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Dear Travis

citygriz

Well-known member
I don't have to tell you, last night was a disaster. A humiliation. For a school with a proud basketball tradition--of which you are a big part--this was a major major embarrassment.

I watched the game on the Pac-12 network, where your mentor, Mike Montgomery, did the color analysis. Monty is a huge fan of yours, as you know. He urged Cal to hire you as their head coach when he retired. If there is anybody who wants to see you succeed more than I do, it is Mike Montgomery.

And yet half way through the second half last night he delivered a devastating one-liner that's still ricocheting through my brain: "I cannot diagram the Montana offense."

You should take note of that statement, not only because it comes from Mike Montgomery, but because it echoes many of the complaints on this board about our offense: Where's the up-tempo offense Travis promised? Why do we keep enduring these long scoring droughts? Why in the three-point era do we shoot fewer three's than almost any other team in the country? Where is our low-post offense? Where is the movement off the ball? Why is it that in a game against Oregon our leading scorer doesn't get his first field goal until the second half?

Yes, I resemble those comments!

So let me give you some advice from my business-school training: Delegate! Delegate! Delegate!

When you first took over this program, you did just that. In a remarkable display of wisdom and maturity for a rookie head coach, you went out and hired a guy who had been a head coach at three different schools, a guy who by accomplishment was probably at least as deserving as you to be the head coach at Montana: Ken Bone.

Bone came to this program with a reputation as one of the most efficient offensive coaches in the country. (Duly noted, too, that he coached Klay Thompson at Washington State.) He left after two years and is now an assistant coach at Pepperdine.

So my advice to you: Go out and find another Ken Bone. A guy who can essentially be the offensive coordinator. A guy who can infuse this program with what it so acutely now lacks: An offensive identity.

And if you don't want to listen to some crankbutt from a fan board, then take it from a guy who called it out on the Pac-12 Network last night, a guy you respect, your mentor, Mike Montgomery.
 
citay said:
I don't have to tell you, last night was a disaster. A humiliation. For a school with a proud basketball tradition--of which you are a big part--this was a major major embarrassment.

I watched the game on the Pac-12 network, where your mentor, Mike Montgomery, did the color analysis. Monty is a huge fan of yours, as you know. He urged Cal to hire you as their head coach when he retired. If there is anybody who wants to see you succeed more than I do, it is Mike Montgomery.

And yet half way through the second half last night he delivered a devastating one-liner that's still ricocheting through my brain: "I cannot diagram the Montana offense."

You should take note of that statement, not only because it comes from Mike Montgomery, but because it echoes many of the complaints on this board about our offense: Where's the up-tempo offense Travis promised? Why do we keep enduring these long scoring droughts? Why in the three-point era do we shoot fewer three's than almost any other team in the country? Where is our low-post offense? Where is the movement off the ball? Why is it that in a game against Oregon our leading scorer doesn't get his first field goal until the second half?

Yes, I resemble those comments!

So let me give you some advice from my business-school training: Delegate! Delegate! Delegate!

When you first took over this program, you did just that. In a remarkable display of wisdom and maturity for a rookie head coach, you went out and hired a guy who had been a head coach at three different schools, a guy who by accomplishment was probably at least as deserving as you to be the head coach at Montana: Ken Bone.

Bone came to this program with a reputation as one of the most efficient offensive coaches in the country. (Duly noted, too, that he coached Klay Thompson at Washington State.) He left after two years and is now an assistant coach at Pepperdine.

So my advice to you: Go out and find another Ken Bone. A guy who can act essentially be the offensive coordinator. A guy who can infuse this program with what it so acutely now lacks: An offensive identity.

And if you don't want to listen to some crankbutt from a fan board, then take it from a guy who called it out on the Pac-12 Network last night, a guy you respect: Mike Montgomery.

good points
 
Love this! He has done that with Coach Cobb and the defense. It needs to be done with the offense stat.

One quick side note. Every player has their "spot" on the court. The more shots a player gets from his spot the better. I see none of that from the offense this year. It has been there in the past, in doses. It is no where to be seen this year. Other than beasely casting 3s from the top of the key I don't know where anyone else likes the ball or were they are most effective from.
 
The problem is not the lack of 3 pt shooting, it’s the lack of a strong inside game for posting and especially rebounding. Go inside, opens up perimeter. More outside shooting just continues to show our weaknesses.

—- why can Travis recruit well with guards but consistently never get a solid big man?

—- why are the majority of the transfers recently busts? And why are we losing so many? Owens and Vasquez are all but gone?

— why does it seem the individuals he does get, never seem to improve significantly? I don’t see much up coaching. This trends the same when we get someone like Steadman who disappears in his schemes.

Seems obvious that California knew something we didn’t. Hopefully Travis finds something else and maybe we can get Larry K back!
 
Not to put a stake in Travis quite yet but he has 20+ games remaining this year to turn this around. I seriously doubt Larry K would want to come back. One thing I’ve heard is his wife doesn’t like Montana and secondly it would be hard to go from $3,200,000 a year to $150,000 a year. I don’t think his ego could handle that. On the other hand maybe Blaine Taylor would be interested? I realize he left under unfavorable circumstances but hey, we brought Bobby back and he has done pretty well. I think Bobby and Blaine have both matured to the point where they’ve learned their lesson?
 
Sport said:
Not to put a stake in Travis quite yet but he has 20+ games remaining this year to turn this around. I seriously doubt Larry K would want to come back. One thing I’ve heard is his wife doesn’t like Montana and secondly it would be hard to go from $3,200,000 a year to $150,000 a year. I don’t think his ego could handle that. On the other hand maybe Blaine Taylor would be interested? I realize he left under unfavorable circumstances but hey, we brought Bobby back and he has done pretty well. I think Bobby and Blaine have both matured to the point where they’ve learned their lesson?

He’s making $0 a year at the moment…. Lol
 
Larry is a very frugal individual in that he banked his salary and lived off the bonuses. His brand of coaching is what got him in trouble at Utah because he is a no nonsense type of coach and he had a lot defections. But I’d welcome him back with open arms.
 
ordigger said:
The problem is not the lack of 3 pt shooting, it’s the lack of a strong inside game for posting and especially rebounding. Go inside, opens up perimeter. More outside shooting just continues to show our weaknesses.

—- why can Travis recruit well with guards but consistently never get a solid big man?

—- why are the majority of the transfers recently busts? And why are we losing so many? Owens and Vasquez are all but gone?

— why does it seem the individuals he does get, never seem to improve significantly? I don’t see much up coaching. This trends the same when we get someone like Steadman who disappears in his schemes.

Seems obvious that California knew something we didn’t. Hopefully Travis finds something else and maybe we can get Larry K back!

Still early but it looks like Blakney is another transfer casualty
 
ordigger said:
Sport said:
Not to put a stake in Travis quite yet but he has 20+ games remaining this year to turn this around. I seriously doubt Larry K would want to come back. One thing I’ve heard is his wife doesn’t like Montana and secondly it would be hard to go from $3,200,000 a year to $150,000 a year. I don’t think his ego could handle that. On the other hand maybe Blaine Taylor would be interested? I realize he left under unfavorable circumstances but hey, we brought Bobby back and he has done pretty well. I think Bobby and Blaine have both matured to the point where they’ve learned their lesson?

He’s making $0 a year at the moment…. Lol

Krsysko received an approx. $6.7 million buyout from his Utah contract......
 
Sport said:
Not to put a stake in Travis quite yet but he has 20+ games remaining this year to turn this around. I seriously doubt Larry K would want to come back. One thing I’ve heard is his wife doesn’t like Montana and secondly it would be hard to go from $3,200,000 a year to $150,000 a year. I don’t think his ego could handle that. On the other hand maybe Blaine Taylor would be interested? I realize he left under unfavorable circumstances but hey, we brought Bobby back and he has done pretty well. I think Bobby and Blaine have both matured to the point where they’ve learned their lesson?

Adamantly against this. We can definitely do better than either Blaine or Larry. Do you see any other schools currently beating their doors down? There's way too much coaching talent out there for Montana to become the school for coaching retreads. I don't understand the fear of both change and outsiders that some Montana fans have. Sometimes new blood is a good thing. Look at the early returns with Holsinger for example...
 
Sport said:
Larry is a very frugal individual in that he banked his salary and lived off the bonuses. His brand of coaching is what got him in trouble at Utah because he is a no nonsense type of coach and he had a lot defections. But I’d welcome him back with open arms.

There is a reason this old school approach doesn't resonate with the new generation of athletes.
 
I support Travis even through this low. I'm not jumping ship. I appreciate the winning during his career. I appreciate his discipline, sitting someone when they need it. I appreciate his recruiting and emphasis on defense. I appreciate the team is VERY young and experience means a lot. I appreciate offense and consistency come later, particularly with youth. I could go on. I acknowledge things are not perfect, but choose to appreciate the many great things we have.

It feels lonely here. Anyone with me?
 
astutegriz said:
I support Travis even through this low. I'm not jumping ship. I appreciate the winning during his career. I appreciate his discipline, sitting someone when they need it. I appreciate his recruiting and emphasis on defense. I appreciate the team is VERY young and experience means a lot. I appreciate offense and consistency come later, particularly with youth. I could go on. I acknowledge things are not perfect, but choose to appreciate the many great things we have.

It feels lonely here. Anyone with me?

:thumb:
 
After listening to Montgomery during the broadcast, I'm really hoping, he and Travis had a long talk. Maybe, Montgomery gave him some advice and suggestions.

My biggest suggestion, loosen those tight reigns and trust your depth.
 
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