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The Daily OrangeFB | When should Greg Robinson go? Later
Wait until the season is over to fire him
By John Clayton
Posted: 10/6/08, 12:43 AM EST Section: Sports
But that line of thinking is flawed. Remember the last time Syracuse rushed its coaching search? That was four years ago, when Paul Pasqualoni was dumped on Dec. 29, 2004. That left Gross, then-newly named athletic director, with just weeks to find his replacement. The result was a co-defensive coordinator from Texas named Greg Robinson.
"You have to remember, we had about a month to do a search," Gross told The Daily Orange earlier this year. "…To find a Greg Robinson with his resume, that's why when we hired him nobody complained, they all applauded."
So why would Gross want to rush his search this time around when he doesn't have to? Kiffin or Carr might be the right fit for the job, but it's important for Gross to conduct a thorough hunt. Exhaust all options until he decides who the pick of the coaching litter is. It's impossible to do that search mid-season, before any current college coaches become available.
Which is why firing Robinson, but allowing him to coach through the season, is the right solution should the defiantly cheery coach choose to accept it.
It would give Gross plenty of time to truly evaluate coaching candidates and determine his targets. And make no mistake, Gross' decision needs to be measured. He's only made one real mistake during his four years as athletic director - that mistake is named Greg Robinson. He needs to be sure the next coach he hires the right one. The last thing he needs during that time is to be worrying about who's running his football program.
So Gross should let Greg Robinson stay on for seven more games. Then he can make a rational decision on who he hires to fix this mess.
John Clayton is the sports editor of The Daily Orange, where his columns appear occasionally. You can reach him as jsclayto@syr.edu.
"You have to remember, we had about a month to do a search," Gross told The Daily Orange earlier this year. "…To find a Greg Robinson with his resume, that's why when we hired him nobody complained, they all applauded."
So why would Gross want to rush his search this time around when he doesn't have to? Kiffin or Carr might be the right fit for the job, but it's important for Gross to conduct a thorough hunt. Exhaust all options until he decides who the pick of the coaching litter is. It's impossible to do that search mid-season, before any current college coaches become available.
Which is why firing Robinson, but allowing him to coach through the season, is the right solution should the defiantly cheery coach choose to accept it.
It would give Gross plenty of time to truly evaluate coaching candidates and determine his targets. And make no mistake, Gross' decision needs to be measured. He's only made one real mistake during his four years as athletic director - that mistake is named Greg Robinson. He needs to be sure the next coach he hires the right one. The last thing he needs during that time is to be worrying about who's running his football program.
So Gross should let Greg Robinson stay on for seven more games. Then he can make a rational decision on who he hires to fix this mess.
John Clayton is the sports editor of The Daily Orange, where his columns appear occasionally. You can reach him as jsclayto@syr.edu.
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