PonyKai wrote:FFS.
Why is this hill so important to you? Look, what I am trying to say is not difficult. I know you are extremely mad at the complete failure of Jank, as anyone with a brain should be. Also, you obviously think you know processes w/r/t Hart, and I know what I know, but all of that is besides my point. For purposes of this I am going to concede to you that Hart is an absolute maestro at finding coaches and a we are oh so lucky he has led and nailed every hire. You can have that. As I have stated, I am not mad about Jank getting the job and I think essentially every school will have flame outs like this with a hire that makes perfect sense at the beginning. I mean, of course you let LB designate his successor as he is doing a fantastic job. Who would not listen? I am only mad the Jank era had to occur right after the fun of the LB run. Just wish we could have strung 2 runs together and created a decade of new tradition. But I digress.
The point is the handful of people I know who follow AAU and recruiting closely were calling this before the last season had begun. The statement from them was always a close variation of "Jank needs to show he can get a few quality kids during this season/next offseason while we can still play, or we are in big trouble." Then last year (recruiting and season) happens and the encouraging signs aren't there. Then this last offseason happens and many more people see the writing on the wall. Then this playing year unfolds as it has to the surprise of nobody who actually pays attention. All the while, the AD and Hart push forward on pretending as if basketball success and the underlying demand for it is here to stay. At any of these points over the last 2.5 years how does 1 person, just 1, at the AD department not stand up and say "hey, this might blow up in our face. If any of us actually were looking at the likely trend of the team then you would see it is not great." There are only 3 explanations - 1) they're very bad at their jobs; 2) they were willfully ignorant because they wanted money; or 3) they may have held actually had a realistic view and plan, but they are spineless and got told what to do.
There is so much more tbh but I can't type it anymore and won't do it to yall. But, that is our problem. Our problem is not Jank. Janks happen. Our problem is nobody at the AD is smart enough to be proactive at any obvious key marketing and management points.
If I was in the AD, I would die a little inside every time poor Jarrey or Ethan is tossed on the jumbotron trying to get the beaten down crowd excited for us maybe to make a run against UCF.