Would you take Mike Hopkins as next coach?

[RedtheGOB]

Just on Wildhack. I do have concerns that there a few things in the background that are worth discussing.

1. 67 years old. Not exactly a spring chicken. For reference that’s 25 years older than Fran Brown. Almost 30 years older than Hodgson and 17 years older than 50 year old Schertz.

Clearly the old guard needs to change at some point.

2. JW is currently on the NCAA committee for match madness. He better be on top of our HC selection committee before he’s messing around wherever with the NCAA selecting teams not named Syracuse for the tourney.

3. I have concerns with anyone whether an AD or anyone that makes a huge decision then is leaving after.

I could care less about anything in the past with him. I’m talking what the next year looks like.

I’m not sure what the alternative is really though. Not like a random new AD is ideal either.

 

[Dr. Bill]

duke is playing ymca ball like SU does?

i dont watch duke but when they play syracuse they blow the doors off and get open 3s and make them and work the ball inside and get uncontested dunks and make life difficult on defense...and when they are giving something up they make adjustments


its honestly laughable to argue that dukes success is only about talent

and how many teams can get duke level talent? 1 or 2?

thats not even on the table for SU right now...

your perspective is simpleminded and wrong

thnking talent alone solves everything is actually exactly why the team has failed this season. they have talent. but dont have the proper schemes and coaching. both are necessary.

Clearly, you don't understand the game! Strategy is a component of winning, but if I have a choice, i will take talent over x's and O's everyday. Players play and make plays. Our players are not mking enough plays to win games. I don't see coaches missing shots, Missing foul shots, not rebounding, turning the ball over. Yes this team has talent. Look at this last NC State game...We got rid of Copeland...had to go into the portal 2 years in a row for a point guard...and the point guard we let go...comes back and scores 19 poionts and 9 assists...versus our point guard that barely scored . Our point guard may have more talent than Copeland...but Copeland out played him badly!

 

[RF2044]

Clearly, you don't understand the game! Strategy is a component of winning, but if I have a choice, i will take talent over x's and O's everyday. Players play and make plays. Our players are not mking enough plays to win games. I don't see coaches missing shots, Missing foul shots, not rebounding, turning the ball over. Yes this team has talent. Look at this last NC State game...We got rid of Copeland...had to go into the portal 2 years in a row for a point guard...and the point guard we let go...comes back and scores 19 poionts and 9 assists...versus our point guard that barely scored . Our point guard may have more talent than Copeland...but Copeland out played him badly!

That's what we have this year. How's it working out?

It's a false dichotomy. You can win with a recruiter who is limited but a "good enough" coach.

And you can win with a strong coach who doesn't land blue chip talent, but gets good system fits.

Over the last 10 years, we've had a great coach who didn't recruit well anymore because he didn't want to grind on the recruiting trail anymore due to being old.

And we replaced him with a guy who recruits better, but can't coach his way out of a paper bag.

How about we don't go to the extreme either way, and get somebody competent, and let things fall into place from there.

 

[FrancoPizza]

I know Hop. I like Hop. A lot. How can you not. He isn't the guy for this job for a number of reasons. let's start with money. There are coaches that have been named in this thread that will have donations poring in. Hop is not one of them. Just the opposite. Major league donors have made their unhappiness very clear to the powers that be. Plus, Hop isn't really all that good of a Head Coach. He had a lot of advantages at Washington. And he wasn't successful. Too bad. Great guy. But we can't mess this up.

Wish these major league donors spoke up sooner, like 3 years ago.

 

[FrancoPizza]

Bayside confirmed it happened via a GW staff member. It's why I'm against him. Shoot me. That's an immature punk thing to say.

We already tried the nice guy path. Might as well get an immature jerk to shake things up, especially if he can milk the NIL cows.

 

[dasher]

We already tried the nice guy path. Might as well get an immature jerk to shake things up, especially if he can milk the NIL cows.

A immature jerk will cost us donors in the long run. No one likes their school to be embarrassed.

 

[gmoney44]

31 votes for YES!!!

INSANE. Thank Christ we don’t have you people in charge of the athletic dept!

Unfortunately we do. That’s how we got stuck with an unqualified candidate last time around.

 

[FrancoPizza]

It's bush league and I'd expect a potential P4 coach to not be so thin skinned he's attacking players' families in the post game handshake line. Says a lot about his character.

JB was as thin skinned as anyone and routinely verbally abused kid reporters. But SU tolerated it because he was a winner.

 

[FrancoPizza]

A immature jerk will cost us donors in the long run. No one likes their school to be embarrassed.

I was being sarcastic

 

[FrancoPizza]

Sure but as a Head coach, you are held to a higher standard than a student athlete is. And there are some things that are said that are below the belt. BH went there.

JB did that plenty to student reporters. He was nice and genuine with people he considered to be important. For those he viewed as beneath him, you’ve heard the stories.

 

[2B20Again]

Exactly. I guess I'm surprised this is hard to see for some. JB had his share of controversies and even had an agreement to step down announced by the chancellor that he was able to wiggle out of. Even a dummy like me can see that he figured out how to make sure he was friends with the right people.

But I supposed I'm naive in a lot of ways I don't realize also.

. It appears that the hierarchy of academia and athletics is just if not more sleazy a politics. That’s sad very sad. When a few words spoken anger define someone’s chance at advancement. Fans think they know who the next coach shoul be, other fans disparaging possible candidate, fans calling a coaches show and asking him who should be his replacement. Nonsense. Watch you team, support your team and like the weather in up state NY, wait it will change. Sick of the vitriol. Very old fan out!

 

[dasher]

JB did that plenty to student reporters. He was nice and genuine with people he considered to be important. For those he viewed as beneath him, you’ve heard the stories.

You don't realize it but you just made my point. All true about JB. But he didn't live in the era of NIL. And there are donors right now that don't donate to Red because he is part of JB's tree. No kidding.

 

[IthacaMatt]

If Mike took over when he was originally supposed to, I think that was a pretty good chance to have the best possible transition.

Just look at Mike's results - he started on fire at Washington with all the kids he had stopped recruiting for us.

He had great pipelines, had been an assistant on those Olympic teams, he was hot. That was the moment that was our best chance to remain good as a program.

Hard to say that same opportunity still exists now.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Love Hop. He should have gotten the job 10 years ago. And I think he would have done pretty well - much better than what we are seeing now.

But that ship has sailed.

100% agree. That was the moment, and he could have done well in the transition, as well as we could have hoped for, because we were still recruiting at a high level, and the guys who followed him to Washington were talented, and included several current pros.

 

[sufandu]

I think our little chit chat has run its course. I’ll be sure not to respond to any of your comments defending your drinking buddy JW in the future. You’re clearly bias on this subject.

I agree. It ran it's course the minute you wanted to belittle instead of actually have a discussion. For the record, I have no connections to anyone. I simply reiterated what others that seem to be in the know have said previously. I choose to trust those posters. Have a good day.

 

[JaySU22]

If Mike took over when he was originally supposed to, I think that was a pretty good chance to have the best possible transition.

Just look at Mike's results - he started on fire at Washington with all the kids he had stopped recruiting for us.

He had great pipelines, had been an assistant on those Olympic teams, he was hot. That was the moment that was our best chance to remain good as a program.

Hard to say that same opportunity still exists now.

Say Hop took over in 2017, he probably does worse than that part of the JB era (from 2017-2021 we were probably ranked around 40th on average for those 5 years; couple notches down from our peak but not bad overall) and after 4 or 5 mediocre seasons Hop would have been out and we would have been back at square 1 looking for a new HC.

 

[Cuse1055]

Speaking of donors, as I’ve said before, when it comes to Hodgson don’t underestimate the Lally factor. Guy can recruit, coach, and bring in money.

 

[elimunelson]

Yes I’d take Mike over Red right now

I’d take Bernie Lomax, Neil Lomax and Bernie fine too

 

[wiCuse]

Reading this thread is fascinating. I'm leaning towards Hodgson at the moment, but would be happy with the other names mentioned. IF Hodgson's interaction at the end of GW game was an isolated incident all parties should address it and move on. IF this incident confirms any type of character flaw by uncovering similar interactions you move on.

Here are noted current/past coaches with character flaws/violations that are accepted by their fanbase/university: John Wooden, John Calipari, Kelvin Sampson, Jim Calhoun, Nate Oats, Todd Golden, Rick Pitino, Chris Beard, Sean Miller, Wes Wade. Our very own JB. I'm sure we can all add many more!

My point is two fold. First, every violation or scandal above is far worse than what Hodgson said (My opinion). Again, if anyone can confirm this is repeated behavior by him the conversation should change and Hodgson should be disqualified. Second, the list above demonstrates that winning is more important than morals and character when money is involved. That is my 2 cents as someone who hires coaches for living.

 

[Newhouser]

Boy do I disagree with you about that. And once again, I not only am not ruling BH out, he might just be my first choice. But as bad as things are, I am not willing to make a deal with the devil to get back on top. And I'm not calling BH the devil by any means. Just that for example, if Dave Bliss could get us back, I would pass. Wouldn't you?

Agree on all counts. And the theory that K and Hurley do or did it doesn't apply. Accomplishment gives you slack. Hosgson has none. If another school hired him out board would be citing that behavior forever.

 

[LpoolNative]

Who voted yes? Lol

 

[Cusefan0307]

I’ve dealt with worse behavior from opposing coaches when I played sports in HS than what Hodgson did and those folks were teachers.

 

[Cusefan0307]

What a non answer to my post. Never said Strategy doesn't matter, what I noted is the Duke and NC coaches seem to get top recruits, but that doesn't make them great coaches. What strategy do they use that anyone can point to that explains their success.

No one is asking to be Duke, but we have on paper probably the 4th or 5th best roster in the conference behind those two and possibly Louisville who’s also underperforming and that means Red isn’t getting everything out of them that’s expected. There also was concern about him thinking our 2 guard is better than what he is, but he was brought back because he’s Red’s favorite and he has the same green light as Dion Waiters despite being a quarter of the player yet we have a 2 guard playing SF that is 20% more efficient and gets 3-4 less shots a game than said player. You’re getting pushback because all of the above is on Red and nothing to do with NIL.

 

[Dr. Bill]

No one is asking to be Duke, but we have on paper probably the 4th or 5th best roster in the conference behind those two and possibly Louisville who’s also underperforming and that means Red isn’t getting everything out of them that’s expected. There also was concern about him thinking our 2 guard is better than what he is, but he was brought back because he’s Red’s favorite and he has the same green light as Dion Waiters despite being a quarter of the player yet we have a 2 guard playing SF that is 20% more efficient and gets 3-4 less shots a game than said player. You’re getting pushback because all of the above is on Red and nothing to do with NIL.

On paper..doesn't mean anything. I don't think we have the 4th - 5th best roster in the conference, and if that is true, the players are not playing up to their on paper rankings. I just don't think the players are held accountable enough for their own poor play. The Duke references just refer to the quality of coaching versus the talent on the roster...which came first., the chicken or the egg...

 

[Cusefan0307]

On paper..doesn't mean anything. I don't think we have the 4th - 5th best roster in the conference, and if that is true, the players are not playing up to their on paper rankings. I just don't think the players are held accountable enough for their own poor play. The Duke references just refer to the quality of coaching versus the talent on the roster...which came first., the chicken or the egg...

Do I think another coach would have us 16-5 or 17-4? Yes, I do. We might have the worst game day coaching the conference.