Terps prez goes politically correct route on Edsall’s job status

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Maryland coach Randy Edsall, or what’s left of him, has been torn to shreds by Washington D.C. and national media over the past several months for poor on-the-field results coupled with the exorbitant amount of transfers in his one year in College Park.

But what really matters in terms of Edsall’s job security going forward are the opinions of his athletic director and school president. In regards to the latter, Edsall didn’t exactly get a ringing public endorsement.

Speaking to the Baltimore Sun, Maryland president Wallace Loh gave assessment on Edsall’s first year with the Terps:

 When Loh was asked directly what he thought about the job Edsall had done so far, there was a long pause. A very long pause. Long enough for me to recite half the alphabet.

“Well, he’s our coach,” Loh said finally. “And, uh, I think he has some very, very positive qualities. He is very interested in the student’s success, as is [athletic director] Kevin Anderson. First and foremost, when I hired Kevin Anderson, I made it clear: we’re in big-time athletics, but among student-athletes, the welfare of the student comes first. They must graduate, they must acquire the kinds of skills that will make them successful in life, because the vast majority are not going into professional athletics.

“Having set those broad parameters… 2-10 is not a record any of us likes. But on the other hand, it takes time to have a winning program. But I remain hopeful and supportive of both of them that they can turn the program around and have a winning program, while still abiding by those values.”

It’s a conservative, politically correct answer that hides the real answer, which is that Maryland should have never hired Randy Edsall to replace Ralph Friedgen.

Let’s put it this way: Maryland had to resort to wacky uniforms to get people talking about Terps football, and that lasted a few weeks. At most. Gimmicks are cover-ups for bigger problems, and the bigger problem is Edsall isn’t exciting.

That’s not Edsall’s fault and it sure doesn’t make him a bad coach, but Edsall wasn’t and still isn’t what Maryland needs; that’s in Pullman, Washington. And when coaches move on up to bigger market jobs, their shortcomings, which in Edsall’s case is turning kids off with his “my way or the highway” deal, are magnified.

Case in point, the Danny O’Brien transfer fiasco. Loh told the Sun he was happy to see Edsall “coming to his senses” about allowing O’Brien to transfer to Vanderbilt if he wished. As if Edsall had a choice; he was getting killed by the media coverage of the situation.

But it’s not like Edsall suddenly morphed into Dean Wormer when he arrived at College Park. Edsall has and always will be the ultimate disciplinarian. Sometimes a coach can get away with it. Other times he can’t, especially when he doesn’t win games and resides on the outskirts of one of the country’s biggest media markets.

If Edsall can win at Maryland, he’ll survive a few more years. If he doesn’t, the ultimate result of his tenure — his termination, resignation or departure for another “dream job” — will only be expedited.