The Five Year Rule For Coaches

[El Tigre Oro 86]

I’ve been waiting for the right time to post this, think this is the correct time and place.

At this level in basketball and football a coach should be here no longer than 5 years. They are either doing a great job and moving up or doing a lousy job and getting canned.

The decade of mediocrity we had with both Ambrose and Skerry have done no one any favors and put athletics in a malaise and lead to general apathy about athletics on campus.

IMHO the early success that both Ambrose and Skerry had was due to their contacts they had recruiting at a higher level and bringing in top level transfers (plus Terrance West falling in his lap).

Once those connections waned they both got comfortable and performance dropped. We need to be known as a “launching pad” for coaches and keep building off of the previous coaches success.

 

 

Edited February 18 by El Tigre Oro

[Tgr4life 169]

13 minutes ago, El Tigre Oro said:

I’ve been waiting for the right time to post this, think this is the correct time and place.

At this level in basketball and football a coach should be here no longer than 5 years. They are either doing a great job and moving up or doing a lousy job and getting canned.

The decade of mediocrity we had with both Ambrose and Skerry have done no one any favors and put athletics in a malaise and lead to general apathy about athletics on campus.

IMHO the early success that both Ambrose and Skerry had was due to their contacts they had recruiting at a higher level and bringing in top level transfers (plus Terrance West falling in his lap).

Once those connections waned they both got comfortable and performance dropped. We need to be known as a “launching pad” for coaches and keep building off of the previous coaches success.

 

 

There is much truth to what you say. There are a few exceptions to your rule.

Some coaches love the idea of planting a seed and watching it grow. I think a good example is Bill Coen at Northeastern. In my opinion, he is one of the finest basketball coaches around. He has been at Northeastern for 17 years. His teams have won conference championships and gone to NCAA. He has been Coach of the Year and should be a desirable coach. The "seed planter" is a rare coach, but nonetheless they do exist 

All in all, you are likely right, but there are those that it is not all about "The Big Time". If you get one of them, you are a lucky program. 

 

[TSU88 1,073]

20 minutes ago, El Tigre Oro said:

I’ve been waiting for the right time to post this, think this is the correct time and place.

At this level in basketball and football a coach should be here no longer than 5 years. They are either doing a great job and moving up or doing a lousy job and getting canned.

The decade of mediocrity we had with both Ambrose and Skerry have done no one any favors and put athletics in a malaise and lead to general apathy about athletics on campus.

IMHO the early success that both Ambrose and Skerry had was due to their contacts they had recruiting at a higher level and bringing in top level transfers (plus Terrance West falling in his lap).

Once those connections waned they both got comfortable and performance dropped. We need to be known as a “launching pad” for coaches and keep building off of the previous coaches success.

 

 

You win the internet today, though I do disagree when you say that the decade of mediocrity has done no one any favors. It’s done Skerry a huge favor, by giving him airtight job security, earning him millions of dollars during this time. 

I could not agree with your “launching pad” statement more strongly. TU is not a place a football or basketball coach should get tenure. Either be successful and “ use” TU to leapfrog to a bigger & better job, or get out. It’s ok if we get “used” like that, as it means we achieved a level of success that enticed a bigger program to poach our coach. Then, with that degree of notoriety we achieved, we go out and hire the next go-getter, and hopefully it’s rinse, wash, repeat.

Your post reminds me of a funny story I once heard. A reporter asked TB Bucs coach John McKay how long he felt it would take for him to make the Bucs a playoff contender. He answered, “5 years.” When asked why 5 years, he said, “because that’s how long of a contract they gave me.”😆
 

[TSU88 1,073]

31 minutes ago, Tgr4life said:

There is much truth to what you say. There are a few exceptions to your rule.

Some coaches love the idea of planting a seed and watching it grow. I think a good example is Bill Coen at Northeastern. In my opinion, he is one of the finest basketball coaches around. He has been at Northeastern for 17 years. His teams have won conference championships and gone to NCAA. He has been Coach of the Year and should be a desirable coach. The "seed planter" is a rare coach, but nonetheless they do exist 

All in all, you are likely right, but there are those that it is not all about "The Big Time". If you get one of them, you are a lucky program. 

 

You’re correct, that there are outliers, and Coen is a good example. The difference though is, unlike our coach, at least Coen has been to the dance. In such a case, if a coach wants to establish roots, it’s a nice feel good story. In our case, after 13 years of postseason futility, the expiration date on the milk carton has expired. Unfortunately, I fear it’ll eventually be 16 years of such futility. I assume Skerry will soon be lobbying for yet another extension, claiming his ability to recruit will be hamstrung if he’s a short timer. (A somewhat dubious claim, given that the advent of the portal has resulted in a pool of short term rentals). And of course, citing to the fact he graduates kids & they do community service. I can only hope our AD & new President don’t fall for this. If they do, they might as well just give him a lifetime contract and be done with it 

[Bay Area Tiger 347]

1 hour ago, Tgr4life said:

There is much truth to what you say. There are a few exceptions to your rule.

Some coaches love the idea of planting a seed and watching it grow. I think a good example is Bill Coen at Northeastern. In my opinion, he is one of the finest basketball coaches around. He has been at Northeastern for 17 years. His teams have won conference championships and gone to NCAA. He has been Coach of the Year and should be a desirable coach. The "seed planter" is a rare coach, but nonetheless they do exist 

All in all, you are likely right, but there are those that it is not all about "The Big Time". If you get one of them, you are a lucky program. 

 

Randy Bennett at Saint Mary’s 

[TuTigers2012 1,071]

1 hour ago, El Tigre Oro said:

I’ve been waiting for the right time to post this, think this is the correct time and place.

At this level in basketball and football a coach should be here no longer than 5 years. They are either doing a great job and moving up or doing a lousy job and getting canned.

The decade of mediocrity we had with both Ambrose and Skerry have done no one any favors and put athletics in a malaise and lead to general apathy about athletics on campus.

IMHO the early success that both Ambrose and Skerry had was due to their contacts they had recruiting at a higher level and bringing in top level transfers (plus Terrance West falling in his lap).

Once those connections waned they both got comfortable and performance dropped. We need to be known as a “launching pad” for coaches and keep building off of the previous coaches success.

 

 

Great post. 100% accurate. 

37 minutes ago, TSU88 said:

You’re correct, that there are outliers, and Coen is a good example. The difference though is, unlike our coach, at least Coen has been to the dance. In such a case, if a coach wants to establish roots, it’s a nice feel good story. In our case, after 13 years of postseason futility, the expiration date on the milk carton has expired. Unfortunately, I fear it’ll eventually be 16 years of such futility. I assume Skerry will soon be lobbying for yet another extension, claiming his ability to recruit will be hamstrung if he’s a short timer. (A somewhat dubious claim, given that the advent of the portal has resulted in a pool of short term rentals). And of course, citing to the fact he graduates kids & they do community service. I can only hope our AD & new President don’t fall for this. If they do, they might as well just give him a lifetime contract and be done with it 

Huskies fans are wanting to show Coen the door. Not privy to his contact situation but assuming he is fired, skerry would be the longest tenured coach in the league.  Let that set in.  He already is the longest tenured coach to not make the dance or a final, in the ENTIRE COUNTRY. 

9 minutes ago, Bay Area Tiger said:

Randy Bennett at Saint Mary’s 

Again he’s made tournaments numerous times. Different situation 

[Tgr4life 169]

2 hours ago, TSU88 said:

You’re correct, that there are outliers, and Coen is a good example. The difference though is, unlike our coach, at least Coen has been to the dance. In such a case, if a coach wants to establish roots, it’s a nice feel good story. In our case, after 13 years of postseason futility, the expiration date on the milk carton has expired. Unfortunately, I fear it’ll eventually be 16 years of such futility. I assume Skerry will soon be lobbying for yet another extension, claiming his ability to recruit will be hamstrung if he’s a short timer. (A somewhat dubious claim, given that the advent of the portal has resulted in a pool of short term rentals). And of course, citing to the fact he graduates kids & they do community service. I can only hope our AD & new President don’t fall for this. If they do, they might as well just give him a lifetime contract and be done with it 

Could not agree more with you.

[sr16 158]

sad state of affairs. 

[El Tigre Oro 86]

I know people at Northeastern and the feeling is Coen has gone pretty stale as well.

 

[Blazer49 186]

This is so much on point in so many ways.  As much as it would suck I would LOVE to have to find a new coach every 2, 3, 4 years because of the success they had as a coach at Towson.  To habe the longest tenured coach who has not reached 1 NCAA tournament and as we all know has never truly ever been close to even threatening to make the dance.  Even the hamster has gets off the wheel and said "That's enough"