[NU Sports] BB Coaching Change? (fwd)

[Eric West]

At 09:23 AM 2/22/2007, Jeff Beamsley wrote:

>Many on this list have said that Carmody is doing the best with what he has,
>but if resources are an issue, he agreed to take the job knowing that he
>didn't have access to the same sort of resources available to other BT
>programs.  So he and the AD share the blame for a poor result.  Allowing him
>to continue under those circumstances is basically saying that we don't
>expect that he CAN do any better and we're willing to accept this poor
>result as his best effort.

Actually, it is the exact opposite. It is saying that we *do* expect that 
he can do better. (Actually, *even* better, since he's already done 
"better" overall than in the past.) Firing him would be the "giving up" option.

That's not to say that I think the basketball team will start winning in 
the next five minutes, or even this season -- but I've never subscribed to 
the knee-jerk, "fire-them-now," instant-gratification mindset. Speaking of 
which: did you know that our softball team is only 6-4? That's barely above 
.500! Weren't they national runners-up last year? Quick, fire the softball 
coaches before this obvious decline gets any worse! Oh, and don't get me 
started about the lacrosse loss. I warned you after they lost that game 
last year, didn't I? If we don't fire Amonte Hiller now, we might get a 
*second* loss in the same season! Isn't it great how I'm being so 
non-defeatist by wanting to fire everyone?

>IMHO, the process of getting a high profile coach in here will resolve all
>of the other issues of resource and send the message that NU is willing to
>make the investments (whatever they turn out to be) to have a competitive
>program sooner rather than later.

This is another fallacy used by the "fire Carmody/Walker/everyone" crowd. 
What "high profile" coach in his right mind would come to a school that has 
just fired a coach whose overall performance has been better than any of 
his recent predecessors? No matter what you may think, Kareem is simply not 
that stupid, even if he had interest in a school like NU anyway (which he 
surely does not). I've asked this question before, and I have yet to see an 
answer from those who would fire everyone in sight.

It's a down year, folks. The team is still recovering from the most recent 
mass exodus. Such things take time; there is no quick fix in these 
circumstances. If a second exodus occurs under Carmody's watch, maybe we 
can say something about whether he has "what it takes" to lead NU even 
higher. Otherwise, there is nothing about this particular season to suggest 
that he doesn't belong here.

---
Eric West
e-west at northwestern.edu