Ralph Friedgen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ralph Friedgen | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Title | Head Coach | |
| College | Maryland | |
| Sport | Football | |
| Team record | 2-10 | |
| Born | April 4, 1947 | |
| Place of birth | Harrison, New York | |
| Career highlights | ||
| Overall | 66-46 | |
| Coaching stats | ||
| College Football DataWarehouse | ||
| Awards | ||
| Broyles Award (1999) | ||
| Playing career | ||
| 1966, 68 | Maryland | |
| Position | Offensive guard | |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | ||
| 1969–1971 1973–1976 1977–1979 1980 1981 1982–1986 1987–1991 1992–1993 1994–1996 1997–2000 2001-Present |
Maryland (GA) The Citadel (DL) The Citadel (OC) William & Mary (OC) Murray State (Asst. HC) Maryland (OC) Georgia Tech (OC) San Diego Chargers (RC) San Diego Chargers (OC) Georgia Tech (OC) Maryland |
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Ralph Harry Friedgen (b. April 4, 1947 in Harrison, New York) is the head coach of the University of Maryland Terrapins football team. He has been head coach since the 2001 season. Friedgen had previously been an offensive coordinator at Maryland, Georgia Tech, and in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers.
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[edit] Early life and education
Friedgen is regarded as one of the game's most offensive-minded coaches; "The Fridge", as he's affectionately known around College Park, matriculated at the University of Maryland in the mid-1960s, where he played the position of offensive guard. While an undergraduate he was a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity.[1] After completion of his Bachelor's in Physical education in 1970, Friedgen served as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, before later accepting positions on the staffs of The Citadel, William and Mary, and Murray State. Joining him on many of these coaching stops was Frank Beamer, who is the current coach at Virginia Tech.
[edit] Assistant coaching career
Friedgen returned to the University of Maryland in 1982 to serve as offensive coordinator under head coach Bobby Ross, who was his mentor during his stop at The Citadel. During this time period, he had a hand in the development of quarterbacks Stan Gelbaugh and Frank Reich, and most notably Boomer Esiason. It was also during this time that the University of Maryland football program was a perennial top-20 team, winning three consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference championships from 1983 to 1985 and appearing in prominent bowl games. Following a sub-par 1986 season, and amidst an athletic department quagmire due in large part to the Len Bias incident, Friedgen followed Ross to Georgia Tech, a stint lasting four years. In 1990, Georgia Tech went from being unranked in the preseason to achieving an 11-0-1 record and a share of the national championship with Colorado. In 1992, Friedgen followed Ross once again, this time to the NFL's San Diego Chargers, where he orchestrated an offense that led the franchise to an appearance in Super Bowl XXIX.[2] In 1997, Friedgen returned to Georgia Tech, where, as offensive coordinator, he developed the balanced offensive attack (200 yards on the ground, 200 yards through the air) that would become his trademark. During his second year, the Yellow Jackets were co-champions of the ACC, defeated Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl, and ended the season ranked among the nation's top 10 teams. In 1999, he was awarded the Frank Broyles Award, given to the nation's best assistant coach.
[edit] Head coaching career
In November 2000, Friedgen was named the head coach of the University of Maryland football team. He was charged with rebuilding a program that had only one winning season and no bowl game appearances since 1990.
[edit] 2001 season
In Friedgen's first season, he surprisingly led the Terps to a 10-2 record, a top 10 national ranking, the first outright Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) title by a team other than Florida State since the Seminoles entered the league, and an appearance in the 2002 Orange Bowl--the Terps' first major bowl bid in a quarter century. The next two seasons would provide more of the same.
In 2001, Friedgen went on to receive numerous "Coach of the Year" plaudits from various organizations (the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award, the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year, the The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award, and the Walter Camp Coach of the Year being four).
[edit] 2002 season
Friedgen's second year saw his team overcome a 1–2 start to the season and won 9 of 10 regular season games, including a come-from-behind homecoming victory against a top-15 Philip Rivers-led NC State team. Maryland ended the season with a 30-3 victory over Tennessee in the 2002 Peach Bowl, the school's first bowl victory since the Cherry Bowl in 1985. The team achieved a final record of 11–3, matching the school record for wins in a season first set by the 1976 team.
[edit] 2003 season
In 2003, the Terps would finish with a 10-3 record, including a 41–7 victory over rival West Virginia in the 2004 Gator Bowl. The University of Maryland football team became one of five programs nationally to reach the 10-win plateau from 2001 to 2003, and Friedgen became the first coach in ACC history to win 10 or more games in his first three seasons as a head coach.
[edit] 2004 season
The 2004 season would be the first disappointment of Friedgen's tenure. While the team failed to qualify for a bowl game, there were some highlights. On October 30, his relatively young team upset fifth-ranked Florida State to earn the first Maryland win in that series, as well as the first win over a top-5 team since 1982. On November 27, a 13–7 win over Wake Forest gave Friedgen his 36th win as head coach, making him the winningest fourth-year coach in conference history.
[edit] 2005 season
The 2005 season again saw the Terps fail to qualify for a bowl game. Friedgen's team started out with a 4–2 start, but a lack of offensive efficiency and a propensity for unforced turnovers—both of which may be attributed in part to an injury sustained by quarterback Sam Hollenbach—caused the team to win only one of its last five games to finish with a 5–6 record for a second consecutive season. The 2005 season did see the first Crab Bowl Classic game since 1965.
[edit] 2006 season
The 2006 season saw the Terps qualify for a bowl game for the first time since 2003. Despite being outgained by every one of its 11 Division I-A opponents, the Terps started the season 8–2, highlighted by a 28–26 victory over Virginia in which the team stormed back from a 20–0 halftime deficit to defeat the Cavaliers. The Terps also became the first team since 1985 to defeat both Florida State and Miami in the same year. The Terps defeated Purdue 24–7 in the Champs Sports Bowl to give Friedgen his 50th win as Maryland's head coach. Friedgen's 50 wins in six seasons ties him with former North Carolina head coach Dick Crum for the second most wins by a sixth-year coach in the ACC (former Clemson head coach Danny Ford holds the record with 52 wins in his first six seasons.) The team has outscored its last three opponents 95–17 in bowl games.
[edit] 2007 season
The 2007 season saw the Terps defeat #10 Rutgers on the road, as well as #8 Boston College in the regular-season home finale. This marked the first time in history that the school had beaten two top-10 teams in the same season. Maryland joined Kentucky, LSU, and Illinois as the only teams to accomplish this feat in 2007. A 37–0 shutout of NC State allowed the Terps to qualify for postseason play for the fifth time in Friedgen's seven seasons.
On December 28, Maryland played Oregon State in the Emerald Bowl and scored on the first drive. Unfortunately for Friedgen and the Terps, they lost 21 to 14.
[edit] 2008 season
The Terps entered the 2008 season with 30 senior players, the largest class since Friedgen took over as head coach in 2001.[3][4] Despite the experienced team, expectations were low and the ACC's preseason poll projected Maryland to finish fifth among the six teams in the Atlantic Division.[5] At the end of summer training, and amidst some controversy, senior Jordan Steffy was named the starting quarterback over junior Chris Turner who had finished the 2007 campaign atop the depth chart.[6]
In the season-opener, Maryland used all three of its quarterbacks to edge Division I FCS Delaware, 14–7.[7] The following week, the Terps were beaten decisively by Middle Tennessee State, 14–24,[8] and some pundits predicted Friedgen was on the coaching "hot seat" and that his job was in peril.[9][10] Maryland rebounded to record wins against four Top-25 ranked opponents. In week twelve, the Terrapins possessed a 7–3 record and were ranked first in the Atlantic Division with two regular season games remaining. Maryland lost both, however, and the team's standing fell.[11] The Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho selected the Terps to play the Western Athletic Conference's number-two team, Nevada. In an offensive shoot-out against the nation's number-five offensive team, Maryland triumphed with a final result of 42–35.[12] The Terrapins posted an 8–5 (4–4 ACC) record and Friedgen extended his postseason tally to 4–2, with twice as many bowl wins as any other coach in school history.
[edit] 2009 season
The Terps finished the season 2–10, with narrow victories against the James Madison Dukes and Clemson Tigers. Turnovers, a lack of talent, injuries, inexperience, and poor offensive line play are some of the major reasons why the Terrapins had a poor season.[13]
[edit] Future outlook
After starting his Maryland head coaching career with three straight 10-win seasons, Friedgen has fallen on relatively hard times, with a 35–38 record in his past 6 seasons. Friedgen's job security has been questioned[14][15][16] but he has a $1.75 million salary, and there is some question as to whether the University of Maryland can afford to buy out his remaining contract.[17] If all goes according to contract, Friedgen will retire in 2011 and James Franklin will become the new head coach[18]. A Baltimore Sun article during the 2009 season chronicled fans frustrations with Friedgen and his staff's coaching, and also the arrangement with Franklin. There were suggestions from fans that the program needs to go in an entire new direction.[19]
A Washington Post article on November 22, 2009 quoted anonymous sources as saying that a buyout of Friedgen's contract over $4 million is a possibility.[20] Friedgen's attorney said that neither him or Friedgen have been approached about a buyout. The article also said that Friedgen "privately resented" the Athletic Department naming Franklin his successor, due to how it affects other members of the coaching staff.[20] It was also reported that Friedgen has support from the leaders of the Terrapin Club and the Maryland Gridiron Network booster groups.[21] A later article in the Baltimore Sun quoted two former Terp basketball players and prominent members of the State University system (Len Elmore and Tom McMillen) as expressing doubt that public funds would be used to buy out Friedgen's contract. In addition, boosters of the program said they knew of no effort to raise private funds for the purpose.[22]
[edit] Coaching tree
While at Maryland, Friedgen has had many assistants continue their coaching careers elsewhere. Two of these individuals have received head coaching positions themselves and are denoted below in boldface.[23]
- Mike Locksley – Current New Mexico head coach. Locksley was one of two Ron Vanderlinden assistants retained when Friedgen took over in 2001. He served as Maryland's running backs coach from 1997 to 2002. The last two seasons were under Friedgen, during which time Locksley also served as the recruiting coordinator.
- Charlie Taaffe – Current Central Florida offensive coordinator. From 2007 to 2008, he was the head coach for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. Taaffe served as offensive coordinator under Friedgen from 2001 to 2005.
- Bill O'Brien – Current New England Patriots quarterbacks coach. O'Brien, served as Friedgen's running backs coach from 2003 to 2004.
- Gary Blackney – Current Central Florida defensive backs coach. Blackney served as Friedgen's defensive coordinator from 2001 to 2005.
- Chris Cosh – Current Kansas State co-defensive coordinator. Cosh was the Maryland defensive coordinator from 2006 to 2008.
- Kasey Dunn – Current Seattle Seahawks running backs coach. Dunn briefly served as Friedgen's wide receivers coach for six weeks during the 2008 season.
[edit] Head Coaching Record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland Terrapins (Atlantic Coast Conference) (2001–Present) | |||||||||
| 2001 | Maryland | 10–2 | 7-1 | 1st | L Orange Bowl † | 10 | 11 | ||
| 2002 | Maryland | 11-3 | 6-2 | T-2nd | W Peach Bowl | 13 | 13 | ||
| 2003 | Maryland | 10-3 | 6-2 | 2nd | W Gator Bowl | 20 | 17 | ||
| 2004 | Maryland | 5-6 | 3-5 | T-8th | |||||
| 2005 | Maryland | 5-6 | 3-5 | T-3rd (Atlantic) | |||||
| 2006 | Maryland | 9-4 | 5-3 | T-2nd (Atlantic) | W Champs Sports Bowl | ||||
| 2007 | Maryland | 6-7 | 3-5 | T-5th (Atlantic) | L Emerald Bowl | ||||
| 2008 | Maryland | 8-5 | 4-4 | T-3rd (Atlantic) | W Humanitarian Bowl | ||||
| 2009 | Maryland | 2-10 | 1-7 | ||||||
| Maryland: | 66-46 | 38-34 | |||||||
| Total: | 66-46 | ||||||||
| National Championship Conference Title Conference Division Title | |||||||||
| †Indicates BCS bowl game. #Rankings from final Coaches Poll. °Rankings from final AP Poll. |
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[edit] Personal life
Friedgen has been married to his wife Gloria (née Spina) since 1973. They have three daughters, one of whom, Kristina, is a Theatre major at Maryland. Another, Katie, is an Art major, also at Maryland.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.phideltdc.com/chapters.html
- ^ "Player Bio: Ralph Friedgen". umterps.cstv.com. Maryland Terrapins. http://umterps.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/friedgen_ralph00.html. Retrieved 2007-08-04.
- ^ 2008 Maryland Football Roster, National Collegiate Athletic Association, 2008, retrieved February 2, 2009.
- ^ Patrick Stevens, Terps' seniors seek a proper send off, The Washington Times, December 30, 2008.
- ^ 2008 ACC Football Preseason Selections, Atlantic Coast Conference, July 21, 2008.
- ^ Direct from Franklin, The Washington Times, August 18, 2008.
- ^ Delaware vs. Maryland Complete Play-by-Play, ESPN, August 30, 2008.
- ^ Craddock, Middle Tennessee surprise Maryland, ESPN, September 6, 2008.
- ^ Friedgen off the hot seat?, The Washington Post, September 13, 2008.
- ^ Could Friedgen really be on the hot seat?, Rivals.com, August 19, 2008, retrieved February 2, 2009.
- ^ Another Flutie makes key play to carry BC into ACC Championship, ESPN, November 29, 2008.
- ^ Scott benched early, then leads Maryland past Nevada, ESPN, Associated Press, December 30, 2008.
- ^ Stevens, Patrick (28 November 2009). "Breaking down why Terrapins broke down". The Washington Times. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/28/breaking-down-why-terrapins-broke-down/?page=2. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
- ^ http://www.diamondbackonline.com/sports/cavalier-style-1.779167
- ^ Washington Times - Maryland Football Sinking
- ^ Terps relish chance to right the ship
- ^ Washington Times - Maryland Football Sinking
- ^ Terps relish chance to right the ship
- ^ Barker, Jeff (November 1, 2009). "Terps fans restless over coach-in-waiting". The Baltimore Sun. http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/terps/bal-sp.terpsfoot01nov01,0,2881580.story. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
- ^ a b Prisbell, Eric; Steve Yanda (November 22, 2009). "Sources: Friedgen buyout a possibility". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/21/AR2009112101712.html?hpid=artslot. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
- ^ Barker, Jeff (November 22, 2009). "Speculation about Friedgen's job after loss". Baltimore Sun. http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/terps/bal-sp.terpsfoot22nov22,0,4519986.story. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
- ^ Barker, Jeff (November 24, 2009). "Buying out Friedgen could be problem, UM officials say". The Baltimore Sun. http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/terps/bal-sp.terpsfoot24nov24,0,5437494.story. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
- ^ Where are they now? Former Friedgen assistants, The Washington Times, January 6, 2009.
[edit] External links
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ron Vanderlinden |
University of Maryland Head Football Coaches 2001-Present |
Succeeded by current |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by David Cutcliffe |
Broyles Assistant Coach of the Year Award 1999 |
Succeeded by Mark Mangino |
| Preceded by Bob Stoops |
Walter Camp Coach of the Year 2001 |
Succeeded by Kirk Ferentz |
| Preceded by Bob Stoops |
The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award 2001 |
Succeeded by Jim Tressel |
| Preceded by George O'Leary |
Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award 2001 |
Succeeded by Jim Tressel |
| Preceded by Bob Stoops |
Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year 2001 |
Succeeded by Jim Tressel |
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