What's the Next Step?
I am really tired of the lame excuse that it's just too hard or too disruptive to change coaches in midseason.
It's far more disruptive to lose games to weak teams by 37-0, no?
Ray Tellier is in the athletic department right now. He has the mental means to guide this team for four more weeks and give these excellent seniors a chance to escape the shame of an 0-10 final season at Columbia.
Athletic Director Dianne Murphy should make this move right now and prove she respects the players and the fans.
Otherwise, please refund our donationsm, ticket prices, and parking fees.
But for the fans, what do WE need to do now?
We have to start demanding that the proper replacement for Wilson be found.
NO assistant coaches with no previous head coaching experience.
NO candidates who keep reminding us of all the supposed disadvantages Columbia has.
NO coaches who show an almost immediate disrespect for the students and fans.
On the Comments...
I refuse to play defense on my own blog, so let me set a few things straight:
1) This coaching change needs to happen NOW. Everyone other than the people working in the athletic department know this. Getting angry at me for stating that 2+2=4 is stupid.
2) I know for a fact that one of the people who is "dismayed" and "hurt" and is posting comments against me on the VOY Board and on this blog is an employee of the A.D. who often emails me complaining about critical anonymous comments on this blog! So, while I will continue to post all the comments here, even the ones critical of me, I'm not going to be intimidated.
3) These players do deserve better, but I don't pretend to speak for them. My sources include many different groups, including recent former players, people in the administration, coaches, and yes, some of the parents. I have never revealed a source, and that's not going to happen now.
posted by Jake @ 4:09:00 AM
21 comments
21 Comments:
He cannot coach. Nor can his assistants. Have the players quit?
Was about to type the same as 02:37pm. Do we think the players have given up here and thrown in the towel on purpose? To make a point? Just hope no one gets hurt if that is the case...which I really don't want to think is true at all. Have some Lion pride! Curious to what the other Lion's fans think.
I understand that Mr. Bill Campbell is very influential and supportive of the Columbia Football Program, which is a good thing! As the former CEO of Intuit, I would think that if a senior level executive of one of your department's performed at this level he would be replaced . Performance should be the sole benchmark wether change should be made. I can understand your support of the present coach, but the program has regressed and we need to take it in another direction.
The program is now at a critical juncture and we need to act immediately to prevent a total crash and burn season!
First and foremost it's a travesty to stay the present
course, for the players, alums, students, fans and
Columbia. Please support a change now!
Universities do fire coaches in the middle of the season when there's an obvious disaster in the offing. Arizona just did it. Columbia football is a laughingstock and an embarrassment to the University (and the alumni who have to deal with their Ivy peers.) The question is where can you get a credible coach to come in for four games? (And whatever happened to the goal of excellence for the athletic programs? While the AD may crow about our woman's archery team, there's a lot more media attention and public interest in the football program. Columbia won't be seen by the public as a well-rounded university until we have a winning football program. As long as the Ancient Eight continues to have football teams, we have to be competitive.
As a former player a can understand what these players are going thru. It's a tough place to play. But i agree that the coach must go. He has recruited well but he has proven that his skills as a field general have a lot to be desired. But we can't put all the blame on the coach. He was very inexperienced not only as a head coach but as an Ivy coach. The blame for this falls solely on the Athletic admin and more importantly the alumni mafia which has been influential in choosing the last number of head coaches going back into the 1980s. Good businessmen don't necessarily know football. Columbia's endowment must be big enough to be able to shrug off these people and do a independent search for a head coach the proper way. The only type of coach that has a chance of turning this program around will be one that has a proven winning track record and a history of turning around football basket cases No matter whether they be D2 or D3.
Jake, I'd forgotten about Ray Tellier being available in the Athletic Department to step in for a few games. If that type of "statement" is really needed, so be it, but I'm much more interested in CU committing to securing the very best coach available to take charge the day after this season ends. The right person can turn things around in one season. I hope also that Columbia acts like the serious intellectual institution it used to be and does not waste months in interviewing "candidates" from every ethnicity, religion, skin color, gender subset, political philosophy and "ism" under the sun. We want the best coach we can find, and we don't care which of the above he is. That's the correct definition of non-bias in hiring. I expect the next coach to field a very competitive team in 2012, but he can't do it if we delete 25 percent of his prep time to satisfy the "social engineering" crowd.
First, the most positive thing I've seen in 40+ years of Columbia football is this blog. Specifically, I appreciate the way the blog has evolved from basically a cheering section to a forum that can really share opinions and (I hope) exert influence.
There was evidence today of a systemic breakdown in preparation and execution. That's more than just having a bad day. It's a total loss of confidence and commitment.
I don't believe the coach should be replaced mid-season, but I certainly do agree with Jake's other points re a future hire, especially that no one without successful hc experience should be considered.
Sadly, how are we going to get a man with that kind of experience to come to CU? This really is the biggest graveyard in college football. In saying that, am I making excuses? Am I not "supporting the kids?" Bullshit. As a member of the freshman team and the CU lightweight program, I was a "kid" who went through winless seasons. It was horrible! It was like the worst job anyone could have. It made the players angry and frustrated, which in turn contributed to the atmosphere of '68, which seriously damaged the University.
We would have been overjoyed to have coaches who really knew how to lead and win -- but either CU couldn't find them, didn't want them, or they wouldn't come.
Is it different now? I wonder. I guess we'll soon see.
I was going to give this a rest; but here goes.
let me get this straight: CU gets the ball at the D 32 yard line after they fumble. We give it up on downs and they go 70 yards to get a TD.
Then we proceed to lose the ball consecutively on
a safety
a punt
another punt
an interception
a punt
a fumble
another fumble
a punt
and another interception
altogether we get about 80 yards in offense!
Jake in right.
WTF! FIRE THE COACH
Doc/Jock
What can we infer from the fact that Brackett did not play today?
(1) Brackett really was seriously hurt on his first down run to the Penn four-yard-line last week. That corroborates the explanation of the delay of game penalty which both Brackett and Wilson provided after the game. That is a meaningful mitigating factor to the most damning evidence of poor coaching which most of us seized upon. (The first play sent into Brackett asked him to run or option and Wilson had to send in a second play call).
(2) If Brackett is done for the season -- and that's still an "if" as far as we know -- this team will finish 0-10 even if Bill Belichick agrees to coach our last four games. What's the point of a disruptive change in coaches now if that is our reality?
Some Observations From A Tourist...
Dartmouth President Kim was at the game and very visibly showed his support of the Football team by receiving the game ball from one of the two parachutists that landed at mid field before kick off. Symbolic perhaps, but never hurts when the Head of School shows he cares
Great tailgating with some players' parents before the game (the best part of the afternoon!). Gotta love their support of their kids and this program. I am glad I made the trip from HK, even just for meeting these folks and sharing some wine and good conversation with them.
Also tailgated near some Dartmouth Fans, and they sounded as negative and downbeat about their program and coach as many posters do on this blog (perhaps until today).
Noticed that the CU AD was in Hanover. Is it possible she was there to observe things first hand? Not sure if she goes to all football games, so really cannot interpret this.
I know I have called for moderation in the negativism and vitriol in favor of getting behind this team of young men. While I still feel this way, I also believe in Jake's right to post what he wants. It's his blog and no one forces us to come here. We come here because we enjoy speaking freely.
Finally...As to the game, there was really no "fire" from our squad and very little imagination on either offense or defense...just a slow and seemingly inevitable demise at the hands of a 1-4 team going in. Our worst defeat against one of our weakest opponents. What does that say? Well, I am no football player or coach....but in my world in banking...if someone keeps losing money in a market where others show they can make money...that someone is replaced.
Chen '82
Thanks for the nice comment Mitch. I would say Wien Stadium is the best thing that's happened to CU football in the last 40 years, but it's a nice comment.
I am happy to agree to disagree with you about replacing Norries now, but let me say that when bad management is replaced the rank and file almost ALWAYS respond well immediately and only ask: "What took you so long????"
...don't forget, Dartmouth was picked to win the League and is better than their record shows. Unfortunately, they put it together today
What a sad situation for these players. After today, i think a change should be made tonight or tomorrow morning. We are clearly going to be 0-10 with the present situation. i like the idea even for four weeks of asking tellier to take over. I actually called for NW to be fired last year at the end of the season on this Blog, because It was clear that we had gone as far as we were going to go with him at the helm, and the longer you stay as HC without a winning record, the harder it is to recruit. I also thoguh we were in a better position to find a new coach after a 4-6 year than if we hit rock bottom, which is the only time we ever make a change. If you let Nw go after last year, you can highlight more of the positives that he did for the program and you also show the world that Columbia really care about it football program. By sticking with him for another year, he loses out and so do we. Now we are back to where we were 25 years ago when I was in school. While I hate to see a coach go mid season, given that Bob Shoop was dismissed after three years, it would certainly makes sense to dsimiss NW tomorrow morning given that he has been here for 6 years. At this point I don't balme the coach i reallyfeel sorry fror him and his family , but i do balme the athletic director snd the administration fro being content with mediocrity, which has now resulted in a complete disaster. I think the AD days are numbered as well after this. Iam only saying thi because I care about the program and want to see us win again.
Let the search begin!
I feel pretty certain that the AD and all concerned will put caring and compassion first and will not let Norries go until the end of the season, if then. What seems patently obvious to the rest of us may not be so compelling to the administration, which has been involved with Norries in a personal and I would think positive way for some time.
Sorry but Dartmouth was not picked to win the league. Picked FIFTH by the media.
Hey Jake - I don't know Coach Norris, but I played for Ray Tellier his first three seasons at CU. He is a class act, a great coach and the best person I can think of to lead CU through a mid-season transition - but - why would he take the job?
KT
Dartmouth was picked by two independent services to win the League. After a little further research though, they lost a couple of key players ( Reilly was the League leading receiver on yards per catch, their #2 All Ivy receiver McManus was out, and the right side of their 0 line is out).
Fire AD Murphy -- while she has made great strides in sports like Womens Archery and Womens golf she has done nothing to propel the "bigger" sports at the university, namely, Mens Basketball and Football. Now while many will deem this to be a sexist post -- the reality is -- a winning football team can draw several thousands. A winning basketball team will get us on national television. However, a winning mens golf team team or women's volleyball team might draw 100. The numbers don't lie whether you are looking at them from a financial standpoint or a motivational one. There is no coincidence that the largest donors to the university as a whole all have ties back to Athletics. Lets get real. Lets get some action. Lets remove Dianne Murphy and all her useless cronies and get some real decision makers in their place. Go Lions!
Previous poster is wrong about Dianne Murphy, especially about men's basketball, which is improving under her watch. Football has always been the bane of banes at CU, but I think she'll get it right this time re new hire. Apparently much depends on others such as Campbell. Another poster's idea about Bob Kraft sounds good, let's hope he and AD agree.
I am not a player's parent. I am a previous player's parent. And I can tell you first hand that Moreno and Wilson lied during recruiting about doing what was necessary to win, and about how they treat their players. These men are a disgrace to Columbia and to the sport of college football. And Murphy should be held responsible as well. There is decent talent on the field (for now), but they won't stay for long if something doesn't happen soon. These folks have no business coaching in the Ivy's and should be given their walking papers.
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