Have to say, one reason it takes years for change is because the results sure are choppy from year to year. Looking at the bottom of the RPI list there may be a few schools there who have a change needed but 3 transfers and 4 guys from Europe and next year’s team is 10-7-3. Short of impropriety, only an extended struggle with a well-heeled program would warm up many seats. Lastly, creative scheduling gets 2-3 wins before conference play so a program struggling can prop up results by changing ooc opponents and suddenly the team goes from 2-14-4 to 5-10-5 and it is “progress”.
I think Ray Reid's seat might be getting a little hot. UConn is currently 3-7-1 with a 102 RPI. If they don't turn things around and make the NCAA Tournament, it will be the fourth time in the past six seasons the Huskies have missed the national post-season. It's not quite as bad a run as when UConn axed Reid's predecessor, Joe Morrone; he had missed the NCAA Tournament six years in a row when he was let go after the 96 season, 15 years after winning a national championship. But, it was a lot harder to make the NCAA Tournament back then as only 28 and then 32 teams made the NCAA Tournament each year between 90-96. Reid made the College Cup 20 years ago and won a national title 19 seasons back. But he hasn't been back to the College Cup since and lately can't even make the NCAA Tournament most of the time. For a program like UConn, which ousted Morone under pressure from the Friends of UConn Soccer, the expectations are much higher and Reid isn't meeting them.
While I won't be sad if Reid is cut loose, unless the friends of soccer (serious financial backers) start complaining to the admin, it won't happen any time soon. Good enthusiastic crowds and no scandals go a long way, as you're aware - Sandon.
Out here in the west the coaches that should be on the hot seat are: 1) Steve Sampson (Cal Poly SLO)-This has been a joke from day 1. And their record 4-5-1 is inflated by 2 lower division wins (Westmont and Fresno Pacific). 2) Lev Kirshner (San Diego State)- Despite heralded recruiting classes the past couple of years is still mired in mediocrity particularly considering location in a recruiting hotbed. The following two have rescued their situation (if indeed they were under pressure) with pretty good years so far this season: 1) Cam Rast (Santa Clara)- Record of 6-3-1 this year will help as well as an every 4 or 5 year bid to the NCAA's. Also to be noted is his history with the school. 2) Paul Krumpe (Loyola Marymount)-Record of 5-3-3 so far this year will help. This guy has done so little over the years it is hard to believe there hasn't been pressure on him.
Please add John Kerr to this list. He needs to go. Another miserably underachieving year. Are you listening Kevin White(Duke AD)....oh wait, you don’t give a shit about anything but Coach K and men’s b-ball. Meanwhile, men’s soccer, men’s tennis, women’s b-ball, women’s lax, and volleyball flounder in pathetic mediocrity.
Kentucky girls-Ian Carry-winless in conference so far this season and has really struggled since taking over. With that said, Kentucky has held open try-outs one to two times a year since Carry has taken over? Maybe there is more going on there than I know.
I think a return to the Big East will be just what UConn needs.... They lost their identity going to the AAC in basketball and soccer. Games between St. John's and UConn always at the top of the watch list.
Wait a second - Steve Sampson, as in the former USA coach, is now a losing college coach? What? I don't even know where to begin...
ok here we go and in no particular order -Santa Clara (It's the last year of Rast's contract, and they're actually winning some games) who knew -Northwestern (Should be much better than they have been in recent years) -Holy Cross -Harvard (will be their last season) -San Jose State (good at finding ways to lose) -San Diego State (Don't think they can compete with the rest of the PAC 12 but how can they not be at least a bubble team every year?) -Cal Poly (Sampson doing an awful job and has been for some time) -Gonzaga (have been atrocious in recent years) -Monmouth (haven't had a winning season since 2015) Stretches -Duke (With the resources Kerr has they should be killing it) -Xavier (hasn't made the tourney since 2014) -UConn (probably won't happen) -Wisconsin (Too harsh?)
San Luis Obispo is one of those hyper-rural small towns that you either love or hate on first sight. And Kirshner's SDSU is hyper-urban -- the soccer field is on top of a parking garage, and it is the only college in California with its own subway station (although the Downtown Berkeley BART stop is only block from the Cal campus).
I think Cal Poly SLO annually plays at least 1 lower division team during regular season. I think usually Fresno Pacific. I have no evidence (probably only Sandon knows this stuff) but I would guess over the last 5 or 10 years very few top programs play regular season games against lower division teams during regular season. Exhibition season sure but not regular. I was never a big fan of previous coach and I know he left under a cloud but those seem like the salad days.
How can you even put Wisconsin on the list? They've been without 9 starters most of the season and still have played teams strong.
Whose a viable candidate if Sampson gets fired at Cal Poly? Steve Hoffman? Those of us here in SoCal will get this joke.
And UCSD will be fully integrated into D1 in a year or two. Back when my son was looking into schools (he graduated HS in 2010) Brian Quinn, when he was a new assistant coach at USD, stated that if they could just sign up the best players coming out of San Diego County high schools they would always have a competitive team. Well - he has Miguel Berry now, so that is working out at least in part. Berry stayed with his high school program instead of and basically tore up the league in his Senior year.
Combining multiple themes - When the San Diego Trolley Blue Line Extension is completed (next year?) 2 of the stations will be on the UCSD Campus (3 if you include the VA Hospital stop which is tucked into a corner of the campus.).