An Open Letter tto "Chan-Bashers"

Another Blogger takes on the critics of our head coach - Grayson Buzz.

You know what - I don't know if Coach Gailey is going to lead us to the promise land. I don't know if he is building a program that can win 8-10 games every year and take us to more meaningful bowls. I don't know enough about his skills at developing players and turning 18-year old kids into men. I don't know. He hasn't been here long enough to see.

With all that, I support Chan Gailey. I want him to get his fair shake at building this program. Yeah, "building" this program, which is NOT a short-term view. I want to remind people that 3 years into the Paul Hewitt experience, there was similar sentiment. People wanted him gone - fired!! They saw that he could recruit, but they questioned his ability to coach on the floor and to develop players. Now they don't question him anymore. They say, wow - look what he did with Luke, look what he is doing with Jack. Look how he has built a team that plays unselfishly and bought into the team concpet. Paul Hewitt got his fair-shake to build the program. For Chan Gailey, 2.5 years is not a fair shake.

I am not sure where this team is going. I cannot tell and neither can you. That's the frustration. Are we getting better or worse? Are we moving forward or backward? We don't know. But that's a lot different from KNOWING you are getting worse. We don't know, so give Coach a chance to show us. For me that means 4-5 years. I want to build something.

One last point. It is absolutely fair to question playcalling and decision making. But it is FAR more pleasant to discuss if Coach Gailey should be calling the plays than saying he should be fired. That's just damaging to the image of the school for the recruits we are trying to attract now. Calling for Gailey's job after every loss just makes our fan base look fickle and petty to potential recruits.