Who honestly has confidence in Mike Hopkins as the next HC

[kcsu]

Why? I want fresh meat.

Why. Because i believe JW can get Jim to leave sooner and cleaner by elevating Red. Unless he pulls a miracle and lands Hop i simply cant see Jim riding off into the sunset with Red Gerry and Griff being let go. This is a coach who for his entire career with very few exceptions has had SU guys as assistant coaches. How would that work? Picture this. In 2 years we just lost our last game. The season is over. JB announces he is retiring. JW makes an announcement that SU will immediately begin a National search and that Red will get an interview. I simply dont see this scenario. Instead Red gets a 4 year gig. If it works great everyone's happy. If he bombs JW has a completely clean slate to move forward. Its clean, safe, and has in my opinion the best chance of bringing SU back.
Free from JB Red Gerry Griff and hopefully a great recruiter will have a legitimate opportunity to succeed. If not then go outside.
From what i hear i truly believe this scenario plays out if Hop passes on returning.

Why? I want fresh meat.

 

[Bayside44]

Why. Because i believe JW can get Jim to leave sooner and cleaner by elevating Red. Unless he pulls a miracle and lands Hop i simply cant see Jim riding off into the sunset with Red Gerry and Griff being let go. This is a coach who for his entire career with very few exceptions has had SU guys as assistant coaches. How would that work? Picture this. In 2 years we just lost our last game. The season is over. JB announces he is retiring. JW makes an announcement that SU will immediately begin a National search and that Red will get an interview. I simply dont see this scenario. Instead Red gets a 4 year gig. If it works great everyone's happy. If he bombs JW has a completely clean slate to move forward. Its clean, safe, and has in my opinion the best chance of bringing SU back.
Free from JB Red Gerry Griff and hopefully a great recruiter will have a legitimate opportunity to succeed. If not then go outside.
From what i hear i truly believe this scenario plays out if Hop passes on returning.

You just laid out a timeline that covers multiple presidential elections. That ain't happening at such a slow speed, none of us are immortal.

 

[sutomcat]

Seattle is a great city., no doubt. Unfortunately for UW fans, that does not guarantee Hop is going to stay there.

If you know anything about Mike Hopkins, you know how intensely loyal he is.

If you know anything about his background, you know his story. You know how one man saw something in him no one else saw, took a chance on him and brought him to Syracuse as a scholarship player. That act completely changed his life.

I have seen Mike talk about where he was in high school, what his options were, what kind of a player he was. I have seen his eyes fill with tears when he discusses how grateful he was for the lifeline Jim Boeheim and Syracuse University gave him with that scholarship offer.

That alone would probably be enough to get him to come back if his alma mater and mentor needed him.

But then JB intervened in his life a second time when his short lived pro career was winding down and he was trying to figure out what was next in his life.

Again Jim Boeheim stepped him and gave him a life line, offering a position (I believe as a GA) on the SU basketball staff. He steadily promoted him over the years, gave him more and more responsibility and even got him on the Olympic team coaching staff.

Mike is fiercely loyal to Jim. He loves him and loves his alma mater. I have no doubt he is extremely grateful to UW for finally giving him a chance to be a HC. I have no doubt Seattle is a great place for his family and he would have a hard time leaving. That same loyalty applies to UW.

But Syracuse is going to forever be in his heart and if his alma mater needs him, it will be almost impossible for him to ignore the call.

If I were you HuskyHooper, I would root for the Syracuse basketball to do as well as possible for as long as possible.

The worse the Syracuse basketball program gets, the more likely Mike will be coming back. I don’t see him see him staying in Seattle while the program that he has lived and died for turns into garbage. Especially not if he is asked to return by one James Arthur Boeheim.

 

[dasher]

Have you considered that he likes Seattle.

Case closed imo

It isn't from what i hear

 

[Bayside44]

If SU becomes a continuity gig, there's no "need" for Mike to come back. Our coffee loving guests will have to worry about Texas, Duke, UNC for his services. That east coast pipeline won't revolve around kids he was recruiting for SU, and midnight games with Bill Walton are midnight games with Bill Walton.

If we slide into parts unknown, this becomes Roy Williams part 2.

 

[Cusefan0307]

KCSU kNoWs wHaT He’S TalKInG ABouT wHEn iT cOmES tO coAchES! ReMEmbeR wHEn DiNO lEfT aFtEr hIs 10 WiN sEAsOn.

 

[HOFCeluck]

It isn't from what i hear

i said case closed Dash

 

[Forza Azzurri]

I do not agree anymore.

This is an interesting statement.

I do not remember the year but I'm pretty sure I remember sitting in the gym at FDU and you were there and you left early to go to a concert at MSG with someone...

And I assume you are still in touch?

Do I have any of that right?

I'm getting old and I sometimes need to send out an amber alert when eating as the fork gets lost on its way from the plate to my mouth...

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Why. Because i believe JW can get Jim to leave sooner and cleaner by elevating Red. Unless he pulls a miracle and lands Hop i simply cant see Jim riding off into the sunset with Red Gerry and Griff being let go. This is a coach who for his entire career with very few exceptions has had SU guys as assistant coaches. How would that work? Picture this. In 2 years we just lost our last game. The season is over. JB announces he is retiring. JW makes an announcement that SU will immediately begin a National search and that Red will get an interview. I simply dont see this scenario. Instead Red gets a 4 year gig. If it works great everyone's happy. If he bombs JW has a completely clean slate to move forward. Its clean, safe, and has in my opinion the best chance of bringing SU back.
Free from JB Red Gerry Griff and hopefully a great recruiter will have a legitimate opportunity to succeed. If not then go outside.
From what i hear i truly believe this scenario plays out if Hop passes on returning.

I just don't want the same old, same old. That said, I am not the target. I have moved on from fan to consumer.
Whatever coach is going to bring 2009-2010 basketball back to SU is who I want.
Great defense, lots of steals, fast breaks and great team play.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

Options

This is fun.

Cuseattle, Cuse0307, SU94 and Cuseman4 - take a bow...

 

[Cuse1055]

Seattle is a great city., no doubt. Unfortunately for UW fans, that does not guarantee Hop is going to stay there.

If you know anything about Mike Hopkins, you know how intensely loyal he is.

If you know anything about his background, you know his story. You know how one man saw something in him no one else saw, took a chance on him and brought him to Syracuse as a scholarship player. That act completely changed his life.

I have seen Mike talk about where he was in high school, what his options were, what kind of a player he was. I have seen his eyes fill with tears when he discusses how grateful he was for the lifeline Jim Boeheim and Syracuse University gave him with that scholarship offer.

That alone would probably be enough to get him to come back if his alma mater and mentor needed him.

But then JB intervened in his life a second time when his short lived pro career was winding down and he was trying to figure out what was next in his life.

Again Jim Boeheim stepped him and gave him a life line, offering a position (I believe as a GA) on the SU basketball staff. He steadily promoted him over the years, gave him more and more responsibility and even got him on the Olympic team coaching staff.

Mike is fiercely loyal to Jim. He loves him and loves his alma mater. I have no doubt he is extremely grateful to UW for finally giving him a chance to be a HC. I have no doubt Seattle is a great place for his family and he would have a hard time leaving. That same loyalty applies to UW.

But Syracuse is going to forever be in his heart and if his alma mater needs him, it will be almost impossible for him to ignore the call.

If I were you HuskyHooper, I would root for the Syracuse basketball to do as well as possible for as long as possible.

The worse the Syracuse basketball program gets, the more likely Mike will be coming back. I don’t see him see him staying in Seattle while the program that he has lived and died for turns into garbage. Especially not if he is asked to return by one James Arthur Boeheim.

Incredible post.

 

[dasher]

i said case closed Dash

I know. happy life, happy wife. The case isn't closed.

 

[Jake]

This is an interesting statement.

I do not remember the year but I'm pretty sure I remember sitting in the gym at FDU and you were there and you left early to go to a concert at MSG with someone...

And I assume you are still in touch?

Do I have any of that right?

I'm getting old and I sometimes need to send out an amber alert when eating as the fork gets lost on its way from the plate to my mouth...

Ha. That’s right you were there. It was a Pearl Jam concert.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Hop going back to you guys is slim to none. That ship has sailed. Obviously there is always a chance as that is home, but from what I’ve heard, he really enjoys Seattle. No offense to Syracuse, but Seattle blows it out of the water.

Seattle is a hot bed for basketball talent and he already has the east coast pipeline. Combine those two and he can recruit with the best as shown with this past class that had two five star guys.

The better measure for Hop will be next season as the cabinet will be pretty empty. Stewart and McDaniels will likely be gone and they basically have no one signed for next year. If he can get them in the tourney next season then that will say a lot about him as a coach.

Who wouldn't love this

 

[JackBauer44]

I had to re-read Jakes post over four times to make sure I was getting happy properly.

I’ll shed one piece of light to this from a personal experience. I left Seattle 2.5 years ago to move back to Upstate NY for a coaching job. It was hard to leave my college job there and leave the geography. Summers there are beautiful. Best summers I’ve ever spent. Winters there IMO are worse than Syracuse. Snow doesn’t bother me. Rain and drizzle every day for 4.5 months did, hardcore. At the end of the day tho, I missed home, and was okay giving up what I had there for the opportunity to do what I love, in a place that held a lot of sentimental value.

Having met Coach Hopkins a few times, I just can’t shake the feeling he’s a similar type of person.

 

[JackBauer44]

Ha. That’s right you were there. It was a Pearl Jam concert.

oh no. He’s a Pearl Jam fan. He’s definitely staying in Seattle now...

 

[Forza Azzurri]

Ha. That’s right you were there. It was a Pearl Jam concert.

LOL...I was going to write a Pearl Jam concert because that is how I remember it but I felt I was already pushing it and that naming the exact group would be a bridge too far...

 

[Jake]

So, I don’t want this thread to get crazy. I have no idea if he will return. The only thing I know is that no one knows...and anyone making any definitive statements has no idea.

However, I believe the thought of him returning is no longer a crazy idea.

 

[HOFCeluck]

However, I believe the thought of him returning is no longer a crazy idea.

I think this is where I’m at. I still think it’s more likely than not he never come back, but I’m less confident he stays than I was a year ago

 

[OrlandoCuse]

Hop going back to you guys is slim to none. That ship has sailed. Obviously there is always a chance as that is home, but from what I’ve heard, he really enjoys Seattle. No offense to Syracuse, but Seattle blows it out of the water.

Seattle is a hot bed for basketball talent and he already has the east coast pipeline. Combine those two and he can recruit with the best as shown with this past class that had two five star guys.

The better measure for Hop will be next season as the cabinet will be pretty empty. Stewart and McDaniels will likely be gone and they basically have no one signed for next year. If he can get them in the tourney next season then that will say a lot about him as a coach.

Thanks for the inside info, Mrs. Hopkins.

 

[OrlandoCuse]

Why. Because i believe JW can get Jim to leave sooner and cleaner by elevating Red. Unless he pulls a miracle and lands Hop i simply cant see Jim riding off into the sunset with Red Gerry and Griff being let go. This is a coach who for his entire career with very few exceptions has had SU guys as assistant coaches. How would that work? Picture this. In 2 years we just lost our last game. The season is over. JB announces he is retiring. JW makes an announcement that SU will immediately begin a National search and that Red will get an interview. I simply dont see this scenario. Instead Red gets a 4 year gig. If it works great everyone's happy. If he bombs JW has a completely clean slate to move forward. Its clean, safe, and has in my opinion the best chance of bringing SU back.
Free from JB Red Gerry Griff and hopefully a great recruiter will have a legitimate opportunity to succeed. If not then go outside.
From what i hear i truly believe this scenario plays out if Hop passes on returning.

That’s only a plausible scenario if JB returns the team to Top 25/Sweet 16 level performance. If the program continues to be mediocre, or even worse sustains some losing seasons, there is no chance that Red is considered for HC.

Accountability and performance do matter, especially when ticket sales and fundraising matters. Wildhack won’t be able to sustain multiple seasons of 10,000 seat average attendance metrics.

 

[cuseinseattle]

So, I don’t want this thread to get crazy. I have no idea if he will return. The only thing I know is that no one knows...and anyone making any definitive statements has no idea.

However, I believe the thought of him returning is no longer a crazy idea.

I spoke to someone a month and half ago and what he told me made me think it was a real possibility. It has moved me from never coming back to 50/50.

 

[Jake]

Hop going back to you guys is slim to none. That ship has sailed.

Enjoy him while you can.

 

[FrancoPizza]

I spoke to someone a month and half ago and what he told me made me think it was a real possibility. It has moved me from never coming back to 50/50.

Have the odds increased because he may feel a sense that he needs to rescue the program versus continuing a legacy?

 

[cuseinseattle]

Have the odds increased because he may feel a sense that he needs to rescue the program versus continuing a legacy?

I don’t know. I would just be guessing the reasoning. This person is friends with someone very close to Hop. That person has been saying Hop isn’t going back and then I asked him who he thought the next coach would be and he says Hop. I initially laughed and he replied he was serious. I asked what changed but he didn’t elaborate. I honestly didn’t think much of it but then Jake said what he did and made me think about it a little more.