I will admit that I wanted a change. No doubt.
But I don't see any fallout that wasn't expected. Every time you change coaches, you have players come in and out.
I never thought this year would have been good. With or without Jim Les.
Jim got almost a decade. He was 14 games above .500. I think he got more than a fair share to show what he could do.
Now, Coach Ford will get his shot. I think the team is working hard to build that foundation. Every game will not be pretty. Most first years are not.
Give this group time. If we are still here in 3-4 years, then we can talk about disappointment and failure.
But for now, I am going to allow the new staff and this group of players a little leeway.
I think they can still improve this season.
I don't care if Les is here 30 years and he has these kinds of injury issues 27 of them. Any coach who loses over 50% of their point production due to injuries are not going to do well for the most part in terms of conference finish and wins and loses. Period, end of story! If you throw out the last two seasons because of injury issues, and the first three years which were a rebuilding period, Les did pretty darn well, and would have had this team in NIT contention this year if Sammy was here! I truly believe that. At the very least we finish in the top half of the Valley, which would be a great year considering what we are going through.
Is finishing fifth the same as winning Valley championships? No, and I'm not satisified like anyone else that we haven't won more championships here. But I do think the program would be on a lot more solid footing in the short term had Les been allowed one more year.
But that's over and done with, but I am just responding to others who continue to dump on Les after a pretty good run here.