(11-16-2017 05:01 PM)Dirty Ernie Wrote: (11-16-2017 04:18 PM)MajorHoople Wrote: Fleck (and staff) grew into the job after their first year.
He adjusted and adapted while staying true to himself and his vision for the program.
Lester et al deserve the same opportunity.
After next season we can re-evaluate.
While this season has been disappointing, there are some mitigating circumstances.
Fleck for example never had to open on the road against two teams currently ranked in the Top 20.
The lack of depth and production at some crucial positions, injuries, Butch Hampton leaving, the Waldo flood-Akron game mess...
Lester is in a wierd one year deal where the veteran players psychics are stuck in Flecks web of thought, and while trying like hell to play hard they are stuck in a neverland between the two coaches and nothing but time can fix that. Next year is a better measurement. Lester can ramp up his own style without conflict or doubt.
I don't disagree with either of you for the most part. I do think these players were very committed to fleck, and believed truly in what he professed. What I don't understand is why Lester didn't embrace that, and embraced what Fleck was doing and saying. Flex Maxim's were actually quite good and accurate, and he had a way of teaching them two players, coaches, and anyone else who would listen, in a way that they understood and followed those principles. People laughed at the row the boat thing, but there was some meaning behind it, and everyone learned that meaning, and actually everyone on the team became more united and committed to the team as a whole.
When Lester got here I think the players just figured now they have a regular old fashioned coach. Maybe one that they liked, but not one who they embraced the way they did the old coach. PJ took them to Great Heights, and they appreciated that. Lester needed to continue everything that was being done. I know many of you say that He needs to have had the opportunity to be his own coach, and do things his own way, but in actuality he should have continued to follow exactly what PJ was doing.
Lester did inherit a tough schedule. No doubt about it. When people around here or suggesting that we should be favored against Michigan State, I called that as hogwash at the time. More than that, we had to do it basically on 6 days instead of 7, because we were flying home from California that Sunday. A very difficult task to do. I certainly give Lester a pass on those first two games, and did not expect that he would win those. But we struggled in far too many games that we should have one more easily, and lost games we certainly should not have lost. I question the play calling and the game strategy from our coaching staff from the beginning. Those are solely on Lester. Our defense has been porous far too frequently. This should have been a defense that wins a few games for us. Instead, it was inconsistent at best.
It is fair to give Lester further assessment after next year, but I don't think we need to forget what happened this year. Everyone justifiably expected much more, even given the barriers that existed.
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It's funny how people here....
