Here are some random thoughts on Coach Floyd, presented in no particular order:
- One thing that Floyd has done is prove himself to be great at crisis management. I can think of two seasons where Floyd has done a masterful job of coaching, though in each case it was only for part of the season: 2013-14 and 2016-17. In the former, the team started the season needing McKenzie Moore to play and play well in order to have any shot at a win. After he, Crossgile, and Ragland were kicked off of the team in the gambling scandal, it looked like the Miners' season was over. This seemed especially true as three players were playing out of position - C.J. Cooper (a 2 playing the 1 spot), Julian Washburn (a 3 playing the 2), and Vince Hunter (a 4 playing the 3) - and we had no depth in backcourt, requiring the Jones brothers to join the team. However, Floyd was able to convince us that a team doesn't really need guards, and made a nice run in conference, turning that season around. And, of course, we know what happened this season, recovering from a 12 game losing streak, many of those losses against incredibly weak teams, to become one the conference's best teams by season's end. Other than these two (partial) seasons, can anyone point to me a year that you can say that Floyd proved his worth as a coach?
- Back to this season: the Miners came into this season completely unprepared, and started 2-13 as a result, losing to the likes of NAU, SE Louisiana, and MD Eastern Shore. At one point they might have been the worst team in Div 1 basketball. That's on Coach Floyd. They then went 13-4, earning a top four seed in the conference tournament. Coach Floyd does, obviously, deserve a lot credit for that turnaround. So how do we grade his performance for the year? Well, he finished 15-17. I don't really think that he should earn a gold star for this season.
- As has been noted in several threads, when Floyd's "cavalry" arrives, we will be oversigned by at least two, and as many as five, players. And, if I'm not mistaken, he first made his cavalry comment when Adrian Moore was still on the team, which would have made this situation even worse. This, however, is not a new phenomenon: Floyd has over-recruited every single year that he's been here. Were you hoping that one of our young guards on the bench might develop over time? Too bad, they won't be here next season. They will end up transferring out, by Floyd's design. Yet, if a guy that Floyd wants keep, say Paul Thomas, were to transfer out, you'd hear Floyd crying about Millenials and the "transfer epidemic", and have some fans bemoaning Floyd's bad luck. Floyd's issues with transfers isn't the result of an epidemic or rotten luck, but simply the man reaping what he sows.
- Speaking of Floyd's "cavalry": have we seen any source, other than Floyd, that is so high on this class? I certainly hope that these guys can live up to that billing, but, as with all of Floyd's classes, I am taking a wait-and-see approach.
- Floyd's second half of the season coaching job brought him back in the favor of the administration (with whom he may never have been out of favor) and several of the fans and boosters who were questioning him before he made that run. This means that his job is safe and secure for at least another year. Does it deserve to be? Not in my book. But I would love for Floyd and the team to prove me wrong.
- One thing that Floyd has done is prove himself to be great at crisis management. I can think of two seasons where Floyd has done a masterful job of coaching, though in each case it was only for part of the season: 2013-14 and 2016-17. In the former, the team started the season needing McKenzie Moore to play and play well in order to have any shot at a win. After he, Crossgile, and Ragland were kicked off of the team in the gambling scandal, it looked like the Miners' season was over. This seemed especially true as three players were playing out of position - C.J. Cooper (a 2 playing the 1 spot), Julian Washburn (a 3 playing the 2), and Vince Hunter (a 4 playing the 3) - and we had no depth in backcourt, requiring the Jones brothers to join the team. However, Floyd was able to convince us that a team doesn't really need guards, and made a nice run in conference, turning that season around. And, of course, we know what happened this season, recovering from a 12 game losing streak, many of those losses against incredibly weak teams, to become one the conference's best teams by season's end. Other than these two (partial) seasons, can anyone point to me a year that you can say that Floyd proved his worth as a coach?
- Back to this season: the Miners came into this season completely unprepared, and started 2-13 as a result, losing to the likes of NAU, SE Louisiana, and MD Eastern Shore. At one point they might have been the worst team in Div 1 basketball. That's on Coach Floyd. They then went 13-4, earning a top four seed in the conference tournament. Coach Floyd does, obviously, deserve a lot credit for that turnaround. So how do we grade his performance for the year? Well, he finished 15-17. I don't really think that he should earn a gold star for this season.
- As has been noted in several threads, when Floyd's "cavalry" arrives, we will be oversigned by at least two, and as many as five, players. And, if I'm not mistaken, he first made his cavalry comment when Adrian Moore was still on the team, which would have made this situation even worse. This, however, is not a new phenomenon: Floyd has over-recruited every single year that he's been here. Were you hoping that one of our young guards on the bench might develop over time? Too bad, they won't be here next season. They will end up transferring out, by Floyd's design. Yet, if a guy that Floyd wants keep, say Paul Thomas, were to transfer out, you'd hear Floyd crying about Millenials and the "transfer epidemic", and have some fans bemoaning Floyd's bad luck. Floyd's issues with transfers isn't the result of an epidemic or rotten luck, but simply the man reaping what he sows.
- Speaking of Floyd's "cavalry": have we seen any source, other than Floyd, that is so high on this class? I certainly hope that these guys can live up to that billing, but, as with all of Floyd's classes, I am taking a wait-and-see approach.
- Floyd's second half of the season coaching job brought him back in the favor of the administration (with whom he may never have been out of favor) and several of the fans and boosters who were questioning him before he made that run. This means that his job is safe and secure for at least another year. Does it deserve to be? Not in my book. But I would love for Floyd and the team to prove me wrong.