The Fallacies of "Coaching Them Up"

[elkhog]

I disagree.  I've seen it done with small schools that lack the big school talent pool.  Granted, was not in football, but coaching is everything and a very important aspect of a winning program when your pool of talent is limited.

[Cinco de Hogo]

There is a fallacy perpetuated on this board by the "we aren't a win at all cost program" fans of Jeff Long.  That is that the "others" expects Arkansas to win the SEC ever couple years and a NC every five years or so.   Isn't that what you would expect of a top ten recruiting school, noting that it doesn't happen that way for anybody but Bama.  That is the futherest from the truth you can get.  We know our recruiting difficulties, many of us have lived them for a long lifetime.  What we also know is historically it has always been easier for Arkansas to field a stronger offense than defense.  To me it stands to reason everything starts with commitment, then you find the right coach with a very strong and inventive offense.  That coach is responsible for his assistant coaches including his choice of DC.   If everything comes together, this wizard coach is still going to be working with classes averaging about #25 or so.  Wouldn't it stand to reason that you could get into the top 25 with that if you did in fact have a wizard coach and he did coach them up.  Wouldn't you want a coach that could instill fire in his team through any one of several methods? 

8+ win seasons should be the norm at Arkansas(note I did not say 10+), but more than that the teams should exhibit the Razorback spirit of "They played like a bunch of wild Razorbacks".  That's our identity, that's our past and that's our future.  The occasionally great season is gravy.

This we have not seen in at least five years.  Too many times we are left with the feeling that the team gave up.  That is totally on the coach.

[Vantage 8 dude]

There is a fallacy perpetuated on this board by the "we aren't a win at all cost program" fans of Jeff Long.  That is that the "others" expects Arkansas to win the SEC ever couple years and a NC every five years or so.   Isn't that what you would expect of a top ten recruiting school, noting that it doesn't happen that way for anybody but Bama.  That is the futherest from the truth you can get.  We know our recruiting difficulties, many of us have lived them for a long lifetime.  What we also know is historically it has always been easier for Arkansas to field a stronger offense than defense.  To me it stands to reason everything starts with commitment, then you find the right coach with a very strong and inventive offense.  That coach is responsible for his assistant coaches including his choice of DC.   If everything comes together, this wizard coach is still going to be working with classes averaging about #25 or so.  Wouldn't it stand to reason that you could get into the top 25 with that if you did in fact have a wizard coach and he did coach them up.  Wouldn't you want a coach that could instill fire in his team through any one of several methods? 

8+ win seasons should be the norm at Arkansas(note I did not say 10+), but more than that the teams should exhibit the Razorback spirit of "They played like a bunch of wild Razorbacks".  That's our identity, that's our past and that's our future.  The occasionally great season is gravy.

This we have not seen in at least five years.  Too many times we are left with the feeling that the team gave up.  That is totally on the coach.

While they "played like a bunch of wild hogs" may have been in our past (and HOPEFULLY) our future, what's disturbing is the "here and now". What's had me concerned me the most over the past couple of years is that far, far too often all we've really done is play like "pigs to the slaughter". Where is that Razorback pride that's typically been evident with most teams? I see little, if any, of it on the field. Unfortunately before we can regain a consistent winning record we're going to have to have the pride and positive belief and attitude rediscovered and restored. And while the players have to be the ones to play with that mind set, it's also the coaching staff's responsibility to do everything they can to put them in that position. In other words, start doing the job for which each is very, very well paid!!!!!!!!!!!!