The Seat May Be Warmer, But I Don't Think It's That Warm

[BU ICEMAN]

OK, I'll start with a caveat, I'm not going to research the actual numbers here, I'll just use the "gut feelings" and general "feeling" from the seasons...I'm sure folks on both sides of this will be able to find what they need to support one side or the other.....

Anyways, it looks like we're in the midst of a season that's probably going to be the worst of Coach Les' (brief) career. Naturally, the calls for anybody's job will come after such a season. Not to say that I'm pleased with the way this season is going, but I'm not yet willing to can him based on one awful season. Of course, if you have a terrible season, your seat should get a bit warmer. While it's easy to focus on the negative aspects (I'm guilty of it just as much as any of the fellas here) and lack of posteseason success, I think we're missing that we're still one of the top programs in the Valley.

Now, by saying that, it doesn't mean that I'm satisfied with just being a top program without something tangible (MVC tourney champ or regular season champ, NCAA berth) to show for it; I'm not. And yeah, there's some disconcerting things with regards to our defense over the years and lack of effective big men, too, but at the same time, I'm not that comfortable rolling the dice on another coach, who will bring (unknown good or bad) changes in recruiting, offensive and defensive philosophies, etc., which will take time to get in place. I'm not sure that there's a guy out there, that BU has a serious chance of landing, that we all would start popping champagne without hesitation. Without someone like that, I think it's better to let Les have more rope, for lack of a better term.

I know it's a risky game of chicken I'm proposing here, but I'd want to see a true downward trend or decline, rather than a one season blip before we start the "can the coach" calls. Now, if next year is a bummer like this one is shaping up, OK, let's talk, but I'm willing to give a mulligan for one bad season before I take the drastic step of canning Les.

[SaintLouBrave22]

Well, the only thing I will say about all of this is that this year we shouldn't be as bad as we are and next year we won't be as good as we should be...



Maybe that insinuates something....



Thats for everyone else to figure out...

[MacabreMob]

I remember people jumping off the bandwagon in the 05-06 season. As late as January in that season.

[romar]

OK, I'll start with a caveat, I'm not going to research the actual numbers here, I'll just use the "gut feelings" and general "feeling" from the seasons...I'm sure folks on both sides of this will be able to find what they need to support one side or the other.....

Anyways, it looks like we're in the midst of a season that's probably going to be the worst of Coach Les' (brief) career. Naturally, the calls for anybody's job will come after such a season. Not to say that I'm pleased with the way this season is going, but I'm not yet willing to can him based on one awful season. Of course, if you have a terrible season, your seat should get a bit warmer. While it's easy to focus on the negative aspects (I'm guilty of it just as much as any of the fellas here) and lack of posteseason success, I think we're missing that we're still one of the top programs in the Valley.

Now, by saying that, it doesn't mean that I'm satisfied with just being a top program without something tangible (MVC tourney champ or regular season champ, NCAA berth) to show for it; I'm not. And yeah, there's some disconcerting things with regards to our defense over the years and lack of effective big men, too, but at the same time, I'm not that comfortable rolling the dice on another coach, who will bring (unknown good or bad) changes in recruiting, offensive and defensive philosophies, etc., which will take time to get in place. I'm not sure that there's a guy out there, that BU has a serious chance of landing, that we all would start popping champagne without hesitation. Without someone like that, I think it's better to let Les have more rope, for lack of a better term.

I know it's a risky game of chicken I'm proposing here, but I'd want to see a true downward trend or decline, rather than a one season blip before we start the "can the coach" calls. Now, if next year is a bummer like this one is shaping up, OK, let's talk, but I'm willing to give a mulligan for one bad season before I take the drastic step of canning Les.

No way is JL even close to the hot seat IMHO. KK & JG would not fire him unless there was some huge Kelvin Sampson-like scandal. Plus he has a good young core of players coming back next year with with three highly touted bigs JW, JP & MK. This season has been riddled with injuries & all of them to returning players who know the system.

They are 10 games in & have yet to play a conference game - JL will have to earn his pay this year and may have a little less hair by the time the seasons over, but he'll have to have two more bad years before the hot-seat talk carries any merit.

[Da Coach]

This season is not a disaster, and it is not a lost season. Bradley is 5-5 with an RPI under 100, and they have won 20+ games for 3 seasons in a row.

http://realtimerpi.com/rpi_mvc_Men.html

Bradley has played this entire season without their best player, and the conference season hasn't even started yet. Let's stop the hysteria. Jim Les' job is not in jeopardy. It's understandable if people are disappointed, so am I, but it is no mystery why Bradley has underachieved, and sorry, but it is not due to coaching.

[Scouter]

I remember people jumping off the bandwagon in the 05-06 season. As late as January in that season.

True, Mob. Bradley had a bad loss at Drake near the start of the conference season and eventually turned things around. But I think that team had higher expectations than this team does -- at least from my end.

Also, SaintLou ....


I appreciated your passion in your posts ....


But please ....



Enough with the triple-spacing....

[Scouter]

They are 10 games in & have yet to play a conference game - JL will have to earn his pay this year and may have a little less hair by the time the seasons over, but he'll have to have two more bad years before the hot-seat talk carries any merit.

I think if we see a fifth-place finish or lower in the Valley this season, that seat will be pretty warm to start next year.

[houstontxbrave]

If the womans coach can keep her job after never getting anywhere near a .500 record either over all or conference for 8 or so years, then JL has nothing to every worry about, this AD is cool with a below average womans coach he will be good with one bad season from his head mens basketball coach.

A lot of season still ahead but this team needs to find a way to win games without shooting 3's or free throws.

[SaintLouBrave22]

This season is not a disaster, and it is not a lost season. Bradley is 5-5 with an RPI under 100, and they have won 20+ games for 3 seasons in a row.

http://realtimerpi.com/rpi_mvc_Men.html

Bradley has played this entire season without their best player, and the conference season hasn't even started yet. Let's stop the hysteria. Jim Les' job is not in jeopardy. It's understandable if people are disappointed, so am I, but it is no mystery why Bradley has underachieved, and sorry, but it is not due to coaching.

I agree his job is not nor should be in jeopardy...


But if we in fact do only end with 14 victories this year and a team next year that should compete for the Valley Championship finishes say 4th, 5th, or 6th then what do you say then?

[tornado]

I remember people jumping off the bandwagon in the 05-06 season. As late as January in that season.

Mob-- I recall as if it happened yesterday....it wasn't just January, it was February 8, 2006 after a stinging loss at Indiana State, 75-63, with Bradley dropping to 13-9 and 7-7 in the Valley.

The message boards were filled with cries to dump the coaches and people were moaning as we all know they can, even the local newspaper writers!

http://www.bradleybraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=19332&SPID=1498&DB_OEM_ID=3400&ATCLID=235741

But people have a right to complain, although they seem ever so willing to exercise that right...

Then BU jumped all over ISU in the next game and went on to win the last five games of the season plus go deep into the MVC Tourney and all the way to the Sweet Sixteen.

http://www.bradleybraves.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=19332&SPID=1498&DB_OEM_ID=3400&KEY=&Q_SEASON=2005

[ser_solace]

If this trend continues throughout the season, then I think the seat does get a little warmer for Coach Les. Now, if we have the same issues next season with healthy returning players and his top recruits for his system, then it should absolutely get hot.

With so many issues apparent even before two key injuries this season, at some point, you need to lay it on coaching. And I understand people want to parallel the surge in the '05-'06 season. However, should I expect Coach Les to plan to lose these early season games then against beatable teams? He wants a Hoosiers-type movie made of this season and so he's trying to intentionally build dramatic tension?

No. I'm pretty sure he planned to win this game. The criticisms made in '05-'06 before the surge were likely valid as I think this season's criticisms are. I'm not going to base my assessment of the team on something that may or may not happen.

[tornado]

Although terms of JL's contract have never been made public, he is supposedly in the 2nd year of a 7 year extension, signed after his 5th year.
That means if any bright fans would like to fire the guy, then they'd likely have to buy out the remainder of a 7 year contract and it would cost probably over $2.5 million.
Not to mention that some of the pledges BU is operating on to build all the on-campus facilities (that have come from JL-loyalists) might dry up.

[BradleyBrave]

Firing JL is silly talk. A re-shuffling of the coaching staff may not be the worst idea, but calling for JL's head right now is not the answer to anything. IMO he gets until Warren graduates before this conversation can seriously be had. If there's no conference or conference tournament title by the time AW graduates, then we may need to take this thing in a new direction. Until then, JL is the coach.

[ser_solace]

Although terms of JL's contract have never been made public, he is supposedly in the 2nd year of a 7 year extension, signed after his 5th year.
That means if any bright fans would like to fire the guy, then they'd likely have to buy out the remainder of a 7 year contract and it would cost probably over $2.5 million.
Not to mention that some of the pledges BU is operating on to build all the on-campus facilities (that have come from JL-loyalists) might dry up.

But the opposite could happen too, Tornado. Bradley University would have to weigh what it might lose by keeping Coach Les. Alums who are not entirely loyal to Coach Les might start making demands themselves. Not sure if it would quite add up to $2.5 million + whatever you lose from JL-loyalists though.

Anyway, I do agree that even if this year has a terrible ending, Coach Les is likely to stay. But if next season is not a top 1-3 finish in the Valley, then it would be a huge disappointment. The season after that should have even higher expectations. These are the benchmarks to which Bradley should be holding him accountable.

[BradleyBrave]

Firing Jim Les right now would be a HUGE mistake. HUGE. We axed a guy with a promising young class before and it blew up in our faces before it was fixed. We're not making that mistake again.