Coaching Drama

I have always been critical of Coach Few during his tenure as head coach for Gonzaga.  Whether it be with scheduling, basketball strategy, playing time, or March results I have always been critical of him.  However, I think it's important to note that during the 2009 Summer of Scandal for NCAA coaches, his name was probably the furthest thing from an ESPN bottom line story.  He was probably too busy fishing or running camps to take money from a shoe runner or stay after hours at a local restaurant.  Honestly, this summer has been tough to deal with as an avid fan of college basketball and different programs around the country.

Summer of Scandal:

Let's start from the beginning.  Tim Floyd.  Coach Floyd took a USC program that was overshadowed by its counterpart football program and turned it into a recruiting machine that made several NCAA runs.  Even stopping the unstoppable Kevin Durant in the round of 32 back in 2007 (played in Spokane).  He ran into a scandal with recruiting OJ Mayo and subsequently lost his job because of it.

Scandal #2: Rick Pitino.  Granted this "indiscretion" happened  years ago, but it surfaced in the summer of scandal.  The Pitino situation is like a dumpster fire.  It keeps getting worse and worse as more details come out.  Nothing per-say to do with basketball, but another example of an ethically challenged coach.

Scandal#3: Memphis.  Already detailed by BZ, but another "successful" program with baggage.

My point is this.  During the Few area, Gonzaga might never make it to a Final Four.  I can honestly say I would rather have a clean program make the tournament every year rather than be a powerhouse with baggage make it all the way.  I am beginning to appreciate what a solid coach Gonzaga actually does have.