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New N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien is no stranger to ACC intensity, having previously coached at Boston College.
Miami's Randy Shannon will have his hands full getting the 'Canes back on top. |
PINEHURST, N.C.--Frank Beamer knows all about Butch Davis, having coached against him while Davis rebuilt Miami's program into a national power after a crippling probation in the mid-1990s.
Asked at yesterday's Atlantic Coast Conference Football Kickoff what he expects from Davis' team at his new fixer-upper stop, North Carolina, Beamer didn't hesitate.
"He'll recruit really good players," Beamer said. "They'll be very well coached, very physical and very successful."
Few of those adjectives have applied to the Tar Heels since Mack Brown left for Texas a decade ago. Despite immaculate facilities, a loyal fan base and a huge budget, Brown's two successors, Carl Torbush and John Bunting, went a combined 44-63. The biggest reason: Poor recruiting led to an inexplicable talent deficit compared to their ACC rivals.
Just a few miles down Tobacco Road, Chuck Amato was fired at N.C. State despite a seven-year record of 49-37 and four bowl wins in five tries.
Amato's downfall wasn't as much lack of talent or victories as a dearth of discipline and smarts.
In 2005, N.C. State could have derailed Virginia Tech's ACC title bid in the season opener, but committed several brain-dead mistakes. Last season, the Wolfpack tied UNC for last in the ACC last season in turnover margin and were next-to-last in penalties. Not coincidentally, they bottomed out at 3-9, and their coach paid the price.
Into the void steps Tom O'Brien, a disciplinarian who attended the Naval Academy, served for a decade under George Welsh at Virginia and built Boston College into a consistent winner.
Call him the Anti-Amato.
"Any time you're 3-9, you've got a lot of work to do," O'Brien said yesterday. "The kids were embarrassed to be 3-9, and they've worked extremely hard. Now it's up to us to coach them up and put them in a position to win."
Few doubt that O'Brien will do that. Like Davis, it may take him a couple of years to implement his philosophy and schemes, and to recruit his brand of players. But the Wolfpack and Tar Heels shouldn't be underachievers for much longer.
"I told the players in the spring, 'Go out, have fun and play lights out,'" said Davis, who blamed UNC's struggles on lack of coaching continuity. "I think we were afraid to fail. And when you're afraid to fail, you're afraid to see how good you can be."
That won't be too good this season; the Tar Heels will still be at a competitive disadvantage. But Davis (who's being paid nearly $2 million per year) already has begun changing UNC's inferiority mind-set. He landed his first stud recruit in Marvin Austin, a 300-pound stud defensive tackle from Washington whom everyone wanted. Similarly, O'Brien recently got a commitment from Westfield High School rising senior quarterback Mike Glennon, whose big brother, Sean, starts for
Said UNC senior receiver Joe Dailey: "You'll see [improvement] a little bit this year, and even more next year. In the years to come, guys will want to be there."
It's all part of the ACC's changing coaching landscape. Last year, Jim Grobe showed just how vital sideline leadership can be, guiding undermanned Wake Forest to its first ACC title since 1970 despite having, in his admission, "zero" five-star players on his roster.
In the Wake (sorry) of that development, Miami fired Larry Coker despite a 60-15 record and a 2002 national championship, promoting defensive coordinator Randy Shannon to take his place. Boston College hired Jeff Jagodzinski to succeed O'Brien.
Even Bobby Bowden, college football's winningest coach ever, shuffled his Florida State staff, hiring four new assistants (including offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher) and welcoming back Amato.
On Sunday, tailback Antone Smith blasted his former coaches, especially deposed offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden (Bobby's son).
"We were not challenged at all by our staff," Smith said. "There were things we would have done, like running the ball. They didn't believe we could do it."
After two decades of sustained excellence, the Seminoles are a combined 15-11 the past two seasons, and the 77-year-old Bobby Bowden acknowledged that the moves are part of "my last shot" at a third national title.
That kind of commitment to winning could turn up the heat on ACC coaches like Virginia's Al Groh, whose modest six-year 42-33 record doesn't excite some Cavalier fans.
Said Groh: "I came to realize long ago that trying
Maybe not, but it's clear that while players still win games, when they don't, their coaches pay the price.
Steve DeShazo: 540/374-5443
