I don’t know about everyone else on campus, but for me watching the Spartans has become more painful than any final I’ve ever taken.
I mean, seriously, I’d rather sit through an entire semester of nothing but calculus, biology and economics classes. I had more fun at my EC 202 final my sophomore year than I did watching MSU get embarrassed 28-7 by the Golden Gophers in our Homecoming game.
I don’t think I’m alone when I say this season was supposed to be the Green and White’s return to glory. With a plethora of talent and eight home games I didn’t think anything, or anyone could ruin such a promising season.
But head coach Bobby Williams has emphatically proved me wrong.
Not only has Williams’ shortcomings as a head coach wasted a promising season, but he’s done it in just seven games. After a pathetic 3-4 start (1-2 Big Ten), it’s become blatantly clear to me that Williams simply isn’t qualified to be a Division I head football coach.
And judging by the “Fire Bobby Williams” signs at tailgates, “Fire Bobby” shirts worn by fans in the student section and the “Fire Bobby” chants, I know I’m not alone.
Chemical engineering junior Jim Sierpien, draped in his “Fire Bobby” shirt, said he was disgusted with the fact that Williams can’t get what he considers one of the Big Ten’s most talented teams to perform.
“I think it’s just a matter of time,” Sierpien said. “I just hope Ron Mason can step up and show some guts.”
Some, not me, might think that’s a bit harsh. But those people should consider the fact that Williams was never qualified for the job when MSU gave it to him.
Yeah, former tailback T.J. Duckett wanted him to get the job. And since nobody wanted to see the “Diesel” leave, it made sense. But the move didn’t keep the big fella around long, and the program’s inability to think of the future three years ago is bringing it crumbling to the ground now.
So let’s try to retrace the thought process in hiring Williams.
He was a four-year letterman as a running back and defensive back at Purdue from 1977-81. Then he was a graduate assistant for the Boilermakers in ’82, running backs and defensive backs coach at Ball State from ’83-’84, offensive backfield coach at Eastern Michigan from ’85-’89 and running backs coach at MSU from ’90-’99.
Hold up, I must have missed something because, I’d swear he was a head coach or at least a coordinator at some level in his coaching career.
No, not at the collegiate level.
No, not at the high school level.
I don’t know where to look at the Pop Warner level.
Oh wait, that’s right. I forgot, that’s exactly why Williams wasn’t qualified in the first place.
Come on, how in the world did the administration ever think someone who’s never been anything but a position coach could take a Big Ten school to the elite level.
And its not like he took over a bad team. The Spartans were coming off a Citrus Bowl season, he had Duckett and some guy named Rogers to work with. So I don’t want to hear, “Give him a break. He needs another season to assemble his team.”
His only accommodation was the fact that he’s a great recruiter. But that’s all for naught when you start your career off with a 16-15 record.
I mean, I don’t care how good of a recruiter he is, nobody wants to play for a loser.
“This is a tough time for me right now,” Williams said after the Minnesota loss. “Last week was a tough week, and I’m sure this week is going to be tougher.”
That’s right, because this is a tough time to be a Spartan fan. And the only way it’s going to end is when Mason hands the reigns to someone else.
So if anybody asks you what’s wrong with the Spartans, just tell them to look to the sidelines and not the field.
Eric McKinney can be reached at mckinn54@msu.edu.
