Towson's HC Gordy Combs fired

[th0m]

Could post it in the Coaching Carousel thread but I think it deserves its own thread. I know there aren't that many Towson posters around here (Andy?) but all the more CAA (and closest CAA) posters.

Any thoughts on who would be a good candidate?

http://www.towsontigers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=101455&SPID=12497&DB_OEM_ID=21300&ATCLID=3626501

[danefan]

That's a little surprising isn't it?

How about Clawson? CAA pedigree.....

[BigHouseClosedEnd]

Question: Is there a 1-AA job that Clawson won't be named as a candidate for until he has full-time employment again?

[Tribe4SF]

A guy named Clawson is looking for a job.

[danefan]

Question: Is there a 1-AA job that Clawson won't be named as a candidate for until he has full-time employment again?

Probably a bunch....but wouldn't Towson be a good fit for him? It is a CAA program.....familiar recruiting grounds.

[BigHouseClosedEnd]

A guy named Clawson is looking for a job.

Sandy, it was good meeting you on Saturday. Thanks for coming up and supporting the Spiders. You solidified your status on the All-CAA message board poster team.

[BigHouseClosedEnd]

Probably a bunch....but wouldn't Towson be a good fit for him? It is a CAA program.....familiar recruiting grounds.

You could be right. Personally, I see him going somewhere else as an O-Coordinator. If Mike Groh gets replaced, it could be in Charlottesville.

[th0m]

I think what Towson needs is a coach that can build something. Clawson will definitely be able to do that, but the question is, will he be able to be there long enough before he gets whisked away to an FBS deal, sending Towson back to square one.

[Franks Tanks]

Former Towson player and coach and current UCONN OC Rob Ambrose has to be among the leading canidates. Is he interested however? I dont know.

[andy7171]

Crazy day. I'm both depressed and hopeful. Mostly depressed.
Gordy took over the prgram my junior year. The first 3 of my years we won 5 games. Gordy's first year, we went 5-5. The next year we went 8-2 and no offense to UD fans, got F'ed out of the playoffs. They dropped scholarships on him in 95 and the program never really recovered. From the psuedo-NEC to the PL losing played like Chad Scott and Madeue Williams to maryland and finally to the CAA. Two bad seasons plauged with injuries and young players, you'd think he'd have some grace period just two years at full63 scholarships. The team is SO over populated with underclassmen...

On one hand whatcoach wouldn't jump at a CAA job, in a major NE city, with top quality facilities?
On the other hand who would take a job just cleared out that a loyal HC of 17 years and 40 of being associated as a plyer, assistant and finally head coach?

It's a strange new world...

[andy7171]

Former Towson player and coach and current UCONN OC Rob Ambrose has to be among the leading canidates. Is he interested however? I dont know.

I agree. Rob has ties to the Maryalnd area. And as a friend and former teammate of mine, would be the kind of guy to come back. Illinios OC Mike Locksley would be another possible candidate, though I think he has his eyes set higher at this point.



I'm very conflicted about this...

[Franks Tanks]

I agree. Rob has ties to the Maryalnd area. And as a friend and former teammate of mine, would be the kind of guy to come back. Illinios OC Mike Locksley would be another possible candidate, though I think he has his eyes set higher at this point.



I'm very conflicted about this...

Rob recruited me years ago. He is a great guy and a very good coach. It shall be interesting.

[aust42]

I think what Towson needs is a coach that can build something. Clawson will definitely be able to do that, but the question is, will he be able to be there long enough before he gets whisked away to an FBS deal, sending Towson back to square one.

Towson would be a tough program to turn around and make a competetive CAA program. Their in the shadow of the Maryland Terps & Navy Mids and don't really have a strong football identity in the area.

[andy7171]

Rob recruited me years ago. He is a great guy and a very good coach. It shall be interesting.

Rob IS a great guy. So is Gordy. Rob had his hip broken in a meaningless play as a 3rd string QB the Spring between his junior and senior seasons. He was also our 4-5th WR in the rotation. He became a coach his senior year.

I am both sad about a good friend getting fired, but hopeful about what could be.

[Husky Alum]

Sandy, it was good meeting you on Saturday. Thanks for coming up and supporting the Spiders. You solidified your status on the All-CAA message board poster team.

Tribe4SF is the dean of the All CAA message board posters, along with UNH Alum in CT, Henfan, and a few others. Oh, and he throws a fish fry tailgate that makes me yearning for the next time NU plays football down in The Burg!

Then again, in order to make my All CAA team, you need to attend the Husky Alum tailgate at Parsons. ;-)

Dane96 is an honorary member of the CAA team since he's still an NEC guy. ;-)

[andy7171]

Tribe4SF is the dean of the All CAA message board posters, along with UNH Alum in CT, Henfan, and a few others. Oh, and he throws a fish fry tailgate that makes me yearning for the next time NU plays football down in The Burg!

Then again, in order to make my All CAA team, you need to attend the Husky Alum tailgate at Parsons. ;-)

Dane96 is an honorary member of the CAA team since he's still an NEC guy. ;-)

Sandy IS a great guy. I sadly couldn't return the tailgate favor he provided me in '07. I plan on bringing a case of his favorite Natural Light (beach beer) next year down to W&M, if he'll have me. I may be bringing three extra females this time (all under the age of 8). Thats how I roll. :o

[Go...gate]

Combs was very dedicated to that program. Sorry it came to this.

[WMTribe90]

Don't have a strong reaction one way or the other, though it does seem a little sad to fire a guy that has been with the program that long and stuck with the program through multiple transitions in conference standings and scholarship levels. Seems Towson had a lot of young talent and with the new facilities and CAA membership, there seemed to be better recruiting the last couple seasons. Guess he ran out of time...

[Go Lehigh TU owl]

Towson had some good talent in the late 90's when they were in the PL but couldn't get over the hump. They had Lee, a great RB and DE at the time. The names escape me. Their '99 game against Lehigh was one of the wildest games i've ever seen.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I am very, very surprised that he was FIRED. Could there have been something more there? At best, it's was a cold move by the AD - unless there's something we don't know?


He and his staff have built a solid foundation for the program at the Colonial Athletic Association level, but we have not had the competitive success that we expect over the past two seasons.

If Towson had some major success over a sustained period and then regressed, I could see it. But Gordy navigated all the changes and finally got a full boat of scholarships - and played in a league with at least one FCS championship finalist and three divisionmates that are still alive in the playoffs at present.

The word I can't get out of my head here is "cold".

[andy7171]

Towson had some good talent in the late 90's when they were in the PL but couldn't get over the hump. They had Lee, a great RB and DE at the time. The names escape me. Their '99 game against Lehigh was one of the wildest games i've ever seen.

RB - Jason Corle DE - Andrew Hollingsworth

Was '99 the year LU was in the top 10 when we beat you? That was a good game.

It's weird. Gordy recruited lineman better in the PL than as of late. Even our best OL in the last couple years, OT Jermon Bushrod, currently with the Saints, was a PL guy. Schaefer didn't start getting sacked unitl that last PL class graduated in '06.

Towson has been notoriously cheap as far as coaching salaries, which makes this 2 year buyout more of a suprise. We have a new arena and field hockey field in the works. It'll be interesting to see who they can get to replace Gordy. They opened up the wallet for Pat Kennedy, Who knows?

[andy7171]

Here's the article in this mornings Sun....

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/football/bal-sp.combs03dec03,0,2790800.story

[Tribe4SF]

Love this quote from Gordy.xthumbsupx

"I'm going to enjoy a little freedom and the build-up to Christmas with the family," he said. "But I'll always bleed black and gold. We have 51scholarship players returning, and I told them that I'll look forward to seeing them at Towson games next year.

"Maybe I'll pay to sit in the stands. Or maybe I'll jump the fence. I know all the little ways to get into the stadium without buying a ticket."

[purplepeopleeaterv2]

Love this quote from Gordy.xthumbsupx

"I'm going to enjoy a little freedom and the build-up to Christmas with the family," he said. "But I'll always bleed black and gold. We have 51scholarship players returning, and I told them that I'll look forward to seeing them at Towson games next year.

"Maybe I'll pay to sit in the stands. Or maybe I'll jump the fence. I know all the little ways to get into the stadium without buying a ticket."

Sounds like a real class act.xthumbsupx

[Franks Tanks]

Here's the article in this mornings Sun....

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/football/bal-sp.combs03dec03,0,2790800.story

So Gordy wasnt even retained by the university in some fashion? Usually in these situation they find an asst. AD or fund raiser type position for the outgoing coach on his tenure who is too young for retirement.

[andy7171]

So Gordy wasnt even retained by the university in some fashion? Usually in these situation they find an asst. AD or fund raiser type position for the outgoing coach on his tenure who is too young for retirement.

I haven't heard anything, just that they bought out his contract, which had two years left.

[ngineer]

I am very, very surprised that he was FIRED. Could there have been something more there? At best, it's was a cold move by the AD - unless there's something we don't know?



If Towson had some major success over a sustained period and then regressed, I could see it. But Gordy navigated all the changes and finally got a full boat of scholarships - and played in a league with at least one FCS championship finalist and three divisionmates that are still alive in the playoffs at present.

The word I can't get out of my head here is "cold".

I agree. The dismissal seems somewhat abrupt given his long tenure at the school and apparent dedication. Maybe there was some understood 'measuring stick' agreement that was not achieved, but otherwise, I find the move, and the way it occured puzzling.xsmhx

[andy7171]

I agree. The dismissal seems somewhat abrupt given his long tenure at the school and apparent dedication. Maybe there was some understood 'measuring stick' agreement that was not achieved, but otherwise, I find the move, and the way it occured puzzling.xsmhx

I have heard through the grapevine, that when he signed the 3 year extention last year, Caret told him make the playoffs or your out.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

He learned his fate Monday while recruiting in Virginia.

"Mike [Hermann] called and said he needed me back on campus," Combs said. "I pressed for the answer, and he gave it to me."

Yesterday, Combs met with the team and announced his departure.

"Everyone was stunned. We all kind of sat there in shock," said Sean Schaefer, Towson's record-setting quarterback. "Coach has been the face of our program for so long. I felt badly, like, if I could have done something to win more games, he'd still be here."

Said Marcus Lee, the Tigers' all-time leading receiver: "It just comes down to winning games. We didn't win enough for the AD and the people above him, so they had to make a move."

These quotes say it all about how classless the AD really is. Now the players are blaming themselves for Combs' firing. Real classy, Mr. Hermann - fire the guy who bled black and gold for you and the program OVER THE PHONE, and then give your graduating seniors that gave their college years for you guilt for not making the playoffs. Real classy.

I'm rooting for Combs to get hired on, say, Delaware's or William & Mary's coaching staff, and allowing Gordy to stick it to his alma mater every year.

I really don't get these new expectations at TU being so high. Towson never won a Patriot League title - not once! - though they did come close a few times. Now they're expected to be playoff contenders year in and year out - while competing against schools with more resources?

This is rapidly going from simply "cold" to being "botched". If there was a "playoffs or else" mandate from the AD (or people above him, like the article implies), Gordy should have been fired right after the last game of the year, not in the middle of recruiting. Recruiting for God's sakes!

[MR. CHICKEN]

OL' GORDY.......TOOK IT....UP DUH HERSHEY HIGHWAY......PLAYIN' IN DUH SOUTHERN SIDE O' DUH CAA.......IN WHICH UH TEAM LIKE DELAWARE....HAS UH LOSIN' RECORD...SINCE KEELER TRANSFERRED IN.....HE'S BEEN UNDER SKOLLIED...MOST O' HIS TENURE.......PLAYS IN UH AREA WHERE LACROSSE RULES.........HEY!... HE BEAT RHODE ISLAND......DUH MENDOZA LINE......IN OURAH CONFERENCE....DON'T BEAT RHODEY......AUTO FIRIN'....AUTO RESIGNIN'....HE GOT 'EM COOL UNIS....BEST HELMET DECALS..IN CAA........GONNAH MISS THRASHIN' DUH TIGERS....WHIFF OUT HIM....:(........BRAWK/OBAMA!!

[andy7171]

These quotes say it all about how classless the AD really is. Now the players are blaming themselves for Combs' firing. Real classy, Mr. Hermann - fire the guy who bled black and gold for you and the program OVER THE PHONE, and then give your graduating seniors that gave their college years for you guilt for not making the playoffs. Real classy.

I'm rooting for Combs to get hired on, say, Delaware's or William & Mary's coaching staff, and allowing Gordy to stick it to his alma mater every year.

I really don't get these new expectations at TU being so high. Towson never won a Patriot League title - not once! - though they did come close a few times. Now they're expected to be playoff contenders year in and year out - while competing against schools with more resources?

This is rapidly going from simply "cold" to being "botched". If there was a "playoffs or else" mandate from the AD (or people above him, like the article implies), Gordy should have been fired right after the last game of the year, not in the middle of recruiting. Recruiting for God's sakes!

Apparently as more information is getting out, it was TU President Bob Caret. He upset the last AD when he hired Pat Kennedy without talking to him. Supposedly he went through 3 football HCs during his 8 years as president at San Jose State before coming back to TU in '03.

[89Hen]

Wow, so much for me saying no CAA coaches were on the chopping block yesterday. xoopsx :o

[andy7171]

Wow, so much for me saying no CAA coaches were on the chopping block yesterday. xoopsx :o

The way this was/is being handled is disgraceful. 39 years of loyalty and service, he should have had the chance to step down one his own. Gordy bleeds black and gold.


xnonono2x

[purplepeopleeaterv2]

The way this was/is being handled is disgraceful. 39 years of loyalty and service, he should have had the chance to step down one his own. Gordy bleeds black and gold.


xnonono2x

The president and AD must have seen your helmet avatar Andy and thought Towson was in for the worst when their #1 fan abandoned them xsmiley_wix