Very Close to Official – O’Brien New Leader of the Pack

It’s now a headline on ESPN.com – Boston College head coach Tom O’Brien will leave to coach Atlantic Division rival NC State. It looks as if we may get a formal announcement as early as tomorrow.

As SFN noted earlier today, we agree with the apparent decision of the NC State search committee – Tom O’Brien is a better hire than Paul Johnson. And pretty much everyone agreed that Johnson would be a good hire, and clearly an upgrade over Amato.

I don’t want to repeat too much of the logic from the above-linked post. Suffice to say – those who claim Tom O’Brien is “Herb Sendek v. 2.0” are simply wrong, in our estimation. According to SFN’s sources, Coach O’Brien sought out the NC State job with the same vigor and tenacity as did Jimbo Fisher. He really wants to be here, and I think it’s safe to assume it’s because he believes he can elevate his success to a whole new level at NC State. He can go from “pretty good” to periodically competing for the ACC title, and regularly make good bowls (as even his current level of performance would land NC State in good bowl games). His floor essentially is identical to the Dick Sheridan level of performance, and few Wolfpackers complain about that era. And that’s not to say we expect that to be his ultimate ceiling – there’s every bit as much reason to hope for upside from TOB as there was with respect to PJ. I don’t think O’Brien would have made this move if he didn’t think he could take it to the next level at NC State. We should be honored and very enthusiastic that such an accomplished, respected coach feels that way about our university.

Please feel free to share your opinions below (don’t forget to contribute more facts at VaWolf’s thread below). We hope that even those fans hoping for Johnson, Fisher, or somebody else will be fair and rational about this hire. At SFN, we couldn’t be more excited about ushering in a new winning era of NC State football.

About BJD95

1995 NC State graduate, sufferer of Les and MOC during my entire student tenure. An equal-opportunity objective critic and analyst of Wolfpack sports.

General NCS Football Tom O'Brien

192 Responses to Very Close to Official – O’Brien New Leader of the Pack

  1. redfred2 12/07/2006 at 10:29 AM #

    “Since the ACC was founded, only one coach has left an ACC school to go to another, and that was a coach returning to his alma mater. In 1956, Jim Tatum left Maryland to return to North Carolina.”

    Well now, there’s the trendsetter for you. Should have known.

  2. RedTerror29 12/07/2006 at 10:29 AM #

    “The guy is John Cooper revisited.”

    John Cooper coached at one of the top 10 (at least) programs in the country and couldn’t win the big one. TOB coached at one of the worst BCS programs. It ain’t exactly apples to apples.

  3. HowlNowBrownCowl 12/07/2006 at 10:30 AM #

    I cannot believe how idiotic some wolfpack fans are!
    1) TOB will do better than he did at BC – NCS has much better facilities and potential.
    2) TOB never played in one of the games he coached for BC, so he did not win or lose big games. His performance at BC will be a question of apples vs. oranges when he gets here. Questions about his Herbness or mediocrity are unfounded – he will do better at State than he did at BC
    3) TarHole-centrism is a disease that hurts our program. Carolina should not be the center of our universe – NCS is bigger and better than that. Whining about Tar Goats is like EZU complaining about us!
    4) If you don’t like this hire, don’t go to the games – most of us won’t miss you!
    5) TOB will be a step up in offense and we will have some sportsmanship and integrity return to our program.
    6) Did I also say that TOB will do better at NCS than BC?

    Nay Sayers Get Over It – And Support your Team!

  4. partialqualifier 12/07/2006 at 10:31 AM #

    Ned Barnett is a fool.

    Would someone please show Ned barnett what happens in the SEC?

    This crap about about not hiring coaches in ur league is just that….crap! No other conference else follows these silly ass rules. Barnett gave away his bias when he mentioned how horrible it would be for Miami to steal away Butch Davis in a couple of years. I understant fully the importance of keeping to the “spirit of college athletics”, but somebody needs to remind ‘ol Ned that there is a boatload of money involved in ACC football.

    I suppose breaking the “unwritten rule” of hiring in the league is more erronious than breaking the NC statute involving guaranteed contracts to University athletic coaches!!! Please! I expect a lot of this stuff to come out of the woodworks from UNC fans who now know that they are gonna have a fight on their hands the next few years!!

    I would also like to add another significant thing about this hire. I think hiring O’Brien takes a little of the wind out of the Tarholes sail. There can be a VERY, VERY argument made that O’Brien is just as good a college football coach as Butch Davis. The game next year at home against UNC is going to be the first time in memory that both teams will show up with 2 of the Top 3 coaches in the league!!

  5. Mike 12/07/2006 at 10:32 AM #

    Redfred, hate to contradict you, not sure where you found that tidbit. Bobby Ross left Maryland to go to GT and won a championship at GT. Or did he leave GT for MD? I dont know, but he jumped from one ACC school to another.

  6. RickJ 12/07/2006 at 10:43 AM #

    ^Not quite. Bobby Ross was already out a Maryland before taking the GT job.

  7. packbackr04 12/07/2006 at 10:44 AM #

    Chuck back to state to help with recruiting…. anybody

  8. Elrod 12/07/2006 at 10:47 AM #

    CG – If memory serves me well, I believe what was spelled out in fangs on Tank Tyler’s helmet was “FREE TT”. It really surprised me to see that.

  9. RedTerror29 12/07/2006 at 10:48 AM #

    Chuck to FIU. They’d still suck, but I bet they’d beat Miami 2 out of 3 years, and that would just warm my heart.

  10. Par Shooter 12/07/2006 at 10:48 AM #

    I would argue that the Clemson game in 2002 on Thursday night was huge. It got us to 9-0 on national TV. I think we were near, if not in the top 10 and they were pretty well regarded. The Tech game the next week at 9-0 was big as well. Didn’t we also play at FSU w/ a shot at the conf championship during Philip’s Soph year (OT game)?

  11. Mike 12/07/2006 at 10:48 AM #

    I am 100% for Chuck involved. DC, Head Recruiter, Chief Fund Raiser, Chief Cheerleader, Red shoes, Corvette, sunglasses, whatever. Chuck has done great things for us, Chuck is an alum, and Chuck is good for the program.

  12. statered 12/07/2006 at 10:52 AM #

    Mike there were a couple of years in between for Boby I think. It wasn’t directly from one school to another.

    Redterror – the comparison between the two is valid in that both did pretty damn well but collapsed in the career defining, high pressure moment.

    You know I really do want to be optimistic but I just cannot change an opinion on the guy that I arrived at objectively some time ago simply based on the fact that we hired him. That fact is the only one that changed.

    I get the feeling most of you really have not followed this guy closely and only now are taking a good look. I appreciate the need to think this is a gangbusters hire – but for the most part EVERY fanbase does this when they hire someone new.

  13. class of 74 12/07/2006 at 10:53 AM #

    We must support TOB to be fair to him and I think 90% will do that, the remaining 10% will only buy into this hire if we go 9-3 or better next year.
    I still think the “national search” was too quick and shortsighted but it’s too late now. And FWIW the search fee should be refunded as TOB was in the market a few weeks ago. No great service was that.

  14. packfanstk 12/07/2006 at 10:59 AM #

    It’s just remarkable that the same sort of stats that used to be trotted out to defend Herb Sendek’s miserable record against quality competition in meaningful games are being trotted out defend Tom O’Brien’s miserable record against quality competition in meaningful games. The only difference is that the former were rightfully dismissed by SFN, but the latter are lauded and praised. What gives? TOB’s record against the top 25 and against the best programs in the Big East and ACC are there, and you all know what it is. It is so graphically similar to Herb’s record against Carolina and Dook and his record against top 25 teams that it beggars the imagination. He has wins against the MAC and MWC champions. Wow, that really gets me excited. I’m not interested in how many conference champions he’s BEATEN. I want to know how many he’s WON.

    He has a record against the conference elite, Big East and ACC that indicates he wins about ten percent of the crucial games. I can’t believe some of you guys actually have the attitude that we should be happy if we can just get to some of those BIG GAMES. There’s a boatload of coaches that can do that much. Why hire a coach that has proven over and over again that that is the BEST he can do? AND BE HAPPY ABOUT IT? Are you bloody kidding me? We’ve just become the football equivalent of Arizona State, and this bunch is deliriously happy. Unbelievable.

  15. TNCSU 12/07/2006 at 11:00 AM #

    There may have been weeks/months, but I think Bobby Ross went to Ga. Tech the next year ’86 at Maryland/’87 at Ga. Tech (share of Nat’l Champs in 1990). Nothing is a sure thing, but I think TOB will do GOOD things at State, and we should give him our support!

  16. test4eko 12/07/2006 at 11:02 AM #

    To be accurate, Bobby Ross accepted a position on Marv Levy’s staff with the Buffalo Bills before waffling and accepting the GT HC job. Technically, he was no longer employed by Maryland. However, it should be noted that the primary reason Ross left College Park was because of differences over, oddly enough, the university’s committment to upgrading subpar facilities. I was a freshman at Maryland in 1983-84 (but finished @ NCSU), so I remember the atmosphere being somewhat static when it was announced that Ross doubled back and went south. I hope our fortunes with TOB are equal to what BR brought to GT in the end.

  17. old13 12/07/2006 at 11:02 AM #

    PP’s got a premium article (to which I refuse access) giving Foulup credit for this hire. I guess that’s OK if you really believe that Foulup was leading the parade on this one – which I DO NOT! There are, in fact, reports that he actually hindered the process (see follow pages of blog linked below.)

    http://www.xanga.com/NCStatefootball

  18. redfred2 12/07/2006 at 11:03 AM #

    Mike

    That statement came directly from Ned Barnett’s N&O article as highlighted by ^FullMoonRising above. He did go on to say something about the Bobby Ross deal, but who cares about that? Especially when there’s an opportunity to slander the Heels with words directly from the pages of the N&O.

  19. Gene 12/07/2006 at 11:11 AM #

    Good hire. Everybody wins. NCSU wins by getting a solid coach, with a good track record. BC wins by unloading a coach, the fans had grown weary of. This website says a lot about BC’s state of mind, with regards to TOB. http://www.firetob.com/

  20. Gene 12/07/2006 at 11:12 AM #

    Actually read through the link and realize these guys are getting their panties in a wad because they had Doug Flutie play for them, had 3-4 really really good years with Coughling, and now expect to contend for national titles every year…talk about “lunatic fringe”…

  21. statered 12/07/2006 at 11:15 AM #

    old13 I fully beleive Foulup is responsible for this hire. It fits his personality to a T. The good but not great guy that nobody really wants ala John Beiline.

    People who “know” football would not have set us up with him.

  22. redfred2 12/07/2006 at 11:18 AM #

    ^TOB is “nice,” as they say before you ever see the blind date.

  23. packbackr04 12/07/2006 at 11:19 AM #

    mike^^ yes! finally!! someone agrees with me. Now the question is, will Obrien acknowledge he is going to need recruiting help in the deep south and can chuck swallow his pride and continue to help the university he loves with albeit a lesser role, but an important one noe the less

  24. highonlowe 12/07/2006 at 11:22 AM #

    I think everyone would love to see Chuck retained at some level of the program. He loves this school, he’s a great defensive coordinator, his recruiting ties are more than solid; its a no brainer.
    BUT, will Amato chuck his pride and stay? Doubtful

  25. partialqualifier 12/07/2006 at 11:24 AM #

    I have been extremely critical of Fowler and everyone else at NC State. A week ago Tom O’Brien was not anywhere near the Top 5 coaches I wanted us to hire. I complained about cancelling the Fisher interview. I howled about the apparent regional aspects of the search.

    At the end of the day….I was wrong. Fowler and whoever else was responsible for this hire deserve a TON of credit. They kept it quiet, and they were not afraid of the “unwritten rule” of hiring from within the league. For the first time in a long time he showed some balls. I am impressed.

    I am appalled at the some of the opinions being expressed today. I did not start out supporting O’Brien, but any reasonable person can conclude that this is possibly the best football coach NC State has EVER hired. Does he have short comings? Of course. But I ask you….who doesnt? Johnson, Fisher, Kragthorpe, Leach, etc. all had short comings of their own. But I will say without any doubt in my mind that NC State just hired the best coach in America that we could have hired. Once you realize that we arent getting Rodriguez, Spurrier, Brown, Carrol, Tressel, Schiano, etc…..who is a more proven winner than O’Brien? This guy is one of the best 5 coaches to coach in the ACC in the last 25 years or so.

    Let me add that while some of you are spewing rhetoric like “he cant win the big one”, let me remind you that he beat Clemson & Va. Tech this year. Let me also remind you that he was 9 games with a powerfull rushing attack led by William Green, and he has won 9 games with the ACC’s leading passer Matt Ryan. He can win running or passing. I firmly believe that if Tom O’Brien had been coaching at Ohio St or Michigan he would be winning as many games as their current coaches. At NcState he will be able to recruit many of the players that BC couldnt get because of facilities, lack of support, and academic restrictions. I agree with SFN…there is no telling how high the ceiling is for Tom O’Brien.

    Lastly, let me say that I am 100% fully behind Tom O’Brien, and I am excited as hell to have one of the 3 best coaches in the league walking the sidelines wearing RED!!! I will welcome him with open arms! I dont have to spend the next few months worried about whether or not he’ll hire great assistants or do the right things on the grassroots level to assure that we have a successful ACC caliber football program. He has proven he can do those things at this level already! Congrats Coach O’Brien…and congrats Lee Fowler! (It may take me awhile to get used to saying that!!!)

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