Penn State head coach Mike Rhoades dropped one of his biggest comments of the year after a 27-point loss to Wisconsin on his home court, flat out saying this team isn’t good enough.
A tough comment, sure, but Rhoades is being real, and I don’t think we can be upset about him doing so.
“Here’s what I’m going to say,” Rhoades said, per Nittany Sports Now. “I’ve coached a long time. I’ve been on both ends of this. This right now, sucks. My staff and I will give every fiber we have to try to right this ship and do this right. I know what I’m doing. But we’re behind the eight ball. We’re not good enough. I get it. It’s on me.”
It’s rare to hear a head coach speak that truthfully about his team, though it’s important to mention that we all see it. No matter how Rhoades wants to spin it, this team is not good. Not at all. Rhoades only acknowledged what fans have seen, which is embarrassing play, a bad roster, and a team that simply can’t get anything done on either side of the basketball.
Still, he made it clear that frustration doesn’t mean he won’t fix it, and he asked the students and fans to please continue to support this program.
“I’m not a quitter,” he said. “I hope our fans and our students support these kids because they’re good kids and are working really hard… but you’re right,” he continued. “You gotta win and put a good product out there to get rolling.”
While he wants fans and students to show love and support, I’m glad he mentioned that winning has to follow it. Why would any student or fan show up right now? As tough as it is to ask, it’s a fair question.
Penn State has shown promise at times this season, almost beating Michigan and Michigan State, but almost beating a rival shouldn’t be enough for this program.
“We had some of those good days even already this year,” Rhoades said. “But we’re struggling and we gotta fix it and gotta figure it out.”