In case you missed it, Tom O’Brien is on the hot seat

'10 Football College Football Tom O'Brien71

In more football news, apparently Tom O’Brien is on the hot seat. Thanks to 99.9 FM’s Joe Ovies for bringing this to my attention this morning via Twitter.

O’Brien’s ‘rebuilding’ window is closing fast

Three seasons ago, Tom O’Brien surprised more than a few people by jumping abruptly from Boston College to N.C. State. At best, it looked like a lateral move: O’Brien went from an up-and-coming squad riding a six-year bowl winning streak to a division rival coming off three straight finishes of ninth place or worse in the ACC.

But if the switch was a lateral move for O’Brien, it’s starting to look like it might have been for the Wolfpack as well. NCSU’s final three seasons under Chuck Amato featured one winning season and one bowl win; their first three under O’Brien have tallied zero of either. Particularly in a fluctuating division devoid of any true powerhouse teams, that’s not going to cut it, and the pressure is on O’Brien in year four to demonstrate some kind of progress.

Whether you think O’Brien is on the hot seat or not, it goes without saying that 2010 will be  hugely important for the overall direction of the program. A successful season (say 8-4 with a bowl trip) and it will be tough to argue against TOB’s approach. Another 5-7 campaign or worse and the seat will get warmer throughout the year.

Let us know what you guys think. Should TOB be on the hot seat?

About StateFans

'StateFansNation' is the shared profile used by any/all of the dozen or so authors that contribute to the blog. You may not always agree with us, but you will have little doubt about where we stand on most issues. Please follow us on Twitter and FaceBook

'10 Football College Football Tom O'Brien

71 Responses to In case you missed it, Tom O’Brien is on the hot seat

  1. Wolfy__79 03/27/2010 at 11:18 AM #

    well not to do a complete 180 on what i’ve already said. if we suck defensively this year like we did last year my head might literally explode. it was so gut wrenching how poor we were on defense/special teams last year. i couldn’t even come up with a single reason why we were so bad on defense? i still don’t know. so i’m calling it a freak of nature incident.

    i expect us to be much improved all around this season. what i know about TOB so far is, the team gets off to a slow start but somewhat begins to play better and better as the season progresses.

    i absolutely love the tenuta hire. he kicked our asses while at gt. i hope he makes a big splash with our talented linebacking core and moves up the food chain quickly with TOB. but i agree that another program will grab him up in one year if he’s not treated properly by all things/people of NC State.

  2. jwrenn29 03/27/2010 at 11:24 AM #

    Not on the hot seat, but another poor year would put him there.

  3. slushy1975 03/27/2010 at 12:16 PM #

    This article is strictly sports analysis using bloggers’ sentiments and blog analysis of Coach O’Brien’s tenure. Therefore, the tone comes from the author’s mind and not from the fan base.

  4. burnbarn 03/27/2010 at 12:22 PM #

    I am concerned about this season… I think we will be better everywhere but our schedule is tough. I am not sure our record will improve.

  5. bradleyb123 03/27/2010 at 12:37 PM #

    There are plenty of reasons to doubt this assessment.

    Maybe so, but not in terms of recruiting. And that was the context of my reply, and the original comment to which I was responding.

  6. tjfoose2 03/27/2010 at 2:50 PM #

    Dougie boy lost all credibility with this line:

    “Wilson was yanked for redshirt freshman backup Mike Glennon, and finished 12-of-23 for a mere 74 yards — which ended up being more than half of the Wolfpack’s eventual total. Just as Wilson began to get his head screwed on straight later in the season…”

    Anyone remember Wilson being yanked, ever? I guess the preseason plan (that was repeated in the press for weeks, if not months) to get Glennon in the game to get him some ‘live’ reps somehow escaped Mr Gillett.

    I guess all those dropped passes, including the last two in the closing seconds (one in the endzone) also somehow escaped the keen eye of Dougie.

    What a joke. Another pathetic example of what passes for sports journalism in the 21st century.

  7. BJD95 03/27/2010 at 5:17 PM #

    If we don’t win at least 7 this year, I don’t expect that we will have enough program momentum to turn this thing around. And given TOB’s track record – if he fails, I pretty much give up hope.

  8. highstick 03/27/2010 at 8:20 PM #

    This is so funny that I wish I had time to respond now, but don’t. But I will tomorrow after rethinking the expectations of a current State fan.

  9. ADVENTUROO 03/27/2010 at 11:29 PM #

    I have been a TOB supporter from day 1. I actually liked Chuck-the-Chest….but realized in my heart, like Al Gore, he HAD to GO!

    The injury thing always concerns me….we seem to have a jinx. Maybe we need to honor Jimmy V’s memory. Who knows what kind of bad Karma is coming out of the RBC and impacting the who complex. Even under HWSNBSOHA, we had injuries….and Chuckie has injuries….

    As to TOB’s next year….it MUST be good. I gave TOB a pass both years….and went to the ill fated Papa John Bowl….NEVER AGAIN…

    TOB was actually, IMHO, off to a fair to good start last year. Right up to the Pittsburg game. He made a TOTAL Tactical BLUNDER with the team after that game.

    Others, with managerial and military background have commented on it and I agree. The statements that he made to the team and in public were ILL ADVISED.

    SO….TOB still has my support….but I expect him to have learned from the MISTAKE last year. He needs to improve his motivational efforts….a good leader has to change HIS style to meet the needs of his organization.

    He also needs to take a critical look at his staff….there are some issues here….and they will not, in my opinion, go away.

    As to the kicking game….again, this is a RECRUITING issue….and that is where TOB has not been up to par.

    My final criticism of TOB is actually based on recruiting. I can not recall the coach’s name, however, one of CTC’s ASSETS was our recruiting….and the coach that was responsible for it was CUT LOOSE. He went, I think, to Alabama….

    TOB will have to perform this year….he will receive more criticism and if you call that a HOT SEAT….then YES.

    WIll he be terminated for another losing season…I doubt it…and I don’t think it would be justified….

    UNLESS, he makes another critical error in motivating the team.

  10. VaWolf82 03/28/2010 at 12:12 AM #

    There are plenty of reasons to doubt this assessment.

    Maybe so, but not in terms of recruiting.

    Then you haven’t been paying attention. Four years of recruiting resulted in a team good enough to only win 5 ACC games. The talent level was so low that a number of people here classified State has having the worst talent in the conference.

    SL has two top guards coming next year. If they show up, it will have taken five years to get top guards. Will it be five more before we can expect the next set? If recruiting is going so well, then how’s that 2011 class coming?

  11. wolfmanmat 03/28/2010 at 9:59 AM #

    ^Not to give Sid a pass, but let’s remember year 1(the coaching search); John Wooden couldn’t have recruited that year. And last year, he had a Guard coming in, but he(Lorenzo) failed to meet academic criteria. We were 3 wins away from NCAA this year. I think Lo makes 3 wins difference(Florida/Zona/Virginia/prob more). Not really entirely Sids fault. The point is: if Sid is on the hot seat(and he is), then TOB is on the hot seat too. TOB has IMO been more of a disappointment than Sid for a couple reasons: 1. It is a whole lot harder to win in the ACC in basketball than football. We have a weak football conference, where everyone is beatable. We have normally a very strong basketball conference and everyone is competitive. In football the ACC has 2-4 teams in the bottom 10% of NCAA D1; that hardly ever happens in ACC basketball. 2. Almost everyone makes a bowl in football. To not make one is nearly unexcusable(particularly with last years schedule which was cake). 3. TOB was hired to install discipline to a program that had loads of talent under Chuck with no discipline…the negative: we were the worst team in the ACC in penalties last year. That’s not discipline.

  12. Wolfy__79 03/28/2010 at 3:40 PM #

    i think TOB’s recruiting has been good. alot of his better recruits are redshirting.. delaying their impact. that’s pretty harsh concerning our talent as worst in the league. but, actually it’s hard to argue. especially with that defensive performance last year.

    as far as sidney’s 2011 class goes, i don’t expect to see many commits until next year sometime. and i can respect that, i think recruits are waiting to see how harrow & brown affect the team and also they don’t even know if lowe will be here 2011, ya know, with all the good publicity he gets. the past two years have been good IMO with interest from john wall, ryan harrow, lozo, luke, and leslie. ntm hickson. i don’t think recruiting will be too big of a deal if things work out next year.

  13. Wolfy__79 03/28/2010 at 3:45 PM #

    we can only speculate the difference that lorenzo would have made this year. but it was very clear to me that our offense was basically bogged down all year. with a player like that, teams wouldn’t be able to sag down on tracy so much, so i have to think our offense would have been much better. i think the better teams of the league would still be able to disrupt our offense with a tracy smith probably still carrying the load, and lorenzo & wood being young but imo it would have to be better than what we had..

  14. thumb69 03/28/2010 at 4:33 PM #

    It is frustrating being a Pack fan because of all of the mediocre seasons lately. I think TOB is the right fit for the job. Wilson is a good QB. There is not much going on around him. The RBs have been hurt. they really have not had enough offensive weapons to support the QB. The receivers do have an obligation to catch the ball. Chucky left the program in such a mess that it is hard to fix. Lets see what happens this year. Sid is getting one more year. Lets hope he can at least finish 500 in the ACC. Could you imagine having some one like Bruce Pearl as coach? He brings so much fire and emotion to the game. Sid does not seem to have that mentality.

  15. packalum44 03/28/2010 at 11:19 PM #

    TOB is a square peg being jammed in round hole. Don’t think he’s the best fit for a large public university. I think he maxed out at BC and do not expect him to be as successful here. Kind of hard when you kick everyone off the team and can’t manage the clock. Hell even Chuck can do that.

  16. JaxPackMan 03/29/2010 at 12:43 AM #

    TOB set the bar high on a personal level to excel. It is as if he puts himself on the “hot-seat”. Realistically a winning season and a pre-Christmas bowl game of some variety is probably the minimum expectation at this point. The problem with the ACC now-a-days is that there may be one or two teams in the top tier of each division and then the rest of the league essentially cannibalizes each other for the rest of the spoils.

    All of the schools are trying to at least be competitive. With the league spreading the bowl and TV contract money, even the smaller schools like Wake and Duke that don’t have the Alumni or large fan base have the money for scholarships. They also are able to pay top dollar for coaches.

    If and when State 1) can ever get to the top tier and 2) stay there for an extended time period are two questions that all of us Wolfpack fans would love for Tom to answer for us. Given his mid-50’s age he may take us to the river so to speak, but it could be another coach that leads the team across into the promised land.

    All the ingredients for a great program are in place —

    1. A great university with majors of all kinds for a student-athlete to select from.
    2. New Chancellor appears to be supportive of athletics.
    3. Coaching Staff as remained intact without much turnover during TOB’s tenure and appears to be respected among the coaching ranks.
    4. Great location –> Raleigh and the Triangle.
    5. Great recruiting and communication with NC high schools and surrounding states.
    6. Fantastic Fans –> Students, Alums and Friends of the University.
    We can only hope and keep the faith!
    7. One of the best game day experiences in America –> Carter-Findley Stadium Rocks!

    It ‘s a matter of execution and time for all of this to gel. Meanwhile, we keep hoping for a good team this year.

    Go Pack!

    Phillip in Jax, FL

  17. Sam92 03/29/2010 at 9:52 AM #

    i don’t know if TOB is really *on* the hot seat yet — but he *should* be!

    the third year of a head coaching tenure is when a new coach should really begin to show what he’s got. He’s had two years working with the players recruited by his predecessor, but more importantly his recruits are now on the field (or should be).

    The problem is, in TOB’s third year, we actually got *worse*!

    last season was a really bad sign and this year there can’t be any excuses. this is fully TOB’s team, and if he can’t get a winning season and a bowl game, we should cut our losses and fire him.

    further, a winning season and toilet bowl game this year are not enough – he has to be even better the next year. if TOB can’t get us into 9/10 win territory, then we should try someone else.

  18. Cardiff Giant 03/29/2010 at 10:25 AM #

    You can’t fire TOB before firing Lee Fowler. No way any sane university lets that damned fool pick a football coach a second time.

  19. coach13 03/29/2010 at 11:04 AM #

    My 2 cents. Most of us expect gradual improvement. Not happened yet. Expect winning seasons by year 4 (to be determined this coming season). If these 2 items have not happened after this season, he/we are in trouble. He will get the 5th year to leave no doubt we are screwed provided he does not make a turnaround this year.

    There are sooooo many stories of good coaches turning around programs in 4-5 years. You either CAN or CAN’T. After year 5, he will be bowling or he should be sending out his resume.

  20. Wolfy__79 03/30/2010 at 9:14 PM #

    TOB seems to be a coach that will tell a chuck amato hotshot player that you really aren’t all that good… and break them down… and develop them in his style. so despite being highly disappointed with results to date, i think the programs progress should be very evident this fall…

  21. wolfpackfan09 04/14/2010 at 3:15 PM #

    Fellas, we have all the pieces for a good team. Experience of defense is crucial. We have wilson coming back and glennon waiting at the reigns, and they are tossing to arguably the most talented/experienced receiving corps in the ACC. With spencer, williams,ghram and bryan, we are looking to have strong passing attack. I feel our running backs are going to be stronger that expected, with washington leading the way. Just get behind crisp and run.
    While TOB isnt the strongest recruiter, he is solid. His strength comes from the x’s and o’s, i have my worries about this year but im rather sure that we will end up 7-5 or 8-4. TOB isnt on my hot seat.

1 2 3

Leave a Reply