Technician: Amato Must Go (link)

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29 Responses to Technician: Amato Must Go (link)

  1. choppack1 11/20/2006 at 10:56 AM #

    Excellent article.

    Good points. I can’t really think of a reason to keep Amato at this point and time. The last 4 years have had a very similar feel to them all. Coming close, but falling short is only good if there’s evidence that you’re heading in the right direction. Unfortunately, there is no such evidence out there.

  2. DRW 11/20/2006 at 11:15 AM #

    Couldn’t have said it any better myself.

  3. packof81 11/20/2006 at 11:22 AM #

    Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Does Chuck A Tomato really care about his alma mater? If so, he should step aside.

  4. choppack1 11/20/2006 at 11:29 AM #

    Packof81 – Chuck’s a fierce competitor and he didn’t get where is by giving up. Like Bunting, MOC and others, these guys are going to fight until they aren’t given the option – that’s why they experience some successes. I’m sure Chuck believes next year is the year it all comes together.

  5. Mr O 11/20/2006 at 11:33 AM #

    Only idiots would step aside and allow your employer to get out of its contractual obligations. Chuck might step aside like Jeff Bowden did with a buyout or another position for him to fill and still get paid.

    Expecting Amato to step aside without some type of compensation is ridiculous. Nobody on here would do so and nobody on here would advise a friend or family member to do so.

  6. Clarksa 11/20/2006 at 11:45 AM #

    “Even Jed (Clampett) Fowler cannot ignore this development.”

    He ignored it when they wrote the same thing about Coach Sendek, so why can’t he ignore it now?

  7. RickJ 11/20/2006 at 11:51 AM #

    ^very true Mr. O. Not the same situation at all but I remember when rent-an-AD Hal Hopfenberg tried to talk Valvano out of taking what was contractually coming to him. V laughed in his face.

    The correct way to get someone to resign is to give them incentive to do so. In this case, it would be to give Amato somewhat more than what he has coming.

  8. Pack Laddie 11/20/2006 at 11:53 AM #

    More and more is pointing towards Chuck’s termination being a done deal.

  9. choppack1 11/20/2006 at 11:54 AM #

    I would say that the situation w/ Sendek was totally different. Whether we like it or not, Sendek was at least doing well against peers who were getting fired. He also was getting us to the NCAA tourney and finishing w/ winning records in conference 4 out of his last 5 years and finishing in the upper echelon of the conference 4 of those last 5 years. This year, the ACC is absurdly mediocre and we’re last place. Whether we like it or not, there was at least some justification to keep Sendek (after his 6th season, not his 5th) – OTOH, with Amato, it’s very hard to do so.

  10. Cardiff Giant 11/20/2006 at 11:55 AM #

    ^ Laddie, perhaps the tipping point has indeed been reached. Even BillyTough has now officially withdrawn his support and thrown Chuck under a bus.

  11. tractor57 11/20/2006 at 12:00 PM #

    “I hear the train acoming”

  12. Mr O 11/20/2006 at 12:01 PM #

    Amato’s downfall will likely be is his reputation.

    Despite many, many people not wanting Herb as our head coach, he was highly respected in college basketball, by our rivals and by the most important people at NC State. If Amato was thought of the same way, then I doubt we would fire solely based on wins and losses.

  13. rky 11/20/2006 at 12:07 PM #

    the article echoes what many are saying here . . .

    and although it must suck realizing you have just lost your job because you could not get the job done, I cannot be overly worried about the financial impact to these folks involved. They have been well compensated and must be aware of the often short-lived employment status. Maybe I’m just less ‘human’ than the author of this editorial but I full expect the staff will have a comfortable, warm & cozy holiday season without much concern of paying the mortgage and mounting utility bills.

  14. joe 11/20/2006 at 12:12 PM #

    Sendek’s only real problem was not winning enough.

    Amato also has problems with fans, big donors don’t like him, bad realtionship with the media, and so on.

    When Valvano was forced out the issue of his buyout involved NCAA probation. They were trying to say his buyout should be reduced because of that. In the end , he took less than his full buyout because both sides probably did not want a court battle.

  15. thebigwood 11/20/2006 at 12:13 PM #

    ^ thats so true…especially when, as a student (not in Raleigh), I struggle to pay for the trips I make to see the wolfpack play football (and basketball for that matter). When I see all of the money going into those athletic systems, and the major dissapointments that have resulted recently, it makes me pretty mad. Anyone want to talk basketball?

  16. Pack Laddie 11/20/2006 at 12:13 PM #

    “If Amato was thought of the same way, then I doubt we would fire solely based on wins and losses.”

    Mr. O, this is what I have said for the last couple of years. The problems were not solely on the field. The revolving door for assistant coaches is a pretty good clue of how bad things have been off of the field.

  17. Mr O 11/20/2006 at 12:14 PM #

    I think in the grand scheme of things Amato and Sendek competed in their respective sports arguably on a similar level. At least it was close enough that there isn’t a big enough difference either way to spend time arguing about it. However, there departures appear to be going down in completely different manners.

    Sendek was loved by the most important donors at NC State, but never connected with the masses. Ultimately, the masses made it so unpleasant that he chose to leave. With Amato, he wasn’t highly respected by the most influential people at NC State, but generally the masses loved him. Now it is the most influential people at NC State who are orchestrating his exit and appear to have been doing so for the last month.

    Hopefully we can find coaches that will be popular among all segments of the Wolfpack community. Lowe seems to be popular so far. Certainly Cowher would be also.

  18. Micky McCarthy 11/20/2006 at 12:17 PM #

    Pack Laddie is a man in the know. His statement above speaks volumes, if I am interpreting it correctly.

  19. GAWolf 11/20/2006 at 12:24 PM #

    I’m hearing several different sources reporting rumors that Amato has already been told he will not be back next year. Allegedly an official announcement will not be made until after the ECU game… anyone else catching wind of this??

  20. 94MEGrad 11/20/2006 at 12:29 PM #

    Laddie is definitely “in the know.” I value his opinion on these matters. Any word on when a potential change will be announced?

  21. 94MEGrad 11/20/2006 at 12:30 PM #

    Nevermind. I see that rumors are already circulating.

  22. justaguy 11/20/2006 at 12:48 PM #

    Sendak competed in the best, or near-best, basketball conference in the country, and his success was commensurate will the recruits he got. In football, the ACC is not the best conference, or even the near-best conference, and that’s especially true in this season. Despite Amato’s talented recruits he has been unable put together a winning season this year. Unquestionably Sendak did more with less than Amato.

    Amato proves the Peter principle is alive and well. With Amato success has become a mirage in the distance that vanishes only to reappear even further off. State’s most lopsided loss in the ACC was to a 1-9 Carolina team with a lame duck coach. There simply MUST be consequences.

  23. BJD95 11/20/2006 at 1:02 PM #

    I think Amato has lost the “masses” as well, at least after Saturday. He really has no tether rope left.

    I hope it is announced today (or sometime this week), to make the atmosphere less toxic on Saturday night.

  24. Cardiff Giant 11/20/2006 at 1:31 PM #

    ^ I agree. There is more unanimous disgust with Amato among rank and file fans at this point than there was with Sendek at the end, is my guess.

  25. redfred2 11/20/2006 at 2:08 PM #

    If Amato had just been more like Herb, the sky would have been the limit.

    Try to remember that in future Chuck, you’ll go far.

    And as always, Mr O, thanks for the memories.

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