Frank Martin: we've "hit the reset button completely"
- Thread starter GarnetBeamer
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What about the year before that, and the year before that and the year before that?
From 15-19 we had a winning record in the SEC every year but one and never had a losing season overall. That is why I said he has fielded “mostly good teams” during that time period. Not all great teams, not all record setting/breaking teams (only 2/5), but “good” ones. We have never been a basketball powerhouse in my lifetime for anything longer than a year or two. I do not expect to make the dance every year, but I do expect them to be competitive in the SEC and in contention for the dance and he has usually done that. Last year was the exception not the norm and we all know the cause.
Well, I'm chomping at the bit unless he hits me in the mouth. I do respect your fanhood. G'day
In the years since our tournament run, we haven't been very good. Losing conference record the next year, barely above .500 overall. 16-16 the season after that. Popped to 18-13 the next but only 6th in the conference. Not only were we not in contention for the dance, we didn't even make the NIT.
In 9 years, we've made the post season 2x, one NIT and one NCAA. But you say he "usually" has us in contention for the dance????? In what world???
I've got no problems with Frank's first 5 years. And we can throw last year out since it's apparently unfair to include that. The 3 years following the tournament run were disastrous. We got NOTHING from our FF run. zip. zilch. For all realistic purposes, it might as well have never happened. It's just a historical anecdote at this point. A "remember that time" point of conversation.
Frank is going to be fine this season. His biggest issue is that he has about 6 guards that can play and finding a way to mix them in and get them involved is a puzzle. I wouldn't want to have to make those decisions but it's a good problem to have.
It's pretty clear that there are issues, but I don't think one of them is having too many quality guards.
The biggest issue on the near horizon is determining who gets to hire the next MBB coach...Tanner or his replacement?
Ignoring a lot of facts in this post to make your point hold more weight but believe what you want. I never said we were very good in those years- but we had some good teams; when the 19-20 season was wiped out before the tourney we were a bubble team= in contention for the dance, not LIKELY to make it but deff woulda been NIT… the 18 win season we were a bubble team until late and lost some games- a couple to Bama that hurt us most if I recall- that kept us out… Still “in contention” most of the year… Those seasons were not what we hoped for after a FF run, but far from the disasters you describe them as.. imo.
Of course everyone has their opinions- I am not touting Martin as the best coach in America or anything, but he has done a fine job most of his tenure here save for one very strange year where he and most of his team were sickened by the virus that has messed up the whole world since the end of 2019. I can look past that. Clearly some can’t- but as a few posts in this thread indicate, I think that has more to do with miss-information and the irrationally divided political environment in our country that makes some ignore facts, than it does with the actual reasons for the poor outcome of last season.
I probably should not have said "anyone". I'm sure there are coaches out there who could have done better. The question is whether we would/could have hired them. Frank's biggest failure was not capitalizing on the FF. That's where I think "most" coaches would/could have done better. I'd like to know the backstory on that because I feel like there must have been a few things going on that we did not know about. (Aside from Dozier and Felder)
We could and would hire better based on some of the names that were mention during the what should have been search.
IMO the biggest issue with Martin currently is he is stuck in his ways and won’t change. 9 years in, it’s been his biggest detriment.
If the question "Has our coach been successful?" generates this much debate among your fan base after 9 years, I think the answer is pretty self-evident. When coaches are successful after 9 years on the job, fans reach a consensus fairly easily.
Well, the problem is you have some fans who look at it objectively and those who look at it subjectively.
Objectively, Frank has not been successful. There is 100% consensus on that.
Subjectively, there is disagreement. Nobody can say Frank has been successful without adding a string of qualifiers. Every post about Frank's success is basically "If you consider x, y and z, then Frank has done a good job."
Having a winning record without tournament play is not a success whatever way you look at it. Besides a few years there has never been consistent shooters at any range.
