Furthermore, "...Ryan stressed he wasn't leaving the players after six months, but rather that he got an extra six months with them for staying on this long." I've had quite a few harsh words about Bo over the years, but I can't criticize the timing of his exit. Avoiding his first lower-division finish might be one of a number of reasons why, but it's not the primary one.
I admit that this is bittersweet. Sweet because it seemingly removes a major obstacle to Gopher success, including recruiting this state. Bitter because Wisconsin hasn't really been Minnesota's problem; Minnesota has been Minnesota's problem. If anything, a program like Bo's Badgers should make us better by presenting a constant challenge and providing a template for success. If we can't up our game under that circumstance, why do we think we will now?
The other bitterness is that I take pride in my alma mater playing in the best and best coached conference in the nation. I would want it to be no other way. I have loved that we face the best two times a week in the winter, and that includes the best coaches. This will degrade that to an extent. There will not be another Bo at Wisconsin.
Ryan is simply a fantastic coach, a downright amazing teacher of winning basketball and developer of players. Unlike most people, I've enjoyed watching his teams play, including - I'm serious - on offense. He found a way to do it sustainably for 31+ years without burning out or losing effectiveness (e.g. Knight, Smith). The game never passed him by. That's cool to see in any profession.
I understand why Alvarez would want to go outside the program for the next coach. That's where they got Bennett and Ryan after all. I'm sure Dick would have preferred Soderberg get the job after him, and he would have been good but not great. Even great coaches turn out to be poor evaluators in picking their successor (e.g. Grant/Steckel). But Gard deserves his shot; we'll see how much of one he gets.
