- Target:
- Supporters of Stanford Basketball
- Region:
- United States of America
The Stanford men's basketball program is in need of a change.
The once-proud program is heading in the wrong direction. Prior to the arrival of head coach Johnny Dawkins, Stanford had risen to national prominence in basketball. The team was nearly a fixture in the top 25, won conference championships and received bids to the NCAA tournament in 15 of the previous 20 seasons (under coaches Montgomery and Johnson). The program garnered national attention and was widely regarded as a credit to the University.
However, during Coach Dawkins' tenure:
- Stanford has made the NCAA Tournament field just ONCE IN SEVEN SEASONS
- The Cardinal is a cumulative 10 GAMES UNDER .500 in Pac-12 conference play.
- Stanford has finished in the top third of the Pac-12 conference just ONCE IN SEVEN SEASONS.
Not only have on-court results been mediocre (or worse) under Coach Dawkins' watch, but attendance at home games is at lows not seen since the 1980s.
The student section is frequently half-empty. Stanford games are often assigned the least attractive time slots for television purposes, and the team has become irrelevant nationally.
A change in the head coaching position of the Stanford men's basketball program is long past-due.
After seven seasons, it's painfully apparent that Coach Dawkins has not performed at a reasonable level, and has not demonstrated the capability to lead the program to success going forward.
The results, speak for themselves. No Division I college basketball program should accept results that include one NCAA tournament bid and one finish in the top third of its conference in seven seasons, or a conference win-loss record ten games under .500.
Students, alumni and other fans have lost interest in the men's basketball program over the past seven seasons. Give these fans some credit in recognizing quality basketball and a well-coached team when they see them. They can sense when a program is poised to turn things around. The fans have recognized that not only has the quality of Stanford men's basketball plummeted in recent seasons, but there is little hope for improvement without a change at the top. The fans have reluctantly, but resoundingly, voted with their feet.
Coach Dawkins is an outstanding individual and has represented Stanford with class. He should be applauded for the manner in which he's conducted himself and thanked for his service. A coach's conducting himself or herself with class should be a prerequisite for retention, but it should not be the sole criteria. Performance, together with engaging the interest of students, alumni and the Stanford community, have to matter. Historically, Stanford has not accepted mediocrity in any endeavors in which it engages, adopting the attitude that anything worth doing is worth doing well. The two decades prior to Coach Dawkins' arrival make it clear that Stanford can be successful in men's basketball.
However, seven seasons of poor performance and results under Coach Dawkins, punctuated by a particularly disappointing and uninspired conclusion to the 2014-15 regular season and Pac-12 conference tournament, make it obvious that a change is in order and that the program will not turn around and become successful again without one.
We, the undersigned, therefore urge Athletic Director Bernard Muir to hire a new head coach for the men's basketball program, and we urge President John Hennessy and Provost John Etchemendy to support and encourage such a move.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Save Stanford Hoops petition to Supporters of Stanford Basketball was written by Save Stanford Basketball and is in the category Sports at GoPetition.