My Personal Vision For an Orderly and Civilized Transition

Coaches Coaching Carousel Debbie Yow NCS Basketball Sidney Lowe76

I don’t think it will surprise anyone to hear that Sidney Lowe’s 5th season coaching the North Carolina State Wolfpack will be his last. I honestly don’t think anyone with an IQ above room temperature would dispute that statement.

Ordinarily, there would be lots of fire and brimstone when a coach is clearly in the death spiral. Threads swell with comments. Passions rage at an all-time high. Not now. The quiet is more than a bit eerie at times. But it’s here, and we still have at least 8 more basketball games to somehow get through before the energy returns, and NC State basketball turns the page officially.

There will be no mid-season firing. Despite the spontaneous thrill such a move would bring – it couldn’t possibly help us long-term. Not one iota. The season can’t be saved (even if a reincarnated John Wooden sat on the bench), and really shouldn’t be saved. It is what it is. Although there’s no upside, there is downside – and Dr. Yow is right to recognize it. NC State would look even more unprofessional than it did in March and April 2006 – if that’s possible. And any kind of winning streak could re-fracture the fanbase and the roster, with some voices rising in support of making the interim dude permanent. Bad, bad idea. Please stop harrassing our athletic director about it. Even politely.

With last Saturday’s loss, NC State is de facto eliminated from NCAAT at-large consideration. There will be no signature win for the program, even of the random “Les Robinson beats Dean Smith twice in a season, with a 9-game losing streak in between” variety. All that remains is the ACC tournament. Winning it would not save Sidney Lowe’s job. It would certainly not magically fix the numerous, deep flaws in our basketball program. But voices would rise in dissent once again – and you could have the perverse situation of wins being bad for NC State.

So, here’s my best and fondest wish – although I would not be so arrogant as to press Dr. Yow to follow this vision. On Monday morning after the regular season ends, announce what everybody knows (but is afraid to say out loud, at least in the local media) – that Sidney Lowe will not return for the 2011-12 season. Shake his hand, and wish him well with his future endeavors. And see if he can make the most out of his last chance in undoubtedly his best setting as a college head coach. Perhaps (hell, probably), we get our expected beatdown in Greensboro. But maybe, just maybe, Lowe goes out with one more run. Maybe it’s just one or two victories, but still we see a little more fire, emotion, and focus from everyone. Every staff member, player, and fan has the yoke of “what does this mean for Lowe’s job status” removed from their shoulders. Just play. The Lowe era won’t end as anyone hoped, but the last weekend could at least serve as a decent send-off for all parties involved.

As always, thanks for reading, and look forward to profiles of prospective coaches in the following days and weeks.

About BJD95

1995 NC State graduate, sufferer of Les and MOC during my entire student tenure. An equal-opportunity objective critic and analyst of Wolfpack sports.

Coaches Coaching Carousel Debbie Yow NCS Basketball Sidney Lowe

76 Responses to My Personal Vision For an Orderly and Civilized Transition

  1. khabarovsk 02/08/2011 at 9:32 AM #

    VaWolf82, my comment was not short sighted. I didn’t set any time for when Sid would announce that he would step down in my original post, you evidently just presumed that it would be made in the postgame comments at the ACCT. I envision delaying that just a little. If Sid announces just 2 weeks after the ACCT then there are only 16 teams still playing in the big dance at that point. Debbie has said that she would like to meet with Sid and evaluate after the season. Why does the announcement have to be made before the bus gets back from Greensboro on ACCT weekend? But, then again our fanbase probably can’t wait those two weeks….

  2. coach13 02/08/2011 at 9:52 AM #

    It would be nice if he was graceful enough to help the transition by trying to keep the current roster as well as the current commits. We will see. I mean, he was given a great opportunity that hardly anyone in his position would have ever been given, and 5 years of it. He shouldn’t be pissed at State.

  3. tuckerdorm1983 02/08/2011 at 9:54 AM #

    if we lose next sunday at Wake it will be the Wake of the Sidney Lowe Era. Thurs March 10th 2011 will be the official end of an experiment with the greatest intentions but not very smart on the part of the higher ups (former AD). Objectively looking at the facts that decision was based almost entirely not on past performance and but instead on emotions flying on the wings of a hope and a prayer. I am sad about it but when your hire your wife’s brother to work for you and it doesn’t work out, firing him is about the hardest thing you can do. Every time you have a family get together with your wife’s extended family the tension is horrible

  4. khabarovsk 02/08/2011 at 9:55 AM #

    coach13, that would be my hope as well. If Sidney helps with the transition we are less likely to lose as many players and recruits.

  5. RickJ 02/08/2011 at 10:01 AM #

    coach13 – that is an interesting thought and one that has some precedence with Lowe. When Norm Sloan left for Florida (certainly not fired but there were some hard feelings on both sides), Lowe begged Sloan to let him transfer to Florida. Sloan wisely & graciously explained that this was not in Lowe’s best interest.

  6. Cardiac95 02/08/2011 at 10:50 AM #

    Ya know… the Decourcy Sendek jab doesn’t bother me at all… if anything, it proves that a miserable PAC10 coach becomes instantly better (or in Herb’s case, worse) just due to the tradition & resources available at NCState & in the ACC in general (or the loss thereof)…

    Leads me to believe that any competent hire can quickly turn things around for us… March should be fun after all!

  7. khabarovsk 02/08/2011 at 10:56 AM #

    There is a question posed on Packpride that I would like to pose here. Other than coaches who graduated from the school that hired them, who is the biggest name coach hired by an ACC school in the last 40 years? Looking only at their resumes when they were hired, I can’t think of any REALLY big names. None.

  8. BJD95 02/08/2011 at 11:09 AM #

    Every search is different. Maryland firing the ACC COY and landing Randy Edsall would have seemed unthinkable based on past history, too.

    And NC State hoops is a MUCH better job than Maryland football.

  9. khabarovsk 02/08/2011 at 11:15 AM #

    I understand that every search is different, but when you really try to answer the question it put things in perspective. Actually answer the question and then consider that whoever you answer is the BEST any ACC team has done in 40 years without having the in of having that coach graduate from that school. It’s really shocking. So, BJD95, who would you think the biggest name an ACC basketball team has hired in the last 40 years is? Again, throwing out anyone who graduated from that school.

  10. Master 02/08/2011 at 11:22 AM #

    My thoughts:

    Sid knows he’s done at the end of the season.

    The team knows Sid is done at the end of the season.

    Debbie Yow has already talked to Sid about his future.

    Sid will get a standing O after the final home game regardless of any announcement being made.

    Agents are already working for the AD, Sid and many coaching prospects.

    The search will be quick and the new coach will be a surprise candidate that few, if any, have predicted. His name will not be announced until his team finishes the NCAA Tournament.

    Some players will condsider transferring, but the new coach will keep everyone with eligibility that does not enter the draft. Recruits may waiver, but we keep them all.

    The message boards and blogs will have a brief burst of “what ifs” and self examinations of the role public forums have in the confidence that players and fans have in coaches and whether the influence is positive.

    The honeymoon will last until the first lazy pass, opposition offensive rebound or mistimed substitution.

  11. VaWolf82 02/08/2011 at 11:23 AM #

    but when you really try to answer the question it put things in perspective.

    No it doesn’t. You are not proving anything by artificially limiting the answers. Every search is different and every school has different priorities. For instance, most ACC schools haven’t even attempted to hire a coach from a BCS school. But UVA hired two different ones over a four-year period.

    Anyone claiming that State has to or should limit the search or expectations simply doesn’t know what they are talking about.

  12. BJD95 02/08/2011 at 11:33 AM #

    VaWolf is very good at saying what I think in a more direct and logical manner. I agree 100%.

  13. khabarovsk 02/08/2011 at 11:35 AM #

    VaWolf82, so you don’t think that the history of hires in the ACC adds any perspective to the realistic expectations of our hire? I’m not saying that we shouldn’t hire the best coach we can. We can try for Barnes, Miller, Phil Jackson or whoever. I’d be very happy if we got one of them. What I am saying is that the coaching search should not be considered a failure just because we couldn’t do something that no ACC school has been able to do in the last 40 years.

    As for your assertion that “most ACC schools haven’t even attempted to hire a coach from a BCS school”, I’ll admit that I’m not privy to information about who everyone ATTEMPTED to hire. I only know who they did hire.

  14. Prowling Woofie 02/08/2011 at 11:58 AM #

    khabarovsk,

    Right off the top of my head, probably the ‘best’ non-alum ACC men’s basketball coach hire in the last 40 years was Lefty Driesell, who had developed a powerful program at Davidson back in the late 60’s before going to Maryland and immediately transforming them into a national power (Elmore, Lucas, McMillan, O’Brien, etc.). He played at Duke, so he was part of the ACC ‘family’, but he wasn’t a MD alum.

  15. khabarovsk 02/08/2011 at 12:03 PM #

    I agree. Lefty was a great hire and a big name. Lefty was also more than 40 years ago. He was hired almost 42 years ago.

  16. RickJ 02/08/2011 at 12:12 PM #

    Yow hired Brenda Frese away from Minnesota in 2002. At the time, she was probably the hottest young coach in the women’s game. If she can make a hire this good, we will all be very happy.

  17. ncsukyle 02/08/2011 at 12:14 PM #

    So disappointed this post wasn’t about Egypt.

  18. Clarksa 02/08/2011 at 12:16 PM #

    Nice article BJD95. I might suggest Coach Lowe resigning a few days before we play UNC-CHeat just to take some pressure off the kids and let them have some fun playing in the last few home games.

  19. Howler 02/08/2011 at 12:25 PM #

    With the two starting point guards from the two national championship teams sitting on the bench, it had to work, right? Wrong. But as we move forward, my hope is that this failed five year experiment does not tarnish what Sidney and Monte did for the University as players and what they tried to do as coaches. A standing “O” upon exit?….Definitely.

  20. packalum44 02/08/2011 at 12:52 PM #

    I’d let him resign with a little parachute WHEN I had a short list of candidates who would accept the right offer within a few weeks. I assume Debbie has a list and is whittling it down as we speak.

  21. wolfpack15 02/08/2011 at 1:08 PM #

    I still think Gonzaga’s coach would be a nice hire!

  22. VaWolf82 02/08/2011 at 1:10 PM #

    VaWolf82, so you don’t think that the history of hires in the ACC adds any perspective to the realistic expectations of our hire?

    With the caveats you added, you’re not studying history or adding perspective. You’re eliminating facts from consideration thus skewing both history and perspective.

    Though I do agree with you that hiring a successful mid-major coach can not immediately viewed as a failure on Yow’s part. This would be a risky decision, but not necessarily a failure.

  23. JSRy2k 02/08/2011 at 1:36 PM #

    Great thoughts, BJD95, I couldn’t agree more. Despite what some say, those who know Statefansnation know there is actually honor and respect for Sid here.

    My gut continues to feel Rick Barnes would say yes this time – that is, if we can afford his price tag. I think he was smart enough to identify Fowler’s true colors and, thus, he will be smart enough to see what an improved situation we have w/ the AD & President now. With his roots, how could he not salivate at a chance to leave football-crazy Texas for one of the ACC’s flagship programs? Anybody know what really kept him away from us the first time?

  24. khabarovsk 02/08/2011 at 1:43 PM #

    You don’t think a school has a leg up in hiring an alum? You think Roy would have left Kansas to come to NC State, Duke, Wake or pretty much anywhere else no matter what he was offered? I was eliminating a hire that skews things BECAUSE of the prior relationship of the coach being an alum. However, if you want to use Carolina and Roy as the role model for what we can do go ahead. But, I would submit it is you who is skewing perspective on that one, not me.

    40 years is a long period, but if it’s not long enough for you go back for the entire history of the ACC. I’ll give you Lefty and Frank McGuire. I just think things have changed a little in the 42 yrs and 59 yrs since they were hired, but that’s just me and third best behind those two would still be a sharp drop off.

    Guess we will have to agree to disagree.

  25. khabarovsk 02/08/2011 at 1:45 PM #

    And actually didn’t the McGuire hire even pre-date the formation of the ACC?

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