November Looms (Corrected)

Someone hacked my account last week. Those who know me well know I’m just not the reasonable, positive type, like the misguided fool who wrote under my byline tried to be.

I understand the point he was trying to make (as idiotic as it indeed was). Essentially, due to the inherent, imbalanced power structure, managing expectations in college football is far different than “accepting our place” in college basketball. There just aren’t many 10-win coaches out there, so they have to be created over time. Oregon and Virginia Tech are the only two programs in the past 20 years that gained and then maintained their status as part of college football’s elite. The Virginia Tech model is certainly one we can follow (we have the resources), and while TOB will arguably leave State a program better off than he inherited, it’s time for us to replace him with someone who can advance it to the next level, because he clearly isn’t capable.

My first call: James Franklin. He’s young (40) and energetic, has NFL experience; he’s widely appreciated as a solid recruiter (Top 25 in 2012), and is winning at Vanderbilt (by Vanderbilt standards). He was Yow’s chosen coach-in-waiting at Maryland before she left (he was not her replacement Kevin Anderson’s, however), so there’s clearly an opportunity…but — big but — Franklin currently makes around $3 million per year (estimated) in Nashville, so someone’s pockets deeper than mine will have to open up to make that kind of commitment.

No sleep ’til Atlanta.

About LRM

Charter member of the Lunatic Fringe and a fan, loyal to a fault.

'12 Football Tom O'Brien

142 Responses to November Looms (Corrected)

  1. heavy 11/03/2012 at 4:54 PM #

    Paging mr. Miller time…

  2. Wulfpack 11/03/2012 at 4:55 PM #

    Heard Urban Meyer had a bad burger in Columbus last week and likes BBQ better anyways.

    Anyways, I do not doubt that Franklin and Yow have a solid relationship. However, you can bet your behind that if we are talking to him, so are others. Some in his very own state right now with far deeper pockets and a fan base three times the size of ours.

  3. eas 11/03/2012 at 5:05 PM #

    I am just happy that for once everyone seems to be in agreement that TOB needs to by some sun tan lotion for the beach. We have a wave of success and wonderful media coverage for a change (thanks Gott and Co) so we cannot afford to sit on this crap any longer. His buyout may be
    5 million but the fallout of another bad season would be worse. It would be even harder to land a good coach next year, especially if our recruiting continues this way.

  4. TheAliasTroll 11/03/2012 at 5:14 PM #

    Yup, I think nearly all are in agreement, the NC State and TOB relationship has grown stale.

  5. OldWuf 11/03/2012 at 5:27 PM #

    Wow! I defended TOB no less than 3 times this past week even though I pretty much hung the Chapel Hell debacle on him. I thought there was no way DY would boot him this year. Now I think it is inevitable unless we go crazy and somehow beat Clemson. I don’t care how the team finishes the year, it is time.

  6. eas 11/03/2012 at 5:33 PM #

    I just don’t see how Yow can logically keep him. She has made it clear (verbally and by action) what she expects as well as where we are going. I say there is no way the plug isn’t yanked at the end of the season.

  7. ADVENTUROO 11/03/2012 at 5:36 PM #

    I still think money will make the call. Vaughn Towers coffers not withstanding. TOB contract does not have win/loss clause.

    I too left early. First time in decades

    Got good seats in PNC. BB team looks good. Why did Howell not start?

  8. Alpha Wolf 11/03/2012 at 5:37 PM #

    “Bill Cowher” – do we really want a guy who is happily semi-retired and has no college coaching experience?

  9. Cardiac95 11/03/2012 at 5:41 PM #

    ^NO!…

  10. tjfoose1 11/03/2012 at 5:43 PM #

    Those assuming Cowher would be a homerun hire are only showing their ignorance (I use that term in its literal technical sense, not to be insulting).

    The NFL and the college game are two completely different sports. Coaching in each requires its own skill set, some the same, but some different.

    Not saying Cowher wouldn’t, or couldn’t be successful, but it’s far from a foregone conclusion that he would be.

    One thing is for certain though, if he were ever hired (which I doubt), he would need some very good teaching assistants to be successful.

  11. Wulfpack 11/03/2012 at 5:53 PM #

    Cowher hasn’t worked in years. He gets paid a gazillion dollars to talk football one day a week. He is one of my all time favorite coaches, but he has likely lost a step or two with the hiatus. I just think he is comfortable, otherwise he would have been coaching. Also, don’t underestimate the effect of losing a spouse. Could have certainly taken a lot out of him.

    We need a no non-sense guy that is going to hit the ground running and not take no for an answer from recruits. We have a ton of ground to make up in that department.

  12. tuckerdorm1983 11/03/2012 at 5:57 PM #

    was there a home game today at Carter Finley? I looked everywhere and could not find the score. There must have been no football game today. I have been listening to the pack basketball exhibition game and three freshmen are going to be awesome. Did our football team play today?? Obviously not!!

  13. tjfoose1 11/03/2012 at 6:08 PM #

    ” Did our football team play today?? ”

    No, not football anyway.

  14. coach13 11/03/2012 at 6:15 PM #

    We need whoever can get the talent and good assistants in. The two keys to success…get the talent, get the coordinators.

  15. Avid109 11/03/2012 at 6:30 PM #

    Money has indeed been wasted on TOB. Several times this season, his team did not show up.

  16. motorhead 11/03/2012 at 6:35 PM #

    To play like that is a slap in the face to the university, students, faculty and alums at Homecoming. At least London was fired up…..

  17. packalum44 11/03/2012 at 6:45 PM #

    Bill Cowher has turned down top 5 highest paying head coaching gigs in NFL. But yeah I doubt him and Belecheck could cut it against the likes of Jimbo, Beamer, Dabo, Cutcliffe, Grobe, London.

    SMH

  18. mak4dpak 11/03/2012 at 7:19 PM #

    I say take a serious look at the offensive coordinator of Oregon. He would clearly be a total opposite of the poor excuse of coaching staff we have now. TOB has gotta go. LOSER! Today was absolutely the last straw for me. Our homecoming game, and we stunk it up!

  19. packer74 11/03/2012 at 7:28 PM #

    What does this coaching staff and team do during the week to come out of the gate so flat and look totally unprepared. If you can’t show up against a team with a six gaming losing streak for your Homecoming game, it is difficult to believe this bunch is going to win 1 more this year. We routinely have problems with Wake. Clemson will light these guys up. BC? It is time for a change. The program is stuck in the mud.

  20. tjfoose1 11/03/2012 at 7:32 PM #

    Some people have a clue, some people don’t.

    I can SMH too.

  21. Virginia Wolf 11/03/2012 at 7:32 PM #

    I’ve been attending Wolfpack football games since 1972 and I’ve never seen a less prepared, less motivated, less inspired team than I saw today. It’s strange to me that one of the coaches could not have uncrossed their arms long enough to try and get our boys motivated! Not one coach, on the coaching staff seemed like they even wanted to be out there today, thus the team had the same attitude! Yes, I’m sorry but it is definately time for a new Head coach and staff! I thought we could wait until TOB’s contract expired but this kind of performance or non-performance is unexcuseable!!!! I wouldn’t even wait until the end of the season. The team is going down hill so fast that something needs to be done now!!!! DY?????

  22. old13 11/03/2012 at 7:45 PM #

    I hate to say it, but I hope they lose out to ensure a new coaching staff in Raleigh next season. With an 0-6 finish, DY would have no other choice IMO.

  23. Dan Allen 11/03/2012 at 7:47 PM #

    Are there any quality former coaches working for ESPN?

  24. Pack Mentality 11/03/2012 at 7:53 PM #

    Our problem is that we cannot hire a new football coach and pay him more than Gottfried makes.

  25. NelsonHall97 11/03/2012 at 7:54 PM #

    I’ve been going to State football games since I was a kid in the early 80’s. I only remember leaving one game early…(years ago UNC was beating us badly, we came back, but ultimately lost at the goal line because Dre Bly kept interfering until we ran out of downs).

    Today I left early. I don’t recall a team that came out as flat as we did today. I thought surely we’d come out fired up in the second half – NOPE! What a shame. We could have had a good season. Our kids have above average talent in the ACC, and we just sh!t our pants on TV. TOB & Co. can’t motivate any team. His teams are too predictable, and they play not to lose. Time for a change!!

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