Doug Dickey was not a basketball guy. He was good friends with Dean Smith and Roy Williams. So, he would always rely on their advice. Go figure, relying on rival coaches as the most important sources (OK not SEC rivals, but potential rivals if UT ever became a factor). Smith and Williams would always recommend someone from their tree who needed a better job. Carolina coaching tree is very overrated IMHO. Now, Green knew how to coach basketball, but he did not know how to control/handle the players he inherited. If he had been able to do that, one of his teams would have gone to the Final Four. He also did not handle criticism well. Rightly or wrongly (mostly wrongly), if a coach at UT cannot handle public criticism, the coach will not last long.
Buzz was different. I really think Buzz was a good guy, but not a good coach. On the other hand, when Buzz first came in, two of the best players UT was counting on were dismissed by the University, not by Buzz, due to drug use. Their 3rd strike. I still remember Buzz's comment, which was one of the best I have ever heard about this kind of a situation: "They knew what they had to do to play basketball at UT and they decided to do something else." So, Buzz started with a less talented roster than he counted on when he was hired. And, after Buzz was fired and Pearl came in, Pearl was magnificent with the talent Buzz left behind. Actually, the talent Pearl inherited from Buzz was better suited to the full court press and offense that Pearl used than the players Pearl later recruited, who were "longer," but not as quick or as fast.
So, what does this say? I do not have a clue. Comments?
Buzz was different. I really think Buzz was a good guy, but not a good coach. On the other hand, when Buzz first came in, two of the best players UT was counting on were dismissed by the University, not by Buzz, due to drug use. Their 3rd strike. I still remember Buzz's comment, which was one of the best I have ever heard about this kind of a situation: "They knew what they had to do to play basketball at UT and they decided to do something else." So, Buzz started with a less talented roster than he counted on when he was hired. And, after Buzz was fired and Pearl came in, Pearl was magnificent with the talent Buzz left behind. Actually, the talent Pearl inherited from Buzz was better suited to the full court press and offense that Pearl used than the players Pearl later recruited, who were "longer," but not as quick or as fast.
So, what does this say? I do not have a clue. Comments?
