Critiquing Tom O’Brien

NCS Football Tom O'Brien65

Taking stock of our football program, I thought I would take a different tack and list all of the things I wish we could change about Tom O’Brien. Here’s what I came up with:

1) I wish he was 10 years younger.

Seriously, this man is the best coach NC State has had since one James T. Valvano. Let’s just hope he’s exercising, eating right, and wants to coach until he’s 80.

About BJD95

1995 NC State graduate, sufferer of Les and MOC during my entire student tenure. An equal-opportunity objective critic and analyst of Wolfpack sports.

NCS Football Tom O'Brien

65 Responses to Critiquing Tom O’Brien

  1. burnbarn 11/23/2008 at 12:02 PM #

    Love this quote

    “Our kids really took the challenge today. I think it was a great effort on our part, especially to beat a team like North Carolina who has all those great athletes running around out there so well coached and everything.”

    The guy knows the right things to say.

  2. ncsumatman 11/23/2008 at 12:02 PM #

    I wish he had a kicker

  3. Daily Update 11/23/2008 at 12:16 PM #

    The hire made so much sense that not even Lee Fowler could mess it up.

    The one area we have been struggling is recruiting, but now he has something to sell besides his success at BC. “We are the best program in the state.”

  4. sodstaple 11/23/2008 at 12:32 PM #

    I wish we would have played RW last year. I dont think we would have had a better record last year. However I do think this team would have won either or both Md and Fl St this year. We would have been alot more confident earlier in the season, and this season would be alot better. Plus RW would be a sophmore and Glennon would be looking squarely at 2 yrs instead of possibly 1 year. We would be contending for the Title game or already have it wrapped up. Maybe there’s a good reason why he didnt play, and if someone would enlighten me I would appreciate.

  5. SEAT.5.F.2 11/23/2008 at 12:33 PM #

    1)The move out of the cold and sometimes condescending NorthEast probably helps prolong the work battery.

    2)The staff around him seems a perfect fit, insuring confidence and peace of mind that the product matches the mission (from classroom to practice field to gameday).

    3) He runs everyday from what it sounds like, and looks relaxed and comfortable in his own skin 99 % of the time (remember BC fans partially called this “brooding” when the loved calling him the hen, why try to escape that environment?)

    If this sounds like I’m reassuring that one critique noted above then your exactly right. I wouldn’t want it any different, well maybe just don’t bring up that your fav music group is ABBA again.

  6. BJD95 11/23/2008 at 1:06 PM #

    I am also extremely impressed with Dana Bible and Mike Archer. Let’s hope they don’t get offered HC opportunities anytime soon.

  7. Otis 11/23/2008 at 1:23 PM #

    I think both Bible and Archer are solid coaches – but not flashy. Hopefully that translates into less interest from other schools. As good as we have done the past few games – I dont see anyone burning down the barn to take these guys from us.

  8. b8zs_Wolf 11/23/2008 at 1:32 PM #

    2)The staff around him seems a perfect fit, insuring confidence and peace of mind that the product matches the mission (from classroom to practice field to gameday).

    I dont think this can be emphasized enough.

    The staff turnover that Amato’s regime had took us from a very experienced staff in the Arkansas State game in Rivers’ first game, to what seemed to be a staff full of promoted strength coaches and graduate assistants (which could not get the best out of the talent they had).

    It’s clear we’re taking a long-term approach with this program. Though the past 1.5 years have had many painful losses, I think we’re going to reap some dividends over the long haul.

  9. LRM 11/23/2008 at 1:50 PM #

    TOB was an absolute steal for us.

    He fits in perfectly here. His coaching style is pragmatic and his personality is matter-of-fact. We need subtance over style, and I haven’t once heard him regale us with fantasies of national titles because, clearly, we’re nowhere close. He’s too busy fixing the small problems that create losses.

    But based on what we’re seeing, we can reasonably be thinking about Charlotte by the 2010 ACC championship game.

    Plus, he’s 2-0 against Carolina. Not even Sheridan did that.

  10. Afterglow 11/23/2008 at 2:14 PM #

    sodstaple-There’s no doubt now that Russell Wilson is an incredible player that possesses both cerebral and athletic abilities that perhaps haven’t been seen since Philip Rivers. My only guess on why coaches didn’t play him last year is that they play smart conservative football and play with the future in mind. O’Brien seems to like the idea of redshirting freshmen. He did it at BC and it paid off immensely for them down the road-just look at Matt Ryan. The other thought is that maybe RW saw (and sees) more of a future in baseball and requested the redshirt year.

    In any event; I’m with you on what an incredible player this guy is and I think it’s only a matter of time before he starts wondering what professional sport he should actually focus on.

  11. PoppaJohn 11/23/2008 at 2:17 PM #

    The good news is, he’s just getting started.

  12. BJD95 11/23/2008 at 2:23 PM #

    ^^ Mentally, I think RW’s better than Rivers. Physical attributes are a push so far.

  13. whitefang 11/23/2008 at 2:30 PM #

    We are just so incredibly fortunate to have him. For ONCE the stars lined up in favor of the Wolfpack nation.

    – We beat BC on a miracle play in a super-charged C-F atmosphere showing TOB what State could be with a good fb program.
    – Amato showed everyone who he really was.
    – Fowler for once got told to sit down and shut up and let people with some actual skills handle it.
    – BC did not provide the “love” that TOB rightly deserved.
    – All this happened with perfect timing for us.

    I am just hoping State doesn’t find a way to screw this up somehow.

  14. #44 17 24 11/23/2008 at 2:35 PM #

    I love how on almost all the UNC blogs I’ve been on, that there is someone who comments about how pissed off they are at TOB for saying we are the best football program in the state.
    A lot of them just simply look at the records and can’t possibly fathom the opinion that we could be the better team (no need to go into the fact that half our team was applying for handi-cap parking stickers from the start of the season, because they just wouldnt understand that).
    Then there are those who look at the word “program” and decide, “sure maybe they’re the better team, but not program, thats insane”. Like defeating everyone in the state wouldn’t define such madness. Those UNC fans are the one’s who think we just lucky I guess, in a game that was decided by about 4 1/2 touchdowns, and that Butch Davis is the greatest coach ever.
    Of course all these UNC fans ^ are the few who actually knew their team was even playing football on Saturday, so you have to give them some credit.

  15. Afterglow 11/23/2008 at 2:36 PM #

    Yeah, I suppose you can’t teach someone who is 5’11” to be 6’5″ baring a Tom Guggliotta growth spurt-so perhaps physically in that respect it may be a stretch for him to play football in the NFL. But he is unquestionably fast and has much better mobility than Rivers. In any regard, as much of stretch as the NFL may be-I wouldn’t count him out.

  16. ppack3 11/24/2008 at 2:22 PM #

    Correct me if I’m wrong, but if we take “The U” on Saturday, and (there is a likely-hood that…) BC takes UVA in Boston, the Atlantic looks as such: FSU – 5-3, everyone else – 4-4? In that instance, we jump ahead of Wake to avoid last place in the head-to-head, right? And, in the eyes of the Bowl Scouts, we would also jump (in priority) over a UNC team that loses to Duke, and is playing HORRIBLE when it matters most? Those fans leaving Keenan on Saturday, mid-way through the 3rd quarter, while it was still a 7 point game, can’t look good to any Bowl Official. Besides, UNC fans aren’t going to travel during Basketball season…unless they’re packing up to go see Roy and the boys. Butch has to be re-thinking UT. Wait for it…UT HAS to be re-thinking Butch!

  17. dj9686 11/24/2008 at 2:24 PM #

    I heard another one of those idiot ECU fans on the Bull talking about how we barely beat them this year. Geez, dude open your eyes. We’ve beaten you two years running with half our team hurt. You’ll be the ones not wanting to play us in two years. It’s amazing how we beat these teams, UNC included, and their fans still talk trash. I guess in their eyes “seeing isn’t believing.”

  18. ShootingGuard 11/24/2008 at 2:29 PM #

    RW is such a weapon physically with his ability to run as well as break tackles. His poise and intelligence sets him apart, however, and is something to behold at this stage in his young career.

    Hope RW can keep it up and lead the guys to another win Saturday.

    Would love to the see the Wolfpack snag the Charlotte Bowl…

  19. dj9686 11/24/2008 at 2:36 PM #

    It would be nice to see State play in Charlotte. The Bowl knows we travel exceptionally well. When I heard some to the talk radio shows talking about all 12 teams possibly being bowl eligible, it made me laugh when thinking of Duke. Who would invite that team to a bowl at 6-6 when they can’t even out-fan the away team in their own stadium?

  20. Packman02 11/24/2008 at 2:42 PM #

    It is amazing that ECU and UNC fans continue to dismiss what we’re doing but they won’t win an argument with the scoreboard, so let’s keep sticking it to them in that department. Recruiting rankings are nice, but the games are won and lost on the sidelines on Saturdays – and we’re in fantastic shape there.

    I have admired the resolve and commitment of this staff since the oh-so-close end to the 2007 season and I have no doubt that we’re ready to take the next step this weekend.

  21. packpowerfan 11/24/2008 at 2:44 PM #

    I was at the bowl in Charlotte three years ago against USF. Basically a home game…just more people. What I thought was amazing was that despite the seats being that dark Panthers blue, all you could see was RED. You know the committee for the Meineke Bowl is just HOPING we beat Miami. God knows how much money poured into Charlotte for a weekend.

  22. dj9686 11/24/2008 at 2:53 PM #

    I’ll go if they go to Charlotte. Last bowl I was the Peach Bowl for Sheridan’s first bowl year.

  23. RickJ 11/24/2008 at 2:54 PM #

    Miami is really a huge game for Tom O’Brien. We need to make a bowl, get the extra practice and end off this year’s recruiting on a up tick.

    If you listen to Boston College fans, it is this type of end-of-year game where he has fallen short. There are two losses that really brought this feeling about – in 2004, in the last game of the year against a 5 – 6 Syracuse team, BC lost 43 – 17 and lost the Big East championship and a BCS bowl as a result. The other was in his last year at BC when they lost to 6 – 6 Miami in the last game of the year and went from a Gator or Peach invite to Charlotte. Reasonable BC fans readily admit O’Brien is a great rivalry game and bowl coach.

    By the way, the bookies still don’t like us as Miami has gone off as a 1.5 point favorite.

  24. old13 11/24/2008 at 2:58 PM #

    TOB can coach at NCSU as long as he wants as far as I’m concerned. I also think there is potential on the current staff for a replacement if TOB retired. Hopefully, as he nears retirement, TOB will have a HC-designate on staff and provide a smoothe transition.

  25. Alpha Wolf 11/24/2008 at 3:12 PM #

    ^ They may not like us but they aren’t making us two TD dogs either.

    We only covered the spread by some 44.5 points last week, so what do they know?

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