Maryland has a chance to become a solid sports/football organization now

[PSUFTG]

They did it the smart way.

First, they brought in a competent AD, Jim Smith, to replace their idiot hire of a few years back (Damon Evans)

How Maryland’s new athletic director overhauled department’s finances

And now they cut bait with Locksley (who everyone knew was a disaster)

They only piece Maryland had missing -preventing them from being an upper end sports program was LEADERSHIP (A better FB stadium would be nice, but they can work around that) All the other ingredients are on the shelf.

I will bet the mortgage money that Smith has an actual plan in place, and will likely have a decent coach in place within days of the season ending (and probably has a pretty good idea right now - polar opposite of our Brozo)


Honestly - this is a GREAT opportunity for an up and coming coach (or even a guy like Gimmee Jimmee if he were on the market)


[I am a bit surprised they didn't wait until November though, TBH]

 

[BCS PSU]

They did it the smart way.

First, they brought in a competent AD, Jim Smith, to replace their idiot hire of a few years back (Damon Evans)

How Maryland’s new athletic director overhauled department’s finances

And now they cut bait with Locksley (who everyone knew was a disaster)

They only piece Maryland had missing -preventing them from being an upper end sports program was LEADERSHIP (A better FB stadium would be nice, but they can work around that) All the other ingredients are on the shelf.

I will bet the mortgage money that Smith has an actual plan in place, and will likely have a decent coach in place within days of the season ending (and probably has a pretty good idea right now - polar opposite of our Brozo)


Honestly - this is a GREAT opportunity for an up and coming coach (or even a guy like Gimmee Jimmee if he were on the market)


[I am a bit surprised they didn't wait until November though, TBH]

I think that we've seen over the decades about what the ceiling is for Maryland football, and that even goes back to the ACC days when they had some really good teams under Bobby Ross but never could take the next step. They should be better against most of the Big 10 than they were under Locksley, but history dictates that their ceiling probably will be slightly better than Rutgers regardless of who the head coach is.

Also, Maryland always seems to do well in a lot of the non-revenue sports like soccer, lacrosse and field hockey, and they usually have a very competitive basketball team.

 

[80lion]

Ceiling slightly higher than Rutgers…. Tell that to UCLA

 

[PSUFTG]

I think that we've seen over the decades about what the ceiling is for Maryland football, and that even goes back to the ACC days when they had some really good teams under Bobby Ross but never could take the next step. They should be better against most of the Big 10 than they were under Locksley, but history dictates that their ceiling probably will be slightly better than Rutgers regardless of who the head coach is.

Also, Maryland always seems to do well in a lot of the non-revenue sports like soccer, lacrosse and field hockey, and they usually have a very competitive basketball team.

Time will tell - but I doubt that very much.

Even back in the ACC days that had several extended periods of success.
The thing that hurt them was the declining revenue - relative, especially, to the Big Ten - in the 2000s.

The $$$$, and ****** coaching choices put them in a real bind (and then added to that with an idiot hire as an AD, Evans).
The $$$$ thing is largely solved.
The AD thing is solved
Now they just need a solid coach.

I would probably lay some "prop bet" $$$ (Is that the right term Grant/Erial?) - even before seeing who the coaching hire is - that Maryland will get to a 500+ Big Ten season record within the next few years.
Something they have NEVER done in their entire tenure in the Big Ten (and not "in conference" since the days of Fridge in the ACC)

 

[Anon1750875978]

They did it the smart way.

First, they brought in a competent AD, Jim Smith, to replace their idiot hire of a few years back (Damon Evans)

How Maryland’s new athletic director overhauled department’s finances

And now they cut bait with Locksley (who everyone knew was a disaster)

They only piece Maryland had missing -preventing them from being an upper end sports program was LEADERSHIP (A better FB stadium would be nice, but they can work around that) All the other ingredients are on the shelf.

I will bet the mortgage money that Smith has an actual plan in place, and will likely have a decent coach in place within days of the season ending (and probably has a pretty good idea right now - polar opposite of our Brozo)


Honestly - this is a GREAT opportunity for an up and coming coach (or even a guy like Gimmee Jimmee if he were on the market)


[I am a bit surprised they didn't wait until November though, TBH]

Getting a jump in the hiring process, I guess.

 

[NittPicker]

Getting a jump in the hiring process, I guess.

You never know, maybe they'll make a run at Sitake.

 

[PSUFTG]

Getting a jump in the hiring process, I guess.

Honestly, I don't know how much that helps (and I am very skeptical that it is any huge advantage - barring a situation where your targeted "next coach" is already unaffiliated, - a situation like VT w BGJ last year - which is unlikely)

But I have to imagine their AD is not the Brozo that PSU had in charge (that would be almost impossible) - and will not allow the program to burn to the ground in the interim

 

[BCS PSU]

Time will tell - but I doubt that very much.

Even back in the ACC days that had several extended periods of success.
The thing that hurt them was the declining revenue - relative, especially, to the Big Ten - in the 2000s.

The $$$$, and ****** coaching choices put them in a real bind (and then added to that with an idiot hire as an AD, Evans).
The $$$$ thing is largely solved.
The AD thing is solved
Now they just need a solid coach.

I would probably lay some "prop bet" $$$ (Is that the right term Grant/Erial?) - even before seeing who the coaching hire is - that Maryland will get to a 500+ Big Ten season record within the next few years.
Something they have NEVER done in their entire tenure in the Big Ten (and not "in conference" since the days of Fridge in the ACC)

They last won a conference championship in 2001 in the ACC; they also won the ACC in 1953, 1955, 1974 through 1976, and 1983 through 1985. They should be better in the Big 10 than what they have been, but I can't see them ever winning a Big 10 football championship or even coming close; too many of the best players in their area, like Caleb Williams, end up going to other places.

 

[PSUFTG]

They last won a conference championship in 2001 in the ACC; they also won the ACC in 1953, 1955, 1974 through 1976, and 1983 through 1985. They should be better in the Big 10 than what they have been, but I can't see them ever winning a Big 10 football championship or even coming close; too many of the best players in their area, like Caleb Williams, end up going to other places.

Time will tell

I think given their $$$ problems (which have been dire) and the idiot running the football program - they did surprisingly well getting decent recuits on campus.

They are in a very competitive - but very talent-rich - recruiting area
The school is quality (if that even matters anymore)
They play in the big leagues now (Big Ten)
They have big media revenue share $ now
Great geographic market for high population and $$$$$
And they DO have decent history of success (yes, you have to go back 20 years to see it in football) in the major sports - and a LOT of the second tier sports.

 

[PSUFTG]

If PSU had the sense to have fired Kraft - years ago, when they should have, when it was abundantly clear he was incompetent, and BEFORE any change in the FB coaching situation - 95% of the current wailing and gnashing of teeth (and predictions of utter despair moving forward) would:
N E V E R H A V E H A P P E N E D !!!

 

[Bison13]

The whole Evans and Locksley hiring was a straight DEI disaster. I know first hand and have receipts of texts and emails about the situation and the goal from the start was to get the local black kids to come to MD. Locks took it one step further once he got hired telling specific minority coaches that they were not doing their jobs by sending their top players to places like PSU or the SEC schools. He never had a plan other than to try and get St Frances/Dematha/Good Counsel, etc to funnel their kids to UMD so they could have a higher talent level.

When push came to shove, those local HS coaches asked what the kids and they were going to get out of the deal and he had nothing to give them.

I dont think you can do worse than Locks, so this will make the job at PSU much tougher (and the one for JF as well)

 

[PSUFTG]

The whole Evans and Locksley hiring was a straight DEI disaster. I know first hand and have receipts of texts and emails about the situation and the goal from the start was to get the local black kids to come to MD. Locks took it one step further once he got hired telling specific minority coaches that they were not doing their jobs by sending their top players to places like PSU or the SEC schools. He never had a plan other than to try and get St Frances/Dematha/Good Counsel, etc to funnel their kids to UMD so they could have a higher talent level.

When push came to shove, those local HS coaches asked what the kids and they were going to get out of the deal and he had nothing to give them.

I dont think you can do worse than Locks, so this will make the job at PSU much tougher (and the one for JF as well)

Along those lines - and maybe there have been additions in the last few years, but I don't think so:
Locks and BGJ were the only Big Ten football coaches in the history of forever to recruit entire recruiting classes without a single white kid among them. We all know that a disproportionate number of the "Top X" are indeed black kids. And disproportionate classes are therefore not remarkable.
But their efforts in recruiting at times certainly could have led some to consider that it was more than coincidence.

 

[Rocco3]

They last won a conference championship in 2001 in the ACC; they also won the ACC in 1953, 1955, 1974 through 1976, and 1983 through 1985. They should be better in the Big 10 than what they have been, but I can't see them ever winning a Big 10 football championship or even coming close; too many of the best players in their area, like Caleb Williams, end up going to other places.

All they have to do is keep the best MD players in MD, a very tall order indeed. When the big boys come cherry picking MD will always lose out.

 

[Rocco3]

The whole Evans and Locksley hiring was a straight DEI disaster. I know first hand and have receipts of texts and emails about the situation and the goal from the start was to get the local black kids to come to MD. Locks took it one step further once he got hired telling specific minority coaches that they were not doing their jobs by sending their top players to places like PSU or the SEC schools. He never had a plan other than to try and get St Frances/Dematha/Good Counsel, etc to funnel their kids to UMD so they could have a higher talent level.

When push came to shove, those local HS coaches asked what the kids and they were going to get out of the deal and he had nothing to give them.

I dont think you can do worse than Locks, so this will make the job at PSU much tougher (and the one for JF as well)

DEI will ALWAYS sink any honest endeavor no matter how well intentioned. Check out the previous AD, PS tried to kill two DEI Birds with one hiring. How did that work. Then they went to the extreme in the opposite direction by hiring a Toughguy with a Cowboy Attitude. The biggest problem at PS is the people running the show are a phsycological wreck.

 

[Psumatt85]

They did it the smart way.

First, they brought in a competent AD, Jim Smith, to replace their idiot hire of a few years back (Damon Evans)

How Maryland’s new athletic director overhauled department’s finances

And now they cut bait with Locksley (who everyone knew was a disaster)

They only piece Maryland had missing -preventing them from being an upper end sports program was LEADERSHIP (A better FB stadium would be nice, but they can work around that) All the other ingredients are on the shelf.

I will bet the mortgage money that Smith has an actual plan in place, and will likely have a decent coach in place within days of the season ending (and probably has a pretty good idea right now - polar opposite of our Brozo)


Honestly - this is a GREAT opportunity for an up and coming coach (or even a guy like Gimmee Jimmee if he were on the market)


[I am a bit surprised they didn't wait until November though, TBH]

When do they expand their stadium and raise prices?

 

[Psumatt85]

They last won a conference championship in 2001 in the ACC; they also won the ACC in 1953, 1955, 1974 through 1976, and 1983 through 1985. They should be better in the Big 10 than what they have been, but I can't see them ever winning a Big 10 football championship or even coming close; too many of the best players in their area, like Caleb Williams, end up going to other places.

Kinda like Indiana?

 

[BCS PSU]

Kinda like Indiana?

Maybe they should hire JMU's coach then.

 

[Navion N8865H]

Maybe they should hire JMU's coach then.

Jimmy Sexton on line 1. "I have a guy that knows the Maryland program really well and may be interested".

 

[Psumatt85]

Maybe they should hire JMU's coach then.

Point being, with Nil and the portal. It’s more about money and system than historical success

 

[JAS]

I honestly am not anywhere qualified to correctly compare, analyze, etc what the future path will be at Maryland with their football coach search compared to ours last year? AD ‘s strength? NIL available? Mega Boosters? Clearly they will are unlikely to have large numbers of current players following their fired coach? Please those more knowledgeable will Maryland make better decisions?

 

[Marshall2323]

This is not good news for PSU. a good recruiter will be another school that will out recruit PSU.

 

[Bison13]

Along those lines - and maybe there have been additions in the last few years, but I don't think so:
Locks and BGJ were the only Big Ten football coaches in the history of forever to recruit entire recruiting classes without a single white kid among them. We all know that a disproportionate number of the "Top X" are indeed black kids. And disproportionate classes are therefore not remarkable.
But their efforts in recruiting at times certainly could have led some to consider that it was more than coincidence.

I won’t put JF anywhere near the same class as ML, for all of his warts, JF is significantly smarter and better in all details of coaching than ML.
That being said, yes, there was a direct reason that those two were put in charge of recruiting during their assistant coaching periods at MD. JF was at least personable with all coaches and players that he visited. He also seemed intent on trying to work the education angle and staying local whereas ML was basically saying, hey, you’re a good football player and you look like me, you should play for me and play here so your mom can watch.

 

[PSUFTG]

I won’t put JF anywhere near the same class as ML, for all of his warts, JF is significantly smarter and better in all details of coaching than ML.
That being said, yes, there was a direct reason that those two were put in charge of recruiting during their assistant coaching periods at MD. JF was at least personable with all coaches and players that he visited. He also seemed intent on trying to work the education angle and staying local whereas ML was basically saying, hey, you’re a good football player and you look like me, you should play for me and play here so your mom can watch.

I buy that. For sure. It all fits

 

[Marshall2323]

A new coach at Maryland, isn't good news for PSU.

 

[razpsu]

They last won a conference championship in 2001 in the ACC; they also won the ACC in 1953, 1955, 1974 through 1976, and 1983 through 1985. They should be better in the Big 10 than what they have been, but I can't see them ever winning a Big 10 football championship or even coming close; too many of the best players in their area, like Caleb Williams, end up going to other places.

So you are saying we beat the acc champ every year. Sounds about right.

 

[BCS PSU]

A new coach at Maryland, isn't good news for PSU.

Why? Maryland has had a lot of new coaches since the days of Jerry Claiborne and Bobby Ross and they never have usurped PSU.

Is anything and everything that happens in college football now always bad news for PSU? Talk about hyperbole.

 

[PSU Mike]

Along those lines - and maybe there have been additions in the last few years, but I don't think so:
Locks and BGJ were the only Big Ten football coaches in the history of forever to recruit entire recruiting classes without a single white kid among them. We all know that a disproportionate number of the "Top X" are indeed black kids. And disproportionate classes are therefore not remarkable.
But their efforts in recruiting at times certainly could have led some to consider that it was more than coincidence.

Easy there. I got hammered for noticing once upon a time.

 

[PSUFTG]

Why? Maryland has had a lot of new coaches since the days of Jerry Claiborne and Bobby Ross and they never have usurped PSU.

Is anything and everything that happens in college football now always bad news for PSU? Talk about hyperbole.

I didn't hear anyone saying Maryland would usurp PSU. Did you?

That said, for the first time in 20+ years Maryland ICA has $, a seemingly competent AD, and the OPPORTUNITY (we will have to see how it plays out) to hire a competent head coach for Football.


The chances that they become a solid program (and thus a tougher competitor for PSU AND the rest of the Big Ten) are probably better at this moment than they ever have been since joining the Big Ten.
Time will tell if they take advantage of it, or not.

 

[BCS PSU]

I didn't hear anyone saying Maryland would usurp PSU. Did you?

That said, for the first time in 20+ years Maryland ICA has $, a seemingly competent AD, and the OPPORTUNITY (we will have to see how it plays out) to hire a competent head coach for Football.


The chances that they become a solid program (and thus a tougher competitor for PSU AND the rest of the Big Ten) are probably better at this moment than they ever have been since joining the Big Ten.
Time will tell if they take advantage of it, or not.

I wouldn't mind if Maryland became better so that they actually were able to beat an OSU or Oregon or USC or Michigan every once in a while.

Also, wasn't Maryland infused with cash from the Under Armor founder several years ago, and it hasn't exactly amounted to much in football?

 

[Wilbury]

Why? Maryland has had a lot of new coaches since the days of Jerry Claiborne and Bobby Ross and they never have usurped PSU.

Is anything and everything that happens in college football now always bad news for PSU? Talk about hyperbole.

It's always the little people trying to make themselves feel better in some weird, perverted way.

 

[Marshall2323]

Why? Maryland has had a lot of new coaches since the days of Jerry Claiborne and Bobby Ross and they never have usurped PSU.

Is anything and everything that happens in college football now always bad news for PSU? Talk about hyperbole.

The new staff isn't setting the world on fire with recruiting. Locks couldn't threaten PSU. A new coach might.

 

[Marshall2323]

It's always the little people trying to make themselves feel better in some weird, perverted way.

Didn't PSU just lose its prized 2027 QB recruit to Boston College? Earlier they lost a top WR who flipped to Nebraska.
PSU is fast becoming the "little people."
Still some pretend all is well.

 

[BCS PSU]

Didn't PSU just lose its prized 2027 QB recruit to Boston College? Earlier they lost a top WR who flipped to Nebraska.
PSU is fast becoming the "little people."
Still some pretend all is well.

If Campbell shows that he can't do the job after a certain amount of time, then you just move on and try again. How many coaches did Bama go through after Stallings until they succeeded with Saban; at least three if not more?

Also, I didn't fire Franklin and hire Campbell. I love PSU football and it's my favorite sports team, but I'm not going to let it affect my life to the point that it seems to have affected you. Maybe PSU is entering another low ebb period, which won't be the first or last time; every program goes through these periods. Campbell indeed may fail here, but he's only been on the job for less than eleven months. I'm not going to base my opinion on his future success by losing a recruit here or there (over a year ago Franklin lost the McKeesport running back even before the Oregon loss), because he'll probably flip a few recruits too and all coaches have recruits flip.

There have been many instances in which new coaches had immediate success and then fell off completely, and there have been many instances in which coaches started slowly and then built great programs (i.e., Coach K in hoops and Dabo in football).

With the above said, it would be a step in the right direction and probably necessary for Campbell to use this off week to make adjustments so that this team closes out the season playing much better football and creates positive momentum. If this team can finish at least 7-5, which is viable, I would look at that as a good coaching job with this current roster.

 

[Marshall2323]

If Campbell shows that he can't do the job after a certain amount of time, then you just move on and try again. How many coaches did Bama go through after Stallings until they succeeded with Saban; at least three if not more?

Also, I didn't fire Franklin and hire Campbell. I love PSU football and it's my favorite sports team, but I'm not going to let it affect my life to the point that it seems to have affected you. Campbell indeed may fail here, but he's only been on the job for less than eleven months. I'm not going to base my opinion on his future success by losing a recruit here or there (over a year ago Franklin lost the McKeesport running back even before the Oregon loss), because he'll probably flip a few recruits too and all coaches have recruits flip.

There have been many instances in which new coaches had immediate success and then fell off completely, and there have been many instances in which coaches started slowly and then built great programs (i.e., Coach K in hoops and Dabo in football).

With the above said, it would be a step in the right direction and probably necessary for Campbell to use this off week to make adjustments so that this team closes out the season playing much better football and creates positive momentum. If this team can finish at least 7-5, which is viable, I would look at that as a good coaching job with this current roster.

A reasonable posture. I think too much has transpired to declare this season a good coaching job.
Winning 4 of the final games would IMO, deserve credit for beating teams that PSU should. I fail to see reasons for optimism. Another massive roster turnover, less than stellar recruiting class and NIL not likely adequate to fund the talent influx needed. Honestly, It's difficult for me to see any excuses for losing to Purdue, Rutgers or Maryland.