Read alot posts blaming Fisher, alot of posts blaming sweet willie. No program can sink to this level at the hands of one person. Simply impossible that one person can be the reason that in a 7 year span, a national championship program can deteriorate into a Div II program in all but name. Our collapse as a football school was the work of systemic failure on many levels involving many decision makers. Tired of hearing people defend this person or that person, this guy was villain, the other guy was hero. All the following are culprits played key roles in the death of this program:
1) Fisher left the program in a tail spin, culture, recruiting misses at QB, culture had eroded considerably by end of 2017.
2) Sweet willie's colossal incompetence turned the program in a national laughingstock. We needed someone to stabilize the program, we got someone who destroyed what little life was left.
3) President Thrasher: hired sweet willie, re-signed the GOR that tied us to the ACC until 2035. Abdicated his authority when the confrontation Fisher and AD and boosters emerged. Said they're work it out, they're adults.
4). President Barron, carried on adversarial relationship with football, sowing the seeds for damaged and fragile relationship that had to bridged by Monk. Then at a time when we needed some kind of leadership, Ole two tons of fun then takes off for PSU. Hope he continues to eat brisket in prodigious quantities.
5) Incompetent ADs: Spetman, Wilcox, etc. Most important portion that hires coaches are filled by lackeys with no abilities to maintain a successful football program.
6). Andy Miller & Booster leaders failed us. We were in a serious financial crisis before corona. If Miller was the financial fundraising wizard, we wouldn't' have been selling off real estate to stay afloat. Miller signed off on investments that obviously did not pay off when we needed them. If Miller's job is to raise money, and now we don't have enough money, then Miler failed. He and his mustache don't get a pass either. How's the FOF going? where's the money for that. Yeah, Andy Miller has no power, but the guy basically determined, along with his board lackeys, if money could be raised or not. Making that determination makes him arguably the most powerful person in the whole circle. Guy was the president for 45 years, but yeah, he just sharpens pencils and makes coffee for people. Miller fed off Bowden's success... Hope Miller enjoys his retirement, and his money, ever wonder how much money he banked in the last 45 years of his reign?
7) Where was the administration to help us against us the media onslaught that smeared this program for years?? Did nothing, except act like Kevin Bacon in Animal House, and say "Thank you sir, may I have another?"
8) Tallahasse=cronyville. Small circle of people called the shots, typical good ole boy network between President, Booster leadership, and a series of puppets ADs that had more strings than Jimmy Page's guitar collection. Network needed professionals, instead got guys that were more concerned with preserving their own power instead of bettering the program. Damn, right they hated Fisher, Fisher was rude and crass, and he questioned the power structure. Now the circle hired the renaissance man, it was an economical hire, and just as important, a guy who won't challenge the status quo of the power structure, which is more important than finding the best coach.
Fire away, but if you think the funeral of this former national championship program was the work of one man, be it Farmer Fran Fisher or that incompetent boob sweet willie, you're kidding yourself.
1) Fisher left the program in a tail spin, culture, recruiting misses at QB, culture had eroded considerably by end of 2017.
2) Sweet willie's colossal incompetence turned the program in a national laughingstock. We needed someone to stabilize the program, we got someone who destroyed what little life was left.
3) President Thrasher: hired sweet willie, re-signed the GOR that tied us to the ACC until 2035. Abdicated his authority when the confrontation Fisher and AD and boosters emerged. Said they're work it out, they're adults.
4). President Barron, carried on adversarial relationship with football, sowing the seeds for damaged and fragile relationship that had to bridged by Monk. Then at a time when we needed some kind of leadership, Ole two tons of fun then takes off for PSU. Hope he continues to eat brisket in prodigious quantities.
5) Incompetent ADs: Spetman, Wilcox, etc. Most important portion that hires coaches are filled by lackeys with no abilities to maintain a successful football program.
6). Andy Miller & Booster leaders failed us. We were in a serious financial crisis before corona. If Miller was the financial fundraising wizard, we wouldn't' have been selling off real estate to stay afloat. Miller signed off on investments that obviously did not pay off when we needed them. If Miller's job is to raise money, and now we don't have enough money, then Miler failed. He and his mustache don't get a pass either. How's the FOF going? where's the money for that. Yeah, Andy Miller has no power, but the guy basically determined, along with his board lackeys, if money could be raised or not. Making that determination makes him arguably the most powerful person in the whole circle. Guy was the president for 45 years, but yeah, he just sharpens pencils and makes coffee for people. Miller fed off Bowden's success... Hope Miller enjoys his retirement, and his money, ever wonder how much money he banked in the last 45 years of his reign?
7) Where was the administration to help us against us the media onslaught that smeared this program for years?? Did nothing, except act like Kevin Bacon in Animal House, and say "Thank you sir, may I have another?"
8) Tallahasse=cronyville. Small circle of people called the shots, typical good ole boy network between President, Booster leadership, and a series of puppets ADs that had more strings than Jimmy Page's guitar collection. Network needed professionals, instead got guys that were more concerned with preserving their own power instead of bettering the program. Damn, right they hated Fisher, Fisher was rude and crass, and he questioned the power structure. Now the circle hired the renaissance man, it was an economical hire, and just as important, a guy who won't challenge the status quo of the power structure, which is more important than finding the best coach.
Fire away, but if you think the funeral of this former national championship program was the work of one man, be it Farmer Fran Fisher or that incompetent boob sweet willie, you're kidding yourself.
