Just be greatful you are not Ron Zook.

[DKW 86 7,441]

Link: St Pete Paper.

Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. Fire Zook

SHELTON

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By GARY SHELTON, Times Sports Columnist

Published October 24, 2004

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The question is not whether you fire Ron Zook. Shame on you for asking.

The question is whether you disconnect his cable. The question is whether you deliver his mail. The question is whether you sell him gasoline at the pump, and if so, how much do you charge. Do you fire him?

Of course you fire him.

You fire him now; you fire him fast. You fire him with reason; you fire him without regret. You fire him with every adjective in your thesaurus.

It will take until the end of the season, but by now, Florida can do nothing else. Zook has lost too often, too ugly to continue. He has lost to the wrong opponents, and he has lost in the wrong place. He has lost big games and, now, he has lost tiny ones.

You do not have to be a member of Pi Kappa Phi to see it. The Ron Zook Error is winding down. His is a legacy that will be defined by blown leads, botched opportunities and baffling underachievement.

Now this. Florida lost to the Bulldogs Saturday. No, not Georgia's. Mississippi State's.

That's right. The Gators lost to Mississippi State, a 241/2-point underdog that had been swept by the trifecta of Vanderbilt, Alabama-Birmingham and Maine. Repeat: Maine.  

Someday, Sylvester Croom may get it going, and the Bulldogs may be a fearsome opponent, and Starkville might be a difficult place to play for someone other than the home team. But it hasn't happened yet. This season, Mississippi State has been sadder than an unrung cowbell.

Thank goodness, then, for Florida. Mississippi State scored seven points against mighty Maine. Against the Gators, it scored 38. (Today, you can expect Maine's athletic director to call to schedule a game against Florida. For homecoming.)

For Zook, this could have been the final insult. His Gators lost to a lesser opponent on a day they didn't seem ready to play and didn't seem determined to compete. They acted as if once they pulled into a tie, they expected the Bulldogs to faint from awe.

This was not a fluke. This was a team with more energy outplaying one with more talent, one with better preparation outplaying another with more playmakers.

In the final chapter, they will remember such things about Zook. He had an agonizing way of overcoming his own team's advantages. Especially in the fourth quarter.

Do you fire Zook?

Depends. Do you ever fire anyone?

Oh, there will be those who rush to Zook's defense today. There always are. There are those who plead for patience and those who lobby for time. There are those who list other coaches from other programs who got additional time. Then there are those who want to use his skull for Hamlet.

For both sides, these are the questions that matter:

How long does a program have to wait until you admit a mistake?

And how long does it take to fix it?

For those who stand by Zook, and there seem to be fewer by the week, this is the argument, isn't it? That you have to give Zook four years because, golly, it sounds fair. It's how long a degree takes. It's how long a president gets. It's what a guy taking over a program that wins two games a year gets.

On the other hand, this is Florida. Do we really need to see Zook's first recruits as seniors before we can make a judgment on what we are seeing? Does Florida have to give four years because, say, Indiana did?

Ask yourself this: Do the Gators seem to be getting better? Did they look any more poised against the Bulldogs than against LSU? Or Arkansas? Or Tennessee? Or Ole Miss or Arkansas or Miami last year?

On the other hand, Florida was never meant to be a learn-as-you-earn coaching job. This was one of the premier programs in the South. Given a little more ambition in its scheduling, it could be one of the premier programs in the nation.

From the first drop of his name, however, Zook has been in over his head. Picking Ron Zook after missing out on Mike Shanahan and Bob Stoops is like going car shopping and test-driving a Ferrari and a Lamborghini before buying a Kia. In the world of questionable hires, Zook is Final Jeopardy.

Is this enough for Florida?

Or does a program with this kind of resources deserve more?

Ah, look. I don't want to be mean. Apart from his visits to fraternity row, where he tends to turn into Dean Wormer, Zook seems like a decent enough guy. He works hard. He cares deeply. I would love to find a reason to defend him.

Here is a question: If Zook is really such a peachy coach, if all he needs is time, if things are going along so wonderfully, then why not give Zook a raise? Why not buy him a house and extend the length of his contract and name the practice field after him? Why not start a Web site called KeepRonZook.com?

Yes, that's silliness. So is the idea of continuing the suffering in the name of someone else's idea of fairness. Go on. Serenade Steve Spurrier outside of his window. Throw more money at Shanahan. Throw a longer contract at Stoops. Take Air Auburn to Bobby Petrino's house in Louisville. Send flowers to Urban Meyer in Utah.

As for Zook, he seems to be in the fourth quarter of his era.

If you have been watching, you know it gets ugly from here.

[Last modified October 24, 2004, 00:28:20]

[SLAG-91 1,483]

The only and I mean ONLY thing that could save Zook's job at this point is winning out...and that might not even do it. It's moot, though, because they will not win in Tallahassee and if ever there's a year when UGA should get off the schnide, this is it. The Gators are staring right down the barrel of 6-5.

[GoAU 1,603]

(Today, you can expect Maine's athletic director to call to schedule a game against Florida. For homecoming.)

I thought that was hilarious!!!!

[Tigermike 3,055]

I don't think Fla should fire Zook! They should sign him to a long term contract!

I don't think Bama should fire Shula! They should sign him to a long term contract!

[Raven_tiger 5]

Link: St Pete Paper.

From the first drop of his name, however, Zook has been in over his head. Picking Ron Zook after missing out on Mike Shanahan and Bob Stoops is like going car shopping and test-driving a Ferrari and a Lamborghini before buying a Kia.

[Last modified October 24, 2004, 00:28:20]

114201[/snapback]

That guy stole my line...

Fire Foley too, else the Ole Ball Coach will to return. Spurrier will not work for Foley.