Billy Kennedy Needs to Stay

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I would prefer A&M to give any coach at least three years in which to implement their program and get their desired players on the roster.

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I agree with the sentiment as I'd like to give any hire a fair and complete chance to be successful. And I wouldn't make any decisions til after this season plays out, but I don't think this is a hire that needs 3 years.

We should show major progress in the 2nd season and I just don't see it. If we were playing better, recruiting better, showing signs of life, I would wait. We're just not at the moment. And since Hyman didn't hire him, it wouldn't surprise me if he thought the same. IMO, Kennedy has about 2 months to get this team turned around. I don't think he'll see year 3 if we keep playing like we currently are.

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I would be tempted to let the Byrne hire prove himself.

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Clearly that worked out SOOOO well for football...for the record, Byrne didn't hire Sadler...he hired the guy that got fired before Nebraska hired Sadler.

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We'll go 10-2 in nonconference and end up 15-16 after conference play.

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On the plus side, going 15-16 would be a slight improvement from last year. But hey, that's progress.

It sounds like your jizz jar is half-empty.

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During the game, Lamar's coach yelled "He's gonna go back door! He's gonna go back door!" I heard a lone voice in the crowd reply "No he isn't."

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I don't know when you started watching A&M basketball

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Barone was the coach my first 3 years. (Highlight was watching him throw his jacket on the ground)

Watkins was the coach my senior year.

This offense resembles the Watkins offense (pass around the key for 30 seconds then throw up a contested airball three pointer with the shot clock expiring). I remember Aaron Jack shooting and missing 3's badly and remember getting free cheeseburgers if we scored 80 or more points.

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Clearly that worked out SOOOO well for football...for the record, Byrne didn't hire Sadler...he hired the guy that got fired before Nebraska hired Sadler.

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Byrne hires that DID work:
Pat Henry
Gary Blair
BCG
To a lesser extent Turgeon

I am sure there are more.

I am not a huge fan of the way things are going right now but with all the crap that went on last year (injuries, health, transfers, etc.) you have 2 starters who played last year (the turners), Roberson was here last year but was out the entire year, and one bench player (Green - 2 if you count Davis ... but I don't cause Davis is horrible).

That is 3 (maybe 4 ... call it 3.5) players out of a rotation of 9 who are not in effectively their first year of the system.

Harris, Young, Caruso, Reese, Roberson and all starters/big minute contributors who were either not on campus last year or were here but didn't even practice cause of injury.

You also can't over look the importance of Jamal Branch leaving. If he had stayed we would have had a PG with 1 year of experience in the system instead of 2 PG playing their first year under Kennedy.

Things need to change and need to change quickly but Byrne's hires have been hits more often than misses and we really do not have a good sample size to make a valid judgement on BK yet.

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I am sure there are more.

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at this point, while not perfect, you clearly have to have Childress on that list

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You also can't over look the importance of Jamal Branch leaving. If he had stayed we would have had a PG with 1 year of experience in the system instead of 2 PG playing their first year under Kennedy.

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Part of any collegiate program is generating excitement. One of Sherman's biggest failings was having a poor first season and being boring as all-get out (if he had come out on fire like Sumlin it wouldn't have mattered I don't think). Like BK, there are a lot of reasons why, but the fanbase never warmed to him because of it. No matter what success he had or steady progress he made, every time something went wrong the knives were out. Kennedy has the same problem only it's hurting recruiting. No one expects the guy to be around long term.

He needs to win but more importantly he needs to excite the fan base. It generates momentum (and money). People talking about old school how bad we were, well, even Kermit Davis generated excitement. Kennedy's failure to do so is a monumental fix. Once you hit ground like this there just aren't too many examples of guys that got it turned around. Childress is probably the best I can think of but he righted the ship midway thru his 2nd season. Kennedy desperately needs to do the same.

The thing that I am seeing is that more athletic guys are on the team, with a longer wing span. They aren't meshing well at the moment, something I attribute to so many new guys and Roberson who missed most of last year.

Last year was a total mulligan, not to mention Murphy's law totally ruling the roost. I want Kennedy to succeed. He was successful at Murray State and SE Louisiana (got them to the tournament)so I think he can be successful here.

We'll see.