Coaching Staff Flailing

[AlbanyFan2018]

I've been following UAlbany lacrosse closely for five years now, and I never dreamt I would say that Coach Marr is panicking and seems lost.

The way he handled the off season, the pre season, and the first four games to include the Tehoka drama really bums be out. We've been spoiled by a great run, and while the 1-3 start stinks it is more about how we got there.

No inside information, but prior to Coach Gleason leaving he had been on several head coaching short lists for a couple of years so Marr had to know it was a matter of time. To lose a seven year defensive coordinator and associate head coach as well as Derrick Eccles and replace them with two very young guys seems to not be the smoothest of transitions. I was more perplexed about replacing someone like Gleason with a young, former player with no Division I coaching experience and no real experience coaching defense. I can't imagine another Final Four team making such a hire. I respect Coach Marr's loyalty, and bringing back former players, but you have to find the best guy for the job.

The Fall wasn't great and that started with the departure of Tehoka. It wasn't so much that he wasn't here, but IMO and it showed this week, is that Marr has made the team all about Tehoka. i don't blame Tehoka. That is squarely on Marr, and it appears he lost his mind this last week, and ironically Albany has its best offensive output with Tehoka in the line up. I think at the end of the year we'll see that Cornell has a pretty mediocre defense, but it was still an up and down game with a lot of movement.

The line up, except defense is a revolving door. Case in point.  Cavallo has two very nice man up goals against Cornell and I think he got in on one last night, but the man up unit goes 0-5. Yunker doing a solid job, not great, but as a freshmen doing well and he is pulled and McComber is out there basically starting. It makes no sense.

The defense. Marr continues to say the defense is playing well. I am not sure what he is watching,  I think he conflates good goalie play with defense. The defensive rotation was changed quite a bit and they are clearly leaning on four guys; Perla, Flip, Kunz, and Dhluy. It appears that Hay who was seeing some LSM minutes was benched except for man down, and both Barrow and Gleason's time at LSM was cut down with Flip playing a lot of LSM last night. That is a pretty big change on one day of practice. Not that the defense has been very good and some changes are warranted, but I don't know. I continue to see the same horrible team defense for the most part. I don't think I can count on my fingers and toes how many times I saw defensive guys, middies included, who just left there man to go help when no help was needed, only to have UMass pass it to the open guy for an open shot. It was ground hog day all over again.

I thought the play by play guys were just OK last night on the stream, but agree 100% about what they were saying on face offs. I saw Altamari dressed, but can't say with 100% certainty he was good to go, but how do you not at least throw him out there for a few face off's to see if he can win a few? Sometimes it us just a style issue, or giving the opposing FOGO a different look to break his rhythm. If Altamari was healthy I would be saying WTF????

Just really, really disappointed.  As long as experienced players can continue to make the same mistakes over and over again with no apparent corrections then it will be a long season. I am not sure what other options there are at certain positions. It isn't time by a long stretch to throw in the towel, but the coaches need to take a hard look at what they are doing, really evaluate their performance, who they are putting out there, and the players need to stay committed to one another. I have no reason to believe that isn't the case, but when you are used to winning, and winning covered up some warts, it is easy for things to fall apart.  

Edited March 7, 2019 by AlbanyFan2018

[HOF2013]

AGREE!.    Gleason and Barrow absolutely are better at LSM on the wing on the FO - the changes there make no sense whatever.  No idea why that change was made.  It hurt us on the scrums.  I also do not understand not hiring a REAL Def coordinator.  It is hurting the team at this point.  Marr's loyalty to Upperclassman has gone too far.  Perla and Burgmaster are awful when they are on close Def. [I know I said I would not name names but I am pissed right now].  They are slow a foot and get beat all the time one on one or make terrible slides like they are not thinking or paying attention!  Not sure what coach is looking at if he says they are playing well [of course that was after Cornell where they did play well most of the time - BUT changes were made that should not have been made]!!!!   ""I don't think I can count on my fingers and toes how many times I saw defensive guys, middies included, who just left there man to go help when no help was needed, only to have UMass pass it to the open guy for an open shot. It was ground hog day all over again."" AGREE.  

 Why Yunker, Cavallo and Ramirez did not play a lot more is astounding to me.   McComber made several stupid attempts at goals - what the hell.  Why would he just shoot when there are 50 seconds left on the clock instead of passing the ball?  My first impression is that he is a hotdog who thinks he is far better than other players!  AND he never scored on any of his attempts!    

As far as FOGO.  I sit on the 50 yard line second deck. The U Mass FOGO was tilting his stick head in AFTER the ref set the ball but BEFORE he blew the whistle, never caught it.  Jones needs to speak up if he noticed such crap.  Why we put whoever the long stick was on FO was dumb.  I understand they are trying to get the ball in the scrum But he is just NOT the guy to have in there.  Gleason is FAR better! 

I am also really disappointed.  Why we schedule games Tuesday after a Saturday game is beyond me.  We always seem to play poorly in those games.

Tehoka screwed up one time late on the fast break when he should have shot and passed to Patterson who lost the ball  Would have put us 2 down! 

Edited March 6, 2019 by HOF2013

[UAFAN]

4 minutes ago, HOF2013 said:

Tehoka screwed up one time late on the fast break when he should have shot and passed to Patterson who lost the ball  Would have put us 2 down! 

Turning point of game, the comeback was on.  Instead of 9-7, UMass scores and its 10-6.

Had to give UMass one to keep them on the schedule, we've been giving them a beat down the last 6 years!!

THE SERIES WITH UMASS UAlbany leads the all-time series with UMass 12-6. The teams have played in each of the past 18 seasons, with UAlbany winning the past six meetings. The Great Danes have averaged 17 goals against the Minutemen during that stretch. UAlbany hasn’t lost to UMass since falling 17-7 in Amherst on March 6, 2012.

[dslyank]

Agree "Coaching Staff Flailing". Would go so far as to say Failing. Also, felt at the time the loss of Gleason would be a big issue. But I wonder if administration and BUDGET and BENSON, need to share in the blame. 

3 hours ago, AlbanyFan2018 said:

I can't imagine another Final Four team making such a hire. I respect Coach Marr's loyalty, and bringing back former players, but you have to find the best guy for the job.

I have no inside information, but I wonder what UA has budgeted for assistant coaches compared to other final four & top 20 teams?????? I sit @ SEFCU and see the same thing; a loyal and successful coach praising his all alumni assistance (who ALL maybe or maybe not doing a good job) and I wonder "maybe that is all he can afford" ?

[HOF2013]

1 hour ago, dslyank said:

Agree "Coaching Staff Flailing". Would go so far as to say Failing. Also, felt at the time the loss of Gleason would be a big issue. But I wonder if administration and BUDGET and BENSON, need to share in the blame. 

I have no inside information, but I wonder what UA has budgeted for assistant coaches compared to other final four & top 20 teams?????? I sit @ SEFCU and see the same thing; a loyal and successful coach praising his all alumni assistance (who ALL maybe or maybe not doing a good job) and I wonder "maybe that is all he can afford" ?

Didn't think of that.  Don't we get a pay day for appearing in the tournament and making final 4??  May be a very naive question?

[HOF2013]

2 hours ago, UAFAN said:

Turning point of game, the comeback was on.  Instead of 9-7, UMass scores and its 10-6.

Had to give UMass one to keep them on the schedule, we've been giving them a beat down the last 6 years!!

THE SERIES WITH UMASS UAlbany leads the all-time series with UMass 12-6. The teams have played in each of the past 18 seasons, with UAlbany winning the past six meetings. The Great Danes have averaged 17 goals against the Minutemen during that stretch. UAlbany hasn’t lost to UMass since falling 17-7 in Amherst on March 6, 2012.

Yep.  THAt goal would have changed the entire game.  Why Tehoka did not shoot I have no idea.  He had a clear shot too!!

[cwdickens]

We are realizing how much talent graduated and the loss of experience assistant coaches can mean to a program.  I will repeat: An AD whose marketing blitz about this team was only for short term financial gain and likely to hurt UAlbany in the long term.

[JPompo6]

The compensation discussion has been had before so I will re-share the truth, which can be verified from looking in the NYS database.

For the last few years the budget for total compensation of the Men's Lacrosse program has been consistent at the 285k level. 2017 for instance:

HC: Marr $185,000

DC: Gleason $64,000 (Associate HC)

OC: Thomson $46,000

Now, Marr's pay is the same but Merrick got a bump to $76,000, which leaves the compensation looking like:

HC: Marr $185,000

OC: Thomson $76,000 (Associate HC)

AC: Maloney $_____?

At the same budget level as the 4 previous years, Maloney would only be able to make $24,000 which obviously isn't possible. They got a budget raise approved and pay the kid around 52k a year. 52k doesn't buy you much but it should buy you more than JM. I don't mean to be an A**, but it is 100% true. For comparrison sake, I will also prove that this is an AD issue as much as it is Marr going back to his good ole' boys mentality that rand him a-foul back in my day. 

Stony Brook 2018 Coaching Staff

Nagle: $228,000

Gibson: $ 75,000

Kline: $41,000 (3 year assistant as UMass Lowell prior to joining SB @ 41k)

 

 

 

[UA'08]

51 minutes ago, JPompo6 said:

The compensation discussion has been had before so I will re-share the truth, which can be verified from looking in the NYS database.

For the last few years the budget for total compensation of the Men's Lacrosse program has been consistent at the 285k level. 2017 for instance:

HC: Marr $185,000

DC: Gleason $64,000 (Associate HC)

OC: Thomson $46,000

Now, Marr's pay is the same but Merrick got a bump to $76,000, which leaves the compensation looking like:

HC: Marr $185,000

OC: Thomson $76,000 (Associate HC)

AC: Maloney $_____?

At the same budget level as the 4 previous years, Maloney would only be able to make $24,000 which obviously isn't possible. They got a budget raise approved and pay the kid around 52k a year. 52k doesn't buy you much but it should buy you more than JM. I don't mean to be an A**, but it is 100% true. For comparrison sake, I will also prove that this is an AD issue as much as it is Marr going back to his good ole' boys mentality that rand him a-foul back in my day. 

Stony Brook 2018 Coaching Staff

Nagle: $228,000

Gibson: $ 75,000

Kline: $41,000 (3 year assistant as UMass Lowell prior to joining SB @ 41k)

 

 

 

Woof that's pretty brutal for assistants. Even at Stony Brook.