A business decision has been made, sending Ralph Friedgen to an early retirement and the Maryland football program into uncharted waters.
While others have chronicled the steps that led to his dismissal, this is a look at Friedgen on the recruiting trail, and how he was perceived by players and coaches.
An old-school coach who -- as Kevin Van Valkenburg noted in this excellent tribute -- was not at all comfortable with sucking up to prospective recruits, Friedgen was a favorite of many high school coaches. In countless interviews I've conducted over the past three-and-a-half years, coaches would praise Friedgen for his no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach with players – a stark contrast from many sweet-talking college football salesmen.
"I've been very lucky to meet a lot of head coaches because of the great players we have," said Quince Orchard coach Dave Mencarini, whose former players Travis Hawkins and Zach Kerr were signed by Friedgen. "Not a lot of them take his approach. They like to play the recruiting game. It takes a special kid to see through that, to look at what's important. To me, Ralph is who he says he is. It's not about the stadium, the uniforms and the weight room. It's about where you're going to be in five years when you leave."The knock on Friedgen the Recruiter was that he wasn't as active locally as some area coaches might have liked him to be. James Franklin, however, filled many of those gaps. While Friedgen didn't hit the road nearly as much as his well-traveled assistants, he was a closer on campus and in homes. His message to recruits was clear.
"What Coach Friedgen talked about mainly was academics and the type of people they want to recruit to Maryland. And I think Darius fits that role of the type of person Coach Friedgen wants to have at Maryland."
That was a quote last year from Weddington (N.C.) High's Justin Hardin, who coached Terps freshman defensive tackle Darius Kilgo. Here's DeMatha coach Bill McGregor last week, speaking about cornerback Michael Williams' commitment to the Terps.
"No. 1, you get a great education. No. 2, you have a football coach who really cares about his players and makes sure they get their degree..."
Strong academics and numerous internship and job opportunities within driving distance to College Park were popular refrains cited by recruits when asked why they chose Maryland. Friedgen and his staff preached football as a means to a free education more than anything else.
After the Military Bowl, Maryland will bring in a new coach who will be tasked with filling Byrd Stadium and bringing the Terps the kind of success they experienced under Friedgen in his first few years on the job. On the recruiting trail, Maryland football's new leader will follow someone who countless other coaches trusted, respected and admired.
"He wants to focus on the kid and help him become successful in life," Mencarini said. "The way he goes about it, the proof is in hundreds of examples of players he's coached. I think that underneath, it takes a while to realize what's inside of him as a person. I've seen the emotional side, I've seen the compassionate side and I've also seen the tough side. But I just feel very comfortable with my players that have had the opportunity to play for him because they are better men because of him."
Baltimore Sun photo of Ralph Friedgen by Kenneth K. Lam / August 30, 2001