I think a well respected coach can come in a salvage a lot of the players. Especially if they are a proven winner, can sell an achievable vision and connect with the team.
I also wonder when Frost checked out......By the record, I'd think the 1st season. But who knows. That might make it easier for the new coach to connect and lay solid expectations....
Didn't think that he could get the players he needed and he had doubts about having success. That's upon arrival. He'd just come off of the incredible season at UCF. It takes a whole lot mentally to stay on top than to get there. Usually that aspect isn't understood. He comes to a program that is essentially on life support with an under-qualified staff. Being a head coach here entails considerably more than he had experienced.
The overwhelm was there from the onslaught.
The guy needed more of a runway so to speak. More experience, more seasoning. He jumped the gun when the opportunity came. How could he turn down his "dream job". Did he really want it? How much pressure was on him to come in? It's not ridiculous to consider that part of him didn't want to. He put a lot of pressure on himself with the high expectations and exuberant talk. If I'm his advisor, I tell him to say that it's going to be a rough road ahead. Something that can be overcome. Be patient. It's going to be ugly for awhile.
Quit telling people things that aren't the way they are. You need a culture of people willing to be scrappy and get dirty. Build. A nasty, underdog mentality. This isn't the damned 90's. You're entitled to nothing and will work for everything. And there can be satisfaction in that.
But instead he puts more pressure on himself. He can't exceed lower expectations. He is expected to exceed higher ones. His dad experiences some health and dies further compounding the challenges. I think many in his circle of friends did nothing to help him and further compromised his efforts due to their influences. He was in over his head. Eventually things fell apart. The last wagon wheel wobbled into the ditch.
I don't hate the guy. I just struggle with seeing things as they are then being criticized in a way that isn't accurate. There's some personality things but mostly it has to do with timing and experience. I used to go around here saying, he's got three years. Just like Riley. Not that I thought that Riley was the answer or that I thought that he'd get it done. They need a stiff dose of reality up there. They go about it wrong again and again. It doesn't take anyone particularly smart.
Scott was a very good offensive coordinator. There's no doubt that he's creative. If I support what he's doing knowing that it's not in his interest can that be translated into meaning that I don't support the guy? I said, if it doesn't work out with Scott if he can't do it then what. Here we are.
A lot of pressure was put on him and he put a lot of pressure on himself. He underestimated the difficulty of the BIG 10 and didn't effectively adjust and adapt. His system wasn't going to work. The overwhelm set in. And there were a number of miscues. Errors that a more seasoned coach wouldn't do like throwing his players under the bus.
I'm just not very happy about this. In fact, quite disgusted. Trev Alberts had better get this right. We've had one bad hire after another for various reasons. Better take action now. It can be done but we'd better quit making the mistakes of the past. Yes, we'll likely be nothing like we were in the "glory days" however, there is NO REASON that we can't be highly competitive and accomplish some really nice things. IF we get our heads out of our butt and set a trajectory.
It CAN be done. I remains to be seen if it will be. A Bill O'Brien isn't going to get it done. Put me on record for saying it right here and now. It's time to stop dinking around the edges and get some things done around here. Forget the allegiance to friends and the influential who aren't up to speed about what it will take.
I'm just about to start following coaches I like. Enough of the circus. Figure IT out. Yeah, I know, I'm a crappy fan...
