My fear on the new hire...FWIW

[spfury]

I fear that if we don’t get BD and get stuck with a Tom Crean type of guy that our program will be set back several years. I can see a scenario that BD turns us down and we get a 2nd or 3rd tier coach that cannot compete or recruit at an elite level. If this happens in a couple of years (or less time) the fan base will again be calling for the coaches job and it will really give ESPN and other pundits cause to rip U.K. and the fan base; Dick V. will again be ripping us for “running” Tubby off. I am the first to agree that it was time for Tubby to step down and I am happy with the way he handled it instead of forcing U.K.’s hand in the matter. But, if we don’t get the right coach I am afraid we will end up like I.U. with a Mike Davis type of guy, or even a Sampson type (who I am not very impressed with). I.U. has certainly fallen from elite and prestige status, and I can see us following suit if the cards don’t fall right. We are now referred to as a storied program, not necessarily an elite program in many circles. UNC and I.U. both hit the skids much worse that U.K. did with Tubby and with the wrong hire I could see it happening to U.K. and Mitch is an A.D. that would stick with a bad coach too long; especially if it is his hire. It really took UNC two hires after Smith left to get the right man in place, and unlike U.K. they had former players and assistants like Williams that was ready for the job and to step in and take control of the program. U.K. at the moment doesn’t have that in place, Pelphry or Ford may be that coach in the future, but currently we don’t really have anyone with strong ties to U.K. waiting in the wings; BD is the closest we have since he was an assistant here for five years. There are a lot of good coaches out there, but not many great ones and even less great ones that can truly handle the pressure of coaching at U.K. The constant “fish bowel” life style and questioning of every move they make will wear out most coaches. Pitino was a guy that could handle it, but he had an enormous ego and could take the criticism and was a master of playing the media, the new guy will have to have that ability. When RP came here he had to rebuild a great program and he did it in a masterful way and he had the luck of following Hall and Sutton who both played boring brands of B-ball and his fun style and winning ways put him in the Rupp status. The new coach will be following Tubby who didn’t have an exciting style like RP, but the fans will be wanting an RP or similar style and the standard at U.K. (as it should be) is set to the level that Rupp and RP had it at, which adds even more pressure. The standard for the new coach will not be based on the Tubby Smith era, they may be compared for a short time in the beginning, but in the long run the standard will always be the Rupp and RP standard, until someone else comes along and does it better, or at least as good. I hope we get our man, or a stealth candidate that can come in here and get the job done, I just don’t want a Mike Davis type of era.



Many of the coaches being mentioned behind BD are in my opinion either a lateral move or even a step down. Similar styles, little post season success and decent to good recruiting histories. Tom Crean, Mark Few, Mike Brey, Jay Wright, Rick Barnes, Bruce Weber etc. doesn’t sound that exciting or like saviors of a great program and in some instances the death of a great program. Gillespie may be a good fit, it would be interesting to see what he can do with a big budget and excited fan base, his first move would to be to learn to recruit outside the state of Texas. Shawn Williams at Xavier will be a great coach one day, but again, not ready for prime time just yet, similar to Pelphry in resume, other than Williams taking #1 seed Oh. St. to the wire this year.

It will be an interesting week and hire, Mitch has to realize his futures hinges on this one.

[VirginiaBlue]

I don't think that it's fair for the media and basketball pundits to continually refer to the UK job as "the best and worst coaching job in America". It takes a very strong personality, one who has the strength to hold true to his coaching principles in the face of severe scrutiny (like Tubby), but not give the appearance of being blind to the problems, stonewall anybody who critisizes, and try to put a positive spin on a bad situation (also like Tubby). It takes a sense of humor coupled with a tough skin, and a bit of resilience to make changes to his philosophy when he sees it isn't working and the program's going south. Pitino has those attributes, I think Billy D does as well. I don't think Tubby does.

[mdluk1]

How many other programs got rid of their coaches this year? Yet UK is the only one that seems to be catching any heat. Arkansas' coach won 20 and made the NCAA and he DID get fired. Where is the heat for them?

[catmandoo25]

mdluk1 wrote: How many other programs got rid of their coaches this year? Yet UK is the only one that seems to be catching any heat. Arkansas' coach won 20 and made the NCAA and he DID get fired. Where is the heat for them?


And we didn't even get rid of our coach......he left!

[spfury]

catmandoo25 wrote: mdluk1 wrote: How many other programs got rid of their coaches this year? Yet UK is the only one that seems to be catching any heat. Arkansas' coach won 20 and made the NCAA and he DID get fired. Where is the heat for them?


And we didn't even get rid of our coach......he left!


I agree, I don’t think we should be criticized for Tubby leaving, it was time for a new direction for all involved, U.K., Tubby and the U.K. fans. No criticism or anything from my standpoint on that. What I am concerned about is getting a dud for a coach, Tubby wasn’t the right fit for the job; I think BD is the right man for the job. If we don’t get BD I just don’t want to turn into an I.U. type of program with diminished expectations or go through the problems that UNC did with their two previous coaches. It would be hard on the program if we hire say a Tom Crean, he doesn’t get the job done then we have to fire both him and Mitch in three or four years for not rebuilding the program. Tubby let us slip the past few years with poor recruiting and with the wrong hire it could go from bad to worse, just like with a great hire it could go from bad to unbelievable. So don’t take this as a criticism or complaint that Tubby is gone, I totally disagree with Dickie V. on that issue, this is a concern for our future if the right guy doesn’t take the job. There are a lot of So-So’s on the assumed short list if BD doesn’t come here.

[audacious1]

spfury wrote: catmandoo25 wrote: mdluk1 wrote: How many other programs got rid of their coaches this year? Yet UK is the only one that seems to be catching any heat. Arkansas' coach won 20 and made the NCAA and he DID get fired. Where is the heat for them?


And we didn't even get rid of our coach......he left!


I agree, I don’t think we should be criticized for Tubby leaving, it was time for a new direction for all involved, U.K., Tubby and the U.K. fans. No criticism or anything from my standpoint on that. What I am concerned about is getting a dud for a coach, Tubby wasn’t the right fit for the job; I think BD is the right man for the job. If we don’t get BD I just don’t want to turn into an I.U. type of program with diminished expectations or go through the problems that UNC did with their two previous coaches. It would be hard on the program if we hire say a Tom Crean, he doesn’t get the job done then we have to fire both him and Mitch in three or four years for not rebuilding the program. Tubby let us slip the past few years with poor recruiting and with the wrong hire it could go from bad to worse, just like with a great hire it could go from bad to unbelievable. So don’t take this as a criticism or complaint that Tubby is gone, I totally disagree with Dickie V. on that issue, this is a concern for our future if the right guy doesn’t take the job. There are a lot of So-So’s on the assumed short list if BD doesn’t come here.

Of course, none of the fans deserve any criticism for anything. :rolleyes:

[katfever]

audacious1 wrote: spfury wrote: catmandoo25 wrote: mdluk1 wrote: How many other programs got rid of their coaches this year? Yet UK is the only one that seems to be catching any heat. Arkansas' coach won 20 and made the NCAA and he DID get fired. Where is the heat for them?


And we didn't even get rid of our coach......he left!


I agree, I don’t think we should be criticized for Tubby leaving, it was time for a new direction for all involved, U.K., Tubby and the U.K. fans. No criticism or anything from my standpoint on that. What I am concerned about is getting a dud for a coach, Tubby wasn’t the right fit for the job; I think BD is the right man for the job. If we don’t get BD I just don’t want to turn into an I.U. type of program with diminished expectations or go through the problems that UNC did with their two previous coaches. It would be hard on the program if we hire say a Tom Crean, he doesn’t get the job done then we have to fire both him and Mitch in three or four years for not rebuilding the program. Tubby let us slip the past few years with poor recruiting and with the wrong hire it could go from bad to worse, just like with a great hire it could go from bad to unbelievable. So don’t take this as a criticism or complaint that Tubby is gone, I totally disagree with Dickie V. on that issue, this is a concern for our future if the right guy doesn’t take the job. There are a lot of So-So’s on the assumed short list if BD doesn’t come here.

Of course, none of the fans deserve any criticism for anything. :rolleyes:
Your obsession with "blaming the fans" is comical.:lol: