Since we are playing Rutgers in a few weeks, there might be some NC State fans interested in what is happening with our bowl opponent:
“Recent events have convinced me, with reluctance, that this is the right course of action,” McCormick said in the e-mail.
Mulcahy issued a statement later last night making it clear that the decision to leave was not his own.
“I was asked to resign,” he said. “I have not offered my resignation.”
Assistant athletic director Jason Baum said Mulcahy was fired at 1 p.m..
The university’s review of Mulcahy’s department followed a series of stories in The Star-Ledger that detailed hundreds of thousands of dollars in off-the-books spending that never appeared in the Rutgers budget, secret contract enhancements given to head football coach Greg Schiano and a no-bid contract with a sports marketing firm hired after it put Mulcahy’s son on its payroll.
We originally mentioned an expose done by the Star Ledger here.
Two weeks ago a special university commission concluded the athletics department had been allowed to operate like a rogue agent, making secret deals and spending recklessly with little oversight. An internal audit concluded much the same.
After months of revelations of hidden spending, no-bid contracts and growing funding problems with a costly stadium expansion project, Rutgers now is at a crossroad. Later this week, the university’s governing board is to meet over what to do about the stadium, and discuss how to rein in its athletics department.
Another potential story also could impact NC State. Jim Grobe was very close to taking the Arkansas head coaching position last season, so it is safe to assume that he would seriously consider an offer for Auburn’s head coaching position. Apparently he is interviewing for the Auburn job today. Grobe has done an outstanding job at Wake Forest, however the program fell back this year to a 7-5 record after winning the ACC championship in 2006. With 4-5 programs in the ACC likely improving, there are going to be fewer wins to go around for other ACC teams the next several years.
Grobe’s recipe for successs the last few years has been:
-Don’t turn the ball over (35th nationally in 2008) and play for field position (19th nationally in net punting in 2008).
-Play strong defense (17th nationally in scoring defense in 2008).
-Create big plays on defense that lead directly to points either by defensive touchdowns or short fields given to the offense(3rd in the nation in TO margin in 2008).
-Strong special teams play (not in the top 100 in FG kicking with Swank injured this year).
Wake Forest loses 2008 Butkus Award winner Aaron Curry, all-everything cornerback Alphonso Smith, and 5 other defensive starters from this week’s depth chart. Curry and Smith were responsible for numerous defensive scores over the last three years.
They also lose one of the best ACC combination kicker/punters in recent memory in Sam Swank who has been instrumental in many wins over the last four years. Anyone remember his three 50+ yard field goals in Carter Finley in 2006? With Swank injured, Wake dropped off the charts in field goal kicking percentage (see above). The offense only loses two seniors including an all-ACC 1st team wide receiver, but Wake’s offense won’t scare anyone next season either way. They will lose a four year starter at the quarterback position in Riley Skinner after next season
With Jim Grobe, Wake Forest will never be an easy win again. Those days are likely over unless Grobe was to leave the program. However, at the same time it isn’t likely to get better than the last three years and it will be difficult to even match that success again. The ACC title likely earned him a contract until he retires and deservedly so. Still there was a lot of chatter from Wake Forest fans on the internet this year about making changes to his offensive staff. One of Grobe’s best qualities is his loyalty to his staff and the strength of his staff is largely responsible for Wake’s success. It should be interesting to see how he reacts to any outside pressure for staff changes in the future.
Here is how he responded earlier this year as the media and fans focused on Wake’s offensive problems:
His only complaint is that he’s convinced that those pulling the trigger are aiming at in the wrong direction. Instead of training the sights on Steed Lobotzke, the offensive coordinator, Grobe suggested a bigger target. That would be the man who recruited Lobotzke to play line at the Air Force Academy, and later hired him to be an assistant coach at Ohio University and Wake Forest.
“I knew I should have never recruited the guy to the Air Force Academy,” Grobe began, lightening the mood with his usual levity. “That was the first mistake.
“There’s not anything that we do offensively or defensively that I’m not in approval of. So they’ve got to get me before they get Lobo.”
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