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(GOLF) W Golf NCAA Regionals

Discussion in 'Alligator Alley (other sports)' started by apkgator, May 10, 2023.

  1. May 10, 2023 #1
    apkgator

    apkgator GC Hall of Fame

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    Day 3 underway of the regionals....top 5 advance. UF is ranked 21st nationally and the 4 seed at regionals.
    UF dug a slight hole on day one, made up no ground on day 2. Unfortunately have lost even more ground today and sit 9 shots out of 5th and a chance to advance.

    May be time to look at the coaching situation and state of the program. Been floating along in mediocrity, IMO this was a year to make some noise.
    Lineup has a grad student, 3 seniors with a ton of experience, and an experienced junior. And they made no noise at SEC or NCAA tourneys. Tough to feel good about where things stand
     
  2. May 10, 2023 #2
    apkgator

    apkgator GC Hall of Fame

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    UF a distant 8th....disappointing tourney and season to say the least
    For perspective, with 6 regionals UF ends the year somewhere as a mid 40s ranked type team. That's not good enough. It can happen every now and then, not 2 years running with a VERY experienced team
     
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  3. May 10, 2023 #3
    oragator1

    oragator1 Hurricane Hunter Premium Member

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    2 straight years if not even making nationals…It’s Stricklin’s world of acceptable mediocrity, we’re all just living in it.

    He hasn’t fired a single coach for on field performance outside of football in his entire tenure, so I wouldn’t hold my breath. And every sport on campus right now is performing below where it should be, save maybe track.
    Soccer - enough said.
    CC - neither team made post season
    WBB didn’t make NCAAs
    Volleyball did ok in a rebuilding year and then promptly lost 2 of its top three returners to the portal.
    Mens basketball didn’t make NCAAs
    Football finished with a losing record
    M &W swimming underperformed their seeds at nationals
    Gymnastics has had the most talent for years and can’t win a title, though second isn’t scrubby.
    Softball was picked to win the SEC and finished 8th
    Mens tennis woefully underperformed
    Womens tennis hasn’t made it past the round of in years.
    Womens golf just flamed out again
    Mens golf, LAX and baseball the jury is still out. But baseball hasn’t made it out of a regional in four or 5 years.

    Out projected directors cup points are now arojnd 1050, which would be our lowest as far back as I looked. And any more slip ups and the top 10 streak could die too.
     
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  4. May 12, 2023 #4
    apkgator

    apkgator GC Hall of Fame

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    Certainly not a vintage year, but I think thats a rather harsh view overall.
    We know Nesty has things going strong and getting better w swimming, thats a stretch to criticize. M Tennis had a rebuild year, we know the story after being the most talented team last 2 seasons. Complaining about 2nd nationally in gymnastics is like the most Gator fan thing ever lol.
    When people complain about Stricklin I generally ask what you would do differently.
    Baseball hasn't been out of regionals recently....what exactly does that have to do with SS? Sully is a HOF coach with a new stadium. What does SSdo differently
    Softball had a down year......Walton HOF coach w great faciities
    M Tennis had a down year....Shelton maybe the best coach in the country
    CC....we use ships on T and F, we've never been good. Let Mouse do his thing
    Volleyball....HOF coach, on the backside of her career but no one seriously would want a change
    Etc etc. There have been coaching coaches in football, basketball, w basketball, soccer when the time came. You can argue hires and nitpick timing, but by and large he has kept elite coaches in place and given them what they need to win.
     
  5. May 12, 2023 #5
    oragator1

    oragator1 Hurricane Hunter Premium Member

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    The simplest way to put it is two fold…

    the same standard of excellence that Foley demanded (and drove coaches crazy over) isn’t there. It’s leaking through the whole athletic department, even with coaches with great histories.
    But the second point is that the deep roster that Foley assembled is aging or performing itself out, and SS hasn’t done anything to deal with it. He all but ignores anything that doesn’t make him money. RT should have been gone two or 3 years ago, Deacon too. Deacon will have a good year this year hopefully with a senior laden roster, but then it will be back to what he has been his whole time here.

    As far as women’s golf, here is how we have done under Glaser:
    17th
    18th
    29th
    17th
    5th (the only year either her or Deacon have made it to match play)
    21st
    11th
    28th
    45th
    And another 40 something this year.

    More finishes outside the top 25 than inside the top 15. And with the last three years all being outside the top 25, 4 of the last five outside the top 20. And it’s not like we have a young talented team to grow with.

    But nothing will change.
     
  6. May 12, 2023 #6
    apkgator

    apkgator GC Hall of Fame

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    The "standard of excellence" thing is purely speculative, and I disagree. Foley allowed soccer to sink under Becky, not really much choice in the matter. Wise is really the only coach aging out, and she's still putting a quality program on the court.
    RT has been on the cusp, but he is a 4 time national title winner and they have been moving in the right direction again. I personally would have been ok with a change but understand hanging in a little longer. Next year they actually should project to be very good.
    Funny, that Glaser list likely shows why she has hung in....those 5th and 11th place years. But this is 2 bad finishes in a row and why I raised the question.
    SS does likely have a slightly longer leash than Foley, and probably compounded by the mess covid made with college sports. But I see no reason to think he won't make a change when he sees the need. I would add, there are other factors at play. Deacon is known to be a fabulous guy, well thought of, recruits great, runs a super program off the course.....those things matter and add length to the leash. Ultimately it's wins and losses, but if it's close other factors help or hurt.
     
  7. May 12, 2023 #7
    jhoge53_

    jhoge53_ Junior

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    If you go back several decades to now, the rock of our athletic program is our swimming and diving program. Such a great history - Tracy Caulkins, Craig Beardsley, Caleb Dressel, etc. So many gold medals. They swept SECs this year and the men set 3 American records in relays at NCAA this year. The pro group has the best male and female swimmers in the world in Caleb Dressel and Katie Ladecky. Let's remember that Katie left Stanford because she was in a rut and has gotten better here. We have fabulous recruiting classes coming in. Lastly, we are recruiting against other programs with a mediocre facility. Under recent updated SEC guidance, our facility is not even good enough to host a conference championship. I don't think we even have a diving well at Florida pool. Go Gators.
     
  8. May 13, 2023 #8
    gatorstevelp

    gatorstevelp Premium Member

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    “Save MAYBE TRACK???”……..hard to take your post seriously with a statement like that. I don’t disagree on some of your concerns but really…..track?
     
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  9. May 13, 2023 #9
    oragator1

    oragator1 Hurricane Hunter Premium Member

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    I am a huge mouse fan, nothing meant to slight him, but only talking about this year.
    I used the word maybe because outdoor nationals haven’t happened yet, while indoors went about as expected, even if the men had a decent shot at a title and had a bad finals day relative to the prelims day.
    So “maybe” was the simplest way to encapsulate all that.
     
  10. May 13, 2023 #10
    gatorstevelp

    gatorstevelp Premium Member

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    Yeah….let’s fire MOUSE. You have the website ready to go if he doesn’t win a national title?
     
    • Off-topic Off-topic x 1
  11. May 13, 2023 #11
    oragator1

    oragator1 Hurricane Hunter Premium Member

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    Wth heck you taking about? I said I am a big mouse fan and purposely cut him out of the entire rant above. And even if he had a bad outdoor nationals, he’s still the best coach on campus.
    The point of the post was that this will be the worst year across all sports in the last 30 years. I laid out across all sports why; and how some coaches have gotten passes where they shouldn’t have, and wouldn’t have under Foley. If people truly can’t see that or realize its been a slow decline under Stricklin get us here, I really don’t know what else to say.