How surprised?

[TheAsianSensation]

Nobody is entitled to the job.

Can you or anyone give an example of a coach fired after 1 losing season, when the main reason was injuries? Especially following the most successful 5 year run in the last 50 years?
And that doesn't even touch on all the other things the coach did to make the program better.

The most successful 5 year run in the last 50 years.

Remove the CBI/CIT wins from those 5 years. Yes, they did happen and were positive, but teams prior to the Les era didn't have access to such things. Take away the 20 win year argument and there's no way the Les run compared to the mid 80s run (85-88ish) where we made 2 NCAAs and got a conference title and a couple other high MVC finishes. Even the mid 90s run with 4 straight postseasons (and 6 in 8 years, and remember, these were NITs) and had conference finishes going 3-4-1-2-bad-2. And there's some runs in the mid-60s that I say exceed this too.

Now the other things he did to make the program better, that's legit in my eyes.

[Bravesfan]

Nobody is entitled to the job.

Can you or anyone give an example of a coach fired after 1 losing season, when the main reason was injuries? Especially following the most successful 5 year run in the last 50 years?
And that doesn't even touch on all the other things the coach did to make the program better.

I can't think of one, but I noticed how bad the Colonial Athletic Conference is this year with several strong programs having bad years (losing VCU hurt, but that's not the main reason this conference is so bad this year). I noticed Old Dominion REALLY tanked this year as they have started out a disasterous 2-16! Blaine Taylor has coached ODU for 8 seasons, taking them to the NCAA Tournament in three of his first seven seasons. He took them to the CBI last year, but for whatever reason is suffering through far and away his worst season in his nearly 20 year coaching career.

I am curious as to why they have bottomed out so badly this year (be it injuries and/or a very young team). But if it is one or both, maybe he will be fired this year since his team bottomed out like this! Or maybe not. But of course the question that will be asked of him is whether he all of the sudden forgot how to coach this year, and if firing him in favor of a new coach would delay the rebuilding process by two or three years. Obviously outside of Mark Few, Brad Stevens, Gregg Marshall, Greg McDermott and formerly Dana Altman, he is one of the best mid-major coaches in the business. So firing him would be the ultimate in stupidity if they did that since I doubt they would be able to get anyone better. Of course I doubt this would happen, though I am willing to bet a few fans over there might want him gone after what they are going through this year! But my point is would someone in the ODU adminstration even consider making a change after one bad year? I would certainly hope not due to the fact that if anyone could turn the program back around within a year or two, Blaine would certainly be the one to do so.

[Da Coach]

Let me substitute the words "the winningest 5 year span" instead. That is what I meant. The term successful is too vague and subjective.
But recall the we reached all time highs in fundraising and in academic performance. Both of those factors are now benefitting the new staff.

[Bravesfan]

Let me substitute the words "the winningest 5 year span" instead. That is what I meant. The term successful is too vague and subjective.
But recall the we reached all time highs in fundraising and in academic performance. Both of those factors are now benefitting the new staff.

I agree, and I think academics are downplayed too much by certain fan bases around the country (think Kentucky and wherever Bob Huggins has ever coached!). I can only hope Geno keeps the academic standards that Les established at that same level for many years to come.

[Tulsa Brave]

Nobody is entitled to the job.

Can you or anyone give an example of a coach fired after 1 losing season, when the main reason was injuries? Especially following the most successful 5 year run in the last 50 years?
And that doesn't even touch on all the other things the coach did to make the program better.

Lovie Smith was fired after a 10-6 season, during which there were some key injuries. Injuries were the main reason for their 8-8 record the season before.

[shaunguth]

You know who I imagine doesn't give 2 squats about any of these opinions - Geno Ford.

I would hope not. I also hope he didn't give 2 squats about anyone that thought we didn't have ANY division 1 players on the roster last season. Of course, just maybe that was a setup to later state that Geno coached some of them up and turned them into division 1 players.

[lefty]

DC- I have never compared Geno or our team to Les or his teams But it seems that anytime makes a positive comment abot the current team then someone starts the comparing or makes a negative comment about it
Then people refute that and that's when people's agenda comes out. The last few posts you have made it is obvious you feel you have to defend Les He's gone. Personally it drives me crazy when posters don't try to post opinions but try to get "the other side" all riled up. I've said before I would have understood keeping Les another year but I wasn't surprised either. So life goes.
I like posting here and the other board but I get tired of these threads that get turned into comparison threads. No reason for it really
Maybe it's time for me to take off from this board My wife thinks I'm nuts to be on here anyway.

[Gary the Gargoyle]

Interesting that you admit that Les is a good coach based on the job he is doing at UC Davis (albeit he's still under .500 but on the upswing as of late). If he's a good coach, then why did we get rid of him?

IMO, similar to why the Bears fired Lovie Smith, do you want to make a run a being great (winning championships), or do you want to just be good enough? Obviously, change doesn't guarantee greatness, but the status quo wasn't getting us there either.

[Gary the Gargoyle]

DC- I have never compared Geno or our team to Les or his teams But it seems that anytime makes a positive comment abot the current team then someone starts the comparing or makes a negative comment about it
Then people refute that and that's when people's agenda comes out. The last few posts you have made it is obvious you feel you have to defend Les He's gone. Personally it drives me crazy when posters don't try to post opinions but try to get "the other side" all riled up. I've said before I would have understood keeping Les another year but I wasn't surprised either. So life goes.
I like posting here and the other board but I get tired of these threads that get turned into comparison threads. No reason for it really
Maybe it's time for me to take off from this board My wife thinks I'm nuts to be on here anyway.

Great post (and mine too regarding my wife).

[BradleyJD]

This team is playing hard every (almost) night. The defense is better and much tougher than we have seen in quite a while. Those are, at least, good signs regardless of your record or talent.

Moving forward those are things you want to see, along with the increased talent and competition.

[tornado]

...Moving forward ....

I agree - we can debate why and how we got here but we're here and this is the team and these are the players & coaches I am cheering for...
& I will still be here at the end of the season even if we lose every game....
I hope all the BU fans stick with them as well.....but I also cheer for all our favorite Braves who have gone on to pro careers - or who like JL & Mo have gone on to other places...
..this does not constitute "looking back" and I am not sure why discussions about Versace, Albeck, Molinari, Les, or even Corey Hawkins seem to miff folks who think that's "dwelling on the past".
Heck - our entire BU yearbook or prospectus dwells on the past, too....
As I said - Mo, Les, and the thousands of other past Braves have always been nothing but class & worthy of respect regardless of where they've moved on to

[Future Walk-On]

I can't think of one, but I noticed how bad the Colonial Athletic Conference is this year with several strong programs having bad years (losing VCU hurt, but that's not the main reason this conference is so bad this year). I noticed Old Dominion REALLY tanked this year as they have started out a disasterous 2-16! Blaine Taylor has coached ODU for 8 seasons, taking them to the NCAA Tournament in three of his first seven seasons. He took them to the CBI last year, but for whatever reason is suffering through far and away his worst season in his nearly 20 year coaching career.

I am curious as to why they have bottomed out so badly this year (be it injuries and/or a very young team). But if it is one or both, maybe he will be fired this year since his team bottomed out like this! Or maybe not. But of course the question that will be asked of him is whether he all of the sudden forgot how to coach this year, and if firing him in favor of a new coach would delay the rebuilding process by two or three years. Obviously outside of Mark Few, Brad Stevens, Gregg Marshall, Greg McDermott and formerly Dana Altman, he is one of the best mid-major coaches in the business. So firing him would be the ultimate in stupidity if they did that since I doubt they would be able to get anyone better. Of course I doubt this would happen, though I am willing to bet a few fans over there might want him gone after what they are going through this year! But my point is would someone in the ODU adminstration even consider making a change after one bad year? I would certainly hope not due to the fact that if anyone could turn the program back around within a year or two, Blaine would certainly be the one to do so.

Are you trying to compare Blaine Taylor's situation to Les's?

Taylor's Resume @ODU

- 12 seasons, not 8 (this is his twelfth)
- postseason in each of last 8 years (4 NCAA's)
- 20+ wins in 7 of 11 completed seasons (average of 24 through all 11 years)
- Finished 4th or better in CAA 9 out of 11 years. (last 9 in a row)


At a program like ODU this is god-like....they have only been around 37 years (EDIT: in Division I).

Les did nothing even close to this at a program with a much more storied past.

[BradleyJD]

As I said - Mo, Les, and the thousands of other past Braves have always been nothing but class & worthy of respect regardless of where they've moved on to

Absolutely. Anyone from BU who goes out and does good things elsewhere is a plus for the University. Many former Braves are out carrying on the name and doing it in a positive way.

I wish them all well!

[Future Walk-On]

Correct me if I am wrong.

From what I have heard.... JG and JL didn't get along great.....so would that be a factor?

[panther12thman]

Kudos to Geno for what has been a good turn around. What happened to JL had nothing to do with Geno. As for this years improvements, try a more experienced team, the addition of a solid post player and some very weak Valley teams (SIU and Missouri State) in addition to a weak non-con schedule. If we can become more consitent and hold our own on the road at Wichita, Creighton and ISU it will be a good year and hopefully a sign of better things to come. Go Braves.