Maryland Minute 7.1.09 - Ralph Friedgen Contemplating Longer Stay as Head Coach
by Ben Broman on Jul 1, 2009 10:26 PM EDT
in Maryland Minute
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Fridge may be around for a long time
We went and gave James Franklin that big "Head Coach in Waiting" title, but it may not mean much.
University of Maryland football coach Ralph Friedgen says he might want to remain in his post for up to five more years if the team is performing well - a move that could complicate the school's coaching succession plan.
Uh, yeah, that's not happening, even if it is fun to talk about. At least, not according to Debbie Yow.
"We don't intend to ever pay the million dollars. Things are going to be good," Yow said.
...
"That would have to be a conversation Ralph and James had, where James deferred the opportunity for two more years," Yow said. "That's what would have to happen because I don't have a million dollars to give James."
Whether that means we're going to get creative or she'll force Fridge out is unknown right now, but I hope it's the former. Also, does she have to say the athletic department is broke? Can't we put that in a euphemism or something?
More on Fridge's Possible Stay
Not a lot more than what was in the article, but just a few clarifiers.
Terp Commit Robinson talks Terps commitment
I really want to believe this guy will be a productive college player, I really do...but I'm having some trouble right now.
With offers from Fordham, James Madison, Massachusetts, Old Dominion and Stony Brook, it’s safe to say Robinson floated under the radar of most college football recruiters.
"I told Matt, ‘Maryland knows you better than any school in the country.’ ... The more they saw him, the more they liked him. ... He makes plays, he’s got excellent ball skills for a guy his age and he’s a smart player. Matt’s going to be a productive player. There’s no doubt in my mind."
Gary Recommends Booing Tony Romo
I love Gary Williams. And I love him even more that he encouraged people to boo Tony Romo at the Pro Am for Tiger's tourney in Bethesda on Wednesday. I'm a Ravens fan, but I still hate me some Tony Romo [ed's note: so do the other Redskin fans on the staff]... "There are certain standards in golf, and certain standards at Congressional Country Club. You don't wear your baseball hat backwards. You don't wear cargo shorts. You don't yell at golfers mid-swing, and you sure as heck don't boo. Wednesday morning will put those standards to a severe test..."
New 2011 Scout Top 75
Notable Terp targets:
#14 - Michael Gbinije
#25 - CJ Barksdale
#29 - Jordan Goodman
#30 - Trevor Cooney
#32 - Quinn Cook (that's just terrible)
#37 - Jabari Brown
#39 - Mikael Hopkins
Rivals Updated Theirs, Too
Not to be outdone by their main competitor, Rivals updated their top 2011 rankings today too.
Notable Terp targets:
#22 Jabari Brown
#29 Michael Gbinije
#34 Quinn Cook (even worse)
#38 Mikael Hopkins
#49 Jordan Goodman
#50 CJ Barksdale
#78 Trevor Cooney
#80 Grandy Glaze
Mike DeCourcy's Take on Lance Stephenson
Pretty much agreed.
From a basketball perspective, I do believe Stephenson wants to be successful and will come to understand being a good teammate is part of that package. College basketball always has been uniquely suited to training players in that regard, and Mick Cronin will do an effective job in making Stephenson part of something bigger than himself.
...
Obviously, that includes O.J. Mayo, who was cleared to attend Southern California. Former sportswriter Louis Johnson subsequently charged Mayo had received benefits before he enrolled in college—which means USC probably would have been in trouble even if nothing untoward had occurred while he was enrolled in school. That'd be the one worry for Cincinnati—it's almost like double-jeopardy.
Gary Parrish Overviews the Hilarious Henry Situation
Like I said yesterday - the Henrys > the Stephensons.
The week started with Carl Henry telling the Kansas City Star that his older son, C.J. Henry, is just as good as future Kansas teammate Sherron Collins even though C.J. hasn't played organized basketball in four years and despite the fact that he has never been considered an elite prospect. Carl added that both his sons plan to be one-and-done prospects and hinted that the reason Xavier isn't already at Kansas is because he doesn't want to go to class. Then the proud papa told a Kansas City radio station Tuesday that both his sons -- C.J. Henry and McDonald's All-American Xavier Henry -- might actually choose to enroll at Kentucky instead of Kansas because that's what Xavier wanted to do all along.
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Friedgen
If Maryland is playing in the Orange Bowl between now and then, I am willing to bet that they scrounge up the cash to keep Friedgen. If they didn’t, and he wanted to stay on, that’d be a terrible thing to do. Friedgen is like Gary Wililams in my mind. People get on him about recruiting and inconsistency, but both are good coaches for several reasons.
Some people say Friedgen only did really well with Vanderlinden’s recruits. First, that isn’t even true — 2007 could have been an Orange Bowl year if not for horrible luck with injuries, and despite that, we were still only a handful of plays from a 10-win season. 2008 could have and should have been a 10-win year. 2006 was a 9-win year and all four losses were against top-20 ranked teams. Regardless, we now have one of the nation’s top recruiters (Franklin) on the staff, along with a couple other good ones (Sollazzo for instance). And no one can say that Vanderlinden would have done anything with those recruits himself — he didn’t the two years prior, despite coming painfully close to bowl eligibility.
But, like Williams, it comes down to this: Friedgen is an alumnus, he is a man of integrity, he cares about his players and runs a tight ship, he develops his players to be men not just NFL draftees, and he showed a great deal of loyalty by rejecting all sorts of job offers after 2001 (Brady Hoke, anyone?). So as long as the program doesn’t fall into complete disarray, I think Friedgen (and Williams) has earned the right to decide when he retires.
by JC1 on Jul 2, 2009 1:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I also am a Ravens fan,
and I also dislike Tony Romo just because he plays for the Cowgirls.
by FEARtheTERP1 on Jul 2, 2009 2:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Division I FCS recruits
It can be frustrating not getting the blue chip players, especially when we had a top-25 or -30 recruiting class last year, but it’s important to keep some perspective. Rankings and who’s recruiting who isn’t the end all, be all. Davin Meggett was a two-star prospect offered by just JMU and Old Dominion (which will have a football team for the first time in 2009). Moise Fokou was a non-scholarship transfer from Frostburg and Dean Muhtadi was a walk-on. The staff seems to be fairly good with evaluating the under-recruited local players.
by JC1 on Jul 2, 2009 3:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
While this is true, it's still anecdotal
Yes, some very lowly recruited guys came on the team and produced well – Fook, Muhtadi, Bemi, Meggett, Erin Henderson, and even more – and we are one of the best schools in the nation in evaluating talent. If anyone can say they have the right to take these guys, it’s us.
Ultimately, though, if you recruit a team of three-stars, odds are you will be a three-star team. More 5 stars turn out to be elite than 3 stars do, unfortunately. Same for more 4 stars than 2 stars, and so on. If we can get some four stars, I’ll feel a lot more comfortable. I’m not doubting that these guys are better than their ratings indicate, but by how much?
by Ben Broman on Jul 2, 2009 9:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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