For the record, I do not think it’s time to pull the plug on this staff. However, here is my attempt at consolidating the issues that have been apparent since Dino arrived -
1. Refusal to change offensive approach - It takes a good coach to find the right players and put into a productive offensive system. It takes a great coach to figure out the hand he was dealt and build a system around those players to best maximize the strengths of your team while hiding your weaknesses. This is Syracuse, not Baylor circa 2005. The talent isn’t always going to be there and you need to improvise with what you have. The best Syracuse coaches did this.
2. Depth - I do think in time we will have mediocre depth for this conference and this has been talked about at nausea but I think more needs to continue to be done. Tapping into Canada was smart, same with finding guys like Robinson and Jackson, we need more of this in addition to improving recruiting.
3. Discipline - Penalties, sideline antics, guys laughing on sideline when team is down 40. It’s absurd. Zero accountability and it’s been going on since Dino arrived. At this point I don’t see this issue going away which is a shame because I think it’s the easiest one on this list to fix. Instill more leadership, hold players accountable with swift consequences. Stop rotating captains!! Vote on 2-3 in August and slap a C on those jerseys!
4. injuries - Here is my understanding on why we see so many injuries year after year after year. Depth is a major factor but the other is when you have only a few star players you are more likely to overuse and overexpose those players increasing risk of injury. Dungey was a good example. Tucker is the most recent example. With no depth behind him this offense is going to ride him into ground for last 4 games and I worry it will be to his detriment. I would also like to see a review by Wildhack in the offseason of the strength and conditioning staff. What are we doing differently than other programs and is it negatively exposing the health of these players?
5. Recruiting - The goal for this program should be a top 40 recruiting class each year. That is not unrealistic but provides you with 20-24 players of which 8-10 are high 3 stars or 4 stars. We are getting closer and we need to get there consistently before this program stabilizes and becomes consistently good.
For at least one more season we all (including myself) need to cut out the rhetoric around replacing this staff. It’s not good for this program and we should all want this staff to succeed. They are good men who I believe want this program to be successful. This isn’t a factory school but I believe it can be consistently good with the right corrections and support. Go Orange.
1. Refusal to change offensive approach - It takes a good coach to find the right players and put into a productive offensive system. It takes a great coach to figure out the hand he was dealt and build a system around those players to best maximize the strengths of your team while hiding your weaknesses. This is Syracuse, not Baylor circa 2005. The talent isn’t always going to be there and you need to improvise with what you have. The best Syracuse coaches did this.
2. Depth - I do think in time we will have mediocre depth for this conference and this has been talked about at nausea but I think more needs to continue to be done. Tapping into Canada was smart, same with finding guys like Robinson and Jackson, we need more of this in addition to improving recruiting.
3. Discipline - Penalties, sideline antics, guys laughing on sideline when team is down 40. It’s absurd. Zero accountability and it’s been going on since Dino arrived. At this point I don’t see this issue going away which is a shame because I think it’s the easiest one on this list to fix. Instill more leadership, hold players accountable with swift consequences. Stop rotating captains!! Vote on 2-3 in August and slap a C on those jerseys!
4. injuries - Here is my understanding on why we see so many injuries year after year after year. Depth is a major factor but the other is when you have only a few star players you are more likely to overuse and overexpose those players increasing risk of injury. Dungey was a good example. Tucker is the most recent example. With no depth behind him this offense is going to ride him into ground for last 4 games and I worry it will be to his detriment. I would also like to see a review by Wildhack in the offseason of the strength and conditioning staff. What are we doing differently than other programs and is it negatively exposing the health of these players?
5. Recruiting - The goal for this program should be a top 40 recruiting class each year. That is not unrealistic but provides you with 20-24 players of which 8-10 are high 3 stars or 4 stars. We are getting closer and we need to get there consistently before this program stabilizes and becomes consistently good.
For at least one more season we all (including myself) need to cut out the rhetoric around replacing this staff. It’s not good for this program and we should all want this staff to succeed. They are good men who I believe want this program to be successful. This isn’t a factory school but I believe it can be consistently good with the right corrections and support. Go Orange.
