Brent Axe defending Mike Hopkins

[HOFCeluck]

In lieu of his excellence as an assistant, pedigree and loyalty to his alma mater, Mike Hopkins deserve the job. Most here agree with this.

But hiring Hopkins would also keep Coach Boeheim engaged in not only the program, but the university as a whole. If we hire Jay Wright or Shaka Smart or Gregg Popovich, I am just not sure we see Boeheim around for more than 1-2 games per winter. I want him at every game. I want tho remind those outside (recruits, HS coaches, prospective students, general public) our Orange universe that Syracuse basketball is a longstanding tradition and part of the fabric of CNY. Examples of this would be John Wooden, Dean Smith, Louis Carneseca after their retirements. While Boeheim's presence is not imperative, I certainly think we are far better off with it.

Intersting that you bring up Wooden...as his successor had no UCLA ties prior to his hiring.

 

[HOFCeluck]

So you're saying you are a Hopkins guy then. Because this list is pure fantasy. I mean Tony Bennett? That has to be a joke. That would be like John Thompson deciding he;d like to take the Syracuse coaching position in 1988. Not only is he at a school in the same conference, but they are at an all time high. Pitino is a great choice but is too old and no way he leaves Louisville (for about 100 reasons but also including we're an in-conference rival). Donovan, again the mind boggles at why the guy would make such a move. Brad Stevens can suck it. Same Greg Marshall.

Mark Few is the Jim Boeheim of Gonzaga. Imagine Boeheim leaving to go coach UCLA in 2001.

That leaves Shaka Smart as the only remotely viable guy on the list, but he's had opportunities over the last 5 - 6 years and decided to stay at VCU. I do think it is at least possible to get him in for an interview, though.

To be honest I don't know how easy it would be to bring in a high level guy. How many coaches have left one P5 job for another in the last decade? Mark Turgeon, Roy Williams and Bill Self are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head. If SU was to look elsewhere (not saying they should) maybe they should concentrate on getting a rising coch from a mid major...a Smart, Haase, or Kevin Ollie type.

 

[Cheriehoop]

To be honest I don't know how easy it would be to bring in a high level guy. How many coaches have left one P5 job for another in the last decade? Mark Turgeon, Roy Williams and Bill Self are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head. If SU was to look elsewhere (not saying they should) maybe they should concentrate on getting a rising coch from a mid major...a Smart, Haase, or Kevin Ollie type.

Ollie was an assistant to Calhoun just like Mike Hopkins is to Boeheim.

 

[SWC75]

Hopkins deserves his shot and I want him to get it.

I agree that if we hire an outside coach, now or at some future date, we should get a coach with a track record of success at this level. We are an elite program.

Frankly any coach who doesn't win big here isn't a very good coach. (Which doesn't mean JB-type success is automatic.)

 

[HOFCeluck]

Ollie was an assistant to Calhoun.

His name is in my post simply for trolling purposes.

 

[Millhouse]

I have never felt Hopkins had to be the successor, but what JB and severed did here absolutely screwed him over. He's not going to have a shot at the HC position in Syracuse for three years, but no one else will want to hire him either out of fear he could always go back to Syracuse immediately upon jim leaving. They need to tell him "you are it " or "you should move on." Either way they have let him in quiet the predicament.

"Most miseries lie in anticipation." - Balzac

hop could put something into a contract with another school that would make it very painful to go to syracuse when boeheim is done, if thats what he wanted to do

 

[SWC75]

I'm probably overreacting but I'm absolutely terrified for the future of this program. Look what happened with football. Had the history, the tradition, etc, not to the same degree as basketball but still pretty significant. Then GRob comes along and I don't think we'll ever be good again. Our next coach absolutely needs to win immediately.

No comparison at all. Football declined due to a crumbling stadium and lack of budget or facilities plus two platoon football. We went through 20 years or mediocrity or worse before rebuilding it. And then our success was pretty amazing because we really have the profile of a basketball school. We couldn't retina it because we became apathetic and because it's been so damned expensive. In basketball we have the biggest arena instead of one of the smallest. We have 13, (or now 10) scholarship p-layers vs. 85. We have 45 straight winning seasons, five Final Fours and a national title. We'll remain on that level or get someone who can put us back there quickly.

 

[SWC75]

You and I aren't often on the same page, but I agree 100%. This is a significant hire, because [1] it is exceedingly difficult to replace icons, and [2] JB built the program from scratch and in essence IS the program. I have absolutely NOTHING against Hopkins--LOVE the guy, in fact. I just hope that our new AD does full due diligence, evaluations all options, and picks the best one. I don't want a Craig Esherick / Matt Doherty / Mike Davis flop.

If Hopkins is the best choice, that's great. But if the "best" [and I understand that this is subjective] candidate is the likes of Jay Wright, Shaka Smart, Sean Miller, or some other proven coach--and I'm not saying that any of those guys are in play--is in contention, then we'd be foolish not to consider all options.

And I don't mean that as a slight to Hopkins.

I don't want a Craig Esherick / Matt Doherty / Mike Davis flop either but those schools survived that and are in this year's tournament. We would, too.

 

[Frozen]

How many coaches have left one P5 job for another in the last decade? Mark Turgeon, Roy Williams and Bill Self are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head.

Frank Martin, K-State to S. Carolina
Billy Gillispie, Texas A&M to UK
Cuonzo Martin, Tennessee to Cal
Mike Anderson, Mizzou to Arkansas
Trent Johnson, Stanford to LSU
Trent Johnson, LSU to TCU

 

[HOFCeluck]

OK so way more than I thought. Good to know.

 

[Frozen]

OK so way more than I thought. Good to know.

I cut out Huggins to WVU and Beilein leaving WVU because WVU was in the BE at the time, I'm pretty sure. Unless we are counting BE as P5.

 

[HOFCeluck]

I cut out Huggins to WVU and Beilein leaving WVU because WVU was in the BE at the time, I'm pretty sure. Unless we are counting BE as P5.

I would.

 

[RF2044]

I don't want a Craig Esherick / Matt Doherty / Mike Davis flop either but those schools survived that and are in this year's tournament. We would, too.

So what? Only after each of those programs took significant steps backwards. We don't want to have that happen here. We should take consolation in having a candidate flop, knowing that we can be in the NCAA tournament 10+ years down the road?

The goal should be to bring somebody in who is the optimal candidate to sustain the success we've grown accustomed to.

 

[NYCorange]

So you're saying you are a Hopkins guy then.

Yes. And I think that most of the people on the list are very unlikely. It would take that kind of hire to get me to be willing to move on from Hopkins. However, it has happened before as people have mentioned--Self to KU, Williams to UNC, Howland to UCLA, Calipari to UK, etc. What I don't want is to move on from Hop just to get another coach who is unproven at the highest levels (i.e. Bobby Hurley).

 

[LennX6]

I'm going to agree to disagree. If he can't get to the sweet 16 this year that tells me small ball doesnt work. it's been since 2009 past the first weekend. If that happened here we would be wishing for JB to retire.

Thing is, small ball may be the best you're going to get for Villanova...We aren;t too much different. We may have heigth but not bulk...It isn't like there are a smorjasbord of Shaq clones to pick from...

 

[TheCusian]

So you're saying you are a Hopkins guy then. Because this list is pure fantasy. I mean Tony Bennett? That has to be a joke. That would be like John Thompson deciding he;d like to take the Syracuse coaching position in 1988. Not only is he at a school in the same conference, but they are at an all time high. Pitino is a great choice but is too old and no way he leaves Louisville (for about 100 reasons but also including we're an in-conference rival). Donovan, again the mind boggles at why the guy would make such a move. Brad Stevens can suck it. Same Greg Marshall. Mark Few is the Jim Boeheim of Gonzaga. Imagine Boeheim leaving to go coach UCLA in 2001. That leaves Shaka Smart as the only remotely viable guy on the list, but he's had opportunities over the last 5 - 6 years and decided to stay at VCU. I do think it is at least possible to get him in for an interview, though.

Syracuse is a better job than Virginia. Better fan support, better venue, better practice facility, better recruiting area. Too many people are valuing the job like the punk reporters claiming we're dead in the water. We are not UNC, Duke, Kentucky - but we are right there.

 

[HOFCeluck]

better recruiting area.

lol

But seriously, he coaches in our conference, and if he can sustain the success he's had at UVa the last two seasons, he's not coming here.

 

[NYCorange]

Brad Stevens can suck it.

Look, I'm not happy with the results the last time we played Brad Stevens, but out of ALL of the guys on that list, he's the one I'd probably be most excited to have. He's an absolutely brilliant coach who has the corpse of the Celtics in the playoffs. Every NBA player who plays for him looks better than they ever have before. His out of bounds plays are always good, and his teams are disciplined and creative. He'd be able to recruit on the basis of his NBA experience and the fact that SU is a billion times better than Butler. He's also just an all around great guy who would be a great community member and representative of the SU brand.

But the chances of us getting him are probably slim to none.

 

[LennX6]

So what? Only after each of those programs took significant steps backwards. We don't want to have that happen here. We should take consolation in having a candidate flop, knowing that we can be in the NCAA tournament 10+ years down the road?

The goal should be to bring somebody in who is the optimal candidate to sustain the success we've grown accustomed to.

Louisville did it from Crum to Pitino...Kentucky and UCLA are two different cases , overall they didn't though one could argue Joe B Hall and Tubby were better than given credit for.
St Johns struggled after Louie, NC after Dean, Kansas seems to transition well on the other hand.

 

[jekelish]

I'm going to be somewhat surprised if Hop isn't the next coach. I'll be somewhat surprised if Gerry McNamara isn't Hop's successor (assuming Hop works out well).

 

[LennX6]

Look, I'm not happy with the results the last time we played Brad Stevens, but out of ALL of the guys on that list, he's the one I'd probably be most excited to have. He's an absolutely brilliant coach who has the corpse of the Celtics in the playoffs. Every NBA player who plays for him looks better than they ever have before. His out of bounds plays are always good, and his teams are disciplined and creative. He'd be able to recruit on the basis of his NBA experience and the fact that SU is a billion times better than Butler. He's also just an all around great guy who would be a great community member and representative of the SU brand.

But the chances of us getting him are probably slim to none.

Don't rule it out...thing is Danny Ainge has relationships on the hill, not sure how that would impact it. I like Shaka Smart...a do more with less guy would be attractive...We may be "elite" but in comparison with Duke, Kentucky , NC, Kansas, MSU, we actually need to do more with less , only in context to those guys...

 

[SWC75]

I'm going to be somewhat surprised if Hop isn't the next coach. I'll be somewhat surprised if Gerry McNamara isn't Hop's successor (assuming Hop works out well).

That's looking way ahead!

 

[Cusefan0307]

Syracuse is a better job than Virginia. Better fan support, better venue, better practice facility, better recruiting area. Too many people are valuing the job like the punk reporters claiming we're dead in the water. We are not UNC, Duke, Kentucky - but we are right there.

Here's the thing. We went outside the Syracuse family for our last Athletic Director, and by most accounts it wasn't a good decision. God Rest his soul, you cannot tell me Rob Edson would not of had the same accomplishments as Daryl Gross the past ten years, except we wouldn't of lost or sense of history or tradition.

My concern with hiring an outsider as basketball coach instead of Hopkins is you will lose some of that same sense of history and tradition. Someone is going to come in and create a whole new program, that will be foreign to many people especially Alumni.

It's been well documented here, and explained other places that our current coaches sell the program as a family to recruits. That's why Thomas Bryant's mom wants to come here in the first place. Hopkins has already proven himself as an ace at selling the program, and as a fellow alum, I want to see another alum get first shot at continuing our success.

Also keep in mind, if a new AD comes in and hires his own guy, and that guy fails as basketball coach, not only are you hiring another basketball coach, you are hiring another AD as well. If Hopkins fails the AD can then hire his own guy, but if he succeeds, the AD can focus on what really needs fixing, and that is the football program.

If I'm on the BOT, I tell the new AD that we would prefer to keep this one in house, especially with the sense of history and traditions that have been lost in other places.

 

[LennX6]

lol

But seriously, he coaches in our conference, and if he can sustain the success he's had at UVa the last two seasons, he's not coming here.

Yeah Bennett's in a very nice spot...a spot that could lead to his name on a court in say 20 yrs...he has a chance to be a pre-eminent legend in a great place.
Those opportunities do not turn up often.

 

[SU94]

True. But did he go to UCLA games when Gene Bartow was manning the sideline? I am not sure.