[NU Sports] BB Coaching Change? (fwd)

[Jeff Beamsley]

I guess that this was fairly predictable and at this point I'm really sorry
that I even posted something on the subject.

I retract all my previous suggestions.

Slow and steady is the plan.  Patience is a virtue.  Continuity is way more
important than results.  

Let's anoint Carmody coach for life (no disrespect intended to Coach
Walker).

Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com] On
Behalf Of Eric West
Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2007 12:18 PM
To: nwu-sports at romaine.tssi.com
Subject: RE: [NU Sports] BB Coaching Change? (fwd)

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 


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