Tulane needs to look in a mirror to see why it isn’t successful

To say it has been a tough fall for Tulane football would be the pigskin understatement of 2021.

The football team lost a much-ballyhooed home game at Yulman Stadium against the University of Oklahoma because of Hurricane Ida.

The team relocated to Birmingham, Alabama, for four weeks, and when it came home, it played poorly in a loss to UAB. Three more losses followed heading into Saturday’s home game against second-ranked Cincinnati.

In losses to East Carolina, Houston, and SMU, the Wave allowed 147 points.

Now, the knives are out by Tulane fans for head coach Willie Fritz. A change in defensive coordinators has not worked, and the offensive line, supposedly a club strength, has underperformed badly.

Quarterback Michael Pratt has taken a beating as defenses tee off on the Wave signal caller.

Conference realignment came, and three of the best football schools in the American Athletic Conference – Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston – will soon be departing for the Big 12.

Six schools from Conference USA will be joining the American. In the college football RPI (Rating Percentage Index), heading into the games of this weekend, the American was ranked ahead of the Pac-12. Once realignment happens, that lofty perch will disappear.

For years, I have heard several theories as to why Tulane can’t produce a consistent winner in football. Former president Scott Cowen railed against the inequities of the Bowl Championship Series.

That, as his sports programs floundered.

When president Michael Fitts arrived and director of athletics Troy Dannen was hired, the athletic budget increased significantly. But, as former Saints and LSU radio announcer John Ferguson used to say, still no marbles.

Fritz is now 30 wins, 39 losses in his tenure at Tulane. And, by Tulane standards, that’s not bad.

But, in his previous coaching stops, Willie Fritz was 154-69. So, he didn’t forget how to coach or how to be successful.

Yulman Stadium was supposed to be the magic elixir: Get out of the Superdome, you know, go home and tailgate. Bring back that college atmosphere. Get the students back to the games.

It all sounded so right. But, through the years, I continue to wonder why Tulane University dances around this question: Why aren’t we winning?

Why not convene one of those committees that colleges adore, study the subject and arrive at an answer? And then, come up with an action plan to address the problem.

Sounds simple to me.

Here’s a simple idea whose time has passed: Tulane football, as a consistent winner, playing in the Superdome in either the Big 12 or the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Houston, Cincinnati and Central Florida have made the jump to relevance. That Tulane isn’t making it, too, is the fault of Tulane University.

Ed Daniels is sports director at ABC26 WGNO. He can be reached at ed@nextstar.tv.