Will Avery Johnson stay at 'Bama next year?

      Alabama Athletic Director Greg Byrne has reached a pivotal moment in his tenure at Alabama. He will soon make a decision whether to keep Avery Johnson as the head coach of Men’s Basketball. His decision will also tell us whether or not he is serious about basketball. This past Saturday, Byrne, and Johnson had a serious meeting about Johnson’s future. Last night couldn’t have helped Avery’s cause.

      Coach Johnson has failed to improve basketball at the Capstone. He took one team to the NCAAT and three teams to the NIT. If your team has a beating pulse you should always make it to the NIT. Alabama has been a dead team walking for the past dozen or so games. The most amazing thing about this year’s team is not just the losing but how they lost. The Tide went from being a decent team to a national embarrassment. 

       It is not optimism isn’t when your head coach has watched his team disintegrate and believes “we are in a good spot.” No disrespect to Johnson, but we are not in a good spot. That is not optimism. That is denying reality. If Byrne decides to let Coach Johnson continue it sends a signal to fans that Alabama is not serious about becoming a better a program.

       This is a Mike Shula moment. If Byrne allows Johnson to continue it sends a clear signal to basketball fans we should accept mediocrity.  This isn’t a situation where the coach has put together excellent seasons before.  I have said many times it may take Coach Johnson five years to make the Tide a contender. It doesn’t mean watching your team turn into Laurel and Hardy in year four. If Johnson stays and can convince Trendon Watford to come to Alabama, things will be much better next year. The Tide has signed three excellent players, one of which seems underrated to me. Watford might opt for Alabama because he views himself as a one and done player. Johnson can help him get to the NBA. It might also help Johnson to get back into the NBA.

       Regardless of what happens Byrne has to take some responsibility for this season as well.’ If you build it they will come.’ Give our players a first-rate facility. Give our recruiters something to showcase prospects. Give basketball every chance it needs to succeed. That will be expensive in the short run. It will be profitable in the long run. A nebulous announcement of a better facility came across as a disingenuous to a lot of fans. This decision will tell all of us the truth about the future commitment to basketball. If Johnson stays another season it will not be the end of the world.

       If you want to know how the fans feel, 2400 or so attended the game. That is a stone cold fact that cannot be overlooked.