850TheBuzz: Coaching Search Winners and Losers

General NCS Basketball NCS Football72

A nice entry from 850TheBuzz.

Replacing coaches in college sports in this area is equal to a presidential election. It warrants front page attention and constant chatter on the radio because who gets hired determines the direction of a program like no other event. It’s time to look back on the searches and the coverage, wrapping up the story so we can move on to actual football in 2007. So who emerged from the aftermath looking like the smartest guy in the room, and who took a few hits? Find out after the jump.

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General NCS Basketball NCS Football

72 Responses to 850TheBuzz: Coaching Search Winners and Losers

  1. Wolfpack4ever 12/12/2006 at 8:51 PM #

    From 850 ‘the blog’ “This isn’t something isolated to the much maligned “lunatic fringe” messageboard freaks”

    Not a very nice way to speak about the Wolfpack fan base, is it?

  2. Frank 12/12/2006 at 8:53 PM #

    legacyman,

    I hope you didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I am proud of and fully support the team we have now. Have you ever seen the movie “Hoosiers”?

    “THIS is our team.”

    That is the quote from the movie, and it fits the Wolfpack right now. We may not get to the final four, but we do have a team right now to be proud of, and I am very proud. They are playing their hearts out. I spoke with a Carolina fan just this afternoon who had seen the Virginia game and said he was impressed with State in the loss. It was a totally unsolicited comment.

    Please re-think your attitude.

  3. Wolfpack4ever 12/13/2006 at 4:43 AM #

    Woof Wolf Says: “Based on what I’ve read on here rf2 is 40 or maybe 30. 4ever is about 67 or 68. Now, who is stale?”

    Occasionally remarks are made about reading comprehension on the site, this may be an appropriate time. The comment above was made about the comment below.

    “I have fun batting it back and forth with you but isn’t this a little stale?”

    Woof Wolf, you might want to consider if “getting in a pissing contest with a skunk” is a good idea for you. I’d stay in my own league if I were you.

  4. Woof Wolf 12/13/2006 at 6:10 AM #

    Just an, obviously poor, attempt at humor. But you are correct, I am out of my league.

  5. Rick 12/13/2006 at 9:11 AM #

    “Where is Barry Saunders on this? ”

    [pimp hat on] You hired the whitest of the white when you hired ol’ Tom O’Whitey. Come hare sweet thang and give me some luvin”[pimp hat on]

  6. CaptainCraptacular 12/13/2006 at 9:43 AM #

    *Now I know the writers on this blog get to a lot of games. I’m not calling them out at all. I’m calling out the army of people who flood these blogs. Where in the hell are you?*

    I’m in Florida, otherwise I’d be attending. But imho this isn’t anything to get too worked up over. Once January hits and football season is officially over attendance should pick up. In my time at school ’87-91, it was not unusual for attendance to be off in December. A for instance: we played Kansas in Reynolds in ’88 in December. This is the year they won the national championship with Danny Manning. Of course at the time no-one knew that they were in for such a special year. Regardless it was Kansas. HUGE out of conference game. We lost 74-67 in what I remember as a hard fought battle. But my lasting memory from being there was not so much the game itself, but that there were so many empty seats for such a big-name opponent like Kansas, even if it was mid-December. Of course, once the ACC schedule got underway, Reynolds was packed again. I haven’t been to a game in Reynolds or the RBC since I moved to Florida, so I don’t know how its been for the last 10+ years, but before that it wasn’t unusual for things to be off in December but pick up during the main ACC schedule.

  7. Uncle Pack 12/13/2006 at 9:44 AM #

    Hey, Triangle Business Journal has a poll on their Web site on which school made the better hire, UNC or State: To vote, go to http://triangle.bizjournals.com/triangle/poll/index.html

  8. legacyman 12/13/2006 at 9:49 AM #

    Frank,

    “Please re-think your attitude.”

    You misread my comments. I never said that I didn’t support my/our team…always have. I am certainly proud of the efforts that our kids are exhibiting this year but not every one has been that supportive. As I stated, my family will be in our seats regardless of Ws and Ls and that is as supportive as you can be.

    Others have been to some games and missed others for whatever reason but that doesn’t mean they don’t support the team.

    On the matter of being proud, I am always proud to be a Wolfpacker and support our kids but if we win an NCAA title please allow me to be a little bit prouder of that.

    The point that matbe you missed is that I feel Sidney has the ability and drive to get us to a higher level which instills more pride the higher we get.

  9. CaptainCraptacular 12/13/2006 at 9:49 AM #

    ^Football season as in watching Bowl games on TV season.

  10. legacyman 12/13/2006 at 9:50 AM #

    Frank,

    “Please re-think your attitude.”

    You misread my comments. I never said that I didn’t support my/our team…always have. I am certainly proud of the efforts that our kids are exhibiting this year but not every one has been that supportive. As I stated, my family will be in our seats regardless of Ws and Ls and that is as supportive as you can be.

    Others have been to some games and missed others for whatever reason but that doesn’t mean they don’t support the team.

    On the matter of being proud, I am always proud to be a Wolfpacker and support our kids but if we win an NCAA title please allow me to be a little bit prouder of that.

    The point that maybe you missed is that I feel Sidney has the ability and drive to get us to a higher level which instills more pride the higher we get.

  11. Dan 12/13/2006 at 9:51 AM #

    “We hope that Lowe’s results will come fast and bring back the fans but until this happens State needs to market the program”

    100% agree. I think that the Athletics Department has a horrible marketing campaign for this team. They need to do a better job.

  12. Pack1969E 12/13/2006 at 10:13 AM #

    http://www.dailypress.com/sports/columnists/dp-03080cm0dec13,0,7487204.column?coll=dp-sports-columnists
    Here’s an interesting comment on TOB’s hiring….Having lived there 15 years, my take is so what? Watch us Tidewater, our recruiting will butt in.

  13. Mike 12/13/2006 at 10:23 AM #

    Captain Crap, I too was at the Kansas game you spoke of. I remember it a little differently however. It was a Gen Admin game and there was a huge line. Fortauntely, we were one of the first ones in line and we grabbed a bunch of seats front row behind the benches. All of a sudden there is a panic because the students took all the big donor seats and they would not be happy. So they made us all take the crummy end zone seats and left the good setas for the fatcats.

    Was a great game and I remember it like Reynolds was best. Hot, cramped, and PACKed for the Pack. I think this fiasco was also the last time there was a Gen Admin game.

    As a student, I went to every game I could, tix were free! I have been to several games since graduation, butI can tell you why more of us dont go to more games.

    It’s called disposable income. I will make 6 figures this year, and frankly I cannot afford to go through all the other costs to buy season tickets. I dont live extravagantly, and after the bills are paid, money set aside for 2 daughters educations, 2 weddings at some point, and other costs, what little bit I have left is spent on other things. Plus, with the wife and 2 girls, they like to go every now and then, but not every game. I travel some for work and cant make every game. Family time comes first and the couple free nights I might have I want to spend with my family.

    If I could only buy one sport, I would buy football tix. I also gave those up because of the schedule and growing kids. Hard to cram everything in with the events of the family, recitals, concerts, school functions etc. Why buy tix when I can make it to only 2 games because of other commitments. Yes, i could give the tix away for the games I could not go to, but I decided to let someone else have the right to those seats regularly.

    I have been to every football stadium in the ACC except BC, Miami, and VT (and they werent ACC then). When I was in school, we went to every game, home or away. I have been to every basketball arena in the ACC except VT, Miami, and BC. No one yells louder and more passionately than I do, but at this point in my life, I cannot go to many games. In 10 years, I will be in a different stage and I will probably be first in line again.

  14. Dan 12/13/2006 at 10:31 AM #

    http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/2006-12-12-focus-neinas_x.htm

    Good Neinas Article from USA today. He’s the smoking man from X-files.

  15. redfred2 12/13/2006 at 11:11 AM #

    “They need to do a better job.”

    Dan, your last sentence is grievously understated. The athletic department’s job is to promote, and then facilitate. They may be SELLING something that tells a little about the team and the new coaches, but since the changes and to date, I have not witnessed anything put out to reach the general public, or one ounce of effort expended on promoting this basketball program. I may be wrong about that, but I’ve seen nothing personally.

    I was there that night when Sidney Lowe coached his first ever game in Raleigh. It was well played, well coached, and a GREAT GAME!!! ho hum first time presentation though. Actually no first time introduction. The PA simply said, “And coaching for the Wolfpack, Sidney Lowe.” wow. That was about the extent of NC State’s big welcoming extravaganza. You would have thought Lowe was in his fifth or sixth season in Raleigh. I hate to say it, but it had me thinking that the NC State that I once knew, just wasn’t ever going to be again. I was disillusioned, not with the basketball team or the coaches, they were better than expected, but with NC State. I haven’t felt as strong an urge to get to the games since that night. But, I am die hard NC STATE and that’s my fault, and then again, it isn’t. I can only imagine what a first time freshman, experiencing their first ever Wolfpack game in person, took away from that one time, so-called event.

    It’s definitely not that the athletic department needs to do a better job, it’s that they need to just do something, anything, PERIOD. Staple two color banners on telephone poles, just try something for crying out loud. Podunk carnivals have more effective PR personnel than these well paid “professionals” in Raleigh.

  16. BoKnowsNCS71 12/13/2006 at 11:59 AM #

    Been out of town a lot lately. Trying to catch up on y’all.

    Guess right now, I’m just wondering what the next N&O cartoon is going to be. UNC? FB or BB? — NCSU BB of FB.

    Either way — probably won’t be funny.

  17. TNCSU 12/13/2006 at 1:42 PM #

    From the previous article:
    “Virginia and Virginia Tech, programs superior to the Wolfpack” – I’m not an expert, but superior??? How many #1 draft picks has each had in the last few years? Prior to Beamer, what was Va Tech’s record?

    “Consider academics. N.C. State’s mission bears little resemblance to Navy’s, Virginia’s or Boston College’s.” What does that have to do with hiring a football coach?? Okay, if you’ve ever coached at an Ivy League school, you can’t go to a technical school…

  18. Wolfpack4ever 12/13/2006 at 3:51 PM #

    Woof Wolf Says: “Just an, obviously poor, attempt at humor. But you are correct, I am out of my league.”

    No, my apologies to you young man. I could be a little overly sensitive at times and clearly off here. How the heck would I know you are in or out of your league regarding pissing contests. Again, my apologies to you and my invitation to crack on me anytime you are inclined to do so. I owe you a “freebie.” 🙂

  19. CaptainCraptacular 12/13/2006 at 4:11 PM #

    *Captain Crap, I too was at the Kansas game you spoke of. I remember it a little differently however. It was a Gen Admin game and there was a huge line. Fortauntely, we were one of the first ones in line and we grabbed a bunch of seats front row behind the benches. All of a sudden there is a panic because the students took all the big donor seats and they would not be happy. So they made us all take the crummy end zone seats and left the good setas for the fatcats.*

    I didn’t remember the general admission part at all. I do remember sitting in the end zone, and looking around at empty seats in the alumni area but I don’t remember the how’s or why’s of getting to the end zone at all.

    But about the seats behind the benches, I’m confused. The 5-6 first rows on the sidelines below the upper deck were student seats when I was there (Except for a small area right behind the visitor bench). So it doesn’t make any sense why they would have moved you if they were student seats anyway. I sat on the front row on the bench side on 2 occasions (and many more in the other sideline rows), most notably the game in January ’87 against Oklahoma. Billy Tubbs spent most of the game up the sideline towards the time line, directly in front of our seats.

    But anyway, I digress. I don’t remember too much about the Kansas game except that we could never get over the hump, I sat in the end zone closest to the home bench, and that there were empty seats for such a big game.

    *“Virginia and Virginia Tech, programs superior to the Wolfpack”*

    From that article. Ok I can buy VT, but what has Virginia done over the last 20 years that has made them ‘superior’ to us. Absatively posolutely nuthin’. More media bullcrap. He all but says we don’t deserve someone as good as TOB. The disdain he has for us is what is dripping from that article, not irony. Well, can’t expect to get a fair shake from our own local media, much less the backwater hack sportswriters from Hampton Roads.

  20. Pack1969E 12/13/2006 at 6:30 PM #

    Glad to see the same distaste for the Hampton Roads DP article that I had. This old Wolfpacker (since 1952) enjoys the reading posts from all of our supporters – keep up the good work SFN….

  21. Mike 12/14/2006 at 9:35 AM #

    Capt crap, that was the worst part about it. Those 5 or 6 rows were student seats. But since that game was Gen Admin, they took those away from us. It’s not like we were trying to take their seats – they were usually ours anyway. One other funny thing – after the admin was hosed trying to figure out what to do trying to make us move, V and Larry Brown were talking on the floor as coaches do. My sister goes down there, talks to them – next thing you know V goes and talks to admin people pleading the case for us. He comes back shaking his head that he could not do anything about it. She said he told her he tried but they would not budge b/c they had promised the big donors they could have those seats, to which V said the game was for the students anyway, not the donors. Anyway, one of my favorite stories form college.

  22. geojim1990 12/14/2006 at 5:38 PM #

    David Teel with the Hampton Roads, VA Daily Press entered an article in yesterday’s paper titled “O’Brien’s move drips with irony, intrigue”. The “irony” in the title comes mostly from the history of the ACC expansion to include Boston College. It seems that in 2003 ACC officials “begged” BC to join the ACC but when it came time to be put to a vote by the university presidents & chancellors BC fell one vote shy; & Marye Anne Fox cast the 1st vote against. The “intrigue” in the title comes from a thinly-veiled snub of NC State as a university & an out-&-out lower rank critique of the football program. Here’s the 1st paragraph:

    “Here’s how inspired North Carolina State’s football coaching hire was: Some influential folks at Virginia and Virginia Tech, programs superior to the Wolfpack, fancied Tom O’Brien as the next big whistle at their respective schools…”

    Teel goes on to answer the very questions that he brings-up. For example…
    Q: Why would O’Brien leave BC for NC State?
    A: Under-appreciated at BC & sees NC State as a fresh start &/or last chance…”eye-candy” facilities…”rabid” fans.

    So, why the article? If Teel can provide the answers to the obvious questions that he manufactures, then what’s the point? So, MAF cast the 1st vote against BC for expansion & now their FB coach is moving to Raleigh…big woop. If you read the article it just feels like one big excuse to poke at NC State in print. It seems even more likely when you consider Hampton Roads’ proximity to Raleigh & the relative success that NC State coaches have had recruiting that area (V expecially).

    Here’s a link to the article:
    http://www.dailypress.com/sports/columnists/dp-03080cm0dec13,0,7487204.column?coll=dp-sports-columnists

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