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The Daily OrangeRobinson fired | Jim Brown: 'It's a great day'
By Jared Diamond
Posted: 11/17/08, 3:21 AM EST Section: Sports
"It's unfortunate for the program, especially the players and assistant coaches," Crouthamel said. "Those poor seniors lost their last home game, and now they are playing under a ruse."
But regardless of how the firing was handled by the administration, at least one former coach remained impressed with Robinson's demeanor and attitude, despite all the uncertainty.
Dick MacPherson, Syracuse's head coach from 1981-1991, said Robinson consistently represented the program well off the field, right through to his press conference Sunday to discuss his firing. But he did not question the decision, saying Robinson failed to create a strong recruiting base and bring in enough talent to win at a level acceptable for a program like Syracuse.
"He brought real dignity and class to Syracuse football, and I feel bad for him," MacPherson said after Robinson's press conference. "He went out the way a coach should: fighting. People don't realize how much a coach loves coaching. All he wants to do right now is keep coaching."
But Robinson's recruiting struggles hurt his chances to do so. Syracuse is last in the Big East with only six commitments for the Class of 2009. It is impossible to know which of those will still come now that Robinson has been fired.
And while a new coach could spark a turnaround, it may take even more than that to bring the program back toward respectability.
"I think it needs a re-commitment from whomever the leadership is, to some things facility-wise that we need to do to make it more attractive for recruits," said Chris Gedney, a tight end for the Orangemen from 1989-1992 and current assistant AD for major gifts.
But Sunday was about Robinson, not the future. Syracuse fans have been calling for Robinson's dismissal since the end of the last season, hoping to rid themselves of the least successful coach in program history.
Now, that day has arrived.
Said Brown: "It's a great day, because we have an opportunity to start anew and work together with the new coach."
jediamon@syr.edu
But regardless of how the firing was handled by the administration, at least one former coach remained impressed with Robinson's demeanor and attitude, despite all the uncertainty.
Dick MacPherson, Syracuse's head coach from 1981-1991, said Robinson consistently represented the program well off the field, right through to his press conference Sunday to discuss his firing. But he did not question the decision, saying Robinson failed to create a strong recruiting base and bring in enough talent to win at a level acceptable for a program like Syracuse.
"He brought real dignity and class to Syracuse football, and I feel bad for him," MacPherson said after Robinson's press conference. "He went out the way a coach should: fighting. People don't realize how much a coach loves coaching. All he wants to do right now is keep coaching."
But Robinson's recruiting struggles hurt his chances to do so. Syracuse is last in the Big East with only six commitments for the Class of 2009. It is impossible to know which of those will still come now that Robinson has been fired.
And while a new coach could spark a turnaround, it may take even more than that to bring the program back toward respectability.
"I think it needs a re-commitment from whomever the leadership is, to some things facility-wise that we need to do to make it more attractive for recruits," said Chris Gedney, a tight end for the Orangemen from 1989-1992 and current assistant AD for major gifts.
But Sunday was about Robinson, not the future. Syracuse fans have been calling for Robinson's dismissal since the end of the last season, hoping to rid themselves of the least successful coach in program history.
Now, that day has arrived.
Said Brown: "It's a great day, because we have an opportunity to start anew and work together with the new coach."
jediamon@syr.edu
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