UCF Football In the News ...
My Alma Mater is generating some interest as of late. After going 0-11 last year in a not-so-tough NCAA football conference, we managed to go 8-3 this year (which ties a NCAA record for turnaround) in a someone tougher conference (although not quite a BCS conference). Most Golden Knights, including myself, are humble this year, as we know where we were last year. At the same time, it's nice to have an "about damn time!" moment after years of being snubbed by conferences in the '90s that thought we were "too good, too quickly," followed by some poor recruiting choices and failing out so many students (we've failed out so many good players that went on to play in national championships, including Brad Banks of Iowa) that depleted our talent while killing new recruiting at the same time.
While people talk about how George O'Leary has found redemption at UCF, he has redeemed our purpose far more. No players on academic suspension, an average GPA over 3.0 -- the best since we went to division I-A in 1996 -- and countless other, off-field pride can be derived by all Golden Knights from this season. The fact that after some initial player rotation and O'Leary's "giving in" to letting Freshmen carry the team has resulted in 8 wins out of the last 9 games. Although we now go into our conference championship game without our best player and conference top 3 wide out, as well as a key linebacker, we still like where we're at existing the regular season. For once, we have a team we can be completely proud of -- most importantly off-the-field as well as on.
CBS: With UCF revival, O'Leary gets our nod for coach of the year
Sports Illustrated: Season awards (Coach of the Year)
Sports Illustrated: Comeback Kid (George O'Leary)
USA Today: South Florida, UCF get spotlight in Sunshine State
And for those who still haven't forgotten or forgiven George O'Leary for the alleged resume fiasco almost 5 years ago, give it a rest. How many of you out there, before your first "real" job, didn't fill out an application with a few tidbits that could be taken the wrong way? Don't think that's what happened to O'Leary? Maybe you should do some research!
He fib'd on his 1980 application for his first college coaching job, listing a Masters Degree he didn't complete in the "Education" section, and listing "3 yrs letrd" (even abbreviated, in hand scribble) with regards to his Rhode Island status as a football player on the application. He took Masters classes, but didn't get his Masters Degree (something many people do, and why applications have a "Graduate?" checkbox or "Graduation Date" column), and he only played 2 years with Rhode Island, and didn't letter either year. That was what he HAND SCRIBBLED on his application for his first coaching job -- BACK IN 1980! Everything else has been forwarded on his bio since then, which is what he didn't even notice until it was too late.
He's been punished enough for what he did 25 years ago that affected him some 5 years ago. Everyone man has a right to a second chance. He wasn't guilty of any inpropriety or other non-sense countless other coaches have been -- and the ONLY proof that George himself "lied" is only available on his 1980 application. So, he was in his young '30s and smudged his first application with about 5 extra words -- the "Education" part that probably wasn't a lie (you often list, even if you didn't graduate), although he shouldn't have added the "lettered" even if abbreviated. It's amazing how much small details mean everything to people, yet major ethical issues -- let alone crimes -- by players and coaches all over the NCAA mean nothing to others!
Should he have resigned from Notre Dame? I think O'Leary's statements at the time showed exactly why it didn't matter if the charges were overblown based what he put on an application from 20 years earlier, it cast doubt with regards to him, so he didn't question it in the least. He is a man of honor, and I will respect anyone who is. Those who knew him, including former player under him (in high school) -- Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Mike Tice -- knew the type of man he was. And if there is one thing every Golden Knight knows, O'Leary has been a model coach when it comes to character -- at least for us, especially with regards to our student-athletes off-the-field as much as on.
While people talk about how George O'Leary has found redemption at UCF, he has redeemed our purpose far more. No players on academic suspension, an average GPA over 3.0 -- the best since we went to division I-A in 1996 -- and countless other, off-field pride can be derived by all Golden Knights from this season. The fact that after some initial player rotation and O'Leary's "giving in" to letting Freshmen carry the team has resulted in 8 wins out of the last 9 games. Although we now go into our conference championship game without our best player and conference top 3 wide out, as well as a key linebacker, we still like where we're at existing the regular season. For once, we have a team we can be completely proud of -- most importantly off-the-field as well as on.
CBS: With UCF revival, O'Leary gets our nod for coach of the year
Sports Illustrated: Season awards (Coach of the Year)
Sports Illustrated: Comeback Kid (George O'Leary)
USA Today: South Florida, UCF get spotlight in Sunshine State
And for those who still haven't forgotten or forgiven George O'Leary for the alleged resume fiasco almost 5 years ago, give it a rest. How many of you out there, before your first "real" job, didn't fill out an application with a few tidbits that could be taken the wrong way? Don't think that's what happened to O'Leary? Maybe you should do some research!
He fib'd on his 1980 application for his first college coaching job, listing a Masters Degree he didn't complete in the "Education" section, and listing "3 yrs letrd" (even abbreviated, in hand scribble) with regards to his Rhode Island status as a football player on the application. He took Masters classes, but didn't get his Masters Degree (something many people do, and why applications have a "Graduate?" checkbox or "Graduation Date" column), and he only played 2 years with Rhode Island, and didn't letter either year. That was what he HAND SCRIBBLED on his application for his first coaching job -- BACK IN 1980! Everything else has been forwarded on his bio since then, which is what he didn't even notice until it was too late.
He's been punished enough for what he did 25 years ago that affected him some 5 years ago. Everyone man has a right to a second chance. He wasn't guilty of any inpropriety or other non-sense countless other coaches have been -- and the ONLY proof that George himself "lied" is only available on his 1980 application. So, he was in his young '30s and smudged his first application with about 5 extra words -- the "Education" part that probably wasn't a lie (you often list, even if you didn't graduate), although he shouldn't have added the "lettered" even if abbreviated. It's amazing how much small details mean everything to people, yet major ethical issues -- let alone crimes -- by players and coaches all over the NCAA mean nothing to others!
Should he have resigned from Notre Dame? I think O'Leary's statements at the time showed exactly why it didn't matter if the charges were overblown based what he put on an application from 20 years earlier, it cast doubt with regards to him, so he didn't question it in the least. He is a man of honor, and I will respect anyone who is. Those who knew him, including former player under him (in high school) -- Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Mike Tice -- knew the type of man he was. And if there is one thing every Golden Knight knows, O'Leary has been a model coach when it comes to character -- at least for us, especially with regards to our student-athletes off-the-field as much as on.
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