POLL: Do you want the Gophers to make the NCAA Tourney if it means Pitino returns for another season?

Do you want the Gophers to make the NCAA Tourney if it means Pitino returns next season?

  • I want the Gophers to make it and win as many games as possible regardless of the coaching outcome

    Votes: 102 79.7%

  • I want Pitino gone so I am cheering against them the rest of the year

    Votes: 7 5.5%

  • I want them to make it but only get to the 1st or 2nd round so a coaching change happens

    Votes: 17 13.3%

  • Who are the Gophers? All I can see is and think about is Pitino

    Votes: 2 1.6%
  • Total voters
    128
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WriterGoph

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Perfect timing for this to see how our fan base breaks down...
 

I’m not convinced Pitino will be fired even if they lose the rest of their games and miss the tournament.
 

I think Minnesota has made the tourney 10 times that are still recognized by the NCAA. Only Nebraska, Penn State and Northwestern have less appearances of big ten teams.

The Gophers have 14 tournament wins (and 14 losses). The same number of wins as LaSalle.

Do I want them to make it for the 11th time in history and 3rd under Pitino? Yes.

Do I think he has done enough here to be the head coach in 2021-22? No.
 


tmvander said:
If you are actually wanting the gophers to lose and fail you're not a fan.
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I'd agree but the dialogue in here after beating Purdue definitely makes it a valid question. We have some folks who have really lost the plot. Its kinda like some of the attitudes we saw on both extremes this last Presidential election
 


WriterGoph said:
I'd agree but the dialogue in here after beating Purdue definitely makes it a valid question. We have some folks who have really lost the plot. Its kinda like some of the attitudes we saw on both extremes this last Presidential election
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I mean I'm not a pitino lover... wanted tubby gone...but wanting the team to lose? Come on.

Maybe works for your pro team when they're eliminated and you're thinking draft order, but even then it's questionable
 



I’ve said it before but I’ll repeat. I am a Minnesota fan so I want to win and get to the tournament, but I have seen enough to say it’s time for a new coach. I don’t care how he does in the dance, his Big Ten record is atrocious and that’s my tougher standard. If his Big Ten record was good, he would be in the tourney as the result anyway.
 



So they hypothetical is Minnesota just makes the NCAA tournament and Pitino stays or they miss and he's gone? In that scenario I would much rather they miss the tournament.

Look at year 6 where the Gophers just snook in to the tournament (and they actually won a game). Instead of making a move, we will now (likely) have two more losing seasons and missed out on Suggs, Garcia, Dainja, Carlson, Walton, (likely) Holmgren, and Brown in the process. We'd be much better off being in year 2 of someone else who at least brings the possibility of upside. It's for another thread, but the trajectory of this program is trending downward from a talent standpoint. We need to find at least two guards/wings (one of them of Marcus Carr quality or better) and possibly a starting PF (if Johnson leaves) this Spring just to be in the position we're in right now on paper of being a losing B1G team hoping for one of the last spots in the NCAA tournament at this time next year.

Making the tournament is not a significant accomplishment to me. I don't see any scenario where Pitino does something "banner worthy" other than something like this: makes tournamet as a 12 seed, beats the 5, plays a 13 seed that upsets the 4 and makes the sweet 16. We've had a ridiculously long sample size of the worst basketball I've see in watching this program since Clem. It's (way past) time for a change and due to the pandemic it's not too late to get in on '22 recruits both locally and nationally. I won't be happy with losing B1G seasons and this will likely make 7/8 and next year almost assuredly would make 8/9 without major reinforcements. It will be a tough ask for anyone to make this team a winner in '21, but I'd much rather that losing season happen in the process of building something that has a future than allowing Pitino to continue to control a program that has no upside.

If it was a 100% lock that Pitino was back if he simply made the tournament, I'd root for them to lose the one game that put them on the outside looking in. Of course it's not a lock that Pitino stays if he makes the tournament. If Coyle is the type of AD most of us hope he is, he will make a change regardless.
 

If Pitino's job is tied to making the tournament, we ALL should be hoping they miss the tournament.

Lose a few more now, or lose perpetually in the future. Easy call.
 





Grinding for a junk seed in the NCAA tournament after 8 years means nothing....If Pitino had built a successful program here, we would be competing for a B10 championship or at the bare minimum a top 5 finish every year....He hasn't even come close to that and never will...Coyle lost another year after not pulling the trigger last season.
 

Pitino gets paid to put fans in to seats. Covid makes this year not count. He will be back next year no matter what happens.
 

Whatever will be will be. I don't control what the AD does, which simplifies my life greatly. Once the games start, I can't help myself: I cheer for the Gophers.

I've always felt these decisions need to be made strategically and from a position of advantage. By waiting for a down year as "justification" to dismiss a coach you don't want, you might miss out on someone like Nate Oats within the window he was available, which we did.

Going back to the last go-round, firing Tubby was not the wrong move. Firing him without a plan or any real candidates lined up--and then doubling the mistake by passing up on Saunders, who was interested--was the mistake...or series of mistakes, as it happened.

If I'm Coyle I've seen enough already. Some of what I've seen is positive: that this situation is still good enough that an over-matched coach like Pitino is able to produce occasional national rankings and Tournament appearances. That means this hasn't become a lost cause yet. It's still salvageable for the right leader to come in and take it from here.
 
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Kind of a false dilemma, isn't it?

They won't win any road games this regular season. Probably win at home vs NW. Maybe win at home vs Rutgers. Lose in the first round of Big Ten tourney.

I'm not sure that gets it done.
 

Bad Gopher said:
Whatever will be will be. I don't control what the AD does, which simplifies my life greatly. Once the games start, I can't help myself: I cheer for the Gophers.

I've always felt these decisions need to be made strategically and from a position of advantage. By waiting for a down year as "justification" to dismiss a coach you don't want, you might miss out on someone like Nate Oats within the window he was available, which we did.

Going back to the last go-round, firing Tubby was not the wrong move. Firing him without a plan or any real candidates lined up--and then doubling the mistake by passing up on Saunders, who was interested--was the mistake...or series of mistakes, as it happened.

If I'm Coyle I've seen enough already. Some of what I've seen is positive: that this situation is still good enough that an over-matched coach like Pitino is able to produce occasional national rankings and Tournament appearances. That means this hasn't become a lost cause yet. It's still salvageable for the right leader to come in and take it from here.
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Saunders was such a slam dunk hiring too!

What was the hold-up again? The U didn't want to hire Ryan as an assistant or someone else?

Stupid, stupid, stupid.....

Flip was a winner everywhere he coached.

And he coached the Timberwolves.
 

Otis said:
Saunders was such a slam dunk hiring too!

What was the hold-up again? The U didn't want to hire Ryan as an assistant or someone else?

Stupid, stupid, stupid.....

Flip was a winner everywhere he coached.

And he coached the Timberwolves.
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I thought Glen Taylor came in and wrecked that one. Basically told him he was firing Kahn soon and that the job will be his if he wants it and Flip choose to stay in the NBA. I think there were some other demands Flip didn't get that were not staff related as well.
 

manderson1984 said:
I thought Glen Taylor came in and wrecked that one. Basically told him he was firing Kahn soon and that the job will be his if he wants it and Flip choose to stay in the NBA. I think there were some other demands Flip didn't get that were not staff related as well.
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I have always wondered if that was a Sid Hartman level "he wanted to come here" or a real he wanted to come here. I think Flip would have done great here.
 

USAF said:
If you want Pitino around you're not a fan.
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I'm not saying I want him around I'm saying if you're going to claim you're a gopher fan and then cheer for the team to lose its kind of nuts to me.
 

I cheer for the Gophers to win every game. I would love to see Richard Pitino channel the spirit of John Wooden and become the nations greatest coach of this generation. Just win.
People seem to think you can't express frustration with poor coaching and yet still want that coach to turn the corner and win.
 

Another ridiculous thread. Of course I want to see the Gophers win every game. I hope they make it all the way to the final four. Odds are pretty good that is not going to happen but nonetheless I will be pulling for them every game.
 

manderson1984 said:
I thought Glen Taylor came in and wrecked that one. Basically told him he was firing Kahn soon and that the job will be his if he wants it and Flip choose to stay in the NBA. I think there were some other demands Flip didn't get that were not staff related as well.
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Wouldn't surprise me one bit that several of his wishes were denied. But I clearly remember there being a problem with his assistants after Tubby's kid's DUI.

Saunders was an excellent College coach at the old Community College on Hwy 12. He had them ranked at one point.
 

jblass said:
Another ridiculous thread. Of course I want to see the Gophers win every game. I hope they make it all the way to the final four. Odds are pretty good that is not going to happen but nonetheless I will be pulling for them every game.
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Its not ridiculous at all. People have voted for the fact they will not cheer for the Gophers if it means Pitino stays. People also 100% said after the Purdue win last week that they were "concerned that could be the win that earned him another year." Shit, we had someone in this exact thread say that if someone "wants Pitino around, you're not a fan."

So, given these facts, please tell me how it's a ridiculous question?

There clearly are quite an array of opinions here. Some very extreme. Obviously the majority will cheer for the team no matter what.
 

Otis said:
Saunders was such a slam dunk hiring too!

What was the hold-up again? The U didn't want to hire Ryan as an assistant or someone else?

Stupid, stupid, stupid.....

Flip was a winner everywhere he coached.

And he coached the Timberwolves.
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And then he would have died and we would have been starting over right before a new season. Not sure given Flip's end, lamenting over not hiring him is the most astute move.
 

As I say to my kids, "If a team is preceded by Minnesota in their name, that's my team. No matter how badly they let me down or how well they perform, I will always cheer for them against all competition. Unless a draft pick is involved."
 

USAF said:
If you want Pitino around you're not a fan.
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I can't agree with that completely but good for you for saying it! That needs to be said. I get really sick of people saying "If you believe _____, then you're not a fan."
 

Although I voted for the first option with the substantial majority, there have been times in the past when I would have picked one of the others. At this point, Pitino is on a year-to-year contract in my mind. I hope the team gets to the tournament. If that happens and Pitino is retained, I'm all right with that as I feel he will have earned another year. But, unless the team goes on a run in the tournament, that's all he's earned in my mind. I can't see that happening because they're likely to be an 8th or 9th seed if they make it.

If the team fails to make the NCAA tournament but gets an NIT bid, I think the invitation should be accepted, Pitino should be fired, and the assistant coaches should lead the team in the NIT.
 

cjbfbp said:
Although I voted for the first option with the substantial majority, there have been times in the past when I would have picked one of the others. At this point, Pitino is on a year-to-year contract in my mind. I hope the team gets to the tournament. If that happens and Pitino is retained, I'm all right with that as I feel he will have earned another year. But, unless the team goes on a run in the tournament, that's all he's earned in my mind. I can't see that happening because they're likely to be an 8th or 9th seed if they make it.

If the team fails to make the NCAA tournament but gets an NIT bid, I think the invitation should be accepted, Pitino should be fired, and the assistant coaches should lead the team in the NIT.
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Extremely fair analysis. I think there is a strong case to be made for a coaching change even if we make the tournament (and potentially win our first round game, depending on the circumstances) like what happened to Tubby. But I'm just not gonna hope for or celebrate losses to see that happen.

Ultimately, if the Gophers finish with a winning Big Ten record this year though, especially considering how many ranked wins that will include, I think there is probably an equally strong case to be made for giving him another year.
 

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