The Culture Part Will Take Time

[rsa coral gables]

There seems to be some apprehension that Gattis and Mario will want to run the ball in spite of perhaps not having much success and in spite of having a "Heisman Trophy" candidate quarterback. We have seen the stubborn coordinator many times here (D'Onofrio, Enos, Manny and to a certain extent Lashlee with poor inside run calls).

Enter Alonzo Highsmith. We have to listen to what he says. In virtually all of his interviews discussing his job description, he has said that he is here to evaluate talent, the other team and more importantly our own team. I want to believe that if there is compelling evidence that any part of the the offense or defense doesn't work, Alonzo is going to be at the table advocating for adjustments.

Hopefully, Gattis and Steele, and perhaps more importantly Mario, will listen to Alonzo and listen to and actually implement what Steele said last week, that if the players don't get any part of the playbook they can forget about it because it will be discarded. He is going to teach his players what they can do well and not what they cannot do.

View attachment 206495

i didn't think we'd get to this point this early, but we are here. Let's see what happens next.

 

[razrcane]

Did he or did he not win the Broyles Award? I'm dealing with facts that can't be disputed... you're dealing with emotions and opinions.

I'd rather be me in this discussion. I do enjoy a nice gif though. Keep it up.

And Derrick Strait won the Thorpe award over Sean Taylor (rip) but we all know….

 

[hotshot]

SFLA is like no other place in the country with regards to youth and high school football. Its loaded but its also everyone just telling everyone how great they are, get paid, this loss isnt on you, etc.

Are we really sure this remains the case? It surely was in the 1980s and 90s when we recruited unwanted players -- RB Albert Bentley and CB Rod Bellinger come to mind as stellar examples of a walk-on and a 2 star recruit excelling on our first NC team. Guys like them brought So Fla HS ball to the attention of the country.

Lately (this century), too often we get 4/5 stars who play like 2 stars. The very reverse of what So Fla High Schools were giving us in our glory years.

 

[hotshot]

LuCane, What specifically are you talking about with the word "culture?" I saw Loafing and Quitting mentioned and these are certainly Culture issues, with a cap C. What else?

 

[twes.305]

You "hire"/"acquire" for that, FWIW. You don't "inspire" kids to do that or necessarily teach them how. We better be really good at evaluating for it.

[And, no, it doesn't take football experience. But, that's another topic altogether]

Ik, but how do you expect to create that type of culture and recruit kids like that to come here if your fielding a ******, uninspired team. Everybody from outside the program can see it. I expect recruiting to get really hard far Mario unless things change.

 

[Handsome Squidbum]

Notre Dame, cold weather and culture change at UM

How has Miami changed since the Randy Shannon era? Watch how they respond to cold weather.

www.stateoftheu.com

Miami football building Manny Diaz culture evolving

Manny DIaz made a point of making the culture he established as the defensive coordinator for the Miami football program from 2016-18 to permeate the team.

caneswarning.com

You hear it every time there is an inexplicable loss to a vastly less talented team. I didn't think I'd already hear it 4 games into the season after a loss to Middle Tennessee.

 

[LuCane]

Notre Dame, cold weather and culture change at UM

How has Miami changed since the Randy Shannon era? Watch how they respond to cold weather.

www.stateoftheu.com

Miami football building Manny Diaz culture evolving

Manny DIaz made a point of making the culture he established as the defensive coordinator for the Miami football program from 2016-18 to permeate the team.

caneswarning.com

You hear it every time there is an inexplicable loss to a vastly less talented team. I didn't think I'd already hear it 4 games into the season after a loss to Middle Tennessee.

First of all, it's not being used as an excuse (at least in this thread).

Secondly, getting people into the habits you want is a real thing. And, it takes time.

Lastly, it's one of Mario's presumed biggest strengths as a program builder. And, as has been said 10x already, here is how the thread was begun:

"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."

So, yeah. It's to say he has to build the culture he wants over time, but do whatever possible to win WHILE doing it. The OP also states:
"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."

Some of you are apparently shooting at ghosts.

 

[nickster]

LuCANE I can read and I just think your point is meaningless. This culture is all baloney and if you believe than more power to you. As a person who has watched football for 60 years, been to 4 Super Bowls, 3 National Championship Games, 2 Ryder Cups, and a season ticket holder for 35 years at UM tell that to these champions. I guess the culture has been like this for 20 years and no end in sight. It comes with winning, winning, the right coaches, and being able to adapt to your players along with philosophy. So far Mario has been a disaster on the field. He is a real good recruiter and I will give him that. I am not impressed with Mario because he took way too long to hire an offensive coordinator and he had several good ones to choose from from. This is ON MARIO SO FAR!

 

[nvlahos]

I understand needing Culture change to beat Clemson, A&M or **** even most ACC coastal teams

But losing to Middle Tenn St and struggling against Southern Miss.. idk

Mario hired a horrible OC and likes a prehistoric offense himself. The players knew/know it by game 2 and he’s already losing buy in from them on that side of the ball and now the other too because they know the offense can’t score for ****

 

[LuCane]

LuCANE I can read and I just think your point is meaningless. This culture is all baloney and if you believe than more power to you. As a person who has watched football for 60 years, been to 4 Super Bowls, 3 National Championship Games, 2 Ryder Cups, and a season ticket holder for 35 years at UM tell that to these champions. I guess the culture has been like this for 20 years and no end in sight. It comes with winning, winning, the right coaches, and being able to adapt to your players along with philosophy. So far Mario has been a disaster on the field. He is a real good recruiter and I will give him that. I am not impressed with Mario because he took way too long to hire an offensive coordinator and he had several good ones to chose from from. This is ON MARIO SO FAR!

Congratulations on your sports travels. They sound awesome. I think you've missed my "meaningless point." Multiple times now, but that's fine, too.

 

[scrantoncane]

I only skimmed the thread and slowed down to read what Lu said and what he quote-posted. And in response to what I saw, I will say this:

Michigan State used the portal last year to plug its holes. They had a great season, including beating us. But all those portal guys were 1-year rentals. Because they were so reliant on the portal, they stink this year. They have no culture... it is a hodgepodge of kids that some years might work, and other years won't work.

USC is kind of the same way this year. Similar to Miami in that they have a new coach and lots of new players. They are leading the country in turnover luck, and almost lost to Oregon State without their best pass-catching option (TE Luke Musgrave). They will get punched in the mouth one of these weeks. They lack depth and their lack of culture will show at some point, I am willing to wager.

Avante Williams, about whom I have posted several times that I believe he is the best true safety prospect we have had since ST, barely sees the field here. D$ has alluded to the WRs not seeing the field for off-field stuff. I think it was Boarcane that said he thought Mario looked at this as a throwaway year from the jump. I think Tae and others aren't playing bc Mario is trying to instill his culture.

When you come home and sign a 10-year contract, the situation is different. Mario is trying to, not REbuild... but actually BUILD this thing. That is going to take time.

Like Lu, I agree... pile on him for getting smoked by MTSU; for hiring Gattis; for not opening the offense up more; for playing upperclassmen, and on and on. The offense is broken and needs to be fixed. The loss to MTSU is inexcusable. Mario's conservative nature, long-term, might lose use games we would otherwise win.

All that said, I do trust Mario to raise our floor. Infrastructure, recruiting budgets (see the Texas/Archie article in the Athletic for this one if you haven't already), stuff like that. It'll trickle down, and the guy can still recruit & is still up at the ***-crack of dawn working harder than I ever have. I trust in him.

The focus on OL recruiting and making the team tough will also trickle down. Mean MFers on the LOS still wins ballgames, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Our OL got rag-dolled by the MTSU DL. I've been saying that we still don't have a good OL, despite the perceived improvements. They are soft, pass-blockers, masquerading as tough OLmen. It is on Mario for failing to realize that and trying to lean on them in Year 1, but by improving that position, we will improve the whole team.

As for this season, idk. There are holes, but other coastal teams have holes too. I don't think "fixing the culture" and trying your best to win games are mutually exclusive. Mario has to find that balance, and he is getting paid handsomely to do it. He needs to be better.

 

[L A M P]

I'd like to see Mario pull guys when they **** up, no matter who's behind them. Get beat man to man and give up a 69 yard bomb? Your *** is benched for a series and if the guy behind you is playing better than you, then you don't get your job back. Fumble the ball? Same thing.

That's the accountability Mario and Highsmith were talking about before the season but so far I haven't seen it in games.

You shouldn't be playing your most talented players no matter what, you should be playing the players who PRODUCE and let playing time be the reward for production and results IN GAME.

I don't give a **** about who looks good in practice. Not 4 games in. All I care about is who is getting it done on Saturday, that's who should be in the game.

I hear you but it ain’t that simple. Coaches have to be able to trust players knowing their assignments. I’m sure a lot of the kids we’d like to see play fall in that category. The problem is our experience lacks talent & our talent lacks experience.

 

[LuCane]

I only skimmed the thread and slowed down to read what Lu said and what he quote-posted. And in response to what I saw, I will say this:

Michigan State used the portal last year to plug its holes. They had a great season, including beating us. But all those portal guys were 1-year rentals. Because they were so reliant on the portal, they stink this year. They have no culture... it is a hodgepodge of kids that some years might work, and other years won't work.

USC is kind of the same way this year. Similar to Miami in that they have a new coach and lots of new players. They are leading the country in turnover luck, and almost lost to Oregon State without their best pass-catching option (TE Luke Musgrave). They will get punched in the mouth one of these weeks. They lack depth and their lack of culture will show at some point, I am willing to wager.

Avante Williams, about whom I have posted several times that I believe he is the best true safety prospect we have had since ST, barely sees the field here. D$ has alluded to the WRs not seeing the field for off-field stuff. I think it was Boarcane that said he thought Mario looked at this as a throwaway year from the jump. I think Tae and others aren't playing bc Mario is trying to instill his culture.

When you come home and sign a 10-year contract, the situation is different. Mario is trying to, not REbuild... but actually BUILD this thing. That is going to take time.

Like Lu, I agree... pile on him for getting smoked by MTSU; for hiring Gattis; for not opening the offense up more; for playing upperclassmen, and on and on. The offense is broken and needs to be fixed. The loss to MTSU is inexcusable. Mario's conservative nature, long-term, might lose use games we would otherwise win.

All that said, I do trust Mario to raise our floor. Infrastructure, recruiting budgets (see the Texas/Archie article in the Athletic for this one if you haven't already), stuff like that. It'll trickle down, and the guy can still recruit & is still up at the ***-crack of dawn working harder than I ever have. I trust in him.

The focus on OL recruiting and making the team tough will also trickle down. Mean MFers on the LOS still wins ballgames, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Our OL got rag-dolled by the MTSU DL. I've been saying that we still don't have a good OL, despite the perceived improvements. They are soft, pass-blockers, masquerading as tough OLmen. It is on Mario for failing to realize that and trying to lean on them in Year 1, but by improving that position, we will improve the whole team.

As for this season, idk. There are holes, but other coastal teams have holes too. I don't think "fixing the culture" and trying your best to win games are mutually exclusive. Mario has to find that balance, and he is getting paid handsomely to do it. He needs to be better.

People are reacting to the word culture and seemingly not understanding that the points they're making support the original post. Probably because some people don't read the entire post, so I fear most won't read yours. I will and am appreciative of your thoughts.

The OP plainly states Mario has talked about the need to build culture and I've mentioned how getting groups of people into the right habits and mindsets is a real thing that takes time. In the offseason, most expected that to be near instantaneous. I warned against it.

Unfortunately, people take the mention of "culture" is an excuse for our current results. The funny thing is that the OP states the exact OPPOSITE: Mario needed to do the best he could with what he has WHILE developing the culture simultaneously. It's a really tough ask, but that's why he gets paid 8M/year and was given a big budget.

The OP and subsequent posts further state that, if he screwed up that chance for simultaneous progress (culture + winning games we should) with the Gattis' hire (and I've long stated that concern), part of his OWN culture is accountability. And, so he has to act accordingly. Immediately (though I think that'd be at the end of the year). Because perception also helps him build culture.

Pretty straightforward: "The Culture Part Takes Time," but it shouldn't mean throwing our offense and the season to **** and rooting for losses so we can rid ourselves of an OC. That accountability should happen as part of Mario's "culture rebuild." What's good for the players should be good for the coaches.

 

[JimmyJohnsonsHair]

Notre Dame, cold weather and culture change at UM

How has Miami changed since the Randy Shannon era? Watch how they respond to cold weather.

www.stateoftheu.com

Miami football building Manny Diaz culture evolving

Manny DIaz made a point of making the culture he established as the defensive coordinator for the Miami football program from 2016-18 to permeate the team.

caneswarning.com

You hear it every time there is an inexplicable loss to a vastly less talented team. I didn't think I'd already hear it 4 games into the season after a loss to Middle Tennessee.

We’ve been hearing it since 2006. Remember when the solution was ridding the program of “Cokerized players”? I’m pretty sure those guys are all gone.

 

[305to954]

All the culture in the world isn’t going to win with that prehistoric offense .

We are basically Iowa football.

Have you watched a Iowa offense..I wouldn’t say we are that bad lol..fact is this, our best players on offense are RBs..2 of the 3 top guys are injured or came into the season banged up. And you a QB who isn’t seeing the field at all

 

[jw410]

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:

View attachment 209691

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.

Mario isn't a good coach, he's exactly what I didn't want. A solid recruiter who can't coach his way out of a wet paper bag.

 

[RightSaidFred]

I hear you but it ain’t that simple. Coaches have to be able to trust players knowing their assignments. I’m sure a lot of the kids we’d like to see play fall in that category. The problem is our experience lacks talent & our talent lacks experience.

So say the starting MLB misses a tackle in space, I bench him for the backup. Next play, the backup blows an assignment, then the next play I’m benching him and putting #3 in. Or back to the original starter if there’s nobody else.

The point is the punishment for ******* up has to happen immediately after the ****up. It can’t be after the game. That’s the best way to drill the message home. Ultimately what you want is your most talented guys to “get it.”

The other thing I don’t see much of, and I was on the sideline practically for the A&M game, is in-game instruction. We have an army of coaches. These kids should be getting immediate feedback after each play, but I saw a lot of these coaches watching the game and not always engaged and coaching. I saw some of it, but you’d like to see more teaching in the moment. If you have to wait until you review film, it’s too late IMO and you’ve lost the most fertile wondow to give instruction

 

[WanderFranco]

Are we really sure this remains the case? It surely was in the 1980s and 90s when we recruited unwanted players -- RB Albert Bentley and CB Rod Bellinger come to mind as stellar examples of a walk-on and a 2 star recruit excelling on our first NC team. Guys like them brought So Fla HS ball to the attention of the country.

Lately (this century), too often we get 4/5 stars who play like 2 stars. The very reverse of what So Fla High Schools were giving us in our glory years.

Exactly right. South Florida "talent" has not been bringing it lately. It's not a coincidence that FSU, Florida, and Miami have all been irrelevant.

 

[jackedaround]

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:

View attachment 209691

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.

i agree it takes time. i am not calling for mario's head. it makes no sense to. as much as i want the team to win nothing to do but give it 3-4 years. if it changes great. if it doesnt it doesnt.

 

[GojiraCane]

It would be a lot easier to handle losing and feeling like it was a rebuild if we had purged the roster to clean up the culture. We didn't do that, brought in a number of bodies in the portal, but a lot of the same issues are still present from prior years.

Yes, it takes time to clean the culture up, but what bothers me is guys like Porter who we brought in are loafing it on special teams. He hasn't even been here in previous years to be tainted, yet he has been here a few months and is loafing around in games?

To some, they'll say that is a sign of the culture being so poor. To me, it's worrisome that in game 4 of the Mario era we've seen newcomers loaf in games, we've seen the team quit in the middle of a game against G5 competition. I'm not saying this guarantees Mario will fail, but that's an awful look for him and this staff. If the team is quitting in game 4, is it even possible to get the team focused and back under control moving forward this season?

We attrited 32 players from last season. That's tied for the most ever in a single year going back to 2007.