The players are obviously out of control. The inmates are running the asylum. And just as in raising kids, having employees, being in the military, or in most other life situations, that is due to a lack of discipline and - mainly - a lack of respect for the people in charge. I start by looking up the chain of command to immediate supervisors -- in this case, the assistant coaches. On most teams I've played on (mostly other sports, but it applies across the board) there was a clear chain, and there was always a disciplinarian. An enforcer, or a group of enforcers. Good examples are Balis and Hevesy. Does anyone think that if our offensive line coach sees a wide receiver or DB loafing that he would hesitate in ripping that player a new *******? I don't, and that's as it should be.
Part of every assistant's job is to make sure all the players listen to and respect the coaches, and that they are doing what they're supposed to be doing. This can be done in different ways. Some assistants can be friends with the players, be sort of a big brother to them, and get things done that way. But you also need enforcers, especially when there are bad apples in the bunch (read: most of the MSU basketball team.) The enforcers keep players in line and keep **** from happening by yelling, by embarrassing them, by working their asses off in practice, extra lifts, running, early morning workouts... whatever a particular player considers torture.
So, after the assistant has the players' ears (RESPECT), he can stop somebody from goofing off at practice by saying, "HEY Mother17er! Pay attention to your coach, or else..." This shows a clear organizational chart: Head coach >>> assistant coaches >>> players. "That's how it is going to be. You're in the SEC now, I don't care how many dunks you had in high school, you fat, lazy piece of ****." Or something to that effect.
Anyway, the problem with our team (discipline-wise) is we don't have that guy. I think even Kirby, who was friends with most players, would say something to guys who got out of line and we lost even that little bit. Couple all this with having no high-IQ guy to help Rick make good basketball decisions, and you have what we have now - a dumpster fire. We have talent - just very little strategy and zero discipline.
Just to clarify -- I blame this on Rick. **** flows uphill, and it all ends up on him. I have been a Stans supporter for a long time, and I would love nothing more than for him to turn it around, but at this point there is nowhere else to lay blame. He has for years consistently refused to hire a knowledgeable basketball strategy guy, and it looks to me like he refuses to hire anyone with the cajones to be tough on the players (my guess is that's because Rick doesn't want anyone on the staff who might actually stand up to him if they disagree on something). He desperately needs both, but I'm not sure he will ever make those hires. I think he's afraid of not having control, not being The Man. That's why the pattern has been to hire former players who already like and look up to Rick. And notice that the players he hires are the QUIET ones. Marcus Grant, George Brooks, Greg Carter, etc. Absolutely great guys, but not one of them is a genius strategist, and obviously not enforcers. But he knows they won't question him.
Bottom line, Rick has to swallow his ego and hire 1 or 2 big-time assistants, or he has to go. Those are the only two choices I see at this point. I can't believe it, but I may actually have a stronger stance toward getting rid of Rick than Coach this morning.
