hire the right guy, they def can be very good at football.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Of course, it was major football conference. Was the ACC not considered a major conference when VaTech lost to Stamford in the Orange Bow 40-12 that same year? Love supposed fans of UConn football who are somehow dismissive of this accomplishment, done in relatively short fashion. Same for those who feel that UConn backed into the invite as the Big East representative.

Stamford High went to the Orange Bowl? I know back in the late 50’s and early 60’s Stamford High was ranked nationally, but the Orange Bowl???

 

[CONN78SEJ]

the ACC is very average. If Cuse can hire the right guy, they def can be very good at football.

They could probably lure Joe H away from Rutgers, but we need a good DC too.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Every premise of every “we are doomed” argument in this thread is wrong. NIL and the Transfer Portal are net positives for UConn. TV revenue is going to change dramatically, unless you think cable is making a comeback.

I don’t know if UConn football will emerge a winner or not, but I can promise everyone that college football will look very different 10 years from now than it does now.

 

[huskymedic]

Some points made in Hale's article that may be apropos to UConn and future with football..

Six weeks ago, Babers was asked about Syracuse's depth amid rising injury attrition, and he offered a blunt answer.
"It's the same old thing: Depth is gone," Babers said. "Our depth is in the transfer portal. You know how many guys we lost. You know what schools they play at. Schools like us, we're not going to have a lot of depth because it gets bought away."

Seems to be a common theme:

 

[uconndogs]

I think Babers is a pretty good coach and probably did as well as anyone is ever going to do at Syracuse going forward. Orange fans want and expect a top 25 program and that just is not going to happen in this present era of college football.

 

[mikedog10]

What does this mean "they were never going to service the northeast schools"?

 

[maple]

I think Babers is a pretty good coach and probably did as well as anyone is ever going to do at Syracuse going forward. Orange fans want and expect a top 25 program and that just is not going to happen in this present era of college football.

Yes, I’d say Syracuse fans have unrealistic expectations about their football team. Living up here I hear it all the time — and you just get that sense of it, too. Especially with the Dome renovations. But I don’t think it’s possible. Winning seasons and bowl games, sure, but they aren’t going to be a powerhouse.

 

[AllHusky]

SSDD, either the State(+University+BoT's+Alums) realizes the value of Football success at the highest level, and is willing to commit to a 10-15 year plan/investment to achieve that, then we will wander endlessly in the desert. While there are no guarantees the investment pays off, anything less is quitting.

Refer to the article about Colorados application #'s since Prime Time was hired to coach, and he hasn't won yet.

 

[freescooter]

Yes, I’d say Syracuse fans have unrealistic expectations about their football team. Living up here I hear it all the time — and you just get that sense of it, too. Especially with the Dome renovations. But I don’t think it’s possible. Winning seasons and bowl games, sure, but they aren’t going to be a powerhouse.

I agree with that, but you know what? That applies to about 110 college football teams. A handful will be really good…you can probably name them. As I said only 13 have gone to the CFP. Another group will be, to borrow a phrase from Bob Diaco, key backups for when the top teams have off years. This is the Penn State, LSU and Texas types. Everybody else is hoping to have solid seasons, maybe the occasional great one. What constitutes “great” varies. For Syracuse I’d say a trip to the ACC championship game. For UConn 2 wins against lower level P4 teams. For Rutgers a winning B10 record. I mean BC once had a parade for beating a 7-5 Florida State team. Can a team get hot some year? Sure. A very good Cincinatti team went undefeated in a year when the only team available to replace them had lost to them. But mostly that kind of thing won’t happen.Mostly, for most teams, they are looking for a good season followed by a bowl bid. Syracuse is no different from Michigan State or Ol’ Miss, or UCLA, or Illinois in that regard.

 

[DoctorWho85]

Babers will get picked up somewhere. Sure he didn't see a huge turn around like alumn and fans think they deserve. But lets be honest, Donovan McNabb and McPherson aren't walking through that door again so they need to realize the best they're going to finish in the ACC currently is probably 3 in their division.

 

[Kolumbo]

Syracuse and Pitt have been in the ACC for over 10 years now. bcu 19 years? Maybe not their fans, but their admin must see that it really isn't working out all that great, being outliers and all. They have to see the benefit of having regional rivals and how that would help everyone. Whether the ACC splinters or not, adding UConn and a couple 2 or 3 programs ranging in the Northeast would be a good thing. If only the ACC and old Big East Football outright merged.

At any rate, screw cuse.

 

[freescooter]

It’s funny but in the early days if the move to the ACC the ex-Big East teams were always at the top. VT win multiple titles. BC got to the championship game. Miami-FSU was must see and was scheduled early so the loser would have time to recover in the polls. Despite its bad rep the Big East was really a superior football conference. But once they had been there a few years they found the level of the league.

 

[AllHusky]

It’s funny but in the early days if the move to the ACC the ex-Big East teams were always at the top. VT win multiple titles. BC got to the championship game. Miami-FSU was must see and was scheduled early so the loser would have time to recover in the polls. Despite its bad rep the Big East was really a superior football conference. But once they had been there a few years they found the level of the league.

There was that certain something about Big East FB that allowed a team or a program to be the bully on the block in the BE, and then when you left the neighborhood for an OOC game or a Bowl, on any given Saturday you were a winner. After that you just had to win the polls, not actual games.

Contrast that with the grind of a Conference schedule against teams that had better resources(weather being one) and could do things you couldn't do(Do you think Clemsons admission process is the same as BC's for FB?), and you have that "level of the league" that you referred to. Penn State has similar issues in the B1G, not as bad though. The bigger the conferences get, the more difficult it is for BC to have a Flutie year, or Syracuse to land a Unicorn coach.

 

[UConnJim]

The old Big East schools in the ACC have a similar problem: bad head coaching hires. Babers? He had never built a program before being hired as he was head coach for 2 years at Eastern Illinois and 2 years at Bowling Green. And, he had no Northeast experience and he didn't hire recruiters with strong Northeastern ties. He got 8 years (!) at Syracuse and he had one year with a winning conference record. Do you think that would have been tolerated at VT, UNC, Miami, GT, FSU, NC St.,...? No way.

If they can, Syracuse should hire Chesney, but they will probably end up hiring either a retread or a coordinator with no HC experience.

Look at BC. They hired Addazio who was a mediocre coach and then hired Hafley who had no head coaching experience.

Narduzzi has been solid at Pitt.

Louisville has done OK in the ACC, and it looks like they made a great hire in Brohm.

Miami hasn't had a top 10 finish in 20 years. And, it looks like the Cristobal hire has not been a good one. He is 5-10 in the ACC in his first 2 seasons.

VT has been OK in the ACC, but they have yet to find their replacement for Beamer.

 

[Patman]

Miami has been done for way before they left the big east and wouldnt likely have a good dynamic because the academic side is tying the athletic side's hands. VPI is just a matter of, as you said Jim, finding the right coach.

I think the others are northern teams in a southern league. They will never be happy if Fruit U, BC, or Pitt were on top of the ACC

 

[Scrutineer]

Joe Harasymiak is the Defensive Coordinator.

Maybe he meant their Defense was Offensive?

 

[LoyalFanCT]

Mora should call the fired coach to see if he would spend two years as OC at UConn.

 

[hookshot]

My apologies to those offended by my repeatedly posting this opinion, but this exemplifies the futility of our continuing push to “upgrade” the program, so we can join the [fill-in the blank: ACC, Big 10, etc.]. College football in the Northeast (Syracuse, BC, Pitt, Rutgers, Temple, and UConn) cannot consistently compete on a national level.

Even Penn State, long the most dominant program in the Northeast, is barely hanging on. Despite membership in the Big 10, their goal now is simply a top 10-15 ranking and bowl eligibility. They haven’t finished a season ranked in the top 5 since 2005, they’re currently ranked #12, and barring a lot of luck, that means they’ll have finished in the top 10 only four times in the past 10 years.

For the other FBS wanna-be powerhouses in the Northeast, the prospects are bleak.

Syracuse fires coach Babers after eight seasons

Syracuse fired football coach Dino Babers on Sunday and named tight ends coach Nunzio Campanile interim coach.

www.espn.com

It's a bit arbitrary to classify Penn State as Northeast. Most would call Pittsburg midwest for all practical purposes and Penn State is as close to Pittsburg as Philadelphia. Pennsylvania and Texas were once considered the two strongest high school football states in the Country. Florida and Georgia may have passed them by but Pennsylvania would still be listed in anybody's top 5 or 10 recruiting territories

 

[Duncan Idaho]

It's a bit arbitrary to classify Penn State as Northeast. Most would call Pittsburg midwest for all practical purposes and Penn State is as close to Pittsburg as Philadelphia. Pennsylvania and Texas were once considered the two strongest high school football states in the Country. Florida and Georgia may have passed them by but Pennsylvania would still be listed in anybody's top 5 or 10 recruiting territories

Pitt is considered eastern football as is WVU as is any school that is or was eligible le for the Lambert Trophy or the Lambert Cup for the smaller divisions. Not sure if it's still awarded.

 

[freescooter]

Pitt is considered eastern football as is WVU as is any school that is or was eligible le for the Lambert Trophy or the Lambert Cup for the smaller divisions. Not sure if it's still awarded.

Before joining the Big 10 Penn State was always considered one of the eastern schools. It was a member of the ECAC as were Pitt and WVU. The ECAC at the time was more of an umbrella organization that provided administrative support, officials, thing like that to the northeastern schools. The major ones were independent and those that weren’t were in conferences like the Yankee and the Ivy League that didn’t provide much in terms of administration