Wednesday, June 5, 2013

How much further can Shields take us?

Recruiting has improved; I really believe that. We have an outstanding staff of assistants. All the pieces are in place to move forward. But is Shields up to it?

I think a lot of the criticism of Shields' supposed lack of success is rooted in the fact that some fans don't like his style of play. Be that as it may, he has shown some significant deficiencies in his coaching. Everyone has turnover these days, but we have too much. Shields' teams are too one-dimensional. He over-coaches from the sideline.

All this being said, he can improve as a coach. He did within the year we went to the NCAA, even though that year was not a good one as a whole. He did the year we won 23 games. Other years he has not done a good job, and his teams have been tenative and sitting ducks for teams with confident, aggressive players. That has to change, and it has to change this year, because he may never get a better set of talent than he has this year.

No comments: