I just read on their super secret "insider" message board that Leach has agreed to terms and will be announced as the Terps head coach sometime in the next 24 hours. What a weird situation; Ralph Freidgen is a Maryland alum, the ACC Coach of the Year, and engineered the second biggest turnaround in college football this season (2-10 to 8-4). And then, citing sagging attendance, Maryland fired him. Just shows how much of a business college football really is. Leach is walking into a good situation. The Terps are young and talented.
Watching the Fridge in the lockeroom for the last time after the game was very sad, he was pretty emotional and so was the team. I'll take your word as to the talent level going forward for the Terps, but given how things went this year and the way things finished Leach is going to have to work very hard to gain the trust of those kids.
How many times has Maryland won 10 games with the Fridge? How many times have they won 10 games without him? In the history of their program they had like 4 10+ win seasons.. IN THEIR HISTORY. That guy had 3. I like the pirate. I know most people don't, but I do. However, they just threw a beloved alum right under the bus for a guy who really doesn't give a damn about the school, it's history, the state or the traditions. He just wants to throw the ball.. and remember, I like the pirate.. but I don't see the logic in this.
Corey, I agree. Maryland is never going to consistently be at the top of the polls, and Leach knows that. This will get him back in the door and Maryland will be the poorer for it. They need to just stick to basketball. :?
Scott Van Pelt from ESPN (a Md alum) is a regular contributor to the message board that I saw this info on. Last night he posted a "not so fast" note, saying the deal wasn't done yet. It seems to me that Ralph, in the end, became a victim of his own early success. In his first three seasons the Terps went 31-8. Since then they've gone 44-42, including a conference record of 24-32. Boosters have become restless, and feel that the program under Friedgen peaked long ago. The Terps biggest booster, Under Armour founder Kevin Plank, is said to be behind all of this. A few of us share Corey's sentiment that Leach is only here until a better job comes along. My sister and her husband are season ticket holders and both are furious about this. A friend of mine is also a season ticket holder and he and his wife are ready for Ralph to go. No one on either side of the fence wanted to see him go out like this. It's a shame.
I pretty much agree with Corey including liking the Pirate. I remember when I started following college football in the late 40's and early 50's. Maryland was consistently good at that time and ranked very high. At that time a lot of teams only played 9 games and at the most 10 so winning 10 was very hard. However at this time I don't see Maryland being a consistent winner.
Oh .... my ... God. It's Randy Edsall. They fired an alum, the reining Coach of the Year, for a guy with a 74-70 record at a program that's barely D-1. The Maryland booster meltdown over this should be epic.
Well I do think Edsall is a good coach. He's a solid citizen, unlike Mike Leach who you have no idea when he'll say or do something that'll make you cringe.
I don't think he's the right hire. I don't think he brings the type of enthisiasom to the fan base that they were looking for. The AD said last week they were making the change because attendence was down and that the program needed to be energized. Leach certainly would have done that for them. I don't think Edsall will. PJ in Jersey