IYO was Baylor’s surprise hiring of Jim Grobe “a good thing” or “not so good” or “really not good”? That depends on how much you care about Baylor Football. For most reading this that answer is “not all that much”.
Most of us in these parts who know that Wake Forest is not “in Wake Forest” know and admire Jim Grobe. He epitomized “doing it The Right Way and being “sorta successful” while doing so. At least we have every reason to believe that about him. I choose to.
His sub .500 overall record at lowly little Wake Forest is highlighted by one “lightning in a bottle” season – 2006 – in which EVERY bounce and non-injury went just right for him and his hearty band of undermanned, undersized Demon Deacons and they got to The Orange Bowl which no other Tobacco Row program has done in “the modern era”.
Saying his teams were always fundamentally sound is the “she has a great personality” of back-handed compliment. His teams were also notorious for crack-back blocks which are more “legal” than ethical…. but are legal sort of.
Wake Forest never had enough “bling” to recruit enough “skill position players” or enough socio-pathic “stop’em” defensive players. Most Blue-chip recruits play before larger crowds in high school than they would at BB&T / Groves Stadium.
Never play a Grobe Wake team in September. Wait until mid-October when injuries had him playing 220 lbs walk-on O-linemen.
That is what Baylor has gotten to replace the perp-walked in shame Art Briles.
Is Jim Grobe a tough hard-nosed Football Coach with genuine CEO leadership skills? Everything I know about him says so. Will he be awed by Big 12 Football crowds and their unrealistic “zeal” or by the athletic skills of Briles’ recruits and his Big 12 opponent? Nope. He WILL put a very representative team on-the-field next Fall… with what’s left after all the certain quits & transfers.
Does he know the flim flams and scams and yadda yadda that “entitled jocks” use to flaunt their sense of entitlement? Sure. Every big time coach knows those…. most just let’em get away with their “hi-jinks” to keep’em happy and ready to play on Saturday. THAT may be where Baylor’s current players and coaches may have a “come to Jesus” confrontation with Jim Grobe.
The Baylor Fat Cats and board monkeys cannot be happy. Any replacement short of Belichek or Saban was going to keep them pissin’ and moanin’ and “blamin’ those coeds who could not just enjoy “it” and shut up” …. OUCH! I’m sure Jim Grobe knows that.
I’m also sure he knows he really can’t “trust” the staff he is inheriting. His staff at Wake Forest was incredibly loyal and knew how Jim Grobe wanted things done. The Briles’ leftovers can’t wait until they can job-jump out of Waco to somewhere they can recruit any socio-paths they want to.
Jim Grobe needs Briles’ offensive guys to run their high-octane offense. He has never been known as an offensive “guru”.
If Grobe wins 6-7 games next Fall he should be COY.
FWIW… I thought former Fedora assistant and former Baylor player – Blake Anderson – would get the call to Baylor. He still might next December.
Best Wishes Coach Grobe. Don’t sell the lake house on Oconee.
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