What were the causes of the big decline and really collapse at the end of the 2016 season?
Was the team just not very good, was it coaching, was it just bad luck, and was it something related to this (see below post from last winter)? Was the locker room more divided, as Stitt indicated last summer, in 2015 or in 2016?
"Yes, having transfers for spring ball helps a bit, but transfers are often part of the overall problem. Also, there will likely be more transfers this summer, is my guess. Transfers sometimes don't mix well, because some either come with some issues or they can't get comfortable playing down at the FCS level if they were FBS. They don't come as a group and know each other. They are just a bunch of individuals. UM have had some seemingly talented transfers come and go fairly quickly. Back a number of years ago, there was a scuffle literally in the locker room, and the big stud transfer left and never came back.
My concern is greater this year because there are so many transfers, so many new recruits, so many guys who have departed, so many departed seniors, and not a huge number of returning seniors and juniors who have been in the program all along. Note a recent prior post, discussing the subject. There were some good points made in that post.
I think cohesiveness generally comes with the transfers and younger guys fitting in with and being led by the upper classmen. Are there going to be enough strong returning leaders, or where will the leadership come from?"
Was the team just not very good, was it coaching, was it just bad luck, and was it something related to this (see below post from last winter)? Was the locker room more divided, as Stitt indicated last summer, in 2015 or in 2016?
"Yes, having transfers for spring ball helps a bit, but transfers are often part of the overall problem. Also, there will likely be more transfers this summer, is my guess. Transfers sometimes don't mix well, because some either come with some issues or they can't get comfortable playing down at the FCS level if they were FBS. They don't come as a group and know each other. They are just a bunch of individuals. UM have had some seemingly talented transfers come and go fairly quickly. Back a number of years ago, there was a scuffle literally in the locker room, and the big stud transfer left and never came back.
My concern is greater this year because there are so many transfers, so many new recruits, so many guys who have departed, so many departed seniors, and not a huge number of returning seniors and juniors who have been in the program all along. Note a recent prior post, discussing the subject. There were some good points made in that post.
I think cohesiveness generally comes with the transfers and younger guys fitting in with and being led by the upper classmen. Are there going to be enough strong returning leaders, or where will the leadership come from?"