Can Cutcliffe Turn It Around?

Here's a fact that I imagine would bring a certain amount of chagrin to State and Carolina football fans: Despite Duke's ineptness in the sport over the last 40-plus years, the Blue Devils still have won outright or shared more ACC football championships than both the Wolfpack and the Tar Heels. And Duke, with its 1989, co-championship even has a more recent title than either State or Carolina.

Yes, at one time, way back in the ‘50s and ‘60s, when Bill Murray roamed the sidelines, Duke actually played football pretty well. That certainly hasn't been the case recently, but with the hiring of Tennessee offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe, Duke administrators are saying the right things about trying to make Blue Devil football at least competitive.

"It wasn't about just making a change of one person or a personnel change." So says Duke president Richard Brodhead. "That was really a moment for Duke University to recommit itself to the proposition of excitement in football and winning seasons in football. We went to look not just for a coach, we went to look for a change agent and the leader who could produce that change."

Saying Duke needs some kind of change is an understatement. Blue Devil football has been horrid. Only 13 wins since 1999. Some schools win that many, or close to it, in a season.

Football at Duke has been about as exciting as watching my mother take a nap. You'd find more people at a cemetery on a fall Saturday than at Wallace Wade Stadium. If you have been one of the rare few to attend a Duke home game, you know what I mean. You just drive on in, no traffic jams, no crowd, no nothing except plenty of losing football by the home team.

So Duke has finally decided that it's tired of being the laughing stock of college football. The search for a new coach was arduous, but I believe that Duke did about as well as it could in hiring Cutcliffe.

For Athletics Director Joe Alleva, this hire is crucial. He knows he's under pressure after striking out with Carl Franks and Ted Roof. He said right from the start he wanted someone who was offensive-minded and who had been a head coach at the highest level. He believed he succeeded in meeting his criteria.

"We've hit them all right on the head," says Alleva. "I think I found someone who can score some points."

Is the 53-year-old Cutcliffe, a former head coach at Mississippi, a "big name"? No, but what big name college coach was coming to Duke?

Cutcliffe is, however, respected in the coaching fraternity. He made quite a name for himself as the offensive coordinator at Tennessee. His six years as head coach at SEC also-ran Mississippi produced a pretty decent 44-29 record. The Rebels haven't done much since he was dismissed.

He's famous for coaching the Manning brothers – Peyton at Tennessee and Eli at Mississippi. Both speak highly of him, as does their dad, Archie, the former NFL quarterback.

Cutcliffe came across well at his Saturday news conference. He underwent open-heart surgery in 2005 and says that experience has taught him to make the most of every day. He says his energy level now is as high as it’s ever been. He brought that and confidence to the meeting with the media.

He's coached in the rugged SEC snake-pit long enough to know what it takes to win. His Tennessee players say he means business. His boss at U.T., Phil Fulmer, calls him an accomplished recruiter and a great communicator.

Cutcliffe knows that it won't be easy at Duke. "There are no magic dusts, there are no ways that are easy to get this done," says the new Duke coach, "but we'll be on the fast track to get it done."

No, it's not going to be easy. Academically, you can't get players into Duke that you can into Tennessee or Mississippi, but Cutcliffe says he's looking forward to the challenge of selling a Duke education. He also says he'll even sell tickets himself if it means bringing fans and excitement to Wade Stadium.

He better just stick to coaching because excitement will come if those on the field can bring it. Cutcliffe says he will recruit hard and he wants players who have speed. But can he recruit players with that coveted speed to Duke University? Can he convince enough good football players who meet Duke's academic standards to take a chance on a school with a dismal recent football past? Can he or anyone do that?

Cutcliffe, of course, thinks he can or he wouldn't have taken what many feel is a dead-end job. But a half-empty Wallace Wade Stadium where students come to tail-gate but not go to the games is not a good selling point. Cutcliffe needs to start making it happen next season. There is enough returning talent, which includes quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, to take a step forward. Cutcliffe's specialty is molding quarterbacks.

He needs to win some games right away, though. Another 10- or 11-loss season will look like the same old same old. Improvement has to come instantly to bring any sort of credibility.

It is also important for him to hire the best staff that he can. Duke needs a fresh start in every area, and that means assistant coaches as well. A Duke booster told me he's very eager to see who the offensive and defensive coordinators will be. He thinks those hires will make or break the head coach.

Cutcliffe's salary will be three times what former coach Ted Roof's was. The reported $1.5 million is by far the most Duke has ever paid a football coach, and Duke is not paying this kind of money for more of the same. His honeymoon may be short.