The Edsall Factor

[glenn__davis]

Either way I'm done with this thread.

Please don't be. It is nice to have some more on my side.

From what I've heard the team purposely limits the amount of contact Edsall has with parents unless a "firm, disciplinarian" is someone the parents are looking for.

I'm sorry, but this is silly. "The team" limits his contact? Who exactly is "the team" making that decision? Edsall is the head coach. If a decision is made to limit his contact to a player, then it's a decision he himself made.

[allstar1579]

Please don't be. It is nice to have some more on my side.

I'm sorry, but this is silly. "The team" limits his contact? Who exactly is "the team" making that decision? Edsall is the head coach. If a decision is made to limit his contact to a player, then it's a decision he himself made.

The coaching team is more of a large unit, the head coach isn't a dictator in college sports. There are people brought in specifically to recruit, especially in cases where the head coach is a detriment in that area and coaches brought in to run different sides of the team almost independently (offense/defense/ST). Gary Williams didn't like recruiting, Yow tried to get him to all the time, but after the minor uprising Edsall caused with both players and parents last year, the decision was made to have him less involved this year...again, see Locksley. I don't know if it came from Anderson or if it was a group decision with the rest of the coaching staff, but I do know that he isn't much involved in the recruiting process.

[Jarman8675]

Fridge's record at MD. EVERY other season was a losing season? Really?

2001 Maryland 10?2 7?1 1st L Orange? 10 11

2002 Maryland 11?3 6?2 T?2nd W Peach 13 13

2003 Maryland 10?3 6?2 2nd W Gator 20 17

2004 Maryland 5?6 3?5 T?8th

2005 Maryland 5?6 3?5 T?4th (Atlantic)

2006 Maryland 9?4 5?3 T?2nd (Atlantic) W Champs Sports

2007 Maryland 6?7 3?5 T?5th (Atlantic) L Emerald

2008 Maryland 8?5 4?4 T?3rd (Atlantic) W Humanitarian

2009 Maryland 2?10 1?7 6th (Atlantic)

2010 Maryland 9?4 5?3 T?2nd (Atlantic) W Military 24 23

There have been more than 32 NFL players from Fridge's teams. (Kris Jenkins and Lamont Jordan left the year he got there) Of those players:

Vernon Davis

Dominique Foxworth

Josh Wilson

Jared Gaither

Stephon Heyer

EJ Henderson

Erin Henderson

Shaun Hill

D'Qwell Jackson

Darius Heyward-Bey

Torrey Smith

Shawn Merriman

Nick Novack

Adam Podlesh

Lewis Sanders

Rob Abirimiri

Kevin Barnes

Dan Gronkowski

Madieu Williams

are some of the best.

Edsall gets no credit for draft classes, Locksley is the recruiter, and the sole reason for most of those guys. From what I've heard the team purposely limits the amount of contact Edsall has with parents unless a "firm, disciplinarian" is someone the parents are looking for.

First of all, I didn't count the first three years because as it had been said in prior threads calling for fridge's head if my Alzheimer's isn't acting up again that those first three years, those were all Verlinden's recruits.

Secondly, I can go to any top conference team and find 30 plus players to go on to the NFL. That doesn't mean much. What I was told was fridge had the ability to take marginal players and turn them into stars. I don't see many stars in that list. Let alone ones who were marginal when they got to Maryland(Vernon Davis was touted).

So Edsall gets no credit for recruiting classes? Although I believe locksley could have been the deciding factor, following their recruiting this year, they had been recruiting The top talent all year, laying the groundwork, and Madaras committed before Locksley even got there. It's like me telling you fridge gets no credit for draft(recruiting) classes cause we all know it was really Franklin. And I would think these kids aren't ignorant enough to believe that they wouldn't have to deal with the head coach when they get to Maryland so not sure I believe this sheltering thing. Again, as I said before, Maryland has not been a powerhouse in what I will consider a long time and you all act like this program was of SEC elite caliber with SEC elite talent before Edsall got here when in fact, they couldnt stay consistent. That is why I'm waiting to see what happens. The reason I said I'm going to get out of this thread is because I firmly believe this is going nowhere, some people want to give him a chance and others want him fired immediately and no matter what arguments are used, it's not going to change anyone's opinion.

[glenn__davis]

The coaching team is more of a large unit, the head coach isn't a dictator in college sports. There are people brought in specifically to recruit, especially in cases where the head coach is a detriment in that area and coaches brought in to run different sides of the team almost independently (offense/defense/ST). Gary Williams didn't like recruiting, Yow tried to get him to all the time, but after the minor uprising Edsall caused with both players and parents last year, the decision was made to have him less involved this year...again, see Locksley. I don't know if it came from Anderson or if it was a group decision with the rest of the coaching staff, but I do know that he isn't much involved in the recruiting process.

I know how the recruiting process works, but there is not a single D1 head coach who is going to allow someone to tell him when he can and cannot contact a recruit, let alone one that has experienced the success that Randy Edsall has in his career. I'm not saying that decision hasn't been made, but if it was, then it was made with a good deal of input from Edsall himself. Otherwise, what the heck is he there for?

Even Edsall's detractors have pretty much unanimously said that Edsall has worked a lot harder on the recruiting trail that Friedgen did. He has done a good job laying the groundwork at local schools. Locksley almost certainly was the main guy with Diggs, but Wes Brown said that he had his minde made up well before he committed, which would be before Locksley arrived.

So if Edsall's been working hard visiting all these recruits, but he's only allowed to contact guys that want the disciplinarian type, then there must be an awful lot of kids in this area that are looking for that.

[BaltimoreTerp]

I guess if it is some sort of flaw that Friedgen took a group of players that went 3-8, 5-6 and 5-6 to a 10-win season, it just makes Edsall taking a team that went 8-5, 2-10 and 9-4 back down to 2-10 (plus all of the talent defections) that much worse.

We talk so much about Friedgen "winning with Vanderlinden's players", but what we don't talk about is what that means. Players that helped Vanderlinden win 13 games helped Friedgen win 31. Why? Did those players all suddenly develop between the 2000 and 2001 seasons? Or was Friedgen a good enough coach that he could get more out of his players?

If that is the case, right now it looks like Edsall isn't getting the most out of his players. Which we need more than a single year to judge, but so far doesn't look good.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Edsall hired Locksley so he deserves at least a little credit.

From what has been said the administration wanted Locksley. Not Edsall.

[o's fan 14]

I guess if it is some sort of flaw that Friedgen took a group of players that went 3-8, 5-6 and 5-6 to a 10-win season, it just makes Edsall taking a team that went 8-5, 2-10 and 9-4 back down to 2-10 (plus all of the talent defections) that much worse.

We talk so much about Friedgen "winning with Vanderlinden's players", but what we don't talk about is what that means. Players that helped Vanderlinden win 13 games helped Friedgen win 31. Why? Did those players all suddenly develop between the 2000 and 2001 seasons? Or was Friedgen a good enough coach that he could get more out of his players?

If that is the case, right now it looks like Edsall isn't getting the most out of his players. Which we need more than a single year to judge, but so far doesn't look good.

You have a legit point about Fridge coming in and taking a group of players that did nothing to a 10 win team. My question is what the heck happened after that? He had three great seasons and then they became irrelevant again for five out of the next seven years.

[o's fan 14]

From what has been said the administration wanted Locksley. Not Edsall.

That wouldn't be surprising. Locksley doesn't seem like an Edsall hire with the issues he had at New Mexico.

[allstar1579]

From what has been said the administration wanted Locksley. Not Edsall.

We have a winner...

[o's fan 14]

We have a winner...

I guess what this means is that when the offense struggles next year no one can blame Edsall since the administration hired Locksley.

[allstar1579]

First of all, I didn't count the first three years because as it had been said in prior threads calling for fridge's head if my Alzheimer's isn't acting up again that those first three years, those were all Verlinden's recruits.

Secondly, I can go to any top conference team and find 30 plus players to go on to the NFL. That doesn't mean much. What I was told was fridge had the ability to take marginal players and turn them into stars. I don't see many stars in that list. Let alone ones who were marginal when they got to Maryland(Vernon Davis was touted).

So Edsall gets no credit for recruiting classes? Although I believe locksley could have been the deciding factor, following their recruiting this year, they had been recruiting The top talent all year, laying the groundwork, and Madaras committed before Locksley even got there. It's like me telling you fridge gets no credit for draft(recruiting) classes cause we all know it was really Franklin. And I would think these kids aren't ignorant enough to believe that they wouldn't have to deal with the head coach when they get to Maryland so not sure I believe this sheltering thing. Again, as I said before, Maryland has not been a powerhouse in what I will consider a long time and you all act like this program was of SEC elite caliber with SEC elite talent before Edsall got here when in fact, they couldnt stay consistent. That is why I'm waiting to see what happens. The reason I said I'm going to get out of this thread is because I firmly believe this is going nowhere, some people want to give him a chance and others want him fired immediately and no matter what arguments are used, it's not going to change anyone's opinion.

The first year, sure they weren't Fridge's players. The second year half the class were his recruits, and the 3rd year they were all his with the 2nd season guys contributing a good amount. He also fell victim to some early departures, and in his first year he was coming off losing the best two players on the team. If we are in that Orange Bowl game with Lamont Jordan and Kris Jenkins it's a different game.

Davis wasn't touted until the year he got drafted. You could see talent, but he had some issues too.

Sure Madaras committed early, that's fine (he's also one of the players whose parents really appreciated the hard-line head coach.) Diggs does NOT go to MD without Locksley, know that one first hand.

Instead of firing Edsall, administration stepped in and hired Locksley and changed the dynamic of how things go around the team, it's not a normal situation right now. It's not that it was elite and he killed it, it's his attitude and his PERSONAL effects that have been negative not just his football effects. Dude just doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut.

[allstar1579]

I guess what this means is that when the offense struggles next year no one can blame Edsall since the administration hired Locksley.

Locksley was hired to be a player-friendly coach and to bring players in first, and run the offense second.

[o's fan 14]

The first year, sure they weren't Fridge's players. The second year half the class were his recruits, and the 3rd year they were all his with the 2nd season guys contributing a good amount. He also fell victim to some early departures, and in his first year he was coming off losing the best two players on the team. If we are in that Orange Bowl game with Lamont Jordan and Kris Jenkins it's a different game.

Davis wasn't touted until the year he got drafted. You could see talent, but he had some issues too.

Sure Madaras committed early, that's fine (he's also one of the players whose parents really appreciated the hard-line head coach.) Diggs does NOT go to MD without Locksley, know that one first hand.

Instead of firing Edsall, administration stepped in and hired Locksley and changed the dynamic of how things go around the team, it's not a normal situation right now. It's not that it was elite and he killed it, it's his attitude and his PERSONAL effects that have been negative not just his football effects. Dude just doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut.

Vernon Davis was a 4 star prospect and the #7 overall TE in the country when Maryland signed him according to scout.com. Locksley was instrumental in getting him to College Park.

Agree, no way Diggs goes to Maryland without Locksley and probably the same is true with Wes Brown. Sounds like a strong factor for him was that his best friend was transferring to College Park from New Mexico.

So far Maryland has one verbal for their class of 2013. His name is Jarrett Ross, brother of current Maryland player Brandon Ross. I wonder what the Ross family thinks of Edsall?

[allstar1579]

Vernon Davis was a 4 star prospect and the #7 overall TE in the country when Maryland signed him according to scout.com. Locksley was instrumental in getting him to College Park.

Agree' date=' no way Diggs goes to Maryland without Locksley and probably the same is true with Wes Brown. Sounds like a strong factor for him was that his best friend was transferring to College Park from New Mexico.

So far Maryland has one verbal for their class of 2013. His name is Jarrett Ross, brother of current Maryland player Brandon Ross. I wonder what the Ross family thinks of Edsall?[/quote']

I'm guessing everyone is in a holding pattern to see what changes Locksley has on the team as a whole. It will be very telling in November.

I mean players are touted coming out of HS, but the clock starts over again when they get there because more than half of them don't REALLY excel at that level let alone the pros. Davis had a rocky stretch where he struggled running routes and making drops. He got comfortable and from game 1 of his last season you could just see that he was playing 2 levels above everyone else out there.

[BaltimoreTerp]

You have a legit point about Fridge coming in and taking a group of players that did nothing to a 10 win team. My question is what the heck happened after that? He had three great seasons and then they became irrelevant again for five out of the next seven years.

I think it was a recruiting issue more than anything, along with problems developing a better-than-average quarterback. Locksley left Maryland after 2002, and they had the Victor Abiamiri incident that off-season as well.

If Maryland kept Locksley as a recruiter, I think Friedgen wins a championship (or comes very close). Combining a really good head coach who might not be a good recruiter with a great recruiter who isn't that good of a coach is a good idea--it's easier to find one of each than one who combines both and isn't a sleezeball. We are seeing that right now with Edsall, and we aren't even sure of his abilities as a coach.