Holly Warlick

[Sandvol]

It ain't getting better until Holly is gone.

Yeah, I'm convinced we can do a lot better with just about anybody.

 

[teacherdean]

Do you think Pat and Geno knew it all after 4 years of being a HC, that they quit learning after that?

Neither were assistant coaches under a good coach of a stored program for 30 years. She should be more ready than she is. She has been a head coach for 4 years, what is she working on a PHD in coaching. She has no excuse for poor recruiting. Right now she is regressing instead of progressing.

 

[Pat4life]

It's not just a matter of playing "hard," though of course that's important. It's a matter of playing WELL. That is our biggest problem. Playing hard doesn't make our bad offense better. And, really, are people STILL saying that Warlick "is learning"? Yes, we all hope she learns to become a good coach by, oh, age 70.

I was at the Stanford game, no energy, in previous games it looked liked it came in spurts. For the first three quarters we looked like zombies. We are still jelling as a team, still don't have all the pieces but our ladies should always give maximum effort.

Most coaches early in the season have one primary goal, getting their players playing hard; every player going hard on every possession, our ladies since 2008, haven't embraced going hard (or playing up to their potential) as unit night in and night out; consistent effort.

So, our ladies have to embrace going hard, giving Lady Vols effort every possession. Uconn and Notre Damn go hard every possession, our former Lady Vols team, prolly not as talented but went to final 4s cos they all played hard.

If we didn't know anything else about our teams, we knew that: We were physical. We were tough! We don't know that now. We have been soft, not a confident team; collectively.

EFFORT. You do it cos you really want too.

As a coach the hardest thing is coaching effort, and that part of coaching is ugh, not fun, it makes it frustrating. We think that at Tenn, on the biggest stage in women's basketball, recruit and players would want to be a legend, an All Americans, a Lady Vol, that effort should be a given. This has not been the case.

For me, I couldn't understand others players not going hard (and it was not allowed, it would piss me off and if coaches allowed it, it weakened the team) and as a player who play and practice with your teammates every day, so you know when they are not playing hard. Right now our players are letting each other slide, because they are friends, they all want to get along. There has to be a standard of excellence (role) for each player and the team and that does start with the head coach, or collective as team or a player...i.e. Nicky moment. What can I hold you accountable for every game?

But as a coach, you see your players too, you know when they are not giving you what they should or could. Holly cannot tolerate laziness in mind or physical. Oohh I would pull yo ass to the sideline by yo shirt and tell you to get it into gear or I don't know the next time you'll play and I meant it. Holly has to get more demanding, so yes Holly is coaching her ass off right now, cos she has a team of mental midgets, its her staff job to make them mental giants, which is the fun part. No final four in 7 years, that is a hump, a mental hump and its not easily crossed, so she knows the way her team needs to play to get there: attack the basket and protect the basket.

Great team has a honesty about them regarding effort, everyone calls out lack of effort if they see it, its not allowed; not tolerated. Good friends and teammates tell you the truth, cos we all share the same goals, Championships. Once this team get pasts hurting each other feelings, and the staff gets past hurting each other feelings, we just want to make you the best player and team possible. We will see Lady Vols basketball.

Once, Holly can stop coaching effort and focus on offense and defense, cos if she knew what she's going to get from her players and her team, every game that's one less thing to worry about, but if that uncertainty exist every game, it's frustrating, cos the players have to want to be coached, they have to want to be a good player, All American and good team.

And when a coach is saying they are focusing on defense and rebounds, it code for, the effort is not where it needs or should be, consistently. If this team played the way Holly wants them to play, they would be elite, a Final 4 team.

Holly was around greatness, everyday and she is not going to be Pat, but I do think she is smart enough to figure it out. She has to get her players to walk through a brick wall for her, she gives orders; they obey. But at the same time the players have to trust her decisions. Holly, do ya thang but if we see a lackluster performance, minimum effort that means you are losing the battle of Greatness to average.