Extension for Spaz

Its the most wonderful time of the year! Bowl week!

With bowl season three games in and the Beef O'Brady Bowl in progress there really hasn't been much to report considering they've all been blow outs (not counting Beef bowl). However there is some news out of Boston College….

BC has awarded Frank Spaziani with a two year contract extension for his success keeping the program together after Jeff Jagodzinski left the program in 2008. This new contract extension will extend Spaz's contract through 2015 as he still has three years left on his original deal. The next five years will be under the steady hand of coach Spaz.

(Spaz is all smiles this holiday season)

Now, this may upset some people who claim that Spaz is to conservative, and that he isn't cut out to be a head coach. What those people didn't realize is that after Jags left, Boston College football was left in shambles. After Jags last game coaching, quarterback Dominique Davis transferred, B.J. Raji and Ron Brace graduated and went on to be drafted in the 1st and 2nd round of the NFL draft, Mark Herzlich, Reigning ACC POY was diagnosed with cancer and recruits that had committed to Jags de-committed. Spaz was left in a tight spot.

In his first year as head coach of the Eagles, Spaz lead them to 8-4 record (6-1 at home) and a date with the USC Trojans in the Emerald Bowl. Though they fell to the Trojans 24-13 and dropping their record to 8-5, I would consider that a successful year. Sure you want to win the bowl game and play better on the road, but given the circumstances Spaziani did a bang up job.

(Rich Gunnel sets the all time mark at BC in

receiving yards with this catch against USC

in the Emerald Bowl 2009)

The second year would be the real test for coach Spaz. Coming into this season BC's receiving corps was inexperienced, the graduation of all time leading receiver in Boston College history Rich Gunnel left BC with one legitimate option in Colin Larmond Jr. Four star recruit, wide receiver Shakim Phillips, figured to make an immediate impact. Both went down with injuries in the preseason. So the stage was set for Spaz's sophomore campaign, an inexperienced offense lead by junior running back Montel Harris and a defense with a good mix of youth and experience lead by the emotion return of senior Mark Herzlich.

After they jumped out to a 2-0 start, the Eagles lost five straight and many began calling for coach Spaziani's head. In the face of unrelenting criticism and in danger of losing his job, Spaziani decided to make a change a the quarter back position. True freshman Chase Rettig was given the wheel and asked to lead the team. Fast forward to present and BC is sitting pretty in the post-season for the 13th consecutive year and a match-up with 14th ranked Nevada. Spaz was able to lead an injury plagued, inexperienced team to 5 consecutive wins to end the season. This man deserves to be the coach of Boston College for years to come and this was expressed by athletic director Gene DeFilippo.

(Athletic Director, Gene DeFilippo)

"Let me tell you, to bring the team back that was, 0-4 in the ACC and 2-5 overall, it gave us all an opportunity to see, first of al, how these players and coaches reacted to Spaz. The fact he did a terrific job of rallying them through all the injuries, all the young kids we played, I told him, 'You know Spaz, there'll be sometimes in the coming years when we'll win 10 or 11 games, but I'll always look back at 2010 and say that was probably your best coaching job,' because how it ended up."

With Spaz locked up until 2015 Boston College football is on the right track and in good hands. If Spaz can pull out a win against a tough Nevada team in the Kraft bowl it will only validate the decision to keep the defensive genius under contract.