Heat Increasing on Football Coaching Staff

[Sly Fox]

Check out this little nugget from the end of a story in the Sunday edition of the Lynchburg fishwrap on Liberty's financial status (the full text is in the Off Topic forum):

Perhaps the biggest problem area is the school’s sports programs, which lost $7.4 million in 2004, a $1.5 million increase over its losses in 2001.

Falwell Sr. said even that can be fixed.

“A major university without men’s and women’s sports is not looked on as a true, full-blown university,” he said.

“There are only two sports you can upgrade that will put you in the black. That’s basketball and football.”

Falwell said the women’s basketball team did its job when it went to the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16 last year.

“All coaches have incentive bonuses if they achieve certain goals,” Falwell Jr. said.

This year’s football team is 1-5 and is in last place in the Big South conference.

“I have pressure on me,” Falwell said. “Only football can make the big money. People don’t come to watch you play football or basketball. They come to watch you win. Until you win, they don’t come.”

At 72, Falwell’s sports goals are clear. He wants a competitive football team that will move into Division 1 in his lifetime. He wants the sports department to be more financially self-sufficient.

“The university won’t feel good until the financial losses in the sports programs are cut in half,” he said. “We’re going to solve it. We’re going to get there."

That sounds like a very clear mandate from Dr. J to start winning immediately or there will have to be something done. The status quo isn't cutting it. I'm sure the near empty stadium last night didn't help matters either.

[thesportscritic]

That sounds like a very clear mandate from Dr. J to start winning immediately or there will have to be something done. The status quo isn't cutting it. I'm sure the near empty stadium last night didn't help matters either.

That was exactly what I was thinking when I read that part in the newspaper this morning.

[elicoolbreeze]

I read that article online as well and its not looking to good for Coach Karcher. The Falwell's basically said that losing is unacceptable at least in these two primary sports of Football and Basketball. These are not sports just to make the Liberty Flames name great but to put the almighty dollar back into the school. It looks like it is safe to say that Ken Karcher won't be around next season. We'll see.

[eddantes]

Yeah, but two weeks ago weren't we talking about how Karcher was doomed because Falwell displayed confidence in him? I don't get it...

I won't believe it, nor will I be happy with the state of the program, until I read in the N&A that Falwell changed the locks to his office and FedEx'd him his pink slip.

[PAmedic]

eddantes said:

Yeah, but two weeks ago weren't we talking about how Karcher was doomed because Falwell displayed confidence in him? I don't get it...

Hard to explain, but its the same message here, just wrapped differently. As a manager, you motivate employees in different ways- first, the outward support but add in a hint of motivation (2 wks ago's quotes).

Next, you make it more serious, and outline the consequences for failure (this story)

Finally, you pull the trigger. Look for an announcement about staff "moving on", "other committments/opportunities", "spending time w/ family" etc etc. Another good one is "wish him the best" and "mutual agreement".

In most cases, the decision has already been made for weeks if not months. Trust me. I'm the PAmedic.

[PAmedic]

Here's an example of the dedicated assistants that work hard, but are destined to become collateral damage/casualties when the necessary changes DO happen.
Losses pain LU coaches

By Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
October 19, 2005

Marshall Roberts is glad he's not married.
It's not that he doesn't like women. It's more that his chosen profession doesn't exactly tender itself to long-lasting relationships. The Liberty University defensive backs coach usually gets to the office by 6 a.m. and doesn't leave until well after dark.

The only solace during the grueling workday for Roberts is a lunchtime run that helps him clear his thoughts.

"Thank God I'm single," Roberts said. "If I had a wife, she'd probably leave me."

When the Flames go through rough patches like they're enduring now, it only gets worse.

Liberty has lost six games in a row and as demoralizing as it is for the players, it's just as agonizing on the coaching staff.

Coaches pore over video of the losses, looking for little correctable errors, anything they can fix to change the results on the field.

Typically, Roberts said he watches at least two hours of film a day. During a losing streak, he watches even more.

"I find myself really going over and above the amount of time spent trying to prepare the young men, and that can be dangerous sometimes," Roberts said. "The first thing you do is that you look inward to make sure that every base is covered (in preparation) and that you double- and triple-check things."

Roberts' passion for the game is easily identifiable on the field. If a Liberty defensive back makes the right read in practice, and it leads to an incompletion or a bone-jarring tackle, Roberts is the first man on the field to congratulate him.

Jumping. Screaming. Smiling.

It's like Roberts made the tackle himself. That's how excited he gets.

Conversely, when the Flames play a game like they did last Saturday against Towson, it eats at the coaching staff.

LU head coach Ken Karcher counted six occasions in which a Flames defender had a one-on-one situation with a Towson player and missed the tackle.

Coaches can drill players endlessly during the week, but it's up to the players to make plays under the lights.

"I'll take the blame as a coach. It's my team," Karcher said. "But I can't tackle the guy. Neither can (defensive coordinator) Steve Carson or (linebackers coach) Robert Wimberly."

Coaching a skidding team isn't easy. Position coaches, especially, must both be psychologists and technicians since they have more individual contact with the athletes than the head coach.

If a coach tears a kid down too much, he risks losing him. There's a gentle balance of constructive criticism and positive reinforcement.

"We don't need to use guillotines," said assistant head coach Pete Sundheim, a 17th-year LU assistant who also coaches the Flames' tight ends. "We need to erase mistakes. Somewhere along the line, you try to express to them that the hard work and the effort toward excellence is going to pay off on that scoreboard.

"Our point as coaches is to not let them get discouraged. It's to encourage them to take the next step."

The coaches refuse to give up on the season. With four games left, the staff sees four more weeks to draw the best out of the players.

And four more opportunities to scratch out a win.

"I don't think anybody's enjoying this," Sundheim said. "It hurts. It's painful. But how we model for them, and the way we respond, is going to encourage them through that tough time."

[lufbfan3]

"I'll take the blame as a coach. It's my team," Karcher said.



Now you KNOW the end times are near..