Jivas

December 17th, 2010 at 5:57 PM ^

I know he's extremely familiar with the area, but I can't see that happen given his resume thus far at New Mexico (on and off the field).

Leach would make all kinds of sense.

gobluesasquatch

December 17th, 2010 at 9:24 PM ^

Would be Mike Locksley for any job. I'm surprised New Mexico hasn't fired him yet. He's 2-22 in two years as a coach, plus some serious off the field stuff. 

I don't care how much recruiting he's done in the area, most of the people on this board posting might be able to do as awful a job as he's done at New Mexico. They were just 2 years removed from 9 wins and a bowl game. 

Some things just never cease to amaze me. 

Bronco648

December 17th, 2010 at 6:00 PM ^

Haven't they been trying to do this for years?  It seemed that there wasn't any money to buy him out.  Now they're trying to pull a Bobby Bowden?  I think that's kind of sad.  Why not promote him up into the AD?  He obviously would like to stick around.  It seems that the "coach-in-waiting" position isn't faring so well this off-season.

On the other hand, do they have a decent DC?  One that might be on the way out as well?

expatriate

December 17th, 2010 at 6:52 PM ^

A couple years ago my brother came up for the Penn State game and he and I went to Ashley's.  He made the mistake of ordering a Yuengling (we're from MD), and got called out by everyone around for being a Penn State fan.  It was kind of sad watching him insist otherwise.  We then got him a Bells.  Still, Yuengling is a great beer.

yostlovesme

December 17th, 2010 at 7:15 PM ^

Wow funny u bring up Towon since I was almost arrested there last Sat because apparently giving high fives to strangers in Towson Town Center following the big chill is frowned upon.  I was excited come on, but yeah I was def drunk.  I live right over the Mason Dixon line in Pa.  Right up 83 take last exit in Md and then cross over.  I'm about a Bubba Watson drive from Md.

expatriate

December 17th, 2010 at 6:41 PM ^

Yea, I think it comes down to money.  MD's athletic department is pretty depe in the red most years, so they can't afford much of a salary for their head coach.  In fact, Friedgen would have been gone last year if they could have come up with just $1 million to fire him.  They leak those names of candidates because they know they can't afford any coach who has better options. 

Willingham, Leach and Locksley would take minimum wage to get another decent job.

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

December 17th, 2010 at 6:33 PM ^

This'll help UVA with a recruit or two but really it would have been nice to see Friedgen keep eating that program out of house and home.  Franklin off to Vandy and now they're pushing Friedgen out despite an 8-4 season....one has to figure the new AD is the reason.

expatriate

December 17th, 2010 at 8:04 PM ^

Um... is UVA really that much of a better program at this point than Maryland?  I mean, MD is a basketball school anyway, but even football-wise, it seems pretty even to me.  I have always wondered why UVA wasn't a stronger football program, but that's another story.

I compare Friedgen to Groh in a lot of ways- always seemed to do just enough to keep his job each season.  Maybe this will be MD's chance to start over with a higher ceiling the way UVA did last year.  At least Friedgen got an ACC title back in the day, but that was a long time ago.

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

December 17th, 2010 at 11:27 PM ^

Ralph rode his first three seasons to job security in the last five or so.  Without those I think he'd have been toast much earlier.  The program is clearly stagnant - honestly, that is not a good 8-4 team and it shows in their bowl destination.  I doubt they'd be bowl-eligible if they were in the Big Ten.  They're getting crushed in their own state recruiting-wise.  Teams these days just waltz into Maryland and take whatever talent they want and Friedgen's more or less powerless against it.  UVA destroys them in recruiting battles, even under Groh.  Sure, we were 4-8 and they were 8-4, but this of all fanbases ought to know the difficulties of a first year of rebuilding.  The future isn't bright for Maryland unless they get rid of the Fridge, which they would have done last year if his buyout weren't so high.  Now they have a new AD who's going to really want his own guy in the driver's seat.

MGoShoe

December 17th, 2010 at 7:36 PM ^

...this story from the Washington Post.

The University of Maryland is moving toward asking football coach Ralph Friedgen to retire and accept a buyout early next week, according to three sources close to the football program with knowledge of the financial details involved in such a move.

In a teleconference Friday, Kevin Anderson, Maryland's first-year athletic director, declined to guarantee that Friedgen would return for 2011, the final year of his contract. The refusal to re-commit to Friedgen, 63, came just one month after Anderson announced that Friedgen would return in 2011.

Anderson said to expect an announcement regarding the program's future early next week. When asked Friday if Friedgen was guaranteed to return, Anderson paused for a few seconds before saying: "I will sit down and everybody will understand where we are going and how we are moving with the program. At this point in time, I am not going to answer that question."

ixcuincle

December 17th, 2010 at 8:25 PM ^

Odd considering Maryland's resurgence this year that they would want to push Friedgen out. I also thought that Franklin OC guy had the job when Friedgen does go.

Tater

December 17th, 2010 at 9:21 PM ^

It's a pretty shitty way to go about it, but Leach would be a great hire at Maryland.  To me, they are a program in a decent area for recruiting that could do very well.  Friedgen has done a decent job at Maryland, but with a caveat.  It always seems like they are knocking on the door of relevance, but never quite get there for more than a year.  

I think it's safe to say that Leach is "chomping at the bit" for a BCS conference job, and would be extremely motivated to show TTU that they were morons for getting rid of him.  He would bring excitement and a higher profile to Maryland.  And the ACC really is wide open. 

It has VT, who are always good but usually lacking that extra "something" that constitutes greatness, and FSU and Miami, who are still pulling hammies and cramping gastrocs chasing the ghosts of national championships past.  After that, the ACC is basically a bunch of teams that are good for a year or two at a time but can't sustain excellence. 

A coach like Leach will get publicity and should put a very competitive team on the field.  For better or worse, Maryland would never be the same. 

griesecheeks

December 17th, 2010 at 10:56 PM ^

I'm shocked noones gobbled up Leach yet. Granted, I never really followed or cared that much about the TTU exit/little James incident, but it seems like he's a great coach with a system that would fire up fans of whichever school he ends up at. I'd love to see the 'Air Raid' come to a school like Maryland. 

I was shocked Minnesota didn't take a chance on him. You'd think he could be a great bargain right now. In fact, Indiana would have done well to get him, as well. I'm glad, as a Michigan fan, not to have to deal with him in the B-10.

michiganfanforlife

December 17th, 2010 at 11:57 PM ^

created a big sham to save money and fire Leach with "cause" - They forgot about the cause of winning in the Big 12 with a small program, and failed to see the value in a great head coach. Leach was the victim of a bunch of bs, and he will be back to destroy TT in the future. Count on a bowl game with whoever he coaches this year and TT.