When kids start transferring, typically people point fingers at coaches for not retaining them or not having the power or personality or capturing the trust of a player. It will always blamed on coaching. That’s just the way it works. This year, last year, 10 years ago, 20 years ago.
Sometimes coaches don’t want kids back and help them land elsewhere. That’s true.
I’m not looking to protect or make excuses for KK or any other coach - but it is not their “fault”. The environment of college sports is so much different and I’m sorry, kids have changed a lot. Values, patience, etc - they’re off. Freshman think they should have star power. Guy A in front of you who is clearly better and more valuable sucks in your eyes and you should be getting more minutes; the coach is stupid for not seeing it. Player circles can be toxic and self serving. Far more times than not, it’s the players’ “fault”.
I see both sides, coaches used to have every ounce of power and it’s shifted the other way. Only the most established programs, the most stable actually, have a stronger balance of that.
We aren’t there and I don’t know that we ever will be.
So don’t be surprised and instead of crapping on KK for not keeping kids (I don’t think he’s done a great job so far with the program, but I’m joy going to blame him for every single thing when this is more of a systemic problem that’s difficult to control), I’d say you should take a step back and see things for as they actually are.
Losing kids at a more rapid rate started during Lon’s era, didn’t afflict Spoon or Bayno as much. But it’s more a current climate thing than it is a coaching thing. Kids have more options than every before and they’re using them, usually shortsightedly, at least in my opinion, in most cases.
Sometimes coaches don’t want kids back and help them land elsewhere. That’s true.
I’m not looking to protect or make excuses for KK or any other coach - but it is not their “fault”. The environment of college sports is so much different and I’m sorry, kids have changed a lot. Values, patience, etc - they’re off. Freshman think they should have star power. Guy A in front of you who is clearly better and more valuable sucks in your eyes and you should be getting more minutes; the coach is stupid for not seeing it. Player circles can be toxic and self serving. Far more times than not, it’s the players’ “fault”.
I see both sides, coaches used to have every ounce of power and it’s shifted the other way. Only the most established programs, the most stable actually, have a stronger balance of that.
We aren’t there and I don’t know that we ever will be.
So don’t be surprised and instead of crapping on KK for not keeping kids (I don’t think he’s done a great job so far with the program, but I’m joy going to blame him for every single thing when this is more of a systemic problem that’s difficult to control), I’d say you should take a step back and see things for as they actually are.
Losing kids at a more rapid rate started during Lon’s era, didn’t afflict Spoon or Bayno as much. But it’s more a current climate thing than it is a coaching thing. Kids have more options than every before and they’re using them, usually shortsightedly, at least in my opinion, in most cases.
