RAMSEY: Air Force history says this is Reynolds season to prove himself

Air Force sports history offers a clear lesson to anyone who bothers to pay attention.

It does not take forever to revive an Air Force team.

It takes four years.

Jeff Reynolds is in his fourth season as coach of the basketball Falcons. He’s dropped 31 of his last 32 Mountain West Conference games and he found a way in November to lose to cross-town rival Colorado College.

But his team is showing signs of finally coming to life. The Falcons dropped Evansville on Sunday in a 57-56 thriller in front of a loud crowd of a several hundred die-hard loyalists.

The Falcons have won four straight, which is a serious roll when you consider the agony of the past two seasons.

If this awakening stretches into the MWC schedule that begins next month, Reynolds could save his job.

If Reynolds continues his woes in conference play, the lessons for Air Force yesterdays are boldly obvious. A coach who can win at the academy reveals himself within four seasons.

Examples:
One - When Ken Hatfield took over as head football coach in 1979, the program was in shambles. The Falcons had lost 40 of 54 games, suffered four straight losing seasons and chased Bill Parcells out of football – temporarily, it turned out – after only one season as Air Force coach.
The situation was so dire, Hatfield wasn’t sure he wanted to accept the promotion from offensive coordinator to head coach.
After praying about the decision, Hatfield accepted the job, and by season four he lifted the Falcons to an 8-5 record, which included a bowl win.

Two – Hatfield inherited a bad situation, but it wasn’t as bad as the program Joe Scott encountered in 2000. The basketball team stumbled to 19 losing records in 20 seasons and lost 67 of 78 conference games.
Scott installed a radically slow offense and a handsy, irritating brand of defense, encouraging his Falcons to flop at every opportunity in an attempt to draw offensive fouls.
In 2003-2004, his fourth season, Scott directed the Falcons to 22 wins, an MWC title and a ride to the NCAA Tournament.

Three – In 1997, Frank Serratore examined a hockey program that had lost 52 of 64 games and saw something virtually no one else could see.

He saw potential.

In Serratore’s first season, the Falcons jumped from eight win to 15 and by year four he compiled a winning record, 19-18-2.

As Reynolds approaches MWC play, which begins Jan. 5 against Utah, there is reason to believe. In the past two seasons, Air Force would have found a way to lose to Evansville.
On Sunday, the Falcons found a way to win.

This is Air Force’s most talented, most cohesive starting lineup since 2006-2007, when the Falcons briefly joined the nation’s top dozen teams. Center Taylor Broekhuis ranks as the Falcons most athletic big man of the past decade.

But Reynolds faces severe challenges. The Falcons struggle to rebound, with opponents leading in the chase for missed shots, 238-185. Wofford outrebounded Air Force, 50-27.

When a shot goes up, the safe bet is the Falcons will fail to grab it.

And there’s little depth. All Air Force starters average 30 minutes or more a game, and this small circle has carried the Falcons to a revival.

But this small circle will require more help during the grind of the conference schedule. Reynolds must widen the circle of players he trusts if he wants to thrive in the MWC.

Give the Falcons credit. After falling down against Colorado College, they’ve struggled to their feet. Still, the immediate future of this team remains hazy.

One thing is clear: This is Reynolds season of accountability.