Donation page to buyout Pitino - Fire Him!

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MRJ said:
Certainly followed that strategy with men's hockey. Seems intent on doing the same with men's basketball.
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Why then, was he so eager to can a guy who just won 9 games, including a bowl game, to get "his guy" in football?

Not a gotcha question. Just wondering out loud.

Why was he so eager in football, but the rest of the sports he's so casual?
 


Bad Gopher said:
The whole situation with Sam Freeman is clear malpractice.
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Can't see Freeman not transferring with the two bigs coming in next year and Robbins most likely returning.

Odds of him staying should be higher if we fire Pitino, really. What has Richard done for him?
 

MplsGopher said:
Why then, was he so eager to can a guy who just won 9 games, including a bowl game, to get "his guy" in football?

Not a gotcha question. Just wondering out loud.

Why was he so eager in football, but the rest of the sports he's so casual?
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I think he's willing to wait and get his homerun hires and do it being financially reasonable. Cleays was basically an interim coach (Filling the gap with new AD) that had things blow up and gave the AD the chance to make the splash hire in the most important program in the department.

I believe Pitino was out last year if not for COVID. I don't think he can afford to keep him after this year. You have to have excitement an fill seats next season.
 


MplsGopher said:
Why then, was he so eager to can a guy who just won 9 games, including a bowl game, to get "his guy" in football?

Not a gotcha question. Just wondering out loud.

Why was he so eager in football, but the rest of the sports he's so casual?
Click to expand...

I don't think firing Claeys was Coyle's idea. I think that came from above and it was a warning shot to remind coaches of who is the boss. Notice that Pitino didn't say a word when Reggie was suspended and a promising year went down the drain. I think some GH fans tend to forget that people like ADs aren't at the top of the totem pole. They still have to take orders from above.
 

MplsGopher said:
Why then, was he so eager to can a guy who just won 9 games, including a bowl game, to get "his guy" in football?

Not a gotcha question. Just wondering out loud.

Why was he so eager in football, but the rest of the sports he's so casual?
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Because Fleck was the next big thing out there and Coyle probably knew he could get him. Guys like Fleck don't come along that often who can literally transform your whole program IMO and that's what football and the U Athletics needed, otherwise why waste the $$$ building all the new facilites.

I was dumfounded when I read about Fleck in a six page center article in SI about (his last year when they were undefeated and dueled the Badgers in their bowl game), his unique style and results - I remember thinking that is the guy we should hire.

Change the culture of mediocrity around here and start demanding winning and team ball - pass it early and often. Hire a bucket Fleck and watch the players come streaming in here.
 

Gopher_In_NYC said:
Because Fleck was the next big thing out there and Coyle probably knew he could get him. Guys like Fleck don't come along that often who can literally transform your whole program IMO and that's what football and the U Athletics needed, otherwise why waste the $$$ building all the new facilites.

I was dumfounded when I read about Fleck in a six page center article in SI about (his last year when they were undefeated and dueled the Badgers in their bowl game), his unique style and results - I remember thinking that is the guy we should hire.

Change the culture of mediocrity around here and start demanding winning and team ball - pass it early and often. Hire a bucket Fleck and watch the players come streaming in here.
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I'd have him(Fleck) on any hiring committee if he was willing, for the next basketball coach. Granted he knows nothing about basketball, but if the U was smart they would use all the tools in their arsenal.
 

MplsGopher said:
Why then, was he so eager to can a guy who just won 9 games, including a bowl game, to get "his guy" in football?

Not a gotcha question. Just wondering out loud.

Why was he so eager in football, but the rest of the sports he's so casual?
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No worries since I didn't mention football in my original post.

I would guess it's because of the public fallout from the whole player boycott. Was he thinking of canning Claeys before that? I don't know, I'm not a mind reader. But I have a feeling even if he was, Claeys made the decision extremely easy for Coyle after he supported the player boycott. The last straw, if you will.

I've always been amazed by folks who thought Claeys should have been kept on after his very public undermining of his boss. That's going to get you fired 99 percent of the time. And it gave Coyle the perfect ammunition to do it. Plus, the money and public attention football generates probably played a role.

I've also always felt Coyle let his friendship with Don Lucia get in the way of what was best for the program. By the time Lucia left, the program was totally irrelevant, folks stopped to going to games and the alumni were pissed. And now Bob Motzko is trying to get them back towards the top.

I kinda get the same sense with Pitino. I know he likes Richard as a person, but we've been down the road with Coyle and a coach he personally likes before and it led to a completely apathetic program that needed to be rebuilt.
 



Go Gophs said:
I'd have him(Fleck) on any hiring committee if he was willing, for the next basketball coach. Granted he knows nothing about basketball, but if the U was smart they would use all the tools in their arsenal.
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Great point about him being on a hiring committee.

SIdebar: until he got a late scholly offer from NIU, his plan was to be a bucket walk-on at Sconny - he was an all-stater as a senior in Ill.
 

I walked 11 miles so my pledges owe their per mile pledge x 11. Venmo me and I’ll send it to Coyle.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
I think he's willing to wait and get his homerun hires and do it being financially reasonable. Cleays was basically an interim coach (Filling the gap with new AD) that had things blow up and gave the AD the chance to make the splash hire in the most important program in the department.

I believe Pitino was out last year if not for COVID. I don't think he can afford to keep him after this year. You have to have excitement an fill seats next season.
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And Because Claeys was turning the athletics department into a national sideshow with the way he handled media and his players post scandal.

If Pitino was on outside the lines every day he would already be gone
 




cjbfbp said:
I don't think firing Claeys was Coyle's idea. I think that came from above and it was a warning shot to remind coaches of who is the boss.
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Interesting idea. Could certainly be true.

My wild guess has always been that Coyle wanted Fleck really bad and saw Claeys' Tweet with the sex scandal as his excuse to push him out and get Fleck here to Minnesota.

I would have to Google it to be sure, but I'm pretty sure Coyle tried to hire Fleck to Syracuse after the 2015 season, but Fleck turned him down, so he got Dino Babers instead. Then a year later Coyle comes to Minnesota, Fleck has an even better year, and Minnesota is a school that Fleck is a yes on. Bada boom.

Granted, both these things can be true.

cjbfbp said:
Notice that Pitino didn't say a word when Reggie was suspended and a promising year went down the drain. I think some GH fans tend to forget that people like ADs aren't at the top of the totem pole. They still have to take orders from above.
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Certainly they still take orders. But a university president is a very busy person, with athletics just being one (potentially relatively small) silo in a big farm field of silos that they have to stay on top of.

Don't get me wrong, I could easily believe that Kaler said "you have my blessing to fire him and hire a new coach, if that is what you think is best for the program in the long run".
 

MRJ said:
No worries since I didn't mention football in my original post.

I would guess it's because of the public fallout from the whole player boycott. Was he thinking of canning Claeys before that? I don't know, I'm not a mind reader. But I have a feeling even if he was, Claeys made the decision extremely easy for Coyle after he supported the player boycott. The last straw, if you will.

I've always been amazed by folks who thought Claeys should have been kept on after his very public undermining of his boss. That's going to get you fired 99 percent of the time. And it gave Coyle the perfect ammunition to do it. Plus, the money and public attention football generates probably played a role.

I've also always felt Coyle let his friendship with Don Lucia get in the way of what was best for the program. By the time Lucia left, the program was totally irrelevant, folks stopped to going to games and the alumni were pissed. And now Bob Motzko is trying to get them back towards the top.

I kinda get the same sense with Pitino. I know he likes Richard as a person, but we've been down the road with Coyle and a coach he personally likes before and it led to a completely apathetic program that needed to be rebuilt.
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Another interesting take. Indeed, perhaps Coyle just got/gets along really well with Lucia and Pitino, and perhaps he really clashed with Claeys personality?
 

MplsGopher said:
Another interesting take. Indeed, perhaps Coyle just got/gets along really well with Lucia and Pitino, and perhaps he really clashed with Claeys personality?
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Could very well be. It's hard to know for sure, but I wouldn't be at all surprised. It was well known how much he liked Lucia and he seems to like Richard. As for how he personally felt about Claeys? I have no idea...
 

Bad Gopher said:
The whole situation with Sam Freeman is clear malpractice.
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I don't understand the strategy of developing freshman so little, that, when said player returns for his sophomore season, he is still a freshman development wise! That makes no sense unless said player is redshirted. I don't even know the name of our 4 star freshman! I remember seeing him play one game and he hits couple of threes and looked quite capable. It is not that difficult. Give the freshman a couple of minutes in all games. Helps the freshman get used to the college game and helps the team for the future and present. Allows the player to gain experience and allows starters rest, extra fouls to give and maybe the freshman can contribute. Hard to watch the coaching strategies of this coach. I tried!
 

I'll say this: Ed Conroy is not without ability and experience. If you cut bait on Pitino now, there's a chance that Ed could inject a missing element into this and get the team to finish strong. That could at least make it more interesting for the fans than it has been lately, which has been demoralizing and embarrassing.

What's the worst that can happen if you make this move? They continue to play poorly and inconsistently? I feel like that's what's likely if we play this thing out with Pitino. You can't tell me that the football team wouldn't have finished with a flourish if they wouldn't have fired Brewster during the season. Those wins under Horton are among my fond memories in recent years in Gopher football.
 
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Bad Gopher said:
I'll say this: Ed Conroy is not without ability and experience. If you cut bait on Pitino now, there's a chance that Ed could inject a missing element into this and get the team to finish strong. That could at least make it more interesting for the fans than it has been lately, which has been demoralizing and embarrassing.

What's the worst that can happen if you make this move? They continue to play poorly and inconsistently? I feel like that's what's likely if we play this thing out with Pitino. You can't tell me that the football team wouldn't have finished with a flourish if they wouldn't have fired Brewster during the season. Those wins under Horton are among my fond memories in recent years. In Gopher football.
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I like it. Coyle should have fired Richard in the locker room at half yesterday.
 


Locker room firings never happen, save for Mike Tice. A Monday morning press conference will suffice.
 

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