Coaching Changes says source they trust: Muss already sending 3rd party inquiries to Minnesota and ASU as well as several less realistic spots

[stocker08]

For the lurkers like me who hop on here for a laugh every once in awhile, we have people wishing we would have hung onto a coach with a .360 winning percentage in the conference that finished his 8th season in charge 6-14. A conference that year that had just one team make it to the second weekend of the tournament. These people longing for the days of inefficient shooting, 20-30 point blowouts and running the team’s guards into the ground to the point they’d be running on E down the stretch and into March (which he’s still doing at New Mexico). With checks notes, Treyton Thompson committed who’s now coming off the bench for the mighty Stetson Hatters and Kenny Pohto who’s an inefficient post for a mediocre Wichita State team.

Johnson will likely pass Pitino’s year 8 conference record in year 3 leaning heavily into a group of underclassmen. Pretty much everyone of real value on this team will be returning and they’ll add a top 10 high school guard to the mix. A team with an assist/turnover rate comparable to Purdue, no, take me back to the days of hero ball. Something is off about a coach that doesn’t have multiple players that have had run ins with the police and post explicit videos on social media.

A first time head coach particularly starting at this level with the cupboard as bare as it was would naturally have growing pains but in year 3 has a team that is showing promise. How many fan bases would be so desperate to run an alum off in that position? How much of the angst is about basketball and how much of it is political conspiracies that have absorbed some posters lives?

I would like to reply to this, but I don’t know that I can stoop that low? But iI will say that the ulterior motive boogeyman does not lurk behind every decision!

Unfortunately to say.....there is a contingent of gopherholers who hated this hire right from the get go. And some of them have convinced themselves that the only reason Coyle went this route is because it was a diversity hire.....which is silly. Now to see some of them wishing we had Pitino back? Absolute insanity.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Very liberal or very partisan? Those two terms frequently don't mean the same thing. I do agree that there is a mix of political persuasions among the supporters and opponents.

I just mean that his supporters and detractors seem to seem to be spread across the political spectrum.

 

[golfing18now]

I would like to reply to this, but I don’t know that I can stoop that low? But iI will say that the ulterior motive boogeyman does not lurk behind every decision!

Nor does an "ulterior motive boogeyman" lurk behind the motivation for some posters wanting a change at the head coach position as was suggested in a post you liked above.

 

[golfing18now]

Unfortunately to say.....there is a contingent of gopherholers who hated this hire right from the get go. And some of them have convinced themselves that the only reason Coyle went this route is because it was a diversity hire.....which is silly. Now to see some of them wishing we had Pitino back? Absolute insanity.

You are right that many of us hated the hire from the get go. Whether it was a diversity hire, a massive overplay of the local angle, or something else....it wasn't about his resume. They had hired a lottery ticket with the previous hire and then went with a bigger lottery ticket. It was a massive reach. Not to say it can't work out, but that was the source of frustration.

 

[howeda7]

I don't get the sense that many people think of Muss as "one of us." However, many of us are hoping there's enough of a loose connection that he's the rare established coach who might actually consider coming here at a price we could (or would) pay. I doubt it, but we can hope.

It's easy to let recency bias cloud the fact that this can still be a good job. This rumor had Arizona State as another option. Weather aside, I'd rather take the Minnesota job than try to get ASU competitive in the new Big 12.

 

[bga1]

I don't think a new coach - no matter what his name is - makes much of an impact on attendance.

If our attendance was good- you would be correct. A change like this would bring in 3000 more season tickets because we are so far down right now.

When we hired Tubby attendance was at 10,900. The first year of Tubby it was 12,400 and by the second year it was over 13,000. What are we at now- 8000?

MN fans think the product being offered is not worth the cost of tickets and seat donations. Yes, winning more will help some - but it doesn't change the cost of attending a game (including parking, etc). to really make a difference in attendance without changing ticket prices, a new coach would have to come in and win big. and by big, I mean contending for a conference title, contending in the conference tournament, and making an NCAA tournament run.

maybe Musselman is a good enough coach to pull that off at MN. but it's not going to happen overnight unless Muss brings along enough NIL to buy himself a new roster.

NIL $$ will come in when the big boys think winning might be possible. People with money don't like sending good money after bad losses. A Musselman hire would signal a commitment and a real shot at winning- so NIL money would come with him.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

FWIW - this story is being kicked around on some Arkansas media outlets and fan sites. some chatter that Muss may not be happy with aspects of his contract.

having said that - even if the OP is accurate and Musselman is looking at options - the question is whether Coyle would be willing to fire Johnson to bring in Musselman, especially when Muss would probably want a much bigger salary than Johnson is receiving. Muss is currently making roughly $4.2-mill at Arkansas.

people act like Musselman is "one of us" because he was 7-to-10 years old when his Dad coached the Gophers - and later on he was an assistant coach under his dad with the T-Wolves for one season. he's 59 years old and spent 5 years of his life in MN.

IIRC his wife said she’d never live here - I believe that was bandied about after Pitino’s firing due to the weather and possibly inane posters on GH.

 

[TwistingMyMelon]

I just mean that his supporters and detractors seem to seem to be spread across the political spectrum.

I knew the intent of the post and I agreed with it. I just believe one has to be careful when ascribing ideological positions (especially when adding the word "very") to partisan identification. Today's partisan alignment has more to do with who and what one opposes than ideological preferences.

 

[howeda7]

IIRC his wife said she’d never live here - I believe that was bandied about after Pitino’s firing due to the weather and possibly inane posters on GH.

Perhaps you're thinking of Terry Holland's wife. There was also a rumor that Muss basically inquired to find out if MN would be open before he accepted the Arkansas job. I seriously doubt the weather is a deciding factor.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

Perhaps you're thinking of Terry Holland's wife. There was also a rumor that Muss basically inquired to find out if MN would be open before he accepted the Arkansas job. I seriously doubt the weather is a deciding factor.

I’ve never lusted after Mrs.Holland

Why would you assume that about the weather btw and her?

 

[Holy Man]

For the lurkers like me who hop on here for a laugh every once in awhile, we have people wishing we would have hung onto a coach with a .360 winning percentage in the conference that finished his 8th season in charge 6-14. A conference that year that had just one team make it to the second weekend of the tournament. These people longing for the days of inefficient shooting, 20-30 point blowouts and running the team’s guards into the ground to the point they’d be running on E down the stretch and into March (which he’s still doing at New Mexico). With checks notes, Treyton Thompson committed who’s now coming off the bench for the mighty Stetson Hatters and Kenny Pohto who’s an inefficient post for a mediocre Wichita State team.

Johnson will likely pass Pitino’s year 8 conference record in year 3 leaning heavily into a group of underclassmen. Pretty much everyone of real value on this team will be returning and they’ll add a top 10 high school guard to the mix. A team with an assist/turnover rate comparable to Purdue, no, take me back to the days of hero ball. Something is off about a coach that doesn’t have multiple players that have had run ins with the police and post explicit videos on social media.

A first time head coach particularly starting at this level with the cupboard as bare as it was would naturally have growing pains but in year 3 has a team that is showing promise. How many fan bases would be so desperate to run an alum off in that position? How much of the angst is about basketball and how much of it is political conspiracies that have absorbed some posters lives?

The bolded is an assumption that has no basis in any experience. Each and every year in recent memory we have had players leave we didn't anticipate, including significant contributors. We have no idea who is recruiting our better players on the down low, and potentially offering significant NIL money. There is no way we can safely assume that "everyone of real value will be returning."

 

[Bad Gopher]

I would like to reply to this, but I don’t know that I can stoop that low? But iI will say that the ulterior motive boogeyman does not lurk behind every decision!

I've been the one who's skeptically questioned this narrative, which has been entirely speculation up to this point. I need to see more than circumstantial evidence in order to buy that this is how things went down. That said, if I needed to bet my life, I'd have to guess it was something like this.

 

[MonikerSchmoniker45]

What's up with Arkansas's squad this year? Injuries?

 

[HitMeAgainIAmStillMoving]

Hiring Muss is as likely as Flip being in the pregame warm up show.

 

[Gophers7633]

What's up with Arkansas's squad this year? Injuries?

Losing 4 guys early to the draft is hard to replace, even in the portal era. Portal players have missed for the most part, and their returning players have kind of plateaued. E8, E8 and S16 is a heck of a run though.

 

[Bad Gopher]

Losing 4 guys early to the draft is hard to replace, even in the portal era. Portal players have missed for the most part, and their returning players have kind of plateaued. E8, E8 and S16 is a heck of a run though.

A down year doesn't change that he's one of the best in the business. If Arkansas makes a mistake and some other school is the beneficiary...

 

[Gophers7633]

A down year doesn't change that he's one of the best in the business. If Arkansas makes a mistake and some other school is the beneficiary...

Oh yeah for sure. He's been wildly successful as a college coach. Even what he did at Nevada was really good.

 

[kix4kix]

Immediate Hire, instant credibility

 

[WindyCityGopher]

I know. But I'm saying who cares? Muss may color in the gray area but there really isn't any anymore. Unless he's personally procuring hookers and booze for players or something just do it.

That hasn't kept Rick Pitino from getting jobs at other schools (not saying the U would take him), so I think we might need a lower floor.

 

[Bad Gopher]

That hasn't kept Rick Pitino from getting jobs at other schools (not saying the U would take him), so I think we might need a lower floor.

Catholic schools, no less!

 

[howeda7]

I’ve never lusted after Mrs.Holland

Why would you assume that about the weather btw and her?

Why else would she refuse to live in MN? She hates hotdish?

 

[WindyCityGopher]

Judge ruled that Univ. Of Illinois couldn’t suspend Shannon, but Underwood as coach could have. Shockingly, chose not to.

Man whose job and multi-million dollar salary depend on winning elects not to suspend person who can help him win. That tracks.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

Why else would she refuse to live in MN? She hates hotdish?

No comments regarding inane posters.

My poorly question is why do you think that weather won’t be a deciding factor for the Muss family?

Happy wife, happy life, last time I checked.

Danyelle Sergeant-Muss is an FSU grad who started her broadcasting career in Georgia.

If he’s on the move, he’ll have other/better options IMO.

Lastly, if you’ve never left the friendly confines of the Land of 10K Rakes - you literally have no idea what you’re missing

 

[stocker08]

Losing 4 guys early to the draft is hard to replace, even in the portal era. Portal players have missed for the most part, and their returning players have kind of plateaued. E8, E8 and S16 is a heck of a run though.

Could have sworn that the narrative was.....restocking through the portal is easy. Maybe it's tougher to replace four players than an entire roster?

 

[howeda7]

No comments regarding inane posters.

My poorly question is why do you think that weather won’t be a deciding factor for the Muss family?

Happy wife, happy life, last time I checked.

Danyelle Sergeant-Muss is an FSU grad who started her broadcasting career in Georgia.

Lastly, if you’ve never left the friendly confines of the Land of Rakes - you literally have no idea what you’re missing

It can be, I just don't think it is very often. They were coming from Reno NV at the time. Not exactly South Beach. Neither is Little Rock.

Every coach and their wife "love it there!" wherever they are. At $4-5 million/year the wife can be wherever she likes during the winter. We always here this about free agents for the pro teams too, but the Vikings never have any trouble. It's almost always about the $$ and the job itself.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

It can be, I just don't think it is very often. They were coming from Reno NV at the time. Not exactly South Beach. Neither is Little Rock.

Again sounds like you’ve never lived anywhere else - those environs are significantly warmer than MN.

Every coach and their wife "love it there!" wherever they are. At $4-5 million/year the wife can be wherever she likes during the winter. We always hear this about free agents for the pro teams too, but the Vikings never have any trouble. It's almost always about the $$ and the job itself.

They have a teenage daughter, being apart is not being happily married, especially with a kid involved.

Thus is likely a plant by his agent, as his contract is up and a bidding war needs two to tangle.

Lastly, there’s never been any documented evidence to my knowledge that he wants to come here; the provincial yammering on GH, are charming, like when I see tourists stare at the them big buildings in NYC.

 

[howeda7]

Again sounds like you’ve never lived anywhere else - those environs are significantly warmer than MN.

Wrong. I've even lived further south than Little Rock. Yes, they are warmer. Still unlikely to turn down a job over it.

They have a teenage daughter, being apart is not being happily married, especially with a kid involved.

Thus is likely a plant by his agent, as his contract is up and a bidding war needs two to tangle.

Lastly, there’s never been any documented evidence to my knowledge that he wants to come here; the provincial yammering on GH, are charming, like when I see tourists stare at the them big buildings in NYC.

No one has said his coming is likely. I'm just not buying your reasons why. Arkansas can match whatever MN would pay if they want and then some probably.

Mrs. Holland was the exception to the rule. But they had lived in Charlottesville for like 20 years and he'd been retired from coaching for 10. She probably (rightly) thought he was crazy for wanting to off to MN and clean up Clem's mess in addition to her cold weather aversion.

 

[Gophers7633]

Could have sworn that the narrative was.....restocking through the portal is easy. Maybe it's tougher to replace four players than an entire roster?

It's easier. Look at all the 1st and 2nd year coaches that have had major success. Our coach just can't for whatever reason. Look at Muss's E8 teams. Arkansas went from 18-16 to E8 in 2 years under Muss in large part because of the portal.

 

[Gophers7633]

Again sounds like you’ve never lived anywhere else - those environs are significantly warmer than MN.

They have a teenage daughter, being apart is not being happily married, especially with a kid involved.

Thus is likely a plant by his agent, as his contract is up and a bidding war needs two to tangle.

Lastly, there’s never been any documented evidence to my knowledge that he wants to come here; the provincial yammering on GH, are charming, like when I see tourists stare at the them big buildings in NYC.

His contract goes through 2028.

 

[Johnnyboy18]

It's easier. Look at all the 1st and 2nd year coaches that have had major success. Our coach just can't for whatever reason. Look at Muss's E8 teams. Arkansas went from 18-16 to E8 in 2 years under Muss in large part because of the portal.

There's far more that aren't having success because entire teams can leave.