Steve Addazio Deserves A Chance to Succeed

Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

The reaction of the Boston College football fanbase to the hiring of Steve Addazio this afternoon is predictably sour. I admit that I was one of the first to voice concern over the move when there were reportedly other more high-profile candidates available (though at this point, it would seem most or all of those reports were completely false). Nevertheless, this is the hand we have been dealt, and we must all pull behind Addazio.

There isn’t going to be a Bob Diaco or an Al Golden. Athletic Director Brad Bates has made his choice, for whatever reasons he and his associates saw fit, and this is our stake now. Either Steve Addazio succeeds at rebuilding Boston College football or we all fail. If we are to call ourselves Boston College fans, then we must root for Addazio and his men that they can fix this before we turn into a perpetual joke.

Addazio’s only crime so far is getting hired to a better job. He does not deserve harsh criticism when he hasn’t even set foot on campus yet, much less coached a game. It is perfectly valid to feel disappointed when other names were floated in the media, or that he is a “safe” hire, but he must be given a fair chance. Frank Spaziani, unfortunately, got four years to work his anti-magic. Steve Addazio deserves at least an hour to see what he can do to help, one would hope.

It is also fair to retain your skepticism while hoping that he is a success. Not just for himself, but for the school and the kids putting on the maroon and gold. It is for them that we hope Addazio wins.