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. TNCSU 12/07/2006 at 2:47 PM #

    Elrod/CG — I concur – pretty soon I thought we may see them spell out UNC SUX or something else. I wonder if the BOT or LF actually said something to Amato after seeing that on the helmets? That (and losing!) definitely could have helped him out the door IMO. Probaby, some behind the scenes conversations dealt with those issues. I’m sure O’Brien will cut it out — let’s hope. Overall, I think TOB is a great hire!

  2. CaptainCraptacular 12/07/2006 at 2:53 PM #

    *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 enational titles every year…talk about “lunatic fringe”…*

    Coughlin’s record at BC:

    ’91 4-7
    ’92 8-3-1
    ’93 9-3

    Looks like the same ceiling as TOB.

    ——————

    *Now the question is, will Obrien acknowledge he is going to need recruiting help in the deep south*

    He recruited the south when he was an assistant/coordinator for George Welsh. He should know the lay of the land fairly well already.

    And while having Chuck as a recruiting coordinator could produce some nice results, it aint going to happen.

  3. Jeff D 12/07/2006 at 3:00 PM #

    # vtpackfan Says:
    December 7th, 2006 at 9:04 am

    “It apparently is a REAL good move for TOB considering he is not so popular at BC.”

    Is anyone out there capable of realizing that if your name isn’t Auerbach, or Belichek then your a crap coach in that city? Boston sucks to be a coach, player, and a fan. It’s all negativity all the time. Auerbach won all the time, and Belichek is depressed and angry all the time. If they don’t pay you well or your not into self loathing then you better get the hell out of that town.
    —-

    Not so much, especially since October 2004. It’s mainly the morons who are negative, and that’s as true here as it is in Boston (please see the PackPride message boards if you need convincing.)

    Belichek is not depressed and angry all the time, he just does not show any emotion at all in front of the camera. If you watch videos of him at practice or any of the SB DVDs he shows plenty of emotion talking to his players on the sideline.

    You should probably stick to topics you know more about.

  4. 98st8 12/07/2006 at 3:01 PM #

    Recruiting Vs. Final Record
    Recruiting Ranking by Scouts.com
    2003 NCSU 9th BC 27th
    2004 NCSU 20th BC 42nd
    2005 NCSU 23rd BC 58th
    2006 NCSU 42nd BC 44th
    2007 NCSU 42nd BC 46th

    Out of the previous five years BC has 44 wins, Not sure how many total wins we had in the last five years but I do know that it is quite a bit less than 44 and with much better talent. TOB is doing more with less in BC, lets see what he can do with better talent.

    We averaged a recruiting class ranked around 27 and that was their highest class. Their average was 43

  5. skywalkerdt 12/07/2006 at 3:04 PM #

    but look at the trend in recruiting ranking. you could tell the peak in amato’s recruiting in ’03. hopefully the same things that made state attractive then can return with a track proven coach

  6. packfanstk 12/07/2006 at 3:35 PM #

    Quote. 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. Quote.

    And let me remind you that he had the ACC Atlantic Division Championship in his pocket, finishing the season with Wake Forest, Maryland, and Miami. He went 1-2–even losing to the most miserable Miami team in a generation. And what’s his record against Miami again? Can you say O-fer? ONE SHARED conference championship, and it came the year Miami and VaTech left the Big East for the ACC. Make your yearly reservations for San Fran, Charlotte, and Boise. If we wind up in Jax or Atlanta, it will only be because we leap over better teams thanks to our traveling fanbase. And forget BCS. It ain’t gonna happen. I’ll concede he may win big one year while Amato’s players are still here, most likely 2008. But we have consigned ourselves to the same level of mediocrity we so despised under Herb Sendek. Sorry, JB, but I must passionately disagree with you… those of us that think TOB is HS 2.0 are right. Mark it down: we will be WAY below .500 against Carolina, Clemson, FSU, Miami, and VaTech while TOB is here.

    We really do have a lunatic fringe, and its headquarters are the Athletic Director’s office.

  7. Wolfpack4ever 12/07/2006 at 3:36 PM #

    CG and Par Shooter: Thanks for straightening me out about Caldwell and Godette. Oh well, a guy scaring the hell out of 70 is allowed a brain fart every now and then.

    ^^^^^”From where we have been and where we are now, 9 wins is a START to get us where we want to be.”

    A winning record, discipline and 95% graduation rates is a start and will get Chancellor Oblinger where HE wants us to be. Face it. There’s not an AD on the planet who could make a hire based solely on National Championship potential at NCSU. IMNSHO working inside the parameters which an NCSU AD works, we have as solid a hire as we could possibly have. With all due respect, if 9-3 records, solid citizens on and off the field, and great academics and graduation rates are inconsequential to you, I’d suggest that for your happiness and sanity, find another school to support.

  8. MrPlywood 12/07/2006 at 3:36 PM #

    I’m going to go out on a limb and surmise that O’Brien was in touch with the “powers that be” at NCSU before Amato was let go. Despite what the reports have said about State not being ready to fire Chuck, you’d have to live under a rock to think that Chuck’s job was safe. The speed with which this deal happened leads me to believe that TOB had expressed his interest beforehand.

    Anyway, as I continue to learn more about TOB, I am developing a cautious optimism. It does seem that he has done more with less, whereas CTC was doing less – and less – with more.

  9. TOB=Herb 12/07/2006 at 3:51 PM #

    He’ll beat Clemson, and lose to WF and unc

  10. TNCSU 12/07/2006 at 3:55 PM #

    TOB=Herb
    Give it a rest and go back half empty cup of coffee!

  11. DiscoStu65 12/07/2006 at 4:02 PM #

    “He’ll beat Clemson, and lose to WF and unc”

    Subtract Clemson and add FSU to that equation and you’ve got exactly what Amato brought to the table.

  12. vtpackfan 12/07/2006 at 4:03 PM #

    Jeff D^
    If you think Boston’s sports are just like everywhere else then we don’t have to bother going into who should speak on any sports topic.

  13. partialqualifier 12/07/2006 at 4:38 PM #

    I wish all the O’Brien haters will go away and find something else to bitch about!

    You guys are the ones that would NEVER be satisfied regardless of who the coach was!!

    Those of you who dont like O’Brien….list the reasons you dont. Then I want you to name who you would have hired, and I guarantee you that I can list AT LEAST twice as many reasons not to hire your guy as you can list not to hire O’Brien! So please…..give a rest! Go start your own fire O’Brien site and leave the sane fans to blog in here!

  14. PAPacker 12/07/2006 at 4:42 PM #

    PQ, you feel pretty confident, kragthorpe, the middle tennessee guy, the houston coach, rice’s coach, all had bigger potential downsides than TOB? Just asking.

  15. bigpacman 12/07/2006 at 10:26 PM #

    PA I think O’Brien is the safe choice, however I think NCSU was closer to going the mid-major HC route rather than Chow/Fisher with no HC experience. See the article below….Stocksill the MT coach was “seen as the perfect fit” by Tom Dienhart and I think he was getting strong consideration.

    http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=156050

  16. jwrenn29 12/07/2006 at 10:44 PM #

    SO glad this hire over PJ. I was deeply concerned about PJ, though I couldn’t put a finger on it exactly. The steroid mini scandal was one thing, the wishbone offense (‘pure’ wishbone as Steve Logan labelled it today on air) was another. Plus I knew NOTHING about him that made me want him to coach here, same as when Herb was hired. It was kinda like “Who?”. Even after all the press I still felt I knew nothing about PJ and it made me nervous.

    But TOB on the other hand…we knew plenty about him and I love that he’s been stable and his staff has been stable as well. Good discipline on his team, and the offense is FAR from incapable as ours has been in the post PR era.

    Chuck did good things for us, but I hope that TOB does better. And I feel pretty good about that hope.

  17. Jeff D 12/08/2006 at 12:01 AM #

    # vtpackfan Says:
    December 7th, 2006 at 4:03 pm

    Jeff D^
    If you think Boston’s sports are just like everywhere else then we don’t have to bother going into who should speak on any sports topic.

    Given that I’ve lived 29 of my 36 years in and around greater Boston, I’d be willing to wager that my knowledge of the Boston sports scene there is quite a bit more in depth than yours. Like grade school-grad school comparison.

    Terry Francona is generally regarded as being a good coach. Yes, there are talk radio callers that criticize him and they are almost always contradicted by the hosts. That is true in any town when sports talk radio is popular.

    Yes, pro sports are king. That’s a given. But as a kid I and all my friends watched every BC football game. To say they have no fan base or that people don’t follow the team is ignorant bordering on stupid.

    The BC fan base is not against TOB, it is mainly the undergraduates. Just because a large web presence is celebrating his removal does not mean the fanbase is.

    I have been in touch with several of my friends who own season tickets who realize it’s going to be near impossible to get a coach of equal caliber.

    I’ll say again, you’re better off sticking to topics you know more about. Please try to tell me again how you know more about Boston sports than me. I need a good laugh.

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