So I wanted to do a dive into Blake’s performance as AD vs. how we did before he got here. I examined the 3 major sports: football, basketball, and baseball. I took the 8 years Blake has been here (2013-2021) and compared them to the 8 years before he arrived (2005-2012).
I went in with the theory that the numbers before would be better and would show how we have lapsed during his tenure. I will post the tabulations rather than the season by season record in the interest of saving time. If anyone wants to look season by season you can use Google.
Football (2005-2012)
57-43, 57% win percentage
33-31 ACC, 52% win percentage
Football (2013-2021) (2020-21 counts as 21)
63-39, 62%
40-25 ACC, 62%
Basketball (2005-2012) (6 years of Haith, 2 of Coach L.)
162-108, 60%
60-70 ACC 46%
*this tabulation is wildly skewed by 2012 (29-7, 15-3 ACC)
Basketball (2013-2021)
151-110, 58%
74-80 ACC 48%
Baseball (2005-2012)
328-166-1, 66%
149-87 ACC, 63%
Baseball (2013-2021)
314-169, 65%
151-90 ACC 63%
Notice anything? We are the exact same under Blake, give or take a few games, as we were before him. He needs to go, I’m not saying he should stay, but maybe we need to settle into the reality that we are what our record says we are, a slightly above average ACC team in football, a slightly below average one in basketball, and a good (but not great anymore) baseball school.
We have won the ACC once in basketball before Blake (2012), and zero times with him. We won in baseball once before him (2008), and twice since he’s been here (2014, 2016).
I fully expected these numbers to make the case against Blake so clear and give firepower to our argument against him, but if anything they show him as comparable, if not slightly better, to what he inherited.
I’m not defending him, but looking at it from a BOT/Admin perspective. The signature football season in the last 16 years was 2017, which was under Blake’s watch. Blake had to navigate us through Al Golden’s favorite “the cloud”, whereas before that we had a a Natty within close proximity. If you are looking to make excuses for him, it’s pretty easy.
Once again, that is not my opinion! I think he and Manny should be sharing a tent in the Everglades. However, my opinion is of minute significance as an alum and mediocre donor (I used to give more but I just can’t anymore because I am so fed up and also cause I have 4 kids in private school
).
It’s an unfortunate reality that we have not been great in a long time and we may need to recalibrate our expectations, no matter how sad that reality is. I’m so depressed having written this post, but I don’t want to get my hopes up again just to have them crushed. The football team in particular has ground me down.
That’s all folks.