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Thread: Tommy out at UM

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    Chicago, IL

    Tommy out at UM

    According to various reports, Tommy Amaker has been dismissed at Michigan.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    Chicago, IL
    There are reports, with quotes, from both Tommy and the UM AD at both www.detnews.com and www.freep.com.

    I feel for Tommy. He walked into an impossible situation, a football school who won't upgrade its basketball facilities, not to mention the largest payout scandal in NCAA history. He cleaned it up, but he could never get the one win he needed to quiet the shouters.

    Best of luck Tommy. You're still first class all the way.

    dukemsu

  3. #3
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    Feb 2007
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    Raleigh, NC
    At least he'll be $900,000 richer while he job hunts. Just didn't get it done. No coaching tree for K.

  4. #4
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    Feb 2007
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    Durham, NC

    Sorry to hear it.

    Looks like there are multiple news stories to this effect. Won't feel too bad for him, given that "he was under contract through the 2010-11 season, but the school could fire him without cause by giving him $900,000."

    Seriously, though, I lived in Ann Arbor until a couple of years ago and would often see/hear of him out for early morning coffee in town before heading over to the offices and working diligently to bring the program back to respectibility. In many respects he has done that, with no noted ethical concerns under his watch (a dramatic improvement from previous regimes) and a return to recruiting well regarded (athletically and scholastically) basketball players, including within the state of Michigan. Unfortunately, they have, and it seems he would admit this as well, never made waves against upper-echelon opponents and are yet to earn an NCAA berth, including this year with quite a few upperclassmen. It seems pretty evident by now that he is a great character guy, a very good recruiter, and a solid coach (they have been hovering around 20 wins in a major conference and won an N.I.T.) but has not yet excelled (at either Seton Hall or Michigan) developing toughness or chemistry in his teams. But he has brought in another excellent recruiting class for next year (I've liked Legion alot when watching Oak Hill games) so whomever takes over, the cupboard is far from bare, to Tommy's credit.

    In any event, I'm certain that Tommy will do well in whatever he does and wish him the best. He is still young and perhaps one more learning experience away from being a superior coach. It'd be fun to see him as an analyst too!

    Go Devils!!!!!!!!!!GTHCGTH!!!!!!!!!!!

  5. #5
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    Mar 2007
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    Chicago, IL

    Amaker to Return to Duke? Source says...

    Just saw this on a site reporting Amaker's firing-Ann Arbor News. At the end of the article, it says that a source close to the situation says that Amaker is expected to return to Duke as an Assistant Coach.

    I don't see a spot open for him, though I'm sure he'd be welcomed home. Perhaps some of the posters closer to the program might have some better info. Just idle speculation at this point, I suppose.

    dukemsu

  6. #6
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    Feb 2007
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    Arlington, VA
    I'd welcome him with open arms, but I wish we had a post coach.

  7. #7
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    Mar 2007
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    Chicago, IL
    Do you mean a coach for the DBR boards (posting)? Or a post coach as in post play? It was my understanding that Wojo handled that aspect.

  8. #8
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    Feb 2007
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    Norfolk, VA

    Here's the link

    http://blog.mlive.com/annarbornews/2..._basketba.html

    I guess we need a second rumor so we can put one and one together. Has anyone heard any rumblings about our current assistants being considered for head coaching positions?

    Bob Green
    Yokosuka, Japan
    Last edited by Bob Green; 03-17-2007 at 04:42 PM. Reason: Correct spelling error

  9. #9

    Amaker to Harvard?

    Job is open. Hard to imagine a better fit.

  10. #10
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    Feb 2007
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    Greensboro, NC
    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Green View Post
    http://blog.mlive.com/annarbornews/2..._basketba.html

    I guess we need a second rumor so we can put one and one together. Has anyone heard any rumblings about our current assistants being considered for head coaching positions?

    Bob Green
    Yokosuka, Japan
    I keep hearing Wojo to Colorado.
    Last edited by happydays1949; 03-17-2007 at 06:07 PM. Reason: left out a word

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by happydays1949 View Post
    I keep hearing Wojo to Colorado.
    Could this be why Krzyzewski, Dawkins, and Collins were in attendance at Patterson's semi-final game but Wojo was not?

    (caveat: this is just speculation on my part... no inside info here)

  12. #12
    Pratt:

    Unless they've changed the rules, my understanding is that only 2 of the 3 assistants may travel off campus to recruit. So that may be why no Wojo.

    I have absolutely no source on this other than I read it on a message board and I don't remember where, but I thought there was some speculation about Chris Collins being a candidate for the Illinois State job. Again, I could be completely wrong about that.

  13. #13
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    Feb 2007
    Quote Originally Posted by dukemsu View Post
    There are reports, with quotes, from both Tommy and the UM AD at both www.detnews.com and www.freep.com.

    I feel for Tommy. He walked into an impossible situation, a football school who won't upgrade its basketball facilities, not to mention the largest payout scandal in NCAA history. He cleaned it up, but he could never get the one win he needed to quiet the shouters.

    Best of luck Tommy. You're still first class all the way.

    dukemsu
    how is michigan an "impossible situation?" it's more like a dream situation. michigan is in the big 10, has a massive athletics department budget, a massive fan base and a rich history in basketball. nits don't cut it there just like they wouldn't cut it at duke no matter how clean the program is and no matter how likeable the coach is. maybe tubby will take a look at ann arbor now?

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by dukie8 View Post
    how is michigan an "impossible situation?" it's more like a dream situation. michigan is in the big 10, has a massive athletics department budget, a massive fan base and a rich history in basketball. nits don't cut it there just like they wouldn't cut it at duke no matter how clean the program is and no matter how likeable the coach is. maybe tubby will take a look at ann arbor now?
    It does look like a dream situation. However, hoops is a distant second to football at Michigan, budget included. They are adding skyboxes to a stadium that already seats 103k+ while the basketball team plays in a 40 year old maueselum (sp) that doesn't have a practice facility. MSU, Wisconsin, and OSU kill UM on facilities (for basketball). The alumni are generally either asleep about hoops or are still embarassed about the Fab 5 scandal. They rarely sell out a game, unless MSU fans buy the tickets ror the UM/MSU game and turn the place half green.

    Not excusing Tommy's record. You're right, at an institution like UM you have to win. Just saying that UM hoops is a much harder spot than it looks. In terms of who they bring in, it won't be Tubby. He wouldn't take the pay cut. They won't pay a hoops coach more than they pay Lloyd Carr (major reason they couldn't lure Pitino 6 years ago). They also won't take someone whose personality might outshine that of the football coach.

    Montgomery is the best fit, given Stanford and UM's academic similarity. But there is no way the administration at UM will pay him enough. It will be interesting to see which way they go.

    dukemsu

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by dukie8 View Post
    how is michigan an "impossible situation?" it's more like a dream situation. michigan is in the big 10, has a massive athletics department budget, a massive fan base and a rich history in basketball. nits don't cut it there just like they wouldn't cut it at duke no matter how clean the program is and no matter how likeable the coach is. maybe tubby will take a look at ann arbor now?
    When Tommy took the job it was an "immpossible situation." The program has just about to be hit with the ramifications of Ed Martin. Through th 90s he paid close to three quarters of a millions dollars to Michigan players (Webber, Talyor, Traylor, Bullock). A lot of that "rich history in basketball" was offically wiped out (including the 92 & 93 Final Fours. Tommy's second year team was banned from all post season play for no fault of his own. Also Brian Ellerbee didn't leave much to work with. Tommy helped restore order and ethics. Unfortunately that doesn't always win games. He will land on his feat.

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by burnspbesq View Post
    Job is open. Hard to imagine a better fit.
    That would be cool! Especially if they have a professorship/dean position available for his bright, classy wife as well.

  17. #17
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    Cary, NC
    Quote Originally Posted by dukemsu View Post
    It does look like a dream situation. However, hoops is a distant second to football at Michigan, budget included. They are adding skyboxes to a stadium that already seats 103k+ while the basketball team plays in a 40 year old maueselum (sp) that doesn't have a practice facility. MSU, Wisconsin, and OSU kill UM on facilities (for basketball). The alumni are generally either asleep about hoops or are still embarassed about the Fab 5 scandal. They rarely sell out a game, unless MSU fans buy the tickets ror the UM/MSU game and turn the place half green.
    I seem to recall a blog entry or story by Mike DeCourcy in TSN about how on the surface the UM job is a great situation but behind the scenes, it's not all it's cut out to be, mainly for the reasons posted here by dukemsu. MD stated that the support isn't what you'd think it would be.
    Duke '96
    Cary, NC

  18. #18
    With Amaker's wife being the dean of students at Michigan, I'm not sure he would come back to Duke. Perhaps, he waits a year and sees what develops...

  19. #19
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    Feb 2007
    Quote Originally Posted by dukemsu View Post
    It does look like a dream situation. However, hoops is a distant second to football at Michigan, budget included. They are adding skyboxes to a stadium that already seats 103k+ while the basketball team plays in a 40 year old maueselum (sp) that doesn't have a practice facility. MSU, Wisconsin, and OSU kill UM on facilities (for basketball). The alumni are generally either asleep about hoops or are still embarassed about the Fab 5 scandal. They rarely sell out a game, unless MSU fans buy the tickets ror the UM/MSU game and turn the place half green.

    Not excusing Tommy's record. You're right, at an institution like UM you have to win. Just saying that UM hoops is a much harder spot than it looks. In terms of who they bring in, it won't be Tubby. He wouldn't take the pay cut. They won't pay a hoops coach more than they pay Lloyd Carr (major reason they couldn't lure Pitino 6 years ago). They also won't take someone whose personality might outshine that of the football coach.

    Montgomery is the best fit, given Stanford and UM's academic similarity. But there is no way the administration at UM will pay him enough. It will be interesting to see which way they go.

    dukemsu
    hoops is a distant second to football at schools like tennessee, texas and florida but that still hasn't prevented the basketball coaches from developing top 10 caliber teams. it's no excuse and 5 years is enough time for a big time sports school like michigan to figure out that they never are going to compete for a national title with ta at the helm. coming in with little would be an excuse for the first or second years but not 5 years in. look what pitino did at kentucky, calipari at memphis, pearl at tennessee, thompson at royo at unc. it doesn't take a long time to turn around a basketball program if you can coach because only 5 guys play at one time and the roster isn't 85 deep like in football. i'm sure that he is a great guy but his track record at seton hall and michigan is very underwhelming. maybe harvard is a good fit for him because the pressure isn't on there to make the ncaas. if michigan were that bad of a job, then ta never would have completely screwed over seton hall by going there. it's a GREAT college job and one that i would put right behind duke, unc, ucla, kentucky, indiana and kansas.

    if tubby would never stoop so low to take whatever $1 million contract they would offer him, then i really have no sympathy for him if kentucky decides to axe him after this year. he is the HIGHEST paid coach in division 1 basketball and really hasn't done anything other than right when he took over with pitino's players. if he doesn't like having the pressure of having to win national championships, going to final 4s and being ranked in the top 10, then he shouldn't have gone to kentucky and he shouldn't have negotiated the most expensive contract in all of college hoops. i agree that montgomery would be a nice fit for them and college basketball will be better with him back from the nba.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Greenville, NC

    Unhappy

    Shoot!

    Tommy is one of the finest persons I've ever known. My heart hurts for him because I know that he poured his heart and soul into his job at UM. He is an excellent coach, and a fine role model for the kids he recruited to Michigan.

    He and Stephanie are in my thoughts. . . .

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