Not specifically talking to you. i do agree that ronnie is the real problem. Manning is a symptom of the problem. [name redacted] was as well.
I do disagree that not firing manning is an attempt to get it right. It's ronnie's attempt to prove himself right. Thats what every additional year and excuse since [name redacted]'s obviously disastrous first season has been about.Too many people look the other way in his little fiefdom.
I disagree. I think the problem with discourse over the last dozen or so years (since the explosion of reddit, facebook, etc.) is that all things are black and white. I think DECISIONS have started to mirror these disastrous discussions. We're essentially talking at each other. While I totally agree that Wellman is the issue, it is a non-starter to essentially begin that disscussion under the theory that he has been an awful AD for 25 years. He simply hasn't. He's a classic conserative CEO. He's been pretty good at building towards something (better facilities all around for many sports), but terrible at reacting to issues/change. The issues being either a hire has not worked out (e.g., Bzd) or is peetering out (e.g., Grobe).
That is not a horrific characteristic and not unfamiliar at that level. However, good CEOs bring in people who are more reactive and are able to be that canary in a coalmine. We don't seem to have those people. But, the truth is that the same guy we are vilifying did hire Skip Prosser and did hire a hungry Jim Grobe and did hire Dave Clawson - and that is not even speaking to tennis or soccer or baseball all of which seem to be on exceptional footing but none of which I have followed close enough to speak to.
As far as I can tell from Wellman's hires, he prefers a certain
type of coach. My perception is that they are somewhat conservative and give off an air of competence and craft. To outlier, for me, is Skip Prosser who was more the classic program leader willing to wear his heart on his sleeve as well as his mistakes and fears. I doubt that Wellman ever felt comfortable with Prosser, but I have no inside info on that.
Based on his tendencies, his misses are John Beilein and Tony Bennett. Not Shaka Smart as Smart is not the type of guy Wellman has seemed to want to break bread with.
Anywho, Wellman has made great hires and really bad hire. I personally do not think that Manning is either of those. And as I have said, it is not about giving Manning a certain number of years. While I suppose one can learn on the job, Manning challenge was always going to be overcoming his own personality, which is dry to say the least. Manning subdued confidence also does not work to his advantage, especially when it comes to accepting (speaking as Manning), that he has a long way to go as a program leader and an in-game coach. What Manning does seem to do is work hard on the recruiting trail and do things the right way, both admirable. What he does not seem to have is a program creation strategy. And it is too late for one now. Clawson presented his case to Wellman and "the board" and essentially said we are going to suck for two or three years and you will give me that leash. They accepted.
Manning would have been better served to create some strategy and go with it. I don't know exactly what that strategy is/was. Maybe it was to go out and recruit 3star borderline 4star kids exclusively for 4 years and build a program with success achieved by experience. Maybe it works better in football which is why Clawson has been so successful - essentially that experienced 3rd and 4th year players with 3star talent trump inexperienced 4star and 5star talent. Maybe that doesn't work in hoops. But whatever the road or a road to success - Manning hasn't done it. He's gone after 5 star talent, 4star talent and 3star talent underappreciated. He's had success will all three of those paths and failures as well. But we just don't have a strategy so far as I can tell. Fill holes in the dyke with grad transfers and transfers. Recruit size and length even at the 3star level and hope that a diamond in the rough materializes. It seems like a mess and Manning doesn't have the skillset to sell lipstick on a pig. Prosser did, Manning doesn't. To make matters worse, Manning is coaching in the shadow of Williams and K on tobacco road in the ACC (something that Pitt does not have to deal with which I think makes that job more alluring right now).
As best as I can tell, finding a Tony Bennett or a Beilein or a Smart or a Jay Wright involves navigating the following:
* recruiting realities, cheaters, and that changing landscape, while it is essential to follow the rules and not commit recruiting violations, coaches need to be ready to take advantage of coming changes - here is where I think Manning is poised to benefit.
* our AD situation. Wellman is on borrowed time and it would behoove the whole enterprise to either put him out to pasture and hire someone under him to essentially take over everything except facilities and money raising.
* The continued existence of Coach K and Williams as mouth breathers and basketball coaches. Ideally one or both is retired and the coaching replacement process went haywire - seems more likely at Duke, ironically as I think the Duke job is a slippery slope potentially.
I am not arguing that we should wait until Coach K retires. I am simply arguing the job becomes more enticing as you can sell a "poised to become the next Duke" to someone. The reason I bring this up is that sadly, the type of coach that want to go right at Coach K and Williams is either a Skip Prosser or a Gary Williams or a Rick Barnes - is NOT the type of coach that Wellman is generally comfortable with. Maybe Beilien back in the day. The only one of those coaches listed even remotely available is Rick Barnes. Also, a 30ish, 350sh year old super cocky and super good coach would be interested in that challenge as well. Another coaching type that Wellman has not proven to be comfortable with. So, for me to make a coaching hire at this stage, one of the above variables needs to change: NCAA landscape (which actually potentially boosts Manning), Wellman, Coach K, Coach Williams. One of those variables needs to change IMO because otherwise you are almost assuredly going to go sideways with a hire (best case) and kick the can down the road 4 more years. The timing quite possibly couldn't be worse IMO as a lot could happen in those 4 years you'd like to be able to make a swift and dynamic move. First step has to be the Wellman issue. Nothing until then makes sense to me. Wellman needs to be made to see this, even if he's not forced out, he has to understand the need to for a guy to make his or her hire and the types of personalities that are most likely to succeed are the ones he hasn't traditionally embraced.
