2 extremes.
On 1 extreme, WSU, fans stupidly retain true Paul Wulf coaches like Graham, Stevens, Kent.
On the other opposite extreme, WSU, fans, etc, now want to be like a blue blood and either fire or put on Red Hot seat any coach that doesn't win 19,20,21+ games in bball, and 7,8,9+ games in football, where only winning 6,7 games in football, or only winning 16,17,18 games in bball is a fireball, hot seat offense.
WSU, Riley has won 18 games, 18-13 during regular season. And thats good enough to goto NIT.
1 win in WCC tournament, and WSU, Riley, will be 19-13, and guaranteed a spot in NIT.
And thats during his FIRST, 1st season, with a 2nd round NBA draft pick out for almost whole season, with 3,4,5 injuries to 3,4,5 key starters, back ups, etc.
Kyle Smith was 16-16 his first year. Guess he should have been fired his 1st year.
Sampson only had about 8,9,10,11 wins his first year. Guess Sampson should have been fired.
Dick Bennet had a horribly bad first year, after Derek Low got injured. Guess Dick Bennet should have been fired too.
Tony Bennet was 17-16, with a SENIOR NBA Baynes, no less, etc. That team should have won 20,21,22,23, 24 games, made the NCAA tournament, instead of only winning 17 games. Guess Tony Bennet should have been fired since he did worse then Riley, in his 3rd year no less, with way better talent then Riley, no less, after 2 NCAA tournies no less.
Yes, if WSU, Riley, players had less TURNOVERS, they would have won more. Yes that's technically on Riley.
But that said even with lots of turnovers, 18-13 in regular season is NOT a FIREABLE, HOT SEAT offense.
And it's not like Riley could do much more about turnovers, then he did do. Riley harped on turnovers every chance he got. He mentioned it during practices, before, during, after games, during time outs, during half time, He conducted eliminating turn over drills, etc.
What caused the turnovers, was there was a GIGANTIC, UGLY, HOLE at the TWO, 2, SG guard spot, BECAUSE OF INJURIES TO ISIAH WATTS, MARCUS WILSON.
The turnovers were also caused due to having to replace 11,12 players, with 11,12 NEW replacements, players.
Lack of Jelling, Chemistry, etc, also caused Turnovers.
Also going on a 5 game losing streak, caused the players to try to hard, press to hard, make more bad passes, in a attempt to try to thread the needle, make things happen, in order to try to win more games, and get THE MONKEY OFF THEIR BACKS, and that, those things, caused more turnovers, and caused more losses, which caused things to goto their heads, which caused more turnovers, which caused them to get stuck in that viscous cycle.
The only thing Riley has screwed up on, is he got way too many WINGS, and too few PG's, and too few SG's, too few good ball handlers, too few good passers, too few BIG(6-8.5, 227+, 4's, 5's, as only have Erickstrup, Price, Okafor(3), only 3 BIGS, and Cedric Coward, Lejuan Watts, Tharstonsen, Wynott, Vavers(5), 5,6 WINGS, and Calmese, Isiah Watts, Marcus Wilson(3), 3,4 PG's, SG's.
Maybe if Riley had recruited 1,2 more BIGS, and 1,2 more 1,2 guards, and 1 LESS WING, etc, then if Riley had done that, then probably less turnovers, more wins.
But that said 18-13 in regular season, and going to NIT, despite 3,4,5 key injuries, and despite having a 2nd round draft pick out most of season(Cedric Coward has consistently gone in 2nd round of draft, in the mock drafts that have been done so far), is either still pretty good, or at least good enough to not be fired, and not be on hot seat.
And WSU leadership understands, gets that, as they rightfully EXTENDED Riley.
Stop being like SILLY BLUE BLOOD FANS THAT fire their coaches for not going to CFP, NCAA tournament, etc, that fire their coaches for winning 10 games in a football season, that fire bball coaches for winning 21 games and missing NCAA tourny, etc.
