So let's turn this on its head with respect to DP. If he gets contract renewed even though he misses the tournament and goes 5-8 (purely based on Massey predictions) you would have to assume that AD is going to have to have to ask for changes. And let's say DP is okay with any change to keep his job. What would you like to see. I am using ND's football from 4-5 years ago as an example, after they had a historically bad year and massive changes were made.
I think any talk of him staying would have to mean all 3 assistant coaches would need to go.
I understand that Dwan is the named DC but there is no doubt the defense is DP's baby. DP is the one that schemes the team and Dwan implements it (though I am sure he has some input). He also works the box, faceoffs and acts as a buffer between players and DP. I just don't think you can have 1/3 of your coaching staff not being a major component of game week prep for your team. It creates undue work for DP during the game, which has resulted in some truly mind numbing dumb end of game decisions. How many other programs are tying their hand behind their back utilizing a guy like Dwan. In other words, I'd want DP to move to a more CEO rule and have a new DC take over the program.
I think Benson needs to go as well. While some of his numbers are decent for a good percent of the time he's been here, I think it is more a matter of running up the score on bad teams and being mediocre to bad against good teams. His offense is relatively unimaginitive and style is just not conducive to the current shot clock era (I fully admit some of this maybe be on DP wanting to choke the air out of the ball). But, one of the biggest factors is his in-game adjustments are below average. If a team takes away a something in the game, he rarely seems to make the necessary adjustments. While I have no idea about this but I would think he is the primary talent evaluator on offense (obviously DP has input too).
Quinn - I think goalie production while he has been here seems to demonstrate that he can't teach what he did. I also fully admit Hopkins goalie recruiting has been awful for a decade.
Other aspects.
- I'd like to see Hopkins play with a higher pace of play on offense. The team isn't talented enough on offense to win games in set offense. They just aren't. Many of the goals against SU were either on fast break or EMO. Compare that to SU how most of their goals were on set offense. The fact the staff hasn't recognized this issue demonstrates a huge failure.
- 10 man ride. This goes hand-in-hand with pace of play. When you are going to be average at the FO, not force a ton of CTOs (Hopkins is dead last in this category) but are going to have more TOs than the other team (Hopkins is 8th highest TO%) and have a bunch of failed clears (70th out of 74 teams in clear %), you need to create more possessions. One way for that to happen is to ride harder. Right now, if Hopkins opponents clear percentage was its own team it would rank 7th in best clearing percentage. That is awful. Even when Hopkins was 5-6 down early in the 4th, there was no thought to even trying this.
- Play with abandon. Hopkins seems like a team that is afraid to make mistakes - not quite why that would be/sarcasm off.
- Stop with the complex defensive schemes. Too many times Hopkins has guys caught in no man's land on bad slides that are too early, slide to the wrong guy or slide to a guy moving away from danger areas on the field, or leave cutters wide open. Throw in more straight zone not that half-assed zone when the ball is behind and switch to man when it goes back up top he tried against SU.
- oh, being able to find goalies that consistently stop 11+ yards and out shots would be nice.