104 replies to this topic

[BSLMikeLowe]

I don't buy the idea that Maryland football can never be a legit top 10 / top 15 caliber program, and a perennial top 25. Maryland is the biggest college and biggest college program right in the heart of a large market.

I think they'll need to find a way to lure a legit, "name" head coach with a top tier track record at some point. Someone that had big success at a big school for a while, then maybe got the boot because they failed to live up to elevated standards. That sort of situation...

 

About the closest MD got to that was when they almost hired Mike Leach, and you can debate whether or not he had big success at Texas Tech.

 

I think their ceiling is significantly better than where they sit right now. I don't know that it's legit Top 10-15, but being somewhere in the Top 25 at the end of a season is not much to ask. But as a bottom-tier Power Five program like they are now (at least when it comes to results), they are likely going to have to be able to identify a candidate who doesn't have the sort of track record you'd ideally like to have when you are committing tens of millions in salary.

 

It's obviously not an exact science to get a coaching hire right, but MD has had far more failures in that department than successes.

[glenn__davis]

I think part of the problem is that it's easy if you're not engaged to look at the score, look at the opponent, and say "Well, Michigan is just an elite team, we're trying to build but we're nowhere near their level, these things take time", etc.

 

But if you really watch the game...I mean I don't think Michigan really even played all that well today.  MD continues to look so totally unprepared, so completely clueless especially on the defensive side of the ball, commits so many terrible and costly penalties.  Not to harp on those 2 plays by Taulia and Bennett, but those were 2 absolute "we've given up" plays.  And I'm sure it's hard when you're getting waxed yet again, but some of that has to go on the coach as well.

 

I just don't know if you can even articulate it well.  It's not just that they lose, it's how they lose, over and over and over again.

[Mike in STL]

Since you’re the only person on this board who said you’d rather fire Locksley than Turgeon, who do you want him replaced with?

He was one of three people who even wanted to interview for this job three years ago (and was by far the most qualified), are there suddenly going to be quality candidates beating down Damon Evans’ door (or even answering his phone calls)?

Or are you cool with firing him, replacing him with literally anyone, and having this same conversation in two years?

Off the top of my head, Gary Patterson gets my first phone call. Talk about building a program. 

 

No idea if he'd be interested. There were some unfortunate circumstances three years ago that were a giant stain on the program. Maybe the culture is different? Maybe that can be Locks' legacy. Cleaning up disgusting house. With that in the rearview, maybe more people would be interested in coaching here now.

 

Clay Helton went from USC to Georgia Southern. Certainly a Gary Patterson, Ed Orgeron, if Chris Peterson has an itch to get back into the game, could land a power 5 job in Maryland. 

[BSLZackKiesel]

Off the top of my head, Gary Patterson gets my first phone call. Talk about building a program.

No idea if he'd be interested. There were some unfortunate circumstances three years ago that were a giant stain on the program. Maybe the culture is different? Maybe that can be Locks' legacy. Cleaning up disgusting house. With that in the rearview, maybe more people would be interested in coaching here now.

Clay Helton went from USC to Georgia Southern. Certainly a Gary Patterson, Ed Orgeron, if Chris Peterson has an itch to get back into the game, could land a power 5 job in Maryland.

Remember that it’s not solely about the program, it’s about money. Maryland was in dire straits financially when they hired Locksley three years ago, and they’d never have been able to hire a well-established head coach.

If you fire Locksley and all of his assistant coaches after this year, just three years removed from paying Durkin and his staff’s buyouts, it’s hard for me to believe you have anywhere near the money to hire someone like Patterson without major additional contributions from boosters.

[Mike B]

I don’t think Maryland is even going to consider firing Locksley.   The money issues are real, but I also think they feel obligated to give him at least another year.

I had to run some errands and listened to part of the second half on the radio.  At one point, new Maryland HOFer, Rick Badanek stopped by to visit Johnny Holiday.  Johnny ever the optimist, despite Maryland being down 24-3, asked Badanek, who clearly had been drinking, “what does Maryland have to do to win this game?  Badanek laughed and said’ Maryland is not set up to play in the B10.”

 

That may be the issue.  Maryland in most weeks is totally over matched and has been under every coach they have had.