Cutcliffe Retirement Speculation

[LasVegas]

Yes, it is very possible to both thank Cut for what he has done, and also look forward to him being replaced.
Regardless, it sounds like the die is cast on this one...

Yep. He did great things early on at Duke and fans owe him for that but the stay has been just a little bit too long. I wouldn’t mind if the university could offer him some position within the Football department.

[budwom]

Yep. He did great things early on at Duke and fans owe him for that but the stay has been just a little bit too long. I wouldn’t mind if the university could offer him some position within the Football department.

I have no doubt they are trying to make this as graceful as possible.

[dukelifer]

1. Be fair. There's also a slide in that nap room budget.
2. Why didn't Duke have a nap room for all students when I was there?
3. The current nap room or lack thereof is not causing us to give up 40+ and score <10 to ACC teams.

1. From what I can tell, the big classrooms serve as very nice nap rooms.

2. The experiment needs to be run regarding the effect of nap rooms on performance. For all we know- this has been the issue for the last 30 years. Spurrier was a big nap guy.

[uh_no]

1. From what I can tell, the big classrooms serve as very nice nap rooms.

2. The experiment needs to be run regarding the effect of nap rooms on performance. For all we know- this has been the issue for the last 30 years. Spurrier was a big nap guy.

our secondary seems to have no trouble napping on the field.

Sorry, that was bad. I know those guys are busting it out there.

[peteandpete]

our secondary seems to have no trouble napping on the field.

Sorry, that was bad. I know those guys are busting it out there.

Not as bad as a nickel package scheme that allows over 300 ypg in the air and 24 TDs to date.

[budwom]

Not as bad as a nickel package scheme that allows over 300 ypg in the air and 24 TDs to date.

yeah, the 4-2-5 that gives up passing yards like that has had me befuddled for years.

[luvdahops]

yeah, the 4-2-5 that gives up passing yards like that has had me befuddled for years.

Same here. Only seems to work when one of the 5 functions more as an OLB or box safety who can disrupt the offense from multiple vantage points, and still cover receivers competently as needed. See Cash, Jeremy. Players like that don't grow on trees, though. And our academic requirements likely shrink the available pool even further.

[Bluedog]

Same here. Only seems to work when one of the 5 functions more as an OLB or box safety who can disrupt the offense from multiple vantage points, and still cover receivers competently as needed. See Cash, Jeremy. Players like that don't grow on trees, though. And our academic requirements likely shrink the available pool even further.

Our academic requirements for top-flight recruits are basically the NCAA minimum...We can't use that as an excuse anymore. For more borderline players, Duke may have slightly higher academic standards, but it's still mostly based on football abilities/potential. Of course, coaches still look for "fit" and individuals they believe can succeed on the football field and in the classroom, but they have major leeway from an "academics stat" perspective if they REALLY want a guy.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Is there anyone - perhaps sleeping a bit better other than Cut after this DWI situation?
His prayers have been answered in a way no one expected or wanted... but finally the heat is off him.
Until the next game.

do not see that....

[duke79]

Yep. He did great things early on at Duke and fans owe him for that but the stay has been just a little bit too long. I wouldn’t mind if the university could offer him some position within the Football department.

If he does retire or is relieved of his job by the AD, I'd still like to see end his career officially as a special assistant coach at a school like Alabama, where they actually CARE about football and 80,000 plus fans show up for every game. I don't care what anyone says, it has to be somewhat depressing to run out of the tunnel in Wallace Wade stadium on a Saturday afternoon and there are 497 fans in the stadium. For someone who is a true "football guy" (a phrase that, I believe, Joe Alleva once used to describe himself), you don't want to end your career trying to raise money for the medical center.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

do not see that...

To be fair, the next game is tomorrow...

[duke79]

Our academic requirements for top-flight recruits are basically the NCAA minimum...We can't use that as an excuse anymore. For more borderline players, Duke may have slightly higher academic standards, but it's still mostly based on football abilities/potential. Of course, coaches still look for "fit" and individuals they believe can succeed on the football field and in the classroom, but they have major leeway from an "academics stat" perspective if they REALLY want a guy.

IMHO, this is the major problem and issue for Duke football. For the most part, we're not getting "top flight recruits" to come play football at Duke (and I don't know what academic standards the athletic department and admissions office might require for such football recruits but I'm guessing it is significantly below what might be required for the rest of the non-athletic student body). Unless you have some academic qualifications and ambitions, you're not looking to come to Duke to play football (especially if you're a football "stud"). And for those talented HS football players who do have academic interests (beyond football), we're competing with Stanford, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, the Ivy League (and there are some good football players in the Ivy League), and even many of the state universities. It is not that easy to find 44 players (or more) who have P-5 football and athletic talent who will come to Duke. It is, again IMHO, why there is that long list of head football coaches, going back to the 1960's, that have basically failed at creating a long-term winning culture for Duke football (and apparently even David Cutcliffe has now failed, despite making significant short-term progress for a few years).

I think a lot of people on this board are delusional if they think that Duke just has to find "the right person" who will magically take Duke to the top echelons of college football (or even in the ACC). Call me cynical, but I just think that just ain't going to happen. Building a winning football program is very different than basketball, women's golf, tennis, etc., where a few top recruits can make a championship team. I hope I'm wrong but I wouldn't bet my life savings on it.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Is there anyone - perhaps sleeping a bit better other than Cut after this DWI situation?
His prayers have been answered in a way no one expected or wanted... but finally the heat is off him.
Until the next game.

To be fair, the next game is tomorrow...

Must spread sporks...

[Acymetric]

Our academic requirements for top-flight recruits are basically the NCAA minimum...We can't use that as an excuse anymore. For more borderline players, Duke may have slightly higher academic standards, but it's still mostly based on football abilities/potential. Of course, coaches still look for "fit" and individuals they believe can succeed on the football field and in the classroom, but they have major leeway from an "academics stat" perspective if they REALLY want a guy.

I've seen conflicting reports on this, I'm not sure if it is true or not. My understanding is that requirements have relaxed, but that Duke either still has a higher floor or allows much fewer academic exceptions relative to our peers.

[Bluedog]

I've seen conflicting reports on this, I'm not sure if it is true or not. My understanding is that requirements have relaxed, but that Duke either still has a higher floor or allows much fewer academic exceptions relative to our peers.

It's fair to say the entirety of Duke's roster does not have the same admissions floor as many P5 programs. That is, we have a bit higher academic averages for 2 and 3 star recruits but that should make sense given those types of players would be attracted to Duke. So, I agree with you. But any 4 or 5-star recruit that has an interest in Duke (and where the interest is reciprocated) would have no problem reaching the academic hurdle as long as they are NCAA eligible... Perhaps if we had a lot of 4 and 5 star recruits that equation would change (as you said, fewer exceptions perhaps). I'd imagine Stanford and ND academic averages are higher than Alabama largely because those recruits that have academics as a criteria are attracted to those sorts of places.

[CameronBlue]

Must spread sporks...

Hey personally I would love it if Duke won by 40...because really. Duke Football = pain. And it will always be some measure of pain. Any respite, ANY respite, at any time, is welcome.

[Bob Green]

I think a lot of people on this board are delusional if they think that Duke just has to find "the right person" who will magically take Duke to the top echelons of college football (or even in the ACC).

Football fans on this board are for the most part grounded. We just desire for the team to be competitive. No one expects Duke to compete for National Championships.

The high point of Coach Cutcliffe was 2013 - 2015:

2013: 10 - 4
2014: 9 - 4
2015: 8 - 5

For me, I am fine with going 7 - 6 with a minor bowl victory over Directional U. most years.

[chrishoke]

Football fans on this board are for the most part grounded. We just desire for the team to be competitive. No one expects Duke to compete for National Championships.

The high point of Coach Cutcliffe was 2013 - 2015:

2013: 10 - 4
2014: 9 - 4
2015: 8 - 5

For me, I am fine with going 7 - 6 with a minor bowl victory over Directional U. most years.

My thoughts exactly.

[luvdahops]

I've seen conflicting reports on this, I'm not sure if it is true or not. My understanding is that requirements have relaxed, but that Duke either still has a higher floor or allows much fewer academic exceptions relative to our peers.

This was covered recently in another thread. Per Jim Sumner, the increased admissions flexibility that Cut has been afforded is in the form of being allowed to recruit more players at OUR academic floor (not to be confused with the NCAA minimum requirements). That floor has not been lowered, nor are more exceptions to the floor being granted.

[camion]

This was covered recently in another thread. Per Jim Sumner, the increased admissions flexibility that Cut has been afforded is in the form of being allowed to recruit more players at OUR academic floor (not to be confused with the NCAA minimum requirements). That floor has not been lowered, nor are more exceptions to the floor being granted.

So the ceiling may or may not be the roof, but the floor really is the floor?