Just your average, Wolfpack-promoting entry here.
This one is brought on by CNNSI’s College Football writer, Stewart Mandel. Mandel runs a ‘mailbag’ column every now and then and this week he was asked the following by Mike E. in Ringwood, N.J.:
It strikes me as curious: Why would Tom O’Brien leave BC for an intradivision N.C. State team in what seems to be at best a lateral move?
Mandel’s reply to Mike’s question struck me as a nice synopsis of some of TOB’s compliments of NC State’s fans and facilities (built by the fans).
Now, you might say to yourself, is N.C. State really that kind of place? In my experience … yes. Say what you want about Chuck Amato’s coaching abilities, the one thing he did well was galvanize that community and turn what was traditionally considered a basketball school into a place with a legitimate football atmosphere. At his introductory press conference, O’Brien specifically mentioned how impressed he was with the enthusiasm when his team played there on Sept. 23. Look at it this way: The Wolfpack averaged nearly 20,000 more fans per game (56,540) during a 3-9 season this year than BC did at 9-3 (38,843).
Thanks for the props, Stewart!
Don’t you find it ironic that the very fan base that is consistently castigated by our own Athletics Director is the reason that Lee Fowler is receiving praise from many for making such a great hire of TOB?
Tom O’Brien didn’t stand up at the press conference raving about NC State’s athletics administration and how he just had to come work for Lee Fowler. TOB stood there and complimented NC State’s amazing support of its programs by its fans; the very fans consistently crticized by Uncle Jed. So much for the idea that no coach would ever want to coach for a fan base that wants to win a little more and is so supportive, eh?
Think about it this for a moment – NC State’s FANS just succeeded in luring a great coach to Raleigh, effectually doing the remaining part of Lee Fowler’s job that Chuck Neinas wasn’t doing.
Relatedly, the Boston Globe ran an interesting piece on Boston College football fans titled, BC Left Feeling Empty:
Before he left for North Carolina State, coach Tom O’Brien privately expressed his frustration over the fact that BC, for all its accomplishments on the field in its first two years in the ACC, could not seem to make any headway with the bowls.
When O’Brien was introduced as North Carolina State’s new coach earlier this month at a Wolfpack basketball game, one fan called out, “Don’t worry, coach, we’ll travel.”
