Phelps on the hot seat?

by **DUBulldog** » January 16th, 2011, 9:37 am

It's only year 3, but he inherited a team that went 28-5 the season before he took over. Each year is worse than the year before, even as the "talent level" goes up. For the first time yesterday, there was some booing when his name was announced after the starting line-ups. In talking to people at the Knapp Center, I can no longer find a single person to defend him.....and I probably talk to 20-30 fans minimum per night at the games.

Bulldogs are now 2-5 heading into a Tuesday night home game against winless Illinois State. After that, DU will be a heavy underdog in the next 8-9 games. Fans are at the point where they're almost hoping for Drake to lose the rest of the games, in the hopes of forcing a change at the top.

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by **mecha_bulldog** » January 16th, 2011, 10:10 am

DUBulldog wrote:For the first time yesterday, there was some booing when his name was announced after the starting line-ups.

I know Phelps has been booed during starting introductions earlier this year. During halftime of the BU game, someone walked into the men's bathroom and loudly asked if anyone thought Phelps was a good coach. Nobody tried arguing with him.

by **Ace Dad** » January 16th, 2011, 10:32 am

We all know that good coaches win and bad coaches lose :roll:

This is why a coach who wins at one school or one level will always win in their new job. :roll:

This is why a coach who loses in his first job should never, ever coach again and should sell cars. :roll:

Is it recruiting and retention, player development, bench coaching, staff efficacy, fund raising or one of the "intangibles?" Or is he a bad coach because the team is not winning?

by **Aces1982** » January 16th, 2011, 10:52 am

Ace Dad wrote:We all know that good coaches win and bad coaches lose

This is why a coach who wins at one school or one level will always win in their new job.

This is why a coach who loses in his first job should never, ever coach again and should sell cars.

Is it recruiting and retention, player development, bench coaching, staff efficacy, fund raising or one of the "intangibles?" Or is he a bad coach because the team is not winning?

Ace dad, you are always quick to jump on the side of the coaches. Do you ever see where a coach is at fault and should be fired?

Right or wrong, sports is about winning and losing and when teams lose it usually falls on the leader of the team, which is the coach.

by **DUBulldog** » January 16th, 2011, 11:02 am

Ace Dad wrote:We all know that good coaches win and bad coaches lose

This is why a coach who wins at one school or one level will always win in their new job.

This is why a coach who loses in his first job should never, ever coach again and should sell cars.

Is it recruiting and retention, player development, bench coaching, staff efficacy, fund raising or one of the "intangibles?" Or is he a bad coach because the team is not winning?

Player development, and especially bench coaching.....and definitely intangibles. Drake has had plenty of losing coaches before who were not as universally disrespected as Mark Phelps is by the fan base.

I understand what you're saying AceDad, but in this case, I think it's the coach. Some guys just aren't head coaching material. His only other headcoaching experience was in high school, but in high school, it's typically "he who has the best players, wins". He got his start in college coaching when NC State wanted two of his players, and he came along in a package deal.

by **8ball** » January 16th, 2011, 1:50 pm

I actually think DU has some good young players. Rice is a given, but I like the rebounding ability of Woods and Uhlenhopp. DU loses just Wedel next year, and he's a nice player, but he operates strictly on the perimeter. He doesn't rebound and almost never gets to the line.

With SVD, Uhlenhopp and Woods down low, the Bulldogs are big for the next two years. Rice will be all-MVC with a little coaching and development, and don't sleep on Simons -- he's a big kid with a nice looking shot.

by **DUBulldog** » January 16th, 2011, 5:27 pm

8ball wrote:I actually think DU has some good young players. Rice is a given, but I like the rebounding ability of Woods and Uhlenhopp. DU loses just Wedel next year, and he's a nice player, but he operates strictly on the perimeter. He doesn't rebound and almost never gets to the line.

With SVD, Uhlenhopp and Woods down low, the Bulldogs are big for the next two years. Rice will be all-MVC with a little coaching and development, and don't sleep on Simons -- he's a big kid with a nice looking shot.

Nobody, especially Drake fans, will disagree with your assessment that Drake has some good young players. It is the way they are being utilized and coached that has Bulldogs fans more than a little concerned.

by **chitown fanatic** » January 16th, 2011, 9:55 pm

Now try putting up witha guy who cant coach for 9 years like we have at Bradley and then see how you feel. Our administration will do nothing as our fanbase crumbles. We will be the Drake very soon

by **DUBulldog** » January 16th, 2011, 10:02 pm

chitown fanatic wrote:Now try putting up witha guy who cant coach for 9 years like we have at Bradley and then see how you feel. Our administration will do nothing as our fanbase crumbles. We will be the Drake very soon

Talk to me after your admin gives you Tom Abatemarco followed by 6 years of Rudy Washington and 7 years of Kurt Kanaskie.

by **TheShock** » January 16th, 2011, 10:47 pm

DUBulldog wrote:
chitown fanatic wrote:Now try putting up witha guy who cant coach for 9 years like we have at Bradley and then see how you feel. Our administration will do nothing as our fanbase crumbles. We will be the Drake very soon

Talk to me after your admin gives you Tom Abatemarco followed by 6 years of Rudy Washington and 7 years of Kurt Kanaskie.

http://statsheet.com/mcb/coaches/mike-cohen :cry: