Wednesday, December 29, 2010
In all likelihood, the BETTER military bowl...
Saturday, December 18, 2010
The Title of this is NOT "Unplugging the Fridge"
It's been a big week in Maryland football. By the looks of it, the biggest in at least a decade. Yesterday OC James Franklin, the teams contractual Head Coach in Waiting, left the program to become the Head Coach at Vanderbilt. While it had looked very unlikely that he would actually succeed Ralph Friedgen ever since Kevin Anderson became the school's new AD, he was still the man who the coaching staff could point to for continuity given that the Fridge's coaching days were coming to a close irrespective of his success.
Apparently that was just the tip of the iceberg as I came home today to the news that not only was Franklin officially gone after a week of back and forth, but it looked like the team would have a new head coach as well in the coming weeks. Apparently Franklin's departure, along with the pending departure of several assistant coaches who would go with Franklin, as well as Fridge's lack of contract past next season, has set off a chain of events where the ten year coach is going to be bought out by the school in the coming weeks.
Needless to say, this is shocking, intriguing stuff, especially on the heels of Anderson giving the Big Man an explicit vote of confidence assuring his return next season. It isn't official (although Chick Hernandez has reported it as fact and ESPN has picked up on it as well), but the fallout here will be amazing.
Clearly with Fridge enjoying a resurgence and winning the ACC Coach of the Year award, and a young team that will likely start next season inside the top 20 as possible Atlantic Division favorites, Anderson and, let's face it, Kevin Plank, need to have a plan. Early indications are that former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach may go from message board fantasy and blog banter to reality in the coming weeks. Leach and Maryland are a match that has made sense given Plank (and TT's) Under Armour ties (not of the neckwear kind), but we will know for sure. For now there are two emotional sides to this: the Fridge side and the Leach side.
Say what you want about Fridge, but the man ressurrected football at this school. The team finished above .500 just once in the 15 years before Fridge, and even that was a 6-5-1 season that ended in an Independence Bowl tie. Fridge one from day one, and while he would never match the success of his first three seasons that included 31 wins, a National Coach of the Year award, and an ACC title, the team won much more than it had in its recent past. His current record is 74-40, and he's an alumni coming off a season where the team nearly stole a share of the Atlantic Division. It simply doesn't feel right for him to be forced out, at least not now. Not this year.
On the other hand, there is more than a little bit of excitement in a possible move. It's certainly clear even to the those with the most severe cases of Fridge Fever that the program had plateaued (at best). Football will always likely be second best at Maryland, but there is no reason that the program should have as little buzz as it does right now. Hiring Leach, a guy who has succeeded in the Big XII and excited fans with his preposterous Air Raid Offense, signals not only a commitment to winning by the school, but perhaps more importanly by Kevin Plank. We got that UA money now, bitches. Oregon and their second rate sweatshop using clothier can GTFOOH.
But of course there's some apprehension. Kevin Anderson, by making a move, damn well had better do it right. Anything less than Mike Leach as the replacement, if it happens this month, is an utter failure. Other names being bandied about (Ty Willingham and Mike Locksley) are probably just idle speculation, but they are scary idle speculation. Even Leach is far from teflon as a candidate. He won 10 games just once at Texas Tech and went a combined 5-15 against Texas and Oklahoma during his tenure there. Tech was good, but they were clearly second tier in their conference. And, oh yeah, he got fired for unapologetically locking the concussive son of Craig James is a dark shed after a practice. Not that I particularly care about players getting locked in sheds as long as he wins 9 games a year here, but it probably warrants mentioning.
So stay tuned. This is bittersweet. Farewell Fridge...maybe.
Apparently that was just the tip of the iceberg as I came home today to the news that not only was Franklin officially gone after a week of back and forth, but it looked like the team would have a new head coach as well in the coming weeks. Apparently Franklin's departure, along with the pending departure of several assistant coaches who would go with Franklin, as well as Fridge's lack of contract past next season, has set off a chain of events where the ten year coach is going to be bought out by the school in the coming weeks.
Needless to say, this is shocking, intriguing stuff, especially on the heels of Anderson giving the Big Man an explicit vote of confidence assuring his return next season. It isn't official (although Chick Hernandez has reported it as fact and ESPN has picked up on it as well), but the fallout here will be amazing.
Clearly with Fridge enjoying a resurgence and winning the ACC Coach of the Year award, and a young team that will likely start next season inside the top 20 as possible Atlantic Division favorites, Anderson and, let's face it, Kevin Plank, need to have a plan. Early indications are that former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach may go from message board fantasy and blog banter to reality in the coming weeks. Leach and Maryland are a match that has made sense given Plank (and TT's) Under Armour ties (not of the neckwear kind), but we will know for sure. For now there are two emotional sides to this: the Fridge side and the Leach side.
Say what you want about Fridge, but the man ressurrected football at this school. The team finished above .500 just once in the 15 years before Fridge, and even that was a 6-5-1 season that ended in an Independence Bowl tie. Fridge one from day one, and while he would never match the success of his first three seasons that included 31 wins, a National Coach of the Year award, and an ACC title, the team won much more than it had in its recent past. His current record is 74-40, and he's an alumni coming off a season where the team nearly stole a share of the Atlantic Division. It simply doesn't feel right for him to be forced out, at least not now. Not this year.
On the other hand, there is more than a little bit of excitement in a possible move. It's certainly clear even to the those with the most severe cases of Fridge Fever that the program had plateaued (at best). Football will always likely be second best at Maryland, but there is no reason that the program should have as little buzz as it does right now. Hiring Leach, a guy who has succeeded in the Big XII and excited fans with his preposterous Air Raid Offense, signals not only a commitment to winning by the school, but perhaps more importanly by Kevin Plank. We got that UA money now, bitches. Oregon and their second rate sweatshop using clothier can GTFOOH.
But of course there's some apprehension. Kevin Anderson, by making a move, damn well had better do it right. Anything less than Mike Leach as the replacement, if it happens this month, is an utter failure. Other names being bandied about (Ty Willingham and Mike Locksley) are probably just idle speculation, but they are scary idle speculation. Even Leach is far from teflon as a candidate. He won 10 games just once at Texas Tech and went a combined 5-15 against Texas and Oklahoma during his tenure there. Tech was good, but they were clearly second tier in their conference. And, oh yeah, he got fired for unapologetically locking the concussive son of Craig James is a dark shed after a practice. Not that I particularly care about players getting locked in sheds as long as he wins 9 games a year here, but it probably warrants mentioning.
So stay tuned. This is bittersweet. Farewell Fridge...maybe.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Beating Mumpkins to a Fridge Post
Luckily, I'm just Owl, the art director for this here web-log.
(Click photo for full image.)
I mean, I'm excited, but altogether shocked. I guess that's what we get for turning a two win season (lest we forget) into this year.
Congrats Fridge. Kudos Danny.
(Click photo for full image.)
Congrats Fridge. Kudos Danny.
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