I read it. It does not sway me much. I could argue that five years is too small a sample size. That's roughly 150 games and about 15-20 incoming players. But I won't. I'll concede that Hopkins tenure has lost some momentum. I hear you and understand a certain amount of trepidation.
I cannot offer you anything else about Hopkins that has not already been said. I don't insinuate that he is a John Wooden incarnate. I see him as a dynamic personality, a fit for out university and our town. He's in Washington because of JAB and his father. Neither scenario is ideal, but they are real and he cannot control their paths. His decision to leave SU could be critiqued for 100 more pages, but it was his own. It put him on a stage in a strange land. Yes, he crew up in Orange County in the late 1980s. That said, SoCal and Seattle are as similar as Boston and Atlanta on a Saturday in September.
I see Hopkins as a hustler (the right kind of hustler) with a terrific and healthy competitive streak (not far off his persona as a player). I see him as a great face to represent the program, the school and in the community. Say what you will, but that stuff does count in the real world. At least it does for organizations that care about their brand and how it is perceived from the outside (which every college should).
I see him as a 60-40 guy. His primary strength is getting talent (recruiting). That accounts for 60% of his profile. The other 40% is coaching. He's going going to need to improve here. But let's not act like he forgets to start five guys. He knows his stuff. He's gonna grow into it. Trial and error. He's a smart guy who been exposed to some terrific teachers/leaders through JAB, Coach K and USA Basketball, so I expect growth and enhanced flexibility. (Side note: I saw a study once that said a MLB manager is directly responsible for 1-3 wins a 162-game season. I don't know if I believe that to the hilt, but perhaps one's game strategy in a dugout or bench is a bit overrated by most sports fans. Just food for thought).
Everyone here gets their panties in a wad because they think he'll be JAB 2.0. Nonsense. For 20 years, Hopkins was employed at SU because he was the opposite of JAB. He was personable. He deeply and quickly connected with current players, program alumni, recruits, families and AAU/HS coaches. We need that most of the time, maybe less so in season (practice) and on game days. This is how the game is evolving. It will be interesting to see how Hopkins evolves during his second gig, ... on his proper stage, at the Dome.
Lastly, don't forget, he is not exactly going to be coaching against Louie, Big John, Calhoun and Gary Williams twice a week either. There are not many tacticians left in the game. Bill Self is a good one. Say what you will, JAB has been top 3-5 in this realm for about 30 straight years, with last year 2021-22 being an exception. But the point is, the college coaching ranks largely stink, so I am really not worried about how Hopkins will stack up against Steve Forbes, Brad Barnwell or Josh Pastner.
