The Real Deal

Mangurian gives us some very straight talk


As we wait for the official list of incoming freshmen to be published today by the athletic department, (And again, kudos to them for getting this out so very early. No other Ivy will even come close to publishing this info at this date), I thought I'd do a quick look at Head Coach Pete Mangurian's also much-appreciated assessments of the returning players on the roster:

-First off, it was gratifying to see how similar the coach's grading of the players was to my own. That's not because I need the recognition, it's because I'd like to be sure that I'm not completely crazy. What I and many of you saw on the field last year was indeed reality.

-The highest praise Mangurian hands out to any player is the phrase, "I trust him." And when you think about it, that really is very serious and valuable praise from a coach at any level. So special recognition goes out to the players Mangurian specifically said he trusted: TE Hamilton Garner, P Paul Delaney and KR Alec Fisher.

Okay, they were the only ones who got that highest praise, but there was still a lot of love for guys like Zach Olinger, Marcorus Garrett, and Connor Nelligan. Many other players were the recipients of important accolades, but always with key caveats. That's the way it should be for a young team that went 3-7 last year. 

-I like the challenges Mangurian laid down for certain players to improve, making it clear that the entire team's fortune's rested on their success. Players who got that challenge include just about the whole offensive line, and a few others.

-I was interested in the way Mangurian is looking at the secondary. I thought the starters and the key players there were more set than what you might think based on the coach's comments. He said a number of offensive players will get a look playing at the DB position.  

-I am assuming the only reason why 5th year senior Seyi Adebayo is the only player without any coach's comments is because he's not officially cleared for a 5th year or something clerical like that. I hope we get that fixed up very soon because I think what Mangurian will say about #91 will be great.

Overall, the comments surprised me in just one area: they were actually more forthcoming than I expected. Sure, there was plenty of the necessary coach's lingo that can sometimes sound empty. But most of it appeared to be very genuine. 

I mean, we even learned about some of the players' struggles with grades and other issues. That was unexpected and illuminating. And I liked that they made the players more human than ever.

I've been reading assessments of Columbia players in media guides and on the web for three decades, and I don't think I've ever seen less B.S. than I see right now on our roster page. 

This is an extremely positive development that I hope become a real Columbia tradition.