He will do what Cal did when he left us. Bring his whole team with him. When a coach leaves players have 30 additional days to portal.
Go hire a big name coach today
- Thread starter TNCatfanforever
- Start date
big name coaches are really no longer an option. look at what unc went through. you get a solid up an comer who wants a chance at the big stage. jai lucas for example
Really when Billy G was fired we knew who was going to be the next coach at Kentucky with Cal. If Pope is fired who do we realistically think can come in and win like that from day 1?
I have a better chance at winning the next Powerball jackpot.
I hate to be the bringer of reality into a good fantasy, but we’re stuck with this for at least 12 more months.
I hate to be the bringer of reality into a good fantasy, but we’re stuck with this for at least 12 more months.
People act like UNC hired some dud. He literally won a NBA championship, has ties all over the league and coached Jokic, Murray among others. The guy is probably a better coach and has accomplished more than Oats, Otzrlberger, McCollum. Look at what the Nebraska coach has done coming from the Bulls. Didn’t take him long.
To be fair, Hoiberg has been at Nebraska since 2019 and this year was his first NCAA win there. Wouldn't say exactly that he's been killing it or anything.
At the end of next season...cause it won't happen right now...you cut Pope loose and take a chance on Jai Lucas. He's going to be a good coach and can flat out recruit.
In the meantime, get ready to miss next year's NCAA-T.
In the meantime, get ready to miss next year's NCAA-T.
No "big name coach" is accepting any job today without the roster already being in good shape.
It’s Nebraska, a school that has never had success. It should take a minute at a place like that, but yes you’re right. I’m just saying NBA to college guys can be successful. Pitino did it for us. I actually think more NBA guys should be looked at. Imagine Joe Mazzula at UK, he would never come but he would kill it.
The thing about the UNC search is that Malone was a very very early rumored name. I really think his name may have been the first one I heard linked to the job. Then came the Oates, Otz, etc etc.
I think Malone was their guy from the jump and the rest was smoke and mirrors. It tracks with their AD and who he chose for their football coach.
Just saying that to say that we don't know the fully story behind that search and it shouldn't be used as a fool proof cautionary tale for other blue bloods who may want a coaching upgrade.
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Loser post of the day.
This is why no one wants to come - weird, irrational fan base.
This is why no one wants to come - weird, irrational fan base.
to me , if I am one of this big name coaches, then I'm only going to a school that gives me two things.
1. at least $8m a year with incentives and extensions, plus a sizeable buyout
2. NIL money that is serious bank and no oversight to spend it, guaranteed.
you have to make it where a coach is willing to talk away from a good thing.
at this point, I don't think you just hire a coach, you hire an administration, a dream team if you will like a c-suite of executives.
the AD hires, the coach, the GM, the NIL guy and an operations manager, and let the coach just focus on what he needs
1. at least $8m a year with incentives and extensions, plus a sizeable buyout
2. NIL money that is serious bank and no oversight to spend it, guaranteed.
you have to make it where a coach is willing to talk away from a good thing.
at this point, I don't think you just hire a coach, you hire an administration, a dream team if you will like a c-suite of executives.
the AD hires, the coach, the GM, the NIL guy and an operations manager, and let the coach just focus on what he needs
The jury is still out on Malone. I don’t think anyone can doubt his X’s and O’s too much, but he was believed to be having trouble finding work in the NBA because he can be a difficult personality. He also had ties to UNC with his daughter going there for volleyball, and only got the job after at least their top 3 (May, Lloyd, Otzelberger) and possibly a few other current college coaches all said no.
He might work out for them, but I still think the UNC coaching search is instructive that programs like us can no longer just use our historical name value to get any established name that we want.
This is leading for the dumbest post of the day. Congrats!
I don’t disagree with most of this, and yet no one would say the hire is a slam dunk or that UNC’s coaching search went as planned. They tried and failed to hire, what, at least 5 other coaches before overpaying to convince Malone to accept the job, acter initially turning them down. He has practically no college experience (from what I can tell his last college job was as an assistant at Manhattan in 2001…). You mention Hoiberg at Nebraska, but he was a college coach first before his stint with the Bulls, and it took him seven seasons to make the NCAA tournament at Nebraska (still obviously a great hire considering it’s Nebraska). If this works for UNC it may be seen as a blueprint for blue bloods, but if in 4 years UNC is doing this again I don’t think many people will be shocked it didn’t work out.
By the way, I’m from KY but live in Colorado now. The general opinion among Nuggets fans is Malone will be a very good coach and should be well suited to CBB. Hope they’re wrong, I guess we’ll see!
Go get a new big game coach today!!!!!!!!!!!!! Are you the VP of the crazy fan base? I'm embarrassed for us.
You posted that no one wants to come play for Kentucky because of the fans. That is a dumb take and is what I as referring to.
It's the irrational weirdos that I'm pointing to - plenty of great ones, just too many ready to bananas.
Perfect timing just fire Pope NOW.....
Now that players can transfer after a coach quits if you get one their roster can come along with them.
Call the man today, see what he’s thinking.
If you hired Pearl or Billy D today you end up with the iowa st or santa clara forward and Stokes plus can pull another great. The ceiling is raised not just because of talent but coaching ability.
Wouldnt you want to find out?
Nonsequetor- Billy makes so much more sense to go after for AD. Keep Pope and see if he can support him to success.
Yea, was a damn good hire and showed a willingness to break the convention that has been deeply engrained there.
You're about to take a beating. I should know, was saying this before Cal left. The irrational don't believe it, while they're demanding the head of a coach for not making a deep run in his second year.
Not only that no "big name coach" is accepting any job without the roster being in good shape, no coach wants to be hired by an AD that will be leaving before next season. A coach wants to work for an AD that hires them and will offer more job security than an AD that did not hire them. If I were changing jobs, other than salary, the new boss would be the next important issue. We really need a new AD prior to even thinking about a new coach.
(Just read on KY Hoops, so ?)
Some executives believe Billy Donovan could be intrigued by the idea of coaching the University of Kentucky, if he takes a year off.
Kentucky pursued Donovan before hiring Mark Pope, who enters next season on the hot seat.
Donovan began his coaching career at Kentucky in 1989.
(via Evan Sidery/NBA Insider)
Really dumb reply. Has nothing to do with any coach taking this job. Gracious sakes.
If you don't think a fanbase that applies inordinate amounts of pressure on any coach is not a reason certain coaches don't want to coach at UK these days, you're highly mistaken. Fanbase needs to class up, be respectful. Pope aint' the guy, but he is a Wildcat.
The UK brand doens't mean nearly as much anymore - NIL does. There will be plenty of coaches that won't want to touch the job because they feel like they'll be tarred and feathered with anything but a final 4.
What is your sales pitch to this big name coach? "We fired Pope because he got to the sweet 16 in his first year, but lost in the round of 32 in his second year! And WE ARE UK! Our proud tradition doesn't allow for such failure, and our totally rational fanbase won't tolerate it. And lucky you, we think you'll do better. Want to give up the low pressure high paying job you have now, and jump into this pressure cooker for a little higher pay?"
Popes getting year 3 but it’s not going to go very good from the looks of things. Poor guy just struggles to bad with recruiting.
6 conference teams are ahead of us currently with portal recruiting. 2 SEC teams are in the top 5. We are missing so many pieces right now that I just don't see Pope being able to fix this. At this point I’d be really surprised if Stokes signs with UK.
Call Bruce Pearl right now and make him tell you no. Do it Mitch.