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The coaching rumor mill keeps churning.
The latest person I hear is a strong candidate for Columbia's head coaching job is a little further up the chain on the New England Patriots staff than I thought: it's defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.
Patricia would probably be the smartest head coach in Lion history; he's an aeronautical engineer by education.
He's not a big household name for non-intense football fans, but in the football world he's very respected.
A good profile of Patricia was published just yesterday in the Boston Globe.
29 comments:
Jake: this guy is going to be an NFL Head Coach and will make millions of dollars. You think that he is going to come to Columbia to coach in front of 1,000 fans at an Ivy League game ?
Coach, I totally hear you and I think this is a stretch. So I would be surprised if we pull this off. But that's who the sources say is our target now.
You never know what a coach's motivations are. Maybe he does not care about rising to the rank of NFL head coach and wants a big challenge. Doesn't hurt to make a pitch.
If Taylor is involved, and I assume he is, I would be skeptical we have any true "targets" until we hire the AD.
If we hire the coach before the AD we are taking a big risk. The AD needs to make their own decision.
Yes, but it's also possible we have an AD-designate already working on this process and the university is looking to make the announcement simultaneously.
Total shit show. This will not end well; my guess is that a coach will not be named before the season.
OLion:
I hear ya... but I'm just wondering why Bollinger would be such a glutton for punishment and appear before the angry football alumni with nothing to show for it.
He's not that crazy.
I think something is brewing and Bollinger and Taylor think they're going to be able to take a victory lap.
If not, they better check people at the door for bricks and bottles.
Sounds like MP is a born builder of character in men,and not interested in climbing the big money ladder.
Just the kind of guy we need.
Imagine the influence he could have on college kids, if he has the respect of the NFL
tough guys.
If this happens, I will vote to praise Caesar not to bury him.
Nevertheless I hope the Patriots get embarrassed with another SB loss.
Talk about vetting a coach, this Patriots coach was a GA at Syracuse, and has never recruited a high school football player.Lets find a real recruiter!
My read on recruiting is that all the leg work is done by the assistant coaches. The HC sweet talks the mothers if there is some hesitation in committing. That's why Saban is so sucessfull. The great HCs are part engineer and part salesman, a very rare combination.
Recruiting on most college staffs is a group effort. There is a recruiting coordinator and they parse out follow up calls and visits as needed. Sometimes regionally. There's no standard policy about it. The head coach is as active as everyone else. What else would a HC be doing in the off season if not getting out there beating the bushes for talent.
Without knowing the full story on this year's class, its not a bad haul. There are probably a few guys who will break through. I think Rippon made a case for himself to stay on for the season which is what i am guessing will be a part of what PezBo's talk will address.
Al,
The PM:MP is a sign from the football gods.
I'm of a different mind on Bollinger. I just can't believe that he's that willing to take the intense criticism in person that he's going to get if we don't have a new AD and HC in place by then.
It would be one thing to make a statement online, another thing to make an appearance in front of all alumni. But this is the football alumni he's facing in relatively close quarters.
No one's gonna punch him, of course, but he may get some spit in his eye if he all he says is something like "we're still looking" or "we're waiting to find a good fit and we'll stick with Rippon until then."
First, I don't think Columbia alums, football or not, will show Prez hostility. Some may want to throw rotten fruit and heckle but professional demeanor will win the day. They will ask hard questions to which Prez will have to be forthcoming or the jeers just might might happen.
My observation from afar tells me Prez is a very busy guy and football has only been thrust on his radar in a serious way for a few months. It seems like a longer time but this admin was inert most of the PM era. I'm betting Prez in fact now actually feels the heat from alumni donors and supporters. He is not skilled in football or athletics in the least, everyone knows it and he is trying to be as shrewd as he can without making a blunder. He realizes he whiffed (badly) when he hired DM so he really has to get it right now. Hopefully he is skillfully ignoring or deflecting Bill Campbell's calls. He has no guidance other than Mr. Taylor - which as it turns out, was a good move to hire his services. I'm not a Prez apologist, just giving the guy some space. It would not make sense to swap in a new head coach now. However, I do think the assistant coaching staff is atrocious and of no help at all to improve the team's standing. Current staff is not serviceable in my view. I have no beef with Rippon who may even do a good job as leader. I get the feeling they are letting current status quo be in place for 2015 while they get the house in order for the following year. Just my take.
I hope your take is wrong, Al. Dozens of colleges hire HCs each year. It's not some entirely new experience for mankind. And some are still looking for a coach as we are.
If he does what you're suggesting, I see it as another proof of incompetence, apathy and disdain. If he can.t do it now, why will he able to do it after still another
year of misery has blighted things more?
We're not swapping in a new head coach, we are hiring a head coach while an interim is holding the fort via recruiting and communications with players.
Rippon was def. coordinator and the defense was as bad as the offense. You actually say the rest of the staff "is atrocious" but what do you know about Rippon? It seems nothing because you're not saying. He's doing some recruiting? So?
Training the team and directing the games is a lot more than recruiting. Why won't Rippon and the "atrocious" staff set su so far back next season that we'll never be able to hire a coach. 0-31 is better than 0-21?
I don't mean to be harsh but ou keep giving us your feeling but I like Jake's better. If your feeling pans out I'll give you full credit but Bollinger will be dead meat in my view.
I think PM would be facing a very hostile crowd if they are going to tell us that we will keep interim coach for another year. As you both said, nothing physical but it would get vocal.
My guess is they will be proudly introducing the new AD (and maybe even the new AD/coach tandem) that day.
If we are making a real financial effort and Lee is out there convincing people he is committed, we will be able to lure away the right guy in feb/March.
The right coach will also be able to convince some other Ivy commits to switch to CU, too.
Not saying this will happen, but I want it to happen and I think it could happen... We shall see...
I do not disagree Rippon's defenses have been ineffective. Not just here, at Marshall too. But I am no expert on the man's abilities and I have no idea what role he has had in recruiting thus far. My guess would be it has been a group effort. One thing he has done however (according to Jake's blog and Voy) is that he is at least keeping the program stable. In fact, Rippon's silence has been more reassuring to me in a few months than Pete ever was.
It is also not uncommon for coaching changes to occur during the early part of the year (this year especially). A new AD announcement on 2-20 is a possibility but even still, it's a really radical thing to uproot the program with a new head coach this close to spring camp. With Taylor's influence, we can be reasonably certain the temperament of the players is accounted for. The program is stable for a change. It's not perfect and it's not the long term solution but it's better than what we had. It would be a psychological impact to the players make a sharp turn right now. If the players were up in arms to get rid of Rippon then yes, go for it but they are not as far as we know.
0-10 looms but would a new head coach make a difference right now? That is why i said to change the assistant staff. Rippon is no big deal but get some real coaches to train the guys. Let's get some people with ability. How can the offense do anything meaningful with Elizondo? Bring in a defensive coordinator with some chops.
In defense of the entire remaining football staff, could it possibly be that PM was a control freak. Rippon et al may not have had any say in major or minor coaching decisions, I know Elizondo is a good recruiter. Maybe our guys are not as bad as we think.
I wasn't encouraged by the work he did with Nottingham. Blame it on the OL, the dearth of catches made by receivers, he still did nothing. Same with his work in the same capacity with Toronto of the CFL. Granted, both are tough situations but that's the job. I really don't care if he is a good communicator in recruiting. He's not the O Coordinator the program needs.
Announcement should be forthcoming in ten days or so. You heard it here first.
Al,
A great coach, if we are lucky enough to get one, hopefully will not only mentor the players, but also the coaches he decides to keep. The main obstacle to our sucess is gone. We should all stand solidly behind our exsisting team.
I think Old Lion is right. And so is WOF. Either they use the Feb 18th event to trumpet the new hires, or the whole thing will show just how much Bollinger holds us all in disdain. Just think what it would mean to convene all these engaged alums on a workday to tell us there's essentially no news and nothing to get excited about.
Could it be that MR. Taylor will be named interim AD and a new HC will be named at the upcoming meeting. It's starting to look like something like that is in the works.
The fact that this event is held during workday hours is proof enough they have no consideration for anyone but themselves. Lots of people would want to attend but won't as a result.
Big question is, what quality head coach is available at this point? Unless he is being poached from an existing job, who is available? AND, what difference will that guy make at this particular juncture to be able to hire a quality staff? If they keep the existing crew it is the status quo. A head coach does not magically make everyone around him better. It is a complete fresh start with new leadership and few staff are retained. In this case, the timing is wrong because of the nature of college football hiring and firing windows.
So that is my skepticism here. Gets me frustrated that they bungle every little detail. I'm not going to ooh and ahh a head coaching hire unless there is a quality overhaul of staff along with it.
I was told the same off the record by an administrator. Not sure of the precise date, however, but the announcement is imminent.
Al,
Why not wait and see what happens. I disagree with you about your judgement of the remaining staff. I suggest that the new coach is the man to judge the competency of the exsisting staff not you.
CF, though you have had a few different personas here your protective stance towards the coaching staff has remained the same. I will ask you the same you question as I have asked your previous self in this forum, what is your relationship to those people? Friends maybe? The fact is all of them have been ineffective at Columbia and elsewhere. It does not matter if they are nice guys (which i do not dispute). It happens in every profession. They are not the right people for the job, end of story. Sorry you can't see it.
Al,
You are well know here as a conspiracy theorist. I have no relationship with anyone on the football staff. I admit to a relationship
at Coulmbia, but will let you angst about that.
If I hesitate to agree to a complete gutting of the entire staff by an outsider, than call me an insider, if you must.
As I stated previously, let's let the new head coach decide his staff.
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