Tinkering, trying to slide in through the back door …. Just do the work, win. Win the league itself, regular season. Don’t depend on 3/4 in March.
Like Odom did. No excuses. Crappy team. Historically terrible program.
Like Lindy did. No excuses. Crappy team. Historically poor program.
With less resources, less history, less backing and a much worse starting spot.
Stop dicking around. Get to it. Incremental (and arguable) slow growth doesn’t cut it. That’s a sham, it’s a built in excuse to fail.
Just win. Enough is enough.
Everything is an excuse as to why we should accept the sub mediocrity that we’ve had.
I agree. But using Odom as an example that the idea of slow growth being a sham doesn't make sense.
He has a somewhat unique approach that I like. Building around talent that he already has. But that is the exception rather than a rule. Most coaches rise through the ranks due to a particular approach which made them unique and successful. Most of then those approaches need specific personnel to run that may takes years to develop.
It is easier to turn over a roster in 1 year now more than ever, but Odom didn't do that. The majority of his contributing players last year were legacy players. Good players brought in from another coach who was a good recruiter if nothing else.
I don't see Kevin for instance, using slow growth as a crutch. In fact until this year he has tried the opposite. Going with temporary players over longer term players, which is what you were implying he should do. So if your "slow growth" is meant to be a shot at Kevin, which is obviously what you are implying, then that doesn't fit either. In fact, we probably would have been better last year if we tried to build with more multiple year players, you know, like the majority of our peers that have done with more success than us.
Kevin himself needs growth being a first time HC, and one without the experience as an assistant as other first time head coaches. But even with that, he took us to our objectively best finish since Rice's first year in year 3.
Before you put words in my mouth like you always do, he doesn't deserve a raise or extension, and we need to see more. Last year was still somewhat of a disappointment. No one is super happy with where we are. Some just are more realistic with our situation.
But you also can't just hone in on Kevin and make a decision. The athletic department has a budget. Football deserves all it can get, it is our one and only ticket to substantially increase media revenue that can completely change the all of our programs. Maybe there is a way to get a high dollar basketball head coach and give the football program all that it needs to make waves. But I don't know where that will come from, do you?
Harper is a football guy, he made a bold decision to fundraise and hire Barry, who wasn't even his first choice. It looks great right now. I couldn't be happier about it. But making a move like that at a place like UNLV, probably means that the other programs, including basketball may get less capital.
