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View Full Version : A vote for Coach Roof



Bluedawg
08-07-2007, 11:20 AM
One thing that I've always been impressed with about Coach Roof is how no matter what happens he does not get down and is always upbeat and positive about his team.

A familiar hand for Devils, Duke again deals with a key loss (http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/duke/story/662449.html)


Losing a key player before the season is an all-too-familiar experience for the Devils, who will be battling to dig themselves out of the ACC cellar after going 0-12 in 2006.

In 2005, Oghobaase, then a true freshman and Duke's first five-star recruit in years, went down with a right knee injury during spring practice. Ayanga Okpokowuruk, another well-regarded defensive lineman in Oghobaase's class, suffered a season-ending leg injury right before the season opener.

In 2006, quarterback Zack Asack, after starting six games as a true freshman in 2005, was suspended from the team for the season for plagiarizing a school assignment.

In 2007, Duke will be without its emotional leader on defense.

Tauiliili was arrested Saturday after being involved in a traffic accident early Saturday morning. Now out on bond, he faces five different charges including driving while impaired and carrying a concealed weapon (a knife).

However, in classic Ted Roof style he said
"This team is a lot bigger than one person," "This program is a lot bigger than one person. Our guys are mentally tough enough to handle it."

I know people are calling for his scalp but i really think Duke should stay with him a bit longer. And it rubs off. Also from the article:
Oghobaase, 20 pounds slimmer and looking NFL-ready at 297 pounds, has already reached out to the Duke linebackers about making up for Tauiliili's absence.

"I just told them not to get down," Oghobaase said. "Everything happens for a reason so everyone has to be ready to play."

I know the article called Michale Duke's "emotional leader on defense' but Coach Roof is truly Duke's emotional leader period. I'd hate to see him dumped.

Olympic Fan
08-07-2007, 03:00 PM
I call it the Les Robinson syndrome -- what do you do when your coach is a great person, but non-productive as a coach? I remember Winston-Salem writer Dan Collins describing Jim Caldwell is a guy you'd love to have as your coach for six days a week.

I too like Roof a a lot and I hope he can get things turned around. But no matter how great a guy he is and how good a representative of the university he is, at some point, he has to win on the field. Maybe not 10-12 games a year, but more than the 0-2 wins he's averaged.

Roof is a quality guy and that's why I've stuck by him through 2-9, 1-10 and 0-12 seasons ... I know he's been a victim of some extremely bad luck and I know he's had to upgrade the talent he inherited from the Franks regime. That's why I'm willing to cut him some slack.

But I really hope he can make something happen this season ... it's easy to call for the dismissal of an embarrassing pr*ck, but when it's a guy like Roof, it's tough

Jarhead
08-07-2007, 03:30 PM
well said, bluedawg. Isn't this the first year that he has seniors recruited by him as head coach? We shouldn't start the countdown until he graduates his first recruiting class. Then we'll see.

Bluedawg
08-08-2007, 09:08 AM
well said, bluedawg. Isn't this the first year that he has seniors recruited by him as head coach? We shouldn't start the countdown until he graduates his first recruiting class. Then we'll see.

Well, he took over as interim head coach the end of 2003, so would 2004 or 2005 be his first actual recruiting class? I know a lot of 2004 would have been recruited by Franks, but I guess Roof could have some in 2004 so you could be right.

I agree, i think a coach has to be able to get all of the previous coaches players out and get a full team of his recruits before you actually start to judge. A coach recruits players to fit his style of play and all Franks talked about was how hard it is to recruit at Duke.

mapei
08-08-2007, 09:56 AM
I think we should not begin judging Roof until he loses his first 50. After that, he gets held to the same standard as coaches at other schools. ;)

JasonEvans
08-08-2007, 10:44 AM
This thread was started on the off-topic board and has been moved to the King forum, which is where it belongs.

-Jason

gvtucker
08-08-2007, 11:30 AM
The primary reason that Coach Roof still has a job is because of all of those positive attributes listed. And the whole time, I have supported him 100%.

Saturdays still matter, though. And this year, he'll have to generate positive results on Saturday. Zero wins, even just one win or two wins, and that is probably not enough.

wilko
08-08-2007, 02:26 PM
It was about Duke football. I had an unusual sense of optimisim thinking that we were ready to pounce and were getting close... I just KNEW we would snake-bite some folks who were napping hoping for a "coast" game this year.

Well I ... in my dream I had something to do and missed the kickoff... so I had to catch part of it on the radio... turned it on. found the station missed the score announce but it was noisy, loud crowd and had lots of static... you could just taste something was going on..

Duke had just scored in the 3rd Q to make it 14 to 73...

I was crestfallen..
The wheels had fallen off the season before the 1st game is over.

I want Duke to win as much as anyone reading this. But no matter how great a guy Roof is. For all I know hes an organ doaner, a deacon in his church, helps orphans and is in every measurable way a better human being than I am... but if we dont get 4 wins... somehow.. or show out as ultra competitive EVERY outing... I dont see how he stays.

I want him to. I really do.
But hes gotta get some w's... like multiple w's THIS year..

TillyGalore
08-08-2007, 03:01 PM
This thread was started on the off-topic board and has been moved to the King forum, which is where it belongs.

-Jason

What! No Jason "insert clever line here" Evans signature? Are you feeling okay? Has the heat gotten to you? Do you need a vacation? Seriously, I'm worried about you.

Tilly "worried about Jason "the moderator and post-a-matic" Evans" Galore

Indoor66
08-08-2007, 03:12 PM
What! No Jason "insert clever line here" Evans signature? Are you feeling okay? Has the heat gotten to you? Do you need a vacation? Seriously, I'm worried about you.

Tilly "worried about Jason "the moderator and post-a-matic" Evans" Galore

Maybe it is the weight of responsibility when acting in his exalted moderator roll? :confused:

formerdukeathlete
08-10-2007, 05:45 AM
The primary reason that Coach Roof still has a job is because of all of those positive attributes listed. And the whole time, I have supported him 100%.

Saturdays still matter, though. And this year, he'll have to generate positive results on Saturday. Zero wins, even just one win or two wins, and that is probably not enough.

Dascenzo had an interesting column Aug. 7 in which he described opening days of Duke Football practice in which Wade, Murray and Cameron would meet and observe the team. He then commented about how Tom Harp had been let go after finishing 6-5 in 1970 playing an extremely tough schedule. How many other coaches before Franks were let go who would have accummulated better records than their successors? Were Harp, Goldsmith, Wilson unfairly or prematurely fired? Probably, in my view. And, look at what we "get" as a result of our "give."

Last go around when we interviewed for Franks' successor, Bobby Ross wanted commitments from the University re facilties improvements and assistant coaches salaries and recruiting budgets.

So, if Roof does not make it, then what? Where will money be better spent - buying out Roof's contract or improving Wade as a venue and giving Roof a little more time? We have to improve Wade no matter what, if Bobby Ross' requests were any indication of what any accomplished coach would require.

I guess that if Roof wins a couple the U sticks with an incremental approach, focusing on fundraising to fix Wade rather than an immediate search for a new coach. Were we to win 4 or more, well maybe the spigots turn on re recruiting and fundraising, and maybe we have a shot near term of turning the program around.

Bluedawg
08-10-2007, 12:57 PM
So, if Roof does not make it, then what? Where will money be better spent - buying out Roof's contract or improving Wade as a venue and giving Roof a little more time? We have to improve Wade no matter what, if Bobby Ross' requests were any indication of what any accomplished coach would require.

I guess that if Roof wins a couple the U sticks with an incremental approach, focusing on fundraising to fix Wade rather than an immediate search for a new coach. Were we to win 4 or more, well maybe the spigots turn on re recruiting and fundraising, and maybe we have a shot near term of turning the program around.

Money will have to be spent to upgrade the facilities. There are plans to and i found an article once detailing what they planned to do to Wallace Wade after completion of the basketball center, but I can't seem to locate it now.

Classof06
08-10-2007, 03:29 PM
Money will have to be spent to upgrade the facilities. There are plans to and i found an article once detailing what they planned to do to Wallace Wade after completion of the basketball center, but I can't seem to locate it now.

Wallace Wade is the only facility that would have to be upgraded. I'm not sure if you're familiar with the Yoh Football Center, but it's a $22 million dollar facility that was built in either 2003 or 2004, during my first two years at Duke. I've been on the inside once and it's beautiful.

Bluedawg
08-10-2007, 06:06 PM
Wallace Wade is the only facility that would have to be upgraded. I'm not sure if you're familiar with the Yoh Football Center, but it's a $22 million dollar facility that was built in either 2003 or 2004, during my first two years at Duke. I've been on the inside once and it's beautiful.

You may be confused over my use of the word "facilities" instead of "facility". I'm referring to all of the facilities inside the stadium ie, stands, vendors, concourse, restrooms, etc.

BTW, they moved into Yoh in August of 2002.