It all comes down to what Dabo has been telling recruits.

Oct 23, 2023, 9:19 PM

It's one thing to spin yarn to fans about this being an elite program because you can play that off as standard coach puffery, being overly proud, or just for the benefit of the team/staff. It's quite another to be selling that to recruits.

The one thing that made Dabo's brand was being genuine with recruits, and being there for them more than just what you would get on the field. And many of these guys learned the ability to smell a manipulator from a mile away as a survival technique. If Dabo goes from "father figure" to another Roy Johnson, it's gonna be the death spiral of the program.

These guys see what's under the hood more than we do, and wouldn't be long before they realize Dabo's "Neverland Ranch of Dreams and Courage" is a failed experiment of rank nepotism, rather than a place that will develop them for the next level. I'm not saying it is, but I'm saying the leash Dabo has in stringing fans along is much shorter with players, and recruits.

It will start with a flood of portal transfers, which is the mark of death, but it's going to gut recruiting as well, with Dabo's credibility irreparably damaged. Then it's either ride out his contract, or prepare to pay through the nose. Whatever he built, he burns to the ground.

Again, I'm not saying this is the case, but we definitely shouldn't assume it's not. I half wonder if that's a part of Shipley's attitude problem with coaches. He feels he's been misled. (That would also explain his the number of touches at the goal line in spite of efficiency issues; they're afraid of pushing more of his buttons.)

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drunk at the putt putt.

Re: It all comes down to what Dabo has been telling recruits.

Re: How long does that last before they realize they're not going to get to

Re: It all comes down to what Dabo has been telling recruits.

good analysis, i think dabo can get this thing straight......but people should be prepared that he can't get it done also. I know some may disagree with this thought, but a little of dabo's obsession with his past accomplishments remind me of how Tommy Bowden would "self sooth' himself when he was on the hotseat he would just make alot of crazy proclamations about how there close and he "wants to be in contention" next year........just strung the AD along with his good man act to get millions more out of a big buyout due to underserved extensions.

Having said all that i realize dabo is not tommy bowden he has accomplished much more, im just pointing out some small similarities i noticed in behaviour before tommy tanked for good.