Amato out at NC St.

[griz37]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2676855

[AppGuy04]

Kinda figured this was coming after last night

$2 million buyout ain't cheap though

[FUwolfpacker]

Sorry about the double post. Griz posted his thread as I was typing mine out. I'll post here what I had in the other thread.

From my other post...

"For what it's worth. This has pretty much been known in NC State circles for about a week. The only possible wiggle room was for NC State to beat ECU, and that didn't happen. The 4 guys who cover NC State for Rivals.com and Scout.com said a few days ago this would probably happen. It's not really a surprising decision.

As a State fan, I understand this needed to happen, but it's tough to see a NC State alum fail. Amato did a lot of good things for NC State during his time in Raleigh. He made NC State competative on a national level with recruiting, facilities, and on the field. NC State is the only team in the ACC not to lose by more than 30 points over the last 5 or 6 years, and they've only lost by more than 20 once (or twice) over that same stretch...also an ACC best. Amato's teams were always competative, but the real problem was Amato didn't win enough of those close games. Lack of on-field discipline and drive killing penalties haunted Amato and NC State over the last several years (things that almost always fall on the coaches). Amato ran a pretty good program overall though (very few kids got in trouble off the field).

It hasn't been reported on an NC State sites, but the news should come soon enough.

As of right now, people are just throwing names out randomly, but the names flying around the most are Paul Johnson (Navy coach and former GSU coach), Jimbo Fisher, Mike Sherman, and Bill Cowher. I suspect NC State officials will take a week to collect info, then try to end this thing pretty quickly, so the new coaches can get to recruiting."

[Mountaineer]

I love reading the State board on occasion and laughing at how delusional they are. When it was said that Bill Cowher was buying a house in Raleigh it automatically equated to Bill Cowher is leaving Pittsburgh to coach NC State. :rolleyes:

[AppGuy04]

Cowher is out of the question. To get him, it would be atleast January and we can't afford to not have a coach during 2 months. Major recruiting no no

[FUwolfpacker]

Agreed. For what it's worth, I wasn't saying I think Cowher is an option. I've thought all along that the talk of Cowher was dumb. Just mentioning the names being thrown around by fans.

I definitely don't want to see another coaching search like what State went through with basketball, but hopefully they will go after the homerun hire initially. A prolonged coaching search is not what NC State needs right now.

[ngineer]

Chuck Amato is the local guy from Easton,PA. Sorry to see it happen, but no surprise. Seemed like he took the program to a certain level, but couldn't get higher. Sounds like recruiting is the main issue; without horses the best coaches will be mediocre.

[catamount man]

Wolfpack fans are salivating for Paul Johnson from Navy, a Western Carolina alum.:hurray:

GO CATAMOUNTS!!!

[FUwolfpacker]

Chuck Amato is the local guy from Easton,PA. Sorry to see it happen, but no surprise. Seemed like he took the program to a certain level, but couldn't get higher. Sounds like recruiting is the main issue; without horses the best coaches will be mediocre.


Amato's issues were never with recruiting. Amato always had good recruiting classes (usually around a top 25 class). The issue was he couldn't get those players to win (undisciplined play, bad penalties, etec). You're exactly right about the fact he got State to a level, but couldn't get it over the next hump though. Amato's teams were always competative. If he could have just won a few of those close games, maybe he'd still be there.

[FUwolfpacker]

Wolfpack fans are salivating for Paul Johnson from Navy, a Western Carolina alum.:hurray:

GO CATAMOUNTS!!!

Actually, it seems like State fans are pretty divided on PJ. One half REALLY likes him, the other half can't get over the fact he coaches at Navy...even if he is winning there win no one else could. I wouldn't mind see PJ at State and I'm sure he'll be on the list. I just don't know how high he'll be on the list.

Ok, I think I'm done with the NC State stuff for the night. See everyone tomorrow.

By the way, somone send Chuck an invite to the Crapsville Bar. I imagine he'll need a drink right about now (and with a 2 mill. buyout he can buy a couple of rounds for everyone!)

[ngineer]

Amato's issues were never with recruiting. Amato always had good recruiting classes (usually around a top 25 class). The issue was he couldn't get those players to win (undisciplined play, bad penalties, etec). You're exactly right about the fact he got State to a level, but couldn't get it over the next hump though. Amato's teams were always competative. If he could have just won a few of those close games, maybe he'd still be there.

That's my point, I guess. He was able to recruit 'good' classes, but could not get the 'creme of the crop'. Hence always floating around the #20-30 spots in rankings, except for this year, but , again losing most of his games by very small margins.

[FUwolfpacker]

Ok, I see your point. I guess I misunderstood your post. You just made it sound like he was recruiting only average players. I would argue that it wasn't the players that made him mediocre though(as you said in your other post). Look at the players that have gone to the NFL while he was at NC State. Mario Williams, Manny Lawson, Marcus Hudson, Oliver Hoyte (starting FB for Dallas), Chris Colmer, Jericho Cotchery, Brian Williams, and Philip Rivers. He had the athletes to post better records. That's just my opinion though.

[AppGuy04]

That's my point, I guess. He was able to recruit 'good' classes, but could not get the 'creme of the crop'. Hence always floating around the #20-30 spots in rankings, except for this year, but , again losing most of his games by very small margins.

He has had a couple, but not many

Tony Baker is a RB that everyone was seeking. He's NC State's 2nd string.

[B&G]

My worry with State is will they be tempted to try to outdo the UNC-Butch Davis hire which would probably mean waiting around for Cowher which would probably mean getting shafted. Or will they not make the same mistake they did in basketball and get a suitable candidate quickly. I think they will go with option B since they are employing the same consulting firm that Miami hired for their coach search. That could end up meaning Paul Johnson assuming he's interested.

[DinoDex200]

Actually, it seems like State fans are pretty divided on PJ. One half REALLY likes him, the other half can't get over the fact he coaches at Navy...

And which one of those teams is in a Bowl Game this year? Seriously, if NC State thinks hiring Johnson is below them, then they have bigger problems.

Heck, the guy that might win the ACC Championship this year was a .500 coach at Ohio U. before he ended up at Wake.

[89Hen]

Would PJ run anything but the triple option? If I were a NCSt fan, I'd have mixed feelings too. :twocents:

[FUwolfpacker]

And which one of those teams is in a Bowl Game this year? Seriously, if NC State thinks hiring Johnson is below them, then they have bigger problems.


Are you one of those ASU fans that loves to run NCSU in the ground any chance he gets? :)

Maybe I should have been more clear, but I don't think NC State fans are split on PJ b/c they think hiring him is below them. I think most are split on PJ b/c of a couple of reasons. 1) Most are hesitant about the triple option. Personally, I love it...but I think most people are unsure of whether or not it will work. However, some of those worries have been put to rest after people posted PJ's quotes about building an offense based on the athletes he has. So, PJ wouldn't necessarily stick strictly to the flexbone. 2) Some people are worried since he doesn't have any experience recruiting at the highest level. I think PJ would pick it up pretty quickly, but that's just something that has been mentioned.

Also, when I typed that, PJ's name had just been thrown out there so a lot of NCSU fans didn't know much about him. The more people are finding out about him, the more NC State fans are warming up to him.


Personally, I like the idea of Johnson at NC State. Of course, there are other guys I would be happy with too, but I'm certainly not against Johnson. I think he would be a good hire.

[ngineer]

And which one of those teams is in a Bowl Game this year? Seriously, if NC State thinks hiring Johnson is below them, then they have bigger problems.

Heck, the guy that might win the ACC Championship this year was a .500 coach at Ohio U. before he ended up at Wake.

Ya gotta have the horses. I don't care if Knute was reincarnated, without the beef and the horses, mediocre is all you'll get. Recruiting is the name of the game.

[AppGuy04]

Would PJ run anything but the triple option? If I were a NCSt fan, I'd have mixed feelings too. :twocents:

I am an NC State fan, and I wonder this myself. I think he is the best coaching option, but not sure the triple option would work with the current players we have and not sure our fanbase has the patience to deal with that.

[FUwolfpacker]

I am an NC State fan, and I wonder this myself. I think he is the best coaching option, but not sure the triple option would work with the current players we have and not sure our fanbase has the patience to deal with that.


I don't think Johnson would be afraid to make adjustments. He has said that he runs the triple option b/c he has to with the athletes he has. Before GSU, Johnson was the OC at Hawaii and his offense set Hawaii passing records (until June Jones got there). Running out of the same flexbone/wingbone/whatever you want to call it, his QB threw for 2,700 yards. Here are a few quotes from PJ from an NC State board

"That's the real joke: that people don't understand you have play to the personnel you have," he said. "We run because it better suits us. We run the ball because it kills the clock and keeps our defense off the field, because we don't have monster linemen to pass-protect, because we don't have a cannon-armed quarterback.

"Now, the other side of that is, we could pass 50 times a game and people could say, 'This guy can't coach a lick and they can't win a game.' But I was once told, I think before I got my first job, that they actually expected me to win."


Johnson used to throw, when he had the cannons. As an offensive coordinator in Hawaii, he called the plays that set all the school's passing records until June Jones took over. He makes no excuse for the triple option, especially after his former Georgia Southern players recently sent him a T-shirt with a litany of gaudy numbers on it from his days as an offensive coordinator and head coach there.

This is one of my favorites.:) "If I had Brady Quinn, yeah, we might throw," Johnson said, facetiously. "In fact, I'd be pretty stupid not to throw it, wouldn't I?"

I think Johnson just wants to win, and he's sound like he'd be scared to make adjustments. But IF Johnson was hired and IF he decided to run the T.O. then I think you would see Marcus Stone moved back to QB b/c he's probably our best running QB.

[AppGuy04]

I don't think Johnson would be afraid to make adjustments. He has said that he runs the triple option b/c he has to with the athletes he has. Before GSU, Johnson was the OC at Hawaii and his offense set Hawaii passing records (until June Jones got there). Running out of the same flexbone/wingbone/whatever you want to call it, his QB threw for 2,700 yards. Here are a few quotes from PJ from an NC State board

"That's the real joke: that people don't understand you have play to the personnel you have," he said. "We run because it better suits us. We run the ball because it kills the clock and keeps our defense off the field, because we don't have monster linemen to pass-protect, because we don't have a cannon-armed quarterback.

"Now, the other side of that is, we could pass 50 times a game and people could say, 'This guy can't coach a lick and they can't win a game.' But I was once told, I think before I got my first job, that they actually expected me to win."


Johnson used to throw, when he had the cannons. As an offensive coordinator in Hawaii, he called the plays that set all the school's passing records until June Jones took over. He makes no excuse for the triple option, especially after his former Georgia Southern players recently sent him a T-shirt with a litany of gaudy numbers on it from his days as an offensive coordinator and head coach there.

This is one of my favorites.:) "If I had Brady Quinn, yeah, we might throw," Johnson said, facetiously. "In fact, I'd be pretty stupid not to throw it, wouldn't I?"

I think Johnson just wants to win, and he's sound like he'd be scared to make adjustments. But IF Johnson was hired and IF he decided to run the T.O. then I think you would see Marcus Stone moved back to QB b/c he's probably our best running QB.

I think Burke would win the job is we ran the option.

[DinoDex200]

Are you one of those ASU fans that loves to run NCSU in the ground any chance he gets? :)

Not at all...they are the only RTP school I can stand. I just got annoyed at the people who were calling for Amato's job before this year (he justified it this time out)...like NC State is some old school football powerhouse.

As was stated...I think Johnson would vary things if he left Navy. I don't know about the "changing offense to suit personnell" because he had alot of horses, relative to I-AA at GSU (along with a great recruiting ground) and still ran the option.

IIRC, though, Grobe extensively ran the TO at Ohio before breaking out his current attack at Wake.

I think it's hard to argue with Johnson's resume...the teams he's coached for, either as an assistant or an HC, have all seen massive success on the offensive side of the ball...and usually had pretty solid D's. Hard to argue with a coach that can have that kind of balance.