Will we know the identity of Columbia’s next football head
coach in time for that public forum with President Lee Bollinger and Rick Taylor one week from today?
Many fans believe we will, but since new Athletic Director
Peter Pilling was just named to the job on Feb. 3rd, if Columbia
does hire someone on or before the 18th you have to reason that most
of the decision was made before Pilling was officially installed.
It’s not that I don’t think you can carry out a pretty good
coaching search in 15 days, it’s just that it’s very hard to do.
Based on his Twitter feed, Pilling is currently traveling.,
(he Tweeted a pic of a Ed Sheeran lookalike onboard his plane yesterday). But
whether he was in flight for personal reasons or to meet with some head
coaching candidates is of course not something I know.
I’ve made the argument a few times here that considering the
current state of the Columbia football team, rushing to hire a new head coach
is not as important as it would be for other teams in the Ivies.
But I first made that argument back in November and not it’s
mid-February. Whether the Lions have any chance to compete this coming season
or not, it’s getting really late.
Pilling’s appointment takes at least half the heat Bollinger
and Taylor would have faced on the 18th if they faced the alumni and
fans with no new hires to show for themselves.
But I think the event could still be very uncomfortable for
them both if they aren’t able to at least honestly say that Columbia is very
close to hiring an excellent candidate for the coaching job.
Of course, some readers here have the right idea when they
say that we need to hear something substantive from Bollinger and Taylor beyond
chatter about our next coach.
What we really need to hear is something tangible about how
we intend to bring in the best players. I’m talking about new approaches to
recruiting and financial aid that the administration has rejected or hadn’t
thought of in the past. If we don’t hear about that, then the Feb. 18th
event won’t really be worth a full hour of our time. And if we don’t actually
make those changes and try those new approaches, Columbia football will not
win.
Again, I just don’t think Bollinger and Taylor are such
gluttons for punishment that they would come to such an event without something
really different to bring to the table. I suppose it’s possible that they are,
or that they don’t think they’ll face real heat, but I doubt it.
21 comments:
It's not unheard of to make a head coaching change late in the off-season but seems prudent they will take their time to get the right hire. I am betting that is the main message they will deliver personally.
If Mr. Taylor is part of the brain trust and Bill Campbell is excluded then things are moving in the right direction. I hope Campbell's intrusiveness in decision-making is reduced to a handshake with the new AD.
Again, I say that we have a good nucleus of players on the squad now. Any new talent will be frosting on the cake. The real problem we all saw the last 3 years, were people not playing in their strongest positions. Also, kids on the bench that were better than the starters, for whatever the reasons.
All blame goes on PMs shoulders, not the staff.
A new HC with an eye for talent should be able to shuffle some of the players to the correct positions.
One weak linc on D will kill you every time.
Unfortunately there is no right fielder in football.
You are really obvious by now "Columbia Fan" Singing the same tune and out of tune at that.
It's also obvious the staff is weak and the roster does not have the same depth as the rest of the conference. You are also mistaken on your defensive strategy. Plenty of balls go to RF.
Overall, you are a serious piece of work. Never seen anything like it and hardly expected on a Columbia board. Why don't you just explain your connection with the football program and give up the awkward ID chase.
Fan -- I imagine you are the parent of a current player but truth is we do not have a good enough nucleus of players to compete in the Ivy league. They may be great kids, but we were smaller, slower and less skilled than every team we played last year, which was sadly evidenced by the fact the better Ivies didn't play their best players against us, to help keep scores down. A new coach will not fix that talent gap in one year, or two. It will be a slow process. That said, the kids who sign up for a turnaround and put the effort into building something from nothing deserve the university community's respect and much better coaching.
The job has been posted on the employment page. Obviously the search has already begun but the start date listed is 3/16.
Roar,
I believe your wrong about our players, but that's why the games are played on the field and not on paper.
You and several others will be very surprised when/if we get a coach with the right stuff.
Roar,
The fact that we now have a QB that can run and throw puts us up with the best Ivy teams in that category. True that we have to get out of the trench that PM dug of us, but I think you will see a very much better starting lineup this year.
0-10 followed by another new ID saying the same things.
Al,
If you disagree with my evaluation of the Hill kids talents, all your years of watching football games have been a waste of your time. If Hill starts every game, and there are no other lineup changes, the team will be decidedly better.
Jake has been lobbying for a QB that can run and throw for several years
You are an old ID playing the same old 0-10 tune. No I am not related to this kid.
Columbia_fan: you need to understand that our skepticism has been well earned by CU - 60 years of indifference will do that...
We all want success but we have been BSd for so long by the admin it is more of a wait and see approach for many of us at this point.
WOF,
I feel your pain, but I am looking forward, not backward. Sucess or failure is not inherited.
Management of the sucess of the football team is the head coaches responsibility.
The talent pool of Ivy League potential players is limited, however, all the past problems are attributed to poor coaching methods and bad recruiting.
Granted CU will never out recruit H, Y or P,
but all we want is to not be the Ivy League doormat year after year.
Putting the right players in the right positions is the mark of a good coach in any sport.
Many detractors on this site feel that the coaching staff is not teaching the players the basics of the game. Any kid that needs to learn the basics when he gets here, is a wrong choise for any team.
I understand where you are coming from, just understand that although we may seem cynical at times it is not because we don't want success....
Columbia- you are quite wrong. The management of the football team is the responsibility of the Administration of the University. They decide the budget and direction of the program, including admissions and financial aid.
Coach,
Maybe I am misinformed, but I believe our football budget is near the top of the Ivy League. "Direction of the program", you have to be joking. I'm talking about the decision of who is the starter at RG for the opening game, when you pull the starting QB after 3 interceptions, etc,
The financial aid excuse is growing whiskers. Any kid whose parents income is under $100,000 per year gets basically a free ride. That opens a lot of doors to middle class students. Is our FA package that much worse than Harvard, Yale, Princeton or Penn?
All you guys that are riding the it's the administration's fault bandwagon should realize that it's the guys in the trenches that bring home the bacon, or not.
You just had a coach who had 30 years experience in the NFL, coached in Super Bowls and championship NFL games, and was the Head Coach at Cornell-but you think he was not smart enought to decide who should be the starting players at Columbia.
Coach,
That's pretty obvious isn't it?
Am I reading you correctly, that all previous administrations over the past 50 years have knowingly destroyed the football program, by intentionally withholding funding and hiring bad coaches?
Coach,
I'm not saying that Pete was dumb, but my feeling is that an eye for talent is something not enhanced by year's of experience, but is a God given talent something like being able to draw/paint well. Not everyone has it.
The great coaches all have the ability to recognize their existing players talents and weaknesses and inspire each to achieve their ultimate potential. I don't think Pete was blessed with that gift.
I don't think it is just bad luck or a coincidence that we have basically sucked for 60 years, though. We couldn't have just unluckily picked the wrong guy each time all these years, there is something else wrong. And that something else is usually a lack of commitment from the top...
I hope things are changing finally.we shall see...
WOF,
I agree. Therefore, I will refrain from making any further comments until after a new coach is named and he has had a chance to evaluate his troops.
Watching football is leisure time for every spectator. Your ignorance is transparent as is your awkward and lowbrow pothshots at anyone who shoots down your football fantasies. Why are you a fan? What makes you a fan of Columbia football? An appreciation for a recruit? You have been asked this many times but you will not reply since that would betray your need to hide.
Al, May I assume that your senseless comments are aimed at me?
Please advise me what your number one requirement for becoming a Columbia football fan is. Then we can compare your qualifications and mine.
The only person on this blog that I wish to hide from is you.
Your constant questioning of people's intellect only exposes your own low self esteem.
I repeat, as I have many times, your lack of comprehension skills makes it impossible to communicate any pertinent info to you.
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