If only Jim Boylen could coach as well as he screeches into a mic.
Then maybe we wouldn't be heading down the inevitable path of searching for another coach that can salvage this program.
But after Utah's home loss to the Air Force Falcons Saturday, it seems less and less likely Boylen is brought back for a fifth year. Not when the team is limping to a 3-6 Mountain West record and seems destined for a second losing season in as many years.
I hate saying that, of course, because I do like Boylen. But Saturday's performance was more embarrassing than Christina Aguilera's belting out the National Anthem at this year's Super Bowl.
At least, though, that only lasted a few minutes. Saturday's debacle lasted an entire two halves and in a game that Boylen needed to win, his team never led. In fact, the last time the Utes held a lead was early in the first half of their eventual loss to Colorado State - three games ago.
Utah has now lost 11 of their last 15 since starting the season 8-3.
There is no spinning those results, folks. What was supposed to be a season of respectability has turned into one of the worst and most unfulfilling seasons in Utah basketball history. Dare I say this year has proven worse in terms of any highlights than Ray Giacoletti's last?
I know that sounds impossible - but think about it. What win sticks out to you?
Bradley on the road? New Mexico? At least Giacoletti in his final season managed to beat an impressive Washington St. Cougars team, a Virginia squad that won a share of the ACC and, at the time, defeated 11th ranked Air Force at the Huntsman Center.
That's not the case this season. Not only has Utah lost to bad teams, they've lost almost every game they've played against the better programs. Hell, even last place Wyoming gave BYU a better game than Utah did.
So now the team is at a point where they are staring down 10 probable losses in conference play. If that happens, it will mark the worst conference record since the Giacoletti era.
If you try to spin that, it'll be like wheels in the mud.
For all the progress Boylen made early in his career at Utah, it's been lost with his own guys. This team has not played consistently well enough since the 2009 Mountain West tournament.
I don't see how Boylen comes back from that. I don't see how the program can justify bringing him back for another year knowing that this team has steadily declined in his last two years.
This season was supposed to be the foundation for what Boylen was going to build his program on and he didn't deliver.
Unless this team gets it together fast, it's hard to imagine any scenario where Jim Boylen is the head coach of our basketball program next year.
I wanted him to prove me wrong and I had hope that maybe he would - but this season has cemented his legacy at Utah and it is not a good one. He's a great guy and a wonderful screamer, however, he's not a good head coach.