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Notes, Quotes and Slants
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Pirate
Notebook No. 258
Friday, November 11, 2005
By Denny O'Brien |
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Holtz deserves long-term
commitment
©2005 Bonesville.net
Three-win seasons typically aren't rewarded
with a handsome raise and lengthy contract extension. If anything, head
coaches are given the token one-year rollover to assist with recruiting.
Even that no longer is a given in the
bottom line business of college athletics.
So much of a school's athletics budget is
predicated by the number of victories its flagship sport produces. That
coaching salaries already are skyrocketing further complicates an AD's
justification for making a significant financial commitment when the wins
don't exceed the losses.
Wins sell tickets, earn bowl invitations
and television appearances, and attract high-profile recruits. Examples
where the cart precedes the horse are few and far between.
But that shouldn't discourage Terry Holland
from extending a significant long-term financial commitment to first-year
head coach Skip Holtz.
Eight games into his tenure, Holtz already
has restored the pride and stability that imploded on the battleground of
ECU's internal civil war. Though he has only three wins to his credit, the
way his team has responded mentally to each challenge and competed on a
weekly basis is strong evidence of his ability to successfully lead the
program into the foreseeable future.
"The thing that we have asked these players
was to take this opportunity to evaluate where we are right now as a
football team," Holtz said this week. "After the players get away from it
for a little bit mentally and you get a chance to get your feet back on the
ground, and you are not as worn out, I asked them to sit down and evaluate
if the season were to end after eight games to describe the season for me.
"Some of the words that have been chosen
were 'disappointing,' 'close,' 'inconsistent,' and 'missed opportunities.'
It is a season that almost was. When you are looking at it, you are three
plays away from being 6-2, and you are saying 'wow, we have been so close on
so many opportunities.'"
That no doubt is an accurate summation of
the Pirates' season to date. Subtract a fumble here or penalty there, and
East Carolina is fighting for a spot in the Conference USA title game and
invitation to a postseason bowl.
Not bad for a senior class that seemingly
has experienced as many 40-point losses as it has wins. Even more impressive
when you consider the number of offensive playbooks (four) and defensive
philosophies (three) followed over the past four seasons.
It's hardly the ideal scenario a new coach
would choose to inherit. Even so, Holtz has made significant progress on the
colossal rebuilding effort he was hired to oversee.
Phase one required a major overhaul to the
program's fragile infrastructure and complete restoration of player and fan
morale. Both objectives were met less than one month into the season, and
with three games remaining, Holtz clearly has the Pirates progressing closer
to phase two — winning consistently.
Though Holland hardly needs a lesson in
athletics administration, observing the recent actions of Wake Forest AD Ron
Wellman wouldn't hurt. By showing a strong commitment to head coaches early
in their tenures, Wellman has been able to retain them when more attractive
suitors called.
The overwhelming sentiment nationally was
that Wake out-kicked its coverage when it hired Jim Grobe and Skip Prosser.
But by investing early, Wellman has seen his coaching nest egg steadily
flourish.
Though it's certainly no guarantee, Holland
could perhaps reap the same rewards.
That Holtz is a budding talent capable of
leading a well-recognized BCS program is difficult to dispute. Had he not
bolted then-I-AA Connecticut to join his father at South Carolina, odds are
he would be the head coach at a fairly high-profile program in a power
conference today.
From that angle, East Carolina can consider
itself extremely fortunate for its football leadership. Likewise for the
quickness with which Holtz has regained some of the Pirates' lost footing.
All of the evidence to date suggests Holtz
will completely restore the ECU program and advance it further up the food
chain. He obviously has a firm grasp on the historical blueprint, a talented
staff to oversee the rebuilding effort, and a good gauge on the obstacles
standing in the Pirates' path.
How far he advances ECU will depend largely
on how long he remains on board. That part of the equation rests firmly in
Holland's court.
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02/23/2007 02:00:35 AM |
