So many opinions offered about Baylor WBB Program are cherry picking data to support a predetermined position. Taking the data to the opinion rather than taking the opinion to the data.
Stuff Not Within Coach's Control:
1) inherited roster
2) facilities
3) bulk of NIL support
4) budget
5) timing of hire
6) most injuries
Stuff within their control:
1) recruiting
2) culture
3) schemes
4) tactics
5) effort demanded
6) some injuries (if a player is injured due to practice running too long and dead-legged player blows out a knee, that result is on the coach)
7) scheduling
8) staff
9) some portion of player development (some of this item belongs on player)
10) program image
Items for which Collen incorrectly gets blamed:
1) depth issues of Year 1 team.
Why? She inherited 6 players. Great players but only 6. That roster size is atrocious and only Mulkey is to blame.
2) results of short roster in Year 1.
Why? That team had to practice and play basically every minute. No rest. They were horrifically dead-legged by March. Early NCAAT exit not on Collen.
3) results of short roster in Year 2.
While people use hindsight to complain, Collen didn't have that opportunity. She returned only two players she inherited. It was effectively a wholesale roster turnover.
Things that Collen did VERY well:
1) regular season results in Years 1-3. Given the mess, Collen overachieved by some degree.
2) recruiting in Year 1. With no player relationships, a ton of burned bridges with Summer Teams and Summer Tournaments that Mulkey left behind, and a short window, Collen managed to recruit Buggs, Fontleroy and Abraham. That result is undeniably a huge success.
3) modernized schemes.
4) mostly happy players.
5) no media miscues.
6) rebuild trust with Summer Teams and Summer Tournaments.
7) steady top quarter of the B12 results.
8) many NIL buys of transfers.
9) special play design (inbounds plays, etc.)
Things Collen did poorly:
1) player development for most part. Buggs improved then leveled off without much further improvement. Fontleroy improved and then dropped off considerably. Abraham has slight improvement. Every player since has been unremarkable.
2) recruiting since Year 1. Basically a disaster.
3) team effort in big games.
4) scheme execution.
5) roster construction.
6) matching schemes to personnel abilities.
7) program excitement level.
8) game planning for key games.
9) pace of play in half court O.
10) paint touches on half court O.
11) in game adjustments this season.
Think it is fair to say that entering this season the positives still outweighed the negatives.
Think it is also fair to say that they no longer do.
Collen is very highly compensated compared to most peers. Demanding top results is not unfair.
She has great facilities, a solid budget, solid NIL money, etc.
Given another year's flame out on HS recruiting, a disappointing season with a senior laden team, peer comparisons, etc. it is very fair to assert that Collen's seat should be hot.
But let's blame her fairly. And let's analyze her fairly.
Stuff Not Within Coach's Control:
1) inherited roster
2) facilities
3) bulk of NIL support
4) budget
5) timing of hire
6) most injuries
Stuff within their control:
1) recruiting
2) culture
3) schemes
4) tactics
5) effort demanded
6) some injuries (if a player is injured due to practice running too long and dead-legged player blows out a knee, that result is on the coach)
7) scheduling
8) staff
9) some portion of player development (some of this item belongs on player)
10) program image
Items for which Collen incorrectly gets blamed:
1) depth issues of Year 1 team.
Why? She inherited 6 players. Great players but only 6. That roster size is atrocious and only Mulkey is to blame.
2) results of short roster in Year 1.
Why? That team had to practice and play basically every minute. No rest. They were horrifically dead-legged by March. Early NCAAT exit not on Collen.
3) results of short roster in Year 2.
While people use hindsight to complain, Collen didn't have that opportunity. She returned only two players she inherited. It was effectively a wholesale roster turnover.
Things that Collen did VERY well:
1) regular season results in Years 1-3. Given the mess, Collen overachieved by some degree.
2) recruiting in Year 1. With no player relationships, a ton of burned bridges with Summer Teams and Summer Tournaments that Mulkey left behind, and a short window, Collen managed to recruit Buggs, Fontleroy and Abraham. That result is undeniably a huge success.
3) modernized schemes.
4) mostly happy players.
5) no media miscues.
6) rebuild trust with Summer Teams and Summer Tournaments.
7) steady top quarter of the B12 results.
8) many NIL buys of transfers.
9) special play design (inbounds plays, etc.)
Things Collen did poorly:
1) player development for most part. Buggs improved then leveled off without much further improvement. Fontleroy improved and then dropped off considerably. Abraham has slight improvement. Every player since has been unremarkable.
2) recruiting since Year 1. Basically a disaster.
3) team effort in big games.
4) scheme execution.
5) roster construction.
6) matching schemes to personnel abilities.
7) program excitement level.
8) game planning for key games.
9) pace of play in half court O.
10) paint touches on half court O.
11) in game adjustments this season.
Think it is fair to say that entering this season the positives still outweighed the negatives.
Think it is also fair to say that they no longer do.
Collen is very highly compensated compared to most peers. Demanding top results is not unfair.
She has great facilities, a solid budget, solid NIL money, etc.
Given another year's flame out on HS recruiting, a disappointing season with a senior laden team, peer comparisons, etc. it is very fair to assert that Collen's seat should be hot.
But let's blame her fairly. And let's analyze her fairly.
