Sidney Lowe's future at NCSU

[CameronDuke]

Maybe I am the only one, but I just don't see how NSCU can retain Sydney Lowe as their head coach after this season. It seems the Wolfpack basketball program has taken a step back since Herb Sendek left (or was forced to leave) Raleigh, North Carolina. Lowe hasn't taken his team to the NCAA Tournament in his previous 4 seasons and their loss today makes them 12 and 8 this season. Barring an extreme turn around or ACC Tourney Championship, the Wolfpack won't make the NCAA Tourney this season either. Lowe's career record is 83 and 70 at NCSU. I, for one, think it is time for a change with that program. They don't even seem competitive this season.

[CDu]

Maybe I am the only one, but I just don't see how NSCU can retain Sydney Lowe as their head coach after this season. It seems the Wolfpack basketball program has taken a step back since Herb Sendek left (or was forced to leave) Raleigh, North Carolina. Lowe hasn't taken his team to the NCAA Tournament in his previous 4 seasons and their loss today makes them 12 and 8 this season. Barring an extreme turn around or ACC Tourney Championship, the Wolpack won't make the NCAA Tourney this season either. Lowe's career record is 83 and 70 at NCSU. I, for one, think it is time for a change with that program. They don't even seem competitive this season.

You're not the only one. There are several threads discussing the likely end of Lowe's tenure.

[GODUKEGO]

Maybe I am the only one, but I just don't see how NSCU can retain Sydney Lowe as their head coach after this season. It seems the Wolfpack basketball program has taken a step back since Herb Sendek left (or was forced to leave) Raleigh, North Carolina. Lowe hasn't taken his team to the NCAA Tournament in his previous 4 seasons and their loss today makes them 12 and 8 this season. Barring an extreme turn around or ACC Tourney Championship, the Wolfpack won't make the NCAA Tourney this season either. Lowe's career record is 83 and 70 at NCSU. I, for one, think it is time for a change with that program. They don't even seem competitive this season.

I agree with you 100%. His ACC record through today is 22-49. He has the worst ACC winning percentage of all the previous State coaches. There is no way that they will make the NCAA tournament. So that will be 0-5 for him. I figured that this heralded freshman class would save his job or get him fired. The later looks like the choice. They have one big win against Miami at home. Looking at their remaining ACC games they might win three of the nine remaining games.

One side of me says that I hope he stays because State will stay irrevelent except for the occasional upset like last year. The other side says a school with tradition, in the ACC and a beautiful arena deserve better. I think what the games and crowds would be like with State and UNC in the top ten.


Interesting article attached quoting Debbie Yow:

http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/01/22/936406/yow-is-watching-waiting.html#storylink=misearch

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Sidney's coaching future with the Wolfpack is in a world of hurt.

[acciconoclast]

Bob Knight, who already has the red sweater, is humming: "Let's All Go to the Raleigh"

[CameronBornAndBred]

One side of me says that I hope he stays because State will stay irrevelent except for the occasional upset like last year.
Why would you want State to stay irrelevant?

[taiw93]

There is no doubt in my mind that Sid can recruit - he's brought in Hickson and Tracy Smith in the past, and just brought in State's current monster class of Harrow, Leslie, and Brown, who (IMO) will all be studs as upperclassmen. However, he cannot seem to get his kids focused, organized, disciplined, and motivated on the floor at all. This combination of good recruiting ability and poor game-day coaching ability is rather surprising from a guy who has his roots in the recruiting-less NBA.

Because of the young talent Lowe has in his system, and his inability to maximize their potential as a team, I think that next season is the perfect time to make a change. With their roster, NC State WILL BE a tourney team if they can add a better coach.

[SMO]

Can we assume he's gone after this year? I think so. Anyone care to begin conjecture on his successor? Who would help raise the bar in the ACC?

[Kewlswim]

Hi,

Without a doubt, after Duke, the team I root for in the ACC is State. Though I know that in general the student body does not care for Duke, they are not insufferable like the kids from UVA, Maryland, etc. Furthermore, they deserve better than they've had. If it were me, Duke would play the Woolfies in basketball twice a year and football once a year, period. Duke has a long history with State and I would like to have a long future with them too.

GO DUKE!

[sleepybear]

Can we assume he's gone after this year? I think so. Anyone care to begin conjecture on his successor? Who would help raise the bar in the ACC?

I'd make a run at Carmody of Northwestern though I doubt he'd leave. There are plenty of coaches better than Lowe at less history rich programs, but better than Lowe is setting the bar kind of low.

[wilson]

...better than Lowe is setting the bar kind of low.This is indeed an historic Lowe point in Raleigh.

[Newton_14]

Whatever faint glimmer of hope Lowe had of keeping his job, vanished with today's display. Not having Harrow hurt them, but that is simply no excuse for the lack of preparedness, and the lack of coaching on display out there today. UNC is not that good. This was way more about State's ineptness, than brilliant play from UNC.

At one point late in the first half, UNC was 3 for their last 18 shot attempts and were still up 16 points. That is sad. It was not like the lead went from 30 down to 16 either. The lead sort of stayed between 12 and 16 during most of the 1st half.

State had zero intensity, were very lackadaisical on defense and quite simply just did not compete. They had numerous chances to get back in the game in the first half and never made anything resembling a run.

Lowe quite simply has shown he cannot be effective as a college coach. Yow is likely searching diligently right now for his replacement. He should really do the right thing and resign quietly. He is a great guy and a legendary player at the school but this experiment failed miserably. He had 5 years to put his mark on the program and produced mediocre results much of the time.

There is a pocket of the fan base that still supported Lowe in the last few weeks, but after today I suspect even those folks jump ship.

I hope for NC State, the ACC, and Tobacco Road's sake, that Yow does what her predecessor could not do, and finds the right man for the job this time.

[OldPhiKap]

The problem is -- who can they get? The last coach search was a fiasco.

I would like to see State relevant again, it's been a long time.

You can't have The Triangle if there's only one or two good teams.

[DueBlevil]

I'd make a run at Carmody of Northwestern though I doubt he'd leave.

He's been at Northwestern 10 years previous to this year and they've made the NCAA tournament exactly 0 times... not saying Northwestern is an easy place to win, and you could argue that he's made very gradual progress, but I don't understand what makes him a particularly good choice

[diveonthefloor]

Lowe is an upstanding guy and I hate to see him fail at NCSU; but I think his fate is already sealed there.

He belongs back in the NBA as an assistant.

Shane Battier thought pretty highly of him as Shane's rookie coach.

Just breaks my heart to see "one of the good guys" just not able to succeed as a head coach.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

The problem is -- who can they get? The last coach search was a fiasco.

I would like to see State relevant again, it's been a long time.

You can't have The Triangle if there's only one or two good teams.
The situation at NC State now is far different than it was the last time, from the University President to the Athletic Director to the program itself. Coaches who weren't interested then may/will be this time. The search will be done in a far more professional manner. They were willing to back up the truck and pay a boatload of money last time, so that isn't a problem.

[WiJoe]

Syd is ...

1844

[wilson]

Caulton Tudor (http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/01/29/954703/tudor-time-running-out-for-lowe.html) seems to agree with the general tenor of this thread, that Sidney (let's spell it correctly, folks) Lowe has little time left at State.

[Duke: A Dynasty]

Hi,

Without a doubt, after Duke, the team I root for in the ACC is State. Though I know that in general the student body does not care for Duke, they are not insufferable like the kids from UVA, Maryland, etc. Furthermore, they deserve better than they've had. If it were me, Duke would play the Woolfies in basketball twice a year and football once a year, period. Duke has a long history with State and I would like to have a long future with them too.

GO DUKE!

From my expierence (which is very little) NC State fans respect Duke and like them winning except when they play each other. I got family members and friends at State and they all just hate unc. To me it always seems like Duke and State respect each other and hate unc and Wake and the opposite for unc and Wake.

As for Sid... What future?

[lotusland]

Can we assume he's gone after this year? I think so. Anyone care to begin conjecture on his successor? Who would help raise the bar in the ACC?

I posted this in the NCSU vs UNC thread:

Greg Marshall at Wichita State would be a good get for any program. The guy can coach and he's got roots in the Carolinas. He's been successful everywhere he's been and his teams play with discipline and intensity. He's a defensive specialist and he plays a somewhat deliberate style but not as slow as Sendek. With the talent they have he would have them in the top 5 in the conference better next year.

[Exiled_Devil]

Bob Knight, who already has the red sweater, is humming: "Let's All Go to the Raleigh"

Won't happen. He would not come in to coach against his protege who is not only in conference, but 15 miles down the road.

Also, I'm not sure that a program with as much pride as State would hire Knight. He's damaged goods. I think they go for the big names again, but then go for up and comers from smaller conferences.

[Exiled_Devil]

oops. double.

[lotusland]

Won't happen. He would not come in to coach against his protege who is not only in conference, but 15 miles down the road.

Also, I'm not sure that a program with as much pride as State would hire Knight. He's damaged goods. I think they go for the big names again, but then go for up and comers from smaller conferences.

I saw Knight coach Texas Tech at what I think was his last game - a second round tournament loss in Winston Salem. As I recall the outcome was in question up to the last few minutes and, having never seen Knight coach, I watched to see how he coached and/or exhorted the team. I was struck by how he watched the game slip away without calling a time-out or even yelling instructions to his players. I didn't expect him to throw a chair but he just sat there without saying a word to anyone which was not at all what I expected. When I heard that he retired shortly thereafter I thought Yeah, he's done.

[94duke]

I saw Knight coach Texas Tech at what I think was his last game - a second round tournament loss in Winston Salem. As I recall the outcome was in question up to the last few minutes and, having never seen Knight coach, I watched to see how he coached and/or exhorted the team. I was struck by how he watched the game slip away without calling a time-out or even yelling instructions to his players. I didn't expect him to throw a chair but he just sat there without saying a word to anyone which was not at all what I expected. When I heard that he retired shortly thereafter I thought Yeah, he's done.

Coach Knight left mid-season.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3230737

[94duke]

The ACC round-up article on the front page mentions this. link (http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/articles/?p=38180)
I have heard the same thing on sports radio in Durham.

The State program has been on a slide since the day Lowe took over. How is it better now? The program is certainly not in a better state. They haven't made the Dance since Lowe was hired, after making it so many years in a row. Yet, I keep hearing that the coaching position is more desirable now than before. But can someone explain to me how the coaching position is more desirable now than it was when it was available last time? Thanks.

[lotusland]

Coach Knight left mid-season.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3230737

oops it must have been mid-season the year after the tournament loss that I watched. Anyway,the article reinforces the impression I got that game from watching his demeanor that his heart really wasn't in coaching.

"He's ready," successor and son Pat Knight said during his weekly radio show. "He's tired."


"Today was the most relaxed and relieved I've seen him in a long time," Pat Knight said during his show. "He thought about doing it a year ago but he didn't want people to think he was just staying for the record. So he kind of pushed himself to go one more year."

I'd be very surprised if Knight returned to coaching at any school.

[Dukeford]

See bottom of story linked from WS Journal.

Is there any particular reason why Roy should dislike NC State more than other teams?

http://www2.journalnow.com/sports/2011/jan/30/lenox-ar-738278/