Coach Gill and the Flames lose another heartbreaker
The hunt for the FCS playoffs. It has eluded Liberty since 1989 when the program made the jump from Division II to their current Division I FCS level. Former coaches Sam Rutigliano, Ken Karcher, and Danny Rocco all failed to lead the Flames to the promised land. There have been 6 Big South championships (outright or shared) in the past 7 years without any appearances in the playoffs. 2014 will be the 5th season the Big South has had the coveted automatic bid, but still no playoffs. The FCS playoffs has recently expanded from 16 to 24 teams making the playoffs more attainable.
There have been countless facility enhancements to help on the recruiting trail including the Football Operations Center, new practice fields, a video board, and the Williams Stadium press tower. With a football budget larger than some FBS schools, the Flames have continually come up short of their stated goal of reaching the playoffs.
Recently, the attention has turned to being #FBSready as Liberty seeks membership of an FBS conference, with the Flames being left at the altar a couple of times already by the Sun Belt. Getting over the hump, and making the FCS playoffs, certainly won’t hurt the goal of reaching the FBS level.
Will 2014 be any different? Can Turner Gill lead this team to the promised land? It’s almost time to find out.
Previous entries:
10. Monmouth joins Big South
9. How good can LU’s offense be?
8. Chance to impress Sun Belt against App State
7. Chima Uzowihe
6. Replacing Kevin Fogg and Walt Aikens
5. Kicking game
4. Danny Rocco returns
3. Loss of Des Rice
2. #beatCoastal
