Lets be moral here and demonstrate some patience. We have an incredible staff. NO team in the country has 2 HOF players. The wisdom and experience these guys have is incredible. Lets also recognize that this isn't Mullins choice of team. He needed guys last year, he had to work with something or else we wouldn't have won a game. Next season when we have clark and simon, and a true big man, well be savvy and athletic and deep and more competent on both ends of the floor. Then you can address Mullin as a coach. This roster has limitations, the staff can only do so much. What I'm trying to say is things take time, I'm impressed by the coaching, it's going to be sensational to see next years team.
First three years of these head coaches.
Chris Mullin Jay Wright(Vill) Coack K (Duke) Tom Izzo Rick Pitino (Kentucky) John Calipari
8-24 19-13 17-13 16-16 14-14 10-18
? 15-16 10-17 17-12 22-6 17-14
? 18-17 11-17 22-8 29-7 20-13
Next year, he'll have a full squad. We wont have to watch Ellison and Amar. They have no part of being on the floor.
The group will be more versatile and the coaching staff has flexibility to get creative.
Patience. No reason to jump on the staff, good things take time.
First of all, those coaches had prior coaching experience. Outside of possibly, 2 or 3 players, on Pitino's first Kentucky team, there wasn't a whole bunch of talent. He still ended up 14-14 and 10-8 in conference play. UK was also on probation during Pitino's first couple seasons at Kentucky (because of Eddie Sutton).
Coach K struggled mightily during his second and third seasons at Duke. I once heard him say, he didn't think he was gonna survive, and he knew he had to win his fourth season. The third season was the freshmen campaign of Coach K's bonanza class of Johnny Dawkins, Mark Alarie, David Henderson, and Jay Bilas. K's fourth season was the year he brought in Tommy Amaker. With the team being lead by a young crop (the sophomores), they made a heckuva jump that season from 11-17 to 24-10 and an NCAA Tourmanent invitation (they lost in the 2nd round).
Calipari stunk it up in his first season in UMass. But, as you can see he made strides each season. Actually, an NIT bid in his second season.
Izzo record was mediocre his first season and slightly, above-average his second season at Michigan State, but they still made the NIT both years (and, even advanced to the second round of the NIT both of those seasons).
Jay Wright had some bumps along the way at Villanova. Some folks was even questioning whether he'd last. He started to turn the corner during the sophomore campaign of kids he recruited (Randy Foye, Allan Ray, Curtis Sumpter, Jason Fraser and a couple others). They ended up making serious noise during their junior season.
I understand where you're coming from, but those particular coaches may not have been the best example. I'm considering their first couple seasons (maybe, outside of Coach K).