Friday, January 30, 2009

Round and Round Goes the Coaching Carousel and the Big Finish

Brian:  Two BC coaches landed in new positions on Thursday.  Bill McGovern has been named the new defensive coordinator of the Eagles, promoted by HC Frank Spaziani after 9 seasons as linebacker coach.  Jeff Jagodzinski lands with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as their new offensive coordinator.  Spaziani still has his work cut out for him though.  He still has to hire a linebackers coach, a tight end/special teams coach and an offensive line coach.  Your thoughts on the latest go-round on the coaching carousel?

Jeff: Eh. Whatever.  I am happy for McGovern. As I'm sure you remember we randomly had a lengthy conversation with his wife during the 2007 season so I feel more of a connection with him than other BC coaches. Is it what is best for the program? I honestly don't know.  I have no objections to this particular hire but I am still not thrilled with the coaching changes as a whole this off-season.

Brian: McGovern does come from my mom's hometown - Oradell, NJ - and should continue to help the Eagles recruiting efforts in northern New Jersey.  Linebackers DiSanzo and Toal were recruited out of Don Bosco Prep.

Turning to the offensive side of the ball, with the hire of Gary Tranquill as offensive coordinator, does Ryan Day stay with the Eagles?

Jeff: I would think he'll stay. Tranquill can't be around too long.  And when did every BC assistant coach become such a hot commodity that they can just pick up and leave without a job waiting for them?

Brian:  Way too early, but make a prediction.  Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons will play Coach Jagodzinski and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers two times next year.  How does the season series go down?

Jeff: Falcons win both, 2-0.


Big Finish

Jeff:  The baseball team was picked to finish 5th of 6th in the Atlantic Division this season in the ACC Baseball Coaches poll, ahead of only Maryland.  Progress?

Brian:  Woooo!  Well, not really.  Last season we finished DFL with Maryland in the Atlantic Division standings (9-21-0), so winning 1 more game than Maryland this season doesn't sound like much progress to me.


Brian:  The Brighton task force charged with reviewing B.C.'s expansion plan has done an about-face and approved the part of the proposal that allows the school to build an 150-student dorm on the Archdiocese property.  However, the advisory group deep sixed plans to build an additional 350-student dorm on the Brighton Campus and told them to house those students on Main Campus.  You surprised?

Jeff: I've never understood Brighton being anti-BC so nothing they do will surprise me.


Jeff:  Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin skated with Jerry York and the Eagles on Monday.  Will Ovechkin rub off on the Eagles enough to get them past Northeastern in the first round of the Beanpot?

Brian: I hope the Eagles can knock off Northeastern, but it is going to be tough this year. This isn't your older brother's Northeastern hockey squad.


Brian:  BC goes for their fourth straight ACC hoops win tomorrow night as they host the Virginia Tech Hokies.  The Hokies knocked off the Eagles 79-71 in Blacksburg less than 2 weeks ago.  Make a prediction for the game. 

Jeff: I really want to see a BC win but losing to Virginia Tech is a very real possibility.  VT has a strong team.  I'll preface my prediction with an assumption that there is a large student student tomorrow night.  If the crowd is energized, I predict an Eagles victory.


Jeff:  Ex-Eagle netminder Scott Clemmensen is getting plenty of pub these days.  First he was named Hockey East's All-Time Unsung Hero, then he got the same treatment in USA Today for his homecoming as the Devils traveled to Boston last night and knocked off the Bruins in OT 4-3.  But what will become of Clem when Brodeur comes back for the Devils in a few weeks?  

Brian:  I'm not really sure. Brodeur is already 36 years old and will be 37 before the 2009-2010 season. Clemmensen could stay on with the Devils as a "goalie-in-waiting" (a la Matt Cassell and the Patriots), but just like Brodeur he is getting up there in age and could easily parlay his Devils hot streak to a starting job somewhere else. Clemmensen is 15-7, with a 2.21 goals against average, and a .924 save percentage since replacing Brodeur and backup Kevin Weekes!


Brian:  Boston College nominated UFood Grill as the "Best Healthy Lunch" in this year's Top of the Heights contest.  You ever eaten at a UFood Grill, Jeff?  (Seriously ... it's quite delicious!)

Jeff: No. You know as well as anyone that I don't eat anywhere that claims to have healthy entrees.


Jeff: Last one, Super Bowl this weekend. Who you rooting for and who wins?

Brian: Since I don't particularly follow either team, I'll cheer for the Arizona Cardinals and BC alum Brian St. Pierre and Patrick Ross. And if there is one thing I have learned over the years, it is to never count out Kurt Warner. Arizona 28, Pittsburgh 22.

Leave your Super Bowl predictions in the comments section below.

Enjoy the big game and good luck to all the Eagles teams in action this weekend.

1 comment:

Raj said...

Arizona- 30-16.

Take the under.