The Comparable 4: Minnesota (Johnson), Iowa State (Otzelberger), Penn State (Shrewsberry), Utah (Smith)

Updated Through Games Played 1/29/23
These 2nd-year coaches are listed in order of overall winning percentage since taking over their programs prior to the 2021-22 season.

1 TJ Otzelberger (Iowa State) -- 37-18 overall (67.3%), 23-18 vs. Power 6 (56.1%), NCAA Tournament Appearances/Record (1/2-1)

2 Micah Shrewsberry (Penn State) -- 28-24 overall (53.8%), 16-23 vs. Power 6 (41%)

3 Craig Smith (Utah) -- 26-28 overall (48.1%), 14-25 vs. Power 6 (35.9%)

4 Ben Johnson (Minnesota) -- 20-30 overall (40%), 7-29 vs. Power 6 (19.4%)

NEXT UPDATE: 2/5/23
 
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Updated Through February 4
These 2nd-year coaches are listed in order of overall winning percentage since taking over their programs prior to the 2021-22 season.

1 TJ Otzelberger (Iowa State) -- 38-19 overall (66.7%), 24-19 vs. Power 6 (55.8%), NCAA Tournament Appearances/Record (1/2-1)

2 Micah Shrewsberry (Penn State) -- 28-25 overall (52.8%), 16-24 vs. Power 6 (40%)

3 Craig Smith (Utah) -- 26-29 overall (47.3%), 14-26 vs. Power 6 (35%)

4 Ben Johnson (Minnesota) -- 20-32 overall (38.5%), 7-31 vs. Power 6 (18.4%)

NEXT UPDATE: 2/19/23
 


Updated Through February 4
These 2nd-year coaches are listed in order of overall winning percentage since taking over their programs prior to the 2021-22 season.

1 TJ Otzelberger (Iowa State) -- 38-19 overall (66.7%), 24-19 vs. Power 6 (55.8%), NCAA Tournament Appearances/Record (1/2-1)

2 Micah Shrewsberry (Penn State) -- 28-25 overall (52.8%), 16-24 vs. Power 6 (40%)

3 Craig Smith (Utah) -- 26-29 overall (47.3%), 14-26 vs. Power 6 (35%)

4 Ben Johnson (Minnesota) -- 20-32 overall (38.5%), 7-31 vs. Power 6 (18.4%)

NEXT UPDATE: 2/19/23
down to 176 on sagarin and 223 on kenpom

if another bigten team was ranked this lowly, I'd be laughing at them while also hoping they'd get better because they'd be an embarrassment to the bigten
 
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down to 176 on sagarin and 223 on kenpom

if another bigten team was ranked this lowly, I'd be laughing at them while also hoping they'd get better because they'd be an embarrassment to the bigten
I've been thinking about this. We're so lame that we're affecting the conference's reputation and their rated strength. They really ought to drop us 😉
 




I’ll try to post it tomorrow but I’m going to compare % of returning minutes and points for each of these programs in year 1 and year 2. Will be interesting to track in subsequent years as well. Posting this so I don’t forget
 

Updated Through February 17
These 2nd-year coaches are listed in order of overall winning percentage since taking over their programs prior to the 2021-22 season.

1 TJ Otzelberger (Iowa State) -- 39-21 overall (65%), 25-21 vs. Power 6 (54.3%), NCAA Tournament Appearances/Record (1/2-1)

2 Micah Shrewsberry (Penn State) -- 29-28 overall (50.9%), 17-27 vs. Power 6 (38.6%)

3 Craig Smith (Utah) -- 28-30 overall (48.3%), 16-27 vs. Power 6 (37.2%)

4 Ben Johnson (Minnesota) -- 20-33 overall (37.7%), 7-32 vs. Power 6 (17.9%)

NEXT UPDATE: 3/1/23
 





Updated Through February 17
These 2nd-year coaches are listed in order of overall winning percentage since taking over their programs prior to the 2021-22 season.

1 TJ Otzelberger (Iowa State) -- 39-21 overall (65%), 25-21 vs. Power 6 (54.3%), NCAA Tournament Appearances/Record (1/2-1)
Current season: 17-8 8-5(B12)
2 Micah Shrewsberry (Penn State) -- 29-28 overall (50.9%), 17-27 vs. Power 6 (38.6%)
15-11 6-9(B1G)
3 Craig Smith (Utah) -- 28-30 overall (48.3%), 16-27 vs. Power 6 (37.2%)
17-10 10-6(Pac10)
4 Ben Johnson (Minnesota) -- 20-33 overall (37.7%), 7-32 vs. Power 6 (17.9%)
7-16 1-12(B1G)


Who's the outlier here?
 




Updated Through Regular Season
These 2nd-year coaches are listed in order of overall winning percentage since taking over their programs prior to the 2021-22 season.

1 TJ Otzelberger (Iowa State) -- 40-25 overall (61.5%), 26-25 vs. Power 6 (51%), NCAA Tournament Appearances/Record (1/2-1)

2 Micah Shrewsberry (Penn State) -- 33-29 overall (53.2%), 21-28 vs. Power 6 (42.9%)

3 Craig Smith (Utah) -- 28-34 overall (45.2%), 16-31 vs. Power 6 (34%)

4 Ben Johnson (Minnesota) -- 21-38 overall (35.6%), 8-37 vs. Power 6 (17.8%)

NEXT UPDATE: After Selection Sunday
 
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thanks for the update......
and just looking at 247 but man does TJ have himself another strong recruiting class coming in as well!
#11, #35, #133, #190

he has a senior dominated squad this year so the recruits will be important to him....but the way he hits the portal can assume he will fill any immediate needs that way
 

Shrewsbury has PSU in the BTT Championship. 6 of his top 8 players were added after he got there. 4 were via the transfer portal and two are TR FR. He just tripled the amount of Q1 wins in three days that we had for our entire season. Glad we took the route of not caring about wins for 4 years.
 

Shrewsbury has PSU in the BTT Championship. 6 of his top 8 players were added after he got there. 4 were via the transfer portal and two are TR FR. He just tripled the amount of Q1 wins in three days that we had for our entire season. Glad we took the route of not caring about wins for 4 years.

He’s up for the Notre Dame job. Curious how that plays out.

I like his team this year.
 

Shrewsbury has PSU in the BTT Championship. 6 of his top 8 players were added after he got there. 4 were via the transfer portal and two are TR FR. He just tripled the amount of Q1 wins in three days that we had for our entire season. Glad we took the route of not caring about wins for 4 years.
Make no mistake, that's a talented team, and they could do some damage in the tourney.

Keep in mind, we're no Penn State.
 

Shrewsberry is mentioned for the Georgetown job, too.

It's an interesting contrast with MN - PSU went with a guy with no real ties to the school or the area who went portal and veteran-heavy in constructing his team. He was successful and other schools with more tradition than PSU come calling. Other than the professional ethic of possibly not wanting to desert a program after only two years, the signs would point to him being lured away

Is that really a better situation than MN finds itself in? At least they'll dance this year, so, they've got that, but they could go down considerably given virtually their entire rotation graduates and a potential coaching change.
 

Shrewsberry is mentioned for the Georgetown job, too.

It's an interesting contrast with MN - PSU went with a guy with no real ties to the school or the area who went portal and veteran-heavy in constructing his team. He was successful and other schools with more tradition than PSU come calling. Other than the professional ethic of possibly not wanting to desert a program after only two years, the signs would point to him being lured away

Is that really a better situation than MN finds itself in? At least they'll dance this year, so, they've got that, but they could go down considerably given virtually their entire rotation graduates and a potential coaching change.

This will be their 5th tournament appearance in like 50 years. If they lose him, obviously they will be worse, but it's better to have gone to the tournament than not at all. If he doesn't go, my guess is they'll be better than us next year, because he's better at landing portal guys, and he's simply a MUCH better coach.
 

Shrewsberry is mentioned for the Georgetown job, too.

It's an interesting contrast with MN - PSU went with a guy with no real ties to the school or the area who went portal and veteran-heavy in constructing his team. He was successful and other schools with more tradition than PSU come calling. Other than the professional ethic of possibly not wanting to desert a program after only two years, the signs would point to him being lured away

Is that really a better situation than MN finds itself in? At least they'll dance this year, so, they've got that, but they could go down considerably given virtually their entire rotation graduates and a potential coaching change.
They won too fast. Sad.
 

Shrewsberry is mentioned for the Georgetown job, too.

It's an interesting contrast with MN - PSU went with a guy with no real ties to the school or the area who went portal and veteran-heavy in constructing his team. He was successful and other schools with more tradition than PSU come calling. Other than the professional ethic of possibly not wanting to desert a program after only two years, the signs would point to him being lured away

Is that really a better situation than MN finds itself in? At least they'll dance this year, so, they've got that, but they could go down considerably given virtually their entire rotation graduates and a potential coaching change.
Lol

Are you serious?


Let’s say for instance they do “go down considerably”

What’s the floor? Back to back last place finishes?
 

Shrewsberry is mentioned for the Georgetown job, too.

It's an interesting contrast with MN - PSU went with a guy with no real ties to the school or the area who went portal and veteran-heavy in constructing his team. He was successful and other schools with more tradition than PSU come calling. Other than the professional ethic of possibly not wanting to desert a program after only two years, the signs would point to him being lured away

Is that really a better situation than MN finds itself in? At least they'll dance this year, so, they've got that, but they could go down considerably given virtually their entire rotation graduates and a potential coaching change.
So we want to be bad so we don’t lose our coach? If ever there was a defeatist attitude, this would be it.

The mental gymnastics people go through to make it seem not so bad that they just sat through the worst 2-year stretch in Gopher BB history. But at least we didn’t lose our coach!
 

So we want to be bad so we don’t lose our coach? If ever there was a defeatist attitude, this would be it.

The mental gymnastics people go through to make it seem not so bad that they just sat through the worst 2-year stretch in Gopher BB history. But at least we didn’t lose our coach!
Northern Illinois might consider him now. But probably not.
 

Northern Illinois might consider him now. But probably not.
It’s actually kind of sad.

Ben Johnson is probably set for life in that he can always get an assistant coach job at a p6 or a mid major


But taking a job he wasn’t ready for at a level he wasn’t ready for likely means he will never get a shot again at this level. I’ll be shocked if he is ever a p6 coach again. I’ll be shocked if he is ever a mid major head coach again.
He’s 42 and a burnt asset.


Then again he couldn’t turn it down because it was the only one he was ever going to get
 

It’s actually kind of sad.

Ben Johnson is probably set for life in that he can always get an assistant coach job at a p6 or a mid major


But taking a job he wasn’t ready for at a level he wasn’t ready for likely means he will never get a shot again at this level. I’ll be shocked if he is ever a p6 coach again. I’ll be shocked if he is ever a mid major head coach again.
He’s 42 and a burnt asset.


Then again he couldn’t turn it down because it was the only one he was ever going to get
The buyout is actually detrimental for both sides, it delays the inevitable and prevents Ben from getting a jump on his post Gopher coaching career.
 

The buyout is actually detrimental for both sides, it delays the inevitable and prevents Ben from getting a jump on his post Gopher coaching career.
maybe.
But I think this is Ben’s biggest payday of his career adjusted for future inflation.
So he is going to want every penny he is owed
 

It’s actually kind of sad.

Ben Johnson is probably set for life in that he can always get an assistant coach job at a p6 or a mid major


But taking a job he wasn’t ready for at a level he wasn’t ready for likely means he will never get a shot again at this level. I’ll be shocked if he is ever a p6 coach again. I’ll be shocked if he is ever a mid major head coach again.
He’s 42 and a burnt asset.


Then again he couldn’t turn it down because it was the only one he was ever going to get
Sure he can. He can do it like a lot of people do it: start lower, and win big. Then climb the ladder.

He skipped several steps in that process.
 


Sure, I'm not saying he will win big at a Montana State, then Northern Illinois, then Wichita State, or some such.

I'm just saying that's a way he could get another chance.
 




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