Comments

Good points, Kent.
If fans didn’t care, I wouldn’t have my job. I can appreciate passion, and nobody is above criticism. And I have to say I have had many hours of enjoyment reading the back-and-forth on the board that you, to your credit, had such a prominent role in starting. So thanks for that. My point was directed not at those who find fault with a coach. Nobody is above criticism. The question was very specific. If a man is not capable of recruiting and retaining his staff—one of the most critical elements of the job —then do you want him as your coach?

Dan on 10/19/2009 (7:27 pm)

I have not called for Lobo’s head (much of the problem is a recruiting failure on the OL and DL), but I’ll respond here the same way I did on the boards.

Message boards lie at the crossroads of deep loyalty and high passion.  People generally post in an agitated state, so every positive or negative feeling is amplified.

Additionally, message boards are designed for precisely the sort of armchair quarterbacking and coaching described above.  There is no message board post more worthless than “trust the coaches” or “the coaches know more than you.”

I’m not calling for Lobo to be fired (and if I did, it wouldn’t be because of play calling), but I understand why it happened on a sports message board immediately after that thrashing we took at Clemson.

Kent Newsome on 10/19/2009 (7:07 pm)

Fans call for the heads of coordinators because its easy to do.  Obviously, anyone who suggested Grobe should go would be shouted down immediately, so the coordinator becomes the next logical scapegoat.  Fans that call for a coordinator to be fired are almost always simplistic football neophytes.  To suggest that a head coach would not be in the best position to determine the effectiveness of his assistants is completely moronic.  Especially when that head coach is Jim Grobe.

Chris on 10/19/2009 (6:49 pm)

Thanks Dick for the question. Good one.
I suppose the short answer is 58-47. That’s Grobe’s record at Wake, a school that before he arrived had managed 2 winning seasons in the previous 12 years, 6 winning seasons in the previous 29 and 10 in the entire history of the ACC, dating back to 1953. That’s along with an ACC championship and three straight bowls. And of all the practices I’ve watched, I’ve never seen Grobe raise his voice and I’ve never seen two coaches going at it. So I’m covering a different program with a different culture, and I try to provide the context of the subject on which I’m reporting. If the scribes covering Clemson were on the Wake beat, I doubt their coverage would be much different from mine. I haven’t seen any that is.
I’m old enough to have watched Wake football since its previous conference title in 1970 and I know how bad the Deacons were for so long. People have asked me about the differences I had with the previous coach, Jim Caldwell. My short answer was also 26-63.
Actually I was monitoring the coverage down Clemson way and actually referenced the turmoil for my Saturday story.

Dan on 10/19/2009 (5:36 pm)

I have been a Deacon fan, friend, and
supporter of Wake Forest all my life.
I’m 47 years old so that tells you something. And I known Jim Grobe sinch
has been at Wake. Jim knows if I have something to tell him i will tell him
myself. And I have. There are lots of decisions the coaches have made on the field I neve agreed with. But is football
and mistakes are made by players and coaches and both need to be on the same page to to win or have a chance to.
Jim Grobe is is one best at what he does
and not another coach out there that can do any better than Jim. I challege anyone
to do so. All who claim to be deacon fans
and I mean real Deacon fans should know.
And those who just so happend to come aboard after the 2006 season does not even know the half who Wake is. Don’t cry new born babies everything will be alright. If you will listen to your elder
Deacon you will know wo. what Wake is and
where they have been, and where they are now and where they are heading.
Keep your heads up it will get brighter.

David Lawson on 10/19/2009 (5:18 pm)

Dan, you obviously have not read any of the vicious sports reporting by the SC newspapers lately.  Down there, year round and even in the summer, the sports writers directly trash the Clemson & SC head coaches and the coaching staff with impunity all the time! Daily for the two weeks before the Wake game, for example, the local SC sports writers questioned Dabo’s and his “30 year old” OC’s play calling, intelligence, and just about everything else negative under the sun! They even reported thatduring practice Dabo screamed at his OC in front of the playwers about his OC’s coaching methods - which they did not deny. So some random questioning by some Wake and State fans about the team’s lousy play after a disastrous game pales in comparison with what goes on constantly in SC. Why don’t you report on Wake like that? (I am not suggesting that you should, but am asking the question.)

Dick on 10/19/2009 (4:55 pm)

There’s only so much a coach can do.  The guys have to show up to play.  You can’t ask Riley to scramble and you would expect the OL to hold their blocks 1-2 seconds longer and receivers to continue to work their routes.  As far as talent, I don’t buy that we won’t ever attract top talent.  Why not?  UM is private with 9K undergrads, ND has 8K+, etc., etc.  Grobe keeps winning and the talent level will continue to improve.  Heck, VT rarely gets athletes better than a 2 or 3 star.

Jim on 10/19/2009 (4:28 pm)

That game was a perfect storm, which happens sometimes. It happened to Clemson at Wake several years ago.  I think that both O’Brien and Grobe are quality coaches but, like anyone, they have times when things don’t go according to plan, players don’t develop as anticipated, or injuries change a team.  Grobe and Wake Forest have had many more “ups” than “downs” and I always look forward to the next game.  I haven’t always been able to say that.

Larry on 10/19/2009 (4:23 pm)

Amen! Preach on Brother!

Ray on 10/19/2009 (2:47 pm)