The Future
I'd love to discuss what is best from a leadership standpoint rationally and reasonably.
AG definitely has plenty to critique, criticize, commend etc. I typically think 6 years is fair and more than enough time to have an idea if the ship is heading in the right direction and has the right captain and make a change if needed.
I do think though that this 6 year period is unlike any other in my time of watching and to reject that reality, label it only as excuses etc. is not reasonable and rational.
Since AG took over, here are some drastic differences between his and AM's 6 years or really any other 6 year period.
1.) Covid Impacts and Covid Year
Challenges: Unbalanced Schedules, Empty arena, disappointment of previous year, no
Obi/Trey/Ryan (leaders)
2.) First ever 1 and done and 2 and done
Not including events like Dumb and Dumber where they were just done
3.) Super Conference Realignment - Revitalized BB only BE
4.) No Sit Transfers
Mid Majors typically saved 1-3 schollies for mid season transfers or red-shirt transfers
in general. I agree that it doesn't make much if any sense anymore in the new culture
but removing that from the plan isn't always that easy. It needs to chg and chg quickly
but adapting to all of this does take some time.
5.) NIL
6.) Tighter Intentionally P5 Biased Metrics (NET)
i.e. Teams going 3-12 Q1 rewarded while 1-1 or 1-2 is punished
7.) AG's personal Tragedy
8.) Unprecedented Injuries
9.) Others?
This has been a very short period of great transition. Incorporated in with these great change are 3 unprecedented uncontrollable events. Covid, Injuries, great personal tradgedy.
All of the BB changes can for sure become excuses for lack of success but they can't be labeled only as excuses because they clearly are obstacles to success that each program will have to learn to work within and around.
Not allowing for more time for a coach to adapt than prior coaches got to this IMO is unwise and could lead to a bad, knee jerk reaction.
The best example of how change impacts teams I can think of is the NFL. There was a planned and intentional reason the NFL is more than the Rams, Cowboys, Vikings, Steelers, Raiders, Dolphins like in the 70s.
Both FA and salary caps were deliberately put in to bring parity in place of dynasties. NE has been an exception to this in all salary cap sports for the most part apologies to maybe the red wings.
This is the opposite of what the NCAA is doing. Their selection metrics are built on subjective, non-result based pre rankings that make it almost impossible for a P5 team to not be a Q1 or Q2 game for all teams in their conference (OSU/NC) and often keep them on the bubble with dismal conference and overall records.
This is the intended consequences and is driven all by money. This doesn't make it impossible for UD to compete, just harder. Pointing out X or Zags to prove it's easy isn't logical as both were established mid majors before these changes and are also exceptions to the rule. There are 100+ more UDs or worse than X and Zags and a few others on the horizon like VCU, San Diego St and St Mary's.
Since AG hasn't had the desired success 5/6 years, he needs to be examined for his results, his awareness of the new environment, and his plans to move forward successfully in this new reality. All this needs to be examined and addressed to make sure he gets it and has substantive changes he plans to incorporate to meet and exceed his expected goals.
If he can't address this or worse yet acknowledge it, he should be gone immediately. If he is addressing it, and his plan looks solid, he should be given a reasonable but limited window to improve toward the stated goals with very specific metrics to meet.
AG has proven he can recruit, develop, win. Jalen, Obi, Trey, Ryan, Darron, and even DD.
He's also proven he can win and win big. He's had the most successful regular season ever and would have been a 1 seed in 2020. Discounting his success because of Obi ois so illogical and wrong. You can't blame him for Baker, Washington and also not give him credit for Obi and Jalen etc. He's the same guy that recruited 2 of the best ever and developed them and the team into winners.
Finally he's shown he's a great representative for the university and can bring in higher level recruits than the program has seen in 50 years. Given all the changes and
unfulfilled opportunity of 2020, I'd prefer a bit longer patience than maybe otherwise granted.
That's all my point of view is. I don't have my head in the sand about some of AG's shortcomings with in game coaching, roster make-up, flexibility etc. I just think he has shown he can win and recruit better than any coach in my time and deserves a longer leash to hopefully make 2020 not look like an outlier.
I end with a hypothetical. If 2020 had played and UD made the Final 4 or better, would your opinion on his current status change at all?
I know we could have lost to a 16 seed but the question is a simple IF - FF4 or better.
Any everyone lived happily ever after.
The End
AG definitely has plenty to critique, criticize, commend etc. I typically think 6 years is fair and more than enough time to have an idea if the ship is heading in the right direction and has the right captain and make a change if needed.
I do think though that this 6 year period is unlike any other in my time of watching and to reject that reality, label it only as excuses etc. is not reasonable and rational.
Since AG took over, here are some drastic differences between his and AM's 6 years or really any other 6 year period.
1.) Covid Impacts and Covid Year
Challenges: Unbalanced Schedules, Empty arena, disappointment of previous year, no
Obi/Trey/Ryan (leaders)
2.) First ever 1 and done and 2 and done
Not including events like Dumb and Dumber where they were just done
3.) Super Conference Realignment - Revitalized BB only BE
4.) No Sit Transfers
Mid Majors typically saved 1-3 schollies for mid season transfers or red-shirt transfers
in general. I agree that it doesn't make much if any sense anymore in the new culture
but removing that from the plan isn't always that easy. It needs to chg and chg quickly
but adapting to all of this does take some time.
5.) NIL
6.) Tighter Intentionally P5 Biased Metrics (NET)
i.e. Teams going 3-12 Q1 rewarded while 1-1 or 1-2 is punished
7.) AG's personal Tragedy
8.) Unprecedented Injuries
9.) Others?
This has been a very short period of great transition. Incorporated in with these great change are 3 unprecedented uncontrollable events. Covid, Injuries, great personal tradgedy.
All of the BB changes can for sure become excuses for lack of success but they can't be labeled only as excuses because they clearly are obstacles to success that each program will have to learn to work within and around.
Not allowing for more time for a coach to adapt than prior coaches got to this IMO is unwise and could lead to a bad, knee jerk reaction.
The best example of how change impacts teams I can think of is the NFL. There was a planned and intentional reason the NFL is more than the Rams, Cowboys, Vikings, Steelers, Raiders, Dolphins like in the 70s.
Both FA and salary caps were deliberately put in to bring parity in place of dynasties. NE has been an exception to this in all salary cap sports for the most part apologies to maybe the red wings.
This is the opposite of what the NCAA is doing. Their selection metrics are built on subjective, non-result based pre rankings that make it almost impossible for a P5 team to not be a Q1 or Q2 game for all teams in their conference (OSU/NC) and often keep them on the bubble with dismal conference and overall records.
This is the intended consequences and is driven all by money. This doesn't make it impossible for UD to compete, just harder. Pointing out X or Zags to prove it's easy isn't logical as both were established mid majors before these changes and are also exceptions to the rule. There are 100+ more UDs or worse than X and Zags and a few others on the horizon like VCU, San Diego St and St Mary's.
Since AG hasn't had the desired success 5/6 years, he needs to be examined for his results, his awareness of the new environment, and his plans to move forward successfully in this new reality. All this needs to be examined and addressed to make sure he gets it and has substantive changes he plans to incorporate to meet and exceed his expected goals.
If he can't address this or worse yet acknowledge it, he should be gone immediately. If he is addressing it, and his plan looks solid, he should be given a reasonable but limited window to improve toward the stated goals with very specific metrics to meet.
AG has proven he can recruit, develop, win. Jalen, Obi, Trey, Ryan, Darron, and even DD.
He's also proven he can win and win big. He's had the most successful regular season ever and would have been a 1 seed in 2020. Discounting his success because of Obi ois so illogical and wrong. You can't blame him for Baker, Washington and also not give him credit for Obi and Jalen etc. He's the same guy that recruited 2 of the best ever and developed them and the team into winners.
Finally he's shown he's a great representative for the university and can bring in higher level recruits than the program has seen in 50 years. Given all the changes and
unfulfilled opportunity of 2020, I'd prefer a bit longer patience than maybe otherwise granted.
That's all my point of view is. I don't have my head in the sand about some of AG's shortcomings with in game coaching, roster make-up, flexibility etc. I just think he has shown he can win and recruit better than any coach in my time and deserves a longer leash to hopefully make 2020 not look like an outlier.
I end with a hypothetical. If 2020 had played and UD made the Final 4 or better, would your opinion on his current status change at all?
I know we could have lost to a 16 seed but the question is a simple IF - FF4 or better.
Any everyone lived happily ever after.
The End