Coach Search Options after Autry

[Orangezoo]

Well..

If we’re looking at somewhere between 15 to 20 million, annually and committed, in additional NIL funding above what we currently have…

If thats in the cards


I’d take Hop surrounded by top tier assistants if we cant get near the same with other candidates.

Have Hop be CEO. Its 2026. Money turns programs around on a dime quicker than anything else. Thats exactly what Jim Boeheim would tell you, whether talking about SU’s future or college basketball in general.

A good coach can struggle with a limited war chest in the P4. A bad coach can make the tournament while funded. It’s a horrible time in sports. Evolve or die.

*ducks*

Unless we can pay up and convince someone like Langel to be an assistant coach or co head coach with Hop where Hop gets the job I don’t see how this ever works out and even that hypothetical I just dropped makes me nauseous.

 

[sufan59]

FWIW this seems like an impossible situation for the decision makers to navigate. We can't find Syracuse in a lose lose situation here. If one thing is clear, the support for an elite College Basketball program could technically be there before the new coach even takes the court if people can be converted to unconditionally supporting the best candidate. It may be imperative for a notable basketball alumni out there publicly stressing the importance of an outside hire at this time and the unification of the alumni around this person whoever they may be. Cough, Bryan Hodgson.

 

[MSOrange]

Get ready stilettos…..

And who knows far more about basketball than anyone on this board.

In the meantime let’s keep on with the narrative that the only acceptable coaching hire is someone that most haven’t seen coach a game or hadn’t even heard of three months ago.

I’ll watch the process unfold and support the program next year with at least some level of trust that proper due diligence and an effective process will be followed.

First of all, let me say I appreciate and admire how you try to be part of the solution instead of complaining about the problem as far as the NIL tailgating fundraising and being part of Cuse Council and other initiatives.

But I distinctly remember that you were one of the ringleaders when others were talking about the program showing signs of falling during JB's final years with excuses like "Would you rather have great regular seasons and flame out in the tournament or do well in the tournament?" and "There are over 350 teams D-1 teams. We're still better than most of them." as if we should realistically be comparing the Syracuse program to teams in the lower leagues of Division 1.

So I'm not sure if you have the most credibility when talking down to others about how much they know about basketball.

 

[sufan59]

This situation may be more difficult than a team in March Madness who has never seen a Syracuse 2-3 zone trying to navigate it

 

[Cusefan0307]

I can’t see how he gets granted it. Aguilar had basically the same background of 2 JUCO years and got denied. I assume every court going forward will use that as the precedent setting case

The NCAA this year did not treat JUCO the same as NAIA. That's the difference. Kingz had a year at NAIA. Aguilar played 2 seasons of JUCO.

 

[Trueblue25]

If you put Hop's name in your sentence above, would that not also apply to his tenure at Washington?

If we simply rinse and repeat and do the same thing again, hoping for better results, then we deserve to lose and lose miserably.



Melo thought Red was going to be great with his son and the new players coming in this season too (even tho there was PLENTY of evidence to expect otherwise). He also grew frustrated this year as the season played out as many here expected. We all hoped against hope it might be better, but most weren't surprised how's it gone, as the writing was on the wall.

Let's not pretend this push for Hop has anything to do with some "next level" of understanding college basketball program rebuilding that us mere mortals can't comprehend... It's none of that.

Melo wants his friend to coach his son. That hasn't changed. Just the name of that friend has. If that is the effective, due dilligence decision making process you are talking about, sorry, but that sucks.

Hop has donors and may be open to surrounding himself with coaching minds better than his.

 

[Sherman20]

Just want to put it out there that the University will push every narrative they can to make it seem like they made the right hire...

There's no defending the decision if you decide to go with the guy that has proven to be a losing coach over the up-and-coming hot name on the trail coach that has only succeeded at multiple stops and is getting looks from many other high-major jobs. Oh yeah, and that guy also desperately wants to come here. If Hopkins gets the job, we all know why, and it's not because he was the best option.

It's been proven time and time again that it does not matter how much money the coach has. If they aren't good, they won't win. Not to mention when a coach starts losing, all that "money" that they seemed to have starts disappearing.

Also, a good administration finds a way to get the donors behind the guy they choose. They don't let a donor put them in an ultimatum to choose the guy they want.

100 percent. I knew some foolishness like this would happen and we’d totally screw up the hire. I love Hop and Melo but come on. College basketball is completely different than the NBA. You have to have coaching acumen, have a proven system and know how to teach it to players and get their buy-in. See: Josh Schertz. If you want to be really good, you have to be an innovator. Hop had seven years to prove himself at Washington and failed.

Look at BYU. They probably have one of the most expensive rosters in the country this season, and they’ve been top 25 good but not top 10 good. And the top end money is unsustainable in the long run.

 

[capeorange]

Good thread on how bad UW's offense was under Hop. Sounds like the end of JB and all of Red's tenure.

https://www.google.com/url?esrc=s&q=&rct=j&sa=U&url=https://www.reddit.com/r/huskies/comments/qqmvh4/mike_hopkins_needs_to_go/&ved=2ahUKEwjCx93e3_SSAxWVmokEHdUcDQgQFnoECAQQAg&usg=AOvVaw2VEUud1Bd6nqImK4YovjJA

The same comments on no movement on offense. Unless Hop has studied the game and changed his coaching philosophy dramatically since then, he would just be an extension of Red and JB's final years.

 

[Blanko97]

The NCAA this year did not treat JUCO the same as NAIA. That's the difference. Kingz had a year at NAIA. Aguilar played 2 seasons of JUCO.

oh, isnt that worse?

 

[LAorange44]

Does anybody else remember a mere couple of months ago folks were deferring to Melo as somebody who had the expertise to recommend a coach to the school due to his playing career. What changed?

 

[Trueblue25]

This is a really unfortunate mindset, and I hope the decision-makers on the hill don't fall into it. Hop has already failed as a head coach... badly... and we are living through a season in which the phrase it's not what you have, but how you use it has never been more apparent.

Money doesn't solve problems. Skill and talent (in this case coaching) solve problems. We literally are living through this exact mistake RIGHT NOW.

Hall of fame coaches, active and retired, disagree with you. Sorry but those are who im basing my thoughts on. Money’s become more important, its why you see great coaches retiring early and becoming disenfranchised.

 

[sufan59]

Does anybody else remember a mere couple of months ago folks were deferring to Melo as somebody who had the expertise to recommend a coach to the school due to his playing career. What changed?

We learned of the recommendation lol

 

[Cusefan0307]

oh, isnt that worse?

Not according to the NCAA this past season...

 

[LAorange44]

Let’s support the best man for the job, whether it is the Hopper or the Guppy or an unknown candidate!

 

[shandeezy7]

Unless it is like $50-75m to endow a player warchest that can fund itself in perpetuity, then it is not sustainable and I would still want a coach who can win with what he can get.

And thank you for posting what you can Bulldog, we're not responding at you personally like you're making the decisions.

Exactly this. So we get Melo and his buddies to fund a roster for a year or two. Is he gonna care once his kid is gone? Probably not - at least not to that extent. And if we don't have a good coach and lose funding, then what?

 

[Cusefan0307]

Exactly this. So we get Melo and his buddies to fund a roster for a year or two. Is he gonna care once his kid is gone? Probably not - at least not to that extent. And if we don't have a good coach and lose funding, then what?

And then we've yet again lost out on another up and coming coach with a modern basketball system for someone in the back half of his 50's.

 

[Fly Rodder]

You have to have coaching acumen, have a proven system and know how to teach it to players and get their buy-in.

If I had the choice between Duke's NIL/Revenue sharing money with Hopkins coaching and Scheyer and SU's NIL/Revenue sharing, I think I'd take Scheyer. Duke has elite talent, but Scheyer has shown he can coach his guys up. It's not easy to get a bunch of 19 & 20 year old super recruits to play hard for each other and then do it all over again the next season.

 

[LAorange44]

Exactly this. So we get Melo and his buddies to fund a roster for a year or two. Is he gonna care once his kid is gone? Probably not - at least not to that extent. And if we don't have a good coach and lose funding, then what?

The status quo is untenable. Even OSU’s AD is squawking. We just need survive and advance to whatever final form college basketball takes. Change is coming.

 

[sufan59]

If I had the choice between Duke's NIL/Revenue sharing money with Hopkins coaching and Scheyer and SU's NIL/Revenue sharing, I think I'd take Scheyer. Duke has elite talent, but Scheyer has shown he can coach his guys up. It's not easy to get a bunch of 19 & 20 year old super recruits to play hard for each other and then do it all over again the next season.

I've been super impressed by Scheyer recently. It's clicked for him. It's dangerous when you mix it with the talent he has.

 

[shandeezy7]

The status quo is untenable. Even OSU’s AD is squawking. We just need survive and advance to whatever final form college basketball takes. Change is coming.

Which would seem to make it even more important to have an actual good coach. Hop wasn't a good head coach even in the "old form" of college basketball.

 

[LAorange44]

Which would seem to make it even more important to have an actual good coach. Hop wasn't a good head coach even in the "old form" of college basketball.

Kick the can down the road for tomorrow’s AD. It’s the Syracuse way.

 

[Gotothehole]

Hop has donors and may be open to surrounding himself with coaching minds better than his.

He has to be open to that possibility non-negotiable

 

[Fly Rodder]

The status quo is untenable. Even OSU’s AD is squawking. We just need survive and advance to whatever final form college basketball takes. Change is coming.

That I do believe. I think the wild wild west of NIL and revenue sharing is going to change significantly at some point. When, I don't know, because the NCAA is their own worst enemy. But I can't imagine that boosters and wealthy alums are going to continue funding whatever the players and coaches want forever. They're going to start wondering where their ROI is. And if private equity gets more involved there will definitely be a brutal pushback on labor costs.

 

[Ozone!]

How's that going for Kiyan?

Kiyan is a first year player; very often there is solid growth into a players 2nd year; especially if we hire the right next coach?
Kiyan needs to get stronger and that should be remedied during the off season. Also, having great insights into an aspect of the game doesn’t actually translate into being a great coach?

 

[Cusefan0307]

Hall of fame coaches, active and retired, disagree with you. Sorry but those are who im basing my thoughts on. Money’s become more important, its why you see great coaches retiring early and becoming disenfranchised.

Hop would get one game to prove he's changed. The minute anyone sees shtty screens, ISO ball from an inefficient perimeter player, zone, and contested 20 footers then I know I'm out.