Problems at Penn State

Discussion in 'College & Amateur Soccer' started by CM, Oct 29, 2003.

  1. CM

    CM New Member

    Oct 18, 2000
    I have heard that Gorman has released seven or eight players. Hax, can you give us an update to what's going on.

    Besides it being time for Gorman to call it quits.

    If he can't take the losing he should he release himself and not blame the players he himself have brought in the program.
     
  2. CyphaPSU

    CyphaPSU Member+

    Mar 16, 2003
    Not Far
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    There should be no panic...these guys are one of the youngest teams in the country. They have recruited very well and they have a bright future after this season.

    They're going to be real good again in the next few seasons.
     
  3. looprevil

    looprevil New Member

    Oct 23, 2002
    Gorman released 6 players. 2 goalies Earnhardt (Sr) and Moate (Jr) and also Steven Phillips (So), a denfender.

    He also dismissed three freshman till the spring.

    I will post the article when I find it online.
     
  4. Hax

    Hax BigSoccer Supporter

    Feb 1, 2000
    Things are getting really crazy here. After scoring a goal against Lehigh last night, Brian Devlin lifted his jersey to reveal a t-shirt with the numbers 0, 1, and 23 (the numbers of the three players cut this week: Eric Earnhardt, Ryan Moate, and Stephen Phillips). I haven't seen Gorman's reaction to this show of solidarity. This is a team that banded together to win the Big Ten last year so of course they're rattled by the odd circumstances surrounding the cuts. I couldn't find the link, but yesterday's Collegian (PSU's student newspaper) ran a story with Barry Gorman's explanation. He basically said that neither of the keepers (Earnhardt and Moate) would play because of Novchich's performance in goal.

    The only scholarship player is Earnhardt, who will continue to get funding through the spring when he's expected to graduate. If you guys remember, Earnhardt actually red-shirted last year to come back as the starter this year. That didn't pan out, and supposedly he thought about transferring to Virginia but opted to come back. I don't understand why Gorman would bring him back only to cut him, especially considering the show of faith by Eric to red-shirt last season. And I've never heard of a coach cutting players midseason.

    The article also said Moate and Phillips could still receive tutoring through the semester (big deal). The three freshmen, I forget who exactly, will train but not practice if that makes sense, they'll work on strength and conditioning but not attend morning practices. Gorman got the desired result in that PSU stopped their 5 game losing skid, but one has to wonder what this does for morale and unity. This is a very young team, and I understand needing to make an impression by something dramatic, but cutting loyal players doesn't seem the right answer to me (unless something else prompted this decision). I was baffled by PSU underachieving, and now I'm baffled by the coaching and management of the team.

    http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2003/10/10-30-03tdc/10-30-03dsports-06.asp
     
  5. CyphaPSU

    CyphaPSU Member+

    Mar 16, 2003
    Not Far
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yeah, this situation is weird. The coach shouldn't have shafted Earnhardt like that...that's very low class.

    I could totally see Devlin doing such a thing like that (he's the only player on the team that I got to know).

    Are the three cut freshman now going to join the PSU club soccer team in the spring? It'd probably be good for them to work on their fitness and game there before they try to make their way back onto the varsity squad.
     
  6. Hax

    Hax BigSoccer Supporter

    Feb 1, 2000
    Here's the story from Wednesday's (10/29) Daily Collegian that explains the cuts. Here's what it says about the freshmen:

    "Three other players freshmen Hiro Oka, Alan Fleisher and Jeff Wilkins have been "released from practice" -- meaning they will concentrate on a strength and endurance training regimen rather than attending practice daily. The three will return to the team in January, Gorman said."

    http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2003/10/10-29-03tdc/10-29-03dsports-02.asp
     
  7. Sammys

    Sammys New Member

    Mar 5, 2002
    Virginia
    Sure is going to make recruiting difficult.
     
  8. KR

    KR New Member

    Jan 5, 2000
    Actually I thought the only top rate recruit was Simon. Gorman diidn't even have the top PA players. I thought that some of the players looked good on paper but didn't play as well as some PA players who weren't getting the press.

    Everyone was surprised at the Chambers pick. Chambers didn't have a great year for ODP or club.

    Several ranked teams have young teams. Virginia Tech comes to mind. Having a young team doesn't mean a team must lose.

    Personally I think Gorman is wrecking the team's morale with his moves.
     
  9. bopper

    bopper New Member

    Sep 16, 2003
    If you nose around the PSU website articles, you find that Earnhardt is graduating this year, and Wednesday's game against Leheigh was the last home game.

    In other words, he got cut 1 1/2 days after starting against Michigan and suffering a concussion and 1 1/2 days before "Senior Night".

    That's pretty cold even for Happy Valley.
     
  10. Dsocc

    Dsocc Member

    Feb 13, 2002
    This is pretty strange stuff for an olympic sport. I don't recall ever hearing of this at a major program other than for academic or discipline problems. I'm even more amazed that the AD bought in as well. Is this some sort of fallout from JoPa's gridiron struggles? Coaches trying to put their houses in order?
     
  11. Sandon Mibut

    Sandon Mibut Member+

    Feb 13, 2001
    My first instinct is that there is something more to this that isn't being reported like a positive drug test, trouble with the law, a team fight or bad grades or classroom attendance.

    I don't want to taint any of the kids who were let go with these accusations and I have absolutely zero evidence that something like this has happened, but it's hard to imagine a soccer team just cutting players mid season.

    I mean, this just doesn't make any sense. What if the frosh GK does his knee tomorrow and his replacement gets redcarded? Sure, the odds of that are slim but it could happen. Why not keep a scholy player on the bench.

    The other thing is, if the objective of the shakeup was to help the team play better, what frikkin' good does it do to cut players who aren't playing?

    If the team is struggling and you want to send a message, bench the starters.

    This is a baffling situation and I really hope it comes back and bites Gorman - Mr. Can't Produce Any MLS Players - in the ass for handling the players so poorly.
     
  12. Attacking Minded

    Attacking Minded New Member

    Jun 22, 2002
    Exactly. Something is going on here. My guess ould be some of the non-scholarship players were keeping a poor attitude, Gorman wants to lower the boom in practice and doesnt want the distraction of dealing with players that have nothing to lose.
     
  13. bopper

    bopper New Member

    Sep 16, 2003
    Hax, CyphaPSU, you seem to be closer to the situation. Is there something else going on or is this just the coach's idea of "motivation"?
     
  14. CM

    CM New Member

    Oct 18, 2000
    One thing for sure is I know that drugs, drinking, or anything like that is not, the reason.
    It's just that Gorman I think is at a time in his career that losing is something he can't live with and has to put the blame on others, since he can't coach his way out of a situation like this. And know has lost more repect then ever. I for one would never recommend any player going to play for him.
    What he did you might think worked in his mind because they won the game, but that was his last win of the season.
     
  15. Hax

    Hax BigSoccer Supporter

    Feb 1, 2000
    All I know about the situation is what I've read in articles, and in those Gorman insists the moves were made to motivate and shake things up. That being said, I think and hope there's something more involved to it because it makes no sense to cut people mid-season. I would hope Gorman would know enough, being a high-ranking NSCAA member and all, to realize the bad publicity and morale this situation could produce. The only way it's justified is if the players in question are in trouble with drinking or drugs or simply had a fight with the coach and were booted for insubordination.

    I will say this, I am utterly baffled by the moves but I am not calling for Gorman's head until I know the whole story surrounding the situation. A few people have been critical of him in this thread and I can't figure out why. Recruiting? In Omekanda, Devlin, Walters, Chambers, Novchich, and so forth, Gorman has some dynamite freshmen and sophomores, so I see no problem in his recruiting (especially considering that PSU's soccer facilities suck). No MLS players? True, but contraction hurt the chances of Derek Potteiger and Ricardo Villar's Brazilian citizenship hurt him. Winning? He's been very successful in that criteria.

    I've been attending every Penn State home game (and some road ones) every year since 1998 (with a one year hiatus in 2000 where I was in DC and went to all of Maryland's games). In those five seasons, I have watched PSU grow from a team of little finesse that played long ball and "power" soccer to one that can hold the ball, knock it around beautifully, and play some really skillful soccer. The program has grown tremendously over this span, winning the Big Ten, being highly ranked, drawing big crowds, etc. It just seems so odd that with all the positives Barry Gorman has done with this team, he would blow it all up because he's had a bad year. I've heard plans are in place to build a new stadium once funding is secured, and it really seems he has big ambitions. I just can't figure out what went wrong this year, both on and off the field. Hopefully, we'll learn more about this mess...
     
  16. FMRPLYR

    FMRPLYR New Member

    Oct 31, 2003
    Can't stand back any longer

    Alright, I've been in the background for too long. This message board was brought to my attention by a teamate of mine a few years ago and I've been an avid reader ever since. I can't take it any longer. What you all need to know is that there have been problems between the coaching staff and the some of the players at Penn State for a long time before this season ever occurred. I unfortunately do not know any of the current players there but have been there before and believe me when I say this is not the first occurance of this there, just the first to have been so public.

    By the way Sandon, what's your beef with PSU anyway? You've long been a hater.
     
  17. thisisstupid

    thisisstupid Member

    Oct 31, 2003
    Come on

    Fmrplyr,
    how could you possibly say that there are problems between the coaching staff and the players if you dont know any of the current players?the coaching staff has recruited its best 2 classes over the last 2 years so the players must like them somewhat? plus, your personal history with the staff is different than saying that the current players have a problem with the coaches.i am pretty sure that gorman has been there forever but the assistants are only in their 3rd season according to the web. so the only one you could say you have had a problem with is gorman, and chances are its because you never played or didnt play as much as you thought you should have. alot of guys love gorman and alot probably hate him, but isn't it that way everywhere depending on the people who played and who didnt.fact is he is a good coach and the last couple of prior years prove it.round of 16 and quarterfinals. big ten champions and 2 top10 recruiting classes to go with it over the last 2 years. the staff is doing something right. so what if they have struggled a bit this year, they wont be down for long and the season isnt over yet.
     
  18. gormansucks

    gormansucks New Member

    Nov 2, 2003
    for the record, i know several players at psu and i can say with absolute certainty that earnhardt's dismissal had nothing to do with a positive drug test or academics or anything of the sort. i think cutting him was a gutless move in general, but especially right before his last home game as a senior. gorman needs to get his act together and make some sort of apology or just leave. he is ruining a team that has plenty of potential. walters/devlin are dynamite together and the addition of simon should make psu unstoppable. as for devlin's stunt with the numbers of the cut players... kudos to him. it took guts to stand up for what he believes in. if gorman had guts like that earnhardt and a few more players would be on the team. i notice that his son (gorman's) remains on the team.... does that seem funny to anyone else? he never impressed me in high school, and i don't expect he will at this level. maybe earnhardt should get his spot....
     
  19. Dsocc

    Dsocc Member

    Feb 13, 2002
    PSU downed by 'Nova 2-0 on Wednesday. The Lions have now lost 6 of their last 7 games.
     
  20. PB04

    PB04 New Member

    Aug 27, 2002
    Sounds like time to cut a few more players .....
     
  21. Hax

    Hax BigSoccer Supporter

    Feb 1, 2000
    Considering that Brian Devlin predicted Penn State would win 4-0 (in the Daily Collegian, sorry I don't have the link), a 2-0 loss is somewhat surprising. Perhaps part of the problem has been over-confidence. You should never go into a game expecting to win by four goals, especially when you're playing on the road at a team that's ranked in the NSCAA for the first time. Plus Villanova had always been spanked by PSU, so you had to know they would be up for this game. The slide continues, Indiana is their regular season finale.
     
  22. Sandon Mibut

    Sandon Mibut Member+

    Feb 13, 2001
    Good thing cutting those players had the desired effect.

    As for IU, this is a game Penn State should have already lost. It's a makeup game of a match started earlier this year that was called because of thunderstorms. In that game, PSU was losing 2-0 when the game was called.

    I expect a similar result this time as the teams are heading in opposite directions. While PSU is crashing, Indiana has won eight straight and is unbeaten in its last 10.
     
  23. FMRPLYR

    FMRPLYR New Member

    Oct 31, 2003
    Gut Check

    Maybe Gorman should start looking at other options as to what is the problem, as cutting players midseason produced what....a loss to Villanova? That should never happen to PSU, I'm sorry there are just some teams that they should never lose to, and that's one of them. Here's another lovely fact that Gorman should look at; his team has a worse winning percentage and is ranked behind NORTHWESTERN(the kicking stone of the Big Ten). Come on and just admit that it's time to move on. He's lost the edge he use to to have.
     
  24. Noonan

    Noonan New Member

    Dec 16, 2001
    Colorado
    This is also the final regular season home game for IU and therfore the "farewell" game for Yeagley. IU is promoting the game heavily to fill the stadium. Needless to say, it will be a difficult task for PSU to get a result. And then they get to turn around and head back to Bloomington 5 days later for the Big Ten Tournament.
     
  25. CM

    CM New Member

    Oct 18, 2000
    As I said before, after the Lehigh game they would not win another game this year.
    Maybe he should fire his Asst. Coaches this time, since it's not him that's to blame.
     

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