…and other college football tidbits:
- To the surprise of, well, no one, Chuck Amato will be let go from the Florida State coaching staff after the Gator Bowl. Amato, who had the title “Executive Head Coach”, and Jimbo Fisher, FSU’s coach-select, were rumored to have had a serious spat or three earlier this season.
Fisher is cleaning house, letting three other assistants go with Amato. The previously-announced retirement of defensive guru Mickey Andrews leaves five assistant spots for Fisher to fill.
(I can never get enough of that picture, BTW)
- Texas’s Mack Brown is giving Steve Austin a run for his money, as Brown is now a Five Million Dollar Man. (I realize that those under age 30 may only know the name “Steve Austin” as a pro wrestler. That’s not who I’m talking about. Click the link, junior.)
- Louisville has named Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong as their new head coach. This leaves Kansas and Notre Dame as the only BCS jobs remaining open.
- Apparently the Brian Kelly to Notre Dame thing is not a done deal. Notre Dame may be playing footsie with UConn’s Randy Edsall as well.
- A Congressional subcommittee passed a bill seeking a playoff system for major college football. There is no doubt the BCS is a mess, but doesn’t Congress have better things to do? Like complete the hearings on the White House party crashers?
- Granted, there are not a lot of high-profile openings this year, but why is Skip Holtz not being mentioned for any of these BCS jobs? He is certainly getting the job done in Greenville. Discuss.
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“Skip Holtz”
shhhhhhhhhhhhh. [whispers] Its looks like Dwayne Harris may come back as well shhhhhhhhhhhhh don’t tell anybody….
http://www.bonesville.net/Articles/KevinMonroe/2009/120909_Monroe.htm
After last season’s Syracuse flirtation, you likely won’t hear Skip’s name again until he is taking a job.
ECU fan is probably hoping that Kelly and not Edsall gets the Notre Dame job. Skip could be a potential candidate an UConn.
J Mohn,
Remember, the guy that wrote that article gets a paycheck from ECU.
It is just my opinion so you know what it is worth, but if I were Skip I would rather stay at ECU than go to UCONN. At least ECU is known for football, even if it is bad football.
And its a heckuva of a lot warmer in Greenville and you are an hour from the beach.
UCONN? Skip’s been there done that, maybe he’ll also consider being OC @ South Carolina again too.
Skip is probably a potential candidate for many jobs and I actually think Dwain Harris’ stock is high for the NFL the draft. With that said, just b/c one gets a paycheck doesn’t mean their always out to tow the company line.
If Skip thinks Uconn is that special situation than so be it but I don’t think there is anything special about Uconn where football is concerned.
@DD – I would much rather Congress concentrate on screwing up the unimportant stuff, thank you very much.
@Brian – I realize that Down East highways have been improved/widened since I left Greenville, but I had no idea one could get to a beach from Greenville in an hour (except maybe Whichard’s Beach). Just how fast do you drive???
Doc,
I knew you meant the “Six Million Dollar Man” Lee Majors and not Stone Cold. I guess that makes me old
UConn was 1-AA when Skip was there. He left to coach with his dad and be closer to his mom, who was going through a serious bout with cancer.
UConn pays Edsall a significantly higher salary than Skip makes at ECU, and they play in a BCS conference.
There wasn’t very much special about Syracuse, either, and Skip came really close to going there a year ago. It doesn’t seem like he’s going to go from ECU to Notre Dame, so if ND is his “dream job”, he’s going to have to take a step up before he gets a shot at that Golden Dome.
Skip may very well be saying it will take a “special” opportunity to pry him out of Greenville because “I’m taking the first BCS job I think has a chance of being successful” doesn’t sound as good at fundraisers.
The fact that he talks about “special situations” rather than saying “I’m not going anywhere” lets you know that it’s just a matter of time.
^ Mike, If championship football and a bowl game on January 2, 2010 is bad football I’d like to see what you call NCSU football?? Maybe NCSU should give up football with Northeastern.
Why wouldn’t skip think Syracuse could be successful? You know, being a big fish in a little pond is a great job. In other words sometimes being happy, content and a hero where you are is better than higher salaries and the BCS. I completely understand the coach’s speak when Skip talks about a “special situations” but I’m also not as cynical as you to believe there no truth to it. Yeah, I’m a fan but I can be optimistic and realistic at the same time.
Skip is saying “special situations” b/c he is precieved as a hot commodity and when your hot it doesn’t make much business sense to say “I’m not going anywhere”. I’m not going anywhere with my job but I’d still like to get paid more.
It’s also a matter of time before there are some conference shake ups and maybe just maybe ECU will end up on the BCS side of it.
I thought Mike meant that even when times are tough ECU would be known for football. if not, than no doubt; if winning 8,9,10 games a year, going back to back champs and flirting with the top 25 is bad football than I love me some bad football. Not everybody can be in the SEC and I don’t mind playing them in January.
You’re not perceived as a hot commodity unless your name is coming up in coaching conversations. As of right now, Skip’s name is not.
I didn’t see him mentioned for Louisville. The UVa search didn’t really last long enough to even have a true “list”.
This season may (should) have been a wake-up call for Skip that in order to be a “hot” commodity, he has to beat BCS schools. Last season, coming off the WV and VT games, he got an interview/offer. This season, he didn’t win those games and he hasn’t gotten any interviews/offers.
If a little of the “shine” is off of his star, going back to a place like UConn where he had success and left on good terms could be a possibility. Especially since his dad works for ESPN now, which is based in Connecticut. He already switched jobs once to be closer to his parents.
E Mohn: Scoreboard. Appalachian won a national championship the year they were beaten by Amato’s worst NCSU team. ECU won C-USA last year and lost to NCSU. At some point, the fact that C-USA isn’t all that special a conference needs to register with you guys. There is nothing to suggest that this year’s ECU team would have been any threat at all to win a BCS conference (or division) title.
Let Skippy beat TOB before you trash NCSU football. Until then, scoreboard.
It does register dan, yet its still special to win it as there are a few teams in it who are worthy. And I’d rather be looking at the scoreboard in the post season than irrelevant one you’re seeing now.
“You’re not perceived as a hot commodity unless your name is coming up in coaching conversations. As of right now, Skip’s name is not.””
“This season may (should) have been a wake-up call for Skip that in order to be a “hot” commodity, he has to beat BCS schools.””
I would think an AD is going to look at a coaches’ body of work and not just the last season. The fact is there’s not a lot of coaching conversations going on and basic economics tells me the price of the commodity is subject to supply and demand.
I don’t know about anyone else, but between 2 schools that have no legitimate shot at making it to the BCS, I’d rather pull for the one that wins conference championships and plays in bowl games than the one that’s always talking about “next year”.
ECU > NSCU, at the moment anyway.
Regarding Amato: you gotta love the $17 polarized fishing glasses from Walmart (that might not be what they are, but that sure as hell is what they look like)
ECU is a 7.5 underdog to 4th-place SEC team.
People must really respect that C-USA championship.
The AD has to sell a new coach to his fanbase. Going 9-4 at ECU isn’t going to make people at a truly “special” school act impressed. Especially when you go 0-3 in chances to beat BCS schools.
There’s nothing at all wrong with coaching ECU and living in Greenville. Well, Greenville traffic does kind of suck. But, Skip’s dad is a coaching legend. I am not sure that he will ultimately be satisfied with the lower national profile that comes with being ECU’s coach.
^ ^ Amato was literally looking through red tinted sunglasses; at the ref no less.
Kev,
Last time I checked, the winner of the ACC got an automatic bid. ECU has to go undefeated to even think of making the BCS.
There’s nothing about State’s season to brag about, but I think it’s worth noting that ECU is most likely not in a bowl with State’s schedule, either.
Schedule matters.
You ECU guys are so easy to get riled up.
When ECU plays in a real conference, you know, one with a shot at getting a BCS bid, then talk to me. What team in Conf-USA is ever in the Natty conversation? Ever.
And NC State does have scoreboard on the Pie-rats. If ECU had not pussed out this year, then it might be different. As it stands, SCOREBOARD.
ECU fans aren’t riled up by State fans. We are riled up about playing in a bowl game, something you are not. It must be pretty sad being a State fan. Every year you guys are suppose to be good & every year you are not. Keep hanging your hat on being in a BCS conference because right now that’s all you got.
7.5 points is one possession just like Arkansas was one possession away from being tied for 3rd place in the SEC. If Arkansas is going to look at ECU as just a C-USA team then they will lose and those “people” will have to recognizzzzze. Either way ECU is most dangerous when playing role of the underdog so bring it on.
Speaking of C-USA, NCSU would fit right in with the West Division- all pass, no class and breaks like glass.
Dan, last time you checked you were right about the ACC champ getting into the BCS. I’ll still stand by my comment that neither NCSU nor ECU has a legitimate shot of making the BCS anytime soon. That said, I’d take ECU’s season and accomplishments over NCSU’s (or Wake’s or Duke’s or Maryland’s) any day.
“Let Skippy beat TOB before you trash NCSU football. Until then, scoreboard.”
Seriously? The guy has won 2 straight conference championships. Yeah, it’s a lesser conference, but it’s STILL better than 3 losing seasons all day, every day.
See thats the problem with NCSU fans… Every year its the same ol’BS. BBall or FBall. begining of the season, the are the best team in the nation, then they loose a few games, and then it’s fire the coach.
they have a sense of entitlement…because they are in a better conference, they are better team, because they are close to UNC and Dook, they think they should be on the same level.(bball)
We’ll it just doesn’t work that way.
I actually don’t mind State. Its the fans that have problems.
Batch, I would say that the history of the NC State basketball program says that they can (and in Wolfpack Nation’s eyes should) be on the same level as UNC and Duke. If you only look at the post-Valvano era of things though, then they have stunk forever.
ECU on the other hand has won what and when? Your biggest win in football came in State’s stadium, but it wasn’t against the Pack now was it?
My only issue with ECU fan is the extra baggage the ladies carry around. Good think Tiger didn’t go through Greenville, or his junk might have rotted off.
State football is better than ECU football. You know how I know? The scoreboard tells me so.
I got this guys…
The only meaningful game played between ECU and NCSU came when both teams were ranked and the better team and program won…. on that cold new year’s day in Atlanta.
1992 Peach Bowl bitches. SCORE-effing-BOARD!
Nuff said, thanks for coming, pick up you pack pride at the door as it hits your ass on the way out.
ECU football is better than State football. You know how I know? The bowl schedule tells me so.
Mike…thanks for hammering down my point.
yes it was fun tearing down those posts but not real sure if it has any relevance. I’m glad we made an impression.
your the ladies comment offers a good analogy. Sure most of ladies have a somewhat of a negative reputation like C-USA, but like my ECU counterpart, my trophy case is full.
^Dude, that’s nothing to be proud of. I never attended a single class at EXU and I still ran through a large swath of the female population on campus between ’96 and ’00. Any idiot could trip and accidentally bang 4 or 5 EXU coeds on the way down when in G-Vegas.
My point was to only state the fact that playing is better than sitting on the sidelines.
winning championships, bowling, getting laid > no rings, no bowls, no trim
^I like this guy.
Sure you did pat. I’m sure you banged an ECU chick everyday. You wish you had game like Tiger Woods.
Tiger Woods doesn’t need game. He’s Tiger freaking Woods. His whole game consists of chicks seeing his ass on TV, billboards, magazines, the internet, and any other place that there can be advertising. That dude would drown in women as soon as he crossed over the city line into G-Vegas. Joe in Raliegh could get laid in Greenville. I’m not necessarily proud of my exploits in G-Vegas, there may have even been a trip to the free clinic. Or three. But whatever, the point is, anybody can get some strange at EXU, what I did is nothing special.
Dave Glenn reported on his show today that C-USA is 6-42 against BCS teams over the last two seasons.
ECU won a conference championship. Congratulations. App State won 3 national championships in a row. At no point during their “dynasty” did I think they were better than NCSU.
Is Appalachian a better program than ECU? They’ve won more. They have national championships. Based on the logic you guys are using to say ECU > NCSU, it only stands to reason that App > ECU. The on-field score doesn’t matter.
I believe we’ll find out next season. NCSU is coming to Greenville to christen ECU’s stadium expansion. TOB will improve his record against Skip to 3-0, then it will be back to the “well, we’re going to win another championship” smack talk from ECU fans.
I bet Tiger has been a regular at some free clinics too. Hell, you should be proud of your conquests in Greenville. That’s why they call it the good ole days.
I’d rather win championships than beat NXSU any day.
Seconded.
I like him too, Pat.
Look, ECU Fan. When you guys stop thumping your chests about beating up on Memphis and Tulane, come talk to us. UVA could run the table in Conf-USA. Hell, Winston-Salem State could smack that conference around.
And way to let my STD reference go way over your heads, Pat excluded.
If you look at BCS teams C-USA is playing you’ll see its top-tier heavy. A lot of SEC and top 10 teams. Schedule matters.
Appalachian is a better division I-AA than ECU. Which is why your whole division I-AA division I-A analogy doesn’t fly seeing both ECU and NCSU are both part of the I-A division.
And if you want to compare schedules, ECU plays a very tough OOCS and a few formidable C-USA teams (a ranked Houston, a good Southern Miss, a good Marshall and UCF) where the State and other ACC teams play the sisters of the poor, (multiple D I-AA games) to go along with MD, Duke and UVA who combined had 9 or 10 wins.
Nobody is beating their chest over Memphis and Tulane and UVA lost to Southern Miss.
Any idiot could trip and accidentally bang 4 or 5 EXU coeds on the way down when in G-Vegas.
note to self: plan road trip to Greenville.
No one said Conference USA was a good conference and I am not happy ECU is in it but we might as well make the best of it. No matter what conference your in you still have to win 6 games to make a bowl. What’s NCSU record?? Though we may not be in a BCS conference and have to go undefeated to get there I much rather be playing in January than not.
As I stated in an earlier blog any of the 4th place teams in the SEC could compete for the ACC championship so I’ll take playing 4th ranked SEC team than not at all.
Good, solid points guys. In the end, your boys are playing in a bowl game while mine are not. This is all good and dandy, and I’m happy for you. Really, I am. Lets be honest though, there is no reason that the Liberty Bowl should be played after Dec. 31. Too many bowl games play after Dec 31 now, and it cheapens what used to be a great accomplishment (playing New Years Day). I hate the BCS.
And I can’t honestly bang the NC State drum after my boys lost to Duke. We still have scoreboard on you though, since your boys pussed out and would not play Stat this year, which by the way forced State to play one of those Sisters of the Poor games you are talking about.
Mike and Dan,
No one is saying CUSA is better than ACC. Hell, I’m not real sure who is better ECU or NCSU. It probably changes from year to year. Yes NCSU has won the last two games, but ECU won the two before that. (Keep the stats to this lifetime Mike) And we are ranked higher this year.
This whole debate started when Mike called ECU “bad football” which is just really stupid.
and yes very much look froward to being the final nail in TOB’s coffin like we were for Amato in 06.
J Mohn,
You can’t talk trash about multiple 1-AA games when your team is THE reason for them.
1-AA < Div 1
Non-BCS < BCS
Period.
There simply is a difference between BCS conferences and non-BCS conferences.
"I’d rather win championships than beat NXSU any day."
In football you can't do either one.
The only bad things about not going to a bowl are missing the extra practice time and the fact that not going means your season sucked.
As bad as State's season was, I still wouldn't want to drop down a notch in competition just to hoist a mid-level championship. The biggest fish in a small pond is still not a very large fish.
“Adios, Chuckles!”
Well, a good ol ECU NCSU slap fight holds thee most comments on TSB. Guys, If we join forces just think what we could do to Tar hole fan
Btw, a Herb Sendec thread is 2nd.
TMK wrote: “….I’ll still stand by my comment that neither NCSU nor ECU has a legitimate shot of making the BCS anytime soon. That said, I’d take ECU’s season and accomplishments over NCSU’s (or Wake’s or Duke’s or Maryland’s) any day.”
No offense, but does the fact that Wake’s been to the BCS in the last four years seem to undercut that entire argument, or were you just speaking within the context of 2009?
J2K, I’m with you, it completely deflates his argument.
He did say “ECU’s season” did he not?
“and yes very much look froward to being the final nail in TOB’s coffin like we were for Amato in 06.”
Wouldn’t that be a bad thing? Amato was canned because he couldn’t even beat ECU? If that is the case, in ECU Fan’s eyes, then you really don’t think much of your program either. I’m just saying.
I’ve always liked and respected ECU football, by the way. I knew several players there, and always had a good time while visiting.
Cute reply, dan, but UNX is doing better than NXSU. Period. EXU is doing better than both. Period. UNX is closer to EXU than NXSU is, though.
Of course I was talking about 2009. Did Wake do something important this year that I missed?
#26/Liberty Bowl/Back to Back mid-level champs > NCSU in this decade.
“#26/Liberty Bowl/Back to Back mid-level champs > NCSU in this decade.”
Change “decade” to “season” and I’ve got no argument…except that there isn’t really a #26.
But, if you’re going to talk this “decade”, then you have to talk about the entire decade. If you’re going to do that, then you lose.
65-58 overall, 4-2 in bowls, and a #11 final ranking >>> 59-63 overall (with one to go), 2-3 bowl record (with one to go), and zero (that I’m aware of) top 25 finishes
By the way….congratulations Tarboro High School Vikings, 2009 NCHSAA 2-A State Champs