Mike Hopkins one of two to interview for USC job

[SoBeCuse]

Perhaps nobody else wants to coach there?

No way. As a USC former grad student I can actually contribute. The Galen Center is one of the nicest new arenas and they have a fantastic AD now. No reason why they shouldn't be competing year in and year out for PAC-12 titles with the fertile recruiting area around them. I would think they are trying urgently to get the program back to where it could be like that loaded 2001 Elite 8 team which almost beat Duke. They had Scalabrine, Clancy, Granville, Bluthenthal, Trepagnier, Desmond Farmer, etc. The students do show up when they are good even back at that shitty Sports Arena. Since then they have had some very good players such as Vucevic and a couple of one 'n dones like Taj Gibson and Mayo. I think it's a great job.

 

[PoppyHart]

I don't think you leave a top tier BCS program unless there are special circumstances (usually b/c you are an alumnus or have family in area). And I personally don't think we'd go for someone "older", like a Larranaga or Steve Fisher.

That leaves guys from lower-tier BCS schools (Steve Donohue, Fran McCafferey, Stan Heath, Herb Sendek, Cuonzo Martin, Scott Drew), and rising stars at mid-majors (Shaka Smart, Brad Stevens, Chris Mack, Chris Mooney, Gregg Marshall). Finally, I'd also toss Louis Orr, Tommy Amaker, and Paul Hewitt into the candidate pool.

 

[NKR1978]

I'd take either but I see no reason for them to leave the schools they are with now.

Honestly, I'd like a young up-and-comer rather than a re-tread. I think SU is the perfect place for a young guy.

With the history and the facilities the new coach would already have a leg up in recruiting. Get someone else's Hopkins (a guy with a solid coaching background, I don't know, someone who's been assistant with Pitino or Roy Williams) or maybe some mid-major coach who's program is just turning the corner.

Would have no problem with an up and coming coach. Would prefer a big winner who wanted to step up to one of the biggest programs in college basketball. Think the basketball version of Brian Kelly.

Also just say no to Brad Stevens. In spite of our recent struggles, dome crowds like a free wheeling offense. Plus I don't know that Stevens can recruit at a A10 level much less an ACC level.



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[cusetown1]

No way. As a USC former grad student I can actually contribute. The Galen Center is one of the nicest new arenas and they have a fantastic AD now. No reason why they shouldn't be competing year in and year out for PAC-12 titles with the fertile recruiting area around them. I would think they are trying urgently to get the program back to where it could be like that loaded 2001 Elite 8 team which almost beat Duke. They had Scalabrine, Clancy, Granville, Bluthenthal, Trepagnier, Desmond Farmer, etc. The students do show up when they are good even back at that shitty Sports Arena. Since then they have had some very good players such as Vucevic and a couple of one 'n dones like Taj Gibson and Mayo. I think it's a great job.

I understand but its second fiddle to football, and many of the fans on the important coast are just about going to bed or in bed by halftime, except for maybe Marsh.

 

[mikekan14]

Wait, seriously? You think we're getting Tom Crean to leave Indiana, or Bill Self to leave Kansas for the SU job?

I don't think there is any chance of this. Don't think Donovan would leave either

Exactly. I understand Donovan is from Long Island but he's of the Pitino tree. He'd be more likely to go to L'Ville than Syracuse.

And why would Donovan even leave Florida? To get away from Calipari? He's coached half as many games at Boeheim but has more National Championships (2 to 1) and the same number of Final Fours (3). It's not like he's resource constrained or that there's some glass [achievement] ceiling.

 

[PoppyHart]

Exactly. I understand Donovan is from Long Island but he's of the Pitino tree. He'd be more likely to go to L'Ville than Syracuse.

And why would Donovan even leave Florida? To get away from Calipari? He's coached half as many games at Boeheim but has more National Championships (2 to 1) and the same number of Final Fours (3). It's not like he's resource constrained or that there's some glass [achievement] ceiling.

If Donovan leaves Gainesville, it's for the NBA.

 

[SoBeCuse]

I understand but its second fiddle to football, and many of the fans on the important coast are just about going to bed or in bed by halftime, except for maybe Marsh.

That is true but so is basketball at Florida, Florida St, Miami, Ohio St, Michigan, Arizona St, etc.

 

[cusetown1]

If Donovan leaves Gainesville, it's for the NBA.

He did go to the NBA for a day or so.

 

[cusetown1]

That is true but so is basketball at Florida, Florida St, Miami, Ohio St, Michigan, Arizona St, etc.

I do understand the situation for Hop. But when I think of USC I think of the circus, and PAC 12 hoops has been pretty cruddy lately.

 

[TBCuse11]

Jay Wright all the way... he would excel at SU.

People that think the program would suffer if Hop leaves are completely out of their minds. Programs do not fail when assistant coaches leave. We are a top tier program. We are self-sustaining.

 

[mikekan14]

We would have coaches sleeping outside the Dome for the Syracuse job. The only jobs that are absolutely better are UNC, Kentucky and Kansas. Prime recruiting withing 5 hours of campus. The biggest stadium. A huge travelling fan base. Prime coverage on ESPN. Some of the best training facilities in the country.

Have to throw Duke, Indiana, and UCLA in there too.

In June 2012; ESPN ranked the top jobs: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...ation-top-10-college-basketball-coaching-jobs

1. UNC
2. UK
3. KU
4. UCLA
5. Indiana
6. Duke
7. Syracuse
8. Ohio State
9. Louisville
10. Arizona
Honorable mentions: Michigan State, Texas, UConn, Florida

 

[UnderHisOwnPower]

Jim Boeheim ‏@JimmyBoeheim
My main man, Mike Hopkins, did in fact interview for the USC job. He knows I am going to coach from my grave #ZombieBoeheim

 

[PhatOrange]

To start with - Jay Wright doesnt deserve to be included in this group.

Donovan? No way he'd leave Florida where he has enjoyed tremendous success, to come to 'Cuse.
Beilein? Why? Because he coached at LeMoyne once upon a time?
Crean? Self? No way.

All of these guys have reached the proverbial mountain top. They are at programs with great resources, facilities, fans and history. What could SU offer any of them that they don't already have...?

Both of you guys are dopey for taking me literally as I was just throwing out names as examples. I said they were all realistic candidates, didn't say any of them would leave, but I'd bet they would all listen to pitches.

Syracuse offers as much tradition, facilities and fandom as anybody and in a region with as much hoops talent as anywhere, surely more than the big 12 and kansas. SU also now offers the allure of the ACC.

Better question might be why wouldn't Bill Self or Billy Donovan not want to coach here.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Would need to replace him with a Troy Weaver type.

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Autry is in that role now.

 

[PoppyHart]

Both of you guys are dopey for taking me literally as I was just throwing out names as examples. I said they were all realistic candidates, didn't say any of them would leave, but I'd bet they would all listen to pitches.

Syracuse offers as much tradition, facilities and fandom as anybody and in a region with as much hoops talent as anywhere, surely more than the big 12 and kansas. SU also now offers the allure of the ACC.

Better question might be why wouldn't Bill Self or Billy Donovan want to coach here.

Donovan at least has NY roots, but Self is an Oklahoma boy. Pickens threw the oil rig at him and he still didn't bite.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Jimmy has certainly earned the right to call his own shots in terms of when he will retire. That being said, I also think Mike has earned the right to have a heart to heart with Jimmy to get insight as to when that might be. I simply can't believe at this stage of the game that Jimmy has no idea how much longer he might want to coach. If Mike took another job, that would seem to be some sort of a signal that Jimmy either has no plans to retire or that his plans are multiple years out.

I wish Mike the very best and then some. It would be semi-criminal if after all his years of waiting if Jimmy decided to retire in a year or two and Mike had left pre-maturely.

Supposedly that heart-to-heart happened a few YEARS ago, when Mike was named "coach in waiting". I think he's getting impatient, and with Jimmy blowing kind of weird with the media lately, maybe Mike senses this is his opportunity and is trying to force the issue.

You have to admit, being a frontrunner for the USC job is much better leverage than St. Bonaventure. Although UCLA will probably be looking for a new coach at the end of the season.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I don't agree that Syracuse is "cheap as hell when it comes to paying salaries." The real determinant is that JB isn't concerned about maximizing his salary, because he feels that he makes great money for the relatively low cost of living in CNY. If he didn't feel that way, I'm sure that the AD would pony up and pay him a market rate commensurate with his reputation / accomplishments, but that isn't something that JB has pushed for.

Well, it isn't all just that JB is a great guy - he gets a boatload of money from Nike, so he doesn't have to make the university pay as much. But some new coach like Mike won't necessarily get all that Nike money (at least to start) and could use a more competitive salary.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I'd take either but I see no reason for them to leave the schools they are with now.

Honestly, I'd like a young up-and-comer rather than a re-tread. I think SU is the perfect place for a young guy.

With the history and the facilities the new coach would already have a leg up in recruiting. Get someone else's Hopkins (a guy with a solid coaching background, I don't know, someone who's been assistant with Pitino or Roy Williams) or maybe some mid-major coach who's program is just turning the corner.

Why do people think Brad Stevens will never leave Butler? It's not like they are in any kind of power league, or the school has facilities and a budget to keep them competitive over the long haul.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I don't think you leave a top tier BCS program unless there are special circumstances (usually b/c you are an alumnus or have family in area). And I personally don't think we'd go for someone "older", like a Larranaga or Steve Fisher.

That leaves guys from lower-tier BCS schools (Steve Donohue, Fran McCafferey, Stan Heath, Herb Sendek, Cuonzo Martin, Scott Drew), and rising stars at mid-majors (Shaka Smart, Brad Stevens, Chris Mack, Chris Mooney, Gregg Marshall). Finally, I'd also toss Louis Orr, Tommy Amaker, and Paul Hewitt into the candidate pool.

No thank you to Louis Orr. I can't stand the constant praise to God stuff that he spews in every press conference. And he has not shown himself to be capable on the Big Stage.

 

[Knicks411]

Bill Self is coaching Kansas, which is one of the elite blue bloods in the sport. He's making nearly $4 million per year, and he's from the mid west. If we wanted to offer the guy $5 million per year, then maybe he'd think about it, but otherwise, I see no reason why he'd leave one of the most attractive jobs in the sport.

Ditto for Crean, who is making over $3 million per year.

I have no idea what we'd be willing to pay for a coach, but it doesn't seem likely that we'd be able to lure a guy from one of the elite schools. And Donovan didn't even take an NBA job, so I'm not sure he'd leave Florida for Syracuse.

 

[skurey]

Why do people think Brad Stevens will never leave Butler? It's not like they are in any kind of power league, or the school has facilities and a budget to keep them competitive over the long haul.

Didn't he turn down Indiana?

 

[seanmac1844]

Would Sean Miller leave Arizona? Which is the better job?

 

[Knicks411]

Would Sean Miller leave Arizona? Which is the better job?

I'd say probably not, since he got there a few years ago and he seems to have things rolling there.

But I guess in the end it comes down to money.

 

[HakAttack]

I don't think you leave a top tier BCS program unless there are special circumstances (usually b/c you are an alumnus or have family in area). And I personally don't think we'd go for someone "older", like a Larranaga or Steve Fisher.

That leaves guys from lower-tier BCS schools (Steve Donohue, Fran McCafferey, Stan Heath, Herb Sendek, Cuonzo Martin, Scott Drew), and rising stars at mid-majors (Shaka Smart, Brad Stevens, Chris Mack, Chris Mooney, Gregg Marshall). Finally, I'd also toss Louis Orr, Tommy Amaker, and Paul Hewitt into the candidate pool.

I'd take Shaka Smart, Brad Stevens, Scott Drew or Stan Heath tomorrow if JB stepped down and Hop went to USC.

 

[Scotch]

I'd take Shaka Smart, Brad Stevens, Scott Drew or Stan Heath tomorrow if JB stepped down and Hop went to USC.

Stevens would be my first choice. Scott Drew is the last dude on the planet that I would want. Dirty recruiter, mediocre game coach.

To the people that think the Creans and Selfs of the world would be lining up to come to Syracuse, think again. We would be very attractive to the next tier of coaches though. Mark Few would be awesome. I like Painter at Purdue as well.