Mike Hopkins to the Phoenix Suns

[shandeezy7]

I understand any football or basketball coach who now prefers the pros to college ball.

The amount of time and effort needed to field a competitive team was always big but now it seems like an insane commitment. College jobs seem a lot less attractive these days, especially for a coach with a young family.

Yup. So much less time to actually gameplan/coach. You not only have to recruit high school kids, but you now also have to recruit the transfer portal and basically recruit your own players back every year. It has to be beyond exhausting.

 

[SWC75]

Maybe you need a full-time recruiter to do all that while the coaches coach.

 

[hoopsupstate]

We all knew Hop would be a NBA coach before Hurley

 

[orangecuse]

Yup. So much less time to actually gameplan/coach. You not only have to recruit high school kids, but you now also have to recruit the transfer portal and basically recruit your own players back every year. It has to be beyond exhausting.

Not to mention the fiasco of dealing with all of the new age/borne pimps players pitching their one night stand commitment and ensuing goods to the highest $$$ entity/bidder.

 

[Sherman20]

Several knowledgeable people on here predicted he would end up in the NBA if he got fired from Washington. He’s got alot of connections there from his time coaching in the Olympics.

 

[PeteCalvin]

Hop is unquestionably one of the most gracious human beings out there. He visited a friend of mine, a huge SU hoops fan, in the hospital when he was dying of cancer. He spent well over an hour with him just shooting the bull. He brought all kinds of SU swag and autographed goodies. My friend died about a week later, and at the wake his casket was covered with all the stuff Hop had brought to him. His wife said she had never seen him so happy when it was just he and Hop talking about anything and everything. Hop was in the hospital at night, away from his family, and spending his time cheering up a stranger who just loved SU Basketball. I have never had the chance to thank Mike in person for that gesture, although I spoke to him many times before that time when my son attended his basketball academy. He is a gem of a person and someone I wish nothing but the best in life. Thanks, Hop.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Why what?

Becoming an NBA assistant is what I predicted would happen when being let go from Washington was imminent.

Why go back to college, was my point.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Not to mention the fiasco of dealing with all of the new age/borne pimps players pitching their one night stand commitment and ensuing goods to the highest $$$ entity/bidder.

Like ADs with coaches?

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

My man went 35 years without sunshine and decided that was enough. We all change and grow.

We grow best with sunshine

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

It seems most have a personal Hop story. Hop was the guest speaker at my HS's end of year sports banquet my sophomore year. He golfed before and clearly enjoyed a few drinks. He was lubed up pretty good and very entertaining and funny when he spoke.

This is 3rd hand, but Wayne Morgan allegedly say that Hopkins was the blackest white guy he ever met.

 

[RF2044]

Why go back to college, was my point.

My bad, as pointed out above, I misinterpreted what you were responding about.

 

[SWC75]

We grow best with sunshine

And it disinfects!

 

[Fat tire 13]

This seems awesome for Hop. Getting out of the college grind is not necessarily a bad thing. Good money, less stress, and coaching the best players in the world

Coach P has been bouncing around the NFL as a position coach the past 10 years. Maybe Hop can stick around the NBA for a awhile too

 

[llandz]

Wow

Working my sources...Hoping to get in touch with him.