Agree with Monte and others that we aren't at a breaking point yet, but as many have also said there are things outside of just Ws & Ls that are cause for concern. Patience still required but it's really being tested.
Caught my first game live yesterday, happened to get in early. Even in warm-ups thought team looked flat, surprising with a week off after a loss to LIU. Played okay early, faced one small adjustment (a basic 3-2 zone), 35-5 run ensues. (It's unfortunately besides the point that solid starts followed by getting doors blown off in last 10 minutes of first half has become a habit - Minny, MSU, VCU, and PSU at a minimum). We couldn't counter ourselves until sometime in the 2nd half (small as it was) largely because we were flat and not prepared to adjust ourselves, unacceptable with a week off after a loss to LIU.
College coaching is a grind. I think one of biggest questions hiring a former player to coach, any sport at any level, is will they have the drive to sustain against that grind. 200+ days on the road (more for assistants), wild west of recruiting, balancing both of those things and others with team and game preparation from October-March equaling lots of nights sleeping on office couch, etc. This is hard enough at UNC or Kentucky, as we've see with certain coaches at those schools prior to the present ones. If you already have a legacy secured as a player, aren't relying on continuation in this profession as your livelihood, and are trying to rebuild a program? Who needs it?
Have little doubt CM and staff are putting in significant effort to turn this around. They have seemingly been all over the place recruiting, Matt making regular trips to Florida to check on Zach, etc. But yesterday was hard to watch on a lot of levels, and what is already a challenging rebuild is going to get harder every time we have a game like it. Reducing/eliminating those a key, but have to admit even acknowledging the many coaching styles and sideline demeanor that have been successful, it was tough to watch the coach up 20 acting like he was out if he lost, and the coach down 20 mostly walking around with his arms crossed. Those kind of optics lead back to former player piece - even if he cares and feels pressure, does he feel it the way a guy would if the SJU job might be the best opportunity he'll ever get if he fails? Obviously don't know answer, but realistically hard to fault CM if he didn't.
Good reminder from Happy that we have probably made it harder than it needs to be over the last few hires. Constant talk about an X/O coach who needs a recruiter or a recruiter that needs an X/O coach - there are guys out there that have made a career coaching that can do both and surround themselves with talented assistants at the same time. If this doesn't work out hope we go that route, but we swung for the fences in CM, think it still has a real chance, and think there are 3 key evaluation points over next 12 months:
1. Does team play vast majority of remaining games (in excess of 90%) with energy and purpose demonstrated capable of in Minny, Fordham, and Tulane games. This goes way beyond W/L, and is likely to get only more challenging given Ls that may pile up rest of way. But if baseline commitment to play for program can't be established there are foundational issues that even talent, which we seem to be banking on, will be hard to overcome. Yesterday basic requirements like getting back on defense - down 20+ at home - clearly weren't required and that's concerning.
2. Is there appropriate staff realignment in the spring. Nobody even has to go necessarily, but with way this season is unfolding doubling down on current structure signals lack of accountability. For me, Mitch is earning points for at least expressing genuine exasperation with what is taking place on court which is refreshing. For many reasons, including taking some of aforementioned pressure off of CM, I think this staff needs the Matt version of game coaching and program management. 10-15 years as an assistant, without the name/pedigree to potentially undermine CM, who is hungry like Matt is to advance career. Let Matt and the Matt version of game coaching and program management grow this program under CM.
3. Roster construction and performance next year. Evaluation clock gets bumped up and not back based on performance to date. There needs to be core player retention, additional players added, individual progress and coherent team play that not only results in wins but leaves little doubt program is on right track for years 4 and 5. I thought we would have that part this year separately from record, resoundingly we have not, hope it will stabilize somewhat over next 2 months through answer to #1 but regardless there will be more focus on next year than I think would have been expected 2 months ago.
Caught my first game live yesterday, happened to get in early. Even in warm-ups thought team looked flat, surprising with a week off after a loss to LIU. Played okay early, faced one small adjustment (a basic 3-2 zone), 35-5 run ensues. (It's unfortunately besides the point that solid starts followed by getting doors blown off in last 10 minutes of first half has become a habit - Minny, MSU, VCU, and PSU at a minimum). We couldn't counter ourselves until sometime in the 2nd half (small as it was) largely because we were flat and not prepared to adjust ourselves, unacceptable with a week off after a loss to LIU.
College coaching is a grind. I think one of biggest questions hiring a former player to coach, any sport at any level, is will they have the drive to sustain against that grind. 200+ days on the road (more for assistants), wild west of recruiting, balancing both of those things and others with team and game preparation from October-March equaling lots of nights sleeping on office couch, etc. This is hard enough at UNC or Kentucky, as we've see with certain coaches at those schools prior to the present ones. If you already have a legacy secured as a player, aren't relying on continuation in this profession as your livelihood, and are trying to rebuild a program? Who needs it?
Have little doubt CM and staff are putting in significant effort to turn this around. They have seemingly been all over the place recruiting, Matt making regular trips to Florida to check on Zach, etc. But yesterday was hard to watch on a lot of levels, and what is already a challenging rebuild is going to get harder every time we have a game like it. Reducing/eliminating those a key, but have to admit even acknowledging the many coaching styles and sideline demeanor that have been successful, it was tough to watch the coach up 20 acting like he was out if he lost, and the coach down 20 mostly walking around with his arms crossed. Those kind of optics lead back to former player piece - even if he cares and feels pressure, does he feel it the way a guy would if the SJU job might be the best opportunity he'll ever get if he fails? Obviously don't know answer, but realistically hard to fault CM if he didn't.
Good reminder from Happy that we have probably made it harder than it needs to be over the last few hires. Constant talk about an X/O coach who needs a recruiter or a recruiter that needs an X/O coach - there are guys out there that have made a career coaching that can do both and surround themselves with talented assistants at the same time. If this doesn't work out hope we go that route, but we swung for the fences in CM, think it still has a real chance, and think there are 3 key evaluation points over next 12 months:
1. Does team play vast majority of remaining games (in excess of 90%) with energy and purpose demonstrated capable of in Minny, Fordham, and Tulane games. This goes way beyond W/L, and is likely to get only more challenging given Ls that may pile up rest of way. But if baseline commitment to play for program can't be established there are foundational issues that even talent, which we seem to be banking on, will be hard to overcome. Yesterday basic requirements like getting back on defense - down 20+ at home - clearly weren't required and that's concerning.
2. Is there appropriate staff realignment in the spring. Nobody even has to go necessarily, but with way this season is unfolding doubling down on current structure signals lack of accountability. For me, Mitch is earning points for at least expressing genuine exasperation with what is taking place on court which is refreshing. For many reasons, including taking some of aforementioned pressure off of CM, I think this staff needs the Matt version of game coaching and program management. 10-15 years as an assistant, without the name/pedigree to potentially undermine CM, who is hungry like Matt is to advance career. Let Matt and the Matt version of game coaching and program management grow this program under CM.
3. Roster construction and performance next year. Evaluation clock gets bumped up and not back based on performance to date. There needs to be core player retention, additional players added, individual progress and coherent team play that not only results in wins but leaves little doubt program is on right track for years 4 and 5. I thought we would have that part this year separately from record, resoundingly we have not, hope it will stabilize somewhat over next 2 months through answer to #1 but regardless there will be more focus on next year than I think would have been expected 2 months ago.
