The impending break from Napier just feels different from previous coaching changes. McElwain would be the closest. But the reaching of rock-bottom seems to have put all fans on the same page. I was duped. I bought everything being sold during the offseason (as some others on this board did.) I don’t believe there’s a single fan that doesn’t now see the reality of the moment. So give Coach credit where due…. He has unified the fan base.
I wanted it to work but when the recruiting class started falling apart last year after our repeated ugly losses it seemed like that was probably the beginning of the end. I was hoping a decent portal class may bail us out but obviously not. The narrative around BN was he would build a Saban like process and program. Clearly that’s not happening. The coaching hires seem average at best. I don’t know that BN is known for setting the world on fire with his offensive play calling. It seems like with each coaching change we try to get what the last person was not, and end up not getting that and giving up the strengths of the last person.
I hoped it would work as I can’t stand to UF football like this. Never was impressed at all by him. The whole Saban tree is just silly. Lots of guys worked for Saban and are not HBC material. There was enough ? year one but time was needed to see where things were headed. When we opened last year and looked totally unprepared, and then all season kept doing the same dumb things we did year 1 I knew it was done. The class falling apart and not doing crap in the portal was the final nail IMHO.
No he is as no more redeemable than Napier is. He has 4 losing seasons that are directly his fault with a 5th well under way.
I'm with Tilly on this. I don't think Billy deliberately tried to dupe anyone. I think he honestly thought his "process" would eventually work. As someone said, the Peter principle reared its ugly head, as it does to most of us. He tried his damndest, but that wasn't enough.
By my math you’re attributing McElwain’s third season to Stricklin’s “fault.” I’m not sure I buy that. I certainly blame him for firing Mullen a season too soon (yeah, I know the narrative that Mullen had “quit”; I just don’t necessarily buy it) and for hiring this doofus. But if he can get Kiffin, then he’s off my lipstick list.
You are correct. I am. Pulling the triggers on both those seasons too early most likely resulted in losing seasons....particularly with McElwain, who's team had lost 3 games (was 3-3 at the time) by a combined 19 points before being let go the morning of the Ga game (thus screwing any slight chance in that game and resulting in a rout). The wheels completely came off after that. The guy is out of his league and yes, I think his league is SEC bottom dwellers like the Mississippi hole he crawled out of.
That’s not what I meant, friend. You seemed to take umbrage with what I posted. I was just pointing out that it was in response to something specific another poster said, not to your larger, earlier point.
We had to believe because we wanted to. Now I'm in disbelief how truly terrible he is. He was considered a good bet much like Muschamp was. My bigger beef with SS is that dumb ass contract he signed him to.
I’m neither sold on or thrilled with Kiffen. But he may be the only available better option. To me, he is still what we knew him to be when Saban pulled him out of the Coaching Septic Tank; a great offensive coach who barely knows how to spell defense
