From the department of “cry me a f*cking river”
As I waded through some old bookmarks yesterday, I ran across the BC blog For Here Men Are Men. According to FHMAM, head coach Tom O’Brien just isn’t good enough. They want him fired and do not mince words about it. I guess I just have a hard time being too critical of a coach who, including this year, has four 9-win seasons among the last 6, as well as a 52-22 record for those seasons. That’s a 70.2 winning percentage.
FHMAM may get their wish though. Sort of. Stanford has a job opening and Tom O’Brien may be as eager to leave Boston as FHMAM is to get rid of him.
On the surface that would make sense for Stanford and for Tom O’Brien. But what the hell is Boston College going to do?
If O’Brien leaves, BC will have successfully chased off one of, if not THE, most successful coaches in their history. O’Brien will have left because of a lack of support from the college and the fans. College football isn’t the most important thing in that region, let alone the state. Hell, BC isn’t even the most important college in that city. I really don’t know who they expect to lure into such an attractive position.
But if that’s what BC wants, that’s really up to them. I suspect their odds of finding a better coach — especially for the long term — are quite slim. But in the words and spirit of Peter Gibbons, “I hope your firings go really well.”
PS - I have a hard time labeling Jim Grobe as a “great coach.” He’s certainly had a great year, and Coach-of-the-Year honors are deserved. But was he a “great coach” when he went 6-5 in 2001? Was he a “great coach” when he went 7-6 in 2002? How about 5-7 in 2003? Or 4-7 in 2004 and 2005? Time will tell, but he won’t get my very important seal of approval just yet.
I think that you are just a bitter gnome hellbent on demoralizing anything Wake Forest.
Agreed. He isa good coach and his recruiting and ability is beginning to pay off. Anyone that makes their program at least competitive (even though the record may be under .500) with a school of 3500 students, with zero football tradition in Winston Salem of all places is doing a heck of a job.
I’m the owner/webmaster/editor/columnist over at FHMAM, TOB is one of those coaches that everyone loves unless he’s the coach of your team. Yeah he’s put up good records at first glance, but there are a number of problems:
1) He loses not one, but 2-3 absolutely unloseable games EVERY SINGLE YEAR
2) His record at BC is a result of fattening up on the Buffalos and UMasses of the world, he is barely above .500 against legitimate D1A programs
3) In TEN YEARS at BC he has failed to win a conference or division title despite numerous golden opportunities (this year, 2004 in a weakened Big East) to do so and has likewise failed to get BC into a first or even second-tier bowl game
4) His teams have no emotion or attitude and routinely come out flat in make-or-break games
5) Quite frankly, he gives the impression that he just doesn’t care
Anyway it looks like he could be headed to Raleigh now so we will see.
You got your wish it looks like. BC has had the record to go to some of the higher teir bowls but the fan base, or lask their of, doesn’t seem to leave the greater Boston area. It’s the same reason the Gator doesn’t care to have Ga Tech back for a second game this year. Big East was notorious for attrition between Va Tech, Miami, WVU and BC, with everyone else just kinda there. Don’t think you can fault him for not winning it. Especially with some of the teams Miami and Va Tech was putting up 2-3 years ago. Our biggest question is “If OBrien is so bad, who are you going to get that will be any better?”
I have to agree Bowman. There are alot of top teams in the nation right now looking for great teams. Lets face it here BC can not compete with Miami, Alabama and their fan base sucks. What “great” coach is going to show up on BC’s door step and win nine games and be able to deal with one of the most fickle fan bases in the ACC. No coach is going to want to head into a hostile stadium on the first game of their job. The Gnomes know what it’s like…they’ve all been there. Humbly I have to make the statement BC will not be a thorn for most of the ACC for the next coaches tenure. They just broke up with the prom queen runner up thinking they can get a Victoria Secret Model. I want BC to be a great team (as long as we always beat them, which hasn’t been woking out) I just don’t think they ever will be a powerhouse until they step back and understand…the fans are the real problem here.
Quick results may be easier than we think. It seems like a lot of coaches can come in, win with the initial talent, then let the program slide with time. Names like Coker and Amato come to mind. BC ain’t exactly in rebuilding phase, so I think it’s fairly possible that someone can come in and do great things in ‘07 and ‘08.
But I think the odds of finding and keeping someone who comes in and improves all aspects of the program over many years is incredibly difficult.
If you check the BC blogs, you’ll see that there is already rampant speculation about who to hire, including Rob Spence.
One name I didn’t see on those lists, that may be a good short term solution is Larry Coker. I know, I know, it looks like he ran Miami into the ground. But he was great for a year or two. BC is unlikely to have the same kind of off-the-field problems that Miami had. And BC can probably get him for a great price.
Also, I wish they’d hire Lou Holtz. I’d really like that because it would give us the opportunity to beat up on him some more, and it would get him off the goddamned TV.