SB Nation DC - Ralph Friedgen Bought Out As Maryland Football Coach, AD Calls It A 'Strategic Business Decision'https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48897/dc-fave.png2010-12-21T13:11:59-05:00http://dc.sbnation.com/rss/stream/15869042010-12-21T13:11:59-05:002010-12-21T13:11:59-05:00Ralph Friedgen Buyout As Maryland Football Coach Set In Motion For Over A Month
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<p>For those of us that weren't involved in the Maryland coaching, let's go with meltdown, it seems like it escalated rather abruptly and out of no where.<a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/terps/bs-sp-terps-fridge-1221-20101220,0,2779974.story"> But according to Jeff Barker of the Baltimore Sun</a>, the wheels of this divorce had been set in motion over a month ago. Barker describes a dinner that Friedgen attended with Kevin Anderson a few weeks ago.</p>
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<p>"We talked (at the dinner) about philosophy and everything else, and then he talked about a contract extension," Anderson said. "He told me at that time that he didn't want to be a lame duck. I told him I wasn't prepared to talk about or to offer him an extension."</p>
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<p>Once Anderson expressed that he would be unwilling to give Friedgen an extension, and Friedgen reiterated that he did want to coach as a lame duck, they had reached the point of no return. Once James Franklin left to coach at Vanderbilt the whole situation became much more of a priority. As for the way this whole thing played out, it wasn't exactly like Anderson may have wanted.</p>
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<p>"I tried very hard not to have this happen, and it's unfortunate," Anderson told The Baltimore Sun Monday. "This was not my intent for it to go down this way."</p>
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<p>You can try as hard as you want to, but if you want a guy to go away and he doesn't want to, it's bound to get ugly.</p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2010/12/21/1889695/ralph-friedgen-buyout-maryland-coach-kevin-andersonJordan Ruby2010-12-20T15:45:02-05:002010-12-20T15:45:02-05:00Maryland AD Kevin Anderson Says Buying Out Ralph Friedgen's Contract Was A 'Strategic Business Decision'
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<p>The University of Maryland held a press conference today to confirm all the speculation that head coach Ralph Friedgen has been bought out of his contract and will no longer coach the team past this bowl game. Athletic Director Kevin Anderson said that the University made the decision to change course after offensive coordinator James Franklin departed to become Vanderbilt's coach, taking several assistants with him. Once that happened, Anderson made what he called a "strategic business decision" to buy out Friedgen's contract. </p>
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"He's raised the bar for our expectations. He leaves Maryland as he entered, as ACC COY and returning us to a Bowl Game," Anderson said. "Today, however, MD has made a 'strategic business decision' to buy out the the final year of his contract, effective January 2, 2011," he said.</p>
<p>Anderson said Franklin's decision to leave forced his hand, because it would have been very difficult to replace several coaches and because Friedgen "expressed concerns" about being a "lame duck coach." When asked, Anderson said he was not willing to give Friedgen the long-term extension he desired.</p>
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"I wasn't prepared and I wasn't willing to do that," he said. "I was looking to move the program in a different direction, and I wasn't willing to give him a contract extension."</p>
<p>Anderson said the decision to part ways was a mutual one with Friedgen initially. As of last Wednesday, they were set to meet and discuss how to part ways amicably. But that meeting never materialized, explaining why the buyout happened this way.</p>
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"He told me and he looked me in the eye and said he understood. That was Wednesday. Friday, we'd determine what kind of exit strategy we'd have. Somewhere between Wed and Fri, that never materialized. I can't tell you what happened, but I gather he had a change of heart."</p>
<p>Anderson said the program will move forward with a search starting as soon as tonight, and hopes to have a new coach by January 4. He definitively said that nobody has been contacted, but did admit that Mike Leach, <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2010/12/18/1884373/mike-leach-maryland-football-coach">who was reported to become the program's next coach over the weekend</a>, was on his list. He did not confirm any other names. </p>
<p>University President Wallace Loh gave a statement as well in which he stood by Anderson's decision. </p>
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"When he told me that the best thing is to think long-term strategically, b/c of unexpected change, to move towards a buyout, I said that is proceeding accountably even though it's a very hard decision to make. I admire Mr. Anderson for making that principled decision even though it pained him and it pained me."</p>
<p>Both Anderson and Loh confirmed that Friedgen will receive the full amount of his $2 million contract for next season.</p>
<p>(Video via <a href="http://www.csnwashington.com/">CSN Washington</a>)</p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2010/12/20/1887753/ralph-friedgen-fired-maryland-football-coach-kevin-andersonMike Prada2010-12-20T12:24:38-05:002010-12-20T12:24:38-05:00Maryland Football Coach Ralph Friedgen Will Receive His Full Salary After Being Fired
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<p>We've received more details on what it means for Ralph Friedgen that he and Maryland could not agree on a buyout of the last year of his contract. <a href="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/terrapins-insider/2010/12/buyout_discussions_went_nowher.html">According to Steve Yanda of the Washington Post</a>, Friedgen will be fired, but will still receive his full $2 million salary in 2011.</p>
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<p>Athletic Director Kevin Anderson was only briefly involved in the buyout discussions, the source said. Anderson handed off talks to university legal counsel Susan Bayly after a discussion with Friedgen's attorney did not go well, according to the source.</p>
<p>Because he would not agreed to retire, the remainder of Friedgen's contract -- worth roughly $2 million -- will be paid in full.</p>
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<p>Apparently, the talks were pretty heated. Maryland tried to soften the blow by offering Friedgen a spot in the Ring of Honor, but Friedgen said no. Eventually, talks stopped at around 10 a.m., once it became clear that Friedgen wasn't changing his mind. Therefore, the Terps will have to pay his salary in 2011.</p>
<p>Considering the way he's been pushed out after such a great season, it's not a surprise that Friedgen was in no mood to talk about a buyout. Maybe he won't get that spot on the Ring of Honor, but people will understand his impact on the prgram anyway. </p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2010/12/20/1887331/ralph-friedgen-fired-maryland-football-coach-buyoutMike Prada2010-12-20T11:51:37-05:002010-12-20T11:51:37-05:00Maryland Football Coach Ralph Friedgen Will Be Fired After Buyout Agreement Not Reached
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<p>In what should be a shock to nobody, considering the abruptness of athletic director Kevin Anderson's change of heart, Ralph Friedgen is not going out quietly as Maryland's head coach. It looked like the two sides would be able to agree on a buyout, but that has changed. According to different reports, the two sides were unable to agree on a buyout, forcing the Terps to fire Friedgen.</p>
<p>Chick Hernandez of CSN Washington <a href="http://twitter.com/CHICKatCSN/status/16890237837901824">noted</a> that Friedgen "may not be going quietly as previous told," and Eric Prisbell of the Washington Post reported that the two sides <a href="http://twitter.com/TerpsInsider/status/16894305390039040">could not agree on a buyout. </a></p>
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No buyout agreement could be reached between Friedgen and Maryland. Thus, after the bowl game, Friedgen will be fired. </p>
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<p>Friedgen was slated to make $2 million next season. Had the two sides agreed on a buyout, he may not have received all of that money. Friedgen will still coach the Terps in the 2010 Military Bowl on December 29, but he's expected to then be fired and have the road paved for Mike Leach.</p>
<p>The Terps <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2010/12/20/1887209/maryland-football-press-conference-mike-leach-ralph-friedgen">will hold a 3 p.m. news conference</a> on Monday to discuss the future of their program.</p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2010/12/20/1887248/ralph-friedgen-fired-maryland-football-coach-buyoutMike Prada2010-12-18T18:15:07-05:002010-12-18T18:15:07-05:00Mike Leach "Likely" To Be Maryland's Next Football Coach
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<p>As quickly as the Ralph Friegen era ended, that's about as quickly as the Mike Leach era may begin.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/#!/BryanDFischer/status/16225535872999424">According to Bryan Fisher of Yahoo Sports</a>, it would appear Leach is a sure bet to be the new Maryland football coach:</p>
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<p class="bbpTweet">Leach already calling recruits. RT @<a class="tweet-url username" href="http://twitter.com/Scott_Schrader" rel="nofollow">Scott_Schrader</a>: Serra QB heard from Mike Leach last night. He will likely be Maryland's next head coach.<span class="timestamp"><a title="Sat Dec 18 20:17:23 +0000 2010" href="http://twitter.com/#!/BryanDFischer/status/16225535872999424">less than a minute ago</a> via <a href="http://twitter.com/" rel="nofollow">Twitter for iPhone</a></span><span class="metadata"><span class="author"><a href="http://twitter.com/BryanDFischer"><img src="http://a3.twimg.com/profile_images/1192010086/n3430474_5612_bigger_normal.jpg"></a><b><a href="http://twitter.com/BryanDFischer">Bryan Fischer</a></b><br>BryanDFischer</span></span></p>
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<p>If the Leach hire is indeed imminent, it would complete a stunning turn of events for the Maryland football program. Not only did they force their longtime coach to resign, they would have managed to bring in his replacement in less than 24 hours.</p>
<p>Although Friegen was able to lead his Terps to an 8-4 record (a 6 game improvement from the previous year), it would appear that athletic director Kevin Anderson had seen enough to make a decision on Fridge's future. </p>
<p>And apparently in Anderson's eyes, it seems as though Leach could be the right man to take over.</p>
<p>Leach, the former Texas Tech coach, led the Red Raiders to 10 consecutive winning seasons before being fired over a year ago. He compiled a 84-43 record at Tech, and the most wins by a coach in school history.</p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2010/12/18/1884335/maryland-football-mike-leach-likely-next-coachDaniel Shiferaw2010-12-18T14:38:38-05:002010-12-18T14:38:38-05:00Maryland Football Coach Ralph Friegen Accepts Buyout, According To A Report
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<p>It appears that the Ralph Friegen era may finally be over at The University of Maryland, <a target="_blank" href="http://maryland.247sports.com/Article/BREAKING-Friedgen-Accepts-Buyout-8755">according to a report from Jeff Errman</a> of InsideMDSports.</p>
<p>The report states that Friegen has verbally agreed to accept a buyout on his contract, marking this his final season as Maryland head football coach: </p>
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<p>Friedgen, 63, first learned of athletic director <a href="http://247sports.com/Recruit/Kevin-Anderson-3573">Kevin Anderson</a>'s intentions to buy him out early this week. Sources close to the situation say Anderson gave Friedgen a choice: he could coach the final year of his contract with no extension, or accept the buyout.</p>
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<p>The sudden nature of this decision has to be a shock to the program. Friegen had a successful season in 2010, finishing 8-4 and won ACC Coach of the Year. It seemed as though he would be granted to play out the final year of his contract, but AD <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/112770/kevin-anderson">Kevin Anderson</a> clearly had other ideas.</p>
<p>According to the report, Friegen took the news hard and is now considering whether or not to return to Maryland with an administrative job, or look for other coaching opportunities.</p>
<p>As for the Maryland football team, Mike Leach, the former coach of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/texas-tech-red-raiders">Texas Tech Red Raiders</a>, appears to be the leading candidate to take the job.</p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2010/12/18/1883996/maryland-football-coach-ralph-friegen-accepts-buyoutDaniel Shiferaw2010-12-18T00:14:38-05:002010-12-18T00:14:38-05:00Ralph Friedgen Will Reportedly Coach Maryland In 2010 Military Bowl, Despite Reported Buyout
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<p>The most immediate question in the wake of the news that Maryland will ask Ralph Friedgen to take a buyout and retire after the season is this: who will coach the Terps in their bowl game? Maryland is headed to the Military Bowl at RFK Stadium on December 29, where they'll play East Carolina, but with offensive coordinator James Franklin<a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2010/12/9/1866047/james-franklin-vanderbilt-coach-maryland-offensive-coordinator"> headed to become Vanderbilt's coach</a> and Friedgen headed toward unemployment, who is left to coach them?</p>
<p>As it turns out, the answer is, well, Friedgen. <a href="http://twitter.com/CHICKatCSN/status/15991819049369600">According to CSN's Chick Hernandez</a>, Friedgen will coach the bowl game, despite being cast aside.</p>
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Despite being forced out Ralph Friegden WILL coach his Terps in the Military Bowl. </p>
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<p>This seems pretty amazing on the surface, but it might simply be by necessity. <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2010/12/17/1881844/vanderbilt-football-coach-james-franklin-maryland-military-bowl-2010">Franklin is gone, and he's taking several assistants with him</a>, so Friedgen's really the only option. That presents an interesting scenario, with Friedgen coaching a team that's played hard for him in front of very few local fans in his final game on the job. </p>
<p>Testudo Times is all over this story <a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/2010/12/17/1882963/more-confirmation-maryland-will-ask-ralph-friedgen-to-retire">here</a>.</p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2010/12/18/1883317/ralph-friedgen-retire-maryland-football-coach-buyout-military-bowl-2010Mike Prada2010-12-17T20:56:12-05:002010-12-17T20:56:12-05:00Maryland Football Coach: Ralph Friedgen Is Being Asked To Accept A Buyout
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<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/17/AR2010121705846.html">According to Eric Prisbell and Steve Yanda </a>of the Washington Post, the University is likely to ask Ralph Friedgen to retire, and Kevin Anderson implied that an announcement will be made as to the coach's future next week.</p>
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<p>A source close to the Maryland athletic department said Franklin's departure "helped set wheels in motion with a focus on pursuing Mike Leach. Essentially the thought is now is the time to strike. You somehow work with Ralph to quote-unquote retire."</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.csnwashington.com/pages/video?PID=b3JZsYWMRwJkXW2ZQM_utrrip5uTnvEG">Chick Hernandez of Comcast SportsNet </a>confirmed that Fridgen is getting bought out earlier tonight.</p>
<p>As <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/acc/post/_/id/20018/maryland-staff-players-left-in-limbo">Heather Dinich of ESPN's ACC Blog </a>points out, its not Friedgen who is the real loser in all of this. It's his players.</p>
<blockquote>Earlier today, offensive coordinator James Franklin left to be Vanderbilt's head coach, and he reportedly plans to take several assistants with him. Sources said that Friedgen left the office today without talking to any staff members about the situation, and everyone was left wondering about their futures. The assistants, their families, and the players are the ones who have been hurt the most by the upheaval at Maryland - not Friedgen. He'll get a cool $2 million out of the deal.</blockquote>
<p>As for the top candidate to replace Friedgen, Mike Leach told <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/TerpsInsider/status/15928229999153152">the Washington Post </a>that he has not been contacted by Maryland about the position.</p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2010/12/17/1882998/ralph-friedgen-is-being-aksed-to-accept-a-buyoutMartin Shatzer