Even though I would've extended Fridge, I agree with what you are saying regarding the lame-duck coach. If they weren't going to keep him, then yeah can him. KA was correct that it would be hard to recruit and get quality coaches if the head coach was on a one-year deal with no succession plan(like we had with JF).The comments he made about Friedgen staying notwithstanding, I had no problem with letting him go. It just isn't a good idea to have a lameduck college football coach. I have nothing against Ralph, I just feel it was time to make a change. I'm also not a Franklin fan so I was okay with not giving him the job.
In regards to Leach, I thought the story was that KA wanted him but the Board of Regents backed off after they starting getting a lot of complaints from the parents of the players. I've always wondered how many of those particular players ended up leaving anyway because they didn't like Edsall.
As for Edsall, I wasn't a fan of the hire. I definitely wasn't a fan last year, but I'm starting to come around. Locksley and the staff have done some really nice things in regards to recruiting. The offense has to be better this year - or at least should be more interesting to watch after that stupid system they ran last year. A friend of mine is from Pittsburgh, and has seen Hills play quite a bit. He thinks he's the real deal. Says we will be pleasantly surprised.
There's various things circling around about Leach. I think the higher-ups(Loh and the Board of Regents) and maybe even KA got cold feet with Leach. Well Leach was being interviewed, MD set-up his wife with a real estate agent and told her to look for houses, implying that he probably had the job.
It wouldn't surprise me in the least if parents complained but I don't think it weighed in so heavily for hiring him. And I do think a good deal of those who complained probably left anyways b/c of Edsall.
