Next Gopher Head Coach

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GopherPlaya said:
We

We def don’t pack Williams & what awesome new facilities are you talking about? I’m just going to assume you’re trolling
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Sorry you missed the obvious earlier. You were not targeted. The Huntington “half the size of a packed crowd in Ann Arbor” was a real give a away. As a fan base goes, Minnesota sucks. That is not pointed at you either. I know you care.
 


So much garbage on this self serving site. I can believe i check this anymore. My Bad:)
 


Ben has set the expectation so incredibly low, literally anyone we get will be an upgrade.

Tod Kowalczyk at Toledo would be worth looking at, from a getable standpoint. Assistant at Marquette back in the day, former HC at Green Bay prior to Toledo. Has been consistently good. Certainly not sexy, but would be worth a look.
 


Maybe Ben was approached similar to Whalen and said ‘no, I am not stepping down’. Now we are seeing the fruits of that work relationship.
 

Bad Gopher said:
There won't be as many ripe pickings next time as there were last time. I feel like Craig has found a home out west. If I were Medved, I wouldn't even answer the phone. Last time, we snubbed him and poached his top assistant. And yes, I know he's an alumnus and former employee.
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The Gophers still out draw Utah as of the most recent list I saw, the PAC 12 is losing two of its three best programs and BYU may be joining. I'm not sure you turn down a B1G job to stay in a weak PAC 12 where you might be second fiddle in your own state.

As for Medved, I can't imagine any reason he'd turn it down.
 

howeda7 said:
The Gophers still out draw Utah as of the most recent list I saw, the PAC 12 is losing two of its three best programs and BYU may be joining. I'm not sure you turn down a B1G job to stay in a weak PAC 12 where you might be second fiddle in your own state.

As for Medved, I can't imagine any reason he'd turn it down.
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BYU has joined the Big 12 along with Cincy, Houston & UCF.
 

howeda7 said:
The Gophers still out draw Utah as of the most recent list I saw, the PAC 12 is losing two of its three best programs and BYU may be joining. I'm not sure you turn down a B1G job to stay in a weak PAC 12 where you might be second fiddle in your own state.

As for Medved, I can't imagine any reason he'd turn it down.
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100%
I don’t get anybody that goes with “we can’t get Craig Smith”. If they offer him a contract, he’s on the first private plane outa Utah. His current contract is roughly $2MM/year. The U is paying dumpster fire CBJ $2MM/year. You don’t think they can offer a contract to a real-life legitimate head coach at least 50% higher than that? How many people turn down a 50% raise? Nobody likes the mountains that much.
 




GopherPlaya said:
We

We def don’t pack Williams & what awesome new facilities are you talking about? I’m just going to assume you’re trolling
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I'd guess he is making it sound like it's impossible to not be historically bad because we haven't done enough to help the program win.
 

I was just thinking: if Ben resigned he could spend more time with his dog. He could move to Hawaii, watch the sunsets and listen to the waves and not be riddled with verbal bullet holes on a daily basis.
Just something to think about...
 

60's Guy said:
I was just thinking: if Ben resigned he could spend more time with his dog. He could move to Hawaii, watch the sunsets and listen to the waves and not be riddled with verbal bullet holes on a daily basis.
Just something to think about...
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His resign window is offcially closed and he is playing out the string. Slim chance the guy is simply sleepwalking thru his last season. See Wack Jilson.
 



howeda7 said:
The Gophers still out draw Utah as of the most recent list I saw, the PAC 12 is losing two of its three best programs and BYU may be joining. I'm not sure you turn down a B1G job to stay in a weak PAC 12 where you might be second fiddle in your own state.

As for Medved, I can't imagine any reason he'd turn it down.
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I like your spirit.
 

I will tell you what, Ben McCollum completely fascinates me as a coaching prospect. I realize it's at a lower level, but my opinion so far as basketball goes is that if you can coach, you can coach, and the amount of winning that guy does year after year after year is absolutely insane. 365-85 (.811) for his career, and he's still just 42 years old.

He will take a Grant McCasland leap at some point and being a native of Iowa City, I have to wonder if he isn't holding out for a post Fran McCaffery shot at Iowa, but whatever the deal is, he is some kind of basketball coach.
 

Seany said:
I will tell you what, Ben McCollum completely fascinates me as a coaching prospect. I realize it's at a lower level, but my opinion so far as basketball goes is that if you can coach, you can coach, and the amount of winning that guy does year after year after year is absolutely insane. 365-85 (.811) for his career, and he's still just 42 years old.

He will take a Grant McCasland leap at some point and being a native of Iowa City, I have to wonder if he isn't holding out for a post Fran McCaffery shot at Iowa, but whatever the deal is, he is some kind of basketball coach.
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I would not mind this hire. There's potential there no doubt.
 

Seany said:
I will tell you what, Ben McCollum completely fascinates me as a coaching prospect. I realize it's at a lower level, but my opinion so far as basketball goes is that if you can coach, you can coach, and the amount of winning that guy does year after year after year is absolutely insane. 365-85 (.811) for his career, and he's still just 42 years old.

He will take a Grant McCasland leap at some point and being a native of Iowa City, I have to wonder if he isn't holding out for a post Fran McCaffery shot at Iowa, but whatever the deal is, he is some kind of basketball coach.
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Is it possible to just do a take over and put this guy in charge?
Screenshot 2023-04-30 at 1.12.47 AM.png
That is amazing! No doubt!
The last 7 years: 1 undefeated season, Two 1 loss seasons, Two 2 loss seasons, 1 -4 loss season and 1 -5 loss season to go with 4 out of 6 National Championships ... they canceled the '19-'20 tournament on him with a 31-1 team.
 
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Job Interest .... Just about criminal that that this guy is not somewhere in DI. $175,000 a year!

Excerpt: McCollum has said in the past he would like to coach at the DI level someday and has interviewed for openings, including last offseason at UW-Milwaukee and Illinois State.

But it’s clear he isn’t desperate, that it must be the right fit for him and his family.

Whether that fit is at UWGB remains to be seen. It’s also possible McCollum will draw serious interest from other schools, and it won’t be Green Bay or bust.

UWGB at least is prepared to pay its next coach more money, and potentially much more, than the $175,000 per season Ryan made after signing a six-year contract.

“I think for me, I coach specifically to make a difference on kids’ lives,” McCollum told Andy Katz in an interview for the National Association of Basketball Coaches before the season. “It’s not an ego thing to win or an ego thing to go Division I. It’s more, can I impact the kids that I coach, and can I impact the community that I’m in?
 

McCollum is the kind of guy I'd be looking at, and that includes Matt Lewis at Osh Kosh. Veteran, accomplished head coaches, just not at this level, but basketball is basketball.

Mind you, I'd be looking at D1 candidates as well, but I wouldn't exclude these excellent prospects just because they're in divisions 2 and 3. Bottom line, can someone coach? Have they shown the ability to coach championship basketball?

McCollum would be a fight risk back to Iowa City. Lewis would be a flight risk to Madison. But man, we need someone in here who knows what they're doing.
 

Seany said:
I will tell you what, Ben McCollum completely fascinates me as a coaching prospect. I realize it's at a lower level, but my opinion so far as basketball goes is that if you can coach, you can coach, and the amount of winning that guy does year after year after year is absolutely insane. 365-85 (.811) for his career, and he's still just 42 years old.

He will take a Grant McCasland leap at some point and being a native of Iowa City, I have to wonder if he isn't holding out for a post Fran McCaffery shot at Iowa, but whatever the deal is, he is some kind of basketball coach.
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Yeah, I couldn't agree more. That offense is just cool, his teams shot charts look like video games.
 

Bad Gopher said:
I like your spirit.
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Its not so much spirit as reality. If the U wants either of those guys and offers them a good contract they won't even think twice most likely unless they have zero ambition to move up at any point. (which is possible but not likely)

That doesn't mean the U will do that or that they necessarily should mind you, just that you are letting your pessimism get out of whack.
 

Dave H said:
Its not so much spirit as reality. If the U wants either of those guys and offers them a good contract they won't even think twice most likely unless they have zero ambition to move up at any point. (which is possible but not likely)

That doesn't mean the U will do that or that they necessarily should mind you, just that you are letting your pessimism get out of whack.
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That's unfair. It's not pessimism; just my honest assessment, an educated guess. Salt Lake City is a great place, and Smith has lived in Utah now for several years.
 


cncmin said:
i think Miles can be good in gold.
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Miles in an interesting potential candidate.

Already had a Big 10 opportunity, didn't go very well. Some say "Well, it was Nebraska, it's a tough job." But he was there at a time when they opened up a brand new arena, and basketball was coming to life. I don't like that he couldn't make it at that point.

Maybe he's improved and has learned from failure as he currently is raising up that SJSU program from garbage.

If he did end up coaching here, I'd be fine with it. Wouldn't be my first choice though.
 

skiumah1 said:
Miles in an interesting potential candidate.

Already had a Big 10 opportunity, didn't go very well. Some say "Well, it was Nebraska, it's a tough job." But he was there at a time when they opened up a brand new arena, and basketball was coming to life. I don't like that he couldn't make it at that point.

Maybe he's improved and has learned from failure as he currently is raising up that SJSU program from garbage.

If he did end up coaching here, I'd be fine with it. Wouldn't be my first choice though.
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If we take Miles, then we haven't learned our lesson.
 


skiumah1 said:
Miles in an interesting potential candidate.

Already had a Big 10 opportunity, didn't go very well. Some say "Well, it was Nebraska, it's a tough job." But he was there at a time when they opened up a brand new arena, and basketball was coming to life. I don't like that he couldn't make it at that point.

Maybe he's improved and has learned from failure as he currently is raising up that SJSU program from garbage.

If he did end up coaching here, I'd be fine with it. Wouldn't be my first choice though.
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Miles to me is like having Kirk Cousins as your QB. You will beat the bad teams, you will be a good not great regular season team that once they reach the big stage has 0 chance to make noise. 3 years ago I had no interest in that, after the CBJ tenure, I think I'd take 19-12 and 9-11 in conference every year.
 

leib0039 said:
Miles to me is like having Kirk Cousins as your QB. You will beat the bad teams, you will be a good not great regular season team that once they reach the big stage has 0 chance to make noise. 3 years ago I had no interest in that, after the CBJ tenure, I think I'd take 19-12 and 9-11 in conference every year.
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The Kirk Cousins comparison is spot on. Well done.

That's where my thoughts are: Because the program is so low right now, we just want anyone to be competent enough to stabilize it.

I'm hoping we can skip that step and act like we're just a decent program that can still hire a home-run type guy.

For what it's worth I'm good with Cousins QBing the Vikes this year, haha. Just wish we had a developing QB in the waiting going on.
 


Bad Gopher said:
McCollum is the kind of guy I'd be looking at, and that includes Matt Lewis at Osh Kosh. Veteran, accomplished head coaches, just not at this level, but basketball is basketball.

Mind you, I'd be looking at D1 candidates as well, but I wouldn't exclude these excellent prospects just because they're in divisions 2 and 3. Bottom line, can someone coach? Have they shown the ability to coach championship basketball?

McCollum would be a fight risk back to Iowa City. Lewis would be a flight risk to Madison. But man, we need someone in here who knows what they're doing.
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I can't think of any modern example of a coach coming from a non-D1 program to head coach at a P6. Bo Ryan had 4 D3 championships, but even he coached a couple years at UW-Milwaukee before going to the Badgers, and that was obviously before the portal era.

It's a nice thought and these are names to keep an eye on, but they really need another rung in the ladder before they're ready. An up-and-coming successful manager at a company doesn't get promoted directly to CEO.
 

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