Friedgen a big man with a big task as Maryland coach

MIZELL E-mail: Click here Archive

By HUBERT MIZELL

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 12, 2001

Mel Gibson and Denzel Washington, the body characterizers would say, are hunks. Looking at Ralph Friedgen, you think chunk. My kind of guy. Wears size-XXL shirts. Spends little time before mirrors. Could pass for Marlin Fitzwater, bright but homely White House spokesman for George Bush the elder.

Could pass. . . .

Oh, yeah, Friedgen, new football coach at Maryland, his alma mater, implanted creative plays into minds of Georgia Tech and San Diego Chargers quarterbacks who consistently passed for 300-400 yards a game.

Fridge molded undersized Joe Hamilton into an NCAA wizard. George Godsey, lightly celebrated talent from Tampa Jesuit High, became Tech's next quarterback under Ralph and stats were immediately imposing.

Still, it seemed Friedgen would never get his golden shot. "I always wanted to be the boss," he said, "but kept getting bypassed." He spent a coaching lifetime under Bobby Ross and George O'Leary, making a generous living but, as with renowned Florida State defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews, likewise in his 50s, it appeared the whopper opportunity would never come.

But now, after 31 seasons in football chorus lines, Friedgen has been put in charge at Maryland. Where, in the late '60s, he was a so-so offensive guard. Where, in the '80s, as assistant to Ross, the Fridge developed quarterbacks Boomer Esiason, Frank Reich and Stan Gelbaugh, all of whom had pro careers.

Maryland, my Maryland. . . .

Debbie Yow, athletic director at Ralph's old school, went head-coach shopping in 1997. Fridge, then at Tech, was considered but Yow hired Ron Vanderlinden.

Four more puny Terps seasons made Yow a lot smarter. Finally, at 54, Friedgen gets his command. In the ACC, battered also-rans constantly search for the leader who can allow them to be competitive with FSU, the Tallahassee colossus that is 9-for-9 in winning football championships since joining the conference.

O'Leary, even without Ralphie, hopes '01 is the year his Wreck outdoes the 'Noles. At Clemson, a prized offspring, Tommy Bowden, son of extraordinarily successful FSU coach Bobby, has Tiger people abuzz. Virginia takes a fresh stab with a bigger, fancier stadium and former New York Jets coach Al Groh.

Then there's Maryland, with a record of 1-46-1 against ranked opponents since Ross left College Park, along with Friedgen, after the 1986 season. "No reason we can't become a strong program," Friedgen said in a recent interview.

"Our campus is a baby step from Washington, the world's most powerful city. Lots of tremendous athletes grow up in our area. We can keep a lot of them home. No excuses for not improving, getting to where we can play head-up with anybody, including Florida State."

Fridge Fever is today's Maryland battle cry. Students by the thousands wear T-shirts bearing Ralph's chunky, not hunky likeness. "There is great hunger to become strong again in football," he said. "We plan to feed it."

Feeding ... he's good at that.

UPPERCUTS: Jalen Rose claims to have lost $250,000 in jewelry to an NBA arena thief. ... After a Manhattan stroll, Stephon Marbury reported a $50,000 necklace was snatched. ... Is something out of whack? ... Roger Clemens has a 14,000-square-foot house near Houston, not all that rare for contemporary athletes, but did you hear about his personal gymnasium, which adds 7,000 square feet? ... Aubrey Huff is no major-league third baseman; ghastly glove. ... Gators sizzle with ESPN college basketball pundits, Joe Lundardi picking Florida to finish No. 2 in the country, Dick Vitale guessing they'll be No. 3, Jay Bilas saying No. 4 and Andy Katz No. 5. ... All four shout that Duke will be No. 1, with a scattering of Top5 support for Maryland, Kentucky, UCLA, Illinois and Kansas. ... You don't expect such junk out of the Navy Academy, where quarterback Brian Madden and defensive end Michael Wagoner were suspended for yanking a Baltimore parking meter and putting it in their vehicle.

JABS: He throws exceptionally hard, but Esteban Yan needs vastly improved mechanics and an effective second pitch if the D-Rays closer is to ever advance beyond nauseating mediocrity. ... When he was Utah Jazz president, Frank Layden asked a player, "Son, what is it with you? Ignorance or apathy?" To which the tall youngster answered, "I don't know and I don't care." ... Joe DiMaggio, during his 56-game hitting streak, used just one bat. ... Wilt Chamberlain played 1,045 games in the NBA and never fouled out. ... If you think the Rays are strugglers, check out a racehorse named Quixall Crossett, who has started 100 times and won not once. ... George Carlin asks, "If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest drown too?"

Whatever happened to Ickey Woods?

-- To reach Hubert Mizell, e-mail mmizell02@earthlink.net or mail to P.O. Box 726, Nellysford, VA 22958.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright