There was a thread on the Bench as to why women’s basketball has returned to excellence while the men’s team has not. There was a lot of activity and the discussion didn’t need my input, but I’d like to hide away a few comments here where, hopefully, few will see them.
Despite some good comments (the travesty of one-and-done and the end of the college men’s basketball experience), there were also a lot who overlooked the obvious. It’s freaking hard! There are about 100 teams in any given sport that are fully committed, or mostly committed, to winning a national championship. To be consistently in the top 4, or so, is just not going to happen without an extraordinary, and I mean really extraordinary, coach, who can recruit and develop and inspire students.
Some say that other sports can’t compete at ND because it is, and will always be, known as a football school. I say hogwash! Out of 100 high school football players, I would be surprised if 1 had heard of Knute Rockne. I’m sorry, but recruits are 16, 17, or 18 — not 90!
Notre Dame is a women’s (and men’s) soccer school, a women’s basketball school, a fencing school, and, perhaps, to hear MPG talk about our recent recruiting and Salima Rockwell, a soon-to-be Volleyball school.
It’s the coaches!!! (I guess it’s also the person(s) who put those coaches in place, but I would never say that here.)