winforlose wrote:Dewey wrote:winforlose wrote:
I think it was more than that. He got the job through connections of his dead father. That puts a stink on him from day one that his hard to wash off. The question of does he deserve to be a head coach is magnified. The players, the other coaches, the fans, everyone knows he didn’t deserve the job. A coach is a leader and without respect you cannot lead. The players proved they didn’t respect him, night in and night out.
Rosas had every opportunity to hire his own coach. He opted for Saunders because he had support from the players. Was Finch available at the time? IDK. Not a coach in the NBA coulda won with a young team with best players injured- let alone none of them have leadership pedigree. What about this defensive genius Vanterpool? Why don’t you rag on him for a while for +120/game instead of trying to belittle the down and out young coach and his “***” father? Classless.
Finch was available and was interviewed in 2019. Rosas tried to hire Finch and was overruled by Taylor. Ryan was elevated over Vanterpool who was more qualified probably because Finch was Rosas guy and giving the job to Vanterpool would make it harder to hire Finch. That is the same reason that when Ryan was fired Finch was hired ASAP. Glen Taylor liked Ryan and was friends with Flip and it was that personal connection that elevated Ryan way beyond his experience and ability level. Ryan Saunders poor coaching was evident in our slow starting every game. It was evident at the end of the game in close games when we were disorganized in ways that are very uncommon. It was evident by poor rotations and substitutions that often benched or neglected the hot hand. As for my point about his father, people don’t like nepotism. When an unqualified and frankly unskilled kid jumps the line without paying his dues it raises questions. Glen Taylor has a history of putting personal relationships above the needs of the team. Ryan should never have let himself be made permanent head coach. He should have asked to return to assistant after the interim season ended and waited until he was ready. Instead he used his connections and last name to get the owner to overrule the POBO and doomed himself.
The first paragraph to my knowledge is pretty much right on.
I don't agree as much about Ryan not being qualified for the job. He grew up talking his dad's playbook from an early age. He played 4 years of college ball and was a graduate assistant. He spent 7 years as an assistant with Washington. 3 things killed Ryan. 1, Injuries absolutely killed him. No coach in history could win with that g league team. 2. He coached in a collaborative way with the front office and was slow to change when it didn't work. Bad scheme for the personnal. 3. Too chummy with the players.
That said, he certainly turned out to be not a good coach. That's different from not being qualified. Many other qualified coaches in the Wolves past bit the dust too.
I'm know Glen wanted him to get a shot. The team wasn't going to be very good anyway. So he might as well be the one to go through the meat grinder. I'm not sure any really strong coach would have touched that job unless it was a first timer.
BTW, nobody in their right mind would turn down a big contract and a head coaching position if it were offered. Ryan turning down the extension and promotion that is.
On the bright side he won his first game as a pro HC. It was pretty much all down hill after that. Cheers.
