Post by Aggie One on Oct 26, 2005 10:57:15 GMT -5
Kindred Spirits Of Sorts
by Craig R. Turner
bluedeathvalley.com
What does the N. C. A&T and the North Carolina State football programs have in common? Both have head coaches who came in to coach their alma maters a few years ago and started off as hot as a firecracker immediately winning titles or bowl games.
Now both have coaches that may very well have sealed their long term fate with constant failures this season.
The parallels are extraordinary. Both programs have talented players with reasonable depth but distinctly lack team chemistry.
Both have had quarterback troubles all year long even through both returned veterans players at that position. Both should have had very stout defenses going into the season but haven’t put together any consistency for more than two games at any stretch during the season. Both have had abysmal special teams giving up big plays and embarking on a misadventure every time a field goal or extra point is attempted.
After A&T’s 16-0 shutout loss to Howard and State’s 27-19 drubbing at the hands of Wake Forest a couple of things are now quite obvious. Neither team has much of an offensive direction outside one or two good running backs.
Neither team has a real good handle on things defensively despite having some talented players on that side of the ball and one other thing.
Both teams are going no where fast.
So what else do George Small and Chuck Amato have in common? Well, Amato has taken to the bunker mentality with the press amid the growing criticism from Wolf Pack supporters and Small, who is under perhaps even more fire, will probably tell you this web site isn’t exactly on his must read list.
That is perhaps because even though this is a pro A&T site, conceived by younger Aggie alumni, most who are active Aggie Club members and are huge fans of A&T football, we do not subscribe to the “look the other way and hope for better days are ahead” line and will not be a cheering section for mediocrity. No, there will be no drinking of the cool-Aid here.
Now both coaches are likeable individuals who want the best for their programs and their school but both have the same problem. The pressure of coaching at their alma mater have put them in a situation where the expectations are so high and the production as been so sub par the last two years they can’t possibly live up to them.
Let’s be upfront about it. The Aggies are lucky to be 3-5 and frankly with Bethune, FAMU, and S.C. State on the horizon to finish out the rest of year, the chances are pretty good that another 3-8 finish is possibly in the works.
It has become old hat now at the weekly press conferences when questions are posed as to what attributed to the latest loss. Small is always harping on inconsistency as the culprit.
Well eight games into the season and he seemingly has no clue has to why his team is inconsistent but more importantly he doesn’t seem to know how to correct it.
Even by some crazy quirk the Aggies should run the table in its final three games, the die has already been cast and new Athletic Director Dee Todd will have sit down to seriously evaluate the status of the coaching staff and the entire football program at the end of next month. Fans don’t get to vote on such things but that may be a good thing.
An old coach’s wise tale says you’re only as good as your last game, and neither one is looking is looking too good right now.
Fans are unforgiving. So are new AD’s.
by Craig R. Turner
bluedeathvalley.com
What does the N. C. A&T and the North Carolina State football programs have in common? Both have head coaches who came in to coach their alma maters a few years ago and started off as hot as a firecracker immediately winning titles or bowl games.
Now both have coaches that may very well have sealed their long term fate with constant failures this season.
The parallels are extraordinary. Both programs have talented players with reasonable depth but distinctly lack team chemistry.
Both have had quarterback troubles all year long even through both returned veterans players at that position. Both should have had very stout defenses going into the season but haven’t put together any consistency for more than two games at any stretch during the season. Both have had abysmal special teams giving up big plays and embarking on a misadventure every time a field goal or extra point is attempted.
After A&T’s 16-0 shutout loss to Howard and State’s 27-19 drubbing at the hands of Wake Forest a couple of things are now quite obvious. Neither team has much of an offensive direction outside one or two good running backs.
Neither team has a real good handle on things defensively despite having some talented players on that side of the ball and one other thing.
Both teams are going no where fast.
So what else do George Small and Chuck Amato have in common? Well, Amato has taken to the bunker mentality with the press amid the growing criticism from Wolf Pack supporters and Small, who is under perhaps even more fire, will probably tell you this web site isn’t exactly on his must read list.
That is perhaps because even though this is a pro A&T site, conceived by younger Aggie alumni, most who are active Aggie Club members and are huge fans of A&T football, we do not subscribe to the “look the other way and hope for better days are ahead” line and will not be a cheering section for mediocrity. No, there will be no drinking of the cool-Aid here.
Now both coaches are likeable individuals who want the best for their programs and their school but both have the same problem. The pressure of coaching at their alma mater have put them in a situation where the expectations are so high and the production as been so sub par the last two years they can’t possibly live up to them.
Let’s be upfront about it. The Aggies are lucky to be 3-5 and frankly with Bethune, FAMU, and S.C. State on the horizon to finish out the rest of year, the chances are pretty good that another 3-8 finish is possibly in the works.
It has become old hat now at the weekly press conferences when questions are posed as to what attributed to the latest loss. Small is always harping on inconsistency as the culprit.
Well eight games into the season and he seemingly has no clue has to why his team is inconsistent but more importantly he doesn’t seem to know how to correct it.
Even by some crazy quirk the Aggies should run the table in its final three games, the die has already been cast and new Athletic Director Dee Todd will have sit down to seriously evaluate the status of the coaching staff and the entire football program at the end of next month. Fans don’t get to vote on such things but that may be a good thing.
An old coach’s wise tale says you’re only as good as your last game, and neither one is looking is looking too good right now.
Fans are unforgiving. So are new AD’s.
