Maybe you weren't around the past couple years when Kirk Wessler lambasted Jim Les personally and demanded his firing. His columns were bitter, and angry and directed squarely toward the coach. KW is obviously pulling his punches with any faint criticism we see now.
Those comments that you highlighted are extraordinarily mild by comparison, despite the fact that no Jim Les team was ever embarrassed as bad or as often as this year's team has been.
And even what you refer to as not "holding back on Coach Ford" is not even directed at the coach. Both those statements are clearly directed at the team and players, not the coach. Read your own quotes.