Collins was a criminally bad coach. He stunted the growth of our OL and DL which was documented when Key said Collins didn't like to contact drills at full speed and we didn't scrimmage much with our full team during the season. How in the heck are our players supposed to improve and develop when they have one hand tied behind their back? When the teams throughout your conference recruits in the same talent band (or better), and your coaching is very bad (or lousy as you put it), there's no way you're getting to 5 wins (out of 12-13 games). I believe we lost to non P5 programs every year under Collins? Someone correct me if I'm wrong because I'm not wasting anymore time on Collins.
I agree with everything you said, and I would like to add something (although I hate to continue the Collins thread, but I think it's relevant to our current state):
In addition to not developing as players due to having their hands tied behind their backs in practice, I think there's a more insidious thing that was left behind by TFG - and it relates to attitude.
A recent post in another thread (I believe it was discussing Clemson) mentioned the fact that most of these kids have been told they're exceptional their entire lives - and it's not until they get to a P5 school and see the internal and external competition knock them on their a$$ that they get the wakeup call that they need to step up, work harder, and
earn their position on the roster and the results that follow. They're no longer the alpha, and they need to show the coaches that they can perform - or be ready to sit down if they don't.
For some reason, I consistently come back to the ugly loss to Pitt, where TFG tried to brush off Pat Narduzzi (who, admittedly, was being a tool by not letting go of CGC's hand). After the game, when asked about it, in a matter-of-fact/dismissive voice he said something like, "No, I wasn't disrespecting him, and I wasn't going to chew out the refs - we just had a tough loss, and I really wanted to get to our guys and make sure they were okay."
After the BG game, and Key's post-game comments, I thought of TFG's statement again. Now, I wasn't in the locker room after the Pitt game, or affiliated with the program in any way besides being a fan, so I don't know what TFG actually said to the team in the locker room after the loss, or at the next practice. But I think about it and get a striking contrast to what I expect was CBK's reaction in the locker room, or at the next practice. One of those coaches' approach feels like coddling - continuing to try and make the team feel like they're the best athletes in the world, just like their parents and coaches told them since Pop Warner. The other I expect will feel like a "Come to Jesus" moment with your boss - and that boss is angry and speaking with fire behind every word, letting you know that you better shape up or ship out.
I believe this is why Key emphasized "toughness" so much about the football team he's trying to build - almost to the point of sounding like a broken record in the offseason. Not because of facing tough teams, necessarily, or of getting hit hard - but of being able to own your own performance, and be able to know when you've screwed up and stand up and get better. Not to expect to start because it's guaranteed, or to have fun practices that are more like a party than work.
All of that is to say: in a single offseason, you can correct (or at least make a lot of improvement on) bad habits gained through lack of reps. More reps = changing behavior. But attitude is something that is instilled over years - and it takes even longer to change course when it's engrained. That's the true disservice I see TFG as leaving on our team, its players, and our program: them not being prepared to hear "You done f*cked up A-aron", and know they have work to do. Them expecting a coach to come in and tell them, "Guys, it's all good, that loss was a fluke, you'll do better next week." Then go back to pumping the music and playing 2-hand touch at practice. Correcting those attitudes is going to take some time...unfortunately.
