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Monday, December 22, 2008
Photo Credit: Joe Lewnard, Daily HeraldIt's currently 13 degrees and snowing in Syracuse, NY. Harper College (IL) head football coach Dragan Teonic (Ivan Drago anyone?) might be thinking it's just a cold day in hell. That's pretty much what he thinks of Syracuse, its university, and its new football coaching staff after he learned his two-time JUCO All-American quarterback had his scholarship rescinded this week.
It was mentioned in an earlier posting on the Dangerfield Division, that Garrett Barnas (the QB in question) did in fact commit to Syracuse, even though a new head coach had not been named yet. Barnas, recruited heavily by fired head coach Greg Robinson's staff was undeterred by the coaching uncertainty, having said:
Defensive Line Coach Derrick Jackson, who was retained from the Robinson staff apparently kept recruiting Barnas during the coaching uncertainty. It was also Jackson who had to call Barnas to inform him of the bad news.
No reaction yet from Barnas himself, but his aforementioned coach is furious at best. You can see the quotes from the article yourself, and you'll see just what I mean. I have to say, I think the reaction is harsher than it needs to be, but the complaint that Marrone should have made the call himself is warranted. The excuse for rescinding the scholarship is also legitimate (5 QBs already on scholarship), but again, it would have been nice for Marrone to convey this himself.
I don't think too much bad will come of this. A mistake was certainly made, but mistakes can be expected in the confusion and fast pace of a coaching change. Good news for Syracuse? They're coming along further in their quest to fill out a staff.
It was mentioned in an earlier posting on the Dangerfield Division, that Garrett Barnas (the QB in question) did in fact commit to Syracuse, even though a new head coach had not been named yet. Barnas, recruited heavily by fired head coach Greg Robinson's staff was undeterred by the coaching uncertainty, having said:
"Syracuse is one of the top schools there is so that in itself made me lean
toward them, even though I knew the coaching staff probably wouldn't be there."
Defensive Line Coach Derrick Jackson, who was retained from the Robinson staff apparently kept recruiting Barnas during the coaching uncertainty. It was also Jackson who had to call Barnas to inform him of the bad news.
No reaction yet from Barnas himself, but his aforementioned coach is furious at best. You can see the quotes from the article yourself, and you'll see just what I mean. I have to say, I think the reaction is harsher than it needs to be, but the complaint that Marrone should have made the call himself is warranted. The excuse for rescinding the scholarship is also legitimate (5 QBs already on scholarship), but again, it would have been nice for Marrone to convey this himself.
I don't think too much bad will come of this. A mistake was certainly made, but mistakes can be expected in the confusion and fast pace of a coaching change. Good news for Syracuse? They're coming along further in their quest to fill out a staff.