Mike Barry to Leave Football Staff

8pm, Monday

Rumors have been circulating on various internet websites over the last few days that NC State’s Offensive Line Coach, Mike Barry, had interviewed for a position with the Detroit Lions organization.

Statefansnation has confirmed that Barry will be leaving Raleigh after four years on the staff. Barry came to NC State in 2003 after spending five years at the University of Tennessee.

Although some fans will point to this as another example of turmoil and coaching turnover on Chuck Amato’s staff, our perspective on this one isn’t that dire. Barry’s offensive lines have not torn up the ACC the last few years, and most fervent followers of the program are hard pressed to name many (any) key high school recruits in which Barry played an integral role in landing.

More on this as it develops.

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General NCS Football

17 Responses to Mike Barry to Leave Football Staff

  1. Jeff 02/13/2006 at 8:04 PM #

    I made the following post on Pack Pride this weekend as it relates to coaching turnover —

    I don’t give a crap about coaching turnover…I give a crap about the impact of coaching turnover on our players, our systems, and the perception of the program as it relates to recruiting.

    As for Barry, specifically. What is there to have been impressed about? Our offensive lines have stunk since he’s been here and I’m not sure that he has landed a single recruit in his 2 years.

    After being impressed by the Kravitz hire…perhaps we could do a little better?

    People make comments about the uber experience of Barry, Portee, and Williams on the staff. If I had to choose one of them to replace with a more vibrant, younger staff member — it would be Barry (hands down)

  2. VaWolf82 02/13/2006 at 8:14 PM #

    It’s not hard to identify problems. But sometimes its hard to separate the blame between coaching and lack of talent. When you can move a DL to the OL and he starts immediately…..and a true FR gets to play on the OL….that’s a sign that the overall talent level on the OL is not good.

    If the play of the OL improves dramatically next year…then it will be easy to hold Barry responsible for the poor line play. If the OL line struggles again next year, then I won’t be concerned about blame….I’ll be looking for something else to do on Sat afternoon.

  3. Steven 02/14/2006 at 12:42 AM #

    I’ve been secretly hoping Barry would move on (for whatever reason) this offseason. With the way things have gone for the OL over the last few years, it can’t hurt to try someone new (though VaWolf’s point is well taken).

  4. class of '74 02/14/2006 at 6:17 AM #

    Love VaWolf’s comments. Time will tell where the blame should lie.

  5. RickJ 02/14/2006 at 8:18 AM #

    On a side note, Maryland’s offensive coordinator Charlie Taaffe resigned. He has been with Friedgen the entire 5 years. Assistant football coaches pay has really increased recently (Wasn’t Chow making $90,000 at BYU when he came to State?) but their security is lot more tenuous.

  6. choppack 02/14/2006 at 8:52 AM #

    I’m surprised Barry isn’t retiring. He’s coached a lot of NFL calibre lineman in his day at UT. However, we haven’t exactly shocked the world w/ our OL play either. I wouldn’t be shocked if there was an internal hire here. I recall one of the grad coaches spending a lot of time w/ the OL a couple of years and being very active. We’ll see.

    FWIW – Bunting lost Hunter to the NFL. Hunter is someone who has produced some pretty solid results – especially against Chapel Hill’s football rival.

  7. Eric 02/14/2006 at 9:38 AM #

    He’s going to the Lions? LOL another clunker of a choice for them, that doesn’t surprise me. Fire Millen!

  8. Jim 02/14/2006 at 9:46 AM #

    Barry apparently was almost universally hated by his players here, which obviously hurt recruiting at that position. He was a terrible hire by Chuck to begin with.

  9. SaccoV 02/14/2006 at 9:47 AM #

    Congratulations to Chuck on this one. Barry was the original source for the comment about Derek Morris being so quick that he fools the refs into calling him for false start penalties. Anyone who believes that should never be a line-coach because it’s obvious that the coach is watching the line! Secondly, I do think this is another indictment on Chuck and his inability to keep coaches around. Although this one wasn’t the cream-of-the-crop, some coaching stability is needed to ease the pressure of the last three not-so-great seasons. Given Amato’s underwhelming results, the one thing that he could be arguing to recruits is his ability to stick with talented coaches at skill positions, which he hasn’t been able to do. Regardless of Barry’s ineptitude, this coaching staff hasn’t been worth spit in the last three seasons and the head man at some point must be held accountable.

  10. class of '74 02/14/2006 at 9:56 AM #

    ^Wait till this next season and he will be held accountable. A monumental meltdown could occur if the offense doesn’t really step it up in a big way.

  11. Mr O 02/14/2006 at 10:05 AM #

    The football program is a mess right now, so I don’t see losing Barry as making it much worse. Next year is going to be a struggle IMO and Amato will get a lot of heat from the fans if it is.

  12. Jim 02/14/2006 at 10:12 AM #

    Barry was, by far, the worst coach on the staff. And that is really saying something, I realize.

  13. BJD95 02/14/2006 at 10:19 AM #

    I agree with Mr. O’s analysis – football is a mess. ECU will actually have a chance to beat us next year and incite another riot (thanks, Lee!) – glad I won’t be there.

  14. choppack 02/14/2006 at 10:28 AM #

    Actually, I thought the Thursday night game at Clemson was as hostile an environment towards the coach as I have ever seen at an NC State game. I can’t imagine it getting much worse than booing the coach on a jumbotron.

  15. lumberpack 02/14/2006 at 7:36 PM #

    chopack, you must not remember the ole Tom Reed days 🙂

  16. choppack 02/14/2006 at 11:22 PM #

    I remember the 3 3-8s – but I was never in Raleigh for that monstrosity – thankfully – besides, we didn’t have a jumbotron then -right? 😉

  17. Daniel 02/18/2006 at 12:37 PM #

    Mike Barry was horrific. I say bring back Galbraith. His lines, while less talented, did a great job of protecting Rivers backside and did an adequate job opening lanes for TA and Ray Robinson. We gave up fewer sacks than any team in the league for 00-03, and that was from an offense that threw the ball 40 times per game and a QB who wasn’t very agile.

    They didn’t commit many penalties, either.

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