Swofford Announces Plans for Retirement

[DukieInKansas]

Just saw this: https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/...243787022.html

Thoughts?

[devildeac]

Just saw this: https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/...243787022.html

Thoughts?

My first is:

Ahhh, see ya!

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

I’d hate to lose K as coach but can you imagine the heartburn it would give every cheat fan if he were to become commish? I know it ain’t gonna happen but it sure would be entertaining.

[jv001]

I’d hate to lose K as coach but can you imagine the heartburn it would give every cheat fan if he were to become commish? I know it ain’t gonna happen but it sure would be entertaining.

Christian Laettner is my choice. Now that would upset some people but he'd be a worthy choice.

GoDuke!

[ChillinDuke]

I thought Swofford did a good job holding the ACC together during that pivotal summer of realignment (summer, year, whatever it was). There was a real chance that the ACC would get picked clean by other conferences. But he was able to pull off (1) adding Syracuse and Pitt for fit and stability, which were good outcomes, (2) adding Louisville for scale and reach, which was a questionable move, (3) losing only Maryland, which was unfortunate but whatever screw them, (4) pacifying Va Tech, NC State/UNC, FSU into not leaving, (5) achieving a Grant of Rights, which to my understanding is highly prohibitive to programs leaving, and (6) adding Notre Dame as a full member and partial/rotating football member, perhaps the biggest achievement during that time.

Other than that singular era of realignment, I haven't cared for Swofford and haven't seen him do much (or enough) to improve the ACC's standing versus other conferences. In particular, in football, I've been somewhat discouraged by his inability to get the conference pulling stronger in the same direction.

All things considered, I look forward to the next commissioner and won't lose much sleep over Swoffy.

- Chillin

[howardlander]

(3) losing only Maryland, which was unfortunate but whatever screw them

- Chillin

I agree with all except the above. The Maryland fan behavior was completely beyond the bounds of what is, after all, just entertainment. They are the B1G's problem now. Oh, yeah I do agree with the "screw them" part.

[ChillinDuke]

I agree with all except the above. The Maryland fan behavior was completely beyond the bounds of what is, after all, just entertainment. They are the B1G's problem now. Oh, yeah I do agree with the "screw them" part.

I get it. And I agree with the characterization of their fans. I dislike Maryland strongly, don't get me wrong - I actually hate Maryland, at least in basketball.

But at the end of the day, Maryland was a founding member of the ACC with great basketball tradition (and still strong program), a logical footprint for the conference, and a "loyal" fanbase (amongst other descriptors). While I suspect there are plenty of other current ACC schools that the Old Guard on the Board would have been happy to see leave, Maryland was unfortunate. And I can say it's unfortunate and still believe their fan behavior is often out of bounds. The two feelings aren't mutually exclusive for me.

Swofford's accomplishment was stopping the bleeding at Maryland because that was objectively a tougher loss for the conference than, say, BC which (1) was not a founding member, (2) has very minimal basketball tradition to speak of (and a fairly bad program at the moment), (3) sits in a relatively illogical footprint, and (4) has no fanbase that I can discern. Losing Maryland was a head-turner, I'm sure, for many schools. Swofford kept the ship afloat, and for that he deserves credit. Other than realignment, meh.

- Chillin

[PackMan97]

Christian Laettner is my choice. Now that would upset some people but he'd be a worthy choice.

GoDuke!

I literally do not care as long as it is not a CHeater or anyone associated with institutions that share many commonalities with the CHeaters, such as Kansas or ESPN (like Jay Bilas).

[UrinalCake]

Maybe the next commissioner will finally be willing to launch a conference investigation into UNC’s decades of cheating, starting with the athletic director at UNC when all the cheating started. That person of course was John Swofford.

[duke2x]

I literally do not care as long as it is not a CHeater or anyone associated with institutions that share many commonalities with the CHeaters, such as Kansas or ESPN (like Jay Bilas).

The ACC has a history of looking internally for its heads. Swofford had UNC ties as we know. Corrigan had Duke and UVA ties. The next one really needs to come from outside the ACC.

[Native]

Christian Laettner is my choice. Now that would upset some people but he'd be a worthy choice!

See also: Battier, Shane.

[uh_no]

See also: Battier, Shane.

Jay Bilas thinks Jay Bilas is the right choice

[sagegrouse]

It will be likely be an ACC current or former athletic director that everyone else likes.

Here's the list:
Jim Weaver, Wake Forest AD
Bob James, Air Force Acad. AD, Mid-American commissioner
Gene Corrigan (Duke undergrad), UVA and then Notre Dame AD
John Swofford, UNC AD

Well, three out of four ain't bad.

[OldPhiKap]

There's only one obvious choice as the next commissioner:

Ozzie.

[chrishoke]

Who are the African American candidates that should be considered?

[TKG]

Which Cheat alum will be named as the next Commissioner?

[TKG]

Who are the African American candidates that should be considered?

As Native mentioned upthread, Shane Battier.

[sagegrouse]

Who are the African American candidates that should be considered?

Well, there are three African-Americans serving as AD's in the ACC:

Martin Jarmond, BC
Stan Wilcox. FSU
Carla Williams, UVa

Heather Lyke is also AD at Pitt.

Kindly,
Sage
'I had forgotten that Duke legacy Boo Corrigan was the AD at State'

[devildeac]

There's only one obvious choice as the next commissioner:

Ozzie.

I am devildeac and I endorse this nomination.

[weezie]

I am devildeac and I endorse this nomination.

I'm willing to serve in Ozzie's administration. weezie the Enforcer gets a sash and a mace, right?