ESPN’s Joe Schad is reporting tonight that the University of Maryland and their new Athletic Director Kevin Anderson might ask Coach Ralph Friedgen to retire and accept a buyout.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5931102

This report was fueled by an Anderson press-conference earlier in the day, where he declined to guarantee the return of Friedgen for 2011.

The short-list of candidates mentioned by Schad (Mike Leach, Tyrone Willingham, and Mike Locksley) have been mentioned by Maryland fans on various message boards for months. The only name missing was Brian Billick.

Consider me as one that believes it is unlikely for anyone but Friedgen to be on the Maryland sidelines in 2011. The Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year is signed for the 2011 season, and the Maryland Athletic Department is not exactly swimming in money. While $1M dollars has been saved by Coach Franklin leaving for Vanderbilt (MD would have owed Franklin $1M if he was not named the Head Coach by the end of next-year), it would still be expensive to buy out Friedgen, and hire a new Head Coach.

To make such a move, you are going to have to have numerous donors step-up. After this rebound of a season, how many donors are going to pony up to remove Fridge? Additionally, if Anderson’s intent was to remove Fridge no matter what, I would have thought that intent would have been made known to Coach Franklin before he left.

From everything we have heard from Fridge, he wants to return. I’m guessing that is what happens, and that he is signed to a 2-3 year extension.

If I am wrong, it will obviously be a very interesting couple of months in College Park. A new Head Coach would have to build his own staff, and work to try and retain the recruits that have committed for the incoming class. Locksley is known as a great recruiter but has had zero success with New Mexico. I can not see that happening at all.

As I have been mentioning since Billick was fired by the Ravens, he would be my favorite to take over the Maryland program. I have always believed he could go into any recruits home, flash the Super Bowl ring and lineup the prospects. He has stayed in the game with his jobs with the NFL Network, and Fox Sports. Many of the Maryland donors would already be familiar with him, and he has of course maintained his residence here in the state. The major sticking points to this plan being the high price-tag, and that he told me directly in May 2009 that he was not interested in returning to the College game.

Willingham has had some success at Stanford, Notre Dame, and Washington; but someone would have to explain to me how he would be an upgrade for the program. I have trouble believing he would excite the existing donors.

Leach’s tenure at Texas Tech came to an abrupt end, but what he did there was impressive. This would be a very high-profile (and also expensive hire) that I would like to see, but consider unlikely to happen. Here is a link to Leach’s interview with 60 Minutes in January 2009:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4697690n&tag=related;photovideo

EDIT: See Update

https://baltimoresportsandlife.com/?p=1717

Chris Stoner
Chris Stoner

Owner

Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.

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