111 replies to this topic

[Ojielo]

Unfortunately I believe the transfer bug will bite in College Park almost immediately

[BSLChrisStoner]

Unfortunately I believe the transfer bug will bite in College Park almost immediately

 

They will lose some. All colleges do.

If MD hires Locksley, or retains Canada the count won't be as extreme you'd think.

[oldballcoach]

If they hire Locksley MD deserves to be a doormat in the Big 10

[Ravens2006]

They should offer Jalen Hurts BIG money to jump to College Park. Like, huge money.

[BSLMikeLowe]

They should offer Jalen Hurts BIG money to jump to College Park. Like, huge money.

 

Might as well. With everything else this program has had to suffer through, adding years of NCAA sanctions would be icing on the cake.

[Ojielo]

They had a good guy in their back yard..Coach London at Howard University.

[BSLZackKiesel]

They had a good guy in their back yard..Coach London at Howard University.

27-46 overall record at UVA, just 1 bowl game in 6 seasons. He was good in his role as the Terps' defensive line coach in 2016, but a school like William & Mary is about right for him as a head coach.

[Mackus]

I'm assuming every player, at least all the good ones, will leave.  Each guy who stays will be a pleasant surprise.

 

It's the cost of doing business after the shadiness that went down.  I expect things will be pretty bad recruiting and performance-wise over the next half decade or longer.

[BSLChrisStoner]

I'm assuming every player, at least all the good ones, will leave.  Each guy who stays will be a pleasant surprise.

 

It's the cost of doing business after the shadiness that went down.  I expect things will be pretty bad recruiting and performance-wise over the next half decade or longer.

 

Doesn't have to be that way.

If they make the right hire, they'll have some internal departures, but not wide scale.

 

Penn State didn't go 5 years without being able to recruit, even while dealing with sanctions and scholarship restrictions.

 

If Locksley gets the job, it won't be mass exodus, and I bet he signs a Top 30+/- class for 2020.  I also think he'll take MD's 2019 class from 88th today, to somewhere in the 45th - 50th range by the Feb signing day.

 

 

 

If they make the wrong hire, or it's a prolonged journey to make the hire...  then you have the chance for mass exodus... and probably a multi-year run of 45-55 level classes.

[Mackus]

I don't think they'll be able to make a "right hire".  Maybe they get lucky and some unknown guy from a small school becomes a great coach, sort of like how the only way I think they'll be able to be good in the next half decade will be if some unheralded 2-star QB ends up exploding and becomes a really great college QB.  But I think any highly qualified candidate will stay away from this job.  I'm not expecting them to be able to land anyone of consequence.  Doesn't doom the next coach to failure that they weren't a great candidate in 2019, maybe they are on the upswing of their career and can overcome skipping a level or two, but it doesn't instill me with confidence that they will be the level of coach we want.  

 

Maybe this is bracing for the worst more than an actual expectation.  But a huge part of wanting to to do the right thing and get rid of Durkin, especially after they screwed it up a couple times, was an acceptance that things will be ugly for quite a long time. 

[BSLChrisStoner]

I don't think they'll be able to make a "right hire".  Maybe they get lucky and some unknown guy from a small school becomes a great coach, sort of like how the only way I think they'll be able to be good in the next half decade will be if some unheralded 2-star QB ends up exploding and becomes a really great college QB.  But I think any highly qualified candidate will stay away from this job.  I'm not expecting them to be able to land anyone of consequence.  Doesn't doom the next coach to failure that they weren't a great candidate in 2019, maybe they are on the upswing of their career and can overcome skipping a level or two, but it doesn't instill me with confidence that they will be the level of coach we want.  

 

Maybe this is bracing for the worst more than an actual expectation.  But a huge part of wanting to to do the right thing and get rid of Durkin, especially after they screwed it up a couple times, was an acceptance that things will be ugly for quite a long time. 

 

There are better candidates than you describe which are interested.

Some of what I know comes from the premium at IMS, so I'm not going to say it in public here.
Some of what I know comes from what I've been told by others closer to the program.

Either way, the consistent point is that I think they could go through a larger process and find multiple quality highly qualified options to choose from.

I think in that scenario...they might find a better 'coach' than Lox.

I continue to think Locksley should be hired this Sunday / Monday though, as I think he's the best overall answer for what MD needs immediately, and in this particular case.... I think MD has to focus on the immediate.

 

He doesn't have to be a 10 year hire.
You need to avoid the scenario you outlined above, and he's the one best capable of avoiding that.

[Mackus]

There are better candidates than you describe which are interested.

Some of what I know comes from the premium at IMS, so I'm not going to say it in public here.
Some of what I know comes from what I've been told by others closer to the program.

 

Nothing against you, who you've been talking to, or the people at IMS, but I will believe that they land a much better candidate when they announce it.  Interviews and rumors of interest don't convince me that someone will actually take this job.

 

If they can get Locksley or if they stick with Canada, I wouldn't consider that a particularly good hire, but it's best case for what I expect the options to be.

[JeremyStrain]

I don't think they'll be able to make a "right hire".  Maybe they get lucky and some unknown guy from a small school becomes a great coach, sort of like how the only way I think they'll be able to be good in the next half decade will be if some unheralded 2-star QB ends up exploding and becomes a really great college QB.  But I think any highly qualified candidate will stay away from this job.  I'm not expecting them to be able to land anyone of consequence.  Doesn't doom the next coach to failure that they weren't a great candidate in 2019, maybe they are on the upswing of their career and can overcome skipping a level or two, but it doesn't instill me with confidence that they will be the level of coach we want.  

 

Maybe this is bracing for the worst more than an actual expectation.  But a huge part of wanting to to do the right thing and get rid of Durkin, especially after they screwed it up a couple times, was an acceptance that things will be ugly for quite a long time. 

 

I completely get why you feel like that, but I don't think it's going to be that bad. I think it's pretty close to rock bottom already, and bringing in a new staff and new leadership will improve things. I think there's still some uncertainty to figure out, if Loh is still leaving, if Damon stays etc.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Nothing against you, who you've been talking to, or the people at IMS, but I will believe that they land a much better candidate when they announce it.  Interviews and rumors of interest don't convince me that someone will actually take this job.

 

If they can get Locksley or if they stick with Canada, I wouldn't consider that a particularly good hire, but it's best case for what I expect the options to be.

 

I don't take offense.

But let's just say it's Locksley.

He's the Offensive Coordinator for the best program in College Football.
He's up for Asst. of the year.
He's a quality recruiter.
He's got former players lining up to pledge for him.
He's got support from MD's most important relationship.
And he's familiar with Maryland and all the other relationships he needs within the University, local coaches, boosters, etc.

There is reason to like that profile....  Yes, I certainly agree his off-field stuff previously, and poor HC record are part of the equation as well.

But.. if he's good enough for Saban, he can be good enough for MD.

 

 

Canada is only getting the job, if the process drags out, and some of those better options who have made it known they are interested don't work out....  he's bounced around, has the reputation of being hard to deal with.... but he deserves credit for what he did this year holding them together, the players liked him, and he's always had the rep of being a quality OC.

 

 

I wouldn't be down on Canada at all, except I'm not sure he can recruit well enough.

 

 

 

Now, I do think it's fair to question if MD can get things done (regardless of the interest of qualified options), because the interest of those parties is not the same as a done deal.

Those potential options have their own options.

They will have to believe it can work at MD, when they meet with a President who is leaving, and a AD with questions as well.

They will have to know MD is willing to invest in a Coaching staff, and what they will do to close the spending gaps between MD Football and their Big Ten East foes.

But the interest is there, and that's more than 1/2 the battle imo.

[BSLMikeLowe]

Penn State didn't go 5 years without being able to recruit, even while dealing with sanctions and scholarship restrictions.

 

Not really a good analogy. Penn State is a program that if not among the blue bloods of college football, it's very close. Certainly far closer than MD. That makes it much easier to rebound.

 

More importantly, as ugly as what occurred at PSU was, it really didn't involve players. Much different story at MD. And while some of the culprits are gone, Loh and Evans were both careless and bear some direct responsibility for what happened. And both are still there, and will be the ones who decide who the next football coach is. If I'm a player right now, I'm not confident UM is really concerned about my health and safety.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Yeah, PSU is blue blood...but they had a program that took as large (or larger) PR hit, and despite sanctions and scholarship reductions were able to recruit successfully.

The argument wasn't that MD could recruit equal to the blue blood..the argument is that MD can get past this year with the right hire and recruit to the best of their current abilities (Top 20-30 classes), and doesn't have to punt on the next 5 years.


All these players we hope dont leave are looking for a reason to stay imo. I mean they could have immediately transferred and maintained the year of eligibility, but they stayed.

If they believe in the hire, (and the headlines locally, Nationally, with former players, boosters) resonates - the majority will stay. If not they will bolt.

[BSLMikeLowe]

Yeah, PSU is blue blood...but they had a program that took as large (or larger) PR hit, and despite sanctions and scholarship reductions were able to recruit successfully.

The argument wasn't that MD could recruit equal to the blue blood..the argument is that MD can get past this year with the right hire and recruit to the best of their current abilities (Top 20-30 classes), and doesn't have to punt on the next 5 years.

 

I think you're missing my main point. Nothing that happened at PSU would give cause for a player to fear for their own safety, or that their coaches, trainers and administrators weren't concerned about it or just plain incompetent. That's what has occurred at MD. This situation has far more direct impact on a player.

[BSLChrisStoner]

I think you're missing my main point. Nothing that happened at PSU would give cause for a player to fear for their own safety, or that their coaches, trainers and administrators weren't concerned about it or just plain incompetent. That's what has occurred at MD. This situation has far more direct impact on a player.

No, I get it...I'd be surprised (not shocked through) that any player actually currently fears for their safety.

I am sure plenty of players remain angry that their friend was not cared for and the actions of the University in the aftermath however.

Past that, the parallels are the incompetence, negligence, and loss of confidence in the people the players trusted to lead them.

What happened at MD had direct on field issues (a victim they knew, questions / thoughts on how they themselves have been treated), so I get what you are saying.

[BSLMikeLowe]

Past that, the parallels are the incompetence, negligence, and loss of confidence in the people the players trusted to lead them.

 

That's a fair point. There is probably more of a link between the two than I indicated. Still, PSU's board at least fired everyone directly involved. MD's didn't. I take note of that if I'm a player.

[Ojielo]

So far, so good.  Everyone is still on board