Fridge is out at Maryland

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December 18th, 2010 at 10:54 PM
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formerlyanonymous
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Fridge is out at Maryland

Let the Mike Leach rumors run rampant. Ralph Friedgen is now officially out at Maryland. 

When Friedgen's departure is announced, former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach will immediately emerge as the clear front-runner to replace Friedgen. There is mutual interest between Leach and Maryland, according to three people, two of whom are close to Maryland and one of whom is close to Leach.[...]

Leach is said to be very interested in the job. He has a strong relationship with Kevin Plank, a former Maryland football player who sits on the school's board of trustees and whose apparel company, Under Armour, is the outfitter for the school's athletic teams.

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December 18th, 2010 at 10:58 PM | The Post is a great paper, but just because it reports a story (Score:1)
dnak438
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doesn't make it official.  (Note that the story you linked to says that all sources requested anonymity because "an official announcement has yet to be made.") 

But yes, it certainly looks like he is out and Leach is in.  Dr Saturday's take here.

December 18th, 2010 at 11:00 PM | The reason I feel WaPo was (Score:1)
formerlyanonymous
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The reason I feel WaPo was acceptable here was because the Terrapin Insider, the first article linked in Hinton's piece, is a column in the WaPo that broke the story. I went with the article I did because it went beyond he's gone with more interesting quotes. 

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December 18th, 2010 at 11:04 PM | Sure, I only wanted to say that it's still not official... yet. (Score:1)
dnak438
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It may be written in stone, but the WP makes a point of noting that nothing is official at the moment.

December 18th, 2010 at 11:05 PM | Good point. (Score:1)
formerlyanonymous
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Good point.

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December 18th, 2010 at 10:57 PM | If Friedgen refuses to (Score:1)
bdsisme
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If Friedgen refuses to retire, the school would have to pay him about $2 million to buy out the remaining year on his contract. Friedgen has not made a decision on whether to accept the buyout offer, one individual close to Friedgen said, and no deadline has been established for Friedgen to make a decision

Why would he retire?  Why is it a question?  Either retire and get $0, or don't retire and get $2M for doing nothing.

"It would be a travesty, it would be ridiculous to all of a sudden come back and get the feeling back, get the health back, feel good again and then all of a sudden go throw some other colors on my shirt and go coach."

December 19th, 2010 at 12:11 AM | Well, if he "retires" its a (Score:1)
KinesiologyNerd
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Well, if he "retires" its a bit of saving face I guess. I could also see them throwing some money his way for retiring. Who knows

I know from experience dude. If you know what I mean.

December 18th, 2010 at 10:58 PM | Nice fit. Leach should make things interesting in College Park (Score:1)
SalvatoreQuattro
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The Terps should be an exciting team to watch.

"The Ruhr will not be subjected to a single bomb. If an enemy bomber reaches the Ruhr, my name is not Hermann Göring: you can call me Urban Meyer!"

December 18th, 2010 at 11:36 PM | Leach it is. (Score:1)
BKFinest
Joined: 01/18/2010
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Tom Dienhart just tweeted:

"Mike Leach is going to be the next head coach at Maryland, a key Big 12 source told Orangebloods.com".

December 18th, 2010 at 10:59 PM | Are there any Maryland (Score:1)
Keeeeurt
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Are there any Maryland commits that will give Michigan a second look?

Me fail english thats unpossible!

December 18th, 2010 at 11:31 PM | I like where (Score:1)
Bodogblog
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your head's at

December 19th, 2010 at 12:07 AM | Quick look through Rivals (Score:1)
Bodogblog
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doesn't show anyone w/ a M offer, and slim pickings overall. Not even one DT to offer up for irresponsible speculation

December 19th, 2010 at 12:00 PM | No, but they do have a DB (Score:1)
Magnus
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No, but they do have a DB commit named Mike Williams.  Whaddaya think?  Should Michigan pull the trigger?

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December 18th, 2010 at 11:01 PM | Hope they hire Leach. IME, he (Score:1)
great slight hope
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Hope they hire Leach. IME, he really deserves to be employed and has a good shot at making Maryland a threat.

December 18th, 2010 at 11:03 PM | It would at least make the (Score:1)
formerlyanonymous
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It would at least make the ACC more interesting. I mean when VT isn't Beamer-balling on special teams, all I have to watch lately is GT's triple option. Mike Leach vs Paul Johnson could be a... uh... interesting spectacle. 

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December 18th, 2010 at 11:02 PM | Nice.  ACC Coach of the year (Score:1)
phork
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Nice.  ACC Coach of the year this year and get kicked to the curb.  Be happy with your 7-9 wins a year.

December 18th, 2010 at 11:10 PM | Yahoo's front page has it as (Score:1)
MGoChairman
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Yahoo's front page has it as Leach to Maryland is official. 

December 18th, 2010 at 11:23 PM | No. "According to a source" is not official. (Score:1)
dnak438
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I think the word for that is "reportedly."

I know that rumormongering is what the Internets are for, but let's at least distinguish between rumors and official announcements by the AD of UMD.

December 18th, 2010 at 11:27 PM | In my defense, the headline (Score:1)
MGoChairman
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In my defense, the headline is "Controversial football coach hired." If thats not leading, then I don't know what is. 

December 19th, 2010 at 12:32 AM |   Finally, after 4 years (Score:1)
club_med
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Finally, after 4 years of free graduate student tickets, I have an excuse to go see a Maryland football game.

the crowds on the shore will always yell "Let's Go Blue."

December 18th, 2010 at 11:32 PM | A bit off topic from this off topic thread but, (Score:1)
jhackney
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Rick Neuheisel is looking to clean house out west. Already fired DC and receivers coach. Norm Chow could fall victim to Neuheisel RAGE as well...

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/ncf/news/story?id=5933005

December 18th, 2010 at 11:36 PM | to be fair, Mike Leach is (Score:1)
artds
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I heard Mike Leach is only going back into coaching since the job market for lawyers is so bleak right now

Every time an MGoBoard poster complains about a thread topic, God kills a baby panda.

December 18th, 2010 at 11:47 PM | WTF!!! (Score:1)
Born Blue
Joined: 11/04/2010
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What is going on in cfb?? When you go 1-11, alma mater or not, you can expect to get fired, but when you turn it around and get 8 wins, are one game away from making it to your conference's championship game, are named your conference's COtY, and THEN you get canned??

At WVU, the AD hires the next coach and publicly states Stewart is not our guy, but he can coach the team for another yr?  This after a 4 game win streak, gaining a share of the conference title, and are again headed to a bowl game in a year where many thought they'd fall on their collective butts?

Loyalty? Job security? Integrity?   Where in the world is all of this taking us?

December 19th, 2010 at 12:05 AM | Sure is a dick move by (Score:1)
UMxWolverines
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Sure is a dick move by Maryland. I hope fridge finds another job

"Ohio is like a giant turd that Michigan just can't pinch off"

December 19th, 2010 at 12:53 PM | Fridge exceeded expectations (Score:1)
Gus_possessivea...
Joined: 03/07/2009
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Fridge exceeded expectations this year after 3 straight years of underachieving. His firing was a long time coming; odd timing, yes, but definitely not a dick move.

December 19th, 2010 at 12:58 PM | Uh, yeah, it's still kind of (Score:1)
Magnus
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Uh, yeah, it's still kind of a dick move.

If he underachieved the past few years...then why not fire him last year?  That wouldn't have been a dick move. 

But when you go 8-4 (with a bowl game pending) and win the coach of the year in your league...it's a dick move.

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December 19th, 2010 at 12:06 AM | some... (Score:1)
MGoBlake
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some people will be inconvenienced by this, and if it happens to be ralph fridge's fat little girlfriends then that's too bad.

Formerly known as PahokeePahokee

December 19th, 2010 at 1:28 AM | posted from iPhone (Score:1)
mellon002
Joined: 02/05/2009
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As a fan of both Michigan and Maryland it's disappointing to see how fridge is being treated but I do appreciate the fact that they are moving quickly on this, unlike Michigan and their coaching situation

December 19th, 2010 at 1:50 AM | Those will be some big shoes to fill... (Score:1)
Muttley
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Windup, and the (softball) pitch....

December 19th, 2010 at 1:55 AM | Wow this is messed up. Dude (Score:1)
MAIZEandBLUE2002
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Wow this is messed up. Dude just got ACC coach of the year. What the hell? Maryland is doing this guy dirty as hell. I hope he doesnt retire. He needs to take that 2 million and tell Maryland to fuck off. Nothing against Mike Leach, but I dont think he will do anything better than what Fridge did this year. Anyone know if Fridge is a defensive minded guy? I know of a place that could use a good defensive coach.

THOSE WHO STAY WILL BE CHAMPIONS

December 19th, 2010 at 10:09 AM | $$$ (Score:1)
mellon002
Joined: 02/05/2009
MGoPoints: 34

This is more about money than anything else. MD just expanded their stadium and have yet to sell out. Enthusiasm for the program has been declining and it shows in the attendance. Once Franklin left for vanderbilt they saved $1 million and can now use that to remove fridge.



Bottom line is that football was not producing enough money and leach should instantly change that.

December 19th, 2010 at 12:33 PM | Fridge is almost strictly an (Score:1)
Gus_possessivea...
Joined: 03/07/2009
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Fridge is almost strictly an offensive guy a la Charlie Weiss or Rich Rodriguez. Unfortunately for him and his waistline, he is more Weiss and less Rodriguez.

December 19th, 2010 at 2:54 AM | Yay for Mike Leach (hopefully) (Score:1)
Omega
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If this does pull through with Leach being the new coach there, that'd be great.  Insightful though his commentary was at times, he's fair more suited to being coach.  Slot ninja pirate turtles, anyone?

December 19th, 2010 at 9:27 AM | not surprising (Score:1)
Moe Greene
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The job market is down - even Somali Pirates aren't hiring, which scotched his bid to become a recruiting coordinator for them....

No radio. Nothing of value.

December 19th, 2010 at 11:11 AM | Friedgen victim of own success. (Score:1)
markusr2007
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Maryland is a place where you simply don't win 9 to 10 games per year. It just doesn't happen.

Check out their history on the gridiron.  Aside from Friedgen, Bobby Ross in the mid-1980s and Jerry Claiborne in the 1970s (brief Mark Manges QB era), Maryland football has been a national and eastern region punchline.

Friedgen only mistake was having a ridiculous start there (10-2, 11-3, 10-3). The next best finish was a 9-4 in 2006.  It's a tough place to coach and have consistent success. Friedgen is a brilliant, offensive-minded coach, and on aggregate, you couldn't ask for more than what Friedgen's done at a place like Maryland.

Mike Leach coaches an explosive offensive idealogy too, but he will not be any more successful at Maryland than Friedgen has been.  Write it down, Maryland is not going to "become a football power" under Mike Leach.

Leach chose Maryland so he could wear red and black again.   Don't forget the yellow, Mike. Don't forget the yellow.

 

 

December 19th, 2010 at 12:52 PM | Definitely a legitimate point (Score:1)
Gus_possessivea...
Joined: 03/07/2009
MGoPoints: 231

Definitely a legitimate point that he's a victim of his own success. He turned that program around immediately upon arrival. But calling him a brilliant offensive mind is an overstatement, as Maryland defenses carried some stagnant offenses during his tenure. Look at the UMD guys who made the NFL during Fridge's tenure.

Basketball will always be king in College Park but I see no other reason why the right coach can't turn Maryland into a nouveau power. There's certainly a rich recruiting base in the DMV (D.C, MD, VA metro area).

December 19th, 2010 at 12:37 PM | ^lol (Score:1)
x2k4x4
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^lol

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