When you're starting from scratch, practically, it takes about three years for a coach to turn a team around and get their own players etc.
He came in late on recruiting his first year and did what he did with players from another regime. In some ways, the defections last year speeded up the process of transition to a more athletic, defense oriented style of play.
This year they paid the price for youth, inexperience and lack of seasoned veterans. That nucleus takes time to build. Coach Smith used to say that it took players at least a year to get comfortable with his defensive schemes.
It's funny that none of these supposed personality problems of Doherty's didn't surface to some extent at Davidson, Kansas or Notre Dame. Yes, there were some who thought he was very intense, but not abusive.
The real problem, as I see it, is the perception of Doherty and therefore the program. Whether it is true or not, it has grown to have a life of its own so it is just as bad as if it were true. In some ways I fault the media, message boards, and moneyed powers for buying into it, making statements without proof or telling tales out of school. It might be better now for the University and Coach Doherty to just move on. I suspect that Matt cares enough about the school and the team to realize this and accept this type of decision, even though it would hurt terribly. On the other hand, Dean Smith didn't move on when he was hung in effigy. Of course he had the support of his players and the Chancellor.
Carolina has taken pride in its willingness to give coaches time to establish a program and prove themselves, even when it hurt. Look at Mack Brown's 2-20 start. Carolina has also been known for its "family" and keeping them in the program. From that standpoint the Torbush hire made sense. Whether he was given too much time to prove himself will always be a matter of debate.
Doherty has represented the University well in his dealings with the media and as a recruiter. He is apparently honest, hard-working, and loves UNC. I would hope that if they're considering firing him that they have evidence of serious problems that we don't really know everything about. If they sacrifice him to satisfy the media, fat cat alumni who are hung up on Phil Ford or something, or players with tender egos and pushy parents, then I will be very disappointed and saddened.
As I watch some "fans" spewing hatred for Doherty (many of whom called out for Guthridge's head). I wonder who really could make them happy. Coach Smith got criticized for little things when he was winning and when the team lost a few games some folks said the game had passed him by. Would Larry Brown be any better than Doherty? Roy Williams? George Karl? Maybe, but maybe not. They all have their drawbacks too. After all, they're human. In the back of my head I keep hearing that saying "Be careful what you wish for, you might get it."
I'm ready for the turmoil to end, but I fear that it won't. It may have now become the nature of the beast, much like at UCLA.
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