Dennis Gates... He's my pick.

However was coach of the year both seasons. Cleveland State must have been a dumpster fire.
Very true. I’m not doubting the guy. I just want to know why a losing record head coach from a shitty conference is getting so much love.
 

Very true. I’m not doubting the guy. I just want to know why a losing record head coach from a shitty conference is getting so much love.
They had no scholarships due to recruiting violations by UNC, Kansas and Arizona. Frankly, he won the award for fielding a team at all!
 

They had no scholarships due to recruiting violations by UNC, Kansas and Arizona. Frankly, he won the award for fielding a team at all!
other schools cheated so he had no scholarships?
 


other schools cheated so he had no scholarships?
Are you unfamiliar with the widely known joke that the NCAA punishes Cleveland State for the sins of the Blue Bloods?
 


Old joke/quote from the 80/90's. The NCAA was so mad at Kentucky they put Cleveland State on probation. I can't remember which coach said it? Knight?

Pitino cobbled together a team and went 18-14 at FIU.He sucks here. Gates did it at Cleveland st. We want to go down this road again?
 

Old joke/quote from the 80/90's. The NCAA was so mad at Kentucky they put Cleveland State on probation.

I can't remember which coach said it? Knight?
I think you are correct sir. One of his better press conferences.
 






Not me. I'd take Smith over Gates all day and twice on Sunday. He's done it at multiple stops for a much longer time period.
1. Musselman
2. Smith
3. Dutcher
4. Moser
5. Field of people I don't know about

This is assuming Matta and Beilein are not possible.
 

1. Musselman
2. Smith
3. Dutcher
4. Moser
5. Field of people I don't know about

This is assuming Matta and Beilein are not possible.
Beilein
Musselman
Smith
Medved
Dutcher
Gates/Nagy/Grant/Miles
 

It kinda sucks that Musselman is doing so well and just snagged an awesome recruiter assistant and that Smith just got an extension.

Nothing is ever easy in Gold Country! (which just so happens to be owned by Jim Dutcher I believe)
 



Pitino cobbled together a team and went 18-14 at FIU.He sucks here. Gates did it at Cleveland st. We want to go down this road again?
I'm not thrilled about Gates but once again, bad comparison comparing him to Pitino. If you just want to look at one portion of the resume you are less than thrilled about that is fine, but repeating the same point (minimal HC experience) isn't really making your case.

PJ Fleck had a losing record after his first 3 years at WMU. Greg Gard didn't have HC experience. Matt Painter had 1 year of HC exp at Illinois St and Purdue hired him. Chris Holtmann was hired with a losing record at Butler after 3 years HC exp at Gardner Webb. It has been shown repeatedly that you don't need the HC exp to be successful.
 


Very true. I’m not doubting the guy. I just want to know why a losing record head coach from a shitty conference is getting so much love.
As was said: Fleck was 17-21 after first three seasons, and the MAC is one of the lowest FBS confs.

The only acceptable reason (in a basic sense) to hire Gates, would because you have a strong feeling that this is the right hire, like it was for Fleck.
 

I'm not thrilled about Gates but once again, bad comparison comparing him to Pitino. If you just want to look at one portion of the resume you are less than thrilled about that is fine, but repeating the same point (minimal HC experience) isn't really making your case.

PJ Fleck had a losing record after his first 3 years at WMU. Greg Gard didn't have HC experience. Matt Painter had 1 year of HC exp at Illinois St and Purdue hired him. Chris Holtmann was hired with a losing record at Butler after 3 years HC exp at Gardner Webb. It has been shown repeatedly that you don't need the HC exp to be successful.

For every guy you named who figured it out, 10 haven't. Are we taking 9% odds here? I guess if thats what we want but I think there are more established coaches to come in and turn this thing into a consistent winner. Maybe I'm wrong and Gates is the second coming.

Also, Fleck had a losing record after 3 years...then made a Cotton Bowl. Not like he was there and never won anything.
 

Got to look at the person making the selection as well. Would Coyle have hired Pitino? I doubt it. I would trust Coyle if he hired Gates. Can’t even compare one to the other.
 


Eric Musselman would be my number one choice but I doubt any chance.

I would take Gates in a heartbeat. To get a great coach the Gophers will have to take a chance. The bad news, If he's as good as we hope he, will only be around long enough to prove it anyway then he'll get hired away..

The Big Ten is just such a meat grinder of a league. To compete you have to be one of the best coaches in the country. I am not sure its a good place for guys to learn how to be a HC. I am beginning to wonder if Pitino would have stayed at an FIU for 5 years if he could have figured those things out? In the Big Ten there is no wiggle room, it is unforgiving when you have some of the best coaches in the country and toughest road venues to play in. I think its a bad situation to put an inexperienced HC in even if they have potential. I am pretty gun shy on doing another Pitino type hire, not that I think Gates can't be a great coach, but because the Big Ten is so unforgiving and early failure leads to all kinds of snowballing issues.
 

For every guy you named who figured it out, 10 haven't. Are we taking 9% odds here? I guess if thats what we want but I think there are more established coaches to come in and turn this thing into a consistent winner. Maybe I'm wrong and Gates is the second coming.

Also, Fleck had a losing record after 3 years...then made a Cotton Bowl. Not like he was there and never won anything.
Was Fleck a good recruiter/coach before the Cotton Bowl? yes or no? Ability isn't always directly reflected in results, same with everything in life.

Reality check is that the guys on here everyone wants, myself included, won't come here. Sweet odds--chances we get Beilein, Matta, Musselman, Mark Pope is probably .7%? We are going to end up hiring a coach with minimal HC experience, just watch
 

Also, Fleck had a losing record after 3 years...then made a Cotton Bowl. Not like he was there and never won anything.
i) Gates could go on a crazy run this month, we'll see (probably not, but you never know), ii) supposedly Coyle tried to hire Fleck after the 2015 season at Syracuse (that school wasn't on Fleck's list, so they got Dino Babers instead, who ironically to your point won the MAC while Fleck didn't even make the championship game that year).
 

Was Fleck a good recruiter/coach before the Cotton Bowl? yes or no? Ability isn't always directly reflected in results, same with everything in life.

Reality check is that the guys on here everyone wants, myself included, won't come here. Sweet odds--chances we get Beilein, Matta, Musselman, Mark Pope is probably .7%? We are going to end up hiring a coach with minimal HC experience, just watch

I don't disagree with you. Beilein isn't coming. Matta likely never coaches again. Muscleman is a pipe dream. I am allowed to play devils advocate. I have seen years of complaining about Pitino and this seems like a redux
 

i) Gates could go on a crazy run this month, we'll see (probably not, but you never know), ii) supposedly Coyle tried to hire Fleck after the 2015 season at Syracuse (that school wasn't on Fleck's list, so they got Dino Babers instead, who ironically to your point won the MAC while Fleck didn't even make the championship game that year).

I didn't say you can only hire conference champions and things. You're going off a supposedly, which is concrete evidence no doubt. I'll support whoever we hire. I just love that in 72 hours we went from Beilein/Musselman/Dutcher to named mid major coaches who haven't even had 4 years as a head coach. Crazy change just on here. Hopefully Coyle is more persistent and has some stick-to-itiveness (never written that word. Kinda a wild ride to be honest)
 

Got to look at the person making the selection as well. Would Coyle have hired Pitino? I doubt it. I would trust Coyle if he hired Gates. Can’t even compare one to the other.
He did give him a few extensions which in my mind means he at least rehired him. I personally won't go so fast and say that I trust the groundhog with this hire...
 


I don't know if there's any way to find this out, but how involved was Gates in recruiting at FSU? Did he just get in the door and Hamilton came in and closed the deal? If you want to play the chasing star ratings game, FSU has been pretty damn impressive over the past 10 years, signing 5 5-star recruits and 8 4-star recruits.
The Gophers had 4 4-stars during that time period.
 

I don't know if there's any way to find this out, but how involved was Gates in recruiting at FSU? Did he just get in the door and Hamilton came in and closed the deal? If you want to play the chasing star ratings game, FSU has been pretty damn impressive over the past 10 years, signing 5 5-star recruits and 8 4-star recruits.
The Gophers had 4 4-stars during that time period.

If you pay attention to the FSU video that was posted on Gates (and believe the current NBA players who attended FSU that Gates recruited), he was the main reason they ended up choosing to go there.
 

Granted, has anyone actually asked Gates if he wants to come here?? Maybe he likes his chances better at another P5 program? If he has a nice run, he might have some more offers.
 

I don't think anyone is saying they are exactly the same. They are saying Dennis Gates is risky because his resume is lacking for head coaching experience in the exact same way that Richard's was lacking.

They both had minimal experience at a lesser level for the EXACT JOB we would be hiring him for. Are they the exact same candidate? Of course not. Are there similarities when comparing the single most important kind of experience applicable for the job? Yep. In my opinion, Richard's failures were largely due to his inexperience as a Head Coach. He didn't come off as immature to me.

All of that said, I do like Dennis Gates. I like the way Cleveland State plays and he is really impressive in all of the videos. But make no mistake, we would be buying low on him. It's risky in a similar way to Richard being risky.
Roy Williams had exactly ZERO years as a head coach before taking over the University of Kansas and he was an assistant coach for exactly ONE school for 10 years. I am in no way comparing Gates to Williams, I didn’t even know he was a head coach at Cleveland State until reading this thread, but to say you can only be a long tenured head coach to be able to coach in the Big 10 isn’t right. Coyle have to find the best person he thinks is right for the job, be it Gates or someone else. I’m confident he will get that person.
 




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