? for kg-cyclone

To help clarify for those that have jumped off the deep edge over this comment -

Wayne Morgan - player's coach
Larry Eustachy - not a player's coach - did earn respect from those that could handle him
Tim Floyd - not a player's coach, but did get great respect from players that earned it

If you look in the NCAA Tournament, I don't think you would find any of the coaches as being buddy-buddy to the players - that is exactly what the assistants are for and why Wayne is such a good assistant and recruiter as opposed to a head coach.

Think of it this way - as a parent, during your child's formative years, should you be your child's best friend, or should you be their parent?

Thank you for explaining that better!
 
Not trying to prolong this convo, but sometimes if a player is not connect to the head coach, when the assistant leaves the player connected with the assistant has a higher probability of leaving also.

Floyd and Eustachy (although I like them both) had player turnover issues, and Morgan as the assistant was retained as head coach because the players wanted to play for him, the person that recruited and had the relationship with them.
 
I'm really surprised the team doesn't consider Greg as a player's coach. He is soooooooooooo much more laid back in practice compared to my experiences with Floyd and Eustachy. It also seems like he takes a lot more time to just talk with his guys than they did also. Overall, it's not too concerning to me because I think more success consistently comes from head coaches that can lay the law down when needed. Let an assistant be the good cop. The players should have a little fear of the head man.
 
If Mac doesn't relate well with players, and he knew that this was one of his weaknesses and he wanted to stay away from player relations....then why does he pick up Butler and Vanderbeken at the airport today....why not just let one of the assistant coaches pick them up....if Otz has such a great relationship with the coach at Tyler CC then why not have Otz pick them up....it seems to me that there are some contradictions here somewhere.....

Yeah theres a lot of contradictions around. Can anyone here tell us what they have seen that would indicate GMac doesn't relate well with players other than CYFans comments? As valid and sincere as they are, its still chatboard fodder that some chose to take out of context and blow way out of proportion... LE is some sort of god to some on here, and the players hated his guts if you can believe anything that Paul Shirley writes. GMac is not Bruce Perle (and thank god) but that in no way says he does not have a deep and sincere relationship with his guys. NOBODY can coach a B12 team without having the requisite interpersonal skills. Not a hint of any disatisfaction from any of his pervious stops and nothing but praise from his peers (Tim Floyd especially). GMac is now able to recruit guys for his system that will fit his style both on the court and communication-wise. Give the man a breath of air to do the right thing for our program....
 
To help clarify for those that have jumped off the deep edge over this comment -

Wayne Morgan - player's coach
Larry Eustachy - not a player's coach - did earn respect from those that could handle him
Tim Floyd - not a player's coach, but did get great respect from players that earned it

If you look in the NCAA Tournament, I don't think you would find any of the coaches as being buddy-buddy to the players - that is exactly what the assistants are for and why Wayne is such a good assistant and recruiter as opposed to a head coach.

Think of it this way - as a parent, during your child's formative years, should you be your child's best friend, or should you be their parent?

Damn, you stole my thunder...new job doesn't allow me on the internet or I would have beat you to it.

Great post klerme, I absolutely agree with you.
 
I'm really surprised the team doesn't consider Greg as a player's coach. He is soooooooooooo much more laid back in practice compared to my experiences with Floyd and Eustachy. It also seems like he takes a lot more time to just talk with his guys than they did also. Overall, it's not too concerning to me because I think more success consistently comes from head coaches that can lay the law down when needed. Let an assistant be the good cop. The players should have a little fear of the head man.


Looks to me in practice Otz and Prieu do the coaching while Greg is the Overseer or the Omnipotent or the Grand Mutfah as the head Coach. During the games he gets behind the steering wheel and drives the car. No doubt Wayne was very close to his recruits. You could read their faces. Do you think Jiri was as close to Greg aas Will and Curtis were to Wayne? I think not.

Heard Shawn Taggart mentioned on ESPN today...seems like he played here just yesterday.
 
Not a hint of any disatisfaction from any of his pervious stops and nothing but praise from his peers (Tim Floyd especially). GMac is now able to recruit guys for his system that will fit his style both on the court and communication-wise. Give the man a breath of air to do the right thing for our program....

Really Floyd has said good things about GMac? What contact have they had?
 
Yeah theres a lot of contradictions around. Can anyone here tell us what they have seen that would indicate GMac doesn't relate well with players other than CYFans comments? .

Do you mean beside all the player turnover? I don't see how anyone can argue one side of this debate. There are valid points on each side.
 
I remember after Larry's first year at ISU, I heard from a VERY credible source that all of the players on the team hated him, and wanted to transfer...a couple did, but the one's that stuck around went on to GREAT things. Player-coach relationships are overrated. It's always important to have assistants that can connect to a certain degree to calm a player, or just keep them loose, but a coaches job is to win...not be his players' friend...if the kid sticks it out, there is usually (not always) a mutual respect between the two at the end.
 
I think one important thing to consider is that the perception that McDermott is not a "player's coach" comes, at least in part, from players who were recruited by or played for Wayne Morgan. Morgan is certainly a coach that relates well with his players.

It makes sense that players would feel disconnected from McDermott, as he was a new coach and one that doesn't share a background with some of our players.

If the players had been used to Eustachy and McDermott followed him, I bet the players would consider McDermott to be more of a players coach than they do.

In the end, if player turnover is not crippling, it won't limit our ability to win. It needs to slow down significantly though, by any measure and with any factors, it has been too much to this point.
 
personnally I will feel better when all the former coach's recruits have graduated. There seems to be a continual backwash of Wayne love. I'm not saying this to put anyone down but it seems clear that WM was a favorite, for one reason or another, of some fans and players. Because of that the comparison of styles keeps coming up. This is not just style of play but also style in dealing with players. Many times if you want the best out of someone, especially the immature, a kick in the butt has more effect than a hug. Compassion has its place. But it is not always the best way to get results. Some people have to be pushed, weather they like it or not. I like to see players congradulated but only for trying their best not to placate for a bad performance.
 
A good point to show just how unimportant connecting to players is, would be college basketball's all-time winningest coach...do you think Bobby Knight really "connected" with his players? Once again, after graduating it's another story a lot of the time, but while he was coaching them, Bob Knight never was "buddies" with his players. I'm not saying a coach can't be a player's friend and be successful, but it's a rarity...and some struggle because of their closeness to their players (players respect them off the court but run the show on the court...players know they'll most likely get a pat on the back instead of a tongue-lashing if they screw up, etc...)
 
Rahshon actually got along better with Mac than some of Mac's own recruits. Everyone on here is entitled to believe whatever they want to, I was just stating my opinion based on what I have seen and heard. I think a lot of people go off of what is said in the media, or how the guys seem to act when you see them in public with Mac. But how do you expect them to act? That is their coach. They can't say to the media, "Well we don't really connect with Coach Mac." They have to say what they're supposed to say.
 
I think there is really a misconception of the word connection in this thread. I don't think anyone thinks a coach should be buddy-buddy with their players, but there has to be a connection on some level. Whether that be mutual respect, confidence in their teachings, or whatever. But the buddy-buddy thing is void, IMO.
 
This sounds like another question for kg-clone... man, what's the deal?

Couple things before I log off..

Head coaches walk a fine line in regards to perspective of players and fans. I will say that GMAC's relationships will only get stonger...the GAs are past players.

You guys have to earn this one...

I read on here somewhere that TJ is the connection to Butler and Vanderbeken....Not true

Hint:Research past players of Marshalltown CC...Mid 80's
 
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