kravitz out of a job

[smazza]

RALEIGH, N.C.  North Carolina State fired football coach Chuck Amato on Sunday, a day after he completed his seventh season at his alma mater.

The former Wolfpack linebacker had a 49-37 record at the school and led the team to five bowl games. But his squads were 25-31 in the Atlantic Coast Conference and never finished higher than fourth.

This season, North Carolina State (3-9) lost seven straight games to finish with a losing record for the second time in three seasons since quarterback Philip Rivers went to the NFL. On Saturday, the Wolfpack finished the season with a 21-16 home loss to East Carolina.

In a statement Sunday, athletic director Lee Fowler credited Amato with helping the Wolfpack improve their football facilities and ticket sales, but said the program needed a change in leadership. He said a search for a replacement would begin immediately.

"No Wolfpack fan can question the excitement and enthusiasm that Chuck Amato brought to the N.C. State football program when he came here in 2000," Fowler said. "However, because the results on the field in two of the last three seasons have fallen far below where we feel our program should be at this point, we have decided to take the program in a new direction."

Amato, who had three years remaining on his contract, said he was disappointed by the decision but proud of what he accomplished during his tenure.

"My vision was to take this program to places that it had never been before in 100-plus years of playing football," he said in a statement. "I didn't come here to use this job as a stepping stone like many others have or could. I wanted to surround myself with people who would help me stretch my vision and not choke my dreams.

"This is obviously a disappointing decision for me, but I would never do anything to hurt North Carolina State University."

Amato met with the players Sunday night at Carter-Finley Stadium. Most of the players emerged from the meeting dejected and declined to comment.

Ernest Jones, a junior linebacker, said Amato was positive as he addressed the players and offered his best wishes. Jones said the blame for the Wolfpack's struggles this year shouldn't have fallen entirely on Amato.

"It's not only the coaches' fault, but the players," Jones said. "We let the coaches down, so it's coaches and the players also."

[smazza]

ANOTHER COACH LOSES JOB

MPE, Ariz.  Arizona State fired coach Dirk Koetter, who led his team to a bowl the last three seasons but rarely beat the best in the Pac-10.

Athletic director Lisa Love made the announcement Sunday night after the team's annual awards banquet in Scottsdale.

Koetter went 40-33 in six seasons at ASU. There was no word on whether Koetter would coach the team in a bowl game.

The Sun Devils completed a 7-5 regular season with a 28-14 victory over rival Arizona in Tucson on Saturday, clinching their third consecutive postseason berth. He went 4-2 against the Wildcats.

Koetter's dismissal comes less than a year after Love gave him a contract extension through the 2009 season. The deal called for Koetter to be paid $2.85 million from 2007 to 2009.

It's the second time in seven years the school has fired a coach with a winning overall record after he earned a bowl berth. Koetter succeeded Bruce Snyder, who went 58-47 in nine seasons and was dismissed despite getting to the Aloha Bowl in 2000.

Koetter came to ASU from Boise State, where he went 26-10 from 1998-2000 and earned a reputation as an offensive wizard.

Koetter went 4-7 in his first season at ASU, finishing ninth in the Pac-10. But he seemed to have turned the program around in 2002, posting an 8-4 record and earning a Holiday Bowl berth with a third-place conference finish.

But a pattern had begun. ASU won five games in 2003, nine in 2004 and seven in 2005. That inconsistency, coupled with Koetter's 2-19 record against ranked teams, led to mounting criticism among Sun Devils fans.

This season brought high expectations, with ASU ranked 24th in the AP preseason Top 25. But Koetter came under intense scrutiny at the end of fall camp when he anointed senior Sam Keller his starting quarterback, then changed his mind and gave the job to sophomore Rudy Carpenter less than two days later.

Keller soon transferred to Nebraska, where he is sitting out this season under NCAA rules.

The episode seemed to become a footnote as the Sun Devils won their first three games against Northern Arizona, Nevada and Colorado. But it loomed large when the offense struggled and the Sun Devils opened Pac-10 play with losses to California, Oregon and Southern California.

Koetter's offense is typically among the most productive in the nation. But Carpenter, who led the nation in passing efficiency a year ago, struggled behind an injury-riddled line and had little help from an inexperienced receiving corps.

The losses to Cal and USC left Koetter 0-12 against Pac-10 teams in California. He went 21-28 in the Pac-10.

[Triple B]

Koetter's dismissal comes less than a year after Love gave him a contract extension through the 2009 season. The deal called for Koetter to be paid $2.85 million from 2007 to 2009.

Wow, must be nice to be able to eat $9 million just like that ...... That's incredible.

[Who'sYourData?]

Koetter's dismissal comes less than a year after Love gave him a contract extension through the 2009 season. The deal called for Koetter to be paid $2.85 million from 2007 to 2009.

Wow, must be nice to be able to eat $9 million just like that ...... That's incredible.

I'd guess that was $2.8 mil total.

[Triple B]

Koetter's dismissal comes less than a year after Love gave him a contract extension through the 2009 season. The deal called for Koetter to be paid $2.85 million from 2007 to 2009.

Wow, must be nice to be able to eat $9 million just like that ...... That's incredible.

I'd guess that was $2.8 mil total.

I'd quess I need to learn to read better .... :-/

[E.T.]

Kravitz still has a job, only Tomato was fired - asst's have seperate contracts.

[smazza]

Kravitz still has a job, only Tomato was fired - asst's have seperate contracts.

kravitz' contract goes beyond this year?????????????????????

[E.T.]

Seems like he got a 3 year deal ...

Also don't remember if this was posted, but when NC St beat FSU, Kravitz tore a muscle high fiving a player  ;D

[Who'sYourData?]

Koetter's dismissal comes less than a year after Love gave him a contract extension through the 2009 season. The deal called for Koetter to be paid $2.85 million from 2007 to 2009.

Wow, must be nice to be able to eat $9 million just like that ...... That's incredible.

I'd guess that was $2.8 mil total.

I'd quess I need to learn to read better .... :-/

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/football/ncaa/11/26/koetter.ap/index.html?eref=si_topstories

Koetter's dismissal comes less than a year after Love gave him a contract extension through the 2009 season. The deal called for Koetter to be paid a total of $2.85 million from 2007-09.

[E.T.]

He may still be ofered a job . . .

rivals article:

According to Boston College sports information director Chris Cameron, who talked with new NC State head coach Tom O'Brien before the Eagles' 25-24 Meineke Car Care Bowl win over Navy, all but three of the Eagles' assistant coaches are expected to join him in Raleigh.

The Boston Globe and Herald reported that Cameron identified assistant head coach and special teams and recruiting coordintor Jerry Petercuskie, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks and receivers coach Dana Bible, offensive line coach Don Horton, tight ends coach Jim Bridge, running backs coach Jason Swepson and defensive line coach Keith Willis as future Wolfpack assistants.

Bible confirmed his departure after the game with the Boston Herald.

"We've had tremendous success in eight years," said Bible. "I'll certainly miss the players, and there's a lot to miss at Boston College. But myself and my family are excited about the future. That can be the nature of this business. There's mixed emotions. But I haven't thought a lot about it, to tell you the truth. We've just been working and just been focused. The players did a great job and, with coach Spaz leading the way, we just put our nose (down) and went to work."

[highlight]Three assistants will apparently be staying at Boston College: defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani, linebackers coach Bill McGovern and defensive backs coach Kevin Lempa.[/highlight]

O'Brien had said that he hoped to have most of his staff in place by Jan. 3 when he returns from his holiday vacation. O'Brien is currently at his vacation home in Charleston, S.C.

A name that has been floated around as a potential defensive backs coach is Bob Shoop, currently coaching the secondary at Massachusetts. Shoop coached defensive backs at Boston College prior to Lempa. Shoop left the Eagles to become the head coach of Columbia for four years.

Petercuskie has prior experience as a defensive coordinator at Liberty and could be a candidate to take over the role at NC State. Another defensive coordinator with ties to O'Brien is Mike London, the current defensive coordinator at Virginia. London coached the defensive line at Boston College from 1997-2000. He left to coach defensive line at Virginia for four seasons before spending a year as the defensive line coach in the NFL with the Houston Texans. After a year there London was hired as Virginia's defensive coordinator for this past season and also coached defensive line. He has prior experience coaching linebackers as well.

[highlight]It is uncertain if any NC State assistants under Chuck Amato will be retained.[/highlight] Tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator Curt Cignetti and running backs coach **** Portee had been retained by the university after it fired head coach Chuck Amato Nov. 27. O'Brien praised their work for helping keep the recruiting class together during the transition.

O'Brien was hired to replace Amato and announced at a press conference in the Murphy Center Dec. 9. He spent 10 years at Boston College, totaling a 75-45 record. O'Brien is the all-time leader in wins at BC.