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Post by Happy Fortune on Apr 15, 2021 17:16:00 GMT -5
If you want facts, the posters can give it right back to you. For example: all three “upsets” were against teams that were getting off covid pauses or losing a key contributor. We also got THROTTLED both times we played Mason and both times we played UMass, two mediocre squads. Top it off by losing to Saint Joe’s 2/3 times. Anything above a .500 record next season and I’ll be floored (in a good way)
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Post by explorer88 on Apr 15, 2021 17:23:12 GMT -5
If you want facts, the posters can give it right back to you. For example: all three “upsets” were against teams that were getting off covid pauses or losing a key contributor. We also got THROTTLED both times we played Mason and both times we played UMass, two mediocre squads. Top it off by losing to Saint Joe’s 2/3 times. Anything above a .500 record next season and I’ll be floored (in a good way) Don’t let those facts stand In the way in understanding why not everyone is fuzzy about a 9-16 team.
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Post by diehardexplorer on Apr 15, 2021 17:34:46 GMT -5
There is such a negative stench with a small group of posters here, who seemingly know everything, it is laughable. Let's ignore the fact that the team beat the top 3 preseason teams in the Atlantic 10 this year, all while starting a freshman PG, sophomore shooting guard, wing who may as well be a freshman, a sophomore forward, and two centers who have been injured or haven't played much over each of their two-plus years. Let's also ignore the fact that there was no ability to have kids on campus at all during the summer, which is when most get better. Next year, there is a core group returning - 4 starters (Brickus, Moore, Clark, Ray) plus a 5th who was basically a starter in Kenney. Gill will improve - he showed some things that can help. Rutgers transfer will be the backup 5 man, and will be just fine in that role. And I think Marrero & Shepherd have the potential to be the best two recruits Howard has brought in. And at critical positions - a bigger guard who can score, and an athletic wing. That's 9 solid A-10 players, all who have at least two years of eligibility left. Whether Moore & Doucoure use the extra year is anyone's guess. It really is sad to see so many on here so quick to judge. And have no interest in hearing an argument contrary to their own flawed belief. lol. where do i start. all 3 of those teams they beat were coming off of covid pauses, but even if they weren't, what does that tell you about the coaching. they were able to win those games but then proceeded to get blown out multiple times and lose to dregs like fordham and st joe's (pa) among others. every a10 team dealt with the same issue with practicing over the summer. and i'll take it a step further. la salle had no covid pauses, had a full roster for most of the season with a player sitting out occasionally for minor injuries. if anything, that should have benefitted this team. it did not. i like the core of this team. i think ash has done a solid job of recruiting (although he appears to be struggling to find an impact player from the portal). talent-wise, i think this team is at least mid-pack in the league, yet they finished 12th. vcu and umass played tons of underclassmen too. my issue is the coaching. the team was lost last year. started out slow most games, spotty effort on defense, poor shot selection on offense, sloppy play with too many turnovers. it was worse at the end after having 25 games under their belts. no sign of improvement with the same mental errors happening over and over. that my friend is a coaching issue. i never said i wanted ashley fired. i don't think any of us "know-it-alls" have said that. imo, he deserves the full 5 years. i pray that he figures it out next season because you don't want him being a lame-duck for his 5th year. and sorry buddy, i'm not quick to judge. i've been through this multiple times with this program. they hung onto speedy for too long and they hung onto dr g for too long. doing that is a program killer. ashley needs to do a better coaching job. that's the long and short of it.
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Post by Happy Fortune on Apr 15, 2021 17:38:13 GMT -5
Simply put, at this current time in Ash’s tenure, our roster is filled with guys who are good, not great. Other schools are reloading talent at a very high rate. Ash needs each and every player to be a home run and they are currently not even close.
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Post by GlitterBro #2 on Apr 15, 2021 19:23:12 GMT -5
It really is sad to see so many on here so quick to judge. 3 years is quick to judge? We gave him a pass on the first two seasons, and season 3 was supposed to be the year "his guys" knew "his system" and showed improvement. Losing the 12/13 game of the PIG is not improvement. I'm happy with his recruiting. The talent is a serviceable mid-level A10 team that should be able to be coached UP to finish in the top half of the league. Instead, they've been coached DOWN, been blown out in many games, lost to the dregs of the league, and had multiple defections from the team...some of which was good talent that would make a difference on our roster. When the inconsistency we see and lament STILL happens in year 3, it's kind of judgmental to say we are so quick to judge...especially when we are asked to contribute and pay for this. Personally, I'll happily write my donation check and buy season tickets again next year if they have us back in the stands, but if we have another stinker in year 4 where it feels like Groundhog Day, I'd probably find some other use for those dollars in year 5.
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Post by thelasallelunatic on Apr 15, 2021 19:53:49 GMT -5
I actually was pleased with Coach Howard after year 2. To go from 10 wins to 15 wins was a decent accomplishment. I think we took a step back this season. Hopefully we take 2 steps forward this coming season.
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Post by explorergrad08 on Apr 15, 2021 20:25:04 GMT -5
It really is sad to see so many on here so quick to judge. 3 years is quick to judge? We gave him a pass on the first two seasons, and season 3 was supposed to be the year "his guys" knew "his system" and showed improvement. Losing the 12/13 game of the PIG is not improvement. I'm happy with his recruiting. The talent is a serviceable mid-level A10 team that should be able to be coached UP to finish in the top half of the league. Instead, they've been coached DOWN, been blown out in many games, lost to the dregs of the league, and had multiple defections from the team...some of which was good talent that would make a difference on our roster. When the inconsistency we see and lament STILL happens in year 3, it's kind of judgmental to say we are so quick to judge...especially when we are asked to contribute and pay for this. Personally, I'll happily write my donation check and buy season tickets again next year if they have us back in the stands, but if we have another stinker in year 4 where it feels like Groundhog Day, I'd probably find some other use for those dollars in year 5. Yes, quick to judge. SEASON THREE TOOK PLACE DURING A PANDEMIC. Do you understand what that means? Go back and watch a press conference or two where Howard talks about how difficult it was to get in the gym and get guys shots, due to protocols. What were these guys doing all summer? Did they have access to gyms to get better? Additionally, when the season started, how many minutes were allocated to freshmen and sophomores? And what do you know about young players? They are inconsistent. So why are you so surprised to see the ups and downs? It isn't easy to swallow, but let's stop taking crazy pills and think this was going to be a 20-win team in year 3. That's just not the case. La Salle is not any other program in the A-10. La Salle is not St. Joe's. La Salle is not Saint Louis. La Salle is certainly not VCU, or Dayton. It takes time. There are going to be mistakes. There are going to be horrific games. There are going to be ebbs and flows. But a program like La Salle needs continuity, not upheaval. The only way you succeed at a school like La Salle is through continuity and seeing it through. And having a fan base that at least shows one microcosm of positivity, rather than the constant negativity. The administration believes it has the right person for the job, is that correct? You, in your infinite wisdom, do not. Clearly. So who is right and who is wrong? La Salle hires a guy that is an assistant coach -- that everyone, to a person, wanted to be the head coach. Never been a head coach in his life. And after 3 years, 1 of which was played with once-in-a-lifetime crisis situation (that you minimized, I might add), you are bitching and moaning about everything. And not even acknowledging the positives. They beat those three teams after COVID pauses - OK, so does La Salle get any special accommodation for playing every game this year and not having any pauses? I will leave with one question - why do you think La Salle men's basketball should be any better than a 12th or 13th best team in the Atlantic 10? And if you say "I don't think they should be in the Atlantic 10", then I ask you - if they were in the MAAC, where would they fall on the list for recruits picking a school? And where might you expect La Salle basketball to be positioned in the MAAC, were they to go there?
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Post by explorergrad08 on Apr 15, 2021 20:27:50 GMT -5
Simply put, at this current time in Ash’s tenure, our roster is filled with guys who are good, not great. Other schools are reloading talent at a very high rate. Ash needs each and every player to be a home run and they are currently not even close. "Reloading talent" - please define that. The A-10 has a ton of players committing to programs. Great. Some are rated highly, others are not. Some have great offers, others do not. URI has a number of high-level transfers commit last year and they finished with one more win than La Salle. If you believe any school is going to hit a home run with every player they recruit, you are out of your mind. And especially at a school like La Salle, where you have to take chances.
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Post by calsufan on Apr 15, 2021 20:50:09 GMT -5
3 years is quick to judge? We gave him a pass on the first two seasons, and season 3 was supposed to be the year "his guys" knew "his system" and showed improvement. Losing the 12/13 game of the PIG is not improvement. I'm happy with his recruiting. The talent is a serviceable mid-level A10 team that should be able to be coached UP to finish in the top half of the league. Instead, they've been coached DOWN, been blown out in many games, lost to the dregs of the league, and had multiple defections from the team...some of which was good talent that would make a difference on our roster. When the inconsistency we see and lament STILL happens in year 3, it's kind of judgmental to say we are so quick to judge...especially when we are asked to contribute and pay for this. Personally, I'll happily write my donation check and buy season tickets again next year if they have us back in the stands, but if we have another stinker in year 4 where it feels like Groundhog Day, I'd probably find some other use for those dollars in year 5. Yes, quick to judge. SEASON THREE TOOK PLACE DURING A PANDEMIC. Do you understand what that means? Go back and watch a press conference or two where Howard talks about how difficult it was to get in the gym and get guys shots, due to protocols. What were these guys doing all summer? Did they have access to gyms to get better? Additionally, when the season started, how many minutes were allocated to freshmen and sophomores? And what do you know about young players? They are inconsistent. So why are you so surprised to see the ups and downs? It isn't easy to swallow, but let's stop taking crazy pills and think this was going to be a 20-win team in year 3. That's just not the case. La Salle is not any other program in the A-10. La Salle is not St. Joe's. La Salle is not Saint Louis. La Salle is certainly not VCU, or Dayton. It takes time. There are going to be mistakes. There are going to be horrific games. There are going to be ebbs and flows. But a program like La Salle needs continuity, not upheaval. The only way you succeed at a school like La Salle is through continuity and seeing it through. And having a fan base that at least shows one microcosm of positivity, rather than the constant negativity. The administration believes it has the right person for the job, is that correct? You, in your infinite wisdom, do not. Clearly. So who is right and who is wrong? La Salle hires a guy that is an assistant coach -- that everyone, to a person, wanted to be the head coach. Never been a head coach in his life. And after 3 years, 1 of which was played with once-in-a-lifetime crisis situation (that you minimized, I might add), you are bitching and moaning about everything. And not even acknowledging the positives. They beat those three teams after COVID pauses - OK, so does La Salle get any special accommodation for playing every game this year and not having any pauses? I will leave with one question - why do you think La Salle men's basketball should be any better than a 12th or 13th best team in the Atlantic 10? And if you say "I don't think they should be in the Atlantic 10", then I ask you - if they were in the MAAC, where would they fall on the list for recruits picking a school? And where might you expect La Salle basketball to be positioned in the MAAC, were they to go there? "But, but, but..."
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Post by explorergrad08 on Apr 15, 2021 20:58:06 GMT -5
There is such a negative stench with a small group of posters here, who seemingly know everything, it is laughable. Let's ignore the fact that the team beat the top 3 preseason teams in the Atlantic 10 this year, all while starting a freshman PG, sophomore shooting guard, wing who may as well be a freshman, a sophomore forward, and two centers who have been injured or haven't played much over each of their two-plus years. Let's also ignore the fact that there was no ability to have kids on campus at all during the summer, which is when most get better. Next year, there is a core group returning - 4 starters (Brickus, Moore, Clark, Ray) plus a 5th who was basically a starter in Kenney. Gill will improve - he showed some things that can help. Rutgers transfer will be the backup 5 man, and will be just fine in that role. And I think Marrero & Shepherd have the potential to be the best two recruits Howard has brought in. And at critical positions - a bigger guard who can score, and an athletic wing. That's 9 solid A-10 players, all who have at least two years of eligibility left. Whether Moore & Doucoure use the extra year is anyone's guess. It really is sad to see so many on here so quick to judge. And have no interest in hearing an argument contrary to their own flawed belief. lol. where do i start. all 3 of those teams they beat were coming off of covid pauses, but even if they weren't, what does that tell you about the coaching. they were able to win those games but then proceeded to get blown out multiple times and lose to dregs like fordham and st joe's (pa) among others. every a10 team dealt with the same issue with practicing over the summer. and i'll take it a step further. la salle had no covid pauses, had a full roster for most of the season with a player sitting out occasionally for minor injuries. if anything, that should have benefitted this team. it did not. i like the core of this team. i think ash has done a solid job of recruiting (although he appears to be struggling to find an impact player from the portal). talent-wise, i think this team is at least mid-pack in the league, yet they finished 12th. vcu and umass played tons of underclassmen too. my issue is the coaching. the team was lost last year. started out slow most games, spotty effort on defense, poor shot selection on offense, sloppy play with too many turnovers. it was worse at the end after having 25 games under their belts. no sign of improvement with the same mental errors happening over and over. that my friend is a coaching issue. i never said i wanted ashley fired. i don't think any of us "know-it-alls" have said that. imo, he deserves the full 5 years. i pray that he figures it out next season because you don't want him being a lame-duck for his 5th year. and sorry buddy, i'm not quick to judge. i've been through this multiple times with this program. they hung onto speedy for too long and they hung onto dr g for too long. doing that is a program killer. ashley needs to do a better coaching job. that's the long and short of it. What is your honest expectation of La Salle men's basketball, given its situated place within the A-10? Do you really believe you are going to find John Wooden on the recruiting trail and on the coaching side of it, too? Jay Wright at Hofstra was 10-18, 9-18, and 12-15 his first three years. First time head coach. Go ask Hofstra fans what they thought of him after his third year. During normal circumstances. Nobody is perfect to start. Nobody is the complete package at a place like La Salle to start. This is a complete rebuild. It takes time. And sorry buddy. The long and the short of it is you and the small group here are constantly looking for reasons to bitch. And have no ability to look at it from any other perspective other than one of your own jaded one.
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Post by GlitterBro #2 on Apr 15, 2021 21:09:32 GMT -5
Yes, quick to judge. SEASON THREE TOOK PLACE DURING A PANDEMIC. Do you understand what that means? Go back and watch a press conference or two where Howard talks about how difficult it was to get in the gym and get guys shots, due to protocols. EVERY TEAM IN THE A10 FACED PANDEMIC CHALLENGES. Let's stop using that as an excuse, shall we? That's just lazy. I will leave with one question - why do you think La Salle men's basketball should be any better than a 12th or 13th best team in the Atlantic 10? And if you say "I don't think they should be in the Atlantic 10", then I ask you - if they were in the MAAC, where would they fall on the list for recruits picking a school? And where might you expect La Salle basketball to be positioned in the MAAC, were they to go there? That's technically 3 questions. But OK...I'll bite. I think La Salle should be better than 12th in the A10 because...quite frankly...we have been before and shouldn't settle for not getting there again. If there are challenges to being able to compete in the A10 (due to facilities or other reason), then the administration needs to make a decision about that and not limp along and let a $5M donation go to waste. Now as far as recruits picking a school. I don't just want them to PICK La Salle....I want them to STAY at La Salle. This would have been a better team than 12th had Ed stayed and Hikim been developed. Now we lose Jared and an under-used Spencer who was a good 3-pt shooter in an offense that chucks 3s. You talked about "continuity and seeing it through"...players are leaving mid-season for some reason. Let's see continuity and seeing it through from the team before we expect that from the fans.
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Post by hykos1045 on Apr 16, 2021 4:53:42 GMT -5
I actually was pleased with Coach Howard after year 2. To go from 10 wins to 15 wins was a decent accomplishment. I think we took a step back this season. Hopefully we take 2 steps forward this coming season. Counterpoint: this was the first season he produced program defining wins, moments like winning at Dayton, at Richmond. The first season a freshman took over games, rather than relying on a senior, a transfer or a disgruntled G recruit to clean up 15 boards while Howard's guys chucked up threes. Against inferior opponents, the large differential type wins against SJU and Fordham (at home) were what the program has been lacking since 2014. I don't think we took a step back this season. I think we took steps up and back. Rebuilding does not always look linear or incremental. When a program such as ours is taking its time to figure out its strengths and where certain people fit into his system, I expect us to be patient with that. It isn't like we have never been here before. And if we look back at our expectations 3 years ago before the hire, it was pretty much to struggle like this in the short term, nobody expected thrre would necessarily be overnight success.
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Post by glorydays on Apr 16, 2021 6:42:43 GMT -5
hykos, those exhilarating successes you rightly point out make those losses that much more unfathomable.
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Post by jellybean on Apr 16, 2021 7:55:39 GMT -5
There is such a negative stench with a small group of posters here, who seemingly know everything, it is laughable. Let's ignore the fact that the team beat the top 3 preseason teams in the Atlantic 10 this year, all while starting a freshman PG, sophomore shooting guard, wing who may as well be a freshman, a sophomore forward, and two centers who have been injured or haven't played much over each of their two-plus years. Let's also ignore the fact that there was no ability to have kids on campus at all during the summer, which is when most get better. Next year, there is a core group returning - 4 starters (Brickus, Moore, Clark, Ray) plus a 5th who was basically a starter in Kenney. Gill will improve - he showed some things that can help. Rutgers transfer will be the backup 5 man, and will be just fine in that role. And I think Marrero & Shepherd have the potential to be the best two recruits Howard has brought in. And at critical positions - a bigger guard who can score, and an athletic wing. That's 9 solid A-10 players, all who have at least two years of eligibility left. Whether Moore & Doucoure use the extra year is anyone's guess. It really is sad to see so many on here so quick to judge. And have no interest in hearing an argument contrary to their own flawed belief. smh
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2021 8:45:55 GMT -5
Who wants to tell 808 that every team was playing during a pandemic... I dont want to be that guy, because I don't want to make his arguments crumble that fast.
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Post by theneumann64 on Apr 16, 2021 8:55:05 GMT -5
Here my take on this: It's fair to be concerned with Howard's coaching and recruiting. You're not necessarily being overly pessimistic to be a little alarmed at the transfers or have questions about his rotations or in-game decisions. Certainly there are some things that need to change.
But if you want to ditch the guy after 3 years (or 4 if there's not a dramatic uptick in performance next year), you need to explain what the end game is. Next guy only gets 3-4 years? What's the baseline for NOT firing a guy after a couple years? Do we have to make the tournament in that first few years? NIT? Does the fact that this last year was played in circumstances no one could possibly be prepared for factor in at all?
I just don't believe that most of the people who want him gone already have specific problems with Ashley Howard's job so far that they wouldn't be making anyway right now, regardless of who the coach was. I'm not saying the guy should get 15 years like G got, and to be honest I'd have been fine with them moving on from G a year or two sooner. But man, if the bar is going to be "Steady and uninterrupted progress in the first 3 years," we're going to run through a lot of coaches. This is NOT an attractive job overall, and cranking up the hot seat essentially immediately makes it even less attractive of a job, in my opinion.
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Post by diehardexplorer on Apr 16, 2021 8:57:57 GMT -5
stop it. every team in the a10 dealt with this. la salle and the players did a great job staying healthy, not one covid pause the entire season. if anything, it should have given them an advantage because this roster had more continuity than every other team in the league. nobody predicted this team would win 20 games. no one. people would have been satisfied with a slightly better than .500 season as it would have shown progress.
la salle lost six of their last seven and eight of their last ten games. there was no ebb and flow the entire season. they never won more than two games in a row. and three of those losses to end the season were to a horrendously bad fordham team and a bad st joe's (pa) team along with getting obliterated by gmu.
at the time, i believed ashley was the right pick. he deserved it, paid his dues. i have no issues with his recruiting. he's done a better than solid job with that all things considered. i'm all for supporting him for the next two years and giving him the chance to turn it around. but did you even watch the team this year. i've been a season ticket holder for longer than you've been alive, and that was the worst-coached la salle team i've ever seen. even worse than a couple of the hahn teams. the team didn't even show up multiple times and in other games where they actually had a chance to win, they usually shot themselves in the foot with repeated mental errors, poor execution, and sloppy turnovers during crunch time.
again, stop it with the covid excuse. every team in the a10 had to deal with it. and i'll repeat myself. if anything, with la salle not having one covid pause (kudos to the coaches, players and athletic staff) or any major personnel losses due to injuries, they should have been able to take advantage of that. but they didn't. that's a coaching failure.
during the 2020-21 season, la salle's roster had the highest recruit ranking of any team in the league except dayton on the verbal commits site. those rankings aren't the end all be all but they at least are a loose barometer of whether this team has enough talent to at least be a mid-pack a10 team and maybe even a top half team. so yes, la salle has a talented enough roster to compete in the a10. like i said before, i don't have an issue with the recruiting. what us "jaded" people are complaining about is how poorly this team was coached.
imo, recruiting is fine. myself and others just want the coaching to be competent.
in jay's third year, he showed progress. the team was only blown out once in conference play. finished 9-9 in conference and fourth in the league. ash's third year was regression. oh that's right, it's because of covid.
nobody was complaining after year two and those first two years were far from perfect, buddy. i've stayed loyal to this program for decades with both spiritual and financial support. i stuck around through it all. if i want to offer my fucking opinion, i will. it is not a jaded opinion despite what you say. it's a realistic one.
ashley did a horrible coaching job this past season. that's the truth of the matter. if you can't admit that, i don't know what to tell you. i truly hope he turns it around because the alternative stinks.
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Post by explorergrad08 on Apr 16, 2021 9:20:05 GMT -5
Who wants to tell 808 that every team was playing during a pandemic... I dont want to be that guy, because I don't want to make his arguments crumble that fast. How many basketball programs in the A-10 have practice facilities that they don't need to share with other teams, and due to protocols being different can get in a lot more often? Not every team had the same experience this season. Whether you believe it or not.
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Post by explorergrad08 on Apr 16, 2021 9:20:16 GMT -5
There is such a negative stench with a small group of posters here, who seemingly know everything, it is laughable. Let's ignore the fact that the team beat the top 3 preseason teams in the Atlantic 10 this year, all while starting a freshman PG, sophomore shooting guard, wing who may as well be a freshman, a sophomore forward, and two centers who have been injured or haven't played much over each of their two-plus years. Let's also ignore the fact that there was no ability to have kids on campus at all during the summer, which is when most get better. Next year, there is a core group returning - 4 starters (Brickus, Moore, Clark, Ray) plus a 5th who was basically a starter in Kenney. Gill will improve - he showed some things that can help. Rutgers transfer will be the backup 5 man, and will be just fine in that role. And I think Marrero & Shepherd have the potential to be the best two recruits Howard has brought in. And at critical positions - a bigger guard who can score, and an athletic wing. That's 9 solid A-10 players, all who have at least two years of eligibility left. Whether Moore & Doucoure use the extra year is anyone's guess. It really is sad to see so many on here so quick to judge. And have no interest in hearing an argument contrary to their own flawed belief. smh LOL
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Post by JoeFedorowicz on Apr 16, 2021 9:30:34 GMT -5
Here my take on this: It's fair to be concerned with Howard's coaching and recruiting. You're not necessarily being overly pessimistic to be a little alarmed at the transfers or have questions about his rotations or in-game decisions. Certainly there are some things that need to change. But if you want to ditch the guy after 3 years (or 4 if there's not a dramatic uptick in performance next year), you need to explain what the end game is. Next guy only gets 3-4 years? What's the baseline for NOT firing a guy after a couple years? Do we have to make the tournament in that first few years? NIT? Does the fact that this last year was played in circumstances no one could possibly be prepared for factor in at all? I just don't believe that most of the people who want him gone already have specific problems with Ashley Howard's job so far that they wouldn't be making anyway right now, regardless of who the coach was. I'm not saying the guy should get 15 years like G got, and to be honest I'd have been fine with them moving on from G a year or two sooner. But man, if the bar is going to be "Steady and uninterrupted progress in the first 3 years," we're going to run through a lot of coaches. This is NOT an attractive job overall, and cranking up the hot seat essentially immediately makes it even less attractive of a job, in my opinion. A leveled response how dare you
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Post by diehardexplorer on Apr 16, 2021 9:31:19 GMT -5
There is such a negative stench with a small group of posters here, who seemingly know everything, it is laughable. It really is sad to see so many on here so quick to judge. And have no interest in hearing an argument contrary to their own flawed belief. pot meet kettle. but you know everything and your opinions are right. that's laughable. it's apparent you have no interest in hearing an argument contrary to what you believe by the way you attack.
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Post by diehardexplorer on Apr 16, 2021 9:43:52 GMT -5
Here my take on this: It's fair to be concerned with Howard's coaching and recruiting. You're not necessarily being overly pessimistic to be a little alarmed at the transfers or have questions about his rotations or in-game decisions. Certainly there are some things that need to change. But if you want to ditch the guy after 3 years (or 4 if there's not a dramatic uptick in performance next year), you need to explain what the end game is. Next guy only gets 3-4 years? What's the baseline for NOT firing a guy after a couple years? Do we have to make the tournament in that first few years? NIT? Does the fact that this last year was played in circumstances no one could possibly be prepared for factor in at all? I just don't believe that most of the people who want him gone already have specific problems with Ashley Howard's job so far that they wouldn't be making anyway right now, regardless of who the coach was. I'm not saying the guy should get 15 years like G got, and to be honest I'd have been fine with them moving on from G a year or two sooner. But man, if the bar is going to be "Steady and uninterrupted progress in the first 3 years," we're going to run through a lot of coaches. This is NOT an attractive job overall, and cranking up the hot seat essentially immediately makes it even less attractive of a job, in my opinion. A leveled response how dare you i'm trying to find the posts where people say they want ashley fired now. i can't find any. but it's a legitimate question to ask if next season ends up being like this past one. should they keep him for his fifth year? i think la salle will let him stay and i don't have an issue with that, but it shouldn't warrant an extension either.
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Post by GlitterBro #2 on Apr 16, 2021 10:09:46 GMT -5
Agree with diehard. No one is saying "fire Ash". At the same time it is OK to be questioning whether he is the right choice 3 years later. Things that give me pause: getting ejected from 2 games, losing by a lot on several games, multiple mid-season defections over the past 2 years, and the way we finished the season.
There's a great HBR case study of Doug Ivester who was #2 at Coca-Cola and took over the CEO spot. He failed miserably. He was a great #2 - groomed for the CEO role by long-time CEO Robert Goizueta. Everyone's natural choice for the top spot. But he had blind spots. He didn't take advice. He thought HIS way was the only way, and dismissed anyone who disagreed with him. He lasted all of 3 years before being fired.
Some people are great "second in command" people, but not great at leading the charge. That's OK. It's not an indictment, just an observation. The lesson there is that the qualities and skills that make someone a good #2 do not necessarily translate to the things that make a good #1, even if they really really want the job.
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MisterD
The Baptist Himself
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Post by MisterD on Apr 16, 2021 10:16:18 GMT -5
That's fine, but three years is also far too early to determine whether or not someone is better as a top assistant. A lot of the best coaches of our lifetime were complete failures for their first three or more years.
(And, weirdly, in hindsight you can very clearly say it was the situation and not the coach that was the problem!)
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Post by GlitterBro #2 on Apr 16, 2021 10:18:03 GMT -5
That's fine, but three years is also far too early to determine whether or not someone is better as a top assistant. A lot of the best coaches of our lifetime were complete failures for their first three or more years. (And, weirdly, in hindsight you can very clearly say it was the situation and not the coach that was the problem!) What's your grade for Ash? First season you said "incomplete". Curious where you stand now. Still "incomplete"?
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MisterD
The Baptist Himself
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Post by MisterD on Apr 16, 2021 10:22:30 GMT -5
Pretty sure I've said I wouldn't grade a coach until they've had a full recruiting cycle unless something really tremendous or something really awful happened.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2021 10:25:00 GMT -5
That's fine, but three years is also far too early to determine whether or not someone is better as a top assistant. A lot of the best coaches of our lifetime were complete failures for their first three or more years. (And, weirdly, in hindsight you can very clearly say it was the situation and not the coach that was the problem!) What's your grade for Ash? First season you said "incomplete". Curious where you stand now. Still "incomplete"? FWIW- 1st Season: C+ 2nd Season: B/B- 3rd Season: D The third season was a season with 2 or 3 B+/A- games. and then about 8 D-/F games and a bunch about C-/D+ and a D+ for roster issues
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MisterD
The Baptist Himself
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Post by MisterD on Apr 16, 2021 10:28:00 GMT -5
(And even a year from now, I'm sure we have very different expectations we'll be grading off. A coach going .500 in the A-10 long-term at La Salle should be viewed as a clear victory given our investment relative to the rest of the conference. So even before Covid or open transfers, I didn't think any coach could build a sustainable program here. At best you're throwing some bounce years in with the standard years and staying away from the cellar, which obvious hasn't happened under Howard yet.)
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Post by GlitterBro #2 on Apr 16, 2021 10:30:29 GMT -5
Pretty sure I've said I wouldn't grade a coach until they've had a full recruiting cycle unless something really tremendous or something really awful happened. so you won't actually offer an opinion in 7500 posts on here...just snarkily criticize everyone else for having one. Got it. Well...at least that way you can't ever be accused of being wrong.
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MisterD
The Baptist Himself
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Post by MisterD on Apr 16, 2021 10:32:25 GMT -5
I think I've offered atleast one very consistent opinion.
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