Coaching Staff...is there a missing element?

[Xuperman]

This has been brought up here and there but not in any real detail. Coach Steele and staff have obviously struggled, all too regularly, with in game adjustments. I just don't understand why X did not hire an experienced bench coach with reputable "chops" in that area. I'm talking starting with Steele's first season. Is this not a no brainer for a young 1st time HC AND isn't safe to say that it's the Athletic Director's call?

I find it hard to believe this wasn't discussed after Mack's departure. Once the decision to promote Steele was made, doesn't the focus shift to putting together the absolute best staff for him, considering his inexperience? Is it possible that Travis Steele's ego was as such, that he insisted on choosing his own guys?

Look, it was painfully obvious that Coach Steele game planned to consistently lob over a PERCEIVED height challenged Nova Tuesday night. It resulted in nothing but turnovers (I'm not counting Odom's off target that ended up a 3). Inexplicably they kept going back to the well with terrible results. This accounted for 5/6 TO's.

Any experienced bench guy could have strongly suggested making a quick adjustment, no?

I guess the assumption here is that it had been discussed and for some reason Steele nixed the idea. Thoughts?

[atljar]

My general thought:
Im a fan. Ive never played basketball myself. Ive never coached basketball. I understand the game well enough, but not to any ultra high level.

My frustration is that I can see things like the lob pass issue and how Nova decided to defend it. If I can see that in game issue, then I sure as heck hope our coach can. Because if not, we are in BIG trouble.

With that said, why dont we adjust? That's the more pressing question to me. Stubbornness?

[drudy23]

Steele is very much the "my guy" type of person. This is obviously just speculation, but Steele seems to be the type that will give guys some extra rope to figure it out because of the relationships and history he has with his coaches. I'm guessing alot of first-time head coaches go through this.

Most of these guys aren't afraid to pull the trigger on mixing up their staff after a few years, especially if they struggle. Most tenured high level coaches would never go 3-4 years with mediocre results and not make changes.

Mack fired Gaudio after like 1 or 2 years - you have to be willing to fire your buddy in the lead chair.

Having siad that, recruiting has been pretty good. Michigan has Martelli on the sidelines and I'm guessing it really helps in-game situations. I'm also guessing he doesn't do much recruiting - which is fine. He probably doesn't want to anyway.

[XU 87]

This has been brought up here and there but not in any real detail. Coach Steele and staff have obviously struggled, all too regularly, with in game adjustments. I just don't understand why X did not hire an experienced bench coach with reputable "chops" in that area. I'm talking starting with Steele's first season. Is this not a no brainer for a young 1st time HC AND isn't safe to say that it's the Athletic Director's call?

I find it hard to believe this wasn't discussed after Mack's departure. Once the decision to promote Steele was made, doesn't the focus shift to putting together the absolute best staff for him, considering his inexperience? Is it possible that Travis Steele's ego was as such, that he insisted on choosing his own guys?

Under no circumstances do I want an AD picking the basketball assistant coaches. And by all accounts, the assistants Steele chose were and are top notch. One left a Big Ten school and another left an SEC school to come here.

[Jumpin_Jamal_Forever]

Steele is very much the "my guy" type of person. This is obviously just speculation, but Steele seems to be the type that will give guys some extra rope to figure it out because of the relationships and history he has with his coaches. I'm guessing alot of first-time head coaches go through this.

Most of these guys aren't afraid to pull the trigger on mixing up their staff after a few years, especially if they struggle. Most tenured high level coaches would never go 3-4 years with mediocre results and not make changes.

Mack fired Gaudio after like 1 or 2 years - you have to be willing to fire your buddy in the lead chair.

Having siad that, recruiting has been pretty good. Michigan has Martelli on the sidelines and I'm guessing it really helps in-game situations. I'm also guessing he doesn't do much recruiting - which is fine. He probably doesn't want to anyway.

Michigan has been pretty disappointing this year. I'm not blaming Martelli or really anybody as they have disappointed "expectations" and who knows whether those expectations were reasonable or not. Understand the question you are asking and why you are asking it. But, up until Nova, many of us on this board described Steele's in-game management as improved. As far as needing bench help from the git go, you're correct that posters have been discussing this throughout Steele's tenure. I struggle with the issue as Steele had, what, a twelve-year apprenticeship? He worked under a few different coaches and should have absorbed a helluva lot just by observing. I recall a few times, prior to this season, that "deer in the headlines look" on Steele's face during some losses. I haven't seen that this year but perhaps that's just me.

We are all looking for answers to explain the humiliating drubbing we took from Nova. Maybe our guys just wilted under pressure playing a team that has owned us in their house.

[xuphan]

Under no circumstances do I want an AD picking the basketball assistant coaches. And by all accounts, the assistants Steele chose were and are top notch. One left a Big Ten school and another left an SEC school to come here.

I agree with this. No coach would want a job that has the school hiring his or her assistant coaches. I have no problem with the assistants he has on the team. I do wonder if Steele is too loyal to his game plan and players to make needed adjustments as games play out. I am hoping that we have the talent this year to mask his lack of in game adjustments.

[drudy23]

I guess I'm just saying I would have expected more coach turnover based on the results the past few years. Seems the coach would have had higher expectations of success.

[GoMuskies]

One left a Big Ten school and another left an SEC school to come here.

And one is Dante Jackson. Is he top notch by all accounts?

[drudy23]

And one is Dante Jackson. Is he top notch by all accounts?

That's a good question. Not really sure.

I'm guessing the players love him and I'm guessing he's pretty good with recruits. Is he the lead assistant (aka Associate Head Coach) - or is that someone else?

I guess the answer to that comes down to his ability to land a head coaching job if he were to pursue it. I have no idea what the answer is there.

[XU 87]

And one is Dante Jackson. Is he top notch by all accounts?

Not sure, although he is really, really active during the games talking to the players and giving instructions. I'm not real sure who he was lead recruiter on that has committed. I think maybe CJ Wilcher, but not sure who else (maybe Dahmir Bishop and/or KyKy Tandy?).