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Swoll Cracker

Pilipovich is Out At Air Force

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Tough loss on a personal level as he understood our Cadet Student Athletes but I understand why it happened after having the 5 seniors this season. I wish him and his assistants all the best in their future endeavors and know he will find a place to succeed. He and his wife Kelly will be missed in our community.

Looking to the future...a name that has been mentioned is Joe Scott and I'll say again "NO" IMHO. I can't see hiring someone who bolted even if it was for his almamater and I am not sure he is the right man to work with our Cadets in this day and age. Time will tell and I will support whoever it is.

Biggest thing: We must find a coach that fits AND we must do it in a timely manner. It is the biggest time for recruiting for basketball and we need to:
a) keep the current sophomores and freshmen coming back next year
b) keep the prep school players coming up the hill....remember, their recruitment is still open
c) keep the HS recruits we have inbound to include the two 6'10" kids that are scheduled to come to the prep school. Dave was a very good recruiter and I hope those that are at USAFA are here for more than basketball and are will to stay and compete.

These three things are critical for the Falcons with zero transfers and zero Grad Transfers at USAFA.  Big difference from starting with a new coach and all new players vs some experience back with upperclassmen on the team to not only play basketball but to help the new inbound recruits/players navigate daily life of being a cadet while practicing and playing at a  DI level in the MWC. 

Go Falcons

 

https://goairforcefalcons.com/news/2020/3/9/air-force-parts-ways-with-mens-basketball-coach-dave-pilipovich.aspx

 

..GO FALCONS..

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50 minutes ago, Swoll Cracker said:

Hope they hire an easier name to spell.

It's going to be difficult to find a good coach that's willing to lose more than he wins, irrespective of the quality of coaching he provides. AFA needs to look at a lesser badsketball conference.  Maye the Patriot wtih the other academies. Travel would suck but at least there's a shot at success.

“Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts.”

-Richard Feynman

"When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators."

-P.J. O’Rourke

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3 minutes ago, SDSUfan said:

It's going to be difficult to find a good coach that's willing to lose more than he wins, irrespective of the quality of coaching he provides. AFA needs to look at a lesser badsketball conference.  Maye the Patriot wtih the other academies. Travel would suck but at least there's a shot at success.

Summit League could make sense for them. They could be a travel partner with Denver and bring that league to an even 10.

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I'd go with Matthew Driscoll (North Florida) who has the Ospreys in 1st in the ASUN.  They shot more 3's than anyone in the country (averaged 31 attempts per game), and I think that's the style AFA needs to go towards to be successful.  

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I'm not one to tell a program that they need to settle for mediocrity, but I really think Dave did about as well you could. The team always played above it's talent, but that's from my distant view. Maybe AF fans will disagree.

 

Outside of maybe Chicago State, this is probably the hardest job in D1. I really don't know who you guys get to replace Dave, and what you expect of him

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40 minutes ago, sebasour said:

I'm not one to tell a program that they need to settle for mediocrity, but I really think Dave did about as well you could. The team always played above it's talent, but that's from my distant view. Maybe AF fans will disagree.

 

Outside of maybe Chicago State, this is probably the hardest job in D1. I really don't know who you guys get to replace Dave, and what you expect of him

Big mistake. They won’t find anyone better. The recruiting pool for Air Force is very limited due to academic and height restrictions. None of the service academies excel in basketball. Navy had one good year when an average sized David Robinson grew to almost seven feet after enrolling. 

I’ve always felt Pilipovichs  teams were very well coached and gave great effort. He did a great job with what he had. 

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12 minutes ago, soupslam1 said:

Big mistake. They won’t find anyone better. The recruiting pool for Air Force is very limited due to academic and height restrictions. None of the service academies excel in basketball. Navy had one good year when an average sized David Robinson grew to almost seven feet after enrolling. 

I’ve always felt Pilipovichs  teams were very well coached and gave great effort. He did a great job with what he had. 

They can be a lot better than 200+ in the NET.  They were Top 100 in 2013 and Top 50 in 2004 (Joe Scott) 2005 (Chris Mooney)and 2007 (Jeff Bzdelik). The 2004, 2005 and 2007 teams were great defensive teams and very efficient offensively. Pilipovich ran a player-friendly system that was light on defense and way too loose with the basketball on offense. Thats where they’ve fallen off

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57 minutes ago, Ram Allegiance said:

Summit League could make sense for them. They could be a travel partner with Denver and bring that league to an even 10.

Agree 100% but the MWC is a 'if you play football you play all sports we have'" with the exception of the waver we gave Hawaii. 

53 minutes ago, sebasour said:

I'm not one to tell a program that they need to settle for mediocrity, but I really think Dave did about as well you could. The team always played above it's talent, but that's from my distant view. Maybe AF fans will disagree.

 

Outside of maybe Chicago State, this is probably the hardest job in D1. I really don't know who you guys get to replace Dave, and what you expect of him

Totally agree.  I personally felt that the team underachieved this year and with the five seniors, but I felt that the team was always prepared and motivated from the coaching side.  Dave (Coach P) understands the cadet student athlete and he just 'gets it'.  I think our seniors this year played soft at times and that was to the dismay of the coaching staff and the fans.  I am in the minority of fans that felt Dave should not have been let go but I do understand (and the new AD, in year two doesn't understand and is trying to make a statement). 

15 minutes ago, soupslam1 said:

Big mistake. They won’t find anyone better. The recruiting pool for Air Force is very limited due to academic and height restrictions. None of the service academies excel in basketball. Navy had one good year when an average sized David Robinson grew to almost seven feet after enrolling. 

I’ve always felt Pilipovichs  teams were very well coached and gave great effort. He did a great job with what he had. 

Thanks and good words.  Will be anxious to see who is in the mix.  Sadly, Joe Scott's name has come up (he was an assistant at Holy Cross eons ago when our AD was there.  'Once you leave you can't come back' is my motto. 

 

..GO FALCONS..

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1 minute ago, Swoll Cracker said:

They can be a lot better than 200+ in the NET.  They were Top 100 in 2013 and Top 50 in 2004 (Joe Scott) 2005 (Chris Mooney)and 2007 (Jeff Bzdelik). The 2004, 2005 and 2007 teams were great defensive teams and very efficient offensively. Pilipovich ran a player-friendly system that was light on defense and way too loose with the basketball on offense. Thats where they’ve fallen off

Partially agree with you.  Offense was not the problem even this year except those game where we shot ourselves in the foot offensively with mindless turnovers.  Agree 100% defense is soft and the scheme not good.  With our personal we need to learn and play the matchup zone as we did in the years you mentioned....it was taught, practice and breathed day in and day out...Bzdelik (and I am not a fan) always said "In basketball offense is the variable but defense must be the constant'.  (note:  all those teams 2004 NCAA Scott; 2005 NIT invite (didn't play due to Academy security issues);  2006 NCAA and 2007 NIT semi's Bzdelik were players that Joe Scott recruited (and one year that Mooney was HC recruited) to the prep school and direct in to USAFA. Bzdelik did not play or win a game with anyone he recruited in his two years).

 

 

..GO FALCONS..

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5 minutes ago, ltcpilot said:

Partially agree with you.  Offense was not the problem even this year except those game where we shot ourselves in the foot offensively with mindless turnovers.  Agree 100% defense is soft and the scheme not good.  With our personal we need to learn and play the matchup zone as we did in the years you mentioned....it was taught, practice and breathed day in and day out...Bzdelik (and I am not a fan) always said "In basketball offense is the variable but defense must be the constant'.  (note:  all those teams 2004 NCAA Scott; 2005 NIT invite (didn't play due to Academy security issues);  2006 NCAA and 2007 NIT semi's Bzdelik were players that Joe Scott recruited (and one year that Mooney was HC recruited) to the prep school and direct in to USAFA. Bzdelik did not play or win a game with anyone he recruited in his two years).

 

Bzdelik was a stickler for turnovers. He always knew where they stood and set the game goal at less than 10. I remember CSU playing there in 2006 and Air Force up double digits with the game in hand late. And an Air Force player turned the ball over giving them 10 for the game.  Bzdelik went apoplectic on the sideline. He knew his margin of error was slim at the academy if he wanted to be successful. I’m not sure Pilipovich had the personality to be that way.

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20 minutes ago, Swoll Cracker said:

Bzdelik was a stickler for turnovers. He always knew where they stood and set the game goal at less than 10. I remember CSU playing there in 2006 and Air Force up double digits with the game in hand late. And an Air Force player turned the ball over giving them 10 for the game.  Bzdelik went apoplectic on the sideline. He knew his margin of error was slim at the academy if he wanted to be successful. I’m not sure Pilipovich had the personality to be that way.

Would have to disagree  w Bzz know it was slim. With the returners from Scott and Mooney Bzz was 24-6/12-4 MWC 2005-6 and in 2006-7 24-8/10-6 MWC. But I understand where you are going. 

 

..GO FALCONS..

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