UMass Coach Fired: "Moving up was a big-time mistake"

[PlayerRep]

From the Boston Globe:

"The University of Massachusetts fired its football coach Thursday. After two seasons and a 2-22 record in Football Bowl Subdivision play, Charley Molnar was shown the gate with three years and $836,000 remaining on his contract."

"Probably you missed this news. On the local sports landscape, UMass football ranks well below Ultimate Fighting and the invisible New England Revolution."

"There’s going to be debate about Molnar’s controversial coaching style and what went on when a raft of players transferred after his first year in Amherst. "

"UMass’s launch into FBS football has been a colossal failure. And it may result in the death of football at UMass."

"It’ll never work at UMass, and that is not UMass’s fault. Folks here simply don’t have an appetite for big-time college football. "

"The UMass football budget is $7.8 million. In the first two seasons of FBS football, UMass students and Massachusetts taxpayers have spent $1 million more than was projected."

"It’s a big bowl of bad, and firing Charley Molnar doesn’t address the larger problem. Going to FBS was a bad move. And now we can only hope that moving up doesn’t kill UMass football all together."

http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/football/2013/12/27/moving-was-big-time-mistake-for-umass-football/O447IvTIZLILXjkmj2DCgJ/story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[kemajic]

They are free to move back down at any time. My guess is it never happens. Their biggest mistake was to move their games to Foxboro clear across the state. That would have been a disaster whether in FBS or still in FCS.

 

[IdaGriz01]

They are free to move back down at any time. My guess is it never happens. Their biggest mistake was to move their games to Foxboro clear across the state. That would have been a disaster whether in FBS or still in FCS.

Incredibly stupid move, no matter how they tried to rationalize it. They should not have even tried to move up until they had a venue where "locals" could attend the games.

I have no idea if the guy is right about (FBS) college football not being able to compete with all the pro sports in the area -- although I suspect he might be. But, aside from that, those idiots at UMass really never gave their move up a fighting chance. I tend to agree that they'll probably drop football before they admit they screwed up and return to 1-AA.

 

[ordigger]

They are free to move back down at any time. My guess is it never happens. Their biggest mistake was to move their games to Foxboro clear across the state. That would have been a disaster whether in FBS or still in FCS.

Incredibly stupid move, no matter how they tried to rationalize it. They should not have even tried to move up until they had a venue where "locals" could attend the games.

I have no idea if the guy is right about (FBS) college football not being able to compete with all the pro sports in the area -- although I suspect he might be. But, aside from that, those idiots at UMass really never gave their move up a fighting chance. I tend to agree that they'll probably drop football before they admit they screwed up and return to 1-AA.

Minuteman Envy with all these UMass posts....lol

There is dissension among the ranks behind the scenes in the athletic department also. The majority there still believe that its the right move, and things will work themselves out, and have always believed that it was a long term plan. I do know that my source, has always been mystified as to why the games were moved, and if they were then why not other options closer to the Springfield Metro area, and Western Mass. The entire "it's closer to alumni in Boston" thing is a mirage.

As I mentioned before the reason that UMass wanted to move up no longer exists. There was not long term planning or thinking in regard to that. They wanted to join the Big East, and become a true conference rival to UConn, and an instate rival with BC. The Big East, did have some long term interest because of the success of other programs, but many felt it was 6-8 years down the road before that would ever happen. Now the Big East has split, and what was is no longer interesting.

However there are some that wouldn't mind seeing football go away, and then the programs still put in the Big East as it now is.

 

[BozAngelesGriz]

was this the same coach that squeaked one by the Griz in the 2006 semis?

 

[WyomingGrizFan]

was this the same coach that squeaked one by the Griz in the 2006 semis?

http://www.umassathletics.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/don_brown_181277.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[griz4life]

So the comments belong to someone at the Globe?

 

[kemajic]

"If you're going to run with the Big Dogs, you can't be peeing like a puppy."