Terps: Ralph's last stand
Just arrived at RFK Stadium to prepare for today's Military Bowl between the Maryland Terrapins and East Carolina Pirates, and you couldn't ask for a much better day for a college football game.
You could ask for a better stadium and you could ask for a better matchup, I suppose, but that can't be helped. The Terps deserved to be higher in the bowl pecking order -- by virtue of their record, not their fan support -- but they probably couldn't have picked a better matchup to allow Ralph Friedgen to go out on a high note.
No, I'm not assuming a Terps victory. The bowl season has already produced a few unexpected results. But the Pirates don't play a lot of defense and the Terps probably will be able to move the ball pretty well against them.
I'm guessing the players will be fired up to give Fridge a big send-off, and I think he deserves that. He oversaw a major uptick in the program when he arrived here a decade ago and he also brought the Terps back from last year's 2-10 trainwreck to make a legitimate run at first place in the ACC Atlantic Division.
I've already weighed in on the decision to replace him. I think the whole thing went down awkwardly, but I can't argue with the need to move the program in a new direction. Ralph deserved better but, as a practical matter, it would have been hard for AD Kevin Anderson to justify giving him a long-term extension.
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Comments
We thank Ralph for his contributions in getting the program turned around, but Terp fans deserve their chance to bask in a top 10 or 15 program, if only for a year or two. Bring on Leach, if he's the answer, we still support the TERPS every year.
Snoop, class of '67, Port St. Lucie , Florida
Posted by: Ed Miller | December 29, 2010 12:50 PM
Although this situation appears to be handled awkwardly, I would not use it to make too many conclusions about the character or the competence of the new AD. Leaders/employers are allowed to have changes of heart in key personnel decisions (see Biscotti en re Billick), especially when there are extenuating circumstances. Yow left Maryland in an awkward situation with a coach-in-waiting who would receive a time specific bonus. That forced Anderson to make pre-mature statements about Ralph's future. When the coach in waiting left, Anderson was free to move in whatever direction he wanted to go.
I wish Ralph and the new coach all the best for the future.
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Pete's reply: Happy holidays, Prof. You're right on point, of course. I like the new AD and think he'll be great. He had every right to change his mind when circumstances changed. The only mistake he made was committing himself in the first place. He didn't need to make any announcement regarding Ralph in November, but obviously got caught up in the team's quick turnaround. It was no mortal sin, but it created a situation that was more uncomfortable than it needed to be.
Posted by: European Prof | December 29, 2010 1:36 PM