[flamesfilmguy]

It's interesting that there has been a ton of things thrown about on here and most of them have been contradictory. Rocco said point blank in the interview it wasn't that JB forced his hand on personnel. If thats not true then rocco is a liar and he will never succeed down the road because your hand is only strong when you hold all the cards, the moment you start losing a bit your staff will come into question and if he can't handle that he'll never amount to much more than he is now. I appreciate loyalty to staff but clearly some change was needed.

The bottom line is the defense was his and Clark was only the D coordinator by title. It was DR's problem and he couldn't fix it. If you listened to the interview it was crystal clear that this was never more than a stop for him in his mind. It's dissappointing, if someone came calling and blew him away it be completely understandable. However, his own WR said it best when he simply stated what Richmond is and was. It's a lateral move and admittance that he can't deliver the program any further. He answered the question that many of us had been asking, i can respect that. I don't buy the academic spill that he recited in the interview one bit. Sure the majority of coaches do care abotu their kids passing but the they like to win football games, thats why they coach football instead of teach Biology or business.

The simple truth is this. He took over a mess at the perfect time with new commitment to facilities and a high budget and a fat salary for a coach that never made the playoffs. He won most of the battles he was supposed to win and lost most of the ones he was supposed to lose. He made several blunders this year (asa among others) and apparently according to Sly had some other issues arise. For both parties now is a good time for change. Both parties got what they wanted out of the deal. He got head coaching experience and helped to make us relevant. Truth be told i would have been really worried this time last year. The way this year unfolded i think this is best for both parties. I really don't quite understand it from his perspective taking the RU job. If he wasn't forced out and he was getting all the interest he claims i would have held out for something other than that, but who am I. At the end of the day i think were at a good place and if we can make the right move i think HMO's earlier statement may be the one we look back on as the biggest truth.

This is a Great post. and pretty much sums up how i feel about the whole situation. Rocco seemed antsy in the interview like what he was saying was just lip service. I don't know what all went on behind the scenes.... and i don't really want to know. All i know is I trust Jeff to make the right decision and I see a bright future for our football team.

[flamesfilmguy]

And Lang,
Dude don't listen to anyone on here or in athletics if they tell you you are doing anything but a fantastic job. Trust me i know you guys up there are spoiled. come down and meet the GSU beat writer and you'll understand what "unbalanced,biased" writing is. I'd take Lang-er-ang (catchy huh? ok maybe too much) down here any day of the week.

[rogers3]

It definitely came as a curveball. It’s more shocking that it’s a lateral move. He’s not making a step up.”

tells me that at least some of these kids see it the way we do.

“From a leadership standpoint, I think the thing is that guys need to come together and not necessarily worry about who is going to be our next coach. I really think that we need to all come together, and that we still need to work hard. We need to realize what our goals are. Just because a coach leaves us, it doesn’t change what we want to do. We still want to make the playoffs. We still want to play for a national championship. We still want to play in the NFL. That’s not really affected by who your head coach leaving. More than anything, we need to realize that we’re all in it together. We’re all brothers here. And at the end of the day, we’ve got to have each other’s backs, no matter who’s our coach.”

I love that dude. Looking for a BIG season from him next yr

...and he speaks like a team leader, for sure.

[BJWilliams]

Pat has always been someone who has the natural qualities of a leader. When somebody steps up like that (especially one of the seniors), it holds a lot of weight with younger players. Will some guys leave? probably, but you have to think something like that, especially if it was said in that team meeting on Monday, will go a long way.

[Sly Fox]

The news conference live right now in Richmond right here ===> http://bit.ly/vwNOa3

[LUconn]

BuryYourRichmond

[bigsmooth]

i could care less on what "mr. academic prowess" has to say. I wonder if he would have tried to get Asa to Richmond if he had eligibility? We all know Asa struggled in the classroom. If im Kristie Beitz, the AD for academics, i would tell him a few things....we all know UR is a quality academic schhol but don't use that as your reasoning.

[jcmanson]

From Lang's most recent blog:

This isn’t about me versus Liberty. You know, Liberty’s going to be FBS. They’re going to be in a legitimate conference in the FBS in a few years, a number of years. I wish them well. As for the process that goes into that, I think right now this situation that I have just accepted is a better process for me. That’s what one of the reasons why I’m very much at peace and very comfortable with what we are doing.

http://www2.newsadvance.com/sports/2011 ... r-1527042/

This makes DR's move to UR even more interesting. If he fully believes LU will be FBS within a few years then there's only a few options:

1. He doesn't want to be an FBS coach
2. He doesn't want to lead a team during a transition to FBS
3. He has maxed out his potential as a coach at LU
4. He was "forced" into making a move

I highly doubt #1 is truth, and from all the quotes and interviews I've seen/heard it's not #4. So, it's either #2 or 3.

[TDDance234]

From Lang's most recent blog:

This isn’t about me versus Liberty. You know, Liberty’s going to be FBS. They’re going to be in a legitimate conference in the FBS in a few years, a number of years. I wish them well. As for the process that goes into that, I think right now this situation that I have just accepted is a better process for me. That’s what one of the reasons why I’m very much at peace and very comfortable with what we are doing.

http://www2.newsadvance.com/sports/2011 ... r-1527042/

This makes DR's move to UR even more interesting. If he fully believes LU will be FBS within a few years then there's only a few options:

1. He doesn't want to be an FBS coach
2. He doesn't want to lead a team during a transition to FBS
3. He has maxed out his potential as a coach at LU
4. He was "forced" into making a move

I highly doubt #1 is truth, and from all the quotes and interviews I've seen/heard it's not #4. So, it's either #2 or 3.

Despite the awkward situation, Rocco nor Barber would throw each other under the bus. If Barber asked Rocco to make a move and he refused, we'll never know, IMO.

[LUconn]

Do we root for Danny Rocco's failure?


I really have no ill will towards him. He seems like a good guy, and I think he was a great coach. But seeing his quotes from the Richmond press conference, especially in regards to recruiting made me realize he is in direct competition with us. A good Richmond program is bad for Liberty. A bad Liberty is good for Richmond. Sucks that I have to want him to go down in flames but he kind of forced me to.

Until we go FBS.

[Sly Fox]

I transcribed some of the quotes from the news conference in the @FlameFans twitter feed. Nothing really earth-shattering.

[jcmanson]

I was fine until I saw the interview. Obviously though, going to an in-state program makes it more contentious. He's the enemy now. Plain and simple. He realizes it, and his comments on the way out the door were an attempt to salt our fields.

Yep

@LUConn, as long as we are FCS, we have to root against UR. That's just the way it is.

[R i]

I was fine until I saw the interview. Obviously though, going to an in-state program makes it more contentious. He's the enemy now. Plain and simple. He realizes it, and his comments on the way out the door were an attempt to salt our fields.

Yep

@LUConn, as long as we are FCS, we have to root against UR. That's just the way it is.

+1

[TallyW]

I just can't help but to take the 1,000 references to academics as digs toward LU. I can't imagine what the administration from Richmond said about LU in the process.
----------
In the interview he was asked about being at UR for a 'long time' and if so 'what do you consider a long time?' and he basically said 'no' although he mentioned his 5-year contract. He quickly moved to 'winning today... every day'.
----------
As for him staying with LU through the transition... would YOU want to do that if you see yourself as having the pedigree to coach FBS in the ACC or Big 10? From his perspective... "Why take the lumps? I've done LU a great service.... I'm not the guy to take a beating in the transition years."

If his goal is to coach a big time program one day... this move makes sense for him.
From his perspective he can be at Richmond and build them back into a top flight school with a similar formula he used here. He will also have a shot at more transfer players (no faith issues) and once he wins quickly, he'll look good to someone up the line. It won't be long after turing around 2 programs that he's branded as that kind of guy you want at your bad program in a good conference. He then can take a job at a BCS eligible school (Like his friend Mike London did with UVA) OR he can stay at LU and bust his tail for the next few years until we transition up at which point he will be taking a beating for several years. If he does that it's not like the big boys will want to pay him to come take their program.

So 3-5 years from now which resume gets him set for what he sees as his future?
LU- A FCS schedule in the Big South & transition to a FBS paying dues
OR
UR- Turn it around in the CAA w/ a few playoff runs and then jump to play with the big boys.

He's been up front... I can't hate on him... he's used the word "carrier" numerous times. His eye is on a prize bigger than UR for sure. Mike London was at Richmond for TWO years. TWO. Now he's in the ACC. If you're in Rocco's shoes and your buddy who also left UVA is now back as the head coach... you have to be feeling like it's time to jump.

LU needs someone to transition us up... I don't think he wanted to be that guy. I think he was simply saying "yeah Barber... I see what you're doing... but no... that's not me." At the end of the day, that's fine... we need THAT guy... whomever 'THAT guy' is... we need someone ready to lay the groundwork out of the FCS and into the FBS.

Rocco laid the groundwork for us to even be having this discussion.

[LUconn]

Good post Tally. Stick around. SJ is on your side now.

[jcmanson]

It is UR - University of Richmond - not RU - Radturd University.

[TallyW]

It is UR - University of Richmond - not RU - Radturd University.

My apologies. Corrected.

[Sly Fox]

TallyW! Wow, if it took Rocco leaving to bring you back out of the woodwork it was all worth it.

Stick around because your insights are greatly appreciated. And LUconn is on the money though I doubt you'd get SJ to admit it.

You are correct in your assessments. His reaction to the "long haul" question was pretty entertaining. I think he answered it truthfully while obviously indicating he has bigger fish to fry. He also was very upfront about using transfers as a way to get their program back on track. It obviously worked here but I get the feeling that snooty UR folks may not have been as excited to hear the news as perhaps Coach Rocco might expect. The #1 crack I heard from Richmond fans on us the past few years on AGS was that we were replacing JMU as the Transfer U of the commonwealth.

[Hold My Own]

To your point Tal, I told DR at a baseball game a few weeks after RM left us how much I respected the fact that he'd get up in front of everyone at Flames Club and talk about the task at hand, the goals for the season but did not make promises like "I'm going to be here until we're FBS" or things like that....we've had a lot of people (RM included) that did promise us things well beyond they were truly willing to see out.

Maybe people will point out promises he's made but did not follow through with...but nothing stands out like the promises in the past from other coach's. He never claimed to be a 'Lifer' which is kinda why I liked the guy...he didnt "play the game" which we see played all to often with no substance behind the words. He kept it real.

[R i]

Not claiming to be a lifer, goes a long way with me as well. Well said HMO.

[BJWilliams]

Agree with HMO's comments. He did what he was brought in to do and that is to get Liberty football back in people's consciousness outside of Lynchburg and that is exactly what he did. I think I mentioned this before but he took a 1-10 laughingstock and turned it into a perennial top 15-20 team that, to be frank, people are afraid to play now. He didnt sit here and say that he was gonna stay here for life as HMO said. I developed a lot of respect for Coach Rocco even from the first time I met him at a Flames Club luncheon back in 2006. As for people who wish him ill and see him as the "enemy", you should be ashamed of yourselves. Yes he isnt our coach anymore, but Im not going to sit here and WANT to see him fail where he goes just because he isnt on the mountain anymore.

[thepostman]

To your point Tal, I told DR at a baseball game a few weeks after RM left us how much I respected the fact that he'd get up in front of everyone at Flames Club and talk about the task at hand, the goals for the season but did not make promises like "I'm going to be here until we're FBS" or things like that....we've had a lot of people (RM included) that did promise us things well beyond they were truly willing to see out.

Maybe people will point out promises he's made but did not follow through with...but nothing stands out like the promises in the past from other coach's. He never claimed to be a 'Lifer' which is kinda why I liked the guy...he didnt "play the game" which we see played all to often with no substance behind the words. He kept it real.

So true. That is why I find it difficult to be upset over him leaving us. I also thought it was the right time for both sides to move on so I have a slightly different perspective, but he never said he was here for life or he was finally home or some other crap like that. I don't care who you are a coach should NEVER say anything like that.

[TallyW]

SLY- It's good to be back. I'll continue to pop in from time to time. As for SJ and I... we're on good terms. He's a solid dude.

[jcmanson]

I agree with respecting DR for not saying anything like that, but as long as we're FBS and he's at UR, he is part of the enemy. Whether you want to admit it or not. Same as Mickey Matthews, Jimmy Laycock, and Wilder at ODU.

[thepostman]

How can a view him as an enemy if I believe he did us a favor???