Q "Why do you like Duke, you didn't even go there." A "Because my art school didn't have a basketball team."
First, there's a big difference in the jobs and the rules by which your competition is playing. Harvard's on a level playing field with the other Ivies. NW isn't with the rest of the Big Ten.
Also. Tommy was in a different place when he interviewed at NW (it would have been his first job) and when he went to Harvard (having been let go at Michigan.
I've heard the same story about Tommy's issues with the NW admissions office keeping him from taking that job from two different sources, one Duke, one NW. I feel like its really strong info
Don't forget us upstairs, we can actually sit if need be, so it is possible for us to stand for an ovation, and trust me, there are plenty of Crazies above the rail, too.
Another example of the Crazies giving a round of applause to an opponent was Bryant Stith of UVA. K took the mike after his last game at CIS and encouraged the crowd to honor him with an ovation. A fine example of class, too, for that matter.
-Son of Jarhead
The Duke fan formerly known as BuschDevil
Actually, Harvard had long impossed even more restrictive admissions standards on BB players than the rest of the Ivy League. Supposedly one of the things that helped Tommy decide to go with Harvard was the Admissions office being willing to relent and, while still at the always tough Ivy level (e.g. no scholarships, etc) Harvard no longer faces tougher standards than the rest of the Ivies, supposedly. Ironically, then, the former Harvard coaches, still angry over being let go, were used as sources the following season in a NYT article (or maybe a series?) on how Harvard was lowering its admissions standards in order to improve their BB fortunes. It set a deceptive tone, making it appear that mighty Harvard had caved at the behest of a (corrupting) big-time new Head Coach and gone the way of the KY's, Syracuse's, and UNLV's of the world. It was eventually cleared up, but the bottom line is that Tommy is now operating on a level playing field with the rest of his league (and beating them handily). That would not have been the case at Northwestern, and may still be the situation there.
The University of North Carolina
Where CHEATING is a Way of Life
I can't help but think that a big selling point for Tommy at Harvard was the terrific job his wife got there. That also makes me think that it's going to be pretty hard to get Tommy out of Harvard.
Here's hoping no ACC head coach is temporally unemployed. Shouldn't Capel be the first assistant coach to leave?
Billy the kid doesn't have a dirty rep with lots of other coaches because he's so cute , he learned at the feet of Mr "Who, me?" Did a little successful tinkering around and under the edges, so the smoke signals say. Jim's Lucifer, Billy's the Beast. Why UCONN, you ask - conntinuity!
The University of North Carolina
Where CHEATING is a Way of Life
Well, Cal ain't going anywhere, unfortunately, but I couldn't find another appropriate place to link the Onion's "Strong Side / Weak Side" for Cal. Pretty funny, I think. LINK
As others have mentioned above, I think Collins and/or Wojo would be a lot better off letting the initial coaching dominoes fall then backfill, i.e. let Shaka Smart take the Illinois job then go for the VCU job. They are better off starting a bit lower down as head coaches rather than going for the big time. They have gotten great assistant experiences, but better to learn how to run your own program without such a bright spotlight.
I am obviously in the minority here, but I believe that Chris Collins should stay put at Duke if he wants to get the Duke job when Coach K retires. I believe going elsewhere would decrease not increase his odds at landing the position. Plus, previous Head Coaching experience is over-rated (i.e., if you are good, you are good). I have no doubt that Coach Collins will be ready to take over when Coach K calls it quits.
Also, I believe that Coach Amaker will jump at the chance to coach a BCS college program if given an offer. I know he likes Harvard but have heard some say he has got the itch to get back to coaching at a program with more upside.