Pitino Job

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Pitino's not stupid. He's not going to leave money on the table. No change for at least another year. If there is a turnaround next year, someone else will want him and the buyout problem is solved. If there is no turnaround, the buyout will be lower and his pain threshold might be higher.
 

bleedsmaroonandgold said:
Pitino's team has been an embarrassment on and off the court. There are people who will take off-court issues if the team is winning, and people who don't care about winning as long as we have a clean program. Right now we have neither.
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I know it's arguing semantics, but I wouldn't call what Pitino has been on court embarrassing. Not good, but not embarrassing. Rutgers, now that's embarrassing.

But Pitino winning the NIT, not embarrassing. Underachieving with an NCAA tournament caliber team, not embarrassing. Last season was definitely the worst, but I wouldn't call it embarrassing. Beating Clemson, beating Maryland, having a freshman put up numbers similar to Mbakwe. The worst parts were the Northwestern, Dakota, and Nebraska losses. But most of the on court troubles were caused by off court problems. Which I personally didn't see as that big of problems. Anyways. Last season was awful, just wouldn't call it embarrassing. I was never embarrassed by the guys on the court. They worked hard and hung with most teams they played.

The off court stuff is pretty embarrassing when looked at all together. In a vacuum each case isn't that bad (except for McNeil and Lynch), but all together it is terrible pub and very embarrassing.

Here's hoping next year is better.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
If Illinois can hire a football coach 5 months before practice starts, the U can find a basketball coach. Risky, but it can be done.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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We would be able to hire a coach. Would we be able to hire the right coach though? You can't expect a Lovie Smith type of coach to fall in your laps.
 

GophersInIowa said:
We would be able to hire a coach. Would we be able to hire the right coach though? You can't expect a Lovie Smith type of coach to fall in your laps.
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It would also be really unfair to the players IMO. If I'm a guy who wants to transfer if Pitino is fired, where do I go? Really limits options for transferring or re opening recruitment in the case of the freshman. Also doesn't give the new coach great time to implement a new system and get to know his players and if he's dealing with players who have no desire to be there.

I think you could make a Minnesota shortlist of McHale, Bickerstaff, etc. NBA guys done coaching or any retreads that have been out of coaching for awhile. But not sure you convince someone who may otherwise be a first choice to leave their team now.

Firing Pitino for the sake of firing him is dumb, have to make sure you can bring in the right guy too. Could have an interim coach for this season, but I'm not sure how much more that boosts the moral of the program than just keeping Pitino would.
 

The notion that Pitino is going to be gone in few months is absolutely ridiculous. Kaler's comments prove that Pitino is on notice that things need to change. Pitino understands that but he will be the coach this coming year. If the program has no more off the court issues and is relatively successful on the court, say a NIT bid, he probably gets 2017 also.
 


I'd like to give him another year to shape the program up with the help of the AD. However, I believe he's a lame duck coach and is gone after the next season. I think people like the incoming freshmen and transfers, so that clouds their judgement. It's been an embarrassment and failure.
 

bigticket1 said:
Until yesterday's hire, Kaler's decisions and actions dealing with the Athletic Dept. have been less than stellar. Maybe someone should inquire about what his buy-out is.
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Kaler needs to go.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
I'd like to give him another year to shape the program up with the help of the AD. However, I believe he's a lame duck coach and is gone after the next season. I think people like the incoming freshmen and transfers, so that clouds their judgement. It's been an embarrassment and failure.
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Shouldn't a recruiting class/transfers be included in the judgment of a coach? Not a cloud of that judgement?
 

scher215 said:
Shouldn't a recruiting class/transfers be included in the judgment of a coach? Not a cloud of that judgement?
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What have his past classes done? We're banking that this class is different. Maybe it's because two of them are from MN.
 



Gopherguy0723 said:
Bickerstaff could be brought in if necessary. They could find someone.
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LOl, just like Shaka Smart, Fred Hoiberg, Brad Stevens and Tony Dungy for football. You all are on crack or are mentally slow if you think we will fire Pitino before the start of the season
 

MaxyJR1 said:
What have his past classes done? We're banking that this class is different. Maybe it's because two of them are from MN.
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Last year was an excellent recruiting class and really his first full year at recruiting. Murphy-stud. McBrayer- potential all conference player. Dorsey- had the ability but wound up as a dud in terms of character. Gilbert a depth player and a hustler. If you can bring in two guys per year that are the quality of Murphy and McBrayer you will always have good teams.

This coming year we will have as additional help:
Fitzgerald
Lynch - if he is cleared- a proven D1 center
Springs- a proven D1 scorer
Coffey - top 50 player
Curry- top 100 player
Hurt- top 150 player

That's a lot to add to a group that ended up relying on two sophs and three frosh for much of last year. Part of the trouble, talent wise if you are honest about this, is that the last two classes from the previous coach gave Pitino no firepower to work with. That's gone now and Pitino has his guys. Yes, he has to win now and he has to find a way to keep these guys out of trouble.
 

I'd say it is very unlikely anybody but Pitino is the head coach to start the season next year and right now that is what is best for the program. I want Pitino to have a chance to show what he can do with the very talented group he has assembled for next season. Hopefully they have a great season and then all these fans calling for Pitino to be bought out will be the same ones worrying about who is gonna try to hire Pitino away from us after a great season.
 




bemidjigopher said:
LOl, just like Shaka Smart, Fred Hoiberg, Brad Stevens and Tony Dungy for football. You all are on crack or are mentally slow if you think we will fire Pitino before the start of the season
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If his first year in Chicago is any indication, Hoiberg may very well be available next Spring should Pitino be sent packing.
 


vagopher said:
I respectfully disagree.
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You are probably one of those guys who finds it not fitting to hold Kaler responsible for the conduct of his last AD, an adult who misbehaved, while you do find it fitting to hold coach Pitino for the actions of 20 year old kids. Kaler also somehow ticked off Jerry Kill it seems, a great asset for the program, and also should be a little bit responsible for the overall PR mess, the slow fundraising,etc. I don't think he has to go but I think he goes before others- if all were fair
 

WindyCityGopher said:
If his first year in Chicago is any indication, Hoiberg may very well be available next Spring should Pitino be sent packing.
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and this, if nothing else, should cause us to wait on firing pitino. Fred with no job next year coming back to college where he was successful with a new practice facility and in a part of the country that he knows and knows him. Give Pitino a chance this year if for no other reason than to potentially get Hoiberg(or another good option) next year instead of a scramble hire.
 

Hoiberg would be nice. But I seem to remember he said something about only wanting to coach college at ISU.
 

scher215 said:
What incentive in the world does Pitino have to negotiate it down? Why would he just give money away?
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No incentive at all. He wouldn't. It's in his best interest to coach next year and succeed and then take the first job that comes calling. Leaving now will make it very hard to get the next job, although there are 300+ division 1 jobs, and he is a Pitino, so he'll get a shot somewhere.
 

Otis said:
Hoiberg would be nice. But I seem to remember he said something about only wanting to coach college at ISU.
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I don't doubt that but that job wouldn't be available. Anyway, one can dream. I wanted the Timberwolves to get Thibodeau and they did maybe the gophers can get Hoiberg(if Pitino fails I want to see this out cause i think he can do it).
 

tikited said:
I would offer to move Pitino's crap out of his office/home if Bickerstaff would agree to coach here.
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At 7.1 million in chump money- I think he'll find his own help. And I'd guess he will be successful elsewhere down the line. Patience.
 

Amazing what a drunk 20 year old doing something stupid will do to the activity on this board/media.

Less than 2 months ago Kaler was quoted as stating Pitino has potential.

Less than 2 months ago NUMEROUS posters were predicting NCAA births

Dude has a couple too many pops, makes a terrible decision (erring on the bad side) and Pitino is a POS again.

Glad I'm on the right side of that TV screen, must be fun to be run through the ringer like this over and over.
 

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bga1 said:
You are probably one of those guys who finds it not fitting to hold Kaler responsible for the conduct of his last AD, an adult who misbehaved, while you do find it fitting to hold coach Pitino for the actions of 20 year old kids. Kaler also somehow ticked off Jerry Kill it seems, a great asset for the program, and also should be a little bit responsible for the overall PR mess, the slow fundraising,etc. I don't think he has to go but I think he goes before others- if all were fair
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You are probably one of those who doesn't recognize patterns. When almost half of your roster is suspended/arrested in a single year it is on the coach. If it were just one player then it's not a team issue, but when it is six of your players then it is a team issue. Are people really so dense that they don't see how all of the player conduct issues are connected? Apparently.

Kaler is the president of the university. Not the athletic department. The athletic department is a very small part of his job. The budget of the university is well over $3B and the athletic department has a budget of around $100M. He got one hire wrong with it. Appears he got the next hire right in Coyle, but time will tell. I'm not saying Kaler is good with managing sports, but it shouldn't be what he is judged on - his job is much bigger than athletics.
 

bga1 said:
At 7.1 million in chump money- I think he'll find his own help. And I'd guess he will be successful elsewhere down the line. Patience.
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My post was more about how much better off U of M basketball would be with Bickerstaff as H.C. imo.
 

I'm indifferent on Pitino getting next year, but this is bad timing. Firing a coach and trying to make a hire 2 months after everyone else already made their moves is how we got Tim Brewster. This needs to be done in March, so we best wait until 2017.
 


Pitino has his first meeting with Coyle today at noon (4 minutes from now) per @Randball
 

You give Pitino the season. Or half season if the wheels come off early. You don't handicap a new coaching search by doing it in the middle of the summer. We got Tubby because we fired Monson midway through the season and allowed back channels to work while the season came to a conclusion.
 


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