Originally Posted by
Cajunsmike
I never said the coaching staff was not a factor in people leaving. In some cases they are the major factor as they did not offer players a returning scholarship. Guys like Soto and Kamber fit that bill. That is a recruiting issue, not a retention issue. Giving a guy a scholarship and then pulling it after one year indicates your judge of talent was off. In the cases involving suspensions, it is not surprising players don't return as they probably figure the underlying issues will linger. Andrews, JJ Thomas, and Hedgeman fit that bill. Then there is someone like Heyward Register who believes he will benefit by going away from home for their last year. Staff and family agree with that view. I don't know what is normal for folks leaving but it is increasing everywhere. It has been over 700 the last few years. I recently read an article stating that it will be over 800 this year which averages to about 2.5 players per school.
The other side of the coin are the players who think the world of the staff. Josh Brown, Elfrid Payton, Bryant Mbamalu, Kasey Shepherd and others including Shawn Long are in that category. They believe the guys in charge of the program helped them grow as players and into young men. As Just1More stated, lots of gray in this situation.
Going forward, I recently spoke with a staff member about the view of next season. They are really looking forward to it. They think they will have a lot of fun proving a so many people wrong. I don't know what will transpire next year but that attitude is one I would hope they have at this stage.