Back in November, the MBB program mantra was "R-I-S-E."
Since then, we've been looking for Momentum from our Young players to try to Close Out games for a season on the Brink...All headlines of recent past Blogs.
Now, with just two conference games and the WCC tourney left, the program is "IFFY."
Right square in the cross-hairs of "iffy" is Coach Keating's tenure.
This is not really news within Bronco circles, but before Tuesday it didn't make the news until Jeff Faraudo's Mercury News column that included quotes from our new A.D.
Click on the link below to read.
So, let's go explore some "What ifs?"
What "if" coach Keating's contract is not renewed?
Too many, that's the straightforward thing to do. There will be vigorous debates and the usual "statistical sword-fights" over his successes and shortcomings. Bottom line. Just not enough W's.
And too much at stake...
To many Bronco fans, it may seem straightforward and a simple thing to fire and hire a coach. IMHO it is ANYTHING BUT THAT...
It's not just a reset, but a total reboot to Men's Basketball. I submit that it will be one of the hardest things to pull off successfully in SCU athletics history. Too dramatic of me, maybe...
But.
What "if" we can't attract or afford the right coach?
Heresy to many. I mean who wouldn't want to come to Santa Clara? The place is amazing...True.
But it is also known for being amazingly underfunded, with facilities that aren't yet amazing to the better recruits we'll need. Program support (marketing budgets and programs, community outreach, television, radio deals, etc) that amazingly do not exist yet at a proper level. Our new head coaching recruiting line will be the promise of how amazing it's going to be. A promise we've had a poor track record delivering.
NCAA Division 1 head coaches are expensive. SCU has yet to pony up with salary numbers that might attract proven winners or the best "up and comer."
For example, Mark Few at Gonzaga makes > $ 1 Mil and that's low compared to the top echelon of coaches. I'm sure salary benefactors are being recruited right now - you know who you are...We'll see.
What "if" key players and coaches leave or transfer?
NCAA rules are a curious thing. There are some exception games that can be played. What "if" Jared Brownridge decided to leave? Other good players may decide to exit given the uncertainty of their future. Some players, harsh as it is, might be told their scholarships will not be renewed by the new Coach.
What "if" key coaches decided to leave? Potential continuity lost. In reality, few, at best would be retained.
I can go on with many more "ifs."
Here's the deal. This reboot - hold on to your chairbacks - could take at least three years!!! One of the biggest of many reasons, will be trying to convince two and three star recruits to believe in Santa Clara. In the past nine years, I'm not sure we've been able to recruit a one star let alone a two or three. Unless we get some budding stars from the JUCO* ranks, it takes time.
OR, we could have our current core players play better...
The Commission, Trustees, Fr. Engh and Renee Baumgartner all have the goal of national relevance in MBB by 2020.
At least we're having the conversation and have stated goals about going national, which is way better than the last 20 years of "IFFY."
Just think, "What if" we actually pull it off?
Now that would be truly AMAZING to be a part of...
* JUCO = Junior College Transfers
I always felt Santa Clara treated athletics like family but that has come and gone with the dropping of football and the firing of Dick Davey. Dick NEVER should have been fired. He should have been given the extra $$ that was provided to Kerry. When I watched the Arizona game this year I thought we were on our way. Like you, Freddy, I don't know the answer. I pray that Renee does and that she makes the best decision for the program. I have been impressed with her progress with Father in attracting more money for the programs. The next thing I'd like to see her accomplish is getting 'extra scholarship money' for sports like baseball, softball and soccer who don't give full athletic scholarships. This would entail copying most of the other schools in providing extra need based $ or academic $ in addition to partial athletic scholarship $. It's a big deal and if SCU can't do it I think those programs will languish behind the other WCC schools like St Mary's, USF, Loyola, San Diego and Gonzaga (all catholic schools and some Jebbies).
ReplyDeleteThere are very specific limits to the number of scholarships and amount of scholarship money that can be given out. Some sports- Football, Basketball (M/W), Women's Volleyball, D1 Women's gymnastics, and D1 Women's tennis ONLY- are headcount sports, i.e. you are either on scholarship completely, or not at all. All other NCAA sports are equivalency sports, i.e. it is up to the coaching staff to assign different dollar amounts of scholarship money to individual players. Baseball, an equivalency sport, gets 11.7 scholarships to divide among its players as it sees fit. Vanderbilt, Santa Clara, Boston College, UCLA- they all are working with 11.7 scholarships. FWIW, to your point, they can give full scholarships should they so choose, it just rarely makes sense in terms of the overall scholarship management. Santa Clara is fully funded in terms of scholarship availability in all of its sports. The reason bigger schools win are facilities, prestige, and visibility. To provide extra "academic" money to those who aren't academically qualified is a flagrant violation of NCAA rules, not to mention Jesuit Values. I'm not saying it doesn't go on, but Santa Clara wins more basketball games by improving facilities, support, visibility, and most of all, by having the right coach in place. BTW I think Soccer (both played in the NCAA tournament), Volleyball (NCAA Tournament), Golf, Water Polo (Nationally Ranked), Tennis (Generally nationally ranked), Women's Hoops (20 Win Season) are all doing very well. The missing ingredient is winning Men's Hoops, and not to discredit the hard work of all involved, but Men's Basketball is far more visible than all the rest combined, and if we don't win there, it doesn't matter once.
ReplyDeleteAs a 1974 alumnus of SCU, it has been sad to see the decline of the program. It appears to me that after axing football and neglecting basketball, SCU was becoming a soccer school.
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