2018 MBB Coaching Carousel

[devilseven]

Cash talks

Agreed. But all-in he is making north of $1 million a year, living in a relatively lower cost part of Rhode Island. He has been there six years. He has kids who are likely in school there. Everyone loves him and appreciates him. As he likely learned from his father, sometimes you appreciate your place in life and it isn't worth uprooting everything for a job that might pay a lot more but otherwise is no better.

If a true power 5 and/or top tier Big East school was knocking on his door, it would be a different situation. Though the cupboard is totally bare and there are a lot of challenges being in the ACC, I think Pitt is right now a better job than UConn.[/QUOTE]

Plus, the state of Connecticut and its major cities are teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. Will there be enough money to pay Hurley?

[DangerDevil]

Danny Hurley close to a deal with UConn.

https://www.cardiachill.com/2018/3/1...ncaaa-carousel

“Rhode Island head coach Dan Hurley was said to be close to signing with UConn, according to a report on Monday, but Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog, citing a source close to the situation, later revealed that the report was inaccurate. He also noted that both Pitt and UConn spoke with Hurley on Monday about their respective coaching vacancies.

“A report that UConn is close to signing Hurley is inaccurate,” Zagoria wrote. “No decision is imminent.”

Jeff Goodman of ESPN also reported on Monday’s developments and said that Hurley has yet to make a decision on his future. Both Zagoria and Goodman added that he will talk to Rhode Island athletic director Thorr Bjorn on Tuesday before moving forward in the process.”

[Dev11]

Per Jon Rothstein at CBS Sports, Pitt is now in the mix for Dan Hurley and has offered over $3M for him to preside over their ashes next year.

https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/sta...880792577?s=09

Poor Dan, getting exposure for a major job when there are all these crummy jobs needing to be filled.

[Papa John]

Though the cupboard is totally bare and there are a lot of challenges being in the ACC, I think Pitt is right now a better job than UConn.

Totally agree. Given that UConn was one of the schools without a seat in the game of conference-shifting-musical-chairs, I’d consider a move from URI to UConn as borderline lateral. Pitt, on the other hand, is in arguably the best basketball conference in D1, the expectations will be low and they will give a lot of time since it will basically be a complete program rebuild from the ground up, plus Pittsburgh is a great town. I’d either head there or stand pat for a more prominent opening. Hurley has all the leverage, so no need to rush his decision.

[OldPhiKap]

Totally agree. Given that UConn was one of the schools without a seat in the game of conference-shifting-musical-chairs, I’d consider a move from URI to UConn as borderline lateral. Pitt, on the other hand, is in arguably the best basketball conference in D1, the expectations will be low and they will give a lot of time since it will basically be a complete program rebuild from the ground up, plus Pittsburgh is a great town. I’d either head there or stand pat for a more prominent opening. Hurley has all the leverage, so no need to rush his decision.

Pitt is not a bad job, although it is a total rebuild. Great conference, and the big name coaching competition is getting a bit long in the tooth. The next generation is starting to build now, he can get in at a good time. Pittsburgh is a neat town.

UConn is stuck in a small conference and is arguably overshadowed by Gino's women's program. Plus, you are in Storrs.

URI seems like a better job than UConn to me, although it comes down to personal decisions for Danny. My guess is that URI would make the money right if that was the prime consideration.

[devildeac]

Pitt is not a bad job, although it is a total rebuild. Great conference, and the big name coaching competition is getting a bit long in the tooth. The next generation is starting to build now, he can get in at a good time. Pittsburgh is a neat town.

UConn is stuck in a small conference and is arguably overshadowed by Gino's women's program. Plus, you are in Storrs.

URI seems like a better job than UConn to me, although it comes down to personal decisions for Danny. My guess is that URI would make the money right if that was the prime consideration.

Maybe he could recruit Cam Johnson as a grad transfer...

[DangerDevil]

http://pittsburghsportsnow.com/2018/...-for-pitt-job/

I didn’t realize Willard played at Pitt.

Maybe Danny is waiting for him to leave Seton Hall so he can go back to his alma mater.

[Ian]

The rumor is Pitt offering him 7 years/25 million.

I think stuff like this does pose a challenge to the argument against paying players because "the money is not there, the Ath. Dept of most schools are barely breaking even". Yeah, they're barely breaking even because coaches are making 20 times what a normal professors at those schools make. Danny Hurley isn't even an established top-tier coach, he's just an up and comer with potential and Pitt is willing to pay Stallings $10 million to go away so they can give Hurley $25 million.

Stuff like this make me want the NCAA end it's amatuerism requirement tomorrow.

[BD80]

Per Jon Rothstein at CBS Sports, Pitt is now in the mix for Dan Hurley and has offered over $3M for him to preside over their ashes next year.

...

The Pittsburgh Phoenix?

The job might not be so bad. The 9 players who have been given their release can still be recruited.

[MrPoon]

Pitt is not a bad job, although it is a total rebuild. Great conference, and the big name coaching competition is getting a bit long in the tooth. The next generation is starting to build now, he can get in at a good time. Pittsburgh is a neat town.

UConn is stuck in a small conference and is arguably overshadowed by Gino's women's program. Plus, you are in Storrs.

URI seems like a better job than UConn to me, although it comes down to personal decisions for Danny. My guess is that URI would make the money right if that was the prime consideration.

The most dangous coaching jobs are those at programs who were once good or great but arn’t any longer. The alums and school leadership expect results that are no longer attainable and they keep firing coaches and making worse decisions chasing past glory. See: Tenn football. UConn smells of this type of situation to me.

[JasonEvans]

Anyone taking the Pitt job is going to need a loooong term contract because the rebuild there is a pretty major one (depending on how many -- if any -- of the transferring players can be lured back). 7 years is a ton of security for Danny in a profession that does not provide much security. Plus, if he even gets them to be competitive in the ACC, he looks like a major hero.

And there is no question that, over the long haul, the ACC (even Pitt) is a waaaay better situation than UConn or RI.

-Jason "I hope he takes it... I think he's got a nice future and is a solid coach and the ACC could use that at Pitt" Evans

[OZZIE4DUKE]

The most dangous coaching jobs are those at programs who were once good or great but arn’t any longer. The alums and school leadership expect results that are no longer attainable and they keep firing coaches and making worse decisions chasing past glory. See: Tenn football. UConn smells of this type of situation to me.

Duke basketball in 1972-74. Duke football for the 70's, part of the 80's and 90's, all of the 00's. You'd have to be crazie to take a job there....

[PackMan97]

Anyone taking the Pitt job is going to need a loooong term contract because the rebuild there is a pretty major one (depending on how many -- if any -- of the transferring players can be lured back). 7 years is a ton of security for Danny in a profession that does not provide much security. Plus, if he even gets them to be competitive in the ACC, he looks like a major hero.

And there is no question that, over the long haul, the ACC (even Pitt) is a waaaay better situation than UConn or RI.

-Jason "I hope he takes it... I think he's got a nice future and is a solid coach and the ACC could use that at Pitt" Evans

I don't know about that. Not since Coach Gutheridge took the FB job at Duke have a seen an opening as bleak and depressing as Pitt. That said, at least Duke FB didn't have 75% of the team transferring out before Gut was hired. So, it's even worse than that at Pitt...and even then Duke had no recent history of FB success.

I really don't know what Pitt did to upset Dixon, but wow...what a mistake. Just about as bad as Wake hiring Bzdelik.

[dudog84]

I don't know about that. Not since Coach Gutheridge took the FB job at Duke have a seen an opening as bleak and depressing as Pitt. That said, at least Duke FB didn't have 75% of the team transferring out before Gut was hired. So, it's even worse than that at Pitt...and even then Duke had no recent history of FB success.

I really don't know what Pitt did to upset Dixon, but wow...what a mistake. Just about as bad as Wake hiring Bzdelik.

Uh, I know you're a Wuffie (I hope that's not a bad term, I don't mean it that way), but our FB coach is Cutcliffe, Coach Cut to some.

I think you've got him confused with a certain BB coach from 20 years ago with a different shade of blue...which is a hangable offense around here!

[ChillinDuke]

At this point I think some people have gone too far overblowing the Pitt situation. And comparisons to football aren't all that apt. Basketball is a 12-player sport, and more realistically a 5-player sport, or even less in terms of the players that have a major impact. This sort of drop-off isn't unheard of in basketball programs, and people come in and are able to rebuild a program in relatively short order.

Jim Christian inherited Steve Donahue's BC team that was 8-24, coincidentally the same as this year's Pitt team. Luckily, Christian still had stud Olivier Hanlan in the fold for his first year, along with returnees Eddie Odio and Patrick Heckmann. That was about all that returned to BC. Christian's first season was OK, given the circumstances, 13-19 with OOC wins over Providence and Harvard, but only a 4-14 conference record and a win in the ACCT.

Hanlan moved on and Christian's second season was rough. 7-25 and winless in the ACC. The only players of significance returning to BC that season were Dennis Clifford (who I think was injured most of the year?) and Garland Owens. Rough year. But BC and Christian welcomed Jerome Robinson as a major building block.

Then in 2016-17, Christian started his uptrend. Barely. Going 9-23 and 2-16 in conference, with a solid 15-pt home win over Syracuse. Robinson was joined by freshmen Ky Bowman and Nik Popovich as well as BYU-transfer Jordan Chatman.

Fast forward to this year and BC finished 19-16 and 7-11 in conference. And with no headlining seniors, I expect BC to make the NCAA Tournament next year.

Is Pitt a rebuilding job? I mean, yeah, I guess technically. But I wouldn't call it some sort of Armageddon scenario. Jim Christian basically had 2-3 returning players (and really only 1 returnee of significance) twice already in his 4 years at BC. And I'd say he's already on the cusp of bringing them back to relevance.

I don't think the Pitt job is any worse that the scenario described above. (Unless there are some underlying issues at the school I'm not aware of)

- Chillin

ETA - Again analagous, Pitt is also one coach removed from their previous highs. Dixon>Stallings just as Skinner>Donahue.

[uh_no]

UConn got hit harder by the big round of conference shifts than anyone else as none of the power 5 wanted them but they couldn't go back to the big east and abandon football. So they are stuck in a miserable purgatory of a second tier conference with lots of games all over the country and fans who still think they are a top tier program. You couldn't pay me enough to take that job.

And then compare it to Rhode Island, where most fans are thrilled to get to the second round. Dan should take a lesson from his dad, who turned down countless offers to stay at St Anthony's.

perhaps you haven't seen the recent attendance...fans are under no delusions.

That said, uconn athletics is very well funded, and there's no fundamental reason they shouldn't be able to succeed even in a weak conference. Memphis did. Gonzaga does. Cincinatti and WSU do it in the same conference.They can get plenty of OOC games against good teams like memphis did. They had some recruiting success early in KO's tenure...but having a coach that can't win with his own guys hurts...and they didn't.

I'm not saying the next coach doesn't have a tall order. I'm saying that a program as well funded as connecticut should be able to do better than eighth in a, as you say, second tier conference.

Football, on the other hand, is another story.

[OldPhiKap]

perhaps you haven't seen the recent attendance...fans are under no delusions.

That said, uconn athletics is very well funded, and there's no fundamental reason they shouldn't be able to succeed even in a weak conference. Memphis did. Gonzaga does. Cincinatti and WSU do it in the same conference.They can get plenty of OOC games against good teams like memphis did. They had some recruiting success early in KO's tenure...but having a coach that can't win with his own guys hurts...and they didn't.

I'm not saying the next coach doesn't have a tall order. I'm saying that a program as well funded as connecticut should be able to do better than eighth in a, as you say, second tier conference.

Football, on the other hand, is another story.

These are all good points. The key to me is that UConn is in a non-P5 conference so it seems like a lateral move (to me) from URI. Pitt, by contrast, is definitely moving up. And unless there are issues with the AD or other considerations, Pitt is not in a markedly worse position than UConn right now. Both are total rebuild jobs, something Hurley did well at URI.

[wilson]

perhaps you haven't seen the recent attendance...fans are under no delusions.

That said, uconn athletics is very well funded, and there's no fundamental reason they shouldn't be able to succeed even in a weak conference. Memphis did. Gonzaga does. Cincinatti and WSU do it in the same conference.They can get plenty of OOC games against good teams like memphis did. They had some recruiting success early in KO's tenure...but having a coach that can't win with his own guys hurts...and they didn't.

I'm not saying the next coach doesn't have a tall order. I'm saying that a program as well funded as connecticut should be able to do better than eighth in a, as you say, second tier conference.

Football, on the other hand, is another story.

These are all good points. The key to me is that UConn is in a non-P5 conference so it seems like a lateral move (to me) from URI. Pitt, by contrast, is definitely moving up. And unless there are issues with the AD or other considerations, Pitt is not in a markedly worse position than UConn right now. Both are total rebuild jobs, something Hurley did well at URI.

Good discussion here. I think another question to ask is what exactly constitutes a successful rebuild for UConn fans. uh_no, you make good points that Gonzaga, Wichita State, et al serve as good examples of successful programs in non-major conferences, but is this gonna be good enough for Husky fans? Going from the days of winning titles to regularly making the Sweet 16 and occasionally cracking a Final Four, like the Gonzagas and Wichita States of the world, might not fully satisfy UConn fans who still have multiple championships in recent memory, and who might not consider general respectability to be a full rebuild.

[uh_no]

Good discussion here. I think another question to ask is what exactly constitutes a successful rebuild for UConn fans. uh_no, you make good points that Gonzaga, Wichita State, et al serve as good examples of successful programs in non-major conferences, but is this gonna be good enough for Husky fans? Going from the days of winning titles to regularly making the Sweet 16 and occasionally cracking a Final Four, like the Gonzagas and Wichita States of the world, might not fully satisfy UConn fans who still have multiple championships in recent memory, and who might not consider general respectability to be a full rebuild.

i'd be satisfied with competing with the directional schools in our own league, to start...just give me something to be interested in watching...and maybe a sweet 16/elite 8 threat every few years.

[JasonEvans]

It is also worth noting that though a bunch of kids have asked for their release from Pitt, I am betting that the new coach will be able to convince several of them to come back. They reacted quickly to Stallings being let go, but once a new coach is there to sweet talk them and tell them about the big playing time they will get going forward, I bet at least some of them come back.

What's more, the team's leading scorer, Jared Wilson-Frame has not asked for a transfer (though I think he is not all that good of a player- he scored because he shot... and missed... a lot). The guy who really appears to have value is freshman Parker Stewart. He's an ACC talent, for sure. Hurley, or whoever, will really work hard to get him back, I suspect.

-Jason "Hurley will supposedly make his decision between Pitt, UConn, and RI today" Evans

P.S. - There is a strange scenario where Hurley turns down Pitt so Pitt turns to Seton Hall's Kevin Willard which opens up the Seton Hall job... and Hurley played at Seton Hall so he might take that gig. He could also choose to wait and see if Xavier opens up as Chris Mack is expected to be a major contender for Louisville.