A recent rumor indicates what a lot of us expected, and some of us predicted before the season started, may be coming true. (Can I just add that my pre-season picks were pretty much on the money with the exception of how these games are being lost?) It is looking more and more likely that the David Cutcliffe era at Duke, which was the best era of my lifetime and the best era for a lot of the fans out there, will be coming to an end.
Pete Thamel over at Yahoo! Sports put some fuel on the fire, but this is something that has been lurking for a while. Cut’s contract remains good through the end of the 2022 season (it ends midway through 2023) and a series of blowout conference losses (discussed earlier this year here) aren’t likely to change that. The News & Observer has also had articles about retirement / changes this season.
Given the context of the last several years, and following another blowout conference loss, no one should be surprised by this situation. And, like I said previously, this is unfortunate. David Cutcliffe made the Blue Devils relevant in college football. This was the first time since 1988-1989 that Duke remained relevant for more than two seasons and the first time the Blue Devils ever made it to an ACC Championship Game. The four straight bowl games were a thing of beauty as were the six bowl games in seven years. I appreciate all the good that he’s done for the Blue Devils and that’s how I will remember the Cutcliffe era. I know I’ve been critical, but I mean what I say here.
Go Duke!
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