Memphisâ athleticism is light years ahead of what Ron is putting on the court at this point.
What is the new tally for all those that they needed to wait until the end of the season to decide their stance on firing Ron Sanchez
I think the question is in Houstonâs absence who rises to the challenge?
All I know is we are going from a league with schools did not invest in basketball to one that does - sans ECU. Even if it is a one bid league some years or even most years - playing with Memphis and Temple alone makes the league more attractive.
I understand Runâs point that the strongest program and at least 1 other good one are leaving the AAC, but I will go out on a limb here and predict the league will default to 2 bids with 3 in particularly strong years.
Too many programs in the new league that actually invest in basketball. And as ChiDave said, we are trading some dregs for solid programs.
Ron has to go. No tourney wins in 5 years⌠He refuses to play his best players. Constantly substituting when we get on a run. He almost looks like he tries to kill any momentum we achieve during a game. Would have loved to have dismissed him 10 games ago to see what Dink could have done but to late for that now. For those who say we canât start over , why notâŚ? We are at the bottom now.
Fan attachment to the players and surprising levels of team chemistry despite the losses are the only two reasons I can see for any fan to rationalize keeping Ron.
I get the sentiment though it doesnât sway me. I like most of the players, especially the ones talked about the most. Would be crushed if Aly or Brice left.
The solution is to bring in a really strong hire that will reinvigorate these guys, and fan interest.
Ron looked tired and defeated on the sidelines last night. I have a serious question - does he even want to be a head coach? And in a higher profile league like the AAC? Egos aside, itâs not for everyone. The stress is extreme (see what it did to Major). Ron looks like he has aged 10-15 years in the last 5. Maybe he would be happier being the #2 guy at another program like UVA. Still would make solid money too. Or if he still has the run his own show itch, maybe at a less demanding program where he can continue building his pillars.
Thatâs the thing though. We arenât at the bottom. We have a solid roster and a coach that excels at being mediocre. Iâm not saying donât fire him but I am saying we have a coach that has a 46-26 record at home and who just canât take us to the next level. It makes the change process far more difficult because you are throwing away some success for potentially none.
Personally I want a change but I also hate the thought of making Brice go through a single win season.
Do mediocre teams never win conference tournament games? That seems leaning towards bad to me than mediocre.
I agree and his 0fer in tournament should be held against him, but its really been 2 years where winning a game there was realistic.
His 2-10 record on neutral site games is telling.
Itâs DLB49ER1 thank you!
Looking at the way we finished, I am definitely not pleased with our final results. I am still on the fence with âmoving onâ from Ron as I am tired of starting over every 3-4 years. I would be all in if I saw the team giving up on Ron and mailing it in, but they did not. They played hard and we lost what about 6-8 games by a bucket or two?
I trust that Hill is looking at the coaching landscape and making an assessment of what we have, who is out there, what we can afford (and not afford) and making his assessment. I also hope he talks to our key players and gets their input. If he is going to move on it needs to be done now so that any one coming in can hit recruiting and the portal.
If you want to see another (or a first) ncaa tourney win in your lifetime then coaches need to flip every 4-5 years. Iâd lean more towards 4 years but 4 years gives enough data for an AD to decide on the 5th year. All the data we have today, how someone can think Ron has us in the ncaa tourney next year is beyond me. The math doesnât add up.
Surprisingly enough investment in basketball as far as money goes hasnât been the issue. Dooley had a larger contract than Sanchez, and Schwartz is making around the same amount. Now granted once you guys get the larger AAC payout Iâm sure what you pay your head coach will reflect that. Dooleyâs issue was he couldnât field a team around Gardner or Newton who are now both starting on top 20 teams. I still think Ronâs biggest issue is the system heâs running. Sure it works at Virginia, but Bennett can keep players there for four years to really learn it because itâs rare youâll see a player poached from Virginia.
If we keep Ron another year I think we may have become another school that doesnât invest in basketball to go along with ECU
Exactly. Mediocre to me is consistently 100-150 in the RPI, go to the NIT once in 5 years, flirt with it a second year, slightly above .500 in conference and in the conference tournament⌠to me Sanchezâ record isnât mediocre, itâs meh to poor. Just because heâs better than the god-awful train wreck that he took over from doesnât mean heâs even an ok coach. We moved out of the hobo tent camp and into a trailer park. We shouldnât accept this as a permanent solution.
Keep in mind NIT rules are different now than they were.
If we bring in the right guy there is no reason why we should have a single digit win season next year, heck with a new coach I think most would be find with a bad SOS in non conference to get used to playing with each other, our current coach did the same thing in year 5. It shouldnât take 4 or 5 years to get back to a top 150 team.
Itâll basically be like cusa 2.0 IMO.
Houston wasnât what they are now back then.
Could they win next year? Sure
However, I think if we make a change you have to be prepared for next year to be bad. Even if you hire the right guy. Flipping the roster and getting in with transfer kids that have had other programs talking to them for years. Maryland had been talking to Jahmir since his freshmen year. It shouldnt take 4-5 years, but I think you are setting yourself up for disappointment if you expect a total flip from one year to next if you lose a chunk of your roster.
Thatâs fair, I guess we need to ask ourselves do we want âokâ next year with the usual flame out, or do we blow it up and work towards something better long term, I want the later, we will see what Mike Hill wants.