Revisiting this topic from the offseason because of how Mario needs to weave in optimizing what he currently has WHILE transforming the program's culture (over time). Those of us rooting for losses and more destruction are completely missing the mark this time, IMO. Mario is here to stay. The MTSU game sets him back - whether people want to admit that or not - but we can't just lose whatever games and think "well, we'll clean house quicker." There will be consequences in recruiting, player buy-in, and more.
Re: culture, I said this (and other things) in Feb:
In no way did or do I expect for culture to change in "45 seconds." It's just not realistic. Mario has a ton of ongoing work to do in that aspect.
None of that explains the loss to MTSU, questionable fits in hiring, or gameday issues.
The most impactful, immediate thing Mario could have done was hire great fits as coordinators and positional coaches. Despite what we saw on Saturday, I still think he did a really solid job on defense. Scheme/coordinator changes often have immediate benefits or consequences. It's partly why transfer players can go into a new system and look like new players. Even QBs. It's why Lashlee and even, gasp, Diaz took Enos/D'onofrio systems and somehow made similar or the same players look better.
BUT, THE CULTURE PART DOESN'T JUST TRANSFORM.
If it did, companies would flip a switch on leaders and turn [more] profitable. To expect it in a college football program of 18-23 year olds is unrealistic. As I said in February, that usually takes lots of personnel turnover and acquisition.
BTW, this is also a Rad issue. We need more smart people in the building. And, Mario has to hopefully be open to them (I hear he is). And, no, they don't all need traditional backgrounds or UM playing/coaching experience (see: Mcdaniel's early returns for the Phins). If a coach or coordinator isn't working out or was a bad decision, part of building the culture you want is being consistent on accountability.
Re: culture, I said this (and other things) in Feb:
In no way did or do I expect for culture to change in "45 seconds." It's just not realistic. Mario has a ton of ongoing work to do in that aspect.
None of that explains the loss to MTSU, questionable fits in hiring, or gameday issues.
The most impactful, immediate thing Mario could have done was hire great fits as coordinators and positional coaches. Despite what we saw on Saturday, I still think he did a really solid job on defense. Scheme/coordinator changes often have immediate benefits or consequences. It's partly why transfer players can go into a new system and look like new players. Even QBs. It's why Lashlee and even, gasp, Diaz took Enos/D'onofrio systems and somehow made similar or the same players look better.
BUT, THE CULTURE PART DOESN'T JUST TRANSFORM.
If it did, companies would flip a switch on leaders and turn [more] profitable. To expect it in a college football program of 18-23 year olds is unrealistic. As I said in February, that usually takes lots of personnel turnover and acquisition.
BTW, this is also a Rad issue. We need more smart people in the building. And, Mario has to hopefully be open to them (I hear he is). And, no, they don't all need traditional backgrounds or UM playing/coaching experience (see: Mcdaniel's early returns for the Phins). If a coach or coordinator isn't working out or was a bad decision, part of building the culture you want is being consistent on accountability.
