Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Honestly, sometimes I think a college baseketball fan base’s expectations are so other-worldly that not even John Wayne could live up to them (assuming their expectations were to be manly).
If the program is in rough shape when a coach gets there, only for the new coach to turn it around, heavens forbid that the coach had a down year at some point later in his tenure. The fan base would ignore the fact that they were only successful because of that coach and would want to run him out of town. Same goes for programs who were already established, stayed successful, then fell apart for a short period of time.
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It is like people think really talented coaches grow on magical trees somewhere in the nation’s heartland. There is nothing wrong with having high expectations or rooting for your team to the point of nausea, but losing all sense of self-awareness is another thing. To want to run a coach out of town — despite nothing better being out there — for the sake of firing him is as nuts as a squirrel getting ready for winter.
That brings us to Ohio State Buckeyes coach, Thad Matta. While the contingency is very small, it is somehow there: folks were calling for Matta’s head on a stick. Apparently to those people, four straight trips to the NCAA Tournament as well as a Sweet Sixteen berth — in addition to one Elite Eight and another Final Four appearance – was not enough.
I am not saying Ohio State fans should not want to win a National Title. In fact, it is your right to root as illogically as possible. I mean, I guess it is okay to think you are entitled to win it all every season.
While I know the majority of the people who love Ohio State hoops are sane and know Matta is as good a fit for the program as there is, I worry about that small rumbling that has been building. An overthrow only needs to start with whispers; couple that with what people may consider a bad season down the road, and we would be in the grasps of some ugly athletic department decision-making.
Be happy with Matta (who should be happy the program does not have a Bill Walton). There is not a better coach for that program in all the land. Honestly, I heard he grew on a magical tree somewhere in our nation’s heartland.
Joe is a Senior Writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @JosephNardone
