ESPN- midseason Grades for first year head coaches

[ThomasM]

Doesn't look much different? Like **** it doesn't. It looks WORSE than last year. Our O looks much worse. I get it, there are always bumps in the road with a new staff, but this staff was not brought in to look like crap. You don't pay this kind of money to get the same, or worse, results.

 

[Cribby]

Two sides of the coin can be right. Does Mario deserve a bad grade for the first half of the season? Yep , it took him **** near to the half way point to realize his way of doing things schematically didn’t match or help the players. Even though there was struggles with the playbook through camp and spring. But I also 100 % believe he’s the guy who’ll build this thing right from ground up. You don’t change a culture and a team mimd set within months.

 

[MiamiVice7]

That Middle Tenn loss is traumatic

I can’t wrap my mind around it, honestly.

And that’s recognizing we suck, and have sucked for a long time. But looking at results from their other games this season, **** is beyond crazy. How could it go down like that?’

Even if they had the best MTSU team ever and were demolishing the rest of their schedule, an L would be suspect. But this MTSU team??

I don‘t care about the coach, personnel, weather, wet bulb phase, whatever….I’ll never understand.

 

[Ghandi]

It all falls on coaching? All of it? Are you sure you want to go down that path?

I do think it falls on leadership and decision making.

Let’s do it. Let’s go down that path.

 

[Ghandi]

Not trying to defend Mario or blame players just asking - if the player mistakes are on coaching then the players just never have any fault?

It depends on the mistake.

Repeated mistakes that go uncorrected reflect poor leadership.

Trotting out Scaife every game at RT is the coaches fault.

 

[MiamiVice7]

Two sides of the coin can be right. Does Mario deserve a bad grade for the first half of the season? Yep , it took him **** near to the half way point to realize his way of doing things schematically didn’t match or help the players. Even though there was struggles with the playbook through camp and spring. But I also 100 % believe he’s the guy who’ll build this thing right from ground up. You don’t change a culture and a team mimd set within months.

I think he’s that guy, too. Or at least gives us a real chance, better than anyone we’ve had in a looong time.

What I wonder is will he continue to evolve himself. Will he self-scout, so to speak. Not the program, coaches, team, personnel, or even scheme. But has he realized, or will he realize, that the first half of the season could’ve been handled better, even under our particular circumstances?

In other words, can he improve upon whatever process allowed the first half to play out the way it did, such that we don’t have to suffer a similar problem down the line as we (hopefully) build this thing up?

I would hate to think that whatever occurred to delay his realization you referenced will surface again down the line. Especially if we’re getting the right guys and making the strides we all hope for. Don’t want to blow the chance at a potentially strong season or run because his tireless, sleepless, cafecito-driven process covered everything except the man in the mirror.

 

[bacane]

This ESPN keyboard puncher is probably less qualified to be grading coaches than most folks on this board. First off, his grading after 6 games is a reach and an obvious attempt at getting clicks and drawing traffic. Pre-season hopes were unnecessarily high and the Middle Tennessee State game a disaster, but even at that the grade seems a little low. Again, premature. Miami talent level has been oversold - definitely not on par with what Mario attracted to Oregon - and a fair amount of talent has been down with injury. Couple that with a slew of undisciplined, bone-headed plays (what is it, 5 or 6 long TD passes?) and you're sitting 3-3. Could make a case Miami, but for brain farts might be 5-1. Another consideration not taken is recruiting. Have to believe it's not false hope, but a good bit of trust Mario eventually gets the talent.

 

[Empirical Cane]

Mario has made mistakes, it’s pretty obvious. But it blows my mind how many people on here just want to ignore how much our guys mess up because that destroys the 110% corch narrative.

Same could be said for every corches tenure since Butch DAW GAWD.

If only the player made one more catch, if only the D didn't miss 3,789 tackles against Michingan State....

That's a flawed analogy, too. It assumes the final benchmark for Mario or any other 1st year HC is the end of season 1.
If a reasonable benchmark for Mario is to be in the CFB playoffs by the end of year 3, then he's still building the car.

Big Manny has probably until Y5 to become HC Super Mario Cristobigballs.

 

[Empirical Cane]

Players play. Coaches coach. Coaches choose who play.

Why didn't Colbie Young play at all until the very end of the UNC game? You think he could have helped in the red zone against A&M?

Players make mistakes..and they get graded for them every week. And the coaches decide (at least they should) who plays based on those grades. The coaches picked the kids that make mistakes to play

Like Dr. Henry Cloud says, Mario is ridiculously in charge. He decides scheme. He decides reps. He makes game time decisions. He gives responsibility. Accountability. He's fully and wholly responsible for the results because he has 100% authority over all decisions. Blaming players is an exercise in futility for those who are in charge. Sure he has some limits by the roster, but the portal has minimized that and there's still no excise for losing to MTSU, ZERO TDs against A&M, and the woeful red zone success against UNC and in general.

Lincoln took over a 4-8 USC team with their worst roster in 30 years. He flipped the roster and installed an advantageous scheme that his new roster could execute.

Mario could have done the same. He didn't. And that's ok. But it's why he has a D for this season so far. I still expect him to be an A hire. But he has blundered the first half of this season.

In defense of Big Manny, his timeline on "turning over the roster" is probably diflfferent than Riley's.

We all hope Scario turns into Mario long-term and has success like Saban. Linky winky, if he can "win-ish now-ish" probably heads for sidelines on Sundays next 3-5 years.

I believe Mario wants to be successful at Hecht until he turns 100.

 

[jackbenimble71]

#FESPN

I mean ESPN is the network that gives all these players a platform to want to free a criminal in Russia? So they support breaking the law? asking for a friend.

 

[bacane]

I mean ESPN is the network that gives all these players a platform to want to free a criminal in Russia? So they support breaking the law? asking for a friend.

Well, Griner is a very special talent & an exception. LeBron, Steph, Steve Kerr & other great minds tell us so. And a sitting U.S. president says he won't talk turkey with Putin unless the WNBA player is first released . . . so, I suppose your friend has his/her answer.

 

[Shooter McGavin]

Expected us to be 5-1 at worst 6 games in

 

[Yoyo423]

Two sides of the coin can be right. Does Mario deserve a bad grade for the first half of the season? Yep , it took him **** near to the half way point to realize his way of doing things schematically didn’t match or help the players. Even though there was struggles with the playbook through camp and spring. But I also 100 % believe he’s the guy who’ll build this thing right from ground up. You don’t change a culture and a team mimd set within months.

Agreed...

The writer literally wrote this in the first sentence:

"and a discouraging first six games doesn't reduce excitement much or change the long-term outlook about returning to championship contention."

Only extreme fans have taken the first 6 games this year and projected them out to implying Mario will never win here. Most know he's a program builder and never expected him to have an elite team year one that dominated the trenches and blew people out. He clearly doesn't provide a schematic advantage and has some weaknesses on gameday.

But he has absolutely woefully underperformed as well. My expectation was win the games that Vegas says you should win. And don't get blown out by anybody in the regular season.

Two losses so far that we were favored to win..and one blowout loss to MTSU of all teams.

And while the A&M game was "close", it was a disappointing loss because of how bad we played on STs, offense, and in the red zone.

And the two major issues keep repeating themselves...

Red zone woes
Busted coverage resulting in long TDs

He gets those resolved and goes on a 5-1 run, his grade should move up to a B for the season...

 

[BS85]

I do think it falls on leadership and decision making.

Let’s do it. Let’s go down that path.

@Ghandi says

 

[Hardcore Cane]

too high of a grade

 

[KingB02]

It didn’t mention how many dropped passes missed tackles fumbles interceptions and missed field goals Mario had.

Lol every team has those. But keeping them to a minimum is what matters. It’s still on the coaches to not put people out there that do these things repeatedly. BTW I think the WR groups has played well. But the play calling has sucked.

 

[Angry Ibis]

Agreed...

The writer literally wrote this in the first sentence:

"and a discouraging first six games doesn't reduce excitement much or change the long-term outlook about returning to championship contention."

Only extreme fans have taken the first 6 games this year and projected them out to implying Mario will never win here. Most know he's a program builder and never expected him to have an elite team year one that dominated the trenches and blew people out. He clearly doesn't provide a schematic advantage and has some weaknesses on gameday.

But he has absolutely woefully underperformed as well. My expectation was win the games that Vegas says you should win. And don't get blown out by anybody in the regular season.

Two losses so far that we were favored to win..and one blowout loss to MTSU of all teams.

And while the A&M game was "close", it was a disappointing loss because of how bad we played on STs, offense, and in the red zone.

And the two major issues keep repeating themselves...

Red zone woes
Busted coverage resulting in long TDs

He gets those resolved and goes on a 5-1 run, his grade should move up to a B for the season...

3-3 is below expectations, needs improvement

D+ grade matches that

If that start ultimately impacts recruiting negatively, the overall season grade should reflect that

 

[Derrick Griffin]

Two sides of the coin can be right. Does Mario deserve a bad grade for the first half of the season? Yep , it took him **** near to the half way point to realize his way of doing things schematically didn’t match or help the players. Even though there was struggles with the playbook through camp and spring. But I also 100 % believe he’s the guy who’ll build this thing right from ground up. You don’t change a culture and a team mimd set within months.

Seeing how Michigan State has fallen back off this year, it’s shows that outliers are possible for short periods of time but legit reworks take serious time/effort/resources.

 

[M.Hendrix]

Two sides of the coin can be right. Does Mario deserve a bad grade for the first half of the season? Yep , it took him **** near to the half way point to realize his way of doing things schematically didn’t match or help the players. Even though there was struggles with the playbook through camp and spring. But I also 100 % believe he’s the guy who’ll build this thing right from ground up. You don’t change a culture and a team mimd set within months.

Crib, I am not saying Mario can’t get it done. But our problem has not been players. For years! MTSU? 6 total first downs, 7 TDs? Man coaching let us down again. Adjustments?? The team thinking they would just walk in and win? He has to see that by noon on Tuesday! And get his team focused. He didn’t. The obvious *** whoopin the guys gave the 5 star Texas jimbos but came up short? 27 first downs with zero TD’s? They laid it out there. And the muffed punt was big, but not the only mistake we made that game. UNC? Middle Tennessee probably hasn’t won a game since. COACHING! Period , I don’t have the answer, but I don’t get paid to have the answer. I pay to see the result of the answer. We gonna find out how good of a recruiter Mario is. His results on the field are not going to be the reason he signs anyone. I hope he is as good as advertised.

 

[LeavingJesusland]

Dan Lanning at a B+ rubs salt in the wound