saunders45 said:
Hilltop said:
I am still amazed at how many people feel the BP fire was a bad decision. I feel we are a tremendously better program now than during his tenure. If the guy was worth anything, some team, somewhere, in the power 5 would have hired him by now. I want on the field success as much as the next guy but it was plain to see the downward spiral things were taking under Bo. The cupboard was truly left bare when he left. Great recruits didn't want to play here- plain and simple because of Bo. I believe Riley can pull off championships but it isn't going to be this year. Give the guy a little time with his system and recruiting. I believe we will get a glimpse of the future this year but in no way should any of us expect a championship this year. It took Dabo 8 years in a place much easier to recruit to than Nebraska...
1. The amount of people who think that is a very, very small minority. Don't confuse people being unsure of the Riley hire with still wanting Bo here. They aren't the same.
2. Dabo won the ACC in year 3, and has won at least 10 games the last 6 years. The fanbase would be
elated with a conference championship. MNC's aren't on the table right now.
Dabo technically won it in his 4th year - you have to count the season that he coached over half of as his first season (the year we beat them in the Gator Bowl, coincidentally). Anyways, I'm sure he was feeling the heat after 7-6, 9-5, and 6-7 records his first three seasons.
I bet he was even feeling it after year four - despite winning the ACC, they still had 4 losses, got completely curbstomped by West Virginia (i think they just scored again), and ended the season ranked 22nd. That's a Bo Pelini type of year. Year 5 is when they hit their groove and figured it all out.
Dabo took over in game seven in 2008, but didn't actually get the contract until after the season to become HC full time. He was also a first time Head Coach, so he started surrounding himself with guys who really knew their craft (like Chad Morris and Brent Venables) when he saw areas struggling.
The point is, Dabo was a rookie read coach, and won a conference title in his 3rd year as head coach. If you want to count half a season, ok, whatever. It doesn't change the point. I guarantee NU fans would have taken that 2011 Clemson season over what we've had.
Hail Varsity did an article on it last summer, and the data shows that year 3 is a very good predictor for a coaches tenure. No more "buy-in" or "toxic culture" to blame, as the guys in the program are the current staff's players.
