Few's plan hits nine-year snag

What does the future hold for the Bulldogs?

The question is asked every year, after seasons good or bad, successful or tumultuous, memorable or forgettable. After a college basketball season, the question ultimately arises: What's next?

For too many years the Bulldogs have been forced to ask that question. Well, now it's time to stop asking and start finding some answers.

Mark Few, specifically, needs to find out whether he can answer that question and deliver results for a program that has grown stagnant. Actually, scratch that - stagnant implies that it's been in the same place, and the fact is, this team has actually taken a step back from where it was nine years ago.

In 1999, head coach Dan Monson guided the Zags to the Elite Eight. In the nine years since then under Few, they haven't been back.

Talk all you want about the Bulldogs' recruiting classes, national exposure or winning percentage - the reality is that while Few has built the program to prominence, it has since reached a plateau.

Every off-season the talk is about the future, and yet every year these Bulldog teams succumb to the same failures that have plagued them since 1999. There was the tearful choke job against UCLA in 2006, the blowout by Indiana in 2007, the lack of heart shown in losing the WCC crown this past March, and the blowing of an 11-point lead against Davidson in the 2008 NCAA Tournament. Nevada, Texas Tech, the list goes on.

How long can we accept these kinds of disappointments?

In these past nine years, Few still hasn't shown that he can right the ship, as each new method he employs falls on its face. Few loosened the reins for Adam Morrison, which resulted in a lack of options when he was ineffective. He slowed down the pace for Derek Raivio, which resulted in over-dribbling on every possession. Just this past year, he used every trick in the book. He essentially cut players (Pierre-Marie Altidor Cespedes), benched others (Larry Gurganious, Micah Downs), and employed several different lineups with mixed results. The end result: another loss in a big game, another first-round exit, and another offseason of waiting and hoping.

At some point, you'd want to start seeing some improvement.

For too long we've allowed Monson's success in 1999 to carry over into the Mark Few regime, masking Few's inadequacies as head coach. In the nine years since taking over the Bulldogs, Few's teams have not only failed to return to the Elite Eight, they've failed to keep their spot as the best team in the conference.

If people are content with run-of-the-mill scheduling, high regular season winning percentages and zero progress, then the current incarnation of Mark Few is for you. But in truth, improvement and achievement probably hold more importance, and after nine years, it's time to deliver these things.

A month ago, while on Jim Rome's television show, Few stated that he didn't need a national title to feel complete as a coach. While this sentiment is noble as a human being, it ultimately makes him fail as a head coach. To achieve success, a coach needs to seek and demand the best from both his team and himself. You don't need to win a championship to be a success, but you'll never be a success if you don't work for it every day.

Nine years after getting the job, Few needs to decide if he is ready to turn the corner with this program. The future depends on his ability to step up and make changes for the better.

What does the future hold for the Bulldogs? For Mark Few, the answer is clear: Shape up, or ship out.