Boston College’s getting a new AD, making 2017 a crucial year for Steve Addazio

On Monday morning, Boston College announced that athletic director Brad Bates would be stepping down this June from the role he held since 2012.

Anytime this happens, it can change the perception of certain coaches, especially after the AD who hired them is no longer around.

So, what does this mean for BC football head coach Steve Addazio, who was hired by Bates in 2012? Well, nothing substantial at the moment, but his position is an interesting one after an up-and-down 2016. A school hiring a new athletic director is always an uncertain development for a coach who hasn’t won a whole lot of games.

Addazio’s team finished 7-6 last season. BC got off to a 3-3 start, before the 1-3 stretch — which included a 45-7 loss to FSU — in the middle of the year. The Eagles rebounded well though, finishing with three straight victories, including a 36-30 win over Maryland in the Quick Lane Bowl.

Given that BC opted to keep Addazio after last season, the options look a bit different if it makes a change in 2017. As Bud Elliott said last November, a school like BC could have landed a big-time coach that may not necessarily still be on the market in 2017.

Imagine being Boston College and trying to fill a position in the likely seller’s market of 2017, having failed to make a move in 2016. Could the Eagles get someone like Penn State offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead or Tennessee defensive coordinator Bob Shoop this year more easily than they could next?

Addazio has gone 7-6 three times at Boston College, with his 2015 team finishing 3-9. After the team’s 4-6 mark after the FSU loss, many thought it was time for him to be fired midseason, even BC Interruption:

After almost two seasons of historically bad football it’s clear that it’s time for Steve Addazio to go. Not next year, not in January, NOW. If that means Athletic Director Brad Bates needs to go as well so we can start a proper search, then by all means make the move. Fans and donors will agree that Addazio has lost the right to finish this season, after consistently making Boston College look like a joke week after week against ACC foes.

Addazio’s recruiting classes have typically landed around the 60s, significantly lower than Frank Spaziani’s last two classes as BC’s head coach, which finished in the 40s.

But the final three-game stretch of the season appeared to be enough to keep Addazio around, at least in Bates’ eyes. We’ll have to wait and see how short of a leash the fifth-year head coach will be on next season under a new athletic director unconnected to bringing Addazio in.