Coach McClements took a previously weak program at Vanderbilt and built it into an NCAA Tournament team - winning a conference Coach of the Year award along the way, for which he defeated, among others, our own Schellas Hyndman - and might still be there if the school hadn't yanked the program out from under him.
An overall record of 22-42-8 at Vanderbilt is a very bad record. Have you ever noticed how many excuses follow McClements. Quite frankly, I'm tired of everyone backing his mediocrity and his past record speaks for itself.
Every time there's a change in coaches, there's an adjustment period. Sometimes it's very quick, sometimes it takes a little longer as the new coach and the team get used to each other.
Good coaches win even when the program is new. Look at Duke and Harvard. First year coaches who are ranked #17 and #25 in the latest rpi. Now they'll be going to the NCAA tournament. Will we? I doubt it. Coach took an elite program with top talent and tanked the program in months. Furthermore, he's not new to the program. He has been our top assistant for years before getting the job.
That's what this year has been going on this year while the team has pattled upstream against the ridiculous stream of injuries (I know, every team has injuries, but we've had a lot major ones to players counted on to play significant roles.)
Often when there are that many injuries it is often a reflection on the coach...overtraining, undertraining, not enough rest, poor warm-ups/stretching, etc.
I would say we have to win the Conference USA Tournament to make the NCAAs, and you're right - there's a chance we won't.
If we don't make it into the NCAA tournament then lights out, coach gotta go.
But Coach is settled into his position now (what did he have, two weeks before he started two-a-days after he got hired?), the team now knows what he expects
This is a crazy statement to make. McClements recruited practically the entire current team. SH always gave that role up to him. When was the last time anyone ever saw SH at a club game recruiting. That was McClements role as our top assistant these last years. The players in many ways knew him better than they knew SH. Who do you think did all the paperwork and phone calls to get the current players through the admission process? McClements again. He not only knows the players well but there families and high school counselors as well.
and a lot of freshmen - including several he redshirted to fortify the future of the program - have gained valuable experience with him and knowledge.
Top programs redshirt most of their freshmen because it often takes a year for them to settle in and get accustomed to the speed of play in the college game.
Is he Schellas Hyndman? No he doesn't have to be.
You're right he is not SH. SH D1 head coaching winning record of 466-120-49 compared to McClements career D1 head coaching record before taking on the Ponies was a losing record of 52-84-12. One is a winner and the other...well, not a winner.
regardless of how this postseason goes, will be just fine.
Yes we will but not with McClements. If we don't at the very least get into the NCAA postseason tourney then it's time to get a new coach.
(I'll save you a seat at Westcott Field next week if you'd like to come out and cheer for him, rather than just ripping him on a message board.)
Great. I didn't know they let fans sit on the bench.
Go Ponies![/quote]