In all likelihood, an incoming first-time head coach will not have the same system as the coach that left. And, he is going to want to make his mark on the program - in a hurry. I wonder, however, if that is always wise. The players he has likely were recruited to fit the system of the out-going coach, and they are familiar with his system. Would he be wiser to phase into his new way of doing things? I guess it depends on the circumstances.
However, we got an up-close view of what evidently was an attempt at an abrupt change last season at South Alabama - and it did not turn out well at all. USA had been a post-dominated program. In fact, though they were under-sized, they had what I considered the top post tandem in the conference coming into last season. But Augustine Rubit shot 5 three-point shots season before last, and he shot 64 this past season - and did not shoot them particularly well. He had been a monster underneath, and everyone had problems handling him. Something happened this season, however, and things did not click. I have no idea that the premise I put forth above was the reality at USA this past season, but it seems that it may have been. In any case, whatever the new coach did was not working - and now he has lost the leading rebounder in Belt history, and he went out with a whimper instead of a roar. His individual numbers were still very good, but the result was not the same.
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