Mike Hopkins is our next coach...

[pfister1]

I am questioning it. A plan is just a plan. I love how a couple of you take this as gospel. You mean to tell me that Wildhack isn't going to explore other options or send some feelers out there?! Impossible, IMO.

It is more than a plan if a contract has been executed. There are financial consequences from walking away from an executed contract that make "exploring options" and "sending out feelers" a dangerous (potentially expensive) game.

I would think that given the size of the contracts involved (isn't the basketball coach one of the top 5 highest paid employees), the high profile nature of the individuals involved and any decision's capacity to piss off Trustees who may be firmly in the Hopkins camp, that this would be a course that would not be charted casually.

 

[br801]

SoBeCuse? I kid of course. Probably got the idea from the board though.

Aah, Bud. How does a person with such apparent contempt for sports and the people involved in sports end up as a career sports columnist?

 

[Alsacs]

Aah, Bud. How does a person with such apparent contempt for sports and the people involved in sports end up as a career sports columnist?

Dan Shaughnessy laughs at Bud's trolling.
Shaughnessy makes Bud look like Tee when it comes to contempt for his audience.

 

[CousCuse]

If the Coach and his family have made the decision, then that is 100% great. Other than that, if he wants to re-up for 10 more years, all the better. He can be thew first octogenarian to win a National Championship. 80 is the new 60.

 

[orange79]

Aah, Bud. How does a person with such apparent contempt for sports and the people involved in sports end up as a career sports columnist?

Not a lot of openings for opera columnists out there. :noidea:

 

[br801]

Dan Shaughnessy laughs at Bud's trolling.
Shaughnessy makes Bud look like Tee when it comes to contempt for his audience.

There have always been curmudgeons in this business, and bigger and better ones than these two. I just don't get why someone would choose to make it their life's work.

 

[MSOrange]

There have always been curmudgeons in this business, and bigger and better ones than these two. I just don't get why someone would choose to make it their life's work.

Bud's worst was when he covered the spring football game last year. His whole column was basically how stupid it was that anybody would want to watch it and what a waste of time and how boring it was to watch practice football. If you truly don't want to cover an event that badly, then find another job or tell your boss to find someone else who will actually put some effort into it.

 

[SoBeCuse]

I guess I am being tarred and feathered for all of this. What such a lousy fan I am. Good freaking lord. God forbid that I question whether or not a public announcement equals a written contract which took months and months to "hammer out."

 

[CousCuse]

Because that's what he's decided to do. His kids will all be out of HS and he can buy a motor home and go watch all of them play college ball. Or he can move to FL and start over with a new program and watch other kids play college ball. Hmmm which one will he pick...?

He can watch Jimmy and Buddy play while he is coaching them at SU.

 

[orange79]

I guess I am being tarred and feathered for all of this. What such a lousy fan I am. Good freaking lord. God forbid that I question whether or not a public announcement equals a written contract which took months and months to "hammer out."

OK - apology accepted. At least you know the ground rules.

 

[SoBeCuse]

OK - apology accepted. At least you know the ground rules.

Right. The rules are more/less Corleone-esque about never going against the family. :crazy:

 

[orange79]

Right. The rules are more/less Corleone-esque about never going against the family. :crazy:

You broke my heart, SoBe

 

[Cusefan0307]

Right. The rules are more/less Corleone-esque about never going against the family. :crazy:

No, it's just odd your going against the grain when the most reliable insiders have suggested otherwise.

As far as recruiting goes, there's been a couple of problems we have had this cycle that have zero to do with Hopkins as far as I'm concerned. One is the old man's strategy and the other could be current players scaring them away.

 

[pfister1]

I guess I am being tarred and feathered for all of this. What such a lousy fan I am. Good freaking lord. God forbid that I question whether or not a public announcement equals a written contract which took months and months to "hammer out."

I feel like we have been told repeatedly by insiders that there is a written contract. Of course, knowing who really knows and who is simply confidently restating a factually incorrect belief is an art form in itself. If there is no written contract, then there are more options available should the administration choose to pursue them.

 

[AlpharettaCuse]

I guess I am being tarred and feathered for all of this. What such a lousy fan I am. Good freaking lord. God forbid that I question whether or not a public announcement equals a written contract which took months and months to "hammer out."

Nobody said you were a bad fan, but this is public knowledge, not to mention common sense. Mike was never going to stick around for a verbal promise.

"Hopkins and the university finally have reached an agreement to put a succession plan in writing. The move has been in the works for months, but final details are being worked out in assistant coach Hopkins' current contract."

Not sure why you think anything has changed.

 

[RF2044]

Nobody said you were a bad fan, but this is public knowledge, not to mention common sense. Mike was never going to stick around for a verbal promise.

"Hopkins and the university finally have reached an agreement to put a succession plan in writing. The move has been in the works for months, but final details are being worked out in assistant coach Hopkins' current contract."

Not sure why you think anything has changed.

In actuality, a lot has changed. We have a new AD, who isn't necessarily bound by the decisions/ negotiations made by his predecessor, two times removed.

New ADs bring in their guys to put their stamp on programs all of the time in college athletics.

Doesn't mean that Wildhack will elect to go in a different direction than Hopkins, just that it isn't inconceivable [to SoBe's point].

 

[llandz]

love sedona and northern az---can only take scottsdale for 2 wks. get sick of looking at brown mountains and sand every day. just my personal preference. never could appreciate the "beauty" of the desert. i am very much in the minority though. i am thankful that bethlehem pa doesn't much snow at all, and is a pretty forward thinking town.

I drive to Sedona just for lunch sometimes. From where I live it is just 90 minutes. All I have to do is drive about 30 minutes north and I'm in totally different scenery. Also, I live in Phoenix next to the mountain preserve. I see city and mountains, not much desert.

 

[AlpharettaCuse]

In actuality, a lot has changed. We have a new AD, who isn't necessarily bound by the negotiations of his predecessor.

New ADs bring in their guys to put their stamp on programs all of the time in college athletics.

People thought that when Coyle arrived too. Nothing has changed. The school, including Boehiem and the chancellor is behind Hopkins, who has a contract to be the next coach at Syracuse.

 

[RF2044]

People thought that when Coyle arrived too. Nothing has changed. The school, including Boehiem and the chancellor is behind Hopkins, who has a contract to be the next coach at Syracuse.

Nobody "thought" that Hopkins was out, people just raised the possibility that change might occur due to a new AD being in place. Same as what is happening now.

Contracts are made to be broken. Again, I am NOT suggesting that Wildhack will go in a different direction. But if he hypothetically elects to, Hopkins having a contract negotiated before he was AD wouldn't prevent him from doing so.

The chancellor being behind him would be far more weighty and significant than a contract.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Nobody "thought" that Hopkins was out, people just raised the possibility that change might occur due to a new AD being in place. Same as what is happening now.

Contracts are made to be broken. Again, I am NOT suggesting that Wildhack will go in a different direction. But if he elects to, Hopkins having a contract negotiated before he was AD wouldn't prevent him from doing so.

Don't disagree with any of this, just think a buyout would need to be involved because I think it came from Kent. JMO.

I keep saying I'm done with this thread, but I keep getting sucked in!

 

[AlpharettaCuse]

Nobody "thought" that Hopkins was out, people just raised the possibility that change might occur due to a new AD being in place. Same as what is happening now.

Contracts are made to be broken. Again, I am NOT suggesting that Wildhack will go in a different direction. But if he elects to, Hopkins having a contract negotiated before he was AD wouldn't prevent him from doing so.

Of course. Syracuse doesn't have to honor the contract, but they will have to pay him if they don't. That's why there's a contract in place. But there's no reason to think they wouldn't or that anything is any different from a year ago.

 

[RF2044]

Of course. Syracuse doesn't have to honor the contract, but they will have to pay him if they don't. That's why there's a contract in place. But there's no reason to think they wouldn't or that anything is any different from a year ago.

Other than a new AD, who wasn't in place a year ago. Other than that gigantic difference, not much has changed.

 

[RF2044]

Don't disagree with any of this, just think a buyout would need to be involved because I think it came from Kent. JMO.

I keep saying I'm done with this thread, but I keep getting sucked in!

Ditto--I keep getting sucked in, and playing devil's advocate to positions I'm not necessarily advocating. Was just sticking up for SoBe.

 

[AlpharettaCuse]

Other than a new AD, who wasn't in place a year ago. Other than that gigantic difference, not much has changed.

But it's not much of a difference at all. The chancellor is behind Hopkins and he has a contract. Wildhack knew the plan when he came in.

"For more than 25 years, Mike Hopkins has demonstrated the true meaning of Orange pride and loyalty," Syracuse chancellor Kent Syverud said in a statement. "He has contributed so much to the success of the Syracuse basketball program. I know Mike is ready to lead the program into the future and carry forward the success that has occurred under Coach Boeheim."

 

[RF2044]

But it's not much of a difference at all. The chancellor is behind Hopkins and he has a contract. Wildhack knew the plan when he came in.

"For more than 25 years, Mike Hopkins has demonstrated the true meaning of Orange pride and loyalty," Syracuse chancellor Kent Syverud said in a statement. "He has contributed so much to the success of the Syracuse basketball program. I know Mike is ready to lead the program into the future and carry forward the success that has occurred under Coach Boeheim."

Agree to disagree on it not being a huge difference--it is a massive difference. This deal was struck two ADs ago. Maybe Wildhack will stick with the deal, maybe he'll opt to cast a broader net [and I'm not suggesting that there is evidence that he wouldn't stick with the deal].

All SoBe was suggesting is that [1] contracts are not ironclad, they are broken all the time--which I think we all agree on; and [2] that strategic priorities often change when new leadership takes the helm.

Again qualified by acknowledging that it doesn't mean that Wildhack will choose to put his own stamp on the hire. But I WOULD expect that he'd do due diligence to ensure that the future of the program is moving in a direction that matches his strategic vision--irrespective of whether a contract is in place with Hopkins or not. That's his job.