Here's my thoughts on the issues at hand.
I had hoped last season that CDR would be able to "coach 'em up" more than he was able to do so. I discounted the inevitable turmoil in high turnover sports like baseball that follow a coaching change.
I knew that recruiting under Raleigh was poor (to put it mildly) but I still thought (incorrectly) that our staff would get something out of them that Raleigh could not.
Well, I know better now. Not only is it clear that a huge hunk of the roster was not SEC caliber; it now appears they were not even SoCon, OVC or A-Sun caliber players. That disastrous weekend against ULM sort of showed this first.
For Dave to turn this around (especially quickly) then the blood was going to have to flow in the streets. Even though Tennessee produces a high number of great prep players, (higher ration than any other sport); it still does not produce enough to field a consistent SEC-Caliber roster.
We had/have several guys from non-traditional powers (especially in the non hotbed SE corner of the state) and several guys from Knoxville area who were and are not ready for primetime and no amount of Serrano or Mosiello was going to change than in this new "deadbat" era.
Although rough to admit; several guys that lack the talent and several guys that lack the commitment had to leave and continue to leave. I think Serrano now considers 2012 to be "Year Zero",
As per complaints of prep and travel team coaches? Screw 'em. They produced players who were not ready. Then they helped them go to a team and league they were ill prepared for.
This situation is beginning to reek of the Andy Lopez era in Gainesville. Like Serrano, Lopez had a great deal of success winning a national title at Pepperdine. However, when he came to UF he found a woefully untalented and lazy roster of a lot of local kids and he purged them like Stalin did the Kulaks.
Back then there was no APR issues so he practically replaced his team after "Year Zero" and built a winner. However, the prima dona local coaches actively worked to end his regime and they succeeded even after the success and one mediocre season.