Hop Presser

[Account Deleted at User's Request]

You're asking all the right questions and coming up with all the wrong answers.

Hop was going to take the USC job. He's interviewed for who knows how many others. Why was a succession

Bent over backwards for him? Seriously? You think the university put the succession plan in place to benefit him? They did it because it was what they thought was the best way to transition smoothly when JB retired and to curb negative recruiting in the mean time. It's the university's job to do what is best for them and the coaches job to do what's best for him. They played their cards and he has played his. In a few years we'll see how it works out for everyone.

As for me, I'll be rooting for Washington against everyone but us. Hop was a class act while he was here and did nothing but work his butt off the whole time. I can't understand anyone having sour grapes toward him.

I am a little sour.. I wanted Hop more then anyone to be the next coach at Syracuse. A little upset he's leaving during tough times to take a job that's probably not going to lead him back to SU. Was looking forward to his vision and his basketball mind. Thought he could take what Boeheim built and make it even bigger. He was groomed for this job.

 

[Account Deleted at User's Request]

I'll tell you what, this hire by UW is one of the biggest moments in Syracuse history. You catalog all those make or break moments in the program's history: Dave Bing, Boeheim being hired, moving to the Carrier Dome, joining the Big East, Pearl, Wallace, Carmelo, joining the ACC. This goes on that list. For better or worse this was a crossroads that will determine a path we are on from here forward.

Listening to the press conference, I can't help but feel this episode has been a major blunder. Hopkins may or may not be able to deliver the on court results, but I don't think there is going to be anybody else we can likely get who would be more "wheelhouse" for us. Yes in the short term, we have the HOF coach and they have the unproven guy, but everything I hear from Hop tells me he is exactly the answer to all the questions/concerns we have about the long term future for Syracuse. Whether he succeeds or fails, this week will be looked at as one of the most important in the history of the SU program.

Perfect

 

[kcsu]

Mike made a great decision and in my opinion Mike Jb Washington and most of all Syracuse win. This is trult a win for all parties. The facts are very much against assistant coaches who are elevated within a program succeeding. Following Jim was going to be brutal for him and lets face it many of us were extremely apprehensive. Yes we loved Hop for all the right reasons but we also questioned him and had our doubts.
Jim will do fine my guess is 2 no more than three years. Wildhack will land a star. I expect him to make a great hire. Who knows possibly Mike. Bottom line. This is truly best for all involved

 

[SoBeCuse]

A couple of my disjointed thoughts.

JB mentioned a number of times in his presser but I haven't seen it discussed here , how he disagreed with SU admin's decision to publicize the timing of his retirement etc. He repeatedly said his issue wasn't with the retirement agreement itself nor the contractual timing of it but in making the terms public thus ignoring the recruiting repercussions Etc. JB said making the dates public knowledge did actually have an effect on recruiting thus also what he'd hoped to be a smoother transition I imagine.I bet just like Roy, Coach K etc there won't be another publicized succession nor dated retirement agreement like the unprecedented one SU did.

Have to wonder what Mike thought of the way the issue was handled considering their decision was crucial in setting the table for him. Doesn't sound like warning of the effects of publicizing JB's retirement date was taken into account. Would Mike have gotten a 6 year vote of confidence contract like Washington gave him or a salary like JB's much like Washington offered? I have absolutely no insider knowledge but if he felt the weight, challenge and responsibility of following JB's legacy yet sensed a lack of total commitment, enthusiasm, support despite 22 years here, I can see why one might look around and decide to create one's own legacy particularly with the terms he got. I mean we had enough threads with plenty of doubters right here on this board.

That said, I will miss Mike's quirky sense of humor, smile and boundless enthusiasm. Just some ramblings from the cobwebs of my mind.

Yeah, I agree with your takes here. This stuff as well as just wanting to implement his own system. It was a really good presser. I like that AD lady too. Mike just seems to have different coaching philsophies which is refreshing to see. He made an interesting comment about how zone is very predictable and he doesn't like predictable. Hope he does well.

 

[Cheriehoop]

He made an interesting comment about how zone is very predictable and he doesn't like predictable. Hope he does well.

I think he was referring to using the zone exclusively not that the zone itself is predictable. He would prefer to mix it up and use different defenses.

 

[SoBeCuse]

I think he was referring to using the zone exclusively not that the zone itself is predictable. He would prefer to mix it up and use different defenses.

Yes, I gathered that.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

I get it. Of course I'm selfish. I care about Syracuse basketball as a whole and that's a lot bigger then one guy. Syracuse gave Mike Hopkins everything he wanted. He had his own deal and buyout in place in case we didn't follow through on the deal. What about his end of the bargain? No other program in the country has given an assistant what cuse gave Hop. I get that they gave him an unbelievable deal at UW but this is Syracuse and there is a lot of work to be done right now. Hard times on the program and the guy entrusted to move us into the future of cuse hoops bailed on us. I am selfish but I'm also loyal and Hop wasn't very loyal to the school that was overly loyal to him.

Yeah, you are selfish.

The very fact that you use the word "bailed" shows how selfish you are.

You could give a flying you-know-what is best for Hop or his family.

You are at the same level as the posters on here who get all bent-out-of-shape when a player departs early because of their "concern" that he won't get a second contract.

Bullspit...all they care about is the fact that a guy who could make their team better is leaving...they could care less about the player...

 

[Forza Azzurri]

I'll tell you what, this hire by UW is one of the biggest moments in Syracuse history. You catalog all those make or break moments in the program's history: Dave Bing, Boeheim being hired, moving to the Carrier Dome, joining the Big East, Pearl, Wallace, Carmelo, joining the ACC. This goes on that list. For better or worse this was a crossroads that will determine a path we are on from here forward.

Listening to the press conference, I can't help but feel this episode has been a major blunder. Hopkins may or may not be able to deliver the on court results, but I don't think there is going to be anybody else we can likely get who would be more "wheelhouse" for us. Yes in the short term, we have the HOF coach and they have the unproven guy, but everything I hear from Hop tells me he is exactly the answer to all the questions/concerns we have about the long term future for Syracuse. Whether he succeeds or fails, this week will be looked at as one of the most important in the history of the SU program.

I'm going to disagree with you here.

I think Hop was in a no win situation here.

The move from asst to head is a huge move and he would be trying to replace a legend.

And, for some reason, fans seem to be less tolerant of an insider rather than an outsider. Don't know why.

I think he will struggle as a first-time head coach - not because he is not capable of being a great head coach but because everyone struggles. That doesn't mean he won't win but he is going to have to grow into being a head coach and that simply takes time. In-game adjustments, substitution patterns, use of timeouts, feel for the game...that all takes time...

We all saw it last year during his stint as head coach.

Granted, it was not "his" team so he was really trying to be JB and not MH but the board, after watching JB for 40 years, has an instinctive "feel" for what JB is going to do in-game to adjust to the opposition and we didn't see Hop doing it and it made us uncomfortable...and that discomfort was reflected in a lot of the posts questioning whether he could be the "guy" after his 4-5 stint...

JB is three times the coach now that he was back in the 70s when he first took over...

That T he took vs Iowa, no way he gets that now...it changed that game and ended our season...

Hopkins may turn out to be better than JB and we may really wish he had stayed but, right now, I don't think it is a blunder that he has moved on...I just don't think he would get a fair shake here and get a chance to grow through his mistakes...and that would be bad for both him and the university...

 

[rocklloyd]

Two words.

Vocal fry

I could not work with that voice.

 

[ForCuseSake]

I'm going to disagree with you here.

I think Hop was in a no win situation here.

The move from asst to head is a huge move and he would be trying to replace a legend.

And, for some reason, fans seem to be less tolerant of an insider rather than an outsider. Don't know why.

I think he will struggle as a first-time head coach - not because he is not capable of being a great head coach but because everyone struggles. That doesn't mean he won't win but he is going to have to grow into being a head coach and that simply takes time. In-game adjustments, substitution patterns, use of timeouts, feel for the game...that all takes time...

We all saw it last year during his stint as head coach.

Granted, it was not "his" team so he was really trying to be JB and not MH but the board, after watching JB for 40 years, has an instinctive "feel" for what JB is going to do in-game to adjust to the opposition and we didn't see Hop doing it and it made us uncomfortable...and that discomfort was reflected in a lot of the posts questioning whether he could be the "guy" after his 4-5 stint...

JB is three times the coach now that he was back in the 70s when he first took over...

That T he took vs Iowa, no way he gets that now...it changed that game and ended our season...

Hopkins may turn out to be better than JB and we may really wish he had stayed but, right now, I don't think it is a blunder that he has moved on...I just don't think he would get a fair shake here and get a chance to grow through his mistakes...and that would be bad for both him and the university...

This is what makes me ignore all the back and forth over iron clad agreements or getting squeezed out.

I'm glad Hop won't be the sacrificial lamb to follow JB. I'm not a pessimist and I'm not a staunch JB supporter but people are deluded if they don't expect a significant drop off after JB retires.

There are no examples in the sports world where the legendary architect leaves and success is sustained. I would prefer to be the guy replacing the guy who replaced the legend.

It's a sports axiom - the legend either stays long enough to crater the program or leaves on a high note that is unsustainable by the successor.

And I don't care about the UNC Smith/Guthridge transition. Everyone in Chapel Hill knew Guthridge was happy to have a brief stint guiding the ship. They also knew no coach worth his salt would want to follow Dean immediately.

Gutty didnt stay long enough to crater the program; that's why Karl, Williams and Larry Brown said no until Doherty took the hit (people forget that Roy won his first title with Doherty's last monster recruiting class).

I'm glad Hop is now better positioned to restore SU's glory because Wildhack is gonna have a hell of a time convincing a strong coach to follow JB (assuming JB finishes his career with 2-3 non-bubble tourney years).

 

[br801]

I'm glad Hop is now better positioned to restore SU's glory because Wildhack is gonna have a hell of a time convincing a strong coach to follow JB (assuming JB finishes his career with 2-3 non-bubble tourney years).

Regardless of how the remainder of JB's career plays out, there will no shortage of capable coaches interested in this job. The long tradition of basketball success, strong fan support, the prestige of the ACC and top facilities (including a renovated Dome) will ensure that.

Obviously, there is no guarantee that the new hire will be be a success, but the university will have a deep pool of candidates to draw from and the resources to land the person they determine is the best fit.

 

[Townie72]

Anyone who has questions about his relationship with JB needs to watch the presser.

Based on the low viewership of the JB/Wildhack presser by critics and conspiracy theorists on here, they don't want to watch any of these pressers. It must be that the information on them conflicts with their current opinions and fantasies.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Honestly as a SYRACUSE fan first, I feel a little betrayed. The university bent over backwards for him. Like Boeheim said no other school in the country has a succession plan in place. We put Hop on a pedestal. Contrary to what the Boeheim haters believe, he was ready to take over after this year. Deal in place. "I don't work like that". Really? I have no problem with him taking another job but it would have been nice if this went on 2 or 3 years ago. He put Syracuse in a really tough spot. Yeah we still get Boeheim for a few more years but that's not how this was suppose to go down. It was time for Hopkins to take over and lead us into the future. He bailed. Brings up wojo and Chris Collins and talks about envy. What if they were set to take over Duke in a year. Do they up and leave? Absolutely not.
I'll always root for Hop but I feel cheated after seeing how this played out. Tough for me to believe Washington is a better gig than Syracuse but looks like it is in Hops eyes.

Didn't realize Mike Hopkins owed you anything.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Based on the low viewership of the JB/Wildhack presser by critics and conspiracy theorists on here, they don't want to watch any of these pressers. It must be that the information on them conflicts with their current opinions and fantasies.

You've said this 1,000,000 times.

 

[Account Deleted at User's Request]

Yeah, you are selfish.

The very fact that you use the word "bailed" shows how selfish you are.

You could give a flying you-know-what is best for Hop or his family.

You are at the same level as the posters on here who get all bent-out-of-shape when a player departs early because of their "concern" that he won't get a second contract.

Bullspit...all they care about is the fact that a guy who could make their team better is leaving...they could care less about the player...

I don't care about Hop? Actually I care a lot about the guy who used to train me at Manley in the summers when he was a lowly assistant in the late 90s. I've known Hop for most of my life. Haven't seen in maybe 4 years or so because of life and work. Don't need a know it all like you to tell me what I am. Have I made a single post about Tyler Lydon leaving? I have more connection to Syracuse hoops over my life then you could ever dream about. This isn't about disliking the person. This is about Syracuse getting screwed in the deal. Mike should have left a while ago if this is what he wanted to do. There should have never been a succession plan in place and if Mike signed then he should have stuck with his word. I want Hopkins as the next head coach. He's going to do big things. His timing is awful. There's a lot of work to be done here and signed up to be the guy to handle it all. Then he leaves basically last minute. He put Syracuse hoops in a tough spot.

 

[OrangeAl]

On top of Old Smoky, all covered with snow,
I lost my true lover, for courting too slow.
The "Head Coach in Waiting" saga took too long to play out. There was too much time for Hop to be thinking and rethinking the whole scenario.

 

[Account Deleted at User's Request]

Didn't realize Mike Hopkins owed you anything.

This isn't about me. This is about Syracuse basketball.

 

[br801]

Based on the low viewership of the JB/Wildhack presser by critics and conspiracy theorists on here, they don't want to watch any of these pressers. It must be that the information on them conflicts with their current opinions and fantasies.

Based on some the posts I've read on this board over the years, I'm pretty sure many people know very little about Hopkins and have never heard him speak at length. I thought spending some time watching the UW presser might be good idea.

 

[OttoMets]

These quotes are going to prompt some unprecedented bitterness around here after an ugly Syracuse loss next January.

 

[Superdeluxe]

What are your guys thoughts on Steve Thompson Sr as a possible assistant with Coach Hop? There are rumblings that he could be in the mix along with Coach Hart and Coach Otoole

 

[Forza Azzurri]

I don't care about Hop? Actually I care a lot about the guy who used to train me at Manley in the summers when he was a lowly assistant in the late 90s. I've known Hop for most of my life. Haven't seen in maybe 4 years or so because of life and work. Don't need a know it all like you to tell me what I am. Have I made a single post about Tyler Lydon leaving? I have more connection to Syracuse hoops over my life then you could ever dream about. This isn't about disliking the person. This is about Syracuse getting screwed in the deal. Mike should have left a while ago if this is what he wanted to do. There should have never been a succession plan in place and if Mike signed then he should have stuck with his word. I want Hopkins as the next head coach. He's going to do big things. His timing is awful. There's a lot of work to be done here and signed up to be the guy to handle it all. Then he leaves basically last minute. He put Syracuse hoops in a tough spot.

Syracuse's decision to name a HCIW had nothing to do with Hop and had everything to do with what the university, at the time, thought was in the best interests of the program.

If the university had thought otherwise, it never would have happened.

And if Hop had followed Boeheim, and was not as successful as the school wanted him to be, it would not hesitate to get rid of him.

The university does what is in its best interests - as it should, If that also happened to be good for Hop - great. If not, Oh well.

So to expect any type of "loyalty" from Hop because of what the university did for Hop is a misguided notion.

The university did nothing for Hop. It did what it thought was best for itself and Hop happened to be the beneficiary of it at the time.

And, if you expect any individual to subordinate one's self-interest to that of of the entity that employs him/her, you are, at best, naive...

Trust me, ain't no way the university will ever put Hop's interests above its own...nor should it...

I would never, ever do that. I wouldn't expect you to and I sure wouldn't expect Hop to...

 

[Superdeluxe]

Hopkins on several radio stations/interviews drove home the point that he wants to build a legacy, not protect one.

 

[sufandu]

Hop was going to take the USC job. He's interviewed for who knows how many others. Why was a succession


I am a little sour.. I wanted Hop more then anyone to be the next coach at Syracuse. A little upset he's leaving during tough times to take a job that's probably not going to lead him back to SU. Was looking forward to his vision and his basketball mind. Thought he could take what Boeheim built and make it even bigger. He was groomed for this job.

He was groomed to be a head coach. We should be happy we had him longer than most would've stuck around. In any profession you strike while the iron is hot, in sports especially.