Athletics Department will retain Friedgen

Any evaluation of the Terrapin football team's recent history requires an array of lenses. The team has reached bowl games in three of its past four seasons but produced losing records in four of its last six. The most recent disappointment, this season's 2-10 record, was a product of a team with just 14 seniors, the lowest in coach Ralph Friedgen's tenure. But 11 of those seniors were opening day starters.

Athletics Director Debbie Yow chose to acknowledge the latter but side with the former, announcing yesterday Friedgen would be retained for at least one season amid rampant speculation that last Saturday's loss could be Friedgen's last game with his alma mater.

Friedgen will become just the third Terp football head coach to reach a 10th season at the helm.

The book can now be closed on the first 10-loss season in school history, the darkest hour thus far in the career of the man praised for reinvigorating a once depressed program.

Friedgen began his typical offseason recruiting regimen last night, hours after receiving confirmation he still had his job from Yow in a 9 a.m. phone call.

"She said, ‘Are you ready to move on?' and I said, ‘Yes, I am,'" Friedgen recalled in an afternoon teleconference yesterday. "We were both excited, and I said, ‘Let's get to work.'"

The decision was made after a pair of meetings on Sunday and Monday lasting a total of three-and-a-half hours, according to a source close to the situation. The meetings, which Yow described as "very collegial and kind of intense," focused largely on the program's future.

Yow consulted University President Dan Mote, but said the decision was ultimately her own. She considered potential reasons for the poor season, namely injuries and inexperience, and looked toward a bright future including consecutive well-regarded recruiting classes.

The meetings offered Friedgen a chance to sell himself and his ability to improve the program. Throughout the season, Yow, in her 16th season at this university, refused to make a statement on the team's future until after the season, a decision Friedgen called an "honest appraisal." But she said yesterday she was impressed with Friedgen's dedication to putting a better product on the football field, as well as improving relations with a declining fan base.

"Yes, I gave thought to financial implications — I'm still giving thought to financial implications," Yow said. The Terps were $600,000 short of reaching season ticket sale expectations, "and we can't afford to do that again. It was really a good moment when coach Friedgen said he would be willing to do whatever he needed to do to help sell those tickets."

How close the decision was to buying out the remaining two years on Friedgen's contract is unknown. The hefty $4 million price tag on doing so caused a stir among donors and state officials, with Gov. Martin O'Malley declaring he hoped public funds would not be used for that purpose. Two weeks ago, The Washington Post reported finances would not be an issue, should a buyout be determined as the best course of action.

Monday, Friedgen's lawyer, Jack Reale declined to comment on buyout negotiations when reached in his Atlanta office. Yow left College Park on Monday evening on a previously planned trip to Bloomington, Ind., for a men's basketball game, though she said yesterday she could have changed her plans if there had been a need.

There wasn't, though, as Yow finalized her decision yesterday morning.

"I'm very thankful for the opportunity," Friedgen said. "I hope I wasn't just judged on this year. But I think it shows the confidence the administration has in me and our program. I'm going to repay that with everything I have to make this the team we expect it to be."

Friedgen's career record is 66-46. But after winning at least 10 games each of his first three seasons as head coach, his record has dropped to 35-38 in the last six.

Detractors have criticized his lack of recruiting prowess, noting many top local recruits have eschewed the Terps in favor of Penn State, among other programs. They've also targeted his lack of success since the departures of former coordinators Charlie Taaffe and Gary Blackney, and his conservative game management.

Still, Yow showed her support last February, naming current offensive coordinator James Franklin as Friedgen's eventual replacement. The coach-in-waiting system was meant to increase continuity, though some have speculated the lack of success and swirling speculation this season may trouble recruits.

Friedgen and his staff are now on the road trying to lock up those recruits. As of yesterday, he had only secured a verbal commitment from one player ranked among the state's top 20 recruits, according to Rivals.com.

No staff changes have been announced. Any coming dismissals, hirings or reassignments will be at Friedgen's discretion, Yow said. Friedgen said he has yet to even evaluate the season's final game, Saturday's 19-17 loss at home against Boston College He said he will sort out staffing issues after prime recruiting season. The lack of a bowl appearance this season gives Friedgen a longer time frame for such decisions.

Friedgen has mentioned on several occasions the possibility of systematic changes within the program. With pocket passer Chris Turner, a three-year starter at quarterback, graduating, the Terps may return to the pass-option offense Friedgen used with great success in his first three seasons at the helm. He also said he will emphasize positive reinforcement for players.

The veteran coach emphasized he was not making changes in effort to save his job, though winning and employment are inexorably linked in Division I football.

"I've been in this a long time — it comes with the territory," Friedgen said of criticism in the past season. "We're expected to win football games, graduate our student athletes and help them reach their goals. So I know when we're not winning games, I'm not making a lot of people happy. The fans, the alumni, the administration, but most importantly, myself.