[PAmedic]

thinking back to Karcher's departure- at the time you'd have been hard pressed to find anyone asking if a move to Richmond from LU wouldve been a step up or a lateral move.

Now they're excited to get our coach, while we're not altogther torn up over it. tells you how far we've come since then. And we can thank Danny for that.

All that being said- I'm excited to see what's next- in fact, this may be the most OPTIMISTIC I've ever been about replacing a coach here.

No hard feelings from me.

[jcmanson]

http://www.mytimesdispatch.com/index.ph ... ach/16476/

Notice the last line in that article:

Rocco’s nephew, Michael Rocco, is a sophomore starting quarterback at Virginia this season.

[flamehunter]

http://www.mytimesdispatch.com/index.ph ... ach/16476/

Notice the last line in that article:

Rocco’s nephew, Michael Rocco, is a sophomore starting quarterback at Virginia this season.

Are you suggesting a package deal?

[IMBach]

You can thank Barber for his departure. His ego is a little to big for Liberty.

You are the winner. It is not about the university, community or department. It is about his career. Didn't hire DR, RD or MR...so now it is all his show.

[jcmanson]

http://www.mytimesdispatch.com/index.ph ... ach/16476/

Notice the last line in that article:

Rocco’s nephew, Michael Rocco, is a sophomore starting quarterback at Virginia this season.

Are you suggesting a package deal?

I'm not suggesting anything. I just thought it was odd to be thrown in as the last line to that article. It came from left field.

[PAmedic]

You can thank Barber for his departure. His ego is a little to big for Liberty.

You are the winner. It is not about the university, community or department. It is about his career. Didn't hire DR, RD or MR...so now it is all his show.

which would matter if anyone was that upset that DR is gone. But we're not. So what does that tell you?

I'll answer: your hatemongering is misplaced.

[LUconn]

That picture is funny. I love the half logo on his hat. As long as they had photoshop out they should have just gone ahead and slapped a spider on it.

[BJWilliams]

Does that pic make anyone else ill?

Im with PA on this one...I mean Im sad to see him go as I said before but Im not sitting here feeling any ill will toward the guy. I mean it certainly would have been nice if he stuck around but Im thankful for what he was able to do in such a short time here. We went from a 1-10 laughing stock to a perennial top 25 team and somebody that folks are having second thoughts about scheduling. In his 6 years, we only lost in a "rout" (more than three score margin of defeat) twice (Elon in 2007 and NC State last season). We tripled our average attendance. Danny Rocco is the first coach to NEVER have a losing season at Liberty. I wish him well as he moves on and Im excited for what lies ahead as well

[No Fear]

Rocco was a good coach. You can only play what players you can recruit. Until the stadium is complete and programs expanded, and we can compete against the big guys, it will be tough.
I am sure it was probably a mutal decision with Richmond opening and a BIG NAME coach interested in coming to LU .
So, on the other side, we finally get our BIG NAME coach coming to town, so we'll see if he can improve the recruiting and take us to the next level (FBS).
Should be interesting...

[NotAJerry]

Going to a conference that routinely gets 3-4 teams in the playoffs, instead of 1 at most, doesn't make sense? Going to a team with a recent National Championship on their resume is a "lateral move at best?" Sorry folks, this is a step up for sure.

Rocco did a great job rebuilding this program into something respectable. He had a few shortcomings that didn't seem to be getting fixed on the field, but nothing horrible. A place like Richmond gets him the CAA cache if he wins and that positions him for further job improvement. There's nothing wrong with that at all.

Congrats Coach Rocco, you did yeoman's work in fixing things at LU and have positioned your successor with the tools necessary for success. Good luck at UR.

[IMBach]

You can thank Barber for his departure. His ego is a little to big for Liberty.

You are the winner. It is not about the university, community or department. It is about his career. Didn't hire DR, RD or MR...so now it is all his show.

which would matter if anyone was that upset that DR is gone. But we're not. So what does that tell you?

I'll answer: your hatemongering is misplaced.

You misplace passion for the LU vision for hatemonger....if you agree with mistreating people, tolerating felonies in order to win, bad hires in the name of our cause then call it hatemongering while you wallow in mediocrity.

[prototype]

I'm glad he's gone. Same as Curry - I want people who want to be here and obviously Dan Rocco didn't feel he's up to the challenge of leading Liberty to be a top 10 program. The only problem is Curry was a exceptional player and you knew he would excel at a top flight University - Rocco is going to suck at a school less passionate about football. He got out because Mike Brown,Summers, Asa were all leaving and this is the easy out. Never really believed in his "Unfinished business" philosophy, obviously you can see now he was looking for the first train out of here...

He wants to get to the next level and doesn't think he can get there from here. Not sure what that next level is, but I'm pretty sure a big piece of that is winning big games and making it into the post season. Good luck with that Richmond job Dan Rocco - they aren't going to care about the salvation of their players - they're going to want to see results.

Let's go out and find us a GREAT coach that will finish the job this time!! I think someone named Jim, from Ohio is available;)

[LUconn]

Going to a conference that routinely gets 3-4 teams in the playoffs, instead of 1 at most, doesn't make sense?

All he had to do was beat the other good team in the conference. Just 1 game! And not let up for the rest of the patsies. Top 3-4 in the CAA is a lot more difficult. The Big South at this point is basically Beat SBU, Beat Coastal every few years. But maybe he wants the challenge? Despite not being able to complete this one?

[Hold My Own]

Very thankful for everything DR did for our program...the resources you see today would not be here if we continued the same path we were 10 years ago.


A few months ago Dr. Towns said something at Convo that really struck me as a "OH MY WORD" type of comment at first...then I thought about it a little more and he's completely right. He said that he did not believe Liberty University could have reached the level it was now under Doc. He gave a few good reasons and pretty much said God used the passing of Doc to have the torch carried to another level. There's truth to that...the same might be able to be said here. Not because DR is incapable but because his voice and passion may be 'tired' in a sense. It's like the coaching legends that lose their job...its not because they all of the sudden forgot to coach...they simply needed a renewed voice/passion. I think this will be great for both parties...he gets an opportunity to show what he did here isnt a fluke and we get the chance to build on his giant footprint.

I've been nervous about coaching hires in the past because I did not feel we could attract the best candidates for the job...b/c of the success DR brought to Liberty we're going to be a premiere job and have our "pick of the litter." I honestly do not have one ounce of worry on any of this...we're going to be just fine (PS so is DR)

[Hold My Own]

Are you suggesting a package deal?

[TH Spangler]

This should be a great recruiting year ....

[BJWilliams]

I'm glad he's gone. Same as Curry - I want people who want to be here and obviously Dan Rocco didn't feel he's up to the challenge of leading Liberty to be a top 10 program. The only problem is Curry was a exceptional player and you knew he would excel at a top flight University - Rocco is going to suck at a school less passionate about football. He got out because Mike Brown,Summers, Asa were all leaving and this is the easy out. Never really believed in his "Unfinished business" philosophy, obviously you can see now he was looking for the first train out of here...

He wants to get to the next level and doesn't think he can get there from here. Not sure what that next level is, but I'm pretty sure a big piece of that is winning big games and making it into the post season. Good luck with that Richmond job Dan Rocco - they aren't going to care about the salvation of their players - they're going to want to see results.

Let's go out and find us a GREAT coach that will finish the job this time!! I think someone named Jim, from Ohio is available;)

You know proto, bitterness isnt exactly a good thing for one's long term health prospects...

[logic]

Very thankful for everything DR did for our program...the resources you see today would not be here if we continued the same path we were 10 years ago.


A few months ago Dr. Towns said something at Convo that really struck me as a "OH MY WORD" type of comment at first...then I thought about it a little more and he's completely right. He said that he did not believe Liberty University could have reached the level it was now under Doc. He gave a few good reasons and pretty much said God used the passing of Doc to have the torch carried to another level. There's truth to that...the same might be able to be said here. Not because DR is incapable but because his voice and passion may be 'tired' in a sense. It's like the coaching legends that lose their job...its not because they all of the sudden forgot to coach...they simply needed a renewed voice/passion. I think this will be great for both parties...he gets an opportunity to show what he did here isnt a fluke and we get the chance to build on his giant footprint.

I've been nervous about coaching hires in the past because I did not feel we could attract the best candidates for the job...b/c of the success DR brought to Liberty we're going to be a premiere job and have our "pick of the litter." I honestly do not have one ounce of worry on any of this...we're going to be just fine (PS so is DR)

Very well said.

[jbock13]

Just think about this. Yes Rocco built up our program, but when it truly mattered, when the time came to win national respect, he failed. Time after time, again and again.

Change was needed. This is good for us.

[thepostman]

good for him and good for us...

I must say my respect for him is slightly damanged. I knew he would leave liberty one day for an FBS job, I never thought he would leave for another FCS position. But again I think he did all he could so ultimately, depending on who is our next coach, I think it works out for us.

I also think he will do fine in UR and come up short in big game situations like he did here, the difference is he'll stay be able to make the playoffs.

[phoenix]

I've been nervous about coaching hires in the past because I did not feel we could attract the best candidates for the job...b/c of the success DR brought to Liberty we're going to be a premiere job and have our "pick of the litter." I honestly do not have one ounce of worry on any of this...we're going to be just fine (PS so is DR)

It's not a full step up to UR, but it's not a step down either. I wonder what the buyout is on that contract extension he signed is -- IIRC he had a deal through 2014.

[bigsmooth]

wow....some of the stuff others have said just kill me but we are all entitled to our opinions. Richmond is just like his alma mater wake forest except they play FCS football. They play in the CAA and in 2008 won a national championship. They play in a nice smaller stadium. Great academic reputation as well. I really feel this was due to an internal squabble with the administration which i doubt we will ever get the answer. I really think he was told he had to fire Clark and didnt want to and im sure the Asa thing had something to do with it too.It baffles me why he would go lateral with his desire to take a team to FCS. This is really a perfect timing situation IMO with the conference shakeups that are about to occur. LU is a top FCS job and the right coach will be found. It 's a very exciting time. Thanks Coach Rocco for what you have done for LU football, and best of luck except for when or if we play UR.

[krh44]

Best wishes to Rocco. I am very excited about the future for LU football. I know some think the program will fold because we were 1-10 a few years back. We can not keep going 7-4 and having the best crowds, facilities, and sepnding the most money in the conference and not winning it. They were probably very few on this board that though after the SB game last year that we would be sitting home during the playoffs this year. With the team we had this year and lost all 3 games to good programs and struggled against VWI & Presby. DR is not stupid, Barber is not going to accept a good team but.....year in and year out. Playoffs not likely next year with the players we are losing. People acted like we have never had any athletes or good teams before Rocco. We have had our share of NFL players and some good teams in the 90s. We have far better resources than we did back then. It is time to take the next step. I don't think we can take a chance on a FBS assistant how is looking to make a name for himself. I am more excited about next season than I have been the next fews weeks.

[bigsmooth]

gotta love the trolls and AD haters who have "joined" today.....

[thepostman]

gotta love the trolls and AD haters who have "joined" today.....

that kind of crap annoys me to no end too.

I have done my share of criticism over the years but to join a fan message board just to get your agenda across is pretty pathetic