Criticizing Grant: Acceptable or Not?

Natty

Natty

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Just curious what you all think about this kind of stuff.

While I enjoyed the times we had under Grant, it would be a major "fib" to say I wasn't happy to see Grant lost to Alabama. Mainly because I don't want the "grass" to always be "greener"...tired of the stepping stone thing, even if he did great things for our team. To me in the end it just comes off as our program wasn't "good enough" or "big enough" for these past coaches.

I've been a Ram fan since I was a kid, many of you were alive and cheering them on well before that (which makes you very VERY old)...and I caught some grief for rubbing in the Grant loss after a facebook post I sent out. So I guess the question is...

Where does everyone stand on criticizing a coach who left your team for another program?
 
I criticized him while he was here. I always thought he was a great recruiter and obviously a great role model, but I was never sold on his in-game coaching.

That being said, I have no EXTRA criticism because he left. Alabama is a promotion. I wish him the best.
 
Totally okay with it. I'm with Sometimes on this one. Good recruiter (heck, he got us Larry, and Joey was a top 100 recruit according to Hoopscoop), but not a great in-game coach by any means. We had a lot of success under him, but he's gone now.

Maynor saved our asses on several occasions and helped Grant with that great record. It wasn't because we didn't have talent, he just couldn't put together an offensive system that would accomodate all those talents when he had to use a system (half-court offense) that he wasn't used to since we couldn't press with the lack of bodies last year. A good coach finds a way around that...instead we dumped it to Eric and watched him do essentially everything.

We're a completely different team and still playing at a fairly high level without Eric with a different coach. That says something.
 
ODU and VCU will never be able to compete with the likes of Alabama and other BCS teams for coaches. We just don't have the money required to do it. I'm not sure how you can get mad at Grant for taking millions of dollars, wouldn't every one of you do the same?

It's not like he went to VCU or has any real ties other than it was his first gig. He is a young guy and if they money is right, who can blame him?
 
I will never take anything away from Grant and I still think he was a great coach here. You can criticize him all you want, but it kinda makes the criticizer (if that's a word) look silly given his record here.

I'm not rooting for him to lose, but I'm not rooting for him to win either. He kinda made it clear that his relationship with VCU was strictly business so my feelings about him are pretty neutral now.
 
I don't necessarily want to see him run out of town, but I also don't want him to be more successful at Alabama then Coach Smart is at VCU. Like someone else said, it would be fine to wish him the best but to actually root for him would be difficult since Alabama is a team that we might be competing with for an at large at some point. Even if he is not successful at Alabama he still made more by signing his name on that contract then many of us will make in our entire lives so it is hard to feel bad for him as long as he has his health. I think he did a great job at VCU, and although he inherited Eric Maynor he left the cupboard stocked on his way out as well. He built the VCU brand while he was here even if he didn't stay for long. If he is successful at Alabama his name will still be linked to VCU as Capel's has been when Oklahoma was doing well last year, and if he is not successful it will show that the grass is not always greener. I think VCU comes out on top in either scenario, and that is all I truly care about.
 
Grant is a good coach. Alabama, LSU and Florida wouldn't have come courting him if he wasn't. I don't think that means we can't criticize his coaching decisions. It's not like I started criticizing his in-game coaching after he left. That was something several posters hit on all during last season. He coached one of the most successful 3 year stints in the CAA ever probably. We also had probably the greatest point guard in the history of this league those 3 years as well. How much do you peg that success on Maynor, and how much do you peg on Grant? I guess that's up to you to decide.

Grant left us Larry (although he tried to take him), and a lot of very talented players. So I thank him for his time here, but excuse me if I laugh everytime he loses to a team he shouldn't.
 
Cheering for or against an opposing coach to me is somewhat meaningless---kind of like cheering for or against a golfing opponent. It really is meaningless except that it might make us "feel" better.

The real opponent is us. Not our opposition. VCU BB must play the game long before "tip-off". Even if our "opposition" is up against us for an at large bid, why did we put ourselves in only a position for an at-large bid in question?

I find most folks who cheer against others are often angery or jealous, but should we be? Would we be happier if we could increase our control and perhaps rig the system so performance isn't rewarded by compensation?

Coaches don't leave VCU because they dislike the school, or fans, or city. They leave for "better" opportunities. If we allow them to continue to go, then perhaps we should look in a mirror when we feel like cheering against them?

http://www.vcuramnation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1405
 
He's not a part of our family anymore so as far as I'm concerned any criticizing is acceptable. Plus, I hate Alabama anyway so I can't cheer for him just because of that.
 
I think it is a classy thing not to criticize. I would rather root for something than to root against. And guest what, we have a lot to root for: a president who has a genuine interest in athletics, a great athletic department with an outstanding AD, a smart coach with great potential and has put together a great supporting cast, super fans, a beautiful Siegel Center, Larry, Joey, Bradford, Brandon, and .....the list goes on. As much as I love J.D., he is gone. Focus on the here and now- VCU basketball on a roll.
 
ram4life said:
I think it is a classy thing not to criticize. I would rather root for something than to root against. And guest what, we have a lot to root for: a president who has a genuine interest in athletics, a great athletic department with an outstanding AD, a smart coach with great potential and has put together a great supporting cast, super fans, a beautiful Siegel Center, Larry, Joey, Bradford, Brandon, and .....the list goes on. As much as I love J.D., he is gone. Focus on the here and now- VCU basketball on a roll.
Click to expand...

Thats cool - did not know you were such a JD fan...we all really loved that guy...he definately was one of us.

VCUBeatsduke
 
Well. In the Panhandle of Florida there are tons of Bama fans. And they are a different breed of fan with their braggadicio. F 'em.
 
Hi, all. This is my first post after months of quietly lurking online.

It seems to me that Jeff Capel continues to receive adoration and respect several years after he abruptly left VCU for Oklahoma. Anthony Grant does not seem to be receiving the same treatment from our students and alums. Is this because Capel was more gracious towards our program when he departed? I feel like both coaches played a substantial role in raising the bar at VCU. Capel left after four seasons with a record of 79-41 overall, and a 50-22 mark in conference. Grant spent three seasons at VCU and finished with 76-25 with a CAA record of 45-9. I am by no means an insider, but Capel seemed to make himself more accessible to fans and alumni than Grant did. I'm just wondering if that played a role in the different sentiments felt towards each former coach. Personally, I only care about results and Grant won a lot of games for the Rams.
 
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