Raising Hell – From the desk of Nathan Hellman

Somehow, after only six games, fans are questioning Vikings’ head coach Jerry Glanville’s long-term future at Portland State. Apparently, the “Man in Black” and the savior of Viking athletics has fallen from grace with many of the Viking faithful.

In his first months on the job, the coach single-handedly generated enough allure in a program on life support to prompt visits from media giants ESPN and ABC. He reinvigorated hope and excitement. He made Portland State relevant.

And while all this thrill boosting and hope was occurring, Viking fans felt blessed.

There were lots of laughs and backslapping, as alums dusted off faded green Portland State T-shirts and outdated hoodies, purchased season tickets and anticipated a perfect season capped with a national championship and parade through Portland’s downtown streets.

To borrow a phrase from generations past, Viking fans took the bait–hook, line and sinker. They feasted on Glanville-mania, speedily chomping it down and then linking their fingers with great satisfaction.

But now after the Vikings have stumbled to a 2-4 mark and Glanville’s risky decision to attempt a two-point conversion late against Northern Arizona, those same fans applauding his arrival are grumbling relentlessly on fan forums and blogs.

And there’s only one reason for the grumbles: the Portland State fan base devoured Glanville’s appeal so quickly that a stomachache is all that remains. These fans weren’t realistic while consuming two or three main courses of Glanville, and now they are bellyaching about food poisoning and a product not up to snuff.

Glanville might be Portland State’s chief chef, but what’s a great cook without proper ingredients? Ask mega-chef Emeril if he could whip up his famous chicken cordon bleu without boneless chicken breast or Italian-style breadcrumbs, and he’ll probably shout, “Get the hell out of my kitchen.”

These Portland State “fans” whining about so few wins fail to understand that rebuilding a football program takes longer than a couple months. Glanville has been in Portland since March, barely eight months, and already fans are saying the team would be better off without him.

Public journalism like fan forums and blogs provide aficionados an opportunity to sound off, which is merited. But let’s not let these misinformed, pseudo-fans cloud Glanville’s rather brief legacy at Portland State.

Sure, he’s 2-4 thus far, but a glance at his NFL career illustrates that Glanville is not a miracle worker but an above-average football coach.

When he took the reins of the Houston Oilers in the mid-’80s, his first 18 games produced a lowly 5-13 record, and his first year in Atlanta yielded similar results at 5-11.

The real indicator of Glanville’s, and any head coach’s, success is the ability to rebound once enough of his guys are assimilated into the team. Once Glanville had the right personnel to execute his schemes, he enjoyed immense success at both NFL stops.

He reached the playoffs in each of the next three seasons following his first full year in Houston, and turned the Falcons around to the tune of a 10-6 record and post-season appearance in year two in Hot-lanta.

The run-and-shoot offense might look easy on paper and the 3-4 defense capable of spawning a hard-hitting defense on cue. But remember, even though some have adapted seamlessly, these players are not quite Glanville’s. They still wear the stamp of Tim Walsh.

Reserve judgment on Glanville until he’s given a chance to cook with a full disposal of his ingredients. Then we’ll truly know if Glanville suits the taste buds of those in the South Park Blocks.