I am going with the expectation that he needs to make the NCAA Tournament because the AD has said that is a reasonable goal this season.
Note that the AD was pressed into making a decisive statement. It's not something he's advertised; in Monasch's head, that's not the expectation.
So you have heard Chris Monasch say otherwise either publically or privately..?
How do you know what was in his head..?
PMG. How can you ask me that question without asking yourself that question? We all know that they're not going to tell us the criteria they evaluate a coach on. Most ADs and most schools do not do such a thing. How do you know that's their criteria? And "a reasonable goal" doesn't mean that NOT making the NCAAs is an actionable failure.
I will be more precise in my language for you: In Monasch's head, that is not
NECESSARILY the expectation (instead, it's a reasonable goal, like raising test scores a certain % is a reasonable goal for the Dept of Education). To take a single radio interview where the AD was pressed to agree or disagree with "so the NCAAs are a reasonable expectation" (a paraphrase, I do not have the transcript in front of me) as some kind of gospel just seems a bit extreme to me; I don't believe it, and I think neither do you. You're smarter than that and have seen the current administration in action.
Which makes your adherence to that statement as a bit of pot-stirring. When I hear from "unnamed sources" or from the news reporters that Norm has to make the NCAAs, or if I see Father Harrington/ AD Monasch give one of their controlled interviews and release that kind of expectation, I'll take it more seriously.
But a guy muttering agreement on talk radio? Come on, man.