With any coaching change or turnover in a job for that matter, comparisons between Ron Everhart and Jim Ferry are flying around. It would happen in your office if the unapproachable Kevin from HR were suddenly replaced by the unapproachable Helen or if a server at your favorite restaurant left. We will try to define and understand the new person in the context of the old and we're certainly doing it with Ferry. However, I think we might be taking it a little too far and suggesting Ferry is some things Everhart was.
1st False Comparison: Jim Ferry will start from scratch similarly to what Ron did
When I hear people suggest that Jim Ferry has a battle or a challenge on his hands, I've honestly been thinking compared to what? Certainly, it will be difficult for him to fill in a staff and potentially five holes in his roster after the signing period has already begun. Yes, there is a short run challenge and it's hard to figure out how this team will win games next season. However, he doesn't have to rebuild the image of the program like Ron did or he did at LIU. Don't get me wrong, he can certainly do a lot of things to enhance the program, but it's not like we're a joke anymore. This is not a total rebuild job either and I don't see the long term challenges that Ron faced. Truth be told, 2013 recruiting shouldn't be too different from what Everhart would've faced and it could even be better for Ferry.
2nd False Comparison: Jim Ferry and Ron Everhart run a similar system
They both run up tempo systems where players share the ball, but tempo and passing aside, the systems couldn't be more different. Ferry tends to be aggressive on offensive, encouraging his team to take chances with a pass or off the dribble to find easy buckets. Everhart ran a more conservative offense where he emphasized taking the first three to quicken the pace and hated when his players took big risks or turned the ball over. Ferry's offense also seems more systematic than Ron's. However, it's not that Ron didn't take his chances, but he did it on the defensive side of the ball by emphasizing takeaways and blocks. We won't see that with Ferry who wants his players to play better positionally. This keeps his guys where they need to be defensive rebounds and we'll start getting more stops the traditional way. Ferry wants versatility on offense while Everhart seemed to like it on defense. It will be interesting to see if Ferry plays a more rigid positional man defense than Everhart did as well.
