Mike Hopkins to the Phoenix Suns

[Orangezoo]

Can someone move this to the UW forum? I think that is probably the appropriate location.

 

[MSOrange]

Lol i was all for a solid discussion on the struggles of Hop and what he needs to do to fix them, what his future holds, etc...

But this is just lame. Making a separate, attention-grabbing-post, to trash him? Dork

Yeah I'm not sure why he needs to ask our opinion after each game. If he doesn't want Hop as Washington coach, fine. But what does he care if we want him here?

 

[althea]

You guys still want him?

It appears that even High School kids are smart enough to stay away from Seattle. Hop not so much..

 

[NKR1978]

It appears that even High School kids are smart enough to stay away from Seattle. Hop not so much..

Seattle is a beautiful city. What are you talking about?

 

[althea]

Seattle is a beautiful city. What are you talking about?

ha ha - no

 

[kirbivore]

You are starting to come across like a spam email...

still less annoying than the UVA posters

 

[SWC75]

None of this matters, Zombie Boeheim’s coaching forever

JB is the "Ghost Who Walks"

 

[dasher]

No I do not

hop and Clemson suck?

 

[dasher]

You started out well, but you have rapidly devolved.

Tread lightly.

I think he has already past his expiration date, but that' just me. You are the top dog. the Head Honcho. You are the QB on this one. It's your ball and bat. You are the judge. It's your call. You are running the show.

 

[supp]

Prediction: Hop goes down a level to a Ivy League type squad and kills it. Someone in Gonzaga's league should hire him.

 

[orange79]

I think he has already past his expiration date, but that' just me. You are the top dog. the Head Honcho. You are the QB on this one. It's your ball and bat. You are the judge. It's your call. You are running the show.

What are you trying to say?

 

[Jake]

Hop’s plan from the beginning was to bring in Jason Hart and Tony Bland (oops), who have great Los Angeles recruiting connections. But USC gave Hart a big raise to keep him and I’m not sure UW could match it. I imagine Jason may also have not wanted to leave LA. He would have made a huge difference for Hop in recruiting the West Coast, and he and Hop have a longtime close personal friendship, which would have made the transition seamless. It’s too bad that didn’t happen for Hop. Hop would’ve killed it if he’d gotten the USC job instead of Enfield. That would have been a perfect fit. I still think he can do well at Washington.

Correct. Jason had agreed to join Hop then changed his mind. I don’t think it was the money as much as leaving LA.

 

[Cuse1055]

Prediction: Hop goes down a level to a Ivy League type squad and kills it. Someone in Gonzaga's league should hire him.

Agreed and I also predict he will land somewhere back East.

 

[Jake]

No bigger Hop supporter on this board than me, but this is hard to justify. I understand those who would not want him back, but I still think if he comes back East where he has connections, he’ll get players.

im actually less concerned about his ability to coach games than I was when he left. There is no talent on his team out there now- that’s the issue.

Recruiting is funny...and very provincial. I would not be surprised if Hop is getting some pushback from local handlers for bringing so many east coast guys with him out west.

He can flat out recruit...something is going on. There’s a story we don’t know.

 

[Jake]

Agreed and I also predict he will land somewhere back East.

I think he goes NBA gig before he goes mid-major.

 

[kcsu]

I think he goes NBA gig before he goes mid-major.

I would love to see Hop take over for JB but i dont see it lining up.

 

[cuseinseattle]

Correct. Jason had agreed to join Hop then changed his mind. I don’t think it was the money as much as leaving LA.

I think it's the LA thing too but it was as close to a done deal as you get. At least that is what I was told.

 

[cuseinseattle]

still less annoying than the UVA posters

Tour not talking about hoo's are you? He is my favorite non-Syracuse poster. Very knowledgeable

 

[HuskyHooper]

No bigger Hop supporter on this board than me, but this is hard to justify. I understand those who would not want him back, but I still think if he comes back East where he has connections, he’ll get players.

im actually less concerned about his ability to coach games than I was when he left. There is no talent on his team out there now- that’s the issue.

Recruiting is funny...and very provincial. I would not be surprised if Hop is getting some pushback from local handlers for bringing so many east coast guys with him out west.

He can flat out recruit...something is going on. There’s a story we don’t know.

He can recruit...but back East. Good luck trying to be a west coast coach and trying to focus on pulling kids across the country.

Hop is a damn good coach, but I question his ability to build a program. No different than someone being a good coordinator in football but can’t handle being head coach.

He has not recruited well outside of Stewart, McDaniels and Naz. Bey and Wright were high end prospects but haven’t developed. Whether that’s on Hop or not, I don’t know, but they aren’t working out.

On your last paragraph, I’ll give this insight. Talk around Seattle is that the rotary and local kids didn’t appreciate how Hop handled McDaniels last year. A lot thought Hop jerked him around and threw him under the bus, now Seattle rotary kids don’t want to play for him. Not sure if it’s true or not, but it’s what I’ve heard.

 

[JaySU22]

It is so bizarre that a proven recruiter like Hop has not made headway in local recruiting by Year 4. Hopefully he can get things moving in the right direction as it’s hard to believe they could be one of the worst Power 5 teams after the program was showing promise a couple of years ago.

 

[SUOrangeSU]

I would gladly take him back

 

[Forza Azzurri]

No bigger Hop supporter on this board than me, but this is hard to justify. I understand those who would not want him back, but I still think if he comes back East where he has connections, he’ll get players.

im actually less concerned about his ability to coach games than I was when he left. There is no talent on his team out there now- that’s the issue.

Recruiting is funny...and very provincial. I would not be surprised if Hop is getting some pushback from local handlers for bringing so many east coast guys with him out west.

He can flat out recruit...something is going on. There’s a story we don’t know.

You never actually know until the asst takes that chasm-like step to the left.

Hop has had the benefit of learning from JB and that puts him ahead of where JB was 4-5 years into his coaching career but he is still a very young coach. He needs to continue to learn and grow. JB is a much better coach in 2020 than he was in 1980. 2020 JB does not get that technical foul vs Iowa, as an example. And if those uber-talented squads of the mid to late eighties played with the defensive intensity that our 2013 and 2018 teams did, there is no doubt in my mind that 2003 would not be JB's lone ring. Hop will be a better coach in 5 years than he is today and a better coach in 10 years than he will be in five years etc.

Having said all that I definitely want him back when JB retires, for several reasons:

Much like DB on the football side, he has shown that, when given talent, he can win.
He has already repeatedly shown his recruiting chops at SU.
He can be a lifer.

This last point is so important to me.
The shaded portion of an EV diagram showing good coaches that will be willing to forego the much higher paydays available at other top programs is, IMHO, quite small.

And given the disappearance of most of the sizeable competitive advantages that we enjoyed during the eighties and early nineties (accruing more to hoops than football IMO), stability of good coaching becomes a key differentiator in my mind.

 

[Ceerqqq]

No bigger Hop supporter on this board than me, but this is hard to justify. I understand those who would not want him back, but I still think if he comes back East where he has connections, he’ll get players.

im actually less concerned about his ability to coach games than I was when he left. There is no talent on his team out there now- that’s the issue.

Recruiting is funny...and very provincial. I would not be surprised if Hop is getting some pushback from local handlers for bringing so many east coast guys with him out west.

He can flat out recruit...something is going on. There’s a story we don’t know.

I was kinda hoping JB'd be able to keep coaching until Buddy is able to take over, after his NBA career & a few seasons as an assistant...

 

[cuseinseattle]

He can recruit...but back East. Good luck trying to be a west coast coach and trying to focus on pulling kids across the country.

Hop is a damn good coach, but I question his ability to build a program. No different than someone being a good coordinator in football but can’t handle being head coach.

He has not recruited well outside of Stewart, McDaniels and Naz. Bey and Wright were high end prospects but haven’t developed. Whether that’s on Hop or not, I don’t know, but they aren’t working out.

On your last paragraph, I’ll give this insight. Talk around Seattle is that the rotary and local kids didn’t appreciate how Hop handled McDaniels last year. A lot thought Hop jerked him around and threw him under the bus, now Seattle rotary kids don’t want to play for him. Not sure if it’s true or not, but it’s what I’ve heard.

If the rotary thing is true that is hilarious. McDaniels if anything was allowed to much rope to the detriment of the team.

 

[Jake]

If the rotary thing is true that is hilarious. McDaniels if anything was allowed to much rope to the detriment of the team.

Yeah. That’s a tail wagging the dog thing. It might be true, but if anyone watched them last year, McDaniels ruined chemistry. He would have been better off (in hindsight) passing on McDaniels.

I guarantee his next coaching gig will either be in the NBA or back East in college. Maybe he shoulda taken the Pitt gig 3 years ago.