Coaching Staff Turning it Around?

[sycfan23]

It seems like the coaching staff has finally made a decision to let the boys play. We are playing really good right now. The players seem to have more confidence and we have some good team chemistry. Players are getting to feel comfortable in their roles and there is more balance in our offensive attack. Printy is playing well, Harry is as always, Tunnel is a beast and Carl continues to own the boards. You have to give credit to the caoching staff for changing their philosophy.

Until just recently, they were pulling people out of the game left and right for every little mistake they were making. Then, they would take the oportunity to embarrass them on the sideline in front of us, the fans. (This can be an effective way to motivate players to play better -or it can also be a way for the coaches to vent frustration and make sure everyone knows that if the players would just do what the coaches told them to do, then ISU you would not be losing. In other words, "it is not our fault. these guys are just playing like idiots")

Back to giving them credit for the last 3 games. I believe they deserve a lot of credit, but I think they should leave it up to the fans and sports writers to give them the credit. I have never heard a coaching staff pat themselves on the back as much as this one. Coach Lou G. spent more time on his radio interview talking about how the coaches have been "positive" lately and how hard it is to do that when you are losing, but that it was a big reason for the turnaround. McKenna was asked about the free throw shooting, and he said they have the team shoot free throws before, during and after practice and basically gave himself the credit.

Coaches: Hint - when given the opportunity to talk about why you are winning, give all the credit to your players. Don't pat yourselves on the back. Let others promote your good deeds.

 

[sycamorebacker]

You're right. He should have said that they didn't practice foul shots.

 

[sycfan23]

It would be fine to mention that they are working hard and practicing, but if you heard the interview, you would know where I am coming from. The coaches are very self serving and are trying to do their best to make sure that everyone knows that they are doing a great job. They are winning at the right time of the year and should be given credit for it, but just listen to interviews and read articles and let me know if you do not see what I am saying is true. Every time they are interviewed they talk about what they are doing in practice and what they are doing to turn the team around. Most good coaches give credit to their players and don't need to exalt themselves.

I guess you have to do that when your contract is up in two years and you are having a horrible season.

 

[sycamorebacker]

He probably feels good that they have been able to improve that much. I guess that doesn't bother me. Seems pretty trivial to me.

 

[sycfan23]

What is not trivial is that we are now winning and that a lot of it is due to the new coaching phiosophy, which was the main point of the thread.

Good to see that the playrs are not being yanked out of the game every time they make a mistake and they are not being verbally abused and embarassed quite as much as they were earlier in the season.

 

[hussle]

We have to agree with you on that one sycfan23...good coaches give credit for successes to their kids and take credit for the losses.

Every coach at the beginning of the year tells the media the samething, "we have a lot of work to do before the season starts...right now we can't even beat ourselves in practice"- type of comments. Then they take every opportunity to build confidence in their players by sticking up for them in public & pointing out the good things. It is like a family, you don't air dirty laundry in public. Down play the weak and focus on the good and stick up for your players so they can thnk you can believe in them as a coach. Re-direct or down play the media's negativity so it doesn't catch to your players and fans.

I would agree that this coaching staff made the mistake of adding fuel and negativity to media opporutnities. They are not very good at marketing!

It does seem we have stayed in the pre-season mode of tearing down the players a very long time. And it is good to see the change!

If you have to sound your own horn, ... why do you?

Enjoy your perspective sycfan23...keep commenting!

What is not trivial is that we are now winning and that a lot of it is due to the new coaching phiosophy, which was the main point of the thread.

Good to see that the playrs are not being yanked out of the game every time they make a mistake and they are not being verbally abused and embarassed quite as much as they were earlier in the season.

 

[RollsRoyce]

M-I-C.......K-E-Y........M-O-U-S-E!!!!! sums up this thread!!!!:krazy:

 

[hussle]

Really...explain Mickey...

 

[bent20]

We have to agree with you on that one sycfan23...good coaches give credit for successes to their kids and take credit for the losses.

Who is this "We" you speak of? A lot of people have come here in the past year looking to criticize McKenna and it's never on the same issue. I don't think he's been unfair to the players. He's coaching a young team and they're coming along nicely. They've had almost a whole season now to grow and mature, and it's paying off with some nice wins of late.

 

[btisu22]

I guess we all heard the same interview. They are just telling what they have been doing in practice! Hey, if he has them shooting freethrows a lot then he's telling us that. This isn't bragging! I've heard him give props to the kids many of times.

 

[hussle]

A common theme of critizism of this coaching staff on this board and past post has been the treatment (including how players are dismissed from the team) of players...see many of Morgan's posts as well as the disparity between treatment from one player to the next as stated in others posts. You can stick you head in the sand, but it doesn't mean it still isn't happening.

It appears to be a recurring theme that the program will have to weather under this staff, again see Morgan's comments in previous posts about how Cole was treated.

Who is this "We" you speak of? A lot of people have come here in the past year looking to criticize McKenna and it's never on the same issue. I don't think he's been unfair to the players. He's coaching a young team and they're coming along nicely. They've had almost a whole season now to grow and mature, and it's paying off with some nice wins of late.

 

[Daveinth]

A common theme of critizism of this coaching staff on this board and past post has been the treatment (including how players are dismissed from the team) of players...see many of Morgan's posts as well as the disparity between treatment from one player to the next as stated in others posts. You can stick you head in the sand, but it doesn't mean it still isn't happening.

It appears to be a recurring theme that the program will have to weather under this staff, again see Morgan's comments in previous posts about how Cole was treated.

Why do we always have to keep going back to the whole Holmstrom issue . Its dead in
the water quit beating a dead horse on this issue . PersonnallyI feel getting rid of him was a good thing ( I think he could have and should have released a few others ) . Lets move on and discuss issues that are meaningful like what its going to take to continue the recent success. We have a good base of kids who next year will be more expeiranced and we have some very good recruits to add to the mix . Leave poor little Mr. jr. basketball CH alone . if he was that great he would have been Mr. Basketball......

 

[bent20]

I feel bad for both Holstrom and Stinson, but judging from their behavior after they were let go (Stinson sitting in the stands and Holstrom coming here and blasting the coach) I can't help but think they only re-inforced McKenna's decision.

 

[btisu22]

I feel bad for both Holstrom and Stinson, but judging from their behavior after they were let go (Stinson sitting in the stands and Holstrom coming here and blasting the coach) I can't help but think they only re-inforced McKenna's decision.

Do you really think that was Cole? I don't. I guess it may have been, but I really don't think it was him.

 

[TrueBlue]

Rico was never asked to leave. He quit. His sitting behind the bench after leaving the team high and dry (and taking his scholarship for the year with him), right before the season started was just as confusing and awkward to those on the bench as us fans. :eek7:

As for the coaches... Sorry but I just can't see how disclosing what the team has been working on in practice is in any way, shape, or form "patting themselves on the back".

 

[True Blue]

There are now two True Blue's? If the guy on the previous post writes something stupid, it wasn't the original!:bigsmile:

 

[bent20]

True Blue with a space and TrueBlue without. I sure hope we don't get a bent02 on here.

 

[sycamore fan]

The important thing is we're playing better. As young as we are, they'll likely still be bumps in the road. But we seem to be getting it together. Our offensive aggressiveness is much improved, and we're guarding people...that's for sure. Give credit to coaches, players, cheerleaders or whomever...let's just keep it going!

I think some people place too much emphasis on trying to decode every comment made by the coaching staff. A mic is shoved in your face and you say what you say. Sometimes things don't come out the way you mean. Sometimes your message just isn't that pleasant, but you get your point across.

We then have those (most usually have never coached) who come up with these rules about what you should be saying. I just need to know...Where is that rule book, and why don't I have a copy?!

I listened to Coach Creen speak on the radio last night. His message was the same as what I keep hearing from our coaches. He's looking for those kids who want to put the extra hours in the gym. He wants the gym rat who shoots 500 shots before he goes to class, who is the first to practice and the last to leave, who comes in a watches tape on his own. Coaches want more effort...that's universal.

I think the improvement shown by our players has been tremendous. Printy and Richard, in particular, are playing great. Jay has shut everyone up of late as well. There really is nothing to be upset about. Someone is doing something right!

It's a good team. Let them, grow up. It going to fun around here for a while.

 

[BlueSycamore]

Need to hold the criticism until we are paying our coach $750 - mil each year like Creighton, SIU & Wichita. Only one of those three are worth it over the long haul; the other two are just one BIG expense & job security for a period of time win or lose. Hope the other two don't have "rabbitt ears" cause the hounds are howling already.

 

[sycfan23]

Didn't get to listen to the game last night. Another big win.

I think the coaches really have turned it around.

I know they don't get paid much, so I can't really ask this, but I am going to anyway. Did they compliment themselves again after the game or in a newspaper article?

I hope they gave more credit to the players than they did themselves.