There has been much discussion about the planned athletics department cuts that were made official last semester. The news came in the midst of a pathetic rookie campaign for football coach Randy Edsall and at the beginning of the Mark Turgeon era in men’s basketball. But what hasn’t been discussed much is the comparison between the two coaches.
Let’s begin with the similarities: Both took over after the departure of two long-time coaches, Ralph Friedgen and Gary Williams. Students and alumni alike knew the transition from the old system to the new would be rocky.
Both Edsall and Turgeon had to deal with players who were, for the most part, recruited by their predecessors. Likewise, both coaches had the challenge to convince and convert their players to trust the new system and put their full effort behind it. Some aspects of the systems worked, and some were a disaster, but in a competitive conference and facing criticism, each coach stood his own and should be commended for doing so.
It is safe to say that neither rookie coach has done as well as he had wanted. The football team was the laughingstock of the conference, and the basketball team has struggled with depth issues and injuries throughout the entire season.
Both coaches will soon focus on building strong teams for next year. Both have shown determination in hitting the road to recruit some of the top prospects in the nation to play at this university. This new breath of recruiting success is a welcome sight after several years of mediocre recruit classes.
But with the similarities come many differences between the two coaches. Start out with the obvious one — Turgeon has had much more success in his first year than Edsall. He took a team with about as much depth as a baby pool and has led them to challenge some of the toughest conference opponents.
Edsall, on the other hand, was at the helm of one of the worst football seasons in Maryland history, capped off with one of the largest blown leads in school history against North Carolina State in November. Since the tumultuous season ended, several coaches and players have bolted.
But what strikes me as the biggest difference between the two coaches is how they handle their teams, the media and the fans. To coach at this university, one must be able to juggle and handle all three groups well. Turgeon has done that. He has players who believe in him and who play as hard as they can from beginning to end. He has a working relationship with the media and has the fans’ support. Turgeon had big shoes to fill, and I believe he has done so admirably.
But then there is Edsall. Not only does he run his team like a dictator, he also has managed to rub each of the three aforementioned groups the wrong way during his first year (an impressive feat). During a casual conversation with a graduating player in December, I was told some veteran players didn’t like Edsall and weren’t buying into his coaching method — something seemingly confirmed by the play on the field. When coaches and players bolt from a program in the fashion they have during this offseason, you must begin to ask yourself why. You can coach in any manner you want, but you better produce on the field and create an atmosphere players want to play in. Edsall has failed in all of these regards.
To Coach Turgeon, keep up the good work. To Coach Edsall, learn from your mistakes and improve, or you may be the next person cut from the athletics department.
Josh Birch is a senior communication and history major. He can be reached at birch@umdbk.com.
