Friedgen to be Named ACC Coach of the Year
by Dave Tucker on Nov 30, 2010 12:06 PM EST
in Football
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PrintSeveral outlets are reporting The ACC has announced that Maryland head football coach Ralph Friedgen is the ACC Coach of the Year., although an official announcement hasn't come from the ACC at this time. Fridge received 29 votes, beating out Va. Tech's Frank Beamer, who received 19.
I think it's well deserved considering where Maryland was this time last year, looking at the program's first double-digit loss season and wondering if he'd be back to coach in 2010. That's a lot of pressure to work under, especially with a coach-in-waiting breathing down your neck.
It was obvious that a lot of things didn't go Maryland's way last season. Every bounce of the ball seemed to go against them. But they bounced back this year and when excuses stared them in the face, they responded and overcame them (think DeSouza accident earlier this season) rather than let them define and impede the team's ability to progress. That is credit you have to give to Ralph and his staff. He had to convince these guys they weren't 2-10 bad, but possible ACC Champion good. And the players believed and bought into that message.
The biggest reason for Maryland's turnaround is the emergence of Danny O'Brien, the redshirt freshman QB who is a lock for the ACC Rookie of the Year award. Ralph and his staff saw his potential in both recruiting him to Maryland and in sticking with him even after Jamarr recovered from his injury. You have to think that Maryland wouldn't find themselves at 8-4 had Ralph decided to go back to Jamarr once he was again healthy.
I know people have questioned some decisions that Ralph and his staff have made throughout the season, but I do think he did the best coaching job this year in the ACC. The question that is now on the horizon, and one which I'll address in a story about the future of the football team later this week, is what does this mean for the future of Ralph Friedgen as Maryland's head football coach? Assuming he wants to keep coaching, do you give him a contract extension? Do you buy out Franklin and keep Ralph? Do you not renew Ralph's contract and give the reigns to Franklin? Maryland's AD Kevin Anderson has some important decisions to make and those decisions will likely have a profound affect on Maryland's football program moving into the future.
As an aside, we have now won both the 2010 Football and Basketball ACC Coach of the Year award. Sweet.
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CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
Ralph may not be the greatest recruiter, but he has proven to be a good motivator and coach. Even GW had his trying times with a certain recruiting class or two. The Fridge can now retire next year (if he’s ready) holding his head high, full of pride (assuming they follow thru next year of course ;-) ). This team really started to gel offensively with the Wake Forest game. The last 5 games were good showings by the Terps, even the 2 losses were competitive. Way to go, Ralph.
I wondered that too
We pesudo did it in 2001-2002, Fridge was 2001 ACC Coach of the year and Gary was 2002 Coach of the year…
sorry state of ACC football
if Fridge is coach of the year. glad they turned it around but should have been beamer.
Why?
Va. Tech was SUPPOSED to be good. They were SUPPOSED to contend for a National Title. What did they do? Crapped the bed against JMU. Sorry, losing to JMU disqualifies you from contention.
No one expected Maryland to be this good. Maybe read the article and see why Friedgen deserved it.
This award should go to danny obrien
obviously play calling isn’t a factor and their just going by biggest win loss improvement.
Play calling
is a factor only when it doesn’t work. I’d say alot of play calling did work, with a record of 8-4. And the play calling got better as confidence in DOB rose. DOB deserves all the credit in the world, but he is a result of good coaching. If you had told me at the beginning of the season that our running game would be this enept (along with uncertainty at QB, porous OL and DL last year, and inconsistant defense last year), I would have been suprised if we’d won 3 games. So, in my mind, it is obvious that the coaching staff did a phenominal job this season. The first 7 games, the only difference I saw was turnovers, from last year to this year. But the last 5 games have shown how much this team has improved. I am finally a believer. Ralph and his staff deserve this award.
Play Calling
I’m gonna have to agree with you here and say playcalling can’t be a factor. Think about it. Who else could they have given this award to? Beamer lost to a DIAA team at the beginning of the year, Randy Shannon got fired, and everyone else underperformed or met low expectations. The ACC was a joke this year as sad as it is to say.
Ralph is smiling
Down on Ralph haters. Just get to 9-4.
by PaTerp on Nov 30, 2010 2:54 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Buy out Franklin...
and let Fridge keep coaching for another few years. Don’t have to fire Franklin, but you suck it up and pay the million for not making him head coach. If, in a few years, he is still with the program and seems like head coach material, maybe we pull the trigger then. If not, we go a different direction. There is a definite possibility he would be insulted and leave, but would that really be a crushing blow?
no.
maybe we would see only 4 WR screens a game instead of 12.
by mariolucasforthree on Nov 30, 2010 7:28 PM EST up reply actions
everyone hates the screens
i like them. they are a result of our o line. we cant hold off qb pressure and it keeps the dbacks honest. they allow for the big plays to torrey down field
Yea, I'm fine with them
We are forced to use them as a substitute for our running game. Since we can’t open up holes, we have to use the WR screen to keep defenses honest.
Ideally, we’d have a running game and be able to use the screen a bit less—but the coaches have to make due with what they’ve got, and what we’ve got is an explosive WR who needs the ball. I’d rather get him the ball and see what he can do than run Scott into the line time and time again if we aren’t opening up any holes.
Ralph did an outstanding job coaching this team. I love their attitude. You can just feel that there is more to come.
The players and coaches know it. I hope we can find a way to keep Ralph and his staff together throughout the DOB era. That aggressive defense Don wants is coming together. It isn’t just the “Schoolyard.” Even Chism and Hughes went at the NC State WRs with a vengeance. Brattan, pride, and talent are going to get that Ol clicking next year too. Maybe we’ll see a Terp team next year with some swagger.
Don Brown offense = $$$
In this second year, we can really see his schemes coming to fruition.
And keep in mind that he is doing this without his own personnel. These are guys that he was not responsible for bringing to Maryland. Slow-ass Wujciak in the middle of the field must be a real bottleneck for his defense. Imagine when we have Drakeford and Kearse on the field more next year. Ohhhhhhhh, boyyyyyy.
I agree that Darin and Desmond will likely be better fits for Don's defense.
I just really like Alex. He plays smart and hard every down. I’m sorry to see him go.
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