Bowden in 10 years could do nothing better with Klempsun than a 9 win Season. Dabo the interim comes in and in 3-4 years they are playing for "The trophy"...I don't know. I think its fair to say that these kids were winners coming in. However all kids (generally) are winners if they are getting recruited to play D1 college ball.
Just something to chew on that I've been mulling over. I think its possible that way back in the coker era. Towards the end. A sort of disease grew into the program. Its possible that a group of guys came in and lived off of the success of the 01/02 guys. A disease that went on for years and claimed some good kids and a few coaches.
Nothing first hand but always heard stories from people and some ex players that there were some guys that just didn't put in the work or do things the coaches wanted. The 01 team did all of the extras. Its possible that the guys that rotated in afterwards did not. Some of you remember us complaining that one of the things that Coker did was star chase. He went all over bringing in guys that scored great but weren't nec. miami mentality. Could that have been the beginning of it? Also, consider that its not something any of us would see. Think highly touted recruits that came in and were generally productive but weren't committed to the whole team and doing the "Alabama/Clemson" type routine. Thus never getting themselves and the team to that next level. They would sort of quietly erode the program from within.
Football is unique in that so many people have to function so perfectly and so consistently for you to achieve success. Something like the above going on for so long could be one of the major reasons why we got to where we got. Other issues are to blame as well. However, I dont think this one gets its due discussion.
The issue I'm picking at is maybe this coaching staff is just going about the business of playing doctor before coach. I know we sit here and say just run these plays its so obvious. However, its possible that so much deconstruction and reconstruction has/had to go on that there is only so much time in day/week/month.
One of the hardest things to do in life is to cast off the teaching of those before you and venture out on your own. Be it your parents or friends. Not everyone in life is cut out to be a leader. If our team room has been filled with followers that have been led by a few bad guys that's something that can get passed down over and over. If your teammates aren't pushing you to go study and watch film and instead go hang out on the beach. Well I would imagine its hard for most coaches to come in and cure that over night.
It would then be inevitable that you would have GT type games that are hard to explain. What this staff does with those experiences behind closed doors is what determines the overall trajectory of the team. I guess the conversation im throwing out there is that this is akin to curing an addict. Guys have been complacent for a while. Living off the glory of teams past. Like all addicts you have to deal with the addiction and avoid the relapse. If it was easy to become a tier one team over night then everyone would be doing it.
Sorry for the ramble.
What new teaching did he bring, that Bowden did not?.....
I really think it is the group of players who are serious, take it to the next level in all phases, and totally believe in each other that create their "OWN" mind set in the locker room..
Reference............After the players only meeting for the U, everyone played with more purpose, and determination, and Won. How do you decipher that one after the atrocious plays of former weeks?. Player mindset, not team culture.
It is a team/Player mindset, and you either have it or you don't. It is not a culture.