TOB talk & Zarzour pulls no punches

Earlier in the week SFN highlighted some uncorroborated ‘chatter’ going around the internet related to the job security of NC State Head Football Coach, Tom O’Brien. (Click here)

The last couple of days we’ve heard more and more speculation in Wolfpack circles that O’Brien may be given the opportunity to have another year(s) on the NC State sidelines provided he make significant changes across his entire coaching staff.

With that as the backdrop, I found the following comments from Taylor Zazour (included here) particularly interesting. The comments very accurately and succinctly summarize the state of affairs in the NC State football program…and may even accurately nail how things are going to unfold behind the scenes over the next few weeks.

Tom O’Brien is defenseless if someone were to ask him why his program has had one winning in season in five tries. I know he’s had injuries, and I know his best player left for Wisconsin, but NC State should have a lot more talent and win more games. His recruiting classes have been abysmal, he’s built little depth, and you never know what you’re going to get from one week to the next. Sure, he can rightfully boast about never losing to Carolina but how about doing something else?

If Athletic Director Debbie Yow does the right thing and asks O’Brien to fire some of his assitants he has no choice. They are antiquated (old), out of touch with their players, and unimaginative. If TOB refuses then Yow must ask him for his resignation. With North Carolina’s program in disarray, and Duke, Wake, and ECU all playing average to bad football the Wolfpack has no business treading in mediocrity. But that’s where they are and its all O’Brien’s fault.

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64 Responses to TOB talk & Zarzour pulls no punches

  1. primacyone 11/17/2011 at 12:39 PM #

    I think that overhauling the coaching staff at this point is a bad idea. Just delays everything and I think has a negative effect on recruiting for more than one year if a change at the top is made in a year or two. Need to go ahead and stop the bleeding alltogher or give all the staff one more year.

    Exception would be if we could get an outstanding young gun Head Coach in Waiting ala Jimbo Fisher as FSU. That plan might would work in this case.

  2. packof81 11/17/2011 at 12:45 PM #

    “The fish rots from the head down.”
    — an unknown but astute source

  3. Lunatic Fringe 11/17/2011 at 12:58 PM #

    I expect the tenor of this discussion to change drastically after we get embarassed by Clemson.

    Let’s not kid ourselves, we can’t stop Clemson & I don’t think the coaches are going to hold anything back. They want some positive momentum after two pretty tough games.

  4. pack76 11/17/2011 at 1:08 PM #

    I agree with Zarzour says but I still say, we just need to let D. Yow do her job. If she doesn’t do what is needed then she isn’t much better than Fowler! Come on Deb’., whether its now or later you muct make a change for the sake of the Wolfpack program.

  5. PackMan97 11/17/2011 at 1:17 PM #

    There is of course the issue of finances. It will likely come down to an issue of whether Debbie feels like we’ll gain more in ticket revenue by firing O’Brien than we might lose in the contract buyout. Keep in mind we are still paying for Lowe and Fowler and from what I’ve heard, our budget is getting stretched quite a bit as we try and make changes to the basketball schedule and get out of some pretty bad deals the previous AD made.

  6. DCNCSUfan 11/17/2011 at 1:32 PM #

    Could someone please refresh my memory, what is TOBs ACC record?

  7. StateFans 11/17/2011 at 1:33 PM #

    Sammy Watkins could literally make 21 points of difference or more in our game with Clemson

  8. Prowling Woofie 11/17/2011 at 1:38 PM #

    Which guarantees a victory for the Tigers, as there is no way State will score three TD’s against Clemson; they’ve only scored 23 points the last three games COMBINED.

  9. ryebread 11/17/2011 at 1:39 PM #

    This all will come down to money — how much will a buy out cost versus how much will it not cost.

  10. LRM 11/17/2011 at 1:47 PM #

    Not sure anything else needs to be said beyond Zarzour’s comments.

  11. patientwuf 11/17/2011 at 1:48 PM #

    “I think that overhauling the coaching staff at this point is a bad idea. Just delays everything and I think has a negative effect on recruiting for more than one year if a change at the top is made in a year or two. ”

    I agree primacyone. Forcing staff changes will just prolong our agony. I admire TOB for sticking with his staff, but “antiquated and unimaginative”-ouch. Perfectly stated.

  12. stejen 11/17/2011 at 1:50 PM #

    I am pretty sure this is the last year of TOB’s contract so a buyout is not an issue. I agree with some previous posts in that if Yow is going to make a change this is the year to do it because all of the other schools in the State with the exception of Wake are not performing as well as hoped so she won’t be dealing with that “How can I compete with Duke and UNC?” crap like she did trying to find a basketball coach and it may even work to her advantage as really good coach that is tired of competing with schools in his own state may see this opening as a job that is too good to pass up.

  13. jbwbubba 11/17/2011 at 1:51 PM #

    That website with Football Rumors that was listed the other day, had a recent post that State didnt’ want to fire TOB, if he lost next two games they might not have a choice.
    I actually wouldn’t be surprised to see 6-6 save him.

  14. Texpack 11/17/2011 at 1:54 PM #

    The sucky recruiting pretty well dictates that things won’t dramatically turn around with coaching changes. Keeping TOB any longer just delays the beginning of any improvement in out program. How much longer would he be coaching if we were headed to our fourth straight bowl game? Answer – 3yrs possibly 4. What advantage is there for TOB to stay and produce a couple of 7-6 seasons? Absolutely none. We shouldn’t put this off any longer. 80% of the data points say he can’t win at at an acceptable level at NCSU. The hope plan won’t get it done.

  15. ColoradoWolf 11/17/2011 at 2:13 PM #

    If Debbie Yow does not send a memo asking TOB to come see her, then Randy will be on the phone to Coach Yow. Only 8 quarters left to the TOB era… Great guy but not a great head coach.

  16. Wolfgarden 11/17/2011 at 2:33 PM #

    Save the Wolfpack and it’s fans. Save us from the dull losses that TOB brings to us and has brought. I have never been a TOB fan…Please D. Yow save us now!!! Lets not lose sight of the ability to get a real good coach right now…an old one from the SEC or the Big Twelve or Big Ten…

  17. newt 11/17/2011 at 2:47 PM #

    I don’t have an opinion on O’Brien’s job status until the season is over.

    That said, I’ve never understood the idea that the administration would step in and demand the head coach change assistants.

    If the head coach needs to change assistants and doesn’t realize that fact on his own, then he is ineffective and needs to go himself.

  18. Wolfgarden 11/17/2011 at 2:48 PM #

    Well said Newt. You should run for president!!!

  19. wolfpack65 11/17/2011 at 2:52 PM #

    “I am pretty sure this is the last year of TOB’s contract so a buyout is not an issue.”

    uh, his contract runs thru 2015…

  20. WIFF 11/17/2011 at 2:53 PM #

    Yow’s focus needs to be on hiring, not firing. TOB’s record speaks for itself and cannot be defended but just firing him because he’s not working out doesn’t get us anywhere. Let’s find a coach we want, get some kind of indication that he would come here if we called and THEN fire TOB. We just don’t need another open ended coaching search going on while we have to wait for coaches to finish bowl games.

  21. baxter 11/17/2011 at 2:58 PM #

    I just hope for the defense’s sake that it doesn’t get utterly destroyed this weekend, I’d just like to end the season beating Maryland at this point.

  22. StateFans 11/17/2011 at 3:17 PM #

    This is NOT the last year of TOB’s contract. There is a buyout.

  23. TruthBKnown Returns 11/17/2011 at 3:22 PM #

    Bingo. Taylor Zazour nailed it.

    My personal requirement for TOB to fulfill in order to keep his job (from a few weeks ago), was to get to 7-8 wins, and win the bowl game. If he couldn’t do that, then he needed to go — unless he was willing to get rid of Mike Archer (at a minimum), and quite possibly Dana Bible, too. If he replaced one or both of those guys, then I’d say give him another year or two with the new coordinators. If he’s unwilling to part ways with them, as I kind of expect him to be, then fire him.

  24. mak4dpak 11/17/2011 at 3:29 PM #

    Call me crazy, but I give us a good chance of winning against the Tigers, because when the team shows up, we can beat anyone. And the coaches should call a better game, knowing their jobs are in jeopardy. As for assistant changes, DY emailed me earlier in the season, and stated TOBs staff will be his choice, and not that of the university. Even if they suck (my words)!

  25. hoop 11/17/2011 at 3:33 PM #

    All we had to do last week was beat BC & Maryland, then we’d go bowling. If TOB can’t beat the two worst teams in the ACC then he doesn’t deserve a million dollar a year job.

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