Two days ago, Head Coach Pete Mangurian did an interview with WKCR's Ryan Young, (the same guy who wrote the great column I discussed yesterday).
The interview started out fine, with Mangurian answering specific questions about the loss at Penn last Saturday.
Then it took a turn for the surreal when he insisted the team was clearly better than where it was when he took over. He stressed that no one on the team has quit, even though the senior co-captain of the team has quit, (Brett Nottingham). Then he continued to push the blatant falsehood that he ALWAYS said that wins on the field would be the last thing to happen in the improvement process.
For those who have forgotten, Mangurian came into last season insisting that the team be judged on its won-lost record. This new "wins come last" line of his is ridiculous on its face AND it's a case of revisionist history.
And then at the 5:25 mark of the interview, Mangurian just shuts down any talk of his record and the program overall and insists they only talk about tomorrow's Dartmouth game.
This is the level to which we've sunk. A student journalist can't even ask the most basic questions.
But listen to the whole interview here and judge for yourself.
7 comments:
"I came here to build a program, not re build a program"
Then he bullies the reporter: "Let's talk about Dartmouth, this is not going to turn into a referendum on the program"! as his voice rises
Follow up question, coach: When will we win a game?
If he really felt all along that this woudl take time and that this was a complete overhaul, why in the world did he alienate himself with the former players and alumni?
Seriously, if he felt he needed time to get this right, wouldn't it make sense to work the people who's support you will ultimately need during the tough times?
It is so basic and common sense, yet he somehow missed that.
Either that, or he is re-writing history and changing the script on the fly to cover for such a poor performance.
I also liked how when he began defending himself he needed to remind the young reporter that he was in the real no nonsense league "for over twenty years" or something like that.
Such a statesman...
Mangurian's conduct in the interview alone would garner a phone call from the A.D. at any other school.
Just to clarify for anyone who is still not immune to b.s. : these were NOT the words of a "tough" coach or a "serious" coach. They were the words and behavior of a defensive, petty, and dishonest coach.
A very good piece in here with good quotes from former TE Hamilton Garner:
http://www.vnews.com/sports/collegesports/14053864-95/the-lions-meow-in-an-era-of-change-one-constant-remains-last-place
It's a personality thing. You have to have some soft skills, even as an ornery football coach. Pete tries to be mild mannered but then he gets stuck in the mud as soon as someone asks a question that cuts against his thin defense. It is easy for him to lose his temper. Wrong fit for the program and its constituents.
And then he resorts to bullying the reprorter, who is a student for God's sake....
Jake is right, The AD should be on top of this...
Great article Jake. McElreavy's comments are also quite comical. Another one who should be inducted into the fraud Hall of Fame.
What A.D., Jake, the one who forced Norries Wilson to apologize for being irritated by Penn?
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