This offseason will be one of the more interesting off-seasons Kirby has had as a head coach. It feels like the end of an era has occurred, as the 2021/2022 title-winning rosters are all but gone. The game itself has changed with NIL, portal movement, etc.
We're now looking at a staff led by several coaches who were not part of the title-winning era (or who had a much smaller role). We've lost all QBs who were truly part of that era as well (though Stockton was on the roster for one of them).
This was not a bad season at all (in my opinion), but it is one of the more disappointing seasons, given the preseason expectations. This means we enter the off-season coming off a disappointment. Then you factor in the two-year starter transferring out of the program, which will set up the inevitable comparisons week to week in 2025.
There is angst (shocker) among message board fans about staff decisions (warranted angst, I would argue), and it feels like this off-season is the start of something new. Whether something new is good, great, or elsewhere remains to be seen. But, to me, it definitely feels like the second book in Kirby's series has ended, and a new one is set to begin.
We're now looking at a staff led by several coaches who were not part of the title-winning era (or who had a much smaller role). We've lost all QBs who were truly part of that era as well (though Stockton was on the roster for one of them).
This was not a bad season at all (in my opinion), but it is one of the more disappointing seasons, given the preseason expectations. This means we enter the off-season coming off a disappointment. Then you factor in the two-year starter transferring out of the program, which will set up the inevitable comparisons week to week in 2025.
There is angst (shocker) among message board fans about staff decisions (warranted angst, I would argue), and it feels like this off-season is the start of something new. Whether something new is good, great, or elsewhere remains to be seen. But, to me, it definitely feels like the second book in Kirby's series has ended, and a new one is set to begin.
