Shooter: It looks like, deservedly, Richard Pitino will soon be getting an extension

[bottlebass]

We were exposed in several games last year prior to the injuries. No way that was a final 4 team.

I know other people have already responded to this, but I'm not the only person who thought they had potential at a final 4 run. There were people in sports media making those predictions, that's where I got it from. Pitino had assembled a really good team last year with a good mix of seniors and younger guys and they had a really good chance of making a run, but like most teams that aren't duke/UNC they need some luck along the way too. Not only did we get decimated with injuries we had the lynch suspension too. When was the last time the gophers were ranked in the top 15 before last year?

 

[alchemy2u]

It’s absolutely true for anyone that still supports Pitino. Why would you think the next 6 years are going to be significantly better?

Pure troll.


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[Tucker32]

I doubt we’ll know much more at all in the next 12 months. He’s already had 6 years. We’ll pick up a few marginal recruits in the spring, land 1-2 of the 2020 in-state kids, and win 7-9 games in the B1G next year. Then what? Continue the cycle for the next 10 years?

You need to brighten up. They may sign marginal recruits this spring, and it may end up being a strong group - we have to wait a few weeks. You said 1-2 in-state 2020 kids - that may be great given the right two. Combine that with 9 or more wins, a win or two in the tourney and we are heading in the right direction.

Marginal recruits this spring, 7 wins or less in the Big Ten, and no momentum recruiting in 2020, Coyle likely shifts gears.

That’s a lot we will learn.

By the way, we have gone to semis in Big Ten Tourney 2 of last three years, and had a year in between where everything fell apart. Let’s see what the next 12 months brings, a step forward, stagnant, or a step back. Enjoy it, it’s simply college basketball, and twelve months from now my guess is we feel good about progress, or you will likely get your wish of a new coach.


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[dpodoll68]

It's not fair to use the biggest outlier of the moment to claim that's what the Gophers would be getting if they just had someone different.

Beard was an unknown one-season coach at Arkansas Little-Rock. Nobody here would have been happy with that hire at the time. He was also blessed to have a local Lubbock kid (Culver) who's likely to be a Top 10 pick. He's done a great job with transfers though.

This is dishonest. Beard had 7 years of head coaching and 12 years of assistant coaching experience at the college and semi-pro levels when he was hired by Texas Tech to be their head coach. He was vastly more experienced than Pitino and, moreover, earned every opportunity he received through his own hard work and success. He wasn't handed high-major coaching opportunities because his dad was a legendary coach.

I won't address the "nobody here would have been happy" or the "unknown" comments because they don't mean anything. All that matters is producing, and Beard has produced a Final Four trip in his 3rd year at a basketball wasteland.

You are correct that "different" isn't necessarily "better," but it would've been difficult for a different coach to do any worse, given that Pitino has one of the worst records in Gopher basketball history and one of the worst records in the Big Ten during his tenure.

 

[howeda7]

Whatever is my response. Rewarding a person for bad recruiting is an odd choice imo.

Refusing an extension to further handcuff the recruiting is also an odd choice though. And a bad one.

 

[PMWinSTP]

Refusing an extension to further handcuff the recruiting is also an odd choice though. And a bad one.

Coyle should have pulled the plug, so he put himself in this position.

 

[bizzle22]

I know other people have already responded to this, but I'm not the only person who thought they had potential at a final 4 run. There were people in sports media making those predictions, that's where I got it from. Pitino had assembled a really good team last year with a good mix of seniors and younger guys and they had a really good chance of making a run, but like most teams that aren't duke/UNC they need some luck along the way too. Not only did we get decimated with injuries we had the lynch suspension too. When was the last time the gophers were ranked in the top 15 before last year?

You can say that as many times as you want, but it doesn't make it true. There were plenty of warning signs earlier in the season that even with a full roster we were going to struggle in the B1G. We'll never know what would have happened with a full roster, but to say we were a final four team is a stretch if not delusional.

The last time the Gophers were ranked in the top 15 was the season Tubby got fired. Actually top 10 at one point that season.

 

[bizzle22]

A two year extension with a slightly lower buyout/season is good.

This is the logical thing to do.

No need to make a real long-term commitment until he shows more, but he's done enough to buy himself a little more time.

 

[howeda7]

Coyle should have pulled the plug, so he put himself in this position.

We made the tournament and won a game. Teams don't fire coaches after seasons like that unless there are extenuating circumstances. I was ready to move on too. But he pulled the team out of the ditch and earned additional time.

That being the case, refusing to give him an extension and deliberately sabotaging him a la Dan Monson 2006/07 is foolishness.

 

[howeda7]

This is the logical thing to do.

No need to make a real long-term commitment until he shows more, but he's done enough to buy himself a little more time.

Yep. As long as the buyout is close to the same one year from now as it is right now, I'm good with it. In my mind, he has three tests to pass. 2019 recruiting. 2020 recruiting and making the tournament next year. He needs to go at least 2/3.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

I usually enjoy your takes, but this: “I just suspect that the Gophers are what they are - a program that bounces around the mid-level...” drives me nuts. There is really no reason to believe this.

It is really about getting the right coach, in basketball more than any sport. That may be Pitino moving forward, it may not. Yet no reason we can’t succeed at a Wisconsin, Purdue level, or like Iowa State as an example outside of the Big Ten. In fact, we have an advantage over them with not having to compete with other D1s like they do in their respective states: Marquette, Indiana, Butler, or Iowa.

We will know a lot more with Richard in the next 12 months I believe. Does he build on this year on court and recruiting or do we take a step back? Will be interesting to see. I hope we take a step forward, and if we don’t I suspect we will see a change by Coyle.


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In Basketball and Football, I see people making predictions or at least suggesting that the Gophers can do something they've never done before - or in the case of hoops, almost never.

My response is - if they've never done it before, there has to be a reason why. Maybe it's as simple as not hiring the right coach. But maybe there are underlying factors - administrative support, facilities, location, climate, lack of history, etc.

Sure - it's possible the right coach could come in to MN, assemble a staff, and recruit enough talent to make a run at National prominence. I just wonder if it's likely. The blue bloods are the blue bloods for a reason.

In the end, it all comes down to talent. To make a final four run, you need a level of talent that the Gophers have not come close to approaching since the mid-70's.

Is there a coach out there who could come into MN and recruit the next Zion, while keeping the very best home-state kids? I suppose so. I just don't have a clue who it is, or what it would take to get that person to come to MN.

This is the program that lost out on John Wooden due to a snowstorm. Maybe the luck is due to change. I'm just not going to hold my breath waiting for it to happen.

 

[PMWinSTP]

We made the tournament and won a game. Teams don't fire coaches after seasons like that unless there are extenuating circumstances. I was ready to move on too. But he pulled the team out of the ditch and earned additional time.

That being the case, refusing to give him an extension and deliberately sabotaging him a la Dan Monson 2006/07 is foolishness.

Never said that...Coyle put himself in this no-win position. Six years of "next year" ought to be enough to move on.

 

[PMWinSTP]

Yep. As long as the buyout is close to the same one year from now as it is right now, I'm good with it. In my mind, he has three tests to pass. 2019 recruiting. 2020 recruiting and making the tournament next year. He needs to go at least 2/3.

Why not all three? Too high of expectations for year seven?

 

[Some guy]

Never said that...Coyle put himself in this no-win position. Six years of "next year" ought to be enough to move on.

You have no idea what Coyle is thinking.
Next year might not even be a hot seat year for Richard.
If Coyle likes what is happening behind the scenes then Pitino probably has a 2 year leash.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

I know other people have already responded to this, but I'm not the only person who thought they had potential at a final 4 run. There were people in sports media making those predictions, that's where I got it from. Pitino had assembled a really good team last year with a good mix of seniors and younger guys and they had a really good chance of making a run, but like most teams that aren't duke/UNC they need some luck along the way too. Not only did we get decimated with injuries we had the lynch suspension too. When was the last time the gophers were ranked in the top 15 before last year?

2013 we were top 10.

 

[howeda7]

Why not all three? Too high of expectations for year seven?

Minimum 2/3. And having a bad 2019 recruiting class while still making the tournament will be hard to do. But if he gets us Stockman and Stull part II in Spring recruiting I would consider that a failure but it still might be enough for us to go dancing.

 

[howeda7]

Never said that...Coyle put himself in this no-win position. Six years of "next year" ought to be enough to move on.

What do you want Coyle to have done differently?

 

[PMWinSTP]

What do you want Coyle to have done differently?

I already have said it.

 

[vagopher]

Texas Tech? Didn't they hire Tubby away from us?

Perhaps you're just being sarcastic, but Texas Tech didn't hire Tubby away from us. They hired him after our AD at the time, fired him.

 

[Some Day...Maybe]

Last year we could have made the final 4 had we not had the injuries and suspension. He had built a really good team, and then to lose all of that and come back and make it to the tourny and win a game no one was expecting in the tourny that's pretty good.

You get a Final Four! You get a Final Four! You get a Final Four!



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[Mulligan]

Perhaps you're just being sarcastic, but Texas Tech didn't hire Tubby away from us. They hired him after our AD at the time, fired him.

Easy to get Tubby and Marlene confused because they look so much alike.

 

[vagopher]

As I have suggested before, had we not lost four of our top six rotation players last year, I believe the dominant concern of posts regarding Pitino at this time would have been whether he will be hired away. I don’t think he was quite ready for a Power 5 head coaching position at the time he was hired, but from my perspective, he is maturing into what I believe will be a very good coach. The key going forward is to follow-up last’s years strong recruiting class with another. In my opinion, a contract extension should help in that regard.

 

[bottlebass]

2013 we were top 10.

Sorry I forgot we were ranked that high in 2013... my bad.

I'll still stand to my opinion we could have possibly made a run to the final 4 last year had we stayed healthy and not had the suspension. We made it to the round of 32 this year and we were significantly better last year.

 

[Lakers612]

As I have suggested before, had we not lost four of our top six rotation players last year, I believe the dominant concern of posts regarding Pitino at this time would have been whether he will be hired away. I don’t think he was quite ready for a Power 5 head coaching position at the time he was hired, but from my perspective, he is maturing into what I believe will be a very good coach. The key going forward is to follow-up last’s years strong recruiting class with another. In my opinion, a contract extension should help in that regard.

This is exactly where I’m at. This program is in great shape thanks in large part to Pitino. Just need to add 2-3 great recruits

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

There might not be anything more annoying than someone who pretends that they simply have higher expectations. We all want the Gophers to be great. We all want to make the tournament every year. We all want to make a deep run. You're not special in your "expectations".

There is a disagreement between some in how we go about getting there. Pitino supporters seem to think he has been snake-bitten and it is going to be more of a slow climb. People who don't like Pitino seem to think he's shown he isn't a great coach. This is where the debate exists.

We all agree on the "goals" there is just a difference of opinion on how to get there. Just because you may want Pitino gone doesn't make the people who disagree with you some sort of midwestern rube who thinks ketchup is spicy and is afraid of their own shadow. You're not a tough guy with high expectations. You're a fool who can't comprehend the issue.

On a side note, I actually am not a Pitino fan (as a coach), but yeah, we aren't firing a coach after winning a tournament game and we can't leave him in no man's land w/o an extension.

 

[Tucker32]

In Basketball and Football, I see people making predictions or at least suggesting that the Gophers can do something they've never done before - or in the case of hoops, almost never.

My response is - if they've never done it before, there has to be a reason why. Maybe it's as simple as not hiring the right coach. But maybe there are underlying factors - administrative support, facilities, location, climate, lack of history, etc.

Sure - it's possible the right coach could come in to MN, assemble a staff, and recruit enough talent to make a run at National prominence. I just wonder if it's likely. The blue bloods are the blue bloods for a reason.

In the end, it all comes down to talent. To make a final four run, you need a level of talent that the Gophers have not come close to approaching since the mid-70's.

Is there a coach out there who could come into MN and recruit the next Zion, while keeping the very best home-state kids? I suppose so. I just don't have a clue who it is, or what it would take to get that person to come to MN.

This is the program that lost out on John Wooden due to a snowstorm. Maybe the luck is due to change. I'm just not going to hold my breath waiting for it to happen.

We had some pretty good talent in the 80’s and 90’s as well. We had a Big Ten Championship and fun tourney runs both decades (I count 1997 - I was there and saw it). There is nothing you wrote, especially in hoops, that are built in disadvantages beyond what any non-Blue Blood faces. Texas Tech just made it, Auburn... both making their first visit to the Final Four. Now, not sure I want to hitch my wagon to Bruce Pearl, but Tech made it with Beard. If Pitino isn’t the guy, we will try to find the right guy. Hope Pitino takes another positive step next year.


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[Powder]

There might not be anything more annoying than someone who pretends that they simply have higher expectations. We all want the Gophers to be great. We all want to make the tournament every year. We all want to make a deep run. You're not special in your "expectations".

There is a disagreement between some in how we go about getting there. Pitino supporters seem to think he has been snake-bitten and it is going to be more of a slow climb. People who don't like Pitino seem to think he's shown he isn't a great coach. This is where the debate exists.

We all agree on the "goals" there is just a difference of opinion on how to get there. Just because you may want Pitino gone doesn't make the people who disagree with you some sort of midwestern rube who thinks ketchup is spicy and is afraid of their own shadow. You're not a tough guy with high expectations. You're a fool who can't comprehend the issue.

On a side note, I actually am not a Pitino fan (as a coach), but yeah, we aren't firing a coach after winning a tournament game and we can't leave him in no man's land w/o an extension.

^^^This. Except I am a Pitino fan. The rest is very well said.

 

[Tucker32]

You can say that as many times as you want, but it doesn't make it true. There were plenty of warning signs earlier in the season that even with a full roster we were going to struggle in the B1G. We'll never know what would have happened with a full roster, but to say we were a final four team is a stretch if not delusional.

The last time the Gophers were ranked in the top 15 was the season Tubby got fired. Actually top 10 at one point that season.

Wrong. Started 2017-18 at 15 in AP and coaches polls, and moved as high as 12.


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[John Galt]

There might not be anything more annoying than someone who pretends that they simply have higher expectations. We all want the Gophers to be great. We all want to make the tournament every year. We all want to make a deep run. You're not special in your "expectations".

There is a disagreement between some in how we go about getting there. Pitino supporters seem to think he has been snake-bitten and it is going to be more of a slow climb. People who don't like Pitino seem to think he's shown he isn't a great coach. This is where the debate exists.

We all agree on the "goals" there is just a difference of opinion on how to get there. Just because you may want Pitino gone doesn't make the people who disagree with you some sort of midwestern rube who thinks ketchup is spicy and is afraid of their own shadow. You're not a tough guy with high expectations. You're a fool who can't comprehend the issue.

On a side note, I actually am not a Pitino fan (as a coach), but yeah, we aren't firing a coach after winning a tournament game and we can't leave him in no man's land w/o an extension.

Couldn't disagree more Bob. There are plenty of fans content with what Pitino has done over the past few years. We could have another 3-4 years with middle of the pack B1G finishes, 2 NCAA tourney appearances without making a Sweet Sixteen, 2 NITs, and they would be happy and convinced that we are on the right track. There is a lot of high school talent in MN and we are the only D-1 school, there is no reason we can't be a top team in the B1G consistently.

We're in a tough position. We can't really fire a coach who just made it to the round of 32. But only the most optimistic Pitino supporters see us making significant strides next year.

 

[John Galt]

Wrong. Started 2017-18 at 15 in AP and coaches polls, and moved as high as 12.


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So if it any point in a season we are ranked as high as #15 (or #12), no matter how fleeting it was or whether or not we beat anyone good, we can claim we had a legitimate run at the final 4. Got it.