What many of us suspected would happen has come to pass – David Cutcliffe is out as head coach at Duke. A 3-9 (0-8) season marked by a seven game losing streak is a sad, sad way to end the greatest era of Blue Devils football since Coach Murray roamed the sidelines back in the ’50s and ’60s. While I have been critical of David Cutcliffe since The Jump Pass and its aftermath, no one wanted to see empty stands, a winless conference record and three straight losing seasons. As a head coach, David Cutcliffe made Duke football relevant. He led the team to a Coastal title, an ACC Championship game, the Peach Bowl and three straight bowl wins. While we may be unhappy with the way that these last few seasons went, we can, and should, appreciate everything he did in Durham. I certainly will and can’t wait to see the statute that (damn well better) gets erected in his honor. Coach Cut made the Blue Devils an important part of the college football landscape for almost a decade. I won’t forget that. And I’ll always look back fondly on his time in Durham. Coach Cut, if you read this, thank you for what you did. I appreciate it.
As far as what comes next, I won’t engage in speculation about who may be the next head coach. Instead, I want to take a moment to say that as rough as it is for us to go through a coaching change as fans, it’s a lot rougher for the players and, perhaps more important, the parents of the players. The uncertainty surrounding the coaching staff probably has them all worried about playing time next season, what kind of coach will come in and how their child will fit in with a new staff . The unease we feel as fans is dwarfed by their unease. And a lot of them are just as worried about what the transfer portal will bring. Will their child stay or go? Will a new player come in and take their child’s playing time? It isn’t an easy time for the players or their families.
Even more unease surrounds the staff and their families. We know that this will be a rough time for you all and we want it all to work out well. I hope that some of you get retained by the new head coach and, if you don’t, that you quickly land on your feet. Hopefully the transition process won’t be too rough for you all.
That’s all I have to say about the coaching situation right now. On Twitter, I mentioned that I was going to get a season recap up before this post about the coaching staff. Well, I have a season recap ready to post, but the tone of it won’t fit with the moment. It just isn’t the time for it. What is in that recap does need to be said, but, out of respect for Coach Cut and the staff, I’m going to put it in a virtual drawer for the time being.
Let me know what you think about what I think in the comments or on Twitter.
Go Duke!
Bull City Coordinators - A Duke Football and Roman History Blog 
Really good post about the perspective we, as mere alums and fans, need to have about this transition. While we can agree that the last few years haven’t been what anyone wanted, most especially those who are actually living it every day, it’s important to remember the human element and lives affected. So many people who have dedicated so much time and energy to the university we love and who did the absolute best they could for the program’s success are now facing a ton of uncertainty. It’s cold business, and the wins weren’t as plentiful as anyone wanted, but I wish all of the players and staff nothing but the best, whether they stay at Duke or move on to something else.
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Excellent points, Brad. Very well said. This is never a fun process even if it is a necessary one.
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Thoughtful response to a thoughtful article, Brad.
Having lived vicariously through two prior coaching changes via buddies on the team and the staff, I hurt for all these guys, particularly the off-field staffers. I know everyone had a hopeful vision for how the Cutcliffe era would end, and it’s sad the pieces didn’t align to send him off to the cheers of a full stadium (or at least half full, in Duke-adjusted terms).
I have zero doubt that Cutcliffe will draw down every ounce of goodwill he has in the coaching profession to help find the best possible landing spot for each of his guys, and I hope he has enough energy left afterwards to do something for himself, too. He’s earned whatever place in the game he chooses.
I found this blog and podcast while poking around for intel on the coaching search, which, for better worse, will be the first clear indicator about how the next era of Duke Athletics will look. It’s great to see at least a few fans care enough to have honest conversations vs. shrug and protect their place in the Iron Duke pecking order. No P5 athletic department has been more impervious to accountability than Duke, particularly where football is concerned.
Keep up the great work!
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Thanks, Alan! I appreciate the comments and hope that you’re enjoying the podcast and the blog. It’s been a lot of fun to learn more about the program. If you’ve been involved with the program, we’re always looking for guests.
Any thoughts on who the next HC will be?
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My sources aren’t what they used to be, and I’m not keen to repeat twitter/message board fodder, but here’s what I’ve got….
I am very confident Jason Garrett is more than a red herring, particularly once UVA opened out of the blue. The eyeball impact of the Garrett rumor breaking during MNF did not go unnoticed, and conjures up memories of headlines about hiring the Manning Family QB whisperer. As a rule, both Big Money Donors and casual/Wal-Mart fans tend to buy more into fantasies vs. realities, and hiring Garrett would provide a whiteboard full of dreams to sell.
Garrett is more palatable than a service academy coach (or one of the alums given courtesy interviews) as a ‘break glass in case of emergency’ option that would preserve the timeline given he’s not in the fray for other jobs. I’m unclear whether this is where he’s slotted vs. as a prime candidate, ala Elliott and Elko.
The thesis on Tony Elliott is that him choosing Duke after passing on so many P5 jobs suggests staying power, and that he could be to Duke what David Shaw has been to Stanford. His hiring would boost King’s equity in the Allen Building, where increasing leadership diversity is not a priority but an imperative. Elliott has coached enough games at UVA he doesn’t need to visit the campus, so Carla Williams appears to be in the pole position and it’s unclear whether he’s interested in hearing Duke’s best-and-final, assuming he hasn’t already.
Elko also has leverage to demand the sort of specific terms that Duke does not like to include in coaching contracts. He looks the least like the 10-year solution Duke seeks in any coaching hire, and I will not be shocked if negotiations with him go sideways. This one just doesn’t feel right to me; if he had the fire for the job, and Duke was willing to meet his demands, I think it’d have been done already. Now I’m speculating, so I’m going to stop.
The picture should come into focus tomorrow, hopefully revealing one of these three.
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What are your thoughts on Elko now that the hire has been made?
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