Dec 10 / Rob

Delayed Reaction to Coaching Changes and Player Departures

By now you probably know that Jeff Durden and Chris Malone were fired by JMU on Friday. Durden was the Dukes’ offensive coordinator for the past 9 seasons and was also serving as the assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach. Malone coached the offensive line and had been on the staff for 6 years. He was also the coach who lead recruiting in Northern Virginia, a region that has become increasingly important for JMU in recent years. In addition to Malone and Durden being let go, JMU announced that QB Justin Thorpe, RB Jordan Anderson, and WR Renard Robinson will not be returning to the team next season.

The news broke Friday afternoon and we decided to let things simmer for a bit before weighing in with any thoughts or opinions. We were hoping additional information would be presented to help clarify things. That didn’t happen. However, in the absence of facts there have been plenty of rumors. Rumors and baseless speculation that we’d prefer to just ignore.

The Thorpe news was no surprise. If he did return, he’d be doing so as a 6th year senior and he was benched for true freshman Michael Birdsong this season. At this point, he probably just felt it was best to move on because it’s Birdsong’s team now. JT had the unfortunate job of trying to measure up to Rodney Landers and took a lot of grief from fans. Personally, I wish Justin good luck and thank him for all he did for the Dukes. As far as the departures of Anderson and Robinson go, I am absolutely shocked. Anderson is a more than capable backup for the somewhat injury prone Dae’Quan Scott. He battled turf toe all season, but when healthy last year he showed that he was able to carry the rushing attack on his own for stretches. I think he’ll be missed greatly next season. And it seems unwise to let an experienced receiver like Robinson walk if JMU is moving to a more passing friendly attack next year, like Mickey claims they are.

Regarding Durden’s firing, you could probably interpret this one of two ways. You could say Mickey is throwing Durden under the bus or you could say that Mickey is now on notice. I’m going with the latter. Yes, Mickey’s hands were all over this offense for years and many (including us) have speculated that Durden didn’t have the full autonomy he deserved. He was the OC though and if he could never push back hard enough on Mickey to get control of the offense, then it was time for him to go. JMU has struggled mightily on offense since Landers graduated and it’s primarily been due to poor QB play. The Dukes simply need a new offensive philosophy. Even if much of the offensive ineptitude was due to Mickey’s conservative nature, the program needs a fresh start on offense. And if you pay careful attention to how this news was released, it’s clear that there is very little wiggle room for Coach Matthews anymore. JMU let him make the decision. They announced that Mickey had let Durden go. They followed up with a statement from AD Jeff Bourne emphasizing that 7-4 wasn’t good enough and that JMU expects to contend for championships. Now it’s on Mickey. He made the change and he’s going to be held accountable.

While I’m comfortable with Durden being let go, I’m a little worried about the impact Chris Malone leaving will have. I have no clue how large a role the offensive line coach plays at JMU, but Malone seemed to be well like by players. And he’s flat out been getting it done recruiting in NOVA. The competition for players in the 757 is pretty cutthroat and it won’t get any easier with ODU moving up to FBS. That makes recruiting in other areas of the state, particular the heavily populated NOVA area, even more important. Hopefully another member of the staff has a good handle on things and solid relationships so the Dukes don’t miss a beat recruiting.

29 Comments

leave a comment
  1. Shady_P / Dec 10 2012

    I don’t think losing Malone will be that big of a recruiting hit. Latrell Scott is a GREAT recruiter and can more than fill that hole.

  2. 2004Duke / Dec 10 2012

    I love you guys, but I think I disagree with almost everything you said here.

    -MM made the call to continue starting JT at QB, not Jeff Durden. So our offensive problems started right there.

    -I am not shocked about Anderson and Robinson. If you had to sit the bench behind an over-hyped RB that was not as good as you, you’d want out also. As far as Robinson goes, would you want to play somewhere were you averaged 1 catch every few weeks? No.

    -“You could say Mickey is throwing Durden under the bus” Yes. That is how it is interpreted. No question.

    -You recruit athletes who can’t hit the side of a house (Justin Thorpe) and then ask someone (Durden) to make them a national champion caliber QB? LOL. Seriously?

    -“Even if much of the offensive ineptitude was due to Mickey’s conservative nature, the program needs a fresh start on offense” AND THAT AIN’T HAPPENIN’. Since MM has been at JMU, they have gone through 3 or 4 OC’s, and the only seasons the offenses were any good were (1) the year Clayton was in a car crash and MM was pretty much absent, and (2) the year they had the best athlete in the FCS as a senior QB. The OC isn’t the problem.

    -“a statement from AD Jeff Bourne emphasizing that 7-4 wasn’t good enough and that JMU expects to contend for championships. ” Bravo, sir.

    -“Now it’s on Mickey. He made the change and he’s going to be held accountable.” Were any of you at the JMU-Northeastern game where the entire stadium was chanting “fire mickey”? Hearing anyone talk about MM “being held accountable” is laughable at this point.

    -Malone was the one person I was GLAD to see fired. Our O-Line has SUCKED since Curt Newsome left for VT. Also, let’s set the record straight- he didn’t bring home the NOVA bacon. The reality is that MM for years has flat out refused to recruit NOVA because “NOVA kids are soft” (his words, not mine). Then when ODU came out of nowhere in their meteoric rise to FBS mediocrity, we were forced to stop recruiting only athletes from Hampton Roads, and had to start recruiting NOVA. Malone just happened to be there, and clearly MM should have been recruiting NOVA the whole time.

    I know it sounds like I hate MM, but trust me, I don’t. I am really sick of seeing him constantly pass the buck and throw people under the bus for years and years rather than be a man and take personal responsibility for the program. Mickey Matthews is the head football coach, and the buck stops with him. Not Matt LeZotte, Not Coach Davis, Not Coach Durden, Not Drew Dudzik, Not Justin Thorpe (I could go on…)

    Man up, Mickey. Admit that YOU are responsible for the program, apologize to the fans for your sub-par performances, and admit that you made some very bad decisions. Then tell us what you are going to do to fix it. Don’t point the finger and start firing people. You tell us what YOU are going to do to give me a reason to keep sending in my hard-earned dollars to the football program and the school.

    I suggest something that begins with “I would like to personally apologize to the fans for our performance. I am the head football coach, and the success of our program is my responsibility. I know we have not bee headed in the direction this program needs to go….” and ends with something like “…so I have decided that I need to adapt my coaching style to be successful. As of the 2013 season, the OC will call the offense, and I will act in the role of ‘head coach’. As long as I am the head coach at JMU, Dukes football will continue to consist of playing strong defense, playing field position, and establishing a strong running game. That is who we are. That is how will are going to win our next National Championship. Thank you for your continued support, and go dukes!”

  3. Shady_P / Dec 10 2012

    2004Duke – I always enjoy your posts and insight.

    I actually like Jordan Anderson and Reynard Robinson leaving along with JT. That opens up 3 additional scholarships that I hope JMU uses on linemen (OL and DL). We have plenty of talent at WR/RB. JMU always seems thin along the lines and I am tired of hearing the injury excuse when one guy goes down.

  4. Rob / Dec 10 2012

    Not sure how you could even judge JMU’s talent level at WR considering the struggles in the passing game, but with Anderson and Robinson’s departures and Brian Barlow’s graduation, 3 of JMU’s top 6 receivers from this past season won’t be back.

    And while JMU has traditionally had a lot of talent & depth at RB, I think it’s a mistake to run off Anderson. Dae’Quan Scott has a history of injuries and I’d rather the Dukes have a veteran like Jordan to carry the load if/when Scott goes down. The alternative will be turning to a guy who’s never carried the ball or Dejor Simmons, a player with all of 17 carries in his career.

  5. Shady_P / Dec 10 2012

    All I am saying is that all the WRs that get trotted out there look to be pretty interchangeable. You also have to consider that the two ‘official’ starting WRs – Daniel Brown and Marquis Woodyard both suffered injuries and were out for most of the season. With that being said Arlandis Harvey, Quinton Hunter, and De’Andre Smith all looked pretty decent especially when Birdsong threw the ball. Look for Ian Fischer to be moved to TE and then you have a quality impact player there.

    I am confident JMU can find some quality running backs……which really comes down to the OLine taking care of business. If the OLine gets nasty and blocks well, the RB position will be fine.

    It really comes down to coaching and offensive philosophy. I think JMU has more than enough athletes to compete.

  6. 2004Duke / Dec 10 2012

    I suggest JMU goes to Army and hires their OC. They suck, so he might be happy to leave, but their offense was SICK this season, and it is perfect for mickey matthews: Run for 500 yards/gm, and attempt 2 passes.

    Honestly, we need to either let the Ginger Giant (not to be confused with the former “GG”, the Gentle Giant- Harry Dunn, OT, 2004) open it up and throw it 30 times a game with 25-30 handoffs, OR we need to just say screw it and hire someone who is a wishbone expert. Yes, Rhode Island runs it and sucks, but Ga South, Navy and GT also run it and are very successful. Just for the love of god PICK ONE.

    If the new OC brings in the Pistol Playbook, I’m going to puke.

  7. 2004Duke / Dec 10 2012

    ..and if you guys hear anything about potential new OC’s, please share. I’d love to have that conversation for the next few months to take my mind off our “basketball program”.

  8. Zac / Dec 10 2012

    I heard Anderson left on his own accord to focus on being pre-med. Regardless, I wish him the best of luck. He was one of my favorite players.

  9. Sunchase / Dec 10 2012

    I honestly think the biggest short-term loss in Anderson. He’s a quality guy in the locker room, he was versatile, and his talent often gets lost in the playing-behind-Dae’Quant-Scott shuffle.

    Thankfully, he’s not leaving for any sort of disciplinary reason, or really even a football-related reason at all. I wish him the best next year.

    As for the new OC, I’ll keep an ear to the ground for you 2004.

  10. 2004 Duke / Dec 10 2012

    JT and DQS didn’t make the all-american squad…. OMG!

    (Seriously though, congrats to big E and Stephon…. good job guys. Very proud of you guys)

  11. Sri Bhagavan / Dec 10 2012

    I thought Durden did a good job during national championship run. Matthews stuck his nose in with coaching the quarterback and with offense in recent years and the results were clearly his to take responsibility for.

  12. 83 Duke / Dec 10 2012

    I agree, changes needed to occur and be it good or bad, the ultimate performance in 2013 falls squarely on MM. I’ve heard from a good source that Jordan Anderson was run off, he wanted to return for a 5th year but was told it was not being extended. I’ve also heard that Latrell Scott has applied for the head coaching position at VA State.
    Hard to see Bobby Petrino get the job at App State, while he’s a scum bag as a human being, the man can coach. Thats just another program that may continue to be superior to JMU in the near future.

  13. 83 Duke / Dec 10 2012

    My apologies, Petrino was hired by WKU….

  14. 2004Duke / Dec 11 2012

    Damn… that would have been a good hire. Oh…right…we aren’t looking for a head coach yet.

  15. Luke / Dec 11 2012

    I think most of JMU fans would agree the problems start with Mickey. Unless the new OC is truly given control of the offense, which I doubt, I don’t think much will change. Really sorry to see Anderson leave though.

  16. Todd / Dec 11 2012

    Petrino was never going to a FCS team. He’d have waited another 2-3 years if necessary for some FBS team to decide the need to win was worth it; WKU just came to that decision first.

  17. White Hall / Dec 11 2012

    One of the things that annoy me about MM (and there are several) is that he has a tendency to become enthralled with certain players and will not let other players compete or play. Case in point, JT and to a certain degree, DQS. It now looks like MM is doing the same thing with Birdsong. Don’t get me wrong, Birdsong appears to be a good kid and has shown a lot of potential. But there is no reason to name him QB1 in December. Why not have an open competition in the Spring? And it’s not like we don’t have good talent (at least on paper) behind him. Thourogood was all-everything in high school and a lot of QBs find success after transferring down to the FCS level, just ask Delaware. And I believe MM described Reynolds on Signing Day as “Rodney Landers 2.0”. So unless these guys have just been plain awful in practice this year, MM should have waited to name QB1. Plus I think the new OC would want to have a say on who should be QB1.

    On an unrelated note, with today’s news of the impending departure or dissolution of the Big East by the 7 basketball schools, is the joining of the remaining BE football schools the upgrade that our AD has been planning for? Assuming most of those schools stay together, which is likely as CUSA and MWC can’t take all of them back, it does present a nice mix of decent football (USF, UCF, Cinn, ECU) and good basketball (UConn, Memphis, Temple) programs. Plus it would be a lot better than the CUSA that ODU will be joining. . . .

  18. 2004Duke / Dec 12 2012

    “Plus I think the new OC would want to have a say on who should be QB1.”

    Excellent point. This is exactly why I don’t think hiring a new OC is going to do anything.

  19. Rob / Dec 12 2012

    That really is an excellent point about Mickey letting the OC weigh in on QB1. If it’s indicative of how things are going to “change”, then my entire interpretation of JB putting Matthews on notice if he doesn’t let an OC fix the offense, sort of falls apart, huh?

  20. Shady_P / Dec 13 2012

    I think we may be reading a little too much into naming a QB1 going into the spring. My opinion is you gotta name someone QB1 and it is his job to lose. Just because you name someone QB1 does not mean there cannot be a competition during Spring practice. That being said coming out of Spring practice there has to be a QB1 and I am fine with that being Birdsong from the little I have seen him play. At least when Birdsong was QB the offense was actually exciting and entertaining to watch. I also like the statement with regard to revamping the offense (less freaking option and hopefully elimination of the pistol) based onthe starting QBs skillset. The last thing I want to hear in August is we got a QB competition and I am not sure who will win out…..we might just play’em both.

  21. thundersnake / Dec 13 2012

    – sounds like Mikey and London are in the same pickle. Maybe they should just swap postions. 😉

  22. Chado / Dec 13 2012

    I wonder if Mickey will think about hiring Justin Rascati to be the QB coach.
    He just finished his 1st year at Weber State as their QB coach.

  23. Shady_P / Dec 14 2012

    now that’s a GREAT idea….hire someone who actually played QB well in college.

  24. Chado / Dec 14 2012

    After he manages to crawl out from underneath the bus, I bet Durden ends up at Murray State. I believe he has connections there.

  25. Steve / Dec 17 2012

    I love this blog. Like many others, I had high hopes for the 2012 season given how young our team was in 2011 and made a decent run in the playoffs. That said, our offense is too one dimentional and our defense is too inconsistent to be really successful. I would have preferred to see MM gone as at the end of the day the head coach deserves the praise or, in our case, the blame for the results. Here’s hoping to a reinvigorated 2013 team. Happy holidays everyone – and Go Dukes!

  26. Dissatisfied Duke / Dec 18 2012

    As a player for this JMU Football team, we feel as though Coach MM is what is hurting us. Controllin all the decisions offensively has hurt us for the past 3-4. And the fact that ‘we’ take the blame week after week is the worst thing you can do to a team…blame us! We need a new start offensively and all new coaches. We like the idea of having Coach Latrell Scott as our head coach and even OC, and we’re really upset about to loss of Durden and Malone.
    As much as we read about the comments you guys make, here it is, coming from the source itself. We need new coaches across the board offensively now. Most importantly, the Strength & Conditioning program needs CHANGE asap! We’re really missing not having Durning

  27. DukesFan84 / Dec 18 2012

    The public statement by Jeff Bourne said everything that needed to be said. It is clear that a deep run in the playoffs is a must. No more excuses. The players are talented and a deep run is possible if the new OC is allowed to do his job. The O line really started to struggle when Scott Jones was benched and Austin Lane went down (I know that these were separate events).

  28. M Easy 04 / Dec 25 2012

    Any new buzz around potential OCs?

  29. Andy hayes / Jan 7 2014

    Durden is a turd. Look at all of the jobs he has had a shit schools. What a loser.

Leave a Comment

%d bloggers like this: