August 17, 2005
Player defections mounting at "Camp Orgeron"
Is "Camp Orgeron" becoming a sequel to "The Junction Boys"? Oxford will never be mistaken for Junction, Texas, yet the players--namely incoming freshmen--are deserting the team in surprisingly high numbers. And, yes, his intense fall practices are barely a week old.
Linebacker Dustin Forston became the eighth member of the Rebels' 2005 signing class to the depart Ole Miss, and the fourth since practice began, according to the (Jackson, MS) Clarion-Ledger.
Coach Orgeron has attempted to put the happiest face possible on the mounting player departures, saying:
"We brought in 25 or 26 guys ... a couple are going to decide they're homesick," Orgeron said. "Whatever happens or the factors are, we don't want them to happen. But it's kind of normal (for some freshmen at the start of football practice)."
"During the evaluation process, we saw a few things we liked on film and it was in the last week (before signing day) that we got some of these guys," Orgeron said. "After you spend about a year with them (recruiting), the evaluation process will be more exact. I think that's pretty obvious."
Orgeron may indeed only be "culling the weeds" from his initial recruiting class, but losing 30% of his incoming players will almost certainly create depth and experience issues two or three years down the line.
His fiery persona, instense practice routines, and checkered past are well documented. Ole Miss fans are hoping Coach O's saga plays out with Coach Bryant-style results.
Comments:
Jim said:
posted on August 18, 2005 9:21 AM — 68.209.252.184 — link — abuse?
Ole Miss made a terrible mistake in firing David Cutcliff and time will prove that fact. I wish Orgeron the best but I don't think he will match Cutcliff's record when we look back four years down the road, if he makes it that far.
posted on August 18, 2005 11:10 AM — link — abuse?Kevin Donahue said:
Orgeron is the best man for the job - by far. Had it not been for his occassional run-in off the field, Orgeron would have been a head coach years ago.
posted on August 18, 2005 11:16 AM — 206.124.221.226 — link — abuse?
He may be the best man for that particular job, because no established top-tier head coach is ever going to go to Oxford, Mississippi. That's not to say they won't have a great coach there; but it'll have to be a guy like Orgeron who develops into a top tier head coach while there. The problem with situations like that is that such coaches don't typically stick around once they've made a name for themselves.
David Johnson said:
posted on August 19, 2005 9:46 AM — 68.186.204.37 — link — abuse?
Coach O is implementing his style and it's not for all. However, with 3 that did not qualify, 2 that were dismissed for rules violations and 3 that simple decided to quit, it opens some scholarships for those who walk-on, have the desire and talent to receive what others either weren't willing to work for or didn't care to keep what was given to them (approx. $100K in education benefit). For those who care to evaluate and comment from afar, that's fine. As for me (A loyal Ole Miss fan), I am happy with the direction our program is headed.
posted on September 5, 2005 7:47 AM — link — abuse?
Cutliffe isn't coaching at all. He was hired at Notre Dame and then underwent open heart surgery. As we understand it, he is resting during the season and staying away from football.
posted on September 8, 2005 7:02 PM — 216.79.145.192 — link — abuse?
Rest assured, David Cutcliffe deserved to be fired.
Like a dot.com founder during the dot.com economy ---- sometimes short-term results do not accurately indicate what a coach is doing. Despite the big year in Eli Manning's final campaign ... David Cutcliffe was not getting much done. I know the man was sick. But still....
Ole Miss made Cutcliffe a multi-millionaire .... do me wrong that way tomorrow morning, please.
As for Oxford, MS .... it is one of the top retirement destinations in the U.S. Great place with a rapidly ascending season ticket base (45+ thousand). For instance, the NCAA baseball super-regional in Oxford led the nation in attendance.
Ed Orgeron will be successful. Don't ever, ever wait for permission to make a move, or accept advice, from rivals or outsiders that have no stake in your program. Once it is obvious to the disinterested "all" that a change should be made - then it's too late and the rebuilding takes years. At this point, there is enough salvaged for Ed to compete somewhat for a couple years while he works his unique recruiting magic.
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Gene Larew said:
posted on August 18, 2005 7:27 AM — 24.253.211.201 — link — abuse?Coaching changes do two things. They kill a programs grad rate and will play hell with this new .. APR ( is that what they call it ? ) . Ole Miss will be hurtin in a few years, along with Nebraska and Oklahoma State. Bill Callahan ran off another player this week to make the second one this year to go with the 10 he ran off last year.
The NCAA will be forced to rework or abandon this silly APR thing.