It finally happened...

[BaltimoreTerp]

Although I understand that judging Edsall based upon just his first season is fair, I think this team would have been 7-5, maybe 8-4, with Friedgen. Just sayin'...............

For all of the talk of how Friedgen won all of those games early on with Vanderlinden's players, there are two points often ignored.

First, and I believe John did point it out earlier, Vanderlinden couldn't win with those players. Second, we've now seen Friedgen go 9-4 with essentially the same team that Edsall went 2-10 with. So even if Friedgen couldn't recruit, he could develop players and get good performances out of them.

[Birds of B'more]

Here's the perspective from a columnist in Hartford.

http://www.courant.com/sports/college/hc-jacobs-edsall-column-1130-20111130,0,2427044.column

[BaltimoreTerp]

Here's the perspective from a columnist in Hartford.

http://www.courant.com/sports/college/hc-jacobs-edsall-column-1130-20111130,0,2427044.column

Somebody needs to get that columnist's notes from his interviews with the players, sit Edsall down and force him to listen to every single God damned word.

[Birds of B'more]

Somebody needs to get that columnist's notes from his interviews with the players, sit Edsall down and force him to listen to every single God damned word.

And those quotes are from "his guys." The sort of players that will make everything better once he gets more like them at Maryland.....or at least some allege that is the case.

[JohnD]

One of my many complaints about Edsall is the way he treats people. Looking, being a discipline guy is fine. But treating people in college -- people who frankly are considered men under the letter of the law and in the eyes of our government (military, voting, etc) -- like they're freshmen football players is silly. You can hold people to standards without stripping them of some of their humanity. If someone is on any other type of scholarship, be it academic, artistic, musical, whatever, we'd be stunned at the absurdity. But because it's football and we all genuflect at the altar of Vince Lombardi (whose kids hated him) and Bear Bryant and all that, it's cool.

[Birds of B'more]

@BFeldmanCBS

Bruce Feldman

BREAKING: Mike Leach has verbally agreed to be the head coach at Washington St.

We will now get to see what could have been. Should be interesting to look back in a couple years to see whether "what could have been" ends up being better or worse. One thing is apparent....Wazzou had no issue hiring Leach despite the fact that ESPN is one of the Pac-12's main TV partners that just agreed to a huge deal with the conference.

[Birds of B'more]

I follow several Pac-12 writers on Twitter. According to them there is a palpable excitement coming out of Pullman, WA today. You know, just the sort of thing UM was looking for back in January.

[JohnD]

Maryland will realize next year just how much it can't afford to keep Edsall around.

[Floater]

On another board, it was brought up that a lot of Terp players are badmouthing Edsall and telling recruits not to come, notably kids from Dematha and Good Counsel.

[OregonBird]

I think Leach not getting hired might be as much about his perceived "fit" at UofM then just the lawsuit.

1. Texas Tech isn't exactly the "Hahvad" of the Big 12. MD brass was probably worried that Leach wouldn't place much emphasis on academics and the "student" part of "student athlete."

2. Most would agree that while a brilliant offensive mind, he's a bit of an odd duck. Based off what I'm hearing about the snooty admin types at MD, I'd have a hard time believing Leach would fit in at the annual Christmas party.

Edsall might very well be a great coach but not hiring Leach was a terribly bad decision. Things would always have been interesting, butts would have been in seats, and I doubt you'd have players refusing to "buy in" when you're scoring 30-40 pts a game.

[Birds of B'more]

1. Texas Tech isn't exactly the "Hahvad" of the Big 12. MD brass was probably worried that Leach wouldn't place much emphasis on academics and the "student" part of "student athlete."

Leach had among the highest graduation rates in D-1 at Tech. There might not be any ivy growing on the walls around Lubbock, but I think it's safe to say he did at least put an emphasis on academics with his players. Your part about him being difficult to work with at times is likely spot on though. I'm sure the suits in charge of UM loathed the idea of having a football coach who had an IQ higher than their own.....and had no qualms about letting them know it either.

[OregonBird]

Doesn't Leach have a law degree? That likely sealed his fate...lol.

[Birds of B'more]

Doesn't Leach have a law degree? That likely sealed his fate...lol.

Yep, from Pepperdine. Don't think he's licensed to practice anywhere though, so that helps a bit.

[allstar1579]

On another board, it was brought up that a lot of Terp players are badmouthing Edsall and telling recruits not to come, notably kids from Dematha and Good Counsel.

Fact.

letters

[Slappy]

On another board, it was brought up that a lot of Terp players are badmouthing Edsall and telling recruits not to come, notably kids from Dematha and Good Counsel.

Edsall should really just look for another job at this point. He was a horrible hire in the first place, a complete mismatch for where the school's football program was and needed to go. And now he's alienated everyone - players, students, fans, alums, donors, the media. Nobody decent is going to want to play for him, which makes it almost impossible to pull off the miracle turnaround his supporters seem to expect. He is a sunk cost at this point. KA blew it with the hire - regardless of whether the trustees told him he couldn't hire Leach (which is nuts, he's the AD, not them), there were plenty of better candidates, and that includes Friedgen and Franklin. You have to think about the future at this point. Edsall has zero, ZERO chance of succeeding here. He will NEVER get the benefit of the doubt from anyone currently or prospectively attached to Maryland's football program. He has burned bridges and there is no repairing them. It would take him 5 years or more and he doesn't have that long.