Mike Hopkins is our next coach...

[cuseinseattle]

Gutheridge was a hand picked successor who ended up being an EXTREMELY short timer, didn't replenish the talent pool, and most importantly won with Dean Smith's players. It's not so much that he specifically was a bad hire, but what came next. Him being older than the hills when he was hired wasn't a viable long term strategy for UNC, and they replaced him with Matt Doherty who then proceeded to run things into the ground.

But I agree, he was qualitatively different than Craig Escherick, Mike Davis at Indiana, Steve Lappas at Villanova, etc.

I wouldn't say Doherty ran things into the ground. They did win the national title the next year with his players.

 

[cuseinseattle]

True. I would bet they aren't entirely sure. Wildhack and the Chancellor aren't stupid. Well, many chancellors are, frankly. This is a mammoth decision and I would be shocked if they didn't do their due diligence to explore every angle/option to come to the best decision however there is no decision yet, obviously. IF they decide on Hopkins then I'm all in and hope it works out. Personally, he's not my top choice but that doesn't matter. Nobody knows who it will be as of this moment.

What would the university and everyone have to do for you to understand the decision has been made. Don't say press conferences because that has already been done. If I got a signed and notarized letter would that do it for you.

 

[RF2044]

I wouldn't say Doherty ran things into the ground. They did win the national title the next year with his players.

Relative to UNC's standards, I'd say that he did:

He had an 8-20 season, followed by an NIT season where he barely got over .500, thanks to picking up some wins in the NIT. He had a losing overall record in the ACC.

When a real coach came in, things took off.

 

[rrlbees]

the dreaded Public Vote of Confidence...

Syracuse announces Mike Hopkins will be Jim Boeheim's successor - ABC News : Related Articles | OOYUZ

 

[IthacaMatt]

Point out flaws of other hotshot coaches is pointless. There are no perfect candidates to replace a retiring HOFer.

SWC did an exhaustive research piece a few years ago on "The Following of a Legend". The result, as I recall, was that the guy who follows The Legend usually has a hard time and only lasts a couple / few years. But then the NEXT guy is the guy who gets the team back to where they were before.

That scenario could easily play out here. Mike gets his chance, but he will have a short time to prove himself. Just like Kevin Ollie originally only had a 9 month contract at UConn, when Calhoun abruptly retired. Mike, after that 4-5 cameo, raised concerns among the fans and probably the administration. We can't afford a 12-19 type of season. He needs to win 20 games, although with the way this season is tanking, they might cut him some slack in year one.

 

[two3zone]

Is there anybody that really believes that Jay Wright or Billy Donovon would actually come here? I don't know why their names keep popping up.

 

[cuseinseattle]

Relative to UNC's standards, I'd say that he did:

View attachment 86032


He had an 8-20 season, followed by an NIT season where he barely got over .500, thanks to picking up some wins in the NIT. He had a losing overall record in the ACC.

When a real coach came in, things took off.

May went down and that really cost them. They still won 19 games. I'm pretty sure Doherty landed Marvin Williams as well but I could be wrong. This was a long time ago and I'm going off memory of a program I don't like or follow. I would agree they had one really bad year but I also think you are giving Roy more credit and Doherty not enough.

 

[ClamOtto]

Dirt cheap cost of living is irrelevant. When you're playing in a national market, you pay the national market rate, not adjusted for cost of living. If you want to go down that road, you could also argue that the only thing cheap in CNY is home prices. Property taxes are among the highest in the country and Florida, for one, has no income tax.

By the way, the university pays way above national market rates for administrators, so I'm not sure why they below market for coaches.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Our recruiting problems right now are going to really hurt Hopkins chances to succeed.
He won't get a honeymoon that most coaches get because he is for all intents the incumbent.
Boeheim should retire this year so Hop can recruit for 2018 which will be his make or break year.
If JB stays next year Hop honestly should only get 1 year. I am not giving him 2 years if we have to go thru this year's chit show and next year's obvious chitshow.

100% agree. This is what should be.

 

[Ward]

Open the check book for Billy Donovan.
Pitino Jr. is being groomed for the Louisville job.
Donovan would be ideal.
Remember this saying from Bill Belichick. He didn't want to replace Bill Parcells.
"You don't want to be the guy that replaces THE GUY. You want to be the guy that replaces the guy after THE GUY"
This logic applies across sports all legends.

**If Hop doesn't work out**

I say go after Chris Mack or Buzz Williams. They both have been successful at much smaller platforms than they'll have here and IMO are more realistic choices than some of the names that have been mentioned.

I'd love to see what Buzz can do building a team of junkyard dogs that are higher caliber recruits here if he was able to build what he did at Marquette and the momentum he has at Va Tech. Would be a really fun style to watch as a fan.

Chris Mack is well respected throughout the college basketball world and has Xavier consistently competitive and with their fair share of success in March as a mid major.

 

[Cusefan0307]

100% agree. This is what should be.

Would you be happy with a Greg Gard type first season last year at Wisconsin?

12-6 in the Big 10. 8 losses overall. Sweet 16.

 

[two3zone]

**If Hop doesn't work out**

I say go after Chris Mack or Buzz Williams. They both have been successful at much smaller platforms than they'll have here.

I'd love to see what Buzz can do building a team of junkyard dogs that are higher caliber recruits here if he was able to build what he did at Marquette and the momentum he has at Va Tech. Would be a really fun style to watch as a fan.

Chris Mack is well respected throughout the college basketball world and has Xavier consistently competitive and with their fair share of success in March as a mid major.

Buzz has really turned around VT, almost no reason for him to leave the situation. He's in the same conference, he's in a good regional recruiting area, and he is on his way of creating a great legacy at VT. All of that is without going to a team that may be in a bit of a tailspin, I don't even see him coming here.

Hell, Dixon went from Pitt to VCU.

 

[RF2044]

May went down and that really cost them. They still won 19 games. I'm pretty sure Doherty landed Marvin Williams as well but I could be wrong. This was a long time ago and I'm going off memory of a program I don't like or follow. I would agree they had one really bad year but I also think you are giving Roy more credit and Doherty not enough.

And they lost 16. And had a 16-16 record heading into the NIT. On the heels of an 8 win, 20 loss season, that doesn't cut it in Chapel Hill.

Doherty ran the program into the ground, relative to their standards. And Roy Williams was a home run hire in comparison.

 

[Alsacs]

Would you be happy with a Greg Gard type first season last year at Wisconsin?

12-6 in the Big 10. 8 losses overall. Sweet 16.

All Hop needs to do is make the NCAA tournament and he proves he is the guy.
Nothing more.
We would be lucky if Hop is Gard.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Exactly. Why does anyone think it's a foregone conclusion Syracuse could get an established, successful, high D1 head coach? As has already been pointed out, who would want to replace an icon, especially when the program is looking to be in rough spot? Plus, the university has never shown an inclination to pay a coach the kind of money it would take to pry someone away from another school where they've already been successful. Living in Syracuse ain't gonna do it either, unless all they know is that MSG is a home game. The Syracuse gig just isn't going to be a step up for a head coach at most P5 schools.

I think you're really mistaken. You can make those arguments about the football program, but the basketball program is completely different. The Melo Center is a state of the art facility. The dorms may not be Kentucky level, but they are solid and close to the Melo Center, so kids can practice whenever they want.

We draw 30,000 for hoops. Nobody in the country has a facility like ours for basketball. We are in the ACC and are something like the 6th winningest program in NCAA history. We are only one step below the top 5 or 6 programs in all of college basketball. Our gear is among the most popular sold to fans by sales. We pack opposing arenas up and down the east coast.

We have had first round draft picks every year but one this century, I believe. Our soon-to-be retiring coach coached THREE Olympics champions, and for all the crap it takes, our zone is a system that is much admired and respected by both opponents and the media.

If this school can't recruit a top flight coach, it's because they don't spend the money. But I expect that the guy-after-Mike, whoever and whenever that may be, won't be from some backwater college in the midwest or the Big Sky conference, unless he has just taken his team on a heroic run in the NCAA tournament. We will get someone who has established himself on the East Coast as a top recruiter from New York to the Mid-Atlantic. That's our footprint. That's who we are. That's where our bread is buttered. Wildhack is no "hack". He gets it.

 

[RF2044]

Dirt cheap cost of living is irrelevant. When you're playing in a national market, you pay the national market rate, not adjusted for cost of living. If you want to go down that road, you could also argue that the only thing cheap in CNY is home prices. Property taxes are among the highest in the country and Florida, for one, has no income tax.

By the way, the university pays way above national market rates for administrators, so I'm not sure why they below market for coaches.

Somewhat agree--if we want to chase national candidates, we'll need to pay market value.

But we don't necessarily have to pay the MOST to land a quality candidate. That's when other factors -- INCLUDING regional cost of living -- would factor into negotiations, and what the real dollars end up looking like. You are correct that tax considerations would be another factor in the equation.

 

[Cusefan0307]

And they lost 16. And had a 16-16 record heading into the NIT. On the heels of an 8 win, 20 loss season, that doesn't cut it in Chapel Hill.

Doherty ran the program into the ground, relative to their standards. And Roy Williams was a home run hire in comparison.

The thing about Roy is he went from being Dean's right hand man to coaching Kansas. That's like Hopkins being JB's right hand man and going to Arizona or Michigan State and winning.

 

[RF2044]

I think you're really mistaken. You can make those arguments about the football program, but the basketball program is completely different. The Melo Center is a state of the art facility. The dorms may not be Kentucky level, but they are solid and close to the Melo Center, so kids can practice whenever they want.

We draw 30,000 for hoops. Nobody in the country has a facility like ours for basketball. We are in the ACC and are something like the 6th winningest program in NCAA history. We are one step below the top 5 or 6 programs in all of college basketball. Our gear is among the most popular sold to fans by sales. We pack opposing arenas up and down the east coast.

We have had first round draft picks every year but one this century, I believe. Our soon-to-be retiring coach coached THREE Olympics champions, and for all the crap it takes, our zone is a system that is much admired and respected by both opponents and the media.

If this school can't recruit a top flight coach, it's because they don't spend the money. But I hardly expect that the guy-after-Mike, whoever and whenever that may be, won't be from some backwater college in the midwest or the Big Sky conference. We will get someone who has established himself on the East Coast as a top recruiter from New York to the Mid-Atlantic. That's our footprint. That's who we are. That's where our bread is buttered. Wildhack is no "hack". He gets it.

Great post.

 

[realorange]

Our recruiting problems right now are going to really hurt Hopkins chances to succeed.
He won't get a honeymoon that most coaches get because he is for all intents the incumbent.
Boeheim should retire this year so Hop can recruit for 2018 which will be his make or break year.
If JB stays next year Hop honestly should only get 1 year. I am not giving him 2 years if we have to go thru this year's chit show and next year's obvious chitshow.

Guess what?! It doesn't matter what you are giving him.
Hop can recruit for 2018 whether JB is here next year or not.
Let's give the guy as much of a chance to succeed as we would whoever might get hired if Hop didn't have the job.
I'm sure he would like to know the SU fans are giving him the support you said they would give a coach in your post of a day or two ago. Or was that remark just for fans other than you?

 

[Alsacs]

Guess what?! It doesn't matter what you are giving him.
Hop can recruit for 2018 whether JB is here next year or not.
Let's give the guy as much of a chance to succeed as we would whoever might get hired if Hop didn't have the job.
I'm sure he would like to know the SU fans are giving him the support you said they would give a coach in your post of a day or two ago. Or was that remark just for fans other than you?

Please tell me how my post isn't supporting Hopkins?
Have a nice day.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I think you're really mistaken. You can make those arguments about the football program, but the basketball program is completely different. The Melo Center is a state of the art facility. The dorms may not be Kentucky level, but they are solid and close to the Melo Center, so kids can practice whenever they want.

We draw 30,000 for hoops. Nobody in the country has a facility like ours for basketball. We are in the ACC and are something like the 6th winningest program in NCAA history. We are only one step below the top 5 or 6 programs in all of college basketball. Our gear is among the most popular sold to fans by sales. We pack opposing arenas up and down the east coast.

We have had first round draft picks every year but one this century, I believe. Our soon-to-be retiring coach coached THREE Olympics champions, and for all the crap it takes, our zone is a system that is much admired and respected by both opponents and the media.

If this school can't recruit a top flight coach, it's because they don't spend the money. But I expect that the guy-after-Mike, whoever and whenever that may be, won't be from some backwater college in the midwest or the Big Sky conference, unless he has just taken his team on a heroic run in the NCAA tournament. We will get someone who has established himself on the East Coast as a top recruiter from New York to the Mid-Atlantic. That's our footprint. That's who we are. That's where our bread is buttered. Wildhack is no "hack". He gets it.

I think we could get someone like Ed Cooley and I would be ok with that. He's made Providence relevant again and is a great recruiter. I think he would be someone who did well here.

 

[RF2044]

The thing about Roy is he went from being Dean's right hand man to coaching Kansas. That's like Hopkins being JB's right hand man and going to Arizona or Michigan State and winning.

True. That's why a lot of us were of the opinion that it would be good for Hopkins to leave and cut his teeth, for two reasons:

1. He'd get his on-the-job experience, and be more ready / have figured things out when he eventually took the reins, and
2. If he flopped or showed that he didn't have the chops, we could avoid hiring him

If Hop went to USC [just for example], and did what Roy Williams did at Kansas or Izzo did at MSU, then we'd be lucky to have him return. And I get that USC isn't Kansas.

 

[rrlbees]

100% agree. This is what should be.

He's not getting just 1 year.

 

[KaiserUEO]

Dixon went to TCU, his alma mater, in the bevo...not vcu at wherever.

Wright might've come here before last year, now I don't think he will.

theres a bigger job still out there for him. dook, unc...

 

[KaiserUEO]

He's not getting just 1 year.

yeah, a year and a half.

wait till you see next years pre-ACC schedule...

all sunys and the handpicked worst of the maac and patriot.

got to get to 1000...