RE: The 3 Most Important Issues Coach McGee Must Address for 2013
#1- Hit the recruiting trail HARD and try to find some defensive linemen and linebackers that can have near-immediate impact when they arrive. Losing Burdette to graduation is going to be a huge void to fill. Must get pressure on QB in passing downs and be hardcore in the trenches on running plays & can't be so easily blown off the line of scrimmage. UAB's defense was gutted like trout on several occasions in this regard. It is IMPERATIVE that the defensive prowess of UAB be vastly improved and consistently effective when they take the field, starting next year.
#2- As much as I tried to support Coach McGee's decision to go with Austin Brown at QB, but, after seeing Jonathan Perry on 2 occasions of getting playing time this year, I am at a loss for understanding why McGee gave Brown a longer "leash" to play than a more than capable Junior QB wasting away on the sidelines this year. The offense was clearly energized when McGee finally relented and pulled Brown after the UCF game got out of hand. Brown may very well be the QB of the future for UAB, but Perry, IMO, is the here and now. Brown still holds the ball too long and "locks in" on one WR in passing downs, & for a QB with mobility issues, it's an invitation to disaster. Know when to say when, Coach. This could very well mean the difference between winning - & losing...
#3- Coach McGee has been more than accommodating to fans and the media since his arrival. Moreso than any other football coach UAB has had to date. He has reached out to the student body, encouraging them to attend the games. He played his part as an ambassador, a spokesman for the program, but collectively, was unable to deliver that winning season many of us crave to see. He's had the courage and conviction to apologize openly to fans for the way his team's played in some games. Many of us in the know are aware that he's not afforded the same resources given to "you know who" in order to take this team where it should have been long before now. As was said here before, we don't want a wussie for a head football coach, but we don't want an ***hole, either. IMO, Coach McGee , being that this is his first ever HC job, is in search of an identity that he can pass on to this team and its fan base that can produce the desired results for all concerned, in spite of the obvious paths and obstacles laid in front of this program to overcome.
It is my sincere hope that he finds that balance soon, without losing too much of himself in the process, we want him/them to win, obviously, but not at the cost of his health or anything else of importance. Because unlike any other football program in this state, or for that matter, this country, the fate/future of UAB Football may very well be on his shoulders. I've heard the word "stubborn" used in the stands many times this year in application to McGee. There are times where I have found myself in agreement with that assessment. But for the most part, I love his coaching style and would hate to see his tenure, however long that may be, end in failure. He has a lot of "rocks" to break down, and the perception of this program is one of them. Whether or not he actually succeeded in changing that this year is debatable. There can be no room for doubt in 2013. None at all...
(This post was last modified: 11-25-2012 04:16 PM by Matrix.)
|