A few weeks ago, I asked a question, "How long is John Tortorella's leash?" This was in the midst of the Flyers struggling to find their footing; something that still bears true right now. Either the players are not as good as we think they are, they are underperforming, or the coach is to blame. Even then, there were some concerns that a lack of stable lines could be the culprit.
Here in Philadelphia, there tends to be an impatient nature with coaches. A month ago, Nick Sirianni looked like he could be on the way out and you would find few fans that wouldn't help him pack. Now, he is a genius and looks brilliant again. After the Phillies faltered, some wondered if Rob Thomson was right for the job despite three straight playoff appearances. There are probably some 76ers fans who would love to see Brett Brown if not Doc Rivers, back on the bench instead of Nick Nurse.
Coaching is a funny thing. If you do this, you are brilliant, but if it goes sideways you are an idiot. However, sometimes you can't see things the way a coach, or even a team, sees things. Things take time.
As a teacher, there are times I get frustrated when I don't see my kids improve. I may not see all the results I want to see right away, but it takes time. Sometimes, it may snap a year or two down the line. Perhaps the seeds I planted will germinate and sprout later on. Coaching is the same.
Practice Patience with Coaching
This past week, the Boston Bruins parted ways with Jim Montgomery. He served two years in Boston. In his first season in Beantown, the Bruins posted the all-time best record and then lost in the first round. Last year, they were knocked out in the second round by the eventual Stanley Cup-winning Panthers. Despite an overall record of 120-41-23, an 8-9-3 record this year warranted a change there.
Despite having a talented roster, Montgomery couldn't bring home the Stanley Cup, which is what everyone wants. 31 other teams don't get to raise it, so he is in good company. Now the Bruins have to start over again. Maybe something was going on behind the scenes there in Boston. I don't know. Quite frankly, it's Boston's problem to figure out. As for Montgomery, he's ok. He just got hired by St Louis pretty much immediately.
It's easy to understand why you may want to pull the plug on a coach when the team isn't performing up to expectations. Sometimes, you have to let it ride. Andy Reid wasn't the most popular coaching choice in Philly in his first year when the Eagles went 5-11. When the team went 11-5 the next season, everyone got quiet.
Unfortunately, the Flyers have a history of turning over coaches quickly. Fred Shero and Mike Keenan are the only two coaches to coach over 300 games. The next closest is Dave Hakstol at 277. Tortorella is 12th on the all-time list of games coached and he's the 23rd head coach of this team. If he finishes this season, he'll crack the top 10. Philly has seen 12 coaches since 2000 (if you count Roger Neilson who was fired in June of 2000). On average, that's a new coach every other year.
You cannot sustain any sort of consistency with that kind of turnover. Yes, the Flyers aren't great now, but they aren't awful either. They are still one of the younger teams in the NHL. That leaves a lot of room to grow and learn. Being impatient might further derail the progress some of the young players have made over the last few years. For instance, look at how well Travis Konecny has flourished under Tortorella's leadership.
When you change a coach, it's more than just the man in charge that changes. It's also the style of play. Is the team more offense-minded or do they prefer defense? Do they become aggressive with the forecheck, play a neutral-zone-trap kind of game, or do the defense stay at home? Do they prefer to work with veterans or do they excel at bringing up younger players we can mold? Take a look at Sean Couturier and Scott Laughton. How many different systems have they seen during their tenure here in Philly?
Yes, I want to see a big-time turnaround too. I want to see the Flyers scoring like crazy and knocking their opponents around. I want that parade down Broad Street. However, I feel that patience needs to be practiced here. Unless you have a full-scale mutiny and the team won't play for Tortorella, he needs to stick around until this team is where it needs to be to be a success. Sometimes the quick fix isn't the right one to make. Just like the Bruins, it can set you back a bit.