Does MW get a pass from you for losing the pre-season SEC player of the year last year to injury followed by losing CC this year for an extended period of time? I’m just curious what some of the more level headed posters think?
For last year, he got a pass. I took Covid and losing Key into account for that. I thought we did reasonably well in 2020 all things considered. Not so much for this season. I feel his Houdini transfer portal act is wearing thin. There's 7 or 8 weeks left to change the narrative. If not.....
White, not unreasonably, has gotten a lot of free passes during his tenure. First it was Egbunu, then it was Keyontae, now it's Castleton. There's no doubt those things were out of his control, and there's no doubt he's run into some bad luck during his time at UF. But look, it's not as though we were romping with Castleton and then his injury derailed a promising season. Teams lose really good players for multiple weeks all the time. Keyontae's situation was unique, but losing your starting center for a few weeks is the kind of thing you have to be able to weather.
I really want to. I think he's a great man. Would be thrilled for him to coach my kid. I just think there's something inherent in his approach that bottles players up. I don't know what that would be exactly, but it's seems clear to me it's there - despite the few examples of players that grew and shined. If it's not something in his approach, it's something in his talent evaluations. It also appears he can't adjust as well as he needs to. Both at the macro level and in game. He comes up with good initial plans, but seems unable to adjust to opponents adjustments. See the hot starts to many years, then back slides. Or even the recent success after CC went down. Now teams have enough film to stop us again. Many of these examples can be explained away by their individual circumstances, but we have 7 years of data points that show a clear trend, IMO. Sucks, but my answer is: no.
He seems to find a way to get a pass for something every year. At some point he owns the program and its results.
No. He hogs the ball too much. Seriously, anybody ever notice that if any game is real close when it gets to the 5 min mark TO at the end that the odds of us winning drop from say 50% to more like 10-20%.
I think CMW used up his free passes last year. KJ gave him that. But absent KJ there are still a ton of questions that I can’t answer such as why so many players underperform in the course of the year. What happened to Hudson? Why did AN leave? Why did Noah Locke leave? Fir that matter why did Glover leave when we didn’t have a point guard? Why do we keep doing the same thing over and over? Most coaches say they adjust their scheme to fit the talent but CMW doesn’t seem to do much of that. I don’t actually see much of a scheme there. I hate the DDO, especially after all those years with Billy’s ball screen disciplined motion offense. It sounds like a cop out but we really do seem to very often come up court slowly, pass a couple time and chuck up a three. And we can’t shoot. Why can’t we shoot? The players, from Noah Locke on down used to could shoot but then they couldn’t. I also don’t see a lot of game day coaching. Yes, he has used a zone a few times and it has worked some of the time but then it didn’t. He seems awfully old school for a young coach, sometimes even Muschamp like. It’s really not up to me to give chances so I’m just losing interest. Otoh, the Women’s team, with their “interim” coach seem everything the men don’t. Engaged, supportive of each other, talented and overachieving. And yes, that interim coach was the primary recruiter for these young women so that’s on her as well.
Some really good and thoughtful answers. Year #7. Started out very well and then . . . (so far) typical. Coach White should have had his players and his system fully installed now for at least 3-years if not four. Maybe it has been and we're seeing his best possible work in the SEC and NCAA Tournament. No (real) adjustments. Especially in-game. Apparently no (real) accountability. No emotion from the sideline. No working the refs for our kids. My question: What is this team's identity? High pressure? Fast break? Trapping? Deliberate half court sets? Offensive boards? Screens for open shots? Ball movement for open 3s? I don't see any consistently from game to game.
Lets face it. Good person, average coach. Same record every year 18-13 basically. He is the kind of coach that could flourish in a small mid-major conf. Not the SEC. We had CC when we lost to Texas Southern, Maryland, LSU; so maybe he would not make any difference. Maybe recruit more than one good player. He needs to go. But SS won't. Besides I doubt if he can find anybody better. He isn't great at hiring winners in his past history. Maybe Napier might break the ice.
I've been a MW sunshine pumper for years. 7 years to be exact. I cannot and will not defend him anymore. He is what he is. By all accounts, he is a good person and an excellent ambassador for UF. However, his track record for the last 6 years (not including his excellent EE run) has been very very mediocre at best. I sincerely hope he can turn it around this season because I can't take too many more years of this. He has a nice class coming in next year. If that team doesn't perform, then the mantra will probably be because they are too young, thus giving him yet another year. When does it stop?
If you want my unvarnished answer, no he has used up his mulligans. This was/is going to be the year he has "his kind of players" and yet it still has some major holes. Now for my answer as to what I think will happen. I think he gets one more year, for no other reason than this year is all about Napier and what he is doing with THE program at UF. It is using up a LOT of attention. Mike is going to get a couple of pieces next year that seem like a step towards what he is trying to do. And yes, he needs a LOT more help besides these pieces. And I have to believe Stricklin is going to give him a firm expectation for next season: he MUST hire an Associate Head Coach whose acumen is mainly on the offensive side of the ledger. And then it will be up to Mike to meet his expectation or he is out. And while I know we are all weary of the continued lack of progress, I want to remind everyone that Mac and Mullen were removed because they did things that took their last gasp effort away. Stricklin had no other choice. Unless the players revolt, I don't see Mike giving Stricklin no choice. JMHO
Great news Gator fans, our old friend Bullis has stated that he has been told from a source close to the basketball program that White would not be coaching for the Gators next season. There were no further details given. And I don’t care who doesn’t like my post, this to me is great news for the basketball program. Best of luck to White and wherever he lands. Great guy but in my opinion not a good coach.
Interesting, but I tend to doubt any final decision has been made just yet. It is possible that White is the one making the decision and looking elsewhere. I've long maintained that he knows he will not have the success here that is expected and is looking for another program.
Well, I for one hope it is true. Nothing personal against White, I just want a better coach for Florida basketball. I want to enjoy Gator basketball again.
I just hope we can get a better coach. One who can elevate the program despite its current status. Needed to add this. What I don't want to see happen here is what happened to Georgia. It is possible to get worse than this, and Crean took Marquette to a final four.
