One Heel's Struggle
By Vitale Licksem
Only a couple of years ago, I would never think of blaming a North Carolina coach for anything. Not because we had the legenday Dean Smith at the helm, but because our program was untouchable. Even if we lost, I would look forward to the next time we played that team, when I would be sure that we would avenge our defeat. These days, I don't have that same feeling with our program. When we play, I hope that we can squeeze by each and every team. If we win once, I am almost sure that the next time we will lose. Our teams is emotionless, leaderless, hopeless...wondering around on the court uninspired. Where does this apathy stem from? How did all of these losses happen? Is it because of the combination of talent we had? Was the chemistry not working? Was our talent not enough (we start 5 McDonald's AA's)? Were our teams not able to handle the hard schedule (Keep in mind a home loss to FSU doesn't count as a hard game)? Did our team have no winning drive?
The underlying reason is nothing other than coaching. Our team has adopted the persona of their coach. Not only have they lost any sort of tenacious style of play, but they have arguably gotten worse as the season progressed.
Unfortunately, the Carolina program/system/fan base is not one that allows for outcry against a coach, no matter how obviously detrimental his effect. Presently, the fans are voicelessly locked in a muffled room at the mercy of the athletic department, and Coach Gutheridge himself. The fans must wait for Gutheridge to step down. Athletic Director Dick Baddour does not seem to have the power nor the willingness to dismiss Coach Gut, as that inherently means rumbling with the ever-looming force of Dean Smith.
The very first time I realized Gutheridge must go was last year's PG recruiting fiasco. Though we had Cota coming back as a senior, we had Jason Williams very interested in playing for North Carolina. As early in the process as July of 98, Gutheridge pulled the plug on recruiting the best PG in the high school class of '99, saying he did not want to overrecruit. Even with our starting PG as a rising senior and our back up PG the starting prodigy quarterback on the football team, somehow Gutheridge figured that this would have been overrecruiting. So, we backed out of a race where we were the early favorite and Duke signed him by August. Later that recruiting season, we gave a scholarship to PG Jon Holmes.
I was somewhat placated when I heard people claiming that this was actually just our staff holding our for Omar Cook, the best PG in the class of '00. But as the recruiting for this class played out, we actually gave did not give a scholarship to Cook, and ended up taking Adam Boone. While I don't disagree with taking Boone, I do disagree with snubbing the top 2 PG's 2 years in a row.
Since the PG spot is arguably the most important spot on the floor for this Carolina program, doesn't it seem as though overrecruiting here would not be a problem?
It is hard for me to say this as a lifelong Carolina fan, but we must get a new coach! I still am in total support of the program and the team, but I can not support keeping this coach (and I know I am not alone). It seems so obvious to me, why is it not obvious to Gutheridge, Baddour & Smith?!
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