[4everfsu]

Looks like Mike Leach is a top candidate for the Maryland HC job.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5931102

[Kolzilla41]

Not even sure how I feel about this. Mike Leach is a wierd guy. But if it brings in players like Harrel and Crabtree, I'm all for it.

[JK37]

With the WVU-Maryland series back on, just imagine the battles between Holgorsen and Leach if this pans out!

[4everfsu]

Yes Ralph is out.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5933528

[flamesfilmguy]

IMHO this is a retarded move on Maryland's part. they had just granted this guy an extension and he won coach of the year last year am i right? seems like a dumb reason to fire a guy. oh well.

[LUconn]

I think it's already a done deal, but I wanted to post this article so that I could quote this paragraph

http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1166968

Along the way, he professed his love of pirates, actively sought a friendship with Donald Trump and blamed a loss to Texas A&M in 2009 on his players' "fat little girlfriends."

I love this guy so much. He's so wacky. I really have been an anti maryland guy but he may just turn things around for me.

[Cider Jim]

Maryland Fires Its Coach
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: December 21, 2010
Ralph Friedgen was fired as Maryland’s football coach Monday, effective after the Military Bowl on Dec. 29. During his 10 years at his alma mater, Friedgen went 74-50. After the Terrapins went 2-10 last year, Friedgen guided them to an 8-4 record, was named Atlantic Coast Conference coach of the year for a second time and earned his seventh postseason appearance.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/21/sport ... terps.html

[LUconn]

Looks like UMD is going to pick up Edsall. Don't get me wrong he's a good coach, but this is a huge failure by Maryland. Leach would have been a home run and I don't really think Edsall is that much of an upgrade over Friedgen.

[jcmanson]

Is Maryland an upgrade over UConn?

[Kolzilla41]

Is Maryland an upgrade over UConn?

When you have an alum that is looking to spend millions of dollars to upgrade your facilities and exposure, yes it is.

[bravo269er]

A failure? I don't think so. What Edsall has done at UConn is impressive. UConn was FCS just a decade ago. I was actually stunned Edsall went to Maryland, because he has received alot of attention the past couple of years from elite programs like ND, and Miami. Maryland fans should be very happy.

[Sly Fox]

bravo - Take note of the last four letters of LUconn's name and you'll see where he is coming from in this discussion.

But i agree that this seems like an off move for Edsall. Perhaps this is as much a testament to what he sees ahead in Storrs after losing some key stalwarts on both sides of the ball to graduation.

[bravo269er]

Sly,

Thanks. I should have been more observant. lol. I'm sure UConn has someone in mind since this has been a possible scenario the past couple of years.

I always like to see coaches stay, and build and sustain programs over a long period of time. UConn fans should be grateful, but it's too bad Edsall didn't stay to build on the momentum he had.

[LUconn]

The fans like Edsall and certainly appreciate what he has done, but I think they're getting tired of him him always being a threat to leave after ever single season and this could be a feeling of relief. At least temporarily. It's just a problem of having a good coach at a non-destination school.

I personally think he's taken them as far as he can. He's more of a rural PA style football guy (perfect for PSU) and I don't think that can take you to the top tier these days. So whoever Uconn gets will either take them over the hump or set them back to the lower dregs of college football. I of course love Mike Leach but I don't think he's touchable until he drops his lawsuit against ESPN. Plus I doubt he'd want to be in CT anyway.

[SumItUp]

He's more of a rural PA style football guy (perfect for PSU) and I don't think that can take you to the top tier these days.

OK, I'm curious. What does that mean?

[LUconn]

I guess I should have said western PA since Pittsburgh is technically urban. But you know think slow, power, lots of running, your basic Big 10 (or should I say B1G) team.

[bravo269er]

If Mike Leach was offered the UConn job he would take it. In every article i've read featuring Leach he clearly expresses a desire to just get another chance. When Maryland came up he was thrilled to be considered. Leach is a quirky guy who doesn't mind going to a program that needs tweaking. Leach is a uncommon coach in that he viewed TT as a destination job, and despite his frustrations with the AD he didn't want to leave. He was satisfied with TT. If he ended up at UConn he'd be there until he retired.

I agree with you that it may hurt the program in short term, but it is a relief. It isn't good for recruiting when you see the head of the program constantly looking for other jobs. I hope UConn finds a coach who truly wants to be there, and stays with the hopes of creating a powerhouse. I admire Peterson, Patterson, etc. because they understand that the grass isn't always greener on the other side and they can create their own unique legacy.

[LUconn]

Leach is a uncommon coach in that he viewed TT as a destination job, and despite his frustrations with the AD he didn't want to leave. He was satisfied with TT. If he ended up at UConn he'd be there until he retired.

Is that accurate? I don't actually know, but the fan banter that I've read has suggested that he was always looking for another school while he was at TT. But then again that's just message board talk. Like I said, I'm a huge fan of his. I think he's a great coach and he's a very refreshing personality. He's got an opinion on everything, he knows he's smarter than you and he'll let you know it. There's a PC crowd at every school that is scared of what his image will do to the school, but it's an image that seems to have been fabricated by Craig James and co. at ESPN. Which is what that lawsuit is about. And like I said, I really don't think anybody will touch him until he drops it (who would want to lose out on coverage?), and I don't think he will out of principal.

[bravo269er]

From everything i've always heard Leach had differences with the AD over money in relation to his staff's salary, facilities, etc. From what I understood he would interview with other schools to show the AD that he was a wanted commodity, and that they better bend to what he wanted. He used it as leverage, and got what he wanted more often than not.

I am like you, and I love Mike Leach. When the lawsuit is resolved he'll get hired quickly. He has a system that is proven, and he has shown he can win without 5 star talent. He'll get a fixer up job, and turn it into a great one.

[Kolzilla41]

A failure? I don't think so. What Edsall has done at UConn is impressive. UConn was FCS just a decade ago. I was actually stunned Edsall went to Maryland, because he has received alot of attention the past couple of years from elite programs like ND, and Miami. Maryland fans should be very happy.

Sorry,I'm not happy. I appreciate everything he's done in the last 6 or 7 years but his stats and records do not really show he is a better coach than Fridge or Leach. I do think this has a lot to do with Kevin Anderson. He is a pretty egotistical person and I think he went into this hiring situation with the mindset that I he wasn't going to let fans or alums dictate whom he hires. I see this as a lateral or subpar hire. This of course is before I even see him coach a game .

[olldflame]

It looks to me like Anderson and the brass at Maryland think that head football coach there is a much better job than history and reality indicate. Unless I'm mistaken, Fridgen and Bobby Ross are the only 2 coaches to have much success there at all. It's at best a mid-pack program in a mid-pack conference.

[ALUmnus]

Is Maryland an upgrade over UConn?

When you have an alum that is looking to spend millions of dollars to upgrade your facilities and exposure, yes it is.

Which is what UConn has had over the last several years. They have upgraded to some of the best facilities in the country and built a brand new stadium. This move just doesn't make sense for Edsell, professionally, unless he thinks the Big East might lose it's BCS bid in the future.

[ALUmnus]

I'm sure this happens with most coaching moves, but it's still fun:

Here's how a UConn freshman football player, who asked not to be identified, described how some members of the team learned of Randy Edsall's decision to go to Maryland and, what the former UConn coach said to them - and how.

No more than 25 players returned to Connecticut Sunday on the UConn charter. UConn is on break right now and many players scattered when they could. So he hadn't addressed everybody.

When the plane landed....

"We were on hold for a half-hour, with the operations manager telling us Edsall would be coming on in a few minutes. When Edsall came on he was like, "I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry I can't do this in person, but due to circumstances ... I just want to let you know that it's not because of you guys. But it's an opportunity for my family. ... I can move on feeling like I've accomplished things here and I'm leaving the program in a good way."

"A couple of coaches said that was BS. ... They didn't know about it. He hadn't told any of us.

"It really pisses me off because he made Jordan (Todman) address the team last night to say he was leaving. And he isn't man enough to do it face to face to us?"

"A lot of people were just really upset by the call. He made Todman get up and tell the whole team: 'Jordan, I think you have something to say to these guys.' He made him do it face-to-face. But he didn't do it face-to-face."

"I'm going to look [at other schools], not Big East or anything. ... When you bring in a new coach, the first three or four years [it's all developing the program)]. But these are Edsall's players, not the new guy's. ... Well, I'm going to get the --- out of here. But what happens with the incoming recruiting class? Are those guys still coming?

"The thing I'm concerned with is, am I going to get my release."

The player said they had seen Edsall this morning at the hotel. "He could have told us then, face-to-face.

According to the player, Edsall also said on the call: 'Guys, this just happened. It was a spur of the moment thing. I had no idea."

I'm hearing now that Edsall was in contract negotiations with Maryland last week...

Peace,

DC

http://blogs.courant.com/uconn_football ... layer.html

Also, something about stricter admissions guidelines at the school having a factor in the decision to leave.

[olldflame]

Is Maryland an upgrade over UConn?

When you have an alum that is looking to spend millions of dollars to upgrade your facilities and exposure, yes it is.

So, we have a wealthy alum who is promising donations for facility upgrades contingent on a coaching change. Probably doesn't like the image Friedgen presents because he's fat.

[Kolzilla41]

Is Maryland an upgrade over UConn?

When you have an alum that is looking to spend millions of dollars to upgrade your facilities and exposure, yes it is.

So, we have a wealthy alum who is promising donations for facility upgrades contingent on a coaching change. Probably doesn't like the image Friedgen presents because he's fat.

The coaching change is due to declining regular and season tickets sales at Maryland over the last few years under Friedg and the fact that many of the great Maryland high school players have been going out of state, including to WVU and UConn. I don't think Plank wants to inject a lot of money into a program that can't fill the stadium. Even when Maryland was really good 2001-2004, they barely filled the stadium. I don't know even if Leach would've been the answer but he would've at least brought more media attention to the Terps. I think the new athletics admin really screwed the whole situation up i.e. from the firing of Freidg to the hiring of Edsall. There is also talk of Larry Johnson, Defensive Line coach at PSU, leaving and coming to Maryland if Don Brown leaves MD and goes to Elon (HC) or to be DC at Vandy with Franklin. That would be huge for the Terps because Johnson has been stealing some of the best defensive players from MD and DC and bringing them to PSU.