In Reply to: I am with you …. posted by mikeo on June 29, 2026 at 17:52:32
I firmly believe he is a very good coach, but right now the younger generations don't recognize that kind of solid good coaching. Cronin wins, but he doesn't win big enough or consistently enough or have flashy enough teams to counteract the negative vibe he projects to the blog types who want something else. Winning always cures a lot of ills. But if the players aren't responding to your coaching style then it will increasingly get harder to win. Decreasing wins means you're gone probably sooner than later. The game passed up John Chaney, Bob Knight, and earlier coaches like Hank Iba, and there were others as well. IMO Cronin is running the risk of being left behind. There's only so much room for the likes of a Tom Izzo. And even he appears to sometimes be swimming upstream. He has managed so far to remain vital and relevant but it seems like even he is starting to run out of time. But none of this, IMO, means Cronin isn't a very good coach because he is. Guys like him have a hard time changing, but I believe Cronin needs to reinvent himself. Take all his basketball coaching skills and wrap them up in a shiny new facade so the modern player will want to play for him. Still teach and insist on all that hard nosed tough defense, but incorporate it into a more exciting brand of basketball. Easier said than done.