- I have a TON of thoughts on how it went so wrong so quickly this season, but here are 10 reasons as compiled by several sources - both players and non-players:
1. There was SO MUCH build up before the Alabama game and the coaches preached "we can beat these guys" and then the team got on the field and realized that wasn't true at all.
2. There was so much build up of Puma Pass during the off-season that some players (who saw how he was really performing in practices) began to question what the coaching staff was seeing/sharing with the media.
3. The QB shuffle in the first three games made the coaching staff appear indecisive or unsure.
4. Once the trust began to erode in the coaches, the FSU game and the end of that game pushed the trust level further downward.
5. Players felt their concerns were not being heard and they were either shouted down or ignored when brought to Ops and some position coaches may not have handled expressed concerns in the best manner.
6. Once the losing started, every slight is magnified and the nepotism issue became bigger with each loss, specifically among the players who may have started wondering if their coaches were qualified given how much they saw about the topic in media and on social media, etc...
7. Once the mistrust built and the coaching staff continued to preach unity, the players buy-in suffered. A team that isn't bought-in is sunk.
8. The schedule is literally the toughest Louisville has faced - and a young, not bought in team playing a tough schedule is a recipe for disaster.
9. Players started questioning playing time allocation and why major roles with poor performance were not remedied.
10. After the BYE Week, when players and others around the program thought things were going to get better, they immediately got worse. The despair and dysfunction in the complex deepened beyond immediate repair and thus, the transfers and results the last two weeks.
- Players and Coaches and parents I have heard from have been SHOCKED that it got this bad this quickly. I would note that difference between the bottom of the league and the No. 2 spot (Clemson is in another league right now), is not actually very far. A huge gap in terms of wins, but not a huge gap in terms of actual talent.
- I maintain Louisville is NOT five touchdowns worse than Syracuse. The quitting and dysfunction took over the last two weeks, which is why Tyra stepped in and stopped the fight.
- And more that aren't as crucial, but certainly didn't help the coaching staff curry favor:
1. The practice of banning fans and media on twitter through the use of BLOCK (which is a very public eff you) rather than MUTE (which can happen without anyone knowing), was a critical error by Wagner/Petrino. It gave the impression that Petrino was angry with fans and media when that may not have been the case.
1a. The Twitter block was used as a way of communicating instead of just picking up the phone and calling someone. Several prominent people who cover the program daily (including me, Jody, Mike, Mark Ennis, Mark Blankenbaker and others) were blocked by Petrino's account. Some would be later reinstated after we'd come calling to the Football office for explanation and conversation.
2. The practice of constantly omitting players from the Monday press conference made Petrino the only voice we heard for 6 straight weeks, dehumanizing the team to the average fan. No players, no reminder that these are actual unpaid kids who are trying and failing. There were other press availabilities, sure, but those don't get near the press coverage the Monday pressers do.
3. The secrecy and closed off behavior of the coaching staff for practices and even Spring ball, gave the impression they didn't want anyone around. Not good when you need fans/media to later have your back during struggles.
Couple of quick coaching search tidbits:
- Brohm is absolutely the clear favorite and things have been in the works for a while. Not a done deal, certainly, but the notion that nothing has happened between Louisville and Brohm yet is not completely true. Nothing official has happened.
- There is a strong support for Dino Babers among UofL staffers if Brohm isn't available or attainable. There are many other coaching possibilities, but Babers seems to have buzz.
- I left Charlie Strong off of my HOT BOARD, but added him after a conversation where someone who has more access than me asked why he wasn't on there.
