Daz with hair as an assistant coach and after getting an ACC scalp as a head coach.
If Temple wins the Big East this year, a lot of people will be surprised.
Not me.
In fact, I will coin a new phrase for it.
The Steve Principle.
The Steve Principle is The Peter Principle in reverse.
The Peter Principle states that "in a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence", meaning that employees tend to be promoted until they reach a position in which they cannot work competently. It was formulated by Dr. Laurence J. Peter and Raymond Hull in their 1969 book The Peter Principle.
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| When it comes to BE critics, Temple and Steve Addazio could have the last laugh |
The Steve Principle will be named in honor of Temple head football coach Steve Addazio, who was vilified by Florida fans for his perceived incompetence as an offensive coordinator (something I never really understood) but who rose to a solid level of competence as head football coach.
Some people are born leaders and, after a year of closely observing Addazio, I believe he has passed that muster. Some, like current Miami defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio, are born followers.
Temple had the incredibly bad luck of hiring one of those types in Ron Dickerson, who was called the "greatest assistant head coach in America" by none other than Joe Paterno.
That was the problem with Dickerson. Great assistants don't always make great head coaches. Addazio has a CEO's knack for organization and both hiring and delegating authority to terrific top-level management (see Chuck Heater).
Contrast Temple's current coaching situation with the rest of the Big East teams.
Rutgers was forced to hire an offensive line coach who never won a football game as a head coach anywhere when its top two targets turned down the job. Kyle Flood may turn out to be an Addazio (I seriously doubt it), but there is a chance he could turn out to be a Dickerson or a Terry Shea, too.
Pitt's head coaching situation has been a carousel, with another guy, Paul Chryst, who never won a game as a head coach before. Chryst is the Panthers' fifth head coach since November, 2010 (Dave Wannstedt, Mike Heywood, Todd Graham and Keith Patterson came before him). If you don't think the Panthers are going to take an on-the-field hit because of that in 2012, you are underestimating the importance of stability in big-time college football.
Louisville coach Charlie Strong is 14-12 over the last two years.
UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni lost two of his last three games against some pretty bad Temple teams. He is 62, but he looks 92.
Syracuse coach Doug Marrone was 5-7 last year and brought only 65 players to his team's Saturday scrimmage at Sahlen Stadium in Rochester, N.Y., some 90 minutes from the Carrier Dome. The 'Cuse program is in bad shape. Temple will bring 105 players to Saturday's Cherry and White scrimmage (11 a.m., Lincoln Financial Field).
Cincinnati has a fine head coach in Butch Jones, but his two top assistants, defensive coordinator John Jancek and offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian, can't hold a candle to Heater or Ryan Day in terms of experience and accomplishments.
Temple will need a little luck in the form of avoiding key injuries to win the Big East this season, but Addazio has a knowledge of how to win on the BCS level and a solid blueprint in place for executing that plan in addition to an impeccable character that makes mothers and fathers want to send their sons to play for him. (For the opposite of that principle, see Bobby Petrino.)
"Coach Addazio is the realist coach who ever lived," wide receiver Rod Streater said, an interesting use of the word realist while paying Daz the highest compliment. (Remember, Streater also played for Al Golden.)
That didn't stop Streater from throwing the bucket of Gatorade on Addazio after the 37-15 win over Wyoming in the New Mexico Bowl last year.
"I had to get him, though," Streater said.
Streater got him and now Temple's got him for what will hopefully be a long and successful haul.
That has to be bad news for the rest of the Big East.
