2008 Woodie Awards
The Daily OrangeFB | Time to act
Firing Robinson now gives Gross the head start he needs
By Matt Gelb
Posted: 11/17/08, 10:36 PM EST Section: Sports
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Ultimately, it might have been the timing of Greg Robinson's hiring that doomed the regime from the start. You think Gross took too long to fire Robinson? When Gross canned Paul Pasqualoni on Dec. 29, 2004, 19 other Division I-AA schools had already hired new coaches.
"I just think it's time to go in a different direction," Gross said that day. "We're going into the heart of the recruiting season right now. We needed to act one way or another."
That is a mistake he did not repeat.
The Syracuse athletic director chose Sunday as the day to dismiss Robinson, with two games to go in the 2008 season. Yes, Robinson's future had been decided long before Sunday. But Gross saw how Robinson's players continued to stick it out for their beleaguered coach and saw no reason to disrupt that earlier than necessary. Anyone watch Tennessee recently?
If this season was lost, then why not cut ties last year? Gross said he wanted to act in terms of fairness, believing that a coach should have more than three years to develop his system and bring in his own guys. That's a nice principle, but it also shows potential candidates that Gross isn't hiring and firing on a whim.
And it could have been an indication of the market. Last offseason, 11 BCS schools (Arkansas, Baylor, Duke, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Texas A&M, UCLA, Washington State and West Virginia) filled vacancies. This year, Syracuse will contend with at least Tennessee, Clemson, Kansas State and Washington. There will undoubtedly be more BCS openings, but not of the number and caliber of last year's.
So then why not wait until the end of this season? Gross knows how crucial the time right after the final Saturday of the regular season will be. As he now has learned, he must move quickly to find Robinson's replacement. On Sunday, he got the awkward part out of the way. Robinson's tenure is over as soon as the final whistle sounds at Cincinnati on Nov. 29. Then the real contest begins.
"To say that we feel we're ahead of the game is an understatement," Gross said Sunday.
Of course, Gross has almost certainly been working behind the scenes for weeks. This is a hire that will define the rest of his career as an athletic administrator. This is a hire that is, perhaps, the most important in the history of Syracuse athletics. Mess this one up and there could be irreparable damage to this program.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
Joel Rosenbaum
posted 11/18/08 @ 9:09 AM EST
Most SU Alums would be happy right now with Paul Pasqualoni and his record of winning about 50% of his FB games, and a pretty good record for recruiting new talent. (Continued…)
BMatthews
posted 11/19/08 @ 12:12 AM EST
Let me start by saying that I'm an alum. I'm from Syracuse. I grew up in the Carrier Dome, and I absolutely bleed Orange.
But I have turned down repeated requests to donate time and money to the University and will continue to do so until Dr. (Continued…)
Drew
posted 11/19/08 @ 12:23 AM EST
Doesn't Gross look like Sam Cassell's long-lost alien brother?
Alan Greenberg
posted 11/19/08 @ 1:17 AM EST
I am an alum who needs to vent. My distain and anger begin with Nancy Cantor and move on to Gross and Robinson.
Does anyone remember newly appointed Chancellor Cantor publicly endorsing Coach "P" and promising to retain him? To call her dishonest and lacking character would be an insult to those who are dishonest and lack character. (Continued…)
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