Interesting read: At what point will schools realize who can and cannot be hired away

[BleedGopher]

per Gary Parrish:

I've broached this topic before, but it's worth revisiting now that another year of coaching changes is approaching its final weeks (as long as no college coach jumps to the NBA, of course). Though 28 new head coaches have been hired since the end of the regular season, only three men who could reasonably be called established coaches at top-50 programs have voluntarily left their jobs for other jobs: Buzz Williams, Cuonzo Martin and Frank Haith.

That's it.

There are only three. And the wild thing is that three is actually a high number because in 2013 there was only one (Steve Alford), in 2012 there were only two (Frank Martin and Trent Johnson), and in 2011 there was only one (Mike Anderson), and every example of this -- i.e., an example of a coach at a top-50 program voluntarily leaving -- was laced with unique circumstances that made the coaches reasonably available to the programs pursuing them.

Only seven coaches of top-50 programs have voluntarily changed jobs in the past four years, and every one of them was either running from a person, from a situation, to home or to Westwood. There are no exceptions, which means ADs are almost certainly wasting their time each time they pursue a comfortable and well-compensated coach from a top-50 program unless said AD happens to work at North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, Texas, Ohio State, Louisville, Florida, UCLA or a similar elite program with inherent advantages. And, it should be noted, even UK and UCLA have been turned down in recent years.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebas...ools-realize-who-can-and-cannot-be-hired-away

Go Gophers!!

 

[bemidjigopher]

So in 2013 we weren't a top 50 program?

 

[BleedGopher]

So in 2013 we weren't a top 50 program?

Tubby was fired by us. This article is talking about ADs hiring HCs from existing jobs.

Go Gophers!!

 

[anonymous]

Bleed, you and I have talked about this exact topic. It has become harder and harder for a non-elite, power conference school to hire a college basketball coach.

Because the so-called mid-majors are paying seven figures, you can't just throw money at guys and assume they will come. These guys have more choices than ever. And one of the choices is staying where they like you and where they are paying you a lot of money instead of taking a job where you will be fired in a few years.

Honestly I think guys like Mark Few, Brad Stevens, Shaka, Gregg Marshall, etc., look at the Dan Monson era at Minnesota as a warning sign. Dan took the job, largely, because of the huge pay increase. He had no ties to the area, struggled and was ultimately fired. Now he's at a job that is worse than the job he had before the Gophers.

This trend does impact the Gophers in that my guess is that several schools will attempt to pry young Pitino away from Minneapolis. Because he has had a very mobile career and because there isn't a natural tie to Minnesota, I think there are ADs and search firms who will think he is a candidate they can pluck away. And while he doesn't have a long resume as a head coach, it certainly seems like he knows what he is doing (he did more than I thought he would this year with the roster he had) and he has an intriguing name.

I think it is going to be very interesting to see what both Tennessee and Missouri end up doing. Both jobs are good, but not great. I think both jobs are slightly better than the Minnesota job. Tennessee hated Martin in the middle of what turned into a Sweet 16 season. Frank Haith has won something like 76 games over the past three years and that wasn't deemed to be good enough. So you have two fan bases that seriously overvalue their job and I'm guessing that at least one of them is going to have to make a hire that is something of a stretch.

 

[Tucker32]

This is why I find it comical that people always get up in arms, from most schools, when there are vacancies. Coaches really don't move from BCS programs if things are going well very often, unless it's a big step up. The only issue I have with the blog/article is that he lists Texas and Ohio state in the same breath as North Carolina, for example. They are not in the same class in basketball, unless he is speaking simply to resources for huge salaries. Yet, almost every team in the Big Ten or SEC does as well.

There are very few "elite" schools, and even with those, coaches haven't just been jumping to, such as UCLA last year. The expectations at those places are crazy, and not everyone is going to enjoy the day to day involvement of boosters, etc at those places.

 

[anonymous]

Ozzy&Ray,

Texas has tremendous money and can do a lot of things most schools can't. Ohio State has actually had more success over the past decade than almost any program in the country. The Buckeyes have actually been the best team in the Big Ten in that span.

 

[Tucker32]

Ozzy&Ray,

Texas has tremendous money and can do a lot of things most schools can't. Ohio State has actually had more success over the past decade than almost any program in the country. The Buckeyes have actually been the best team in the Big Ten in that span.

Yes, Texas has the resources, but it's not a basketball school a coach can just go to and recruit the name like a Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky. While it has a lot of resources, so does every SEC school and Big Ten school. Yes, Ohio State has been successful with Matta, do denying that. Yet, in both these cases, basketball is a far second to football at their respective schools - not even close.

All that being said, I don't understand your rationale for how this article impacts MN negatively at all. It speaks to why no one should really worry, unless one of the 4-5 clearly top jobs came open. People just open. Also, when you look at basketball revenue, being in the Big Ten, etc., I don't understand how you could put Tennessee or Missouri as slightly better jobs. Maybe similar, but not better. As it relates to potential, the U has as much, and I believe more, upside.

 

[anonymous]

Ozzy&Ray,

I think both Tennessee and Missouri are better jobs than Minnesota because of both recent success and where they stand in their conferences.

Tennessee has gone to four Sweet 16s and and Elite Eight in the past 14 seasons. Missouri has gone to two Elite Eights in that same stretch. The Gophers have gone to zero Sweet 16s in 16 years. Both Missouri and Tennessee have been NCAA tournament regulars in the 2000s. Missouri has nearly new facilities.

Since 2000 or so, Tennessee has been pretty much the third-best program in the SEC. Both should be in the top half of the SEC in terms of interest in basketball and support. Tennessee is also a $100 MM athletic department in terms of revenue.

As much as people want the Gophers to be a top Big Ten program, I think the program is, at best, the seventh-best program in the Big Ten. I think it is closer to ninth.

 

[Tucker32]

That may be where the U is, but that doesn't mean that is where it is going to stay. Those measures don't speak to where the programs will be in ten years. The U had pretty comparable post-season runs when Clem was here, and have fallen on tough times. That doesn't condemn the program long-term. The right coach will see the potential in turning it around. Pitino? Maybe, maybe not. Finally, the SEC does not compare to the Big Ten in hoops.

Ozzy&Ray,

I think both Tennessee and Missouri are better jobs than Minnesota because of both recent success and where they stand in their conferences.

Tennessee has gone to four Sweet 16s and and Elite Eight in the past 14 seasons. Missouri has gone to two Elite Eights in that same stretch. The Gophers have gone to zero Sweet 16s in 16 years. Both Missouri and Tennessee have been NCAA tournament regulars in the 2000s. Missouri has nearly new facilities.

Since 2000 or so, Tennessee has been pretty much the third-best program in the SEC. Both should be in the top half of the SEC in terms of interest in basketball and support. Tennessee is also a $100 MM athletic department in terms of revenue.

As much as people want the Gophers to be a top Big Ten program, I think the program is, at best, the seventh-best program in the Big Ten. I think it is closer to ninth.

 

[OSUfan]

Yes, Texas has the resources, but it's not a basketball school a coach can just go to and recruit the name like a Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky. While it has a lot of resources, so does every SEC school and Big Ten school. Yes, Ohio State has been successful with Matta, do denying that. Yet, in both these cases, basketball is a far second to football at their respective schools - not even close.

I think that is the point about why Texas and OSU were included, resources, things that make winning easier than it might be elsewhere. You don't find many places that the athletic department budget is as big as it is at those two, fan following as big as those two, the top dog in their own state, and in an area where you don't have to go too far to find talent.

 

[gopherhoopsguy]

Tenn and Miss are not better jobs than Minn this is the Big Ten... they are equal not better..

The longer Pitino is here the harder it is for someone to leave... if we can get to year 3,4,5 with pitino the more comfortable I feel. So lets get through these first couple years.

 

[jamalo]

Yes, Texas has the resources, but it's not a basketball school a coach can just go to and recruit the name like a Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky. While it has a lot of resources, so does every SEC school and Big Ten school. Yes, Ohio State has been successful with Matta, do denying that. Yet, in both these cases, basketball is a far second to football at their respective schools - not even close.

All that being said, I don't understand your rationale for how this article impacts MN negatively at all. It speaks to why no one should really worry, unless one of the 4-5 clearly top jobs came open. People just open. Also, when you look at basketball revenue, being in the Big Ten, etc., I don't understand how you could put Tennessee or Missouri as slightly better jobs. Maybe similar, but not better. As it relates to potential, the U has as much, and I believe more, upside.

Other than blue blood schools, we dont' need to worry about losing Pitino if he is on the same page with administrators and facilities plans are progressing. Not matching a salary increase isn't an issue in this day and age