A quick disclaimer: About 90 percent of the people reading this column will vehemently disagree with me. That’s OK, I’ve made my peace with that. If you’re particularly upset with me, you can go online and post a comment (You can even write anonymously, if you lack anything resembling a spine).
OK, here we go: Ernie Kent should not be fired.
I know, I know. Most people think it is inevitable that Kent will be shown the door by season’s end, and I can’t really argue with the raw numbers.
The Ducks are dead last in the Pacific-10 Conference standings with a 4-10 record. They have now lost five straight games, including an ugly 20-point defeat at the hands of hated rival Oregon State.
So don’t get me wrong, things haven’t gone well this season. Last year was obviously a debacle as well. Even Kent admits as much. But as infuriating as it can be to watch this team, I truly don’t believe that firing the head coach will solve the problem.
Coaches are always the first to get the ax when a team struggles. Sometimes, with good reason, other times because it’s simply the easiest move to make. In Kent’s case, the consensus seems to be that someone must fall in the wake of this mess, and he is the
obvious candidate.
The fans are angry. The negative energy on campus surrounding the team is palpable. It’s actually a bit frightening.
Believe me, I’m frustrated too. Now, some people might say that my opinion doesn’t count because I really started following Oregon basketball just a year ago. Fair point.
But in a way, I should be even more upset. I’ve never been around to see the Ducks succeed. In my two years here, I’ve seen two of the worst seasons in the program’s history.
Still, I’m not ready to give up on Kent. People need to remember that this is a team just four years removed from an Elite Eight appearance. Different team, different time, sure. But in case you forgot, it took Aaron Brooks and Co. four solid years to even make the NCAA tournament. The two seasons prior to that, they tied for seventh and eighth in the Pac-10. Sound familiar?
Kent’s teams take awhile to develop. Keep in mind, Oregon is no UNC or Duke. The Ducks cannot simply plug in a new set of blue-chip recruits and immediately succeed. It would be nice, but it’s not going to happen. Hiring a new coach won’t change that.
Besides, who exactly would Mike Bellotti hire if Kent were to leave? I’ve heard rumors about Gonzaga’s Mark Few, but how realistic is that? Sure, Few is an Oregon alumnus and grew up in Creswell. But why, exactly, would he leave a perfectly good situation in Spokane for this mess? You could argue that Gonzaga is a better program than Oregon at this point, anyway.
Really, those are all secondary incentives to keep Kent. The real reason I think Kent deserves to stay actually has nothing to do with basketball.
At the press conference after the Stanford loss last Thursday, Kent sat at the
podium and braved the usual line of questioning. He could have focused upon himself and everything he was doing to keep his job. He could have thrown his players under the bus and said that it wasn’t him throwing the ball away or committing silly fouls.
But he did none of that. Amazingly, he talked about his obligation to be a coach in all aspects of life. About how these kids are going through all sorts of things in their life, and that part of his job is to help them become better men.
In an era when coaches routinely ditch their players for “better” schools, embarrass them in front of teammates, or even lock them in an electrical closet (I’m looking at you, Mike Leach), Kent is a throwback to a better era. You can tell that he sincerely cares about his players and that his primary goal is to help them graduate and lead successful lives.
Isn’t that what being a coach is all about? I can guarantee you that each player on the team would miss Kent both on and off the court.
Ernie Kent has never betrayed his players or loyal fans. We need to think long and hard before we turn our backs on him.
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