|
Post by joshjones1 on Oct 20, 2010 21:42:26 GMT -8
Morrison, McCoy, Farwell, Webb, Osgood, Tolver, Kracalik, and Larry Ned....off the top of my head. Crafts final season was NOT all frosh and sophs. Look at the two deep from that team. HIS recruits (after the mulligan first class, which he had limited time to get) were, yes. And normally, YES, I would agree he was fired too soon. YES, Schemmel was a buffoon. YES, Crafts classes suffered massive attrition rates and academic issues that would have sunk him regardless, and Longs efforts there are one of the few nice things you can say about his time on the Mesa. Cleaning up Crafts mess APR and attrition wise. If you dont think APR is important Joe, losing schollies, then I can't help you. You simply can NOT lose 1/3 of your classes and expect to build a program that was already in the shitter. Those articles are facts, not lies. Look at it. It wasn't just the 2002 class. You may say many of his NFL players were from the Tollner era, but he did a helluva job recruiting players that ended up in the NFL. I would say MOST of the players he coached to the NFL were his recruits. landing. Etc.......... You're absolutely right. I never said Tom couldn't spot talent. He most certainly could. But saying Tollner left him with a bare cupboard is also total horseshit. Those names I mentioned prove it. At the least, he left him some decent skills players and linebackers. Not enough linemen to win with, and that put Tom in an immediate hole.
|
|
|
Post by joshjones1 on Oct 20, 2010 21:47:55 GMT -8
If you think Craft would have "endured the attrition" my friend, let's just agree to disagree.
To me, that statement is ludicrous. No coach can endure losing that percentage of his players.
You also can't build and sustain a program with a ton of JC recruits these days. Some, yes. Not the amount Tom would have needed.
Maybe he would have pulled off another 5 or 6 win season.....but he wouldn't have BUILT a program like Hoke is trying to do, and like Chuck Long worked hard to do.
Chuck Long was a bad game day coach, he didn't have the locker room by his third year , and I thought his staff sucked ass. But I recognize and respect:
A) His attention to APR, pursuing the right type of recruits, and how to attempt to build a program from the ground up.
B) He recruited some pretty fine high school players, given how bad his teams were those years. I have not given him enough credit for that in the past.
|
|
|
Post by joshjones1 on Oct 20, 2010 21:51:24 GMT -8
I'll tell you this, John. Craft would have beaten Cal Poly....twice.
|
|
|
Post by johneaztec on Oct 20, 2010 22:00:53 GMT -8
You may say many of his NFL players were from the Tollner era, but he did a helluva job recruiting players that ended up in the NFL. I would say MOST of the players he coached to the NFL were his recruits. landing. Etc.......... You're absolutely right. I never said Tom couldn't spot talent. He most certainly could. But saying Tollner left him with a bare cupboard is also total horseshit. Those names I mentioned prove it. At the least, he left him some decent skills players and linebackers. Not enough linemen to win with, and that put Tom in an immediate hole. I never said that Tollner didn't leave him any talent. He did in some areas, but Craft also recruited ALOT of talented players that were NFL caliber.
|
|
|
Post by johneaztec on Oct 20, 2010 22:02:55 GMT -8
If you think Craft would have "endured the attrition" my friend, let's just agree to disagree. To me, that statement is ludicrous. No coach can endure losing that percentage of his players. You also can't build and sustain a program with a ton of JC recruits these days. Some, yes. Not the amount Tom would have needed. Maybe he would have pulled off another 5 or 6 win season.....but he wouldn't have BUILT a program like Hoke is trying to do, and like Chuck Long worked hard to do. Chuck Long was a bad game day coach, he didn't have the locker room by his third year , and I thought his staff sucked ass. But I recognize and respect: A) His attention to APR, pursuing the right type of recruits, and how to attempt to build a program from the ground up. B) He recruited some pretty fine high school players, given how bad his teams were those years. I have not given him enough credit for that in the past. We'll agree to disagree on that issue.
|
|