Sid Hartman: Gophers' Pitino gets $400K pay increase

We absolutely do live in that world. The salary paid for someone's services shouldn't be a penny more than what it costs to retain them. Richard Pitino thinks he can get paid more than $1.2 million elsewhere? I'd call his bluff in a second. We can do better. He has shown zero evidence whatsoever that he's capable of being a successful coach in the Big Ten. I mean, give me a break. He has a lower winning percentage in Big Ten games than Dan Monson.

We can do better? How do you know that for sure after only 2 years and at a program that is considered challenging to win at? And winning the NIT in his first year with mostly another coach's players wasn't any evidence of being a successful coach? I disagree.
 

This is pretty similar to Tim Miles getting a raise recently at Nebraska IMO. Both coaches have shown some potential that they are good coaches. Yes, Miles took Nebraska to the NCAA tournament, but Minnesota was maybe 1 or 2 games away from making it that year and ended up winning the NIT. Both struggled last year. Both coaches are making good progress in recruiting. In this business, sometimes you have to pay based on potential. This isn't new, and I don't understand why people get so upset over it. Especially without knowing what went on behind the scenes with Pitino and the Alabama gig or any other open job.
 

We can do better? How do you know that for sure after only 2 years and at a program that is considered challenging to win at? And winning the NIT in his first year with mostly another coach's players wasn't any evidence of being a successful coach? I disagree.

Making the Tournament is a very low threshold to cross for a basic definition of "successful" at a Big Ten school.
 

I'm fine with the raise. But releasing the news on the same day as the investigation piece hits the Strib is awful PR decision making.

The U hasn't released anything. Sid Hartman did.
 

This is pretty similar to Tim Miles getting a raise recently at Nebraska IMO. Both coaches have shown some potential that they are good coaches. Yes, Miles took Nebraska to the NCAA tournament, but Minnesota was maybe 1 or 2 games away from making it that year and ended up winning the NIT. Both struggled last year. Both coaches are making good progress in recruiting. In this business, sometimes you have to pay based on potential. This isn't new, and I don't understand why people get so upset over it. Especially without knowing what went on behind the scenes with Pitino and the Alabama gig or any other open job.

Tim Miles is far more accomplished than Richard Pitino. He has proven himself successful at multiple schools. Pitino has proven himself successful at zero.
 


Tim Miles is far more accomplished than Richard Pitino. He has proven himself successful at multiple schools. Pitino has proven himself successful at zero.

So the raise for Miles at Nebraska is justified because he was successful at NDSU and Colorado State? Ok.

And how was Pitino not successful at FIU? He took over a terrible program and came within 3 points of the NCAA tournament.
 

Why are people mad about this? He is still getting 28% less than Tubby got from the U even after the raise.


Edit: I understand this is going to be inflammatory and people are going to argue about how tubby was a proven coach and I will then point out that they've had similar results so far at Minnesota, then people will point out that Tubby made the NCAA tournament and I will say give Richard 6 years and if he doesn't make it twice in that time then I will admit I was wrong. it's just my opinion after all.
 

Lets hope that Richard knows how to coach. The entire B1G is loaded this year. I am not sure how Gophers are going to make it to the dance this year.
 

This is a thread where I'm glad I have 3-4 posters on ignore. You have to pay market value to keep a coach. That's what Teague did. There are not many young coaches that have established recruiting connections all over the country. I'm glad we have one of them and we aren't even paying him all that much.
 



Pitino has yet to sign a top 40 class yet nor a rivals or ESPN final rating top 100 kid. He has struck out on Jones, Vaughn, Macura, Travis. Not looking good for Coffey or Trent....Had to boot 2 kids off the team....Pretty much going to be a Tubby 2 tenure for him here.
 

Not mad about this but 6-12 gets you a $400 K bump?

What a world!
 

Why are people mad about this? He is still getting 28% less than Tubby got from the U even after the raise.


Edit: I understand this is going to be inflammatory and people are going to argue about how tubby was a proven coach and I will then point out that they've had similar results so far at Minnesota, then people will point out that Tubby made the NCAA tournament and I will say give Richard 6 years and if he doesn't make it twice in that time then I will admit I was wrong. it's just my opinion after all.

Three times in the next four years just to match. Care to make a wager whether that happens?
 

So the raise for Miles at Nebraska is justified because he was successful at NDSU and Colorado State? Ok.

And how was Pitino not successful at FIU? He took over a terrible program and came within 3 points of the NCAA tournament.

The raise for Miles was after he made a Tournament at Nebraska, correct?
 




The U hasn't released anything. Sid Hartman did.

Yes, but Sid was clearly fed it by someone at the U. Either they had no idea this was the day the Strib was running the other story, or someone should be in some hot water. Reusse even wrote a column about how 'page C3 proves page A1' essentially. Thanks Pat.
 

The raise for Miles was after he made a Tournament at Nebraska, correct?

Defending Brew and Tubby while ripping Pitino is an interesting series of stances to take. Miles clearly deserved his raise more than Richard. But neither is unreasonable under the circumstances.
 

Exactly. People are paid on potential all of the time. There is a base cost to get a competent B1G coach and NT feels he has such a coach, so you need to pay him what you expect, not the minimum that you can get away with. Last year is not a representative season on Pitino as a coach. You need to give him a few years with his players before you place judgement on his abilities as a coach. There are the typical GH Pitino haters that will not be happy unless he is fired, but the majority of us are willing to give him time to prove himself. I thing he will be an excellent coach and stay with the gophers for a long time. This season will be fun to watch.


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Further, one way to get a coach to overlook your horse$%^ facilities is to pay him more. See Smith, Tubby.
 

Don't forget.. dude has a $400k retention bonus coming next April.

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Did Richard Pitino deserve the raise? No

Do I care? No it's not my money.
 



This may well be the cost of doing business, but it's an image issue. Coach has less-than-successful season (for a number of reasons) and gets a raise. Hard-core sports fans may understand why he got the raise, but less rabid fans see a very young coach getting a raise after a losing season. In almost any other profession, a "losing season" - i.e. lower sales/performance - does not earn you a raise.

Norwood Teague may be a very good AD when it comes to managing an athletic department and hiring coaches, but I get the sense that he is tone-deaf when it comes to understanding image and public reaction.
 

Pitino has yet to sign a top 40 class yet nor a rivals or ESPN final rating top 100 kid. He has struck out on Jones, Vaughn, Macura, Travis. Not looking good for Coffey or Trent....Had to boot 2 kids off the team....Pretty much going to be a Tubby 2 tenure for him here.

What's the opposite of POLLYANNA cuz you need to add the word in your vocabulary
 

Three times in the next four years just to match. Care to make a wager whether that happens?

I'd rather Pitino "not match" Tubby's accomplishments but rather build the program into the top half of the B1G with deep runs in the NCAA's.
 

This may well be the cost of doing business, but it's an image issue. Coach has less-than-successful season (for a number of reasons) and gets a raise. Hard-core sports fans may understand why he got the raise, but less rabid fans see a very young coach getting a raise after a losing season. In almost any other profession, a "losing season" - i.e. lower sales/performance - does not earn you a raise.

Norwood Teague may be a very good AD when it comes to managing an athletic department and hiring coaches, but I get the sense that he is tone-deaf when it comes to understanding image and public reaction.

Norwood will do what he thinks is best for the program, regardless of public reaction. People are not going to boycott games because Pitino received a 400k raise. People will stop showing up if the Gophers keep losing.

It's obvious Norwood thinks Pitino is the right coach to put the program back on track, and it's in his authority to do what he needs to do to keep the right pieces in place.
 

Norwood will do what he thinks is best for the program, regardless of public reaction. People are not going to boycott games because Pitino received a 400k raise. People will stop showing up if the Gophers keep losing.

It's obvious Norwood thinks Pitino is the right coach to put the program back on track, and it's in his authority to do what he needs to do to keep the right pieces in place.

The average MN sports fan either won't know about this or will have forgotten about it by Monday. Much ado about nothing.
 

What fools, go find another program to root for, we can do without "fans" like you!!!!

There have been repeated reports about how Pitino has elevated the practices, coaching, teaching, etc. NT is no idiot, he sees definite progress and improvements and so he wants to rewards the results. It is really immaterial whether a few die hard Tubby fans attack his decision and can't see the forest through the trees.


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A lot of hate going on here. Get over it, he is the coach at a B1G university. You shouldn't low ball the coach if you expect him to take your program to the top of the B1G. The reality is that the price of a coach at the B1G level is high and you should expect to pay it. Just because you couldn't attract a high profile coach doesn't mean that you should low ball the coach you got. If you expect success you need to pay the going rate, if he doesn't work out you replace him. You don't take that as an opportunity to be cheap and then lose the coach to someone who is willing to pay them once they succeed.


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+19

We all know Big Time sports do not operate in the 'real world'.

Start paying our coaches like we want them and not bringing up the bottom for ever and ever. Maybe someone will think we are serious eventually.

People need to quit trying to compare this to how they manage their little widget shop.
 

Jerry Kill got at least one if not two raises before he ever had a decent conference record and now Pitino gets a raise after two years and two losing conference seasons. Personally, I'd like to see significantly more from coaches before a raise is given and can understand the anger/disappointment from many in the fan base. I totally disagree with the poster Tim that correlates Gopher coaching salaries and the lack of success on the field/court. Glen Mason and Tubby Smith both had contracts that exceeded the performance of their teams. To compare what the Gophers are paying Kill and Pitino to guys like Ferentz (4 top 10 seasons) or Dantonio ( 3 top 10 seasons and a Rose Bowl win) is silly. Both coaches only started making really big $$$ after going 8-0 and 7-1 respectively in conference play. I would assume Minnesota would be plenty happy to compensate either Kill or Pitino for similar success in their respective sports. Finally, Kill came from Northern Illinois and Pitino from FIU so there was no need for big salaries initially. Simply getting a high major job was a major coup for both and represented an enormous jump in pay. This wasn't Harbaugh going to Michigan or even Tubby coming to Minnesota both guys were paid in line with what guys of their pedigrees are paid when they move to a high major conference.

One thing that bugs me is Reusse's continued use of "failure to make the NIT" as some sort of slam against Pitino. The NIT would have been a massive disappointment this past season and Reusse would make mocked and criticized Pitino just as much had the Gophers been in the NIT. The season was a failure and Pitino deserves some criticism for that, just as he deserved praise for what he did in his first year.
 




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