After all, Berry had just led the Division I-AA (now FCS subdivision) Redbirds to an 11-3 record in 1999 (its second consecutive winning season), and it was apparent to Rick Greenspan that Berry could lead the Black Knights of the Hudson out of the quagmire of mediocrity.
Young, clean-cut, and charming, Berry represented a fresh face and new ideas. He promised to abandon the triple-option that had been the cornerstone of the Young-Sutton era.
Instead, he implemented the single-back, pro-style offense he had employed at Illinois State. Additionally, he slashed the roster to focus on developing the team’s best athletes.
Yet, Berry’s tenure proved a huge disappointment. Midway through his fourth season in 2003, he was fired after a 0-7 start. Army would go on to lose more games that season than any in NCAA I-A football history, with a record of 0-13.
Many argue that it was his refusal to keep the triple-option that led to the failure of his program. But the problem with Berry’s reign on the Hudson was bigger than that. In Greenspan and Berry’s plan to modernize Army’s program, they had forfeited those elements which defined it.
It wasn’t that Berry should have kept the wishbone because it was the only system that could work at Army. He should have kept it because it is a system that Army can actually run better than other programs.
The tenacity, discipline, selflessness, and intelligence fostered at the service academy give its teams a distinct advantage in operating the triple-option and its intricacies. By abandoning this system, Berry forfeited this advantage.
It wasn’t that cutting players to concentrate on the most talented athletes was a far-fetched idea. But the real question is why?
West Point is one of the few college programs where all of its players are on an academic scholarship. Without the need to worry about athletic scholarship limitations, why arbitrarily limit the pool of athletes the team can field?
I digress.
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