Cutcliffe Retirement Speculation

[paris95]

Agree completely. A worthwhile assistant is not going to come here for one year. I can’t imagine that the university will give him an extension that would make it worthwhile for the university to take a chance on him. It seems that he’s no longer among the significant football coaches in America. I Donely would a really good assistant not take the chance, but also a good high school football player is not likely to want to come to do without knowing what’s going to happen here.

So true. Status quo for next season would set the program back several years, back from where we already are now. Next year would be a lost year for recruiting, one that Duke of all teams cannot afford. We're already losing a lot of contributors to graduation, but how many of the promising young guys would transfer as well without some possibility for improvement? I would guess at least a few of the ones we can't afford to lose. Without an influx of talent and/or serious change to the staff and strategy, how does one expect that next year would be any different than this year, last year, or the year before that? It's not like we're seeing signs of improvement. The young OC/DCs aren't getting better, we get less competitive every week. We're not losing close games because the other teams have better talent. We're getting blown off the field by the middle of the second quarter.

Status quo would mean that not only do we not have a chance to be competitive next year, we'll severely handicap anyone who comes after that, meaning the job will be less attractive than it already is. Another year of getting absolutely crushed 80% of the time would get us fully back to mid 2000s pre-Cut. I guess if the admin and big donors are OK with that, there's not much that any of the rest of us can do. Still holding out hope that either Cut will step aside on his own, or someone will make him do it.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Get usted tu it.

Can't spork. Rats

[OldPhiKap]

Cutcliffe: "I'm not going to a postgame press conference that's about me. It's about the football game." Says he understand the "noise" but he doesn't want to address it just yet.

https://twitter.com/lebrownlow/statu...093597192?s=21

[uh_no]

https://twitter.com/lebrownlow/statu...093597192?s=21

Oof.

Go out on your terms, man. Keep your head held high.

[sagegrouse]

Agree completely. A worthwhile assistant is not going to come here for one year. I can’t imagine that the university will give him an extension that would make it worthwhile for the university to take a chance on him. It seems that he’s no longer among the significant football coaches in America. I Donely would a really good assistant not take the chance, but also a good high school football player is not likely to want to come to do without knowing what’s going to happen here.

OK. Real world example. Remember Ralph Friedgen at Maryland? He had some early success with the Terps, but his success began to trail off. He had a head-coach-in-waiting James Franklin, due to take over in (like) 2011. But Franklin, sensing that the Fridge might try to hang on, left for Vanderbilt (now he's making a large fortune at Penn State). Maryland promptly fired the Fridge, who had one year left on the contract. Reason (IMHO, where the H never survived as an H-back): Fridgen could not stay just one year -- there were assistant vacancies (not just Franklin) and he couldn't recruit given his short tenure. Now true, Fridgen may have tried to throw his wait around with the AD, but he was gone in an instant, even though there was a bit of an uproar among the Terpitude. You can't coach major college football with one year left on your contract --doesn't work with your assistants, your players and potential recruits.

[arnie]

https://twitter.com/lebrownlow/statu...093597192?s=21

Is this a positive sign that he’s retiring?

[duke2x]

Now true, Fridgen (sic) may have tried to throw his wait (sic?) around with the AD, but he was gone in an instant, even though there was a bit of an uproar among the Terpitude.

Kudos to the A.D. I probably would have given Ralph an extension if he tried that...or resigned from the post in self-preservation.

Exactly how would Cut make major staff changes that would upgrade the staff?

If we assume any replacements are better than the current assistants, wouldn't they already have good jobs? And if they have good jobs, why would they leave those good jobs for a one-year stint in Durham, assuming that a new coach would almost certainly bring in his own staff? The only way this would make sense is if Cut were to get an extension and I think that's a bridge too far for even the most ardent Cut supporters. Are there really a dozen or so great assistant coaches/strength and conditioning staff, video experts currently unemployed who would flock to Duke? Seems like a big reach to me.

You are correct, but I don't think this extends beyond the coordinator positions. While I might be reading too much into previous posts, you have intimated that part of the problem is Duke's unwillingness to match current coordinator salaries. With 25% of P5 jobs changing hands every year, it would not be hard to find a former head coach or top-level coordinator every December. Most people who want to coach can't pull a Steve Logan. Even Cut was going to be OC at ND before his health issues.

Assessment of Cut's future: *Yes, we beat Northwestern and Kansas, and should have beaten Charlotte and Ga. Tech, but there has been no life in the football team since the October 9 game. It is just embarrassing to the fans, the school and the ACC.

You can usually identify the last straw for our football team when they begin to lobby for a coaching change. For Goldie, it was the loss @winless Vandy in OT. For Franks, it was the UNC game in 2002. For Roof, it was the Navy game where Bob Harris blew the FG call on the radio. Sadly, I am convinced GT was that game for Cut. We will be lucky to be 2-10 if he returns. (TBD should be stacked in our favor at this point, but I'm not sold on beating Temple at home right now.)

I will toss out a new name if we look to hire someone's coordinator. Wake's OC (Ruggiero) has been there all 8 years of the Clawson regime. He has to be ready to move up. It worked pretty well when we hired Everett Case's top assistant.

[OldPhiKap]

Is this a positive sign that he’s retiring?

It’s how I take it, but reading third-hand tea leaves.

[Indoor66]

If we have to start referring to this place as the DBR, I'm outtahere.

You can just go hang out at The Cameron.

[TheTrain]

OK. Real world example. Remember Ralph Friedgen at Maryland? He had some early success with the Terps, but his success began to trail off. He had a head-coach-in-waiting James Franklin, due to take over in (like) 2011. But Franklin, sensing that the Fridge might try to hang on, left for Vanderbilt (now he's making a large fortune at Penn State). Maryland promptly fired the Fridge, who had one year left on the contract. Reason (IMHO, where the H never survived as an H-back): Fridgen could not stay just one year -- there were assistant vacancies (not just Franklin) and he couldn't recruit given his short tenure. Now true, Fridgen may have tried to throw his wait around with the AD, but he was gone in an instant, even though there was a bit of an uproar among the Terpitude. You can't coach major college football with one year left on your contract --doesn't work with your assistants, your players and potential recruits.

They fired Fridge after a final season record of 9-4; 2nd in the ACC division and a bowl win. Finished ranked #24 in the polls. He had a rough season in 2009 but bounced back. Maryland has never really recovered from firing him.

[dudog84]

They fired Fridge after a final season record of 9-4; 2nd in the ACC division and a bowl win. Finished ranked #24 in the polls. He had a rough season in 2009 but bounced back. Maryland has never really recovered from firing him.

Always looking on the bright side.

[ClemmonsDevil]

On the Spanish version of the board, I’m getting really tired of people using the second person informal when referencing me instead of the second person formal.

Perfect.

[SouthernDukie]

It’s how I take it, but reading third-hand tea leaves.

It’s a done deal. Take it to the bank.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

It’s a done deal. Take it to the bank.

I took it to the bank six weeks ago....

[AustinDevil]

You can just go hang out at The Cameron.

Brent Musburger, is that you??

[budwom]

much conflicting info out there...all I know is that I'll be saving my Iron Duke $ next year if Cut is still around. If Duke doesn't care, why should I? This wasn't just a bad or down year, this was the ugly culmination of a program that is no longer functional.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Brent Musburger, is that you??

IIRC correctly, he called it "Cameron Indoor Arena" - always bugged me. (though not as much as the Cheats Play by Play Spawn referring to "Wallace Wade Outdoor Stadium"...)

[dukelifer]

Well, it depends on how you define loyalty.

He was loyal to his staff. Not necessarily to Duke.

You can parse which is more meaningful I suppose - loyalty to individuals or to an institution. But it still speaks to someone's character.

So who on the current staff should have been fired?

[Bob Green]

So who on the current staff should have been fired?

It is a long list but Zac Roper and Trooper Taylor have to be at the top. Roper has been demoted a couple of times previously from Offensive Coordinator to Quarterback Coach to Tight End Coach; Taylor is Cornerback Coach and our cornerbacks are atrocious in coverage.

Personally, I hope the entire staff is let go and a complete rebuild is started but I desire to answer your question so I singled out a couple.

[PDDuke85]

It is a long list but Zac Roper and Trooper Taylor have to be at the top. Roper has been demoted a couple of times previously from Offensive Coordinator to Quarterback Coach to Tight End Coach; Taylor is Cornerback Coach and our cornerbacks are atrocious in coverage.

Personally, I hope the entire staff is let go and a complete rebuild is started but I desire to answer your question so I singled out a couple.

A good start with regards to Taylor and Roper but Farris and Guerrieri have proven to be unqualified as well.