Blogosphere Comments on TOB

From one of the best independent blogs out there – Eagle in Atlanta (Link)

I love StateFans Nation. They supported me early and have guest blogged here in the past. They are now reporting that TOB is the No. 1 candidate for the NC State job. I have not provided any info or rumors to them. And they seem pretty excited about TOB and his potential there. No one over there asked me, but here is my opinion on TOB going to NC State.

From a great blog entry by Tom Suiter at WRAL-TV (Link)

I think State needed to hire someone who had been a head coach and had run his own program. The last two Wolfpack head coaches came from the assistant ranks, and while some assistant coaches have resumes that are appealing — especially those from big time programs — the right move at this time was to hire a proven head coach, and Tom O’Brien is certainly that.

It’s all there for N.C. State to have a winner, it really is. What the program needs without question is a hard-nosed coach who will instill discipline and who knows how to put together a staff. It needs a coach who has won at the highest level and knows what it takes to win now. History shows that Tom O’Brien has done that.

You never know until they hold the press conference, but I’ll say it here — Tom O’Brien to N.C. State would be a winner for the Wolfpack.

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General NCS Football Tom O'Brien

268 Responses to Blogosphere Comments on TOB

  1. Wolfpack4ever 12/08/2006 at 6:57 AM #

    ^ WTF?

    RedTerror29 Says: “I can hold out hope now that PJ winds up at WVU (maybe Fisher to BC if he’s that desparate for a job?).”

    How about PJ to BC? We could have some fun with that. Settle some serious hypothetical arguments in real time.

  2. Wolfpack4ever 12/08/2006 at 7:05 AM #

    class of 74 Says: “The U hired Randy Shannon. The same Randy Shannon CTC tried to hire prior to hiring Dunlap. Could CTC become the U’s new DC? Boy, now that would be interesting wouldn’t it? He sure would be a force in that market both recruiting and as a DC. If he wants it I’ve gotta believe he could have that job.”

    Do you ever wonder why Chuck never has been a DC? Could be that being at FSU with Mickey Andrews was a block. All in all I no longer trust Chuck’s ability to manage the big picture. I’m thinking recruiting coordinator at best. I also wonder about this not getting along with assistants thing that is floating around. surely Shannon has heard it. Could be why he didn’t come when Chuck was calling him.

  3. class of 74 12/08/2006 at 7:51 AM #

    ^He didn’t come because the U upped his salary to what we offered according to the Miami Herald.

  4. Mowgli 12/08/2006 at 8:30 AM #

    I believe the comparisons to Herb are a little off base. Some of the results may be the same, but what TOB had to work with was much different. If TOB was coming from Tennessee football to NC State football the comparisons may be more legit, but comparing BC football to NC State basketball is way off. BC football during TOB’s era didn’t have near the advatages that NC State basketball had during Herb’s tenure(facilities, conference, history, etc.).

  5. NeverGiveUp 12/08/2006 at 8:53 AM #

    ^4Never

    Doesn’t Saban make around 8MM a year now with Dolphins? Bama offer him a pay cut.

  6. highonlowe 12/08/2006 at 8:54 AM #

    This is a great op-ed on the Bama and Miami jobs
    http://kegeratornation.com/?p=414

  7. RedTerror29 12/08/2006 at 9:17 AM #

    That’s a crap op-ed on those jobs. It’s just more of the same type bashing we saw after Herb left. The same writers who kicked Oklahoma, USC, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Florida, etc. when they were down have been quick to jump back on their bandwagons. I have my doubts about Miami long-term, but Bama has top-5 facilities and money. It’ll blow your mind how fast the right coach can turn around a program like that.

  8. statered 12/08/2006 at 9:21 AM #

    You guys who do not understand the comparisons to HErb are dense. It ain’t about what resources were available to each. that isn’t even part of the comparison! Drop that stawman.

    The comparisons revolve around the fact that TOB has multiple opportunities to have a breakthrough win against teams which he had an advantage. Win one of those and BC would have made a New Year’s day or even a second tier bowl. Each time in that pressure situation he tightened up, got ultra conservative, played not to lose, and got beat. The comparisons center around the man himself, his personality and tendencies in big game situations.

    If you cannot see the comparison you either know nothing about TOB’s tenure at BC or you are being intentionally dense.

  9. gopack968 12/08/2006 at 9:38 AM #

    Goodness. This was inevitable. We should have hired Johnson, but if we had hired Johnson people would have complained it was not Fischer. If Fischer, it should have been O’Brien. There is no pleasing this small negative element, and yet we are in danger of allowing them to speak for an entire fanbase. This attack on a coach with a very good record on and off the field is just fuel for the “lunatic fringe” label.

    The guy is a good coach. He wins games, makes the post-season, and most importantly, he graduates athletes. This is a good hire. Perhaps the best from the available pool. We won’t know for sure for at least two years. There should be a moratorium on complaining about this hire through the end of the 2008 season.

    At a minimum, the conversation on this thread has run its course.

  10. Mr O 12/08/2006 at 9:48 AM #

    Statered: For BC, he has had many breakthrough wins. BC has never, ever been as good as they are right now. And BC is consistently this good.

    He has already broken through to a level that BC football has never attained. You are talking about breaking to a level that may not be attainable at a small Catholic school with tough academic requirements in a major league sports market.

    TOB has somethink like 17 starters and most of his two deep chart returning next season. It appears that TOB built BC to win at a high level long-term. Maybe his title was going to come next year?

  11. statered 12/08/2006 at 9:49 AM #

    To be honest with you the complaining is not really about TOB, its about Lee Fowler. Its not TOB’s fault that Jed decides put us in a similar situation (down the road, if TOB remains true to form) to the one we just left. Either Jed does this to spite the fanbase or he posesses no analytical skills what so ever.

  12. c6by66 12/08/2006 at 9:50 AM #

    I attended NCSU during the Sixities…there were riots in Raleigh, LA, etc. I believe that some of the folk posting here have been fantasizing too much with James from Willow Springs (probably a great guy..once you get to know him)….

    Having said that…(this is SARCASIM FOLKS…)

    Why don’t we just have a BURN RALLY tomorrow in West Raleigh….We can burn down the campus…we can burn down the RBC….we can burn down CF….
    I will arrange for locations, get the parade permits, get security in place, etc. Bring your torches….

    NOW…if you do NOT want to do that…then lighten up..

    We, the Wolfpack Nation, are being criticized (again?) in the News and Disturber…this time by their ace cartoonist – Mr. Powell..

    We need to stop all this second guessing and negatism…the folks that want to throw their laptops at the TV need to sign up for some anger management courses…They can use the money that they swear they will never send to NCSU for the counseling in case their insurance will not pay….

    Tom O’Brien’s contact is NOT EVEN SIGNED…OR NOT EVEN COACHED A GAME…
    If you read the blogs, you would think that we are 0-12 in his FOURTH SEASON.

    David Glenn has promised us some background….TOB may have floated his name to FUF at mid season…Maybe TOB was concerned for the SAFETY of his family in Boston…Heard that sort of thing happens…

    Many of you, and I agree, were not 100% behind letting Chuck go…I personally thought that we should have started with the AD…then let the knew person make changes…THAT DID NOT HAPPEN…and it appears it NEVER WILL…

    If your frustration, as mine is, is towards the AD….then let the Chancellor and the WPC know….withhold your contributions to the Alumni Association or other venues…Tell the students who call for $$ that you are dissatisfied with the ADMIN and the AD…eventually they will quit calling or they will make changes…

    We need to rally around TOB, welcome him, support him and see what he and the team can do…much as we did for Sidney Lowe…

    Many of the polls and broadcasters (I do NOT endorse the ESPN idiots…but they bashed us) rate us as a LOW or NO CLASS University…and if you read all the negatism…they may be right….we need to improve our image and support our teams…We know that the N&O will bash us anytime they can…Caldon Tudor has TWO big NOTCHES on his Pistol Grip….Bunting and Amato…

    Lighten UP..Be POSITIVE…ENJOY the Optmism….GIVE TOB a chance…as we are doing to SID….

    WE, the lunatic Fringe, ain’t going to change much…until we become big $$ Benefactors…You will also NOTE that the Pope Foundation that gave $$ to the university for NON-SPORTS things are being BASHED in the media by our own professors….vent your anger in the N&O editorial pages…write Catherine Waters…the lady who based the Pope Foundation (or at least I think she did…If you think my metaphors are hard to follow…read hers on the Op Ed page of today’s (12/08) N&O…

    STEP BACK….TAKE A BIG BREATH….do NOT type until you THINK….

    GO PACK

  13. statered 12/08/2006 at 9:55 AM #

    Mr O – Wake this year, UNC last year, SU the year before. Its not really a breakthrough to beat a superior Clemson team this year and then blow your opportunity to go to the conference championship getting beat by Miami and Wake. Did you watch the UNC game last year? Just beat that inferior team and we are not talking about the fact he has never been to a 1st or 2nd tier bowl game. What is even more disturbing is the way they lost. It wasn’t a balls to the wall gamble that failed, it was a crawl in to a shell fail to acknowledge the reality that what you are doing is not working and change it before its to late “we are what we are” response to questions about it loss. Sound familiar?

  14. Dan 12/08/2006 at 10:12 AM #

    I dont know how many of you remember, but TOB has been trying to get out of BC for a while now.

    He interviewed for the Washington gig two years ago.

    And the Sporting News was the FIRST this year to report him wanting out of BC. They did it two weeks before DG on Tom Deinhart’s blog. Tom O’Brien has been floating his name for TWO YEARS.

  15. RickJ 12/08/2006 at 10:13 AM #

    ^statered – I have no idea how TOB will do here but his record of achievement before coming to NC State is better than any football or basketball coach we have ever hired.

  16. Mr O 12/08/2006 at 10:26 AM #

    This from of all people, a carolina fan:

    I don’t see why State fans are upset. TOB is a HUGE upgrade over CTC, and comparable to BD.

    TOB:
    * won 9+ games in 4 of last 5 years
    * won 8+ games in 7 of last 8 years
    * 52-22 in last 6 seasons (.702)

    CTC:
    * won 9+ games ONCE in 7 years at NCSU
    * won 8+ games 3 of last 7 seasons
    * 41-33 in last 6 seasons (.554)

    BD:
    * won 9+ games in 4 of last 6 seasons (of college FB)
    * won 8+ games in 5 of last 6 seasons (of college FB)
    * 51-20 in last 6 seasons (.71

    Also, TOB created his records at a school with MUCH LESS emphasis on college football, AND in an area of the country that puts MUCH LESS emphasis on college football.

    Tom O’Brien is an excellent hire. I would have been happy had UNC hired him. I’m very happy with BD, but TOB would have been a good hire for UNC as well. I think we will see both UNC’s and NCSU’s football programs move to the top of the ACC. It will be nice to see the focus of ACC football on North Carolina instead of Florida.

  17. Mr O 12/08/2006 at 10:28 AM #

    Essentially, BD was the top coaching candidate available and TOB was equally as successful as BD at a place that is tougher to win at.

    We would have been thrilled with BD.

  18. Cardiff Giant 12/08/2006 at 10:31 AM #

    ^ Very well put, O.

  19. statered 12/08/2006 at 10:31 AM #

    Spooky isn’t it? http://sports.bostonherald.com/college/football/view.bg?articleid=171061

    Mr O, I know I am not going to change your mind. I will just say this – your analysis of TOB is very superficial and comes from an outsiders perspective. It reminds me so very much of the criticism we received regarding Herb.

  20. TOB=Herb 12/08/2006 at 10:45 AM #

    statered is right.

    TOB is a stubborn coach.

  21. gopack968 12/08/2006 at 10:46 AM #

    ^From the article:

    “A big BC fan and alumnus said of O’Brien’s departure: “I have mixed emotions. He ran a clean program. He went to a bowl every year. How can you not like that? But he never won a big bowl.”

    With the talent BC can put on the field and its recruiting base he could never get to a big bowl. His skill+NC State talent could/may/might change that. There are no guarantees.

  22. Mr O 12/08/2006 at 10:49 AM #

    If Herb Sendek had been the most successful coach in NC State history, then I would agree that TOB = Herb Sendek.

    But since Herb Sendek was the 2nd LEAST successful coach in NC State history, then I think the evidence supports our opinions of Herb much moreso than their opinions about TOB.

    I also realize I won’t change your mind. Was TOB the best hire? Nobody really knows because it isn’t like we can have two parallel universes with PJ in one as our coach and TOB in the other as our coach.

    If BC is such a great situation, then they should easily be able to land PJ or another great coach head coach with a record superior to TOB’s. I think that is going to be very difficult for them to do.

  23. TOB=Herb 12/08/2006 at 10:50 AM #

    They don’t want to spend a lot of money on a coach.

    My guess is they will go with Kragthorpe.

  24. ChuckAllYall 12/08/2006 at 10:55 AM #

    Carolina fans used to sing Herb’s praises too! AHHHHHAAAHHHHH!!! I’m just saying……
    Seriously though, I think T.O. will do fine here. I’ll be interested to see how well he does keeping CTC’s commits, and look forward to watching his own recruiting capabilities expand with a better resources. I wonder if they’ll still have the Chuck it’ recycling campaign next year in the parking lot? Probably not so much.

  25. RedTerror29 12/08/2006 at 10:58 AM #

    Chuck It recycling will stay, albeit under a different name.

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