ImpTheDimp
Recruit
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2012
- Messages
- 19
This is not an Al Golden thread. This is a post about Canes history and the many, many posts that have come about in the wake of the present coaching situation.
What this program has been lacking since the early 2000s is the ability to properly use and develop talent. In my opinion, the best of times was the Butch-era. His regime was able to get kids in, use their natural ability and make them even better. It is a credit to those former players and coaches. The proof is in the pudding; not only did tons of kids from that that time make it to the NFL (the list is long, prominent and full of pro bowlers and future hall of famers), but also many of those coaches from the Butch coaching tree (position coaches, coordinators, etc...) have become very successful in their own right either in the pros, college, or both (for example... Chuck Pagano, Chud, Schiano, etc...).
If you remember, when Butch left for Cleveland, Donna wanted to hire Barry Alvarez as the HC. The players, led primarily by Ed Reed, spoke up and demanded that Larry Coker be hired and he was. The fan base was happy. Absent that first year under Coker, the Coker-era was a disaster and began the downward spiral. Top recruits came in and lived off of the program's reputation and past. Let's not kid ourselves, Devin Hester, Greg Olson, etc...never lived up to their potential here. Lots of kids from that era did nothing here then went to the league and balled out...(I'll never forget watching Sam Shields his first year in GB and think, "wow, what could have been"). A clear coaching failure.
Fast forward...Coker is relieved from duty and the search again begins. Donna hires Randy Shannon; a former Cane player and coach who was dialed-in to South Florida. I think the fanbase was happy. To make a long, painful story short--once again, no talent development, terrible game day coaching and an even bigger setback for the program. The failures of the MNW kids is tell-tale and epic. Nothing more really needs to be said.
Randy is fired and the school decides to do the in vogue thing and hire a search committee. In comes Al. Lots of us weren't initially happy because we didn't know him. However, that first press conference made us all fall in line and declare him a saint. We all applauded his recruiting and marveled at the pick ups of Deon Bush, Tracy Howard and Duke, to name a few. We all chanted "We Back". but guess what...little development and bad game day coaching and here we go again. Moral of the Al story was learned during the Louisville game...South Florida kids need to use their natural ability and talent and play South Florida football--Louisville beat us with our own brand of football. Watching Teddy B throw up the U and make the neck-slicing gesture--and do nothing about it--makes me sick. Jerome Brown must have been rolling around in his grave
So, where are we now. Clearly, in limbo. Does Al come back and continue to try to use his technical, PSU style football in a non-PSU football atmosphere? Does he use the Louisville ***-whipping to realize that changes need to be made? Does Al leave and do we have a clean slate to hire a coach that meets our needs--e.g. talent development and aggressive game play.
I hate SunLife and wish we had a new home, but we don't...and won't. I am a believer that winning cures all. Let's start winning again.
What this program has been lacking since the early 2000s is the ability to properly use and develop talent. In my opinion, the best of times was the Butch-era. His regime was able to get kids in, use their natural ability and make them even better. It is a credit to those former players and coaches. The proof is in the pudding; not only did tons of kids from that that time make it to the NFL (the list is long, prominent and full of pro bowlers and future hall of famers), but also many of those coaches from the Butch coaching tree (position coaches, coordinators, etc...) have become very successful in their own right either in the pros, college, or both (for example... Chuck Pagano, Chud, Schiano, etc...).
If you remember, when Butch left for Cleveland, Donna wanted to hire Barry Alvarez as the HC. The players, led primarily by Ed Reed, spoke up and demanded that Larry Coker be hired and he was. The fan base was happy. Absent that first year under Coker, the Coker-era was a disaster and began the downward spiral. Top recruits came in and lived off of the program's reputation and past. Let's not kid ourselves, Devin Hester, Greg Olson, etc...never lived up to their potential here. Lots of kids from that era did nothing here then went to the league and balled out...(I'll never forget watching Sam Shields his first year in GB and think, "wow, what could have been"). A clear coaching failure.
Fast forward...Coker is relieved from duty and the search again begins. Donna hires Randy Shannon; a former Cane player and coach who was dialed-in to South Florida. I think the fanbase was happy. To make a long, painful story short--once again, no talent development, terrible game day coaching and an even bigger setback for the program. The failures of the MNW kids is tell-tale and epic. Nothing more really needs to be said.
Randy is fired and the school decides to do the in vogue thing and hire a search committee. In comes Al. Lots of us weren't initially happy because we didn't know him. However, that first press conference made us all fall in line and declare him a saint. We all applauded his recruiting and marveled at the pick ups of Deon Bush, Tracy Howard and Duke, to name a few. We all chanted "We Back". but guess what...little development and bad game day coaching and here we go again. Moral of the Al story was learned during the Louisville game...South Florida kids need to use their natural ability and talent and play South Florida football--Louisville beat us with our own brand of football. Watching Teddy B throw up the U and make the neck-slicing gesture--and do nothing about it--makes me sick. Jerome Brown must have been rolling around in his grave
So, where are we now. Clearly, in limbo. Does Al come back and continue to try to use his technical, PSU style football in a non-PSU football atmosphere? Does he use the Louisville ***-whipping to realize that changes need to be made? Does Al leave and do we have a clean slate to hire a coach that meets our needs--e.g. talent development and aggressive game play.
I hate SunLife and wish we had a new home, but we don't...and won't. I am a believer that winning cures all. Let's start winning again.