AJC > Sports > Blog > Archives > 2006 > September > 26 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USFive coaches in rough spots
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When you think you’re having a bad day or a bad month, just be glad you’re not these coaches:
1) Dirk Koetter, Arizona State: Koetter made headlines this summer when he awarded the starting quarterback job to senior Sam Keller only to change his mind 48 hours later after meeting with some of his players. Sophomore Rudy Carpenter, who was awarded the job, has thrown eight interceptions in four games. And because Koetter embarrassed Keller, the Sun Devils (3-1), who got waxed by Cal 42-21 in their Pac-10 opener, don’t have a plan B.
2) John Bunting, North Carolina: Bunting was a great NFL linebacker. He is honest. He is straightforward. His kids graduate. But inexplicably, the Tar Heels can’t play defense; giving up over 500 yards in each of the past two weeks to Furman (yes Furman), and Clemson. Bunting’s position after the Clemson loss (52-7) was that every aspect of the UNC football program is on schedule - except for the wins and losses. That’s like me telling my wife that every aspect of our family finances are on schedule, except for the fact that I haven’t made a house payment in five years.
3) Larry Coker, Miami: I now wonder if there is anything Coker can do to save himself short of winning the ACC championship. Some of the hard line Miami folks are convinced that the U. has lost something under Coker’s watch. What they’ve lost is the Big East schedule that gave them more breathers than they have now. Are they really going to bring back Butch Davis? Will that work?
4) Ed Orgeron, Ole Miss: After the Rebels signed a nationally-ranked recruiting class in February, the Ole Miss faithful were convinced they were off and running. But quarterback Brent Schaeffer, who didn’t get there until August because of academic issues, is struggling. Could it be because he’s still learning the names of his offensive linemen? When you get blown out at home by an undermanned Wake Forest team, you are not having a good month.
5) Ron Zook, Illinois: The Zooker won this first two games as the Illinois coach last season but since then not a whole lot has gone right. The Illini have lost 12 of their last 13 games, the only win coming against I-AA Eastern Illinois. This week Illinois goes to Michigan State, which is not in a particularly good mood after blowing a game against Notre Dame.
Comments
By Geoff
September 26, 2006 04:14 PM | Link to this
Tony, I don’t know if the results this year would’ve been any different if Miami were still playing a Big East schedule due to the fact that the ACC has clearly exposed itself thus far as the weakest conference in the nation. At least the Big East has a couple of teams that can legitimately compete on a national scale (with possible apologies to Va. Tech).
By Vick Bartkowski
September 26, 2006 04:30 PM | Link to this
Are you a complete moron Geoff. Louisville and W. Virginia are the only 2 schools worth a crap in that league. The ACC is down but far superior to the Big Weak. Im well aware W VA beat GA and Louisville beat Miami. Its playing the average to above average teams week in and week out that set all the BCS conferences above the Small East. Two big games a year doesnt mean its a tough conference
By Geoff
September 26, 2006 04:53 PM | Link to this
Vick, I believe I hit a nerve. I’m no fan of the Big East by any stretch but any impartial observer would probably come to the same conclusion. Year in and year out, I would agree that the ACC should and normally would be far superior to the Big East but so far, this is an incredibly disappointing start for your conference. Not only would those two Big East teams you mentioned be the clear cut favorites were they to play an ACC schedule but practically every ACC team is having a down year. Your heavyweights (FSU and Miami) are exceptionally mediocre and what is supposed to be your middle of the pack teams (i.e. UNC, NC State, Maryland, Virginia) are looking downright fugly. Clemson, GT, and Boston College may or may not have decent seasons but based on recent history, it’s anybody’s guess. Like I said in my original post, Virginia Tech is probably a pretty good team but even they wouldn’t match up very well against Louisville of WV this season.
By GT
September 26, 2006 04:55 PM | Link to this
Tony is correct about the Big East. When Miami played there the only powerhouse was Va.Tech and maybe a stubborn Boston College. Syracuse was trouble every other year. Two of those teams joined Miami in the ACC which already had FSU and Syracuse is pretty weak now days staying in the Big East. The Big East has basically two teams. Louisville and West Virginia. Lots of discussion on how good West Viginia is without a defense. The ACC has new good teams in the rise of Clemson, Ga.Tech and Wake Forrest. NC State leaves you wondering who is driving the bus when they beat BC last weekend. I can say one thing the bottom of the Big East is not going to beat BC. You have three really weak teams in the ACC. Virginia, UNC and Duke. On most years you only have one. The Big East has them every year including this one. Two out of the three will get fired and the ACC will then have just the same one bad team at the end of the row. We will probably find room to add West Virginia and Louisville to the ACC and Furman will be playing in the big east along with maybe Wofford.
By me
September 26, 2006 04:56 PM | Link to this
Rutgers is not playing too bad either.
By GT
September 26, 2006 05:01 PM | Link to this
Louisville and West Virginia will be in the ACC by 2008 and the Big East will be taking a couple of 1AA schools to replace them.
By ole miss fan
September 26, 2006 05:26 PM | Link to this
OLEMISS, WILL NOT FIRE COACH O, NO ONE KNEW HOW BAD DAVID CUTCLIFF, HAD LET THING GET UP THERE, IT WILL TAKE TIME TO RECOVER FROM THE MESS HE LEFT, HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIRED WHEN ELI,WAS BROUGHT IN, ANYONE ELSE COULD HAVE WON THE WEST…..
By JJ
September 26, 2006 05:28 PM | Link to this
In the current Sagarin conference power rankings, under the “central mean” methodology, the ACC is ranked as the fifth-best conference and the Big East as sixth; under the “arithmetic mean” methodology, those positions are switched.
By any metric, the ACC’s performance this season is decidedly subpar.
By jim
September 26, 2006 06:12 PM | Link to this
How about Al Groh up at UVA? That’s a sinking ship. They looked like a high school team out there against Tech.
By dcbl
September 26, 2006 06:22 PM | Link to this
Is “me” Tony B??
Anyway… Coach O is likely safe for a few years. Ole Miss fans nmay well have had high hopes with that recruiting class, but if any fan base in the SEC has patience, it is Ole Miss.
It takes 5 years to really judge a coach - to let him start all his own recruits. My money is on Coach O getting AT LEAST that much time.
This week won’t matter either; they expect to get beat by my ‘Dawgs.
By Hotty Toddy
September 26, 2006 07:00 PM | Link to this
Orgeron has proved himself to be a buffoon and a blow-hard. They say he can recruit, but he sure can’t coach. The major villian in this piece, however, is AD Pete Boone. He’s the worse thing to roll through Oxford since US Grant. We all see now why UT was so glad to get rid of Schaeffer and pick up Coach Cut.
By Wozzo the Wonder Dog
September 26, 2006 07:04 PM | Link to this
Some wonderful new head coaches: Borges at Miami and Tenuta at [insert name of any one of a half-dozen other ACC schools here]!
By The goodkid
September 26, 2006 11:11 PM | Link to this
“I think that maybe in Florida, the expectations were a little out of sync where they were talent-wise” said Ron Zook on his arrival it Illinois.
Once at Illinois he spouted off this beauty, “Our offensive line has to improve. Overall defensively we have to improve. We have to improve across the board.” I believe I heard that at UF but I couldn’t find the quote anywhere but I know he said it.
Zook is a good salesman if anything, and 2-1 against UGA.
By John James
September 26, 2006 11:14 PM | Link to this
Bunting should have been fired in 04, Only at UNC, you can be a complete failure as a HC and still get an extention! UNC football will remain doa as long as JB stays HC!
By lbsmash31
September 26, 2006 11:51 PM | Link to this
Unreal how mis-informed many of you are concerning the Big East and it’s cast of characters.
First off, Miami was the power in the old Big East. Followed by WVU. VT won the conference ONE time and BC tied for the championship their last year in the league with WVU. By the way, VT finished 4th in the Big East there last year in the league and has lost to PITT the last four times they have played.
WVU and Miami, mainly Miami dominated the old Big East. Now, as a WVU fan I will take a trade of Louisville over all three of those teams. What one thought was a nightmare has turned out to be a huge blessing. Miami’s program is toast, VT’s program is quitely in trouble and BC is well middle of the pack in the ACC like they were in the Big East.
Lastly the Big East is more than two teams. WVU and Louisville are in the Top 10, Rutgers is 23th and Pitt is coming…
By Dave
September 27, 2006 02:13 AM | Link to this
Err, Syracuse was clearly the #2 program in the old Big East, at least if you’re counting conference titles. Sorry; Orange fan chiming in :)
Miami won or shared the Big East title 9 times. West Virginia won or shared the Big East title 4 times, but two of those titles are after Miami and VT left. Syracuse won or shared the Big East title 4 times (including the four-way tie in BC’s last year). Virginia Tech won or shared the Big East title 3 times. Pitt and BC shared the Big East title once (in the four-way tie in 2004).
By Roswell Ed
September 27, 2006 10:01 AM | Link to this
I love the who’s the worst debate.
Might as well throw in the PAC 1 and the Big 2(12).
What a sorry sack of conferences.
By Dawg_gone_truth
September 27, 2006 10:19 AM | Link to this
How can Chan not be on this list of coaches in trouble? The Reggie project has to be his end, tell me in four years you could not bring in a QB who is not a midget? If the Bee’s had a QB they would have beat the Dawgs two of the last four years. Shula also is in hot water if he gets beat by Auburn again. Sly Croom is not getting things done at Miss State and he too could be done. But overall the SEC has the best coaches, you have Fulmer who has a national title, Spurrier Has one also, as does Tuberville. Within the next three years Richt could have one, as could Meyer and Miles. I love football and telling the dawg gone truth about how the dawgs are going to get beat down by the Vols very soon. Go Vols and the best damn conf in college football, go SEC!!
By Titus
September 27, 2006 10:42 AM | Link to this
You $EC dolts are all the same. Everyone laughs at your chutzpah and we don’t care how many rubes you fill up in your stadiums. Athletics aside, when Ar-Kansas leads the way in terms of endowments/$$$ (by way of Sam Walton no less)…it begs serious questions. You’ll always be second class citizens.
By brewerfaninATL
September 27, 2006 11:14 AM | Link to this
Hey Dawggonetruth, when did Tuberville win a national championship? Gee, I must have missed that one…and no, 2004’s almost NC doesn’t count! Guess what? Lloyd Carr, Jim Tressel, and Joe Paterno have NC’s too, what’s your point?
By Dawg_gone_truth
September 27, 2006 11:34 AM | Link to this
Brewerfan, Tuberville did win one in ‘04 just ask the AP. I never said that the Big Ten did not have great coaches, who does not root for JoPa to win? I would take Carr in a heartbeat if he gets fired this season if I were needing a great coach, yeah Tressel is good too, but after that who do you have? Zook? Ha!! Why do you only have 11 teams, why don’t you play a conf title game? I know you are waiting on the Irish to come around hey? Be honest during the bowl games when it comes down to a SEC team playing a Big 11 team who wins more games? The big 10 or 11, is the second best conf in the nation I give you that, but don’t be knocking the SEC, just look at the history of SEC vs Big 10 and you will see the SEC owns that conf. Go Vols and who ever is playing Alabama!!
By brewerfaninATL
September 27, 2006 11:55 AM | Link to this
You hit the nail on the head about the Big 10 getting a conf. championship game. We need 12 teams in order to do that, though. Who else is going to join the conference? ND is the logical choice but they don’t have the gonads to do it. Certainly not anyone from the MAC! The only other logical (geographically) choices would be Louisville, because it’s on the Ind./Ken. border and Pitt, but why would they give up the chance to dominate a wuss conference like the Big (L)East to finish 4th or 5th in a much tougher conference? Maybe, who knows? 11 teams just won’t work for a conf. championship game though…too bad, because I really would like to have one! BTW, when did I knock the SEC? Read all my past posts and you’ll note that I totally respect the SEC. It’s all about perception. Of course, living in the south, SEC is king, and living in the north, Big 10 is king and all the diehards will go to their grave believing their conference is the best…that’s just the way it is!
By Dawg_gone_truth
September 27, 2006 12:27 PM | Link to this
Yeah Brewer you are right about a lot in this one, ND does not have the gonads, but they did get a lot NBC money. I wish the Big 10 would quit waiting on them. I wish we could do this, give you guys Kentucky and let us pick up Southern Miss, which is the best team in Miss lately. You could also put Marshall in the Big 10, they are going to get better. Toledo or Bowling Green would not embarass the conference. I would love to see a championship game up in the RCA dome with the likes of Ohio State having it out with Iowa for the conf title. The Big East champ should have to play the PAC 10 champ for a BCS berth. Go Vols!! and who ever is playing Alabama!!
By brewerfaninATL
September 27, 2006 12:46 PM | Link to this
I thought about Marshall at first, but they’ve really been bad for the past 2-3 years now, imagine if they had to face Michigan, Iowa, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin every year…they’d be near Indiana depths! Bowling Green is good once about every 2-3 years and this year is NOT one of them…they are rotten! There are decent/good MAC teams out there but they are that way because they beat up on each other, rarely do they win against the big boys…and no, NC State does not count as a big boy! I’m really leaning toward Louisville hopefully joining one day, they are proving to be a very worthy opponent (ask Miami) and most importantly, they’re recruiting better, which is important in the Big 10…that’s why Indiana has stunk for 14 years. I’ve given up on Notre Dame, they will NEVER, EVER join, and quite frankly, good, stay an independent, we don’t need you!
By Roswell Ed
September 27, 2006 12:51 PM | Link to this
Hey Mary err Titus- at least us rubes don’t sit around spanking our monkey in anticipation of basketball. A game that most Americans find unwatchable but happens to appeal to a few sophisticates such as yourself and the hip hop crowds. Look at your constituents. That’s very high brow stuff.
By hsf
September 27, 2006 01:04 PM | Link to this
You could smell it coming at Ole Miss. Schaeffer demonstrated early on thet he had character issues during his short stay at UT. He was beaten out by Ainge by the 4th game. He couldn’t complete his JC work. Orgeron bought a lemon and now the whole program is sucking.
By GT
September 27, 2006 02:25 PM | Link to this
Hell someone the other day was trying to talk Richt into taking JC transfers. The first thing the NCAA should look at is schools with JC transfers and then transfers as a hold. Some of these schools don’t care what they bring on their campus just so they beat up somebody. I love when the put lipstick on these boys and call them students.
By South Georgia
September 27, 2006 02:48 PM | Link to this
all of those teams suck. Talk about some real teams. Louisville and W.Virginia wouldn’t amount to squat in a real conference like the sec or the big 10. any midlevel team looks good when they play weak competition every week.
By Roswell Ed
September 27, 2006 02:59 PM | Link to this
Except Ga.
By Dawg_gone_truth
September 27, 2006 03:24 PM | Link to this
Hey south georgia, in the 2006 calendar year WVU has beat the Dawgs, and Louisville has beat the canes. I read something today where some Dawg homer wrote that UGA beat a very underrated Buffs team. Underrated? they got beat by a AA team. Step back and look at it dude. Go Vols and whoever is playing Alabama!
By brewerfaninATL
September 27, 2006 03:26 PM | Link to this
South GA, how could they be any worse than Illinois or Indiana? Like I said before, Louisville and West Va. would move smoother because they recruit better. Sure, they may take a few years to reach elite status in a better conference but it wouldn’t take that long. I have no idea how many seats their stadiums hold, but they would surely generate enough $$$ to increase if necessary. A team like Marshall, Rutgers, or someone from the MAC would take alot longer to compete, but Louisville and West Va. have proven they can compete with the big boys.
By UNC Alumnus
September 27, 2006 06:48 PM | Link to this
John Bunting is a symptom and AD Dick Baddour is the problem at UNC. Getting rid of them would be like curing the common cold.