Commentary: Welcome, Coach Pitino. Do better here than at your last stop.

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per Randy:

The concern is that the University of New Mexico needs so, so, so very badly for this to work, yet hires a 38-year-old coach cast off by another school because it didn’t.

And it’s not just Richard Pitino’s 54-96 record in conference play with only three finishes higher than 10th place over eight seasons in the rugged Big Ten. (Disclaimer: The Big Ten has 14 teams now, not just 10. Don’t freak out or, as one reader threatened, move to Las Cruces in panicked frustration.)

But those “back of the baseball card” numbers certainly aren’t great.

It left Nuñez on Tuesday making the media rounds and, at times, going on defense. Pitino assured Nuñez, the AD said, that he has learned from his mistakes – mainly that he didn’t develop enough depth on his lesser teams to offset injuries, which happen at every program, everywhere.

www.abqjournal.com

Commentary: Welcome, Coach Pitino. Do better here than at your last stop.

So on this day we welcome Richard Pitino to the state of New Mexico. Let's do our best, as best as s ...
www.abqjournal.com www.abqjournal.com

Go Gophers!!
 

Pitino needed a stop or some years before the Big Ten. He will do well at a mid major.
 

I think he'll elevate the Lobos, but depending on who from the Mountain West moves on or moves up, he's still going nose to nose with some really good coaches: Dutcher, Smith, Medved, Rice. He's going to have to up his game big time to contend for that conference title or make the NCAAs as an at-large.
 


LesBolstad said:
I don't think Richard has the "it" factor to be consistently successful at any D1 school.
He's not a particularly good recruiter and he's and awful bench coach that does little to instill confidence in his payers.
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I tend to align more closely with your view than the views of the optimists. One thing he does well: public relations. That can go a long way, at least for a few years.
 


UpAndUnder43 said:
Pitino needed a stop or some years before the Big Ten. He will do well at a mid major.
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Why do you think that? I'm not being argumentative I just don't see him as a particularly good bench coach. Mid-major is still a really high level.

Maybe he'll be able to get some recruits to a mid-major on name alone.
 

cjbfbp said:
I tend to align more closely with your view than the views of the optimists. One thing he does well: public relations. That can go a long way, at least for a few years.
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Is Good public relations the ability to explain away why you’re not successful? 🤔
 

Pitino assured Nuñez, the AD said, that he has learned from his mistakes – mainly that he didn’t develop enough depth on his lesser teams to offset injuries
True, but, think it could be worded just a little differently.

mainly that he didn’t develop enough depth on his teams
 

The message is the leash at NM is shorter than it was in MN.
 




fan of Ray Williams said:
Pitino assured Nuñez, the AD said, that he has learned from his mistakes – mainly that he didn’t develop enough depth on his lesser teams to offset injuries
True, but, think it could be worded just a little differently.

mainly that he didn’t develop enough depth on his teams
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Lack of development about says it.
 

It will be interesting if Pitino gets a NM team to the NCAA tournament sooner than his replacement at Minnesota. Could happen.
 

Bad Gopher said:
I think he'll elevate the Lobos, but depending on who from the Mountain West moves on or moves up, he's still going nose to nose with some really good coaches: Dutcher, Smith, Medved, Rice. He's going to have to up his game big time to contend for that conference title or make the NCAAs as an at-large.
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That won’t be hard based on this year. For all the adversity teams have experienced, objectively the Lobos had the most, not even being able to practice on their own campus and playing home games a state away in Texas. They were understandably terrible.

I do think his key to success will be putting a staff together that is both competent and loyal. It hasn’t gotten the play here that it deserves but the coaching turnover in his tenure was devastating. Starting over every few years had to be brutal in recruiting. Needs to get a couple of specialists on both O and D. I will predict that if he has the staff turnover there that he had here he will not succeed.
 



Holy Man said:
That won’t be hard based on this year. For all the adversity teams have experienced, objectively the Lobos had the most, not even being able to practice on their own campus and playing home games a state away in Texas. They were understandably terrible.

I do think his key to success will be putting a staff together that is both competent and loyal. It hasn’t gotten the play here that it deserves but the coaching turnover in his tenure was devastating. Starting over every few years had to be brutal in recruiting. Needs to get a couple of specialists on both O and D. I will predict that if he has the staff turnover there that he had here he will not succeed.
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I feel like he, Tubby and Monson ALL could've put together better staffs. Monson's first staff was literally the groomsmen from his wedding. Tubby got his old band back together.
 

Bad Gopher said:
I feel like he, Tubby and Monson ALL could've put together better staffs. Monson's first staff was literally the groomsmen from his wedding. Tubby got his old band back together.
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Drifting from topic but I don’t know anything about staffs of guys Coyle is looking at. Especially with Smith who has been around a while I wonder if he has an assistant or two with him the whole time . Important issue, I think .
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
Why do you think that? I'm not being argumentative I just don't see him as a particularly good bench coach. Mid-major is still a really high level.

Maybe he'll be able to get some recruits to a mid-major on name alone.
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I think a lot of coaches learn on the job. Basically all of them. He was playing checkers, a lot of coaches played chess in the bog ten. Never established an identity or anything. I think he was chasing what others did instead of being confident in what he knows. Most mid major coaches have an established style before taking a P6 head job. He didn’t. Obviously.
 

UpAndUnder43 said:
I think a lot of coaches learn on the job. Basically all of them. He was playing checkers, a lot of coaches played chess in the bog ten. Never established an identity or anything. I think he was chasing what others did instead of being confident in what he knows. Most mid major coaches have an established style before taking a P6 head job. He didn’t. Obviously.
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I remember the interview with Cheryl Reeve where she said that when she got her first head-coaching job, she didn't know what the heck she was doing. I think Richard was wise when he called his dad and asked whether it was actually a good idea to take this job. It was an awfully big leap and, as it turned out, probably too much too soon.

John Beilein started as a middle school coach. Damian Johnson is getting his start at the high school level. It would've been better for Whalen to begin head coaching at a lower level, but, when Mark Coyle calls, what do you say?
 

Bad Gopher said:
I think he'll elevate the Lobos, but depending on who from the Mountain West moves on or moves up, he's still going nose to nose with some really good coaches: Dutcher, Smith, Medved, Rice. He's going to have to up his game big time to contend for that conference title or make the NCAAs as an at-large.
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Heck Wyoming's got a pretty good coach now.
 

Bad Gopher said:
I feel like he, Tubby and Monson ALL could've put together better staffs. Monson's first staff was literally the groomsmen from his wedding. Tubby got his old band back together.
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Yeah, how come Mark Few didn’t come along with Monson? I hate everything.
 


I think it would be a good move for Pitino to find (or dad to help him find) an older guy - maybe a former D1 head coach - to be his "bench coach." someone to help him strategize and work through situations. Then get a couple of younger, aggressive guys to be his primary recruiters. Richard can handle the media and PR and schmooze the boosters. He just has to be willing to accept more help on the actual X's and O's of coaching.
 

Bad Gopher said:
I remember the interview with Cheryl Reeve where she said that when she got her first head-coaching job, she didn't know what the heck she was doing. I think Richard was wise when he called his dad and asked whether it was actually a good idea to take this job. It was an awfully big leap and, as it turned out, probably too much too soon.

John Beilein started as a middle school coach. Damian Johnson is getting his start at the high school level. It would've been better for Whalen to begin head coaching at a lower level, but, when Mark Coyle calls, what do you say?
Click to expand...
I will NEVER blame someone for taking a job offered to them even if they are not qualified. Not Pitino’s fault that Teague offered him a ton of money to do a job he wasn’t qualified for. If someone offers me 3-4x what I make and I’m not qualified I’m taking that job immediately.
 

Bad Gopher said:
I think he'll elevate the Lobos, but depending on who from the Mountain West moves on or moves up, he's still going nose to nose with some really good coaches: Dutcher, Smith, Medved, Rice. He's going to have to up his game big time to contend for that conference title or make the NCAAs as an at-large.
Click to expand...
Good chance 2-3 of those guys are gone from their current jobs in a year or two.
 

I really think Pitino knows basketball very well, he knows how to scout, make game plans and coach. At times he showed his talents and was successful in beating some very good coaches, exploiting team’s weaknesses. He also has done a very good job of developing some players. I think he has the tools to be a very good coach, but I just think he didn’t do all of those things consistently. I do not know if it was from a lack of effort, lack of priorities, confusion from being at too high of competition, etc.. He just had too many times where he wasn’t prepared for the situation and his players were just lost and overmatched.

Hopefully, for his sake, a fresh start will allow him to reset and build an identity for his program.
 

Holy Man said:
I do think his key to success will be putting a staff together that is both competent and loyal. It hasn’t gotten the play here that it deserves but the coaching turnover in his tenure was devastating. Starting over every few years had to be brutal in recruiting. Needs to get a couple of specialists on both O and D. I will predict that if he has the staff turnover there that he had here he will not succeed.
Click to expand...
I think you hit on one of his major weaknesses. That begs the question of why so much turn-over with his staff. I'd guess it wasn't money.
 


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