I doubt it. Coaches are mercenaries also. Coaches talk, but coaches like getting big pay days and opportunities.Sure, but if you are one of our potential coaching candidates after we let Autry go after two seasons, you are going to question if they are going to give the resources and the time to build a good program. Because of that, we would not be in the hunt for the top coaching candidates out there. That is what the optics are. Coaches talk.
Meanwhile, my concern is that give him Year 3 becomes give him Year 4 (like G-Rob). But at least G-Rob improved from Year 1 to Year 2. When we went backwards in Year 3, that should have been the end.
Red's scenario is different in that Year 2 was worse than Year 1. So Year 3 can be an improvement over Year 2, even though it is not even as good as Year 1 (which was already not the season that anyone wanted). If we win 20 games in Year 1... 14 games in Year 2 (possible, right?)... and go 18-14 next year... it would be easy for the admin to say he is still over .500 after 3 years AND improved 22% or 29% or whatever from Year 2 to Year 3. Meanwhile, we are still out of the Big Dance and nowhere close to respectability.
And let's say they fire him after being 18-14 in Year 3 and bring in Coach Y. Coach Y now has to win 19 games to show improvement in 2026-2027. If he took the job next year, he would only have to win 15 games to show improvement. In a world where the rosters rotate every year massively, no reason why it is better to take over an 18-win team vs a 14-win team. If the freshmen next year are the difference between 18 wins and 14 wins... and are leaving anyway... so be it.
I almost think that the key issue is whether Freeman comes back. If he goes to the NBA, so be it... who knows. But if he transfers, then I think that is a referendum on Red and what to expect. Forget what some coach says after stomping us about Red's coaching ability... the perception amongst players/agents is that Syracuse is not well coached and/or not well funded. If Freeman comes back, then fans should absolutely see that as a sign for hope in Red and the program generally.