Syracuse Orange Football: Why Coach Robinson Should Not Be Fired

Another week gone by for the Syracuse Orange, and, not surprisingly, another loss. At least it was fairly close this time, as the 20-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Panthers was a competitive game all the way through. Close doesn't count, however, for Orange fans calling for the firing of head coach Greg Robinson, who have made their voice heard loud and clear over the past week. Plain and simple, firing the coach isn't the right move for the Orange.

Robinson's Struggles
By now, I'm well aware of all the statistics that show just how much the Orange have stunk under the tutelage of Robinson. An overall record of 7-26 in just under three seasons is reason enough to be concerned, but a closer look reveals even more worries. Of the 7 wins for Robinson, just 2 have come in Big East conference games, only 2 have come on the road, and 2 of them have come against bottom-feeding Buffalo. It's clear, and probably understated, that Robinson hasn't had a successful tenure in Syracuse. He can't get his teams to elevate their play against conference opponents or away from the Carrier Dome, which are both vital to the success of any program. Staring a 2-10 season right in the face, coming off a 1-10 in '05 and a somewhat-promising 4-8 last year, could spell doomsday for the embattled Orange coach.

The Lesser of Two Evils
Now that I've given you every statistical reason to support the firing of Coach Robinson, I'll tell you that it's the wrong move for the Orange. First off, Robinson's contract would have to be bought out at the end of the season, which would not leave enough money to hire a decent-salaried coach (O'Leary from USF perhaps?) . Syracuse has lost cash this year because of poor attendance, not leaving the money to complete both tasks in the offseason.

Second, this issue must be looked at as a comparison of two evils. Evil 1, keeping Robinson, is less risky than Evil 2, canning him. Giving Robinson one more year to play out the rest of his contract solves two problems. One, the money isn't an issue anymore, and two, you'll be certain of what you have in the coach. Allowing him one more year to implement his system and get the right players into that system is of very little risk to the program. If he succeeds, of course that's a good thing, and the administration can then decide whether to still release him or to possibly extend his contract. If he fails, then we know that he sucks, he walks for free, and we can begin looking elsewhere. That basically sums up Evil 1.

Evil 2, however, is potentially much, much worse. What if we buy out Robinson's contract, he goes somewhere else, and succeeds? Meanwhile, another adjustment in the coaching staff means steps back in the rebuilding process of Syracuse. Obviously there is almost no reason to believe that Robinson can be successful here, but it's better to struggle for another year and know for sure than to let the "unknown" walk away and hit the restart button again.

Keep Coach Robinson here
I'm as upset about the losing in Syracuse as the next Orange fan, but I'm trying to look at the coaching situation from a rational standpoint. Here's a simple breakdown of the reasons why Robinson should stay:

1. Financially, it makes no sense to pay extra money to buyout the coach's contract and not have any money left to sign a coach that you really want.

2. Robinson's fate is not yet sealed in Syracuse. I'd like to believe that giving him one more year, with him knowing that it will be his last chance, could jumpstart the success and improvement of this team.

3. Bringing in a new coach, along with a new system, sets the program back even further. A coach needs at least 4 years to fully implement his system, bring in all the recruits that he wants, and fully learn the nuances of his conference and opponents.