8 is optimistic, 7 is realistic.

Obviously nobody knows what's going to happen for sure but I've got a friend on the coaching staff and according to him coaching meetings, the locker room, etc, are very, very different this year. A big part of that is Grimes presence (or Grimey as they call him). The man is intense and confident. He's very experienced and has a clear vision for what he wants. Secondly Kalani is 100% committed to doing whatever it takes to turn the program around, even if it means deferring to Grimes at times (especially when it comes to offense) and taking control at other times (especially on the defensive side of things).

And the mindset is different amongst the players too. They all know this is a pivotal season for the program. All the players are 100% locked in and determined for success. Frankly they're pissed off about last season and will do whatever they need to not to repeat that.

Let's face it, our team was poorly coached last year, plain and simple. Last year the overall feel of the practices, locker room, etc, was jovial and fun. Then midway through the season everyone felt blindsided by their suckiness (for lack of a better word), but by that point it was too late.

Our coaching staff has a completely different feel this year. They have laser focus and demand perfect execution even if it means making things less fun. Winning is #1 priority this year, whereas last year it seemed like having a good time was the focus and they assumed winning would follow naturally.

Even with most of the same players I feel like the team will look completely different this year. Let's all hope I'm right 🙂