There was something startling about today's introductory news conference for new Columbia Football Head Coach Jon Poppe.
It was an amazingly unique and almost radical first for a new CU head football coach:
It was NORMAL.
By "normal," I mean the speech Poppe gave was the kind of speech you're likely to hear from just about any new coach taking over a program. He talked about commitment, adaptability, strategy, and even a little bit of luck.
While I came into the event thinking intently about how Poppe is the first Columbia Football head coach since Buff Donelli took over in 1957 who HASN'T had to spend most of his opening speech talking about how he needed to fix everything about the program from the ground up.
That's because he doesn't. As Poppe said himself in a the Q & A session, the program is MUCH better off than where it was in 2015 and doesn't need to focus on starting over when it comes to facilities, recruiting, or overall team commitment. It's not that each of those things don't need improvement, it's that none of them are at rock bottom or even very close to it.
It's one thing for all of this to be true, and it's another for a new head coach to realize it and have the humility to see he doesn't need to restructure every little thing. It's pretty obvious Poppe has that awareness.
The other bit of new from the event is that it's clear Poppe has not finalized his staff and negotiations and other work behind the scenes is going on right now to get that done. Clearly, bringing in a quality offensive coordinator is a major part of the puzzle when it comes to staff.
The other challenge via recruiting, existing player development, or the transfer portal will be finding a new starting QB for the 2024 season. Poppe doesn't have to do a rebuild, but he still has some major work ahead of him.
But as his former players at CU have been telling me for weeks, Poppe will not lack for that enthusiasm and commitment that it will take to get these immediate and long term jobs accomplished.
37 comments:
5-5 first year, then the spiral is upward
How do you pronounce Coach Poppe's name?
Really enjoyed the presser today. He came across as a man with a great vision for the program. I forgot he was a key member of the staff in 2017. Loved that he talked about championships (don’t think I’ve ever heard that from a head coach here before). Also kudos to the athletic department the presentation was top notch indicative of a big time program. Excited for the future! -Uptown
Poppy -- like the seed
10-0
Saw it on livestream; very well done, and the energy and passion there there in spades. Has Jon reached out to any of our players yet? Were any in the room? I assume he will be calling a meeting of the team unless he has done so already.
Altogether a great start for our new Head Coach, Jon Poppe. I am feeling the excitement and looking forward to much good news about Columbia Football.
10-0 ROFL
He had a players only meeting last Saturday.
Trivia question…which CUFB Head Coach proclaimed the team would go 10-0 in his first meeting with the team?
Leave your smart assz comments for the Ivy Forum board.
My answer to the above question:
Was it Garrett?
TOD HOWARD HAWKS
That is correct. And I will not post here what he called the team following that loss against Harvard. I recall that we were ahead 17-0, maybe even at halftime. We lost something like 49 to 17. One of my classmates joined me. During the game, he asked me “is this a cruel joke?” Those days are long over and the Poppe regime will build and advance with youthful vigor.
Btw if Garrett and his sons had stayed, that team would have been 10-0 or 9-1 the next season when Jason was off his red shirt transfer year. That freshman team went 6-0. You can thank Al Paul for that nonsense . I was on the team and it was all blown out of context .
Super excited for Coach Poppe and this next chapter of CU Football.
How did the players only meeting go?
Many thanks to Jake for keeping us current.
I think that Jake doesn't get enough credit for all that he does. Who else is so objective, passionate, about CU football 🏈? Goes to almost every game, road or home! That alone qualifies him as the #1 fan! Very hesitant to judge and very objective.
Amen to that! I was also on that team! Garrett told the school he was going to run the program like a D1 program. The school was all in until he started doing just that! Shouldn’t shock anyone that his comments in the Times were taken out of context
Agreed on Jake. That's a GREAT pic of a coach finally embracing Columbia's #1 Fan!
I enjoyed the press conference and Coach Poppe brings all the enthusiasm that was advertised. I would rather lose with a guy like that in the trenches, then have someone complain about what they don't have and win a few games. Coach Poppe realizes that he has a strong nucleus of players on-hand and that he can win immediately.
Poppe has his hands full right now . He still has to solidify his staff. I assume that they are still in negotiations with key (current) members who he would like to stay, as well as trying to convince new coaches to jump on board. He hit the trail running on the recruiting path, which is very tough with half a staff. We have an offer out to a N'Western QB as a transfer, Cole Freeman, from Delbarton, so the wheels are in motion already. I would encourage alums who know of GOOD players (preferably QBs and OLs) who are being under-recruited, to reach out to Jeremy Shapiro - Director of Player Personnel (another key cog on the Lion staff - js6408@columbia.edu) and send him some information. For example, in 2019, Columbia, Yale and Penn offered Tyler Buchner, and he is currently in the transfer portal. Why not reach out, it's just a phone call or an e-mail...
https://n.rivals.com/content/athletes/tyler-buchner-210823?view=pv
The bright lights of NYC and being the media capital of the world would make a statement!!!
Roar Lions!!!
P.S. You know who doesn't get a great deal of credit within the football office? Greg Lamb. This guy does the job of THREE people. Hopefully, Poppe/Pilling will retain him as well. Cheers to Greg Lamb!
I just saw the Press Conference and I am very hopeful and excited about the direction of the team with Coach Poppe. He obviously brings passion and a great resume, along with working under the 2 top Ivy coaches for the past 30 years. Unfortunately for him, this brings high expectations but something tells me that he will be up for the challenge!
Anyone else get a little seasick watching him sway back and forth? But you know what, that shows he is not a finished product. And perhaps that is just what the prgram needs to move to next step. Coach Poppe can learn how to relax and stand still at a press conference while he and the entire program learn together how to consistently win at Columbia! Good luck to all involved, change is never easy
If he’s a good coach and he can win, he can be from Jupiter for all I care.
Wow you guys are tough critics. Zero games are won from the podium. Who cares if he was swaying a little. Full faith he's going to right the ship.
Cornell picked the Penn OC/ ex Ithaca HC. Best of luck to him as well.
Just fyi, not so much a criticism as much an observation that this is a young coach who will be learning a lot about a lot in the next few years. I guess my point could have also been stated as his needing to learn to be a great HC is a feature not a bug. Hoping for nothing but the best for new coaches and players
Poppe was rocking because the ship is rocking, he is trying not to let it go upside down. LOL
Be positive people and enjoy the ride to kick off day.
GO LIONS!!!
Great Expectations await
I agree 👍. Let's abandon the land of mediocrity!
A big thank you to the poster who mentioned Cole Freeman and Tyler Buchner as possible incoming qb transfers. As far as Buchner is concerned, it appears that he intends to re-enroll at Notre Dame to play lacrosse. However, Cole Freeman certainly looks a good fit for Columbia and I assume that Coach Poppe knows all about him since Freeman played at Delbarton in New Jersey. Another intriguing transfer possibility is Henry Belin IV, the Duke quarterback who played high school locally at Cardinal Hayes. I've heard great things about the Belin Family.
Too much focus/emphasis on New Jersey. Expand the horizons. Spend effort and time in LA, AL, MI, AZ, CA, GA, etc!
So he isn’t a polished public speaker? Who cares? And he seemed nervous under the spotlight? Big deal. I loved his passion and enthusiasm.
Looks super nervous and tightly wound. Hope the poor guy doesn't end up with a heart condition later in life.
You misinterpret intensity’/pass for nervousness … if you’re talk to former CU players he coached you’d understand
Most people who aren’t used to public speaking react pretty much the same way. He’ll get more comfortable with th epublic aspects of his new position. He’s a smart guy; he’ll get it. Love that he gave credit to his high school coach.
Did Jon’s brother and father play ball at Columbia?
Very classy item by Joe D’Orazio on X; I really hope and expect that he will do well in the future. Class act all the way.
Read
10-0!!!!
10-0!!!!?
More like 5-5 at best.
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