Did MN really only offer 1.7 per year?

gopherbadgerman

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If so, shame on them. Should have blown Smart out of the water with a 2+ million a year offer. If that was the guy he wanted, make it a no doubter.
 


Illinois offered $2.5M, what makes you think that would work?

I don't believe that Illinois offered Smart $2.5 million.

As for Minnesota, my thinking was around $1.8 million would be about right, but that if they really really wanted him, they may go as high as the low-$2's (guaranteed money).

The $3 million talk was just goofy nonsense.
 


I've already moved on. Woulda been exciting, but havoc in the Big Ten might not work.
 





But if we were paying Tubby $2.5, why couldn't we offer that to Shaka?
 



Who knows, we may not be able to offer more than $1.8 million, mostly depends on what our boosters are offering up for a buyout, practice facility etc.
 


They didn't offer him. UCLA offered him. Woody made the call to see if Smart was getable. He wasn't. You're Shaka, you have an offer on the table from UCLA and interest from Minnesota. You dangle that in front of VCU and you walk away with a extension, base increase, and additional money for your ass't coaches, plus other incentives.
 

The winners and losers in this? Shaka, Tubby, and the next Gopher coach will all get nice checks. I just hope that the athletic departments are not spending more than they can afford to. Why couldn't we have gently nudged Tubby out without a buyout like Kentucky did? I would have been willing to wait another year or two to save the money.
 



If VCU only offered him $1.5 paying much over $1.7 would have been foolish. With all the money we're shelling out for buyouts I don't think the U can afford to be overpaying anybody.
 




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