Post by Aggie One on Nov 18, 2005 22:40:54 GMT -5
Time To Call It a Wrap
by Craig R. Turner
bluedeathvalley .com
When the announcement hit the wire services Thursday morning that Athletic Director Dee Todd had suspended football recruiting activities and that she would hold a “thorough review of the progress of the football program” on Monday morning, it doesn’t take a master’s degree to figure out that Head Coach George Small and his staff probably aren’t going to be around come Thanksgiving weekend.
What had been alluded to in many columns posted on this web site for several weeks, has finally come to pass. The woeful performance of the A&T football team this season has become too much for even someone as likeable and of good character guy as Small to overcome.
The plain simple truth is that a coach on the college level, regardless of the sport, must produce more wins than losses if he or she expects to have any kind of longevity in that profession.
Two short years ago, Small had energized the A&T fan base with a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title his first time out of the gate with a 10-3 record, an NCAA playoff appearance, and a coach of the year award. A year later he was on the receiving end of a complete reversal of fortune with a 3-8 sophomore campaign.
Understandably, that team was racked with injuries losing 11 starters to season ending injuries within the first three weeks of the schedule from which it never recovered. But the A&T faithful stood firm behind Small and accepted that fact.
But this year was supposed to be different. This was supposed the year that the Aggies shrugged off the loser cloak. This was supposed to be the year that A&T would make another run for the title. This was the year of five fifth year seniors and 15 starters all coming back – bigger, stronger, faster.
It was supposed to be the year that the offense under a new offensive coordinator was expected to produce points in bunches. It was supposed to be the year that the title “Blue Death” could be rightfully placed on the head of a defense that on paper appeared to be much stronger than that of the championship squad of 2003.
So how did things go south so fast so quickly?
The down hill slide began with a opening loss to North Carolina Central on a game that simply slipped through A&T’s hands because of poor tackling in the secondary and questionable play selection and decision making in the final three minutes.
Oh there was a momentary reprieve in the middle of the year with road with wins against Tennessee State and Morgan on successive weekends getting back to .500 for the first time in over a year.
But then the wheels fell off the defense while the offense continued to flounder. The bad decision making, the internal turmoil generated by the firing OC Kent Schoolfield at midseason, musical chairs at quarterback, and player defections began to mount up.
Add in the fact of two blowout losses on national television and the handwriting was clearly on the wall. The real inkling came a week ago when Todd would neither confirm nor deny any facts on Small and his staff’s status both on the air or in the print media.
Now the announcement of a suspension of operations effective Monday is nothing more than a precursor to the inevitable. Todd is moving quickly to resolve this matter just as she should, not meandering and waffling like so many of her predecessors had before her.
I would suspect that when the word does come down in the next few days that no one should be surprised if a successor is named as quickly, well ahead of the meat of the football recruiting wars.
Although a change is imminent, this is being handled very much differently than the Bill Hayes dismissal in 2003. There isn’t any confusion or mixed signals being given out like a dripping faucet this time around.
It has been direct and on point - a change is probably just a few days away but protocol is being followed to the letter in a professional manner.
And what is to be made of the season finale against S.C. State? The Aggies are overmatched and frankly having this season come to an end is welcome relief for staunch Aggie fans because this year has at the very least been painful to watch.
Whatever transpires in the next few weeks, the Aggies will be back as a major player on the MEAC scene and the A&T fans and supporters, who never left their team’s side, will be as well when the whistle signals next fall that another season is about to begin.
PREDICTION:
South Carolina State 47
N.C. A&T 16
by Craig R. Turner
bluedeathvalley .com
When the announcement hit the wire services Thursday morning that Athletic Director Dee Todd had suspended football recruiting activities and that she would hold a “thorough review of the progress of the football program” on Monday morning, it doesn’t take a master’s degree to figure out that Head Coach George Small and his staff probably aren’t going to be around come Thanksgiving weekend.
What had been alluded to in many columns posted on this web site for several weeks, has finally come to pass. The woeful performance of the A&T football team this season has become too much for even someone as likeable and of good character guy as Small to overcome.
The plain simple truth is that a coach on the college level, regardless of the sport, must produce more wins than losses if he or she expects to have any kind of longevity in that profession.
Two short years ago, Small had energized the A&T fan base with a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title his first time out of the gate with a 10-3 record, an NCAA playoff appearance, and a coach of the year award. A year later he was on the receiving end of a complete reversal of fortune with a 3-8 sophomore campaign.
Understandably, that team was racked with injuries losing 11 starters to season ending injuries within the first three weeks of the schedule from which it never recovered. But the A&T faithful stood firm behind Small and accepted that fact.
But this year was supposed to be different. This was supposed the year that the Aggies shrugged off the loser cloak. This was supposed to be the year that A&T would make another run for the title. This was the year of five fifth year seniors and 15 starters all coming back – bigger, stronger, faster.
It was supposed to be the year that the offense under a new offensive coordinator was expected to produce points in bunches. It was supposed to be the year that the title “Blue Death” could be rightfully placed on the head of a defense that on paper appeared to be much stronger than that of the championship squad of 2003.
So how did things go south so fast so quickly?
The down hill slide began with a opening loss to North Carolina Central on a game that simply slipped through A&T’s hands because of poor tackling in the secondary and questionable play selection and decision making in the final three minutes.
Oh there was a momentary reprieve in the middle of the year with road with wins against Tennessee State and Morgan on successive weekends getting back to .500 for the first time in over a year.
But then the wheels fell off the defense while the offense continued to flounder. The bad decision making, the internal turmoil generated by the firing OC Kent Schoolfield at midseason, musical chairs at quarterback, and player defections began to mount up.
Add in the fact of two blowout losses on national television and the handwriting was clearly on the wall. The real inkling came a week ago when Todd would neither confirm nor deny any facts on Small and his staff’s status both on the air or in the print media.
Now the announcement of a suspension of operations effective Monday is nothing more than a precursor to the inevitable. Todd is moving quickly to resolve this matter just as she should, not meandering and waffling like so many of her predecessors had before her.
I would suspect that when the word does come down in the next few days that no one should be surprised if a successor is named as quickly, well ahead of the meat of the football recruiting wars.
Although a change is imminent, this is being handled very much differently than the Bill Hayes dismissal in 2003. There isn’t any confusion or mixed signals being given out like a dripping faucet this time around.
It has been direct and on point - a change is probably just a few days away but protocol is being followed to the letter in a professional manner.
And what is to be made of the season finale against S.C. State? The Aggies are overmatched and frankly having this season come to an end is welcome relief for staunch Aggie fans because this year has at the very least been painful to watch.
Whatever transpires in the next few weeks, the Aggies will be back as a major player on the MEAC scene and the A&T fans and supporters, who never left their team’s side, will be as well when the whistle signals next fall that another season is about to begin.
PREDICTION:
South Carolina State 47
N.C. A&T 16
