TOB Praise Continues

General NCS Football Tom O'Brien24

The precision in which NC State’s football coaching search was executed provided a stark contrast to the execution of the basketball search. Of course, that is because the University hired a consultant to do the work in the aftermath of Lee Fowler’s debacle earlier in the year.

The consultant truly did a super job in the eyes of the national media. (And, don’t discount the job of the Wolfpack’s ravenous fans who paid for Carter-Finley’s renovations and have supported the program with passion and fervor that attracted Coach O’Brien to Raleigh.).

After we highlighted these recent comments of praise for TOB, The Sporting News has listed the best college football hires of the offseason. Lo and behold NC State’s hire of Tom O’Brien ranks #1 on the list!!

1. Tom O’Brien, N.C. State
Sure, he has the pizzazz of a rice cake, but I dare you to find a better coach. You can’t, so don’t try. And all it took to get O.B. out of B.C. was to pay him what he’s worth — something BC refused to do. I pity the Eagles. I really do.

Alabama’s hire of Nick Saban was second on the list and Carolina’s hire of Butch Davis was 4th.

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General NCS Football Tom O'Brien

24 Responses to TOB Praise Continues

  1. Mr O 01/31/2007 at 9:50 AM #

    Was it because of the consultant or was it because a guy at the top(Ok, maybe #2 after Cowher) of our list wanted our job?

    Personally, I think it has a lot more to do with the latter not the former.

  2. ChuckAllYall 01/31/2007 at 10:01 AM #

    Wow. This is what it feels like to get positive national media coverage. I’m not sure I know how to feel right now……

  3. StateFans 01/31/2007 at 10:16 AM #

    MrO,

    Part of the smoothness in fball came because there was someone with some common sense was running process…and someone who has used their time wisely to build legitimate relationships throughout the sport. As we sad at the time, if Fowler had targetted different names (in a different manner) in BBall then the whole affair could have gone differently.

    How do you we know that other basketball coaches wouldn’t have taken the State job had LF done a different job or targetted them? It isn’t the program’s fault that the man tried to endorse the likes of Lon Kruger, Steve friggin Lavin and John Belein.

    Additionally, it isn’t the program’s fault that the Warriors waited until the fall to fire Mike Montgomery (who would most definitely be sitting on our sideline had the timing of his firing gone differently).

    Don’t completely assume that other basketball coaches (even some of those that we spoke with) didn’t ‘want’ the job. Don’t assume that the way that their with “Coach Fowler” went didn’t impact their decision. The decision about a job is not made in a vacuum.

    Don’t discount that one of the reasons that TOB wanted the job so much was because of the great support and environment created by Wolfpackers. Luckily for all of us, we didn’t have to endure 5 years of our AD publicly debasing both our fan base and the prominence of the job. Remember, just two weeks before CTC was removed, “Coach Fowler” was publicly starting up with his rhetoric. Lucky for all of us the heavy hitters sent him to a corner.

  4. choppack1 01/31/2007 at 10:24 AM #

    Wow – it’s nice to be on top of the list.

    O – We’ll never know if this was a result of the consultant doing the work or not.

    We DO know what happened last time Fowler headed up a search. This one was so much more secretive. If Fowler had been heading it up, would it have been as secretive? If Fowler had been heading it up, would Lee Corso or Lou Holtz end up turning down a job offer that may/may not have been offered?

    This was a smooth search. Fowler has done a good job moving bricks in the football department, but as mentioned before he seems to be a coach’s AD. Let’s not forget, he actually blasted Mark May for saying that Amato was on the hot seat – this year!

  5. noah 01/31/2007 at 10:29 AM #

    If you put me in charge of the search, the search would have lasted as long as it took for O’Brien’s agent to call me and let me know his client was interested.

    It was a no-brainer.

  6. StateFans 01/31/2007 at 10:44 AM #

    ^ I think that is basically exactly what happened.

    That is also exactly what would have happened with names in college basketball had Lee Fowler ever made a move in basketball before he gave himself 5 years to destroy the public perception of our job.

  7. ChuckAllYall 01/31/2007 at 10:47 AM #

    The trend seems to be going towards using consultants for many of the revenue sport hires at BCS schools. It’s a win-win for the University on a number of levels, including saving face on potential rejections and decreased media scrutiny and speculation. Obviously after the b-ball debacle, I’m sure Fowler was strongly “encouraged” to go with a consultant for the football search. I have a hard time believing that he would have made the decision on his own to go with an outside firm if it was left up to him (“Coach” Fowler). Hopefully the two coaches we have now will have long and successful careers and the next time we have to go looking, we’ll use a consultant and/or have a new AD.

  8. noah 01/31/2007 at 11:11 AM #

    I’m sure a consultant would be very helpful if your choices are people like Kragthorpe from Tulsa (now at Louisville) and Paul Johnson.

    When someone like Tom O’brien is on the market (or Butch Davis or even, IMO, someone like the former Minnesota coach), it really shouldn’t require a consultant.

  9. Rick 01/31/2007 at 11:24 AM #

    What is really scary is LF in his interview on another board states that he thinks he did a bang up job on the bball search and would do it the same way again.

    There is nothing more disheartening or irritating than a fool that does not know he is a fool.

  10. Mr O 01/31/2007 at 11:28 AM #

    Exactly Noah.

    We would have hired TOB with or without the consultant. Just like UNC would have hired BD without Neinas.

    I would imagine a consultant becomes more valuable in more complex searches where obvious candidates aren’t interested in your position. Our basketball search comes immediately to mind.

    I didn’t think the football search was any more secretive than the basketball search. We knew Fowler was talking to Chow, PJ, and Fisher. We also knew that many of the more influential supporters wanted PJ. We also knew about TOB as soon as he became seriously involved.

    At least that is the way it appeared to me as someone with very little to no inside knowledge.

  11. Mr O 01/31/2007 at 11:30 AM #

    When I said “obvious candidates aren’t interested”, I should have said when “obvious candidates won’t accept your position”.

  12. PapaJohn 01/31/2007 at 11:40 AM #

    Oustanding!
    Pretty dramatic change from the media’s response to the bball coaching circus.

  13. class of 74 01/31/2007 at 11:55 AM #

    The less LF has to do with our athletics the better off our athletics will be!

  14. tvp 01/31/2007 at 12:35 PM #

    Two points:

    What’s interesting is that a candidate who (per Fowler’s own words in the PP interview) was near the top of our list (Lowe) did want the job, but because Fowler (again, straight from the redneck’s mouth) did not do his due dilligence (which would have consisted of asking “Hey Sid, how close are you to that degree?”) he was unaware that the candidate was available.

    Also, did you see who was last on the list? Our “friends” at BC are going to be in for a rude awakening. Could not happen to a more deserving bunch. Afte the astonishing vitrol they spewed at TOB, I hope they never win another game. It’s amazing how few (if any) of them recognize the reality of their situation. Even that ATL Eagle guy wrote an absolutely absurd column talking about how TOB will not like it here once the fans won’t travel to a bowl game when there is a basketball game the same day.

  15. highstick 01/31/2007 at 12:57 PM #

    As one of our other posters would say, “Fire Lee Fowler”!!

  16. CarnifeX 01/31/2007 at 1:03 PM #

    While not directly about TOB, this does concern him.

    http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/news/story?id=2747545&campaign=rss&source=NCFHeadlines

    The headline reads that Matt Simms recommits to Louisville, however the actual article says little to that effect.

    I guess TOB hosting Matt and Phil at the Duke (UVa?) game didn’t help too much.

  17. gopack968 01/31/2007 at 1:11 PM #

    The consultant route allows both sides to quietly explore options and possibilities and yet retain plausible denial. In this era of blog-obsessed fans and with the explosion of story-seeking media outlets, schools and potential coaches need that cover to hold indirect discussions without burning bridges behind them.

    I’m just glad it worked! Add this to the good press from Musberger and Lavin last week and Wolfpack Nation’s future looks bright!

  18. Mr O 01/31/2007 at 1:15 PM #

    How did the consultant route workout for Alabama and Miami?

  19. noah 01/31/2007 at 1:39 PM #

    I’ve never understood the relationship football coaches have with the truth and with the media.

    Coach Saban, is it true that you are a candidate for the Alabama job?

    “I’m sorry. I won’t answer any questions about my job while the season is going on. It’s not fair to my employer, it’s not fair to the coaches and the players who work for me. It’s not fair to the fans. My focus is on (whoever we play this week).”

    Why is that hard?

    Coach Parcells, has TO been a distraction?

    “Yes. It’s very difficult to have a passing attack when your primary receiver is leading the league in drops. He’s an enormously talented player and the minute he buys into the system we have here and elevates his concerns about the team to the level where he places himself, that’s the minute that we become a super bowl contender. I’ll say that about every member of this organization.”

    What’s hard about that?

  20. ChuckAllYall 01/31/2007 at 1:42 PM #

    I don’t know if you can say for certain we would have hired O’Brien without a consultant. Obviously we’ll never know……The thing that puzzles me is the fact that the consultant apparently does exactly what a quality AD should be able to do on his own? Does anyone see this as the case? I guess what I’m asking is why is a consultant needed, if your AD is competent enough to do their job?

  21. old13 01/31/2007 at 2:09 PM #

    Why is Foulup (and Stafford for that matter!) still at NCSU! If Oblinger means what he has said publically, NEITHER should be at NCSU now IMO!

  22. primacyone 01/31/2007 at 3:13 PM #

    A consultant should be used in all cases of high profile hires. There should never be an exception, regardless of the quality of the AD.

  23. TomA 01/31/2007 at 6:44 PM #

    Lee Fowler is to Athletic Directors as Matt Millen is to NFL General Managers.

  24. dthompson44 01/31/2007 at 9:10 PM #

    Oblinger is to chancellors as Al Davis is to NFL Owners!

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