In a perfect world, basketball coach Ricardo Patton would have come to NIU and led the Huskies to a MAC championship and into the NCAA tournament.

In the real world, however, the team finished 6-22 with one of the worst records in the MAC.

One of the biggest mistakes in a season like that is to blame the coach, saying he didn’t do his job.

However, that rhetoric would be misplaced — at least, in the first few seasons for that coach.

The reason new coaches are hired is because a change needs to be made. To make that change, the coach needs to recruit and bring in players who fit his style of play. That’s not a knock on the players currently on the team because likewise, they were brought in to fit the prior coach’s system.

The third season is key for a new coach because by then, their recruits will be in the system and have some experience. After that, it’s fair game to criticize a coach.

Is it fair to seniors when a new coach comes in? No.

Is it fair to fans who have to go through droughts waiting for players to come up? No.

Is it necessary to have those years before a turnaround is made? Absolutely.

The frustration is not only voiced by the fans and the players, but even the coaches. No one wants to have a losing season, but the greatness of some coaches lies in their resolve to endure those seasons and be patient.

Coach Patton could have gone out and found upperclassmen from junior colleges who were more mature. The team might very well have put a few more wins on the board. But the experience that players such as Jake Anderson and Michael Patton gained this season will be worth more than just a few wins when they are juniors and seniors.

Other teams are going through this right now, too, — including the softball team with first-year coach Lindsay Chouinard.

The softball team’s current 15-game slide is more than enough to have some fans scratching their heads. But criticism sometimes comes too quick. Three years from now, NIU could have a competitive softball team and this year will be all but a footnote in the team’s turnaround.

Next fall will present another program in a similar position with the football team. Especially with football being a prominent sport at NIU, more attention will be placed on head coach Jerry Kill’s first season. An early losing streak could have fans chanting for former Huskie coach Joe Novak’s return.

In a perfect world, NIU beats Minnesota on opening day and the rest is history.

In the real world, we’ll have to wait and see how the Kill era starts.