Now that another disappointing season has ended I think it's time to have an honest discussion whether or not Brecht is the one who can take Rutgers to the next level. I am more a casual observer as I have more expertise in the women's game but it has now been 8 years and I know when he started the cupboard was bare and of course he is a major step up from the previous coach. Rutgers went out and hire 2 new assistants this year which on paper looked like great hires but we had so many disappointing games. So for those more closely associated with the program like Cali etc what are your feelings going forward
Discussion re Brecht
- Thread starter richthedentist
- Start date
I am not closely associated with the program, but played D1 lax a long time ago and have followed the game ever since. My observations are as follows:
1. There is some top line talent on this team that would start and be key cogs in any program in the country, but the overall team talent falls short of the PSUs and Maryland's of D1 lacrosse. That explains why they are always on the bubble with respect to May Madness.
2. That means you have to coach up your depth or recruit more D1 ready players. With the coaching changes this year that development process may have been slowed by the transition.
3. That lack of depth became glaring when there was a perfect storm on injuries at positions where this team could least afford it. Goalie, FOGO and SSDM were where the "next men up" simply weren't ready for B1G lacrosse.
4. With respect to next year, graduation affects those same positions. So here's the test for the coaching staff. Can they develop the replacements into top tier players?
1. There is some top line talent on this team that would start and be key cogs in any program in the country, but the overall team talent falls short of the PSUs and Maryland's of D1 lacrosse. That explains why they are always on the bubble with respect to May Madness.
2. That means you have to coach up your depth or recruit more D1 ready players. With the coaching changes this year that development process may have been slowed by the transition.
3. That lack of depth became glaring when there was a perfect storm on injuries at positions where this team could least afford it. Goalie, FOGO and SSDM were where the "next men up" simply weren't ready for B1G lacrosse.
4. With respect to next year, graduation affects those same positions. So here's the test for the coaching staff. Can they develop the replacements into top tier players?
It’s just a discussion asking those who know more about the game not advocating Brecht be let go!!
I would hardly call the last three seasons disappointing. Disappointing we didn’t make the tournament, we were well deserving. I’m proud of what they did. No class has won more games than this class we just graduated. We’ve been playing lacrosse for over 100 years.
Brecht is great. The right guy for this program. It’s why he was getting looked at by schools like Uva when their job was open. The staff is the not the concern. The assistants are A level coaches. Very highly respected. A bare cupboard would have been easier than what Brecht walked into. It was a tear down and rebuild. Not helped by our horrible past AD. The bigger concern is getting the facility built and continuing to fund the program at higher levels. Like our peers are doing. There is no bigger stage than the one we are on.
If you haven’t donated, Do it. If you have, and can afford to do so, donate more.
Brecht is great. The right guy for this program. It’s why he was getting looked at by schools like Uva when their job was open. The staff is the not the concern. The assistants are A level coaches. Very highly respected. A bare cupboard would have been easier than what Brecht walked into. It was a tear down and rebuild. Not helped by our horrible past AD. The bigger concern is getting the facility built and continuing to fund the program at higher levels. Like our peers are doing. There is no bigger stage than the one we are on.
If you haven’t donated, Do it. If you have, and can afford to do so, donate more.
@mdk01 makes good points.
Especially his #1. Can’t think of another men’s team where the talent level is comparable with conference and our other opponents. Who brought them here?
There are others on here who say (and I agree) that Brian is doing a good job with @mdk01 #2 point. Guys who know a lot more than me say our players get better while they’re here. Credit the staff there.
#3 is a tough one that IMO can’t be blamed really on anyone. Injuries happen.
Especially his #1. Can’t think of another men’s team where the talent level is comparable with conference and our other opponents. Who brought them here?
There are others on here who say (and I agree) that Brian is doing a good job with @mdk01 #2 point. Guys who know a lot more than me say our players get better while they’re here. Credit the staff there.
#3 is a tough one that IMO can’t be blamed really on anyone. Injuries happen.
Cali I know they are of course starting the Rodkin center but I know you are more in the know are we that underfunded compared to all the top programs and I guess obviously when we get the full share in 2 years I know it should of course help all our prgrams; I am sure we paid a good amount for our new top assistants;
One more question how does the recruiting class look for next year?
Thanks
We need to continue to invest. Our peers are. Money isn’t the cure all, but you have to be in the game to be even be competitive. In our old league where we are now would have been fine. It no longer is. There are naming rights still available for the Rodkin Center. If you can, invest.
We have our best classes we have had coming in. But so do our peers. Every school in our conference recruits a lot of studs.
Hopefully we can keep our staff together for awhile. Continuity is a huge thing. Both will get head jobs. One for the second time. It’s only a matter of when.
With the new faces playing and those in different roles this year, along with new systems on offense and defense, we definitely went through some growing pains. You’d have to believe next year will be better in that regard.
Did I mention donate?
I am not advocating a change, but I would say finishing the season 7-8 was disappointing even with the injuries.
I almost started a similar thread but I didn't want it to devolve into negative attacks since the loss is so fresh. I am interested in the thoughts from our insiders on what can be done to get the program to the next level...and hopefully it stays positive/constructive. Even criticism can be constructive.
it does seem that BB has done a very nice job getting us to this step. I have said this before that while I am not a Lax guy, I have a lot of friends who are from Lax 'blue blood' North Jersey towns (e.g. Chatham) and 3 years ago, Rutgers was a borderline bad word. Now, people are supportive and impressed. I see much more Rutgers gear at our lax games/practices...young kids going to lax games, etc. It's very positive.
that said, we have to find a way to get over this hump because as has been noted, our competition is not sitting still (look at the moves Michigan has made).
I agree with Cali that money is an issue. but if we're being fair, there is some accountability to be taken for some of the on-field performances. if this was soccer, I would happily get into a deep tactical discussion but this is not my area of expertise so I defer to those who know the game better than myself...but there is something 'missing'. I don't know if it's talent, or what...
I look forward to the continued inputs.
it does seem that BB has done a very nice job getting us to this step. I have said this before that while I am not a Lax guy, I have a lot of friends who are from Lax 'blue blood' North Jersey towns (e.g. Chatham) and 3 years ago, Rutgers was a borderline bad word. Now, people are supportive and impressed. I see much more Rutgers gear at our lax games/practices...young kids going to lax games, etc. It's very positive.
that said, we have to find a way to get over this hump because as has been noted, our competition is not sitting still (look at the moves Michigan has made).
I agree with Cali that money is an issue. but if we're being fair, there is some accountability to be taken for some of the on-field performances. if this was soccer, I would happily get into a deep tactical discussion but this is not my area of expertise so I defer to those who know the game better than myself...but there is something 'missing'. I don't know if it's talent, or what...
I look forward to the continued inputs.
Excellent post and this is my argument with Cali and MDK: coaching staff accountability. You simply CAN NOT tell me that 1 staff can make adjustments the week between games, while the other can’t, and leave it at that. That’s complete b.s. AS IS not being able to make in-game or halftime adjustments. You can do it in every other sport, no reason you can’t do it in lax, as other coaches apparently do.
Now with THAT being said, quite obviously, we’ve made HUGE strides, and got screwed at least 2 times by the selection committee, which is why I’m not ready to give up on this staff just yet.
Now I do have ONE question:
WHY did we decide to go with a slower-paced offense this season? The up-tempo style worked so well the last few years and this year it just seems like we are CONSTANTLY pulling back instead of attack attack attack. I assume it has something to do with the new OC, obviously, What do you guys think that BB will take a long look at it this off-season and say “hey we need to pick up the tempo again”??
Thanks for responses in advance fellas.
I do think a good point is raised here in that while Rutgers was not a lock in any particular year, they were unlucky not to make the tournament the past few years with the resumes they had. If that had happened, the present and trajectory might look different to casual observers.
Also, I think some of the issue is not really with how they're competing in league, but out of it and against schools that the resources Rutgers has available should be sufficient to get those victories.
This is a fair discussion, but there is no way that Brecht doesn't deserve at least one if not two or three more years (depending on where the trends go from here) to try to get an ncaa tournament bid, which should be the goal for the program.
In a nutshell, the bolded.
As somebody said the other day in the other State Penn thread...'their guy made a play."
It happens.
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There was more than “a play” that happened yesterday. Yesterday was embarrassing. A complete and utter beat down in which we went over an entire period in game time) without scoring once. As SirScarlet said: “accountability.”
Are other programs better at directing non-athletic scholarship funds (financial aid that are not loans) to their athletes and families? I’ve always suspected that.
What I bolded in the post by @SirScarlet is me saying the samething.
And I wasn’t talking about yesterday.
Based on my observations from watching games and other's comments in game threads these are some of the recurring themes and what they may be attributed to.
1. They are getting more ground balls than us; They have better athletes.
2. We are hitting posts, they are not; They have better shooters.
3. They are winning more face-offs; Their highly specialized skill players are better than ours.
4. We have a lot of injuries; We need more depth.
5. Our guy made a bone head play but we can't afford to sit him; We need more depth.
6. We turned the ball over more than them; They have more skilled players or are making fewer mental errors.
7. Our man up needs to be better; We need better shooters, dodgers, creative players.
8. Their guy made a play; They are more skilled than us.
As it has been noted, Brecht does a good job at player development but based on the trends it looks like we need to step up our recruiting game and develop depth.
The other issue I think I see is one of belief or discipline. Because it is abstract, it is almost impossible to prove and I think it affects many of Rutgers teams.
We don't think we deserve to win so when the going gets tough we don't play with conviction. It's almost as if the thought is "we are lucky we had the lead for 3 quarters, lets try to sneak out of here with a win". The chance of coming from behind against a top tier team is very slim. I don't put St. John's in that bracket but that was a good win.
Maryland is a good team but they did not impress me last night. That said when they played us a High Point, it looked like at half time it dawned on them that they may lose to Rutgers and for them that is unacceptable. They played the second half as a different team, one determined to avoid that stain.
We played the second half as if we would be grateful for a win but hey if we don't win, we were not supposed to anyway.
Against Hopkins Maryland didn't have the same conviction because they know defeat(a weak ago) against them and on some level it is more acceptable.
We need to believe that winning is in our DNA, our birthright. How do we do that before we get those wins? I think this is where our coaches need to step up.
1. They are getting more ground balls than us; They have better athletes.
2. We are hitting posts, they are not; They have better shooters.
3. They are winning more face-offs; Their highly specialized skill players are better than ours.
4. We have a lot of injuries; We need more depth.
5. Our guy made a bone head play but we can't afford to sit him; We need more depth.
6. We turned the ball over more than them; They have more skilled players or are making fewer mental errors.
7. Our man up needs to be better; We need better shooters, dodgers, creative players.
8. Their guy made a play; They are more skilled than us.
As it has been noted, Brecht does a good job at player development but based on the trends it looks like we need to step up our recruiting game and develop depth.
The other issue I think I see is one of belief or discipline. Because it is abstract, it is almost impossible to prove and I think it affects many of Rutgers teams.
We don't think we deserve to win so when the going gets tough we don't play with conviction. It's almost as if the thought is "we are lucky we had the lead for 3 quarters, lets try to sneak out of here with a win". The chance of coming from behind against a top tier team is very slim. I don't put St. John's in that bracket but that was a good win.
Maryland is a good team but they did not impress me last night. That said when they played us a High Point, it looked like at half time it dawned on them that they may lose to Rutgers and for them that is unacceptable. They played the second half as a different team, one determined to avoid that stain.
We played the second half as if we would be grateful for a win but hey if we don't win, we were not supposed to anyway.
Against Hopkins Maryland didn't have the same conviction because they know defeat(a weak ago) against them and on some level it is more acceptable.
We need to believe that winning is in our DNA, our birthright. How do we do that before we get those wins? I think this is where our coaches need to step up.
I’ve been talking about our teams - almost across the board - and the mental aspect of things for nearly 2 years now. There ARE problems with an inability to “go for the kill,” to fight back once the tied turns, to act and play AS IF we ARE THE BETTER team, regardless of whether it not it’s the case., etc., etc..
Athletic Department needs a sports psychologist I’m 100% convinced of this.
Agree with some disagree with some but I'll limit myself to one point. Hitting posts, while they do not, is not indicative that they are better shooters. What's missing in that analysis is how many shots for each team are "on cage". If one team is only putting 30% of their shots on cage with no posts and another team is putting 50% of their shots on cage but 20% are hitting the post then Team 2 is the better shooting team.
I agree although I am not sure how we address the whole athletic department with one person. Maybe Tony Robbins can address all of our teams at the RAC once a week!
You would have to take it a couple steps further and also analyze the quality of the shot that is on-cage. Are we playing catch with the goalie from a bad angle or are we taking quality shots?
This then leads to other questions, is the shot quality or lack there of a product of our athletes, skills or schemes to create matchups in our favor?
1) I agree. They have some tremendous athletes.
2) I agree. They have a ton of great shooters. Even their guys cold off the bench were ripping corners.
3) Yes and no. Their fogo is better. Our goalie was better.
4) We had a lot of injuries. We need more depth. No team has the depth to contend with what we lost. Our best attackman missed two games. Take Ament off the PSU and see what they look like. Our fogo missed 4 games, and first team B1G goalie missed 2 games. We had numerous other guys miss games. It can't be understated. Our best SSDM, one of the best in the country and absolute lock down defender, missed 5 games. That's a ton of production not seeing the field. More than any year I can remember.
5) Guys have been pulled for making mistakes a number of times throughout the year. It just happened yesterday.
6) We turned the ball over on silly transition passes yesterday. Last week we turned the ball over the same amount as they did.
7) Our man up needs to be better. Next year I think it will.
8) That's lacrosse.
Let's also keep in mind, we are talking about the best team in the country. The odds on favorite, sitting in May, to win the national championship. The team they are facing in the finals, they just beat 20-9 two weeks ago. An absolute drubbing.
Nice to see someone else say this out loud.
And this isn’t a Rutgers Lacrosse thing, it’s a Rutgers Athletics thing.
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We've had some big wins over the years. Rutgers MLAX expects to win every time they go out on the field. Fact.
I watched almost every game this year, but I am far from a lacrosse expert, Outside of faceoffs and some lazy play at times leading to bad turnovers, the thing that stood out to me was the lack of spacing on offense and a tendency to wait to long in the shot clock to start our offense. Both led to a lot of empty possessions with poor shots. This was especially frustrating on man ups, which we almost never seemed to score. I don't know if it is better athleticism, but teams like MD and PSU seemed to be much more creative and better spaced out, leading to more open shots. I feel like some of this is a leadership issue, as we don't seem to have that clear #1 guy every other team seems to have.
One key point, Brecht has the support of all lacrosse alumni in a fashion that has not been encountered, even under Hayes.
His outreach and marketing to bring in to the fold past classes and players is unparalleled certainly for Rutgers lacrosse and from what I have seen all sports here.
Other programs constantly keep in touch with alums as it keeps donations flowing and he has made incredible headway in this regard. Piggybacking on that lacrosse players breed lacrosse players, long term this will pay dividends.
His job is safe now and the foreseeable future. He has a long leash.
His outreach and marketing to bring in to the fold past classes and players is unparalleled certainly for Rutgers lacrosse and from what I have seen all sports here.
Other programs constantly keep in touch with alums as it keeps donations flowing and he has made incredible headway in this regard. Piggybacking on that lacrosse players breed lacrosse players, long term this will pay dividends.
His job is safe now and the foreseeable future. He has a long leash.
3) Yes, I should have noted that Max is the better player, he will be missed.
5) OK, I didn't catch who was pulled, it is always good to have the depth to do so.
Just to play devils advocate:
you guys will be satisfied if we’re still doing the same thing year-in and year-out five years from now?
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He definitely gets that aspect. Coach Hayes set it up, and he’s taken it to the next level.
I believe we have the strongest alumni involvement in any sport at the school. Other B1G schools have started to emulate some of the things we do. I noticed PSU had alums on their sideline last game. That was because we started it.
Nuts, instead of bitching, reach out to the program. Make a donation. I’m sure it will be welcomed and give you access like you’ve not had.
That’s not an answer. You guys love Brecht, that’s GREAT, but the bottom line is making tourneys and winning titles wouldn’t you agree?
Sure. But just making that statement is lazy. The real work, the work you never seem to want to discuss or acknowledge, and how you get to that destination, is the underlying data.
What do our facilities look like to attract recruits compared to our peers? What is our recruiting budget compared to our peers? What is our scholarship levels compared to our peers? What is travel budget compared to our peers? What is our overall budget compared to our peers? What is our assistant coaching budget compared to our peers? What's our social media look like compared to our peers. What does our advertising look like compared to our peers? What is does our support staff look like compared to our peers?
Until each and every one of these things, along with others, are equal or more than, saying "win titles" is idle talk that means absolutely nothing. You don't keep fighting with a broken arm expecting to win the belt. You heal, train, and do the real heavy lifting so when you fight again, you are healthy and have a better chance.
Building a national championship lacrosse team, from where we were, is far deeper and so much more goes into than just saying it.
It's the work behind it all that gets you there. So, I ask you, are you donating to help us win championships? If not, what are you doing exactly beside being here? How many games did you even attend?
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Make the tournament ONCE and I’ll donate $1k directly to the program. I get what you’re saying, I do, but you damn well know you’re not happy with this season, nor did you expect this season, especially the ******* absolutely beat down we took yesterday.
If this were ANY other sport you’d be all over it as, you were with soccer, so let’s be fair.
Soccer was getting their *** kicked every game. From teams like Columbia. Unranked Elon beat them 8-1, lol! Is that what this is? Your boy Donnigan has you taking this personal? Sorry.
Keep your $1,000. After we make the tournament, we won't need your money at that point.
But it's noted, you haven't donated yet and don't go to games. You ***** a lot for someone who doesn't do anything for the program.
Donnigan's last 3 seasons at RU. 9-40-4.
If Brecht has that record in a 3 year period, I will call for him to be fired. Feel better?
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Typical RU fan, would rather ***** & moan then to do anything constructive to help the program.
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