USA Today: Grades for First Year Coaches

Vandy, Vandy, Vandy. I think the USF performance was worse

 

Our defense was consistently very bad. Hard to win with much consistency when forcing a punt once in a while is a relief.

 

Bottom line, BN's first year was disappointing for me. I believe and still do we have more talent than being 6-6. The loss to vandy was a huge red flag.
BN likes to remind us that this team has a lot of fight, and they do, but last time I checked they don't give out any awards for teams that don't quit. In my book, there is zero excuse for our D being at bad as it was, close to last place in stopping third downs. No real progress in containment or even tackling. Real head scratchers on time management. We do not have 6 loss talent. Last year imo was more of the HC quitting on the team.

 

I don't think it would be fair to grade him until we see what his off season adjustments are at defense and some other areas

 

The portal should help elite coaches early in their tenure more than it should hurt them. Most of the guys the Gators have lost to the portal this year, I think involved deals that were best for all parties involved, as in the players and the football program.

A few years down the road, where you're 5-6 classes deep and you have so many good players that fit your scheme not all of them could possibly see the field, that's when the portal probably becomes a potential liability for some coaches, IMO.

 

I think you're right.

I'm just pointing out a trend in the elite coaches over the last two decades. I don't think it's a coincidence that none of them (except maybe Jimbo at Texas A&M, if you want to count that) fell short of 9 wins in year 2. They find ways of making wins happen.

But yes, Florida has its work cut out for them with the holes in this roster. It doesn't mean Billy is doomed if we have another 6-6 or 7-5 season next year. I'm just saying based on the trend, the expectations need to change next season. It's not just about recruiting or "hope for the future" anymore. Wins really start mattering in year 2.

 

I think Napier might deserve that grade with on-field results, but a one-year grade is not what we're interested in. Mullen was great at one-year results.

And I can't see Mullen ever getting us where we want to be due to the talent dropoff under his watch. The only way he could have done it is if we went Texas A&M with our NIL, which does not seem to be our style. I think Napier is the best option to get us there.

 

Most portal players we get will be available due to the same reason

 

True, but just because a player may be a bad fit somewhere else, doesn't mean they'll be a bad fit here.

It could also be they're coming from a team loaded in one area, so they can't see the field, coaching change, change in family circumstances, just not liking whichever school they committed to when on campus, etc. (Ex. Trevon Grimes, Van Jefferson)

 

True, won't be doomed but if UF goes 6-6 again next year the noise will be deafening. There has to be improvement in so many area next year, special teams, tackling, stopping teams making third downs, reducing teams first downs,
better half time adjustments, and better qb play. So much of this is coaching. Another 6-6 showing with all the stuff given to BN may very well have one nail in the coffin.

 

Glad to see some don’t blame it on “ well it’s his first year”.

 

The portal talk is important. I felt Billy missed majorily at DT and linebacker. Other coaches made their teams through the portal. He will need to be great this year in the portal. He did not replace Diabate, Hopper, and Bogle. He can’t take that same approach this year.
Needs:

Sam Hartman or someone of his caliber for 1 year to give Rashada tomr
1. 2 DTs w one a starter
2. LB 2 w one an immediate starter
3. WR 2 with 1 an immediate impact guy.
3B TE- starter that can be a pass catching threat.
4. OL maybe 1-2
5. DB/S maybe 2 total as depth pieces

 

On the recruiting page @bobbybaker86 put together a list of players from the 2019 & 20 recruiting classes that are no longer with the team (not counting nfl draft)…it’s 22 names long. Many on the list never made to fall camp. This is the sort of nonsense BN has inherited.

Im not arguing that he deserving of an A or B grade …but a D+ is ludicrous. The guy putting the list together is a bonehead.

 

Didn’t Brian Kelly have a dozen or two scholarship players when he arrived?

 

Yes, he had to hit the portal hard. We didn’t have a numbers problem, we have a talent problem.

 

You’ll never convince me that we had less talent than Vandy and USF.

Never.

That loss and that struggle is 100% on Billy.

 

Not trying to convince anybody on anything. I just don’t think the goober who put out the grades did his homework or understood how many holes we had in the leaky dam.

 

Yes. Historically bad defense. Started picking it up the last few games, but ... ouch.

 

6-6 next year is an abject disaster. Cannot happen.

 

A better article would be a statistical correlation between first year coach grades and long term success. 2nd year high coaching grades are a much better predictor of long term sustained success.