Unseemly as it is, there can still can be a happy ending

Mike Burke

Depending on which newspaper you read, it’s a foregone conclusion Ralph Friedgen will be fired Sunday as the University of Maryland football coach (Washington Post); or, while the university wants to fire Friedgen, that could be unlikely (Baltimore Sun), because in a time when state employees are being laid off and furloughed, it would take a $4.5 million buyout for Maryland to eat Friedgen’s contract, and perhaps a $1 million buyout for the contract of head-coach-in-waiting James Franklin, if the university deems Franklin to be part of the problem as well.

Oh, and he’s part of the problem, there can be no denying that — not James Franklin himself and personally, but the idea of James Franklin, head coach in waiting. Make no mistake that Franklin, having been brought in by athletic director Debbie Yow to be the Maryland head football coach by the 2012 season, or else be owed $1 million, has been one more major bone of contention between Yow and Friedgen, for whom, by most accounts, a rich and genuine dislike for one another is life.

Friedgen was forced on Yow from the beginning after her hire of Ron Vanderlinden as the head coach didn’t work; and since Friedgen’s run of 31-8, an ACC title, an Orange Bowl berth, three 10-win seasons and victories in two other bowls in his first three years at Maryland (2001-03), it’s been 35-37, three smaller bowl games, four out of six losing seasons, and possibly three days away from the first 10-loss season in the history of the school.

If not for the economic times being what they are, it would be spot-on that Friedgen’s final game will be Saturday. Of course, if not for the economic times being what they are, Maryland’s season-ticket base might not be down as much as it is, and perhaps more of those luxury suites around Byrd Stadium that Maryland just had to build, would have been sold.

Frankly, Maryland sold more suites than I ever believed it would (long-term leases for 41 of the 64 were signed before the season), but there are two reasons why they didn’t sell more: Maryland botched the alcohol policy for those suites from the beginning. After sales got off to a decent start, by the time Maryland got it through its head that the presence of alcohol has to be an option if luxury suites are to be sold to businesses, the economy really went sour. The second, and most important, reason (season tickets included), of course, is Maryland is going to finish this season either 3-9 or 2-10 and already has its fourth losing season in the last six in hand.

That is Ralph Friedgen's, because Ralph Friedgen is the head coach, and if Ralph supporters still champion the three 10-win seasons in his first three seasons, they must also be realistic about what four of his final six seasons have been.

Maryland was generously predicted to go 5-7 by most experts prior to this season, with James Madison, Middle Tennessee State, Wake Forest, Virginia, Duke and N.C. State being the core group of most likely victims. Out of that group of six, Maryland beat just one, James Madison, and was somehow able to add Clemson to the total. Not even in retrospect, however, can this be viewed as a surprising development since in the 2009 Maryland spring football prospectus, of the 96 players listed on the Maryland roster, just 14 of them are seniors. Not only is that inexcusable, it’s the head coach’s responsibility.

So Ralph deserves the responsibility, but should he be fired? Or should he be given one more season, if for no other reason than to try to ease the economic burden for at least one more year? It’s not as though Franklin has to be anywhere by 2012 anyway, and he is universally rated to be a top-25 recruiter with an incoming top-25 class still pretty much intact despite this season and despite the uncertainty that has become the Maryland head football coaching position.

Despite Yow using Franklin to essentially tell Ralph she wanted him gone after 2011, Friedgen and Franklin like each other very much, and both men absolutely love the kids on this current team and believe they can become a good team as soon as next year.

Ralph very well could be gone by Saturday night. I think, particularly in light of monies owed, all he has done for this university warrants at least one more season. This isn’t Notre Dame, not that Notre Dame football means much anymore; this is Maryland, entitled Maryland alumni, boosters and fans.

One more season of Ralph Friedgen (.595 winning percentage) as the Maryland head football coach is not going to be the end of the 118-year dynasty that has been Maryland football of the .531 winning percentage. In fact, at least one more season of Ralph Friedgen coaching this team — these kids — might, for the second time in 10 seasons, make Maryland football start to matter again.

Ralph’s detractors like to say he won with Vanderlinden’s players. Give him one more chance to win with his.

Mike Burke is sports editor of the Cumberland Times-News. Contact Mike Burke at mburke@times-news.com.