'Do I get floor seats?' College coaches pass on athletes because of parents' behavior

[Gopher_In_NYC]

Interesting article on how parents’ attitudes can influence their kids and poison a locker room - definitely worth a read and includes comments from Hurley and Howard’s coach, Howard Blakeney.

'Do I get floor seats?' College coaches pass on athletes because of parents' behavior

Howard University men's basketball coach Kenny Blakeney gets candid about the types of parent behavior that make him "pass" on talented young athletes

sports.yahoo.com

 

[EasyThere Pilgrim]

Oh yeah. It's about culture, values, education....not just about acquiring the best players.

What a load of crap.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

Oh yeah. It's about culture, values, education....not just about acquiring the best players.

What a load of crap.

Did you ever play team sports or work with someone who was toxic?

Why does it have to be a binary choice -

“Oh yeah. It's about culture, values, education....not just about acquiring the best players.”

Why can’t it be both?

 

[EasyThere Pilgrim]

Did you ever play team sports or work with someone who was toxic?

Why does it have to be a binary choice -

“Oh yeah. It's about culture, values, education....not just about acquiring the best players.”

Why can’t it be both?

Yeah I know. It just seems like a convenient story to come out now. Especially from UConn.

 

[DarthGopher]

Did you ever play team sports or work with someone who was toxic?

Why does it have to be a binary choice -

“Oh yeah. It's about culture, values, education....not just about acquiring the best players.”

Why can’t it be both?

I'm guessing no.

I've played on and coached teams with toxic parents. They can completely sink a team, and it usually transfers to the their kid, too. In some of the developmental leagues where I helped coach, I'd see a kid and be totally confused as to how they got cut from their team. The talent was absolutely there. Then we'd have a few practices, and it would all become much, much clearer. They were cut for attitude and what was between the ears. About half of them had "very involved" parents.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

I'm guessing no.

I've played on and coached teams with toxic parents. They can completely sink a team, and it usually transfers to the their kid, too. In some of the developmental leagues where I helped coach, I'd see a kid and be totally confused as to how they got cut from their team. The talent was absolutely there. Then we'd have a few practices, and it would all become much, much clearer. They were cut for attitude and what was between the ears. About half of them had "very involved" parents.

Amazing how some parents make it about them and ruin it for their kids.

 

[Spottedmuskie]

This board told me we said no to Carrington coming back because of his Mom

 

[Chico Gopher]

I know of a few college coaches in my area who rarely recruit the immediate area for that exact reason.

 

[MNVCGUY]

Interesting article on how parents’ attitudes can influence their kids and poison a locker room - definitely worth a read and includes comments from Hurley and Howard’s coach, Howard Blakeney.

'Do I get floor seats?' College coaches pass on athletes because of parents' behavior

Howard University men's basketball coach Kenny Blakeney gets candid about the types of parent behavior that make him "pass" on talented young athletes

sports.yahoo.com

Really good read, thanks for sharing. The comments from the coaches really echo what we are hearing from other coaches about the mindset of this current generation of players and families. Becoming all about the minutes and money and all the other things that the college game should be about are getting shoved to the background.

Thank goodness football doesn't have an AAU system like basketball. So much of the craziness with basketball comes from the AAU cesspool where the politics and greed run rampant. The pay for play/"NIL" free for all has almost certainly made this way worse.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

Yeah I know. It just seems like a convenient story to come out now. Especially from UConn.

Did you read the whole article? The reporter interviewed multiple coaches (see below in quotes) and not just Hurley; it was smart to include Hurley as he’s at the top of his profession.

“Blakeney and the three other division Division 1 men’s and women’s basketball coaches I have interviewed in the past year — Rutgers’ Steve Pikiell, Maryland’s Brenda Frese and UCLA’s Cori Close are the others — detailed how carefully they consider players’ parents when making up rosters.”

While he recruits good classes, they’re not as high ranked as other schools based on 247, so not my opinion.

To wit -

2022 - #39
2023 - #5
2024 - #24


No idea where your apparent Hurley animus stems from, but he loves buckets, is a genuine guy, who is successful and has that East Coast brashness/insecurity I’ve grown to love

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

Really good read, thanks for sharing. The comments from the coaches really echo what we are hearing from other coaches about the mindset of this current generation of players and families. Becoming all about the minutes and money and all the other things that the college game should be about are getting shoved to the background.

Thank goodness football doesn't have an AAU system like basketball. So much of the craziness with basketball comes from the AAU cesspool where the politics and greed run rampant. The pay for play/"NIL" free for all has almost certainly made this way worse.

It’s literally ruining the game and I’m only causally interested in the non-tournament games (excluding the Gophers) now, as part of the fun was watching players & teams develop over years - now it just their version of the “gig economy.”

It’s interesting how this is affecting the workplace now with those ideals as well. I’m starting to metamorphosis into the “get off my lawn, you punks guy” and relishing this path.

 

[MNVCGUY]

It’s literally ruining the game and I’m only causally interested in the non-tournament games (excluding the Gophers) now, as part of the fun was watching players & teams develop over years - now it just their version of the “gig economy.”

It’s interesting how this is affecting the workplace now with those ideals as well. I’m starting to metamorphosis into the “get off my lawn, you punks guy” and relishing this path.

I'm glad more and more coaches are willing to speak out about the insanity that it at play right now in college basketball and to a lesser degree football.

What is happening right now is unsustainable and I predict that if it continues much longer you will see more and more coaches stepping away. The money will keep the younger coaches in it but the older coaches might decide they have made enough money that putting up with all the BS isn't worth it anymore.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

I'm glad more and more coaches are willing to speak out about the insanity that it at play right now in college basketball and to a lesser degree football.

What is happening right now is unsustainable and I predict that if it continues much longer you will see more and more coaches stepping away. The money will keep the younger coaches in it but the older coaches might decide they have made enough money that putting up with all the BS isn't worth it anymore.

Who needs it?

Would be fun to see someone go to a lower level program, just to coach because that’s what they truly love to do.

 

[MNVCGUY]

Who needs it?

Would be fun to see someone go to a lower level program, just to coach because that’s what they truly love to do.

We already had the head football coach at Boston College leave to become a DC in the NFL and he directly cited the desire to coach as a big part of the reason why he walked away from a Power 4 head coaching job.

Granted that is not quite the same as dropping down to a lower level but his comments about wanting to get back to coaching really speak to this current generation of players and what is happening in college basketball and football right now.

 

[Gilthorp57]

Amazing how some parents make it about them and ruin it for their kids.

I always heard that Humphries' Dad pretty much ran the locker room during Kris's year at the U.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

I always heard that Humphries' Dad pretty much ran the locker room during Kris's year at the U.

It’s ironic that he got run by the Kardashians.