An offer is in

[intlzncster]

There are other things to look at besides the resume and experience. Interviews can reveal a lot. He's an impressive young coach. I don't think choosing Oats over Hurley is like going to Vegas. It may upset those on this board who are 100% in on Hurley. I would just prefer that DB have them both in before making a decision and not just jump on Hurley. UConn has a history of going with guys that have some connection to our program. It hasn't always worked out so well. Sure, Danny played for Blaney & has Tom Moore on his bench. That makes him an easy choice but not necessarily the best choice. I'm not saying he's not the better choice. I'm saying I'd rather they have Oats in, take a closer look and then make the decision. If it's Hurley that's fine but they might find out they like Oats better. Makes sense to me to be more thorough and not just go with the obvious choice.

This is a reasonable course of action. I'm not sure our AD is this type of guy though. Which is one of the reasons I want to land a guy like Hurley.

Quite frankly, I don't want DB !@#$ing it up.

 

[Uconnfanatic]

That's fair.

But let's be clear: if Benedict hasn't been kicking the tires for a while now, he deserves to be fired. If we come out and hire Hurley mid-week or something, it won't be because we didn't investigate other options.

I bet he has not looked at Oats closely. Bring him in for an interview. I'm sure he's done his due diligence on Hurley. Do the same with Oats. He's newer on the radar for sure.

 

[tzznandrew]

I bet he has not looked at Oats closely. Bring him in for an interview. I'm sure he's done his due diligence on Hurley. Do the same with Oats. He's newer on the radar for sure.

If he wasn't on the radar before one game in the NCAAT, he shouldn't be on it now. Too reactionary.

 

[intlzncster]

I've a sneaky suspicion how this is going to go down. We land Hurley. Pitt lands Oats. Hurley is middling. Oats goes on to a HOF career. We've used up all our karma from 1990-2014.

 

[intlzncster]

In fact, I no longer want Hurley. All in on OATS!

 

[Uconnfanatic]

If he wasn't on the radar before one game in the NCAAT, he shouldn't be on it now. Too reactionary.

That's a silly comment. Lots of times the best candidate pops up late in the process. The tournament has put him on the radar screen. Many a coach has gone from an unknown to a much sought after coach based on the tournament exposure. This is far from an exact science.

 

[whaler11]

In fact, I no longer want Hurley. All in on OATS!

Since people keep positing it as Oak’s - lets’s go with O’Aks today.

 

[whaler11]

Buffalo beat a team of mercenaries from a terrible conference in the midst of an FBI investigation.

Arizona has a couple of wildly talented players - they aren’t a good team.

 

[Uconnfanatic]

I've a sneaky suspicion how this is going to go down. We land Hurley. Pitt lands Oats. Hurley is middling. Oats goes on to a HOF career. We've used up all our karma from 1990-2014.

I've a sneaky suspicion how this is going to go down. We land Hurley. Pitt lands Oats. Hurley is middling. Oats goes on to a HOF career. We've used up all our karma from 1990-2014.

I doubt that Pitt will hire Oats but I do think there is a good chance that he will have the better career. I hope I am wrong because I'm guessing Hurley is already a done deal.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Feels like a Clyde Vaughn situation where he was responsible for recruiting/developing a decade of big men despite being here for only 2 years.

Quite frankly, are you really trying to bogart 3rd person typer's joints?

 

[djct1999]

In fact, I no longer want Hurley. All in on OATS!

Different programs make different kind of hires. BC hires Steve Donahue. Indiana hires Archie Miller. Oats is the former type, Hurley falls in the latter. For all you pro-Oats guys, it speaks volumes on how you view this program. If Oats is the guy we land, KO did more damage to the brand than even the most negative imagined.

 

[djct1999]

Until you are at a high major, that's tough to prove. But he has some nice players coming in.

Hurley has the natural trajectory of a coach that eliminates most risk. Oats is a total flip of the coin. Any sensible AD would not take that chance with the pedigree of UConn and the importance of this hire.

 

[tzznandrew]

That's a silly comment. Lots of times the best candidate pops up late in the process. The tournament has put him on the radar screen. Many a coach has gone from an unknown to a much sought after coach based on the tournament exposure. This is far from an exact science.

I'd like to see one that has proven successful taking over a major program by bursting onto the scene in the NCAAT. Andy Enfield is as close as you'll get, I think, and it's not been all that great so far.

Sorry: jumping at Oats after a win or two in the NCAAT is the definition of desperation.

 

[intlzncster]

Different programs make different kind of hires. BC hires Steve Donahue. Indiana hires Archie Miller. Oats is the former type, Hurley falls in the latter. For all you pro-Oats guys, it speaks volumes on how you view this program. If Oats is the guy we land, KO did more damage to the brand than even the most negative imagined.

You do know I was joking. Did you see my tongue-in-cheek post right above that one?

 

[Uconnfanatic]

Different programs make different kind of hires. BC hires Steve Donahue. Indiana hires Archie Miller. Oats is the former type, Hurley falls in the latter. For all you pro-Oats guys, it speaks volumes on how you view this program. If Oats is the guy we land, KO did more damage to the brand than even the most negative imagined.

This has nothing to do with how I perceive UConn and its ability to attract candidates. In fact, I think a lot of coaches would jump at the chance to return UConn to its former prominence. We are only 4 yrs removed from a national championship and have top notch facilities. I just think Oats will turn out to be the better coach.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Maybe I’m a little late to this, but Andrea is, I’m assuming his wife, that much of an influence on his decision?

I hope so, in a good way.

 

[djct1999]

You do know I was joking. Did you see my post right above that one?

Apparently not.

 

[tzznandrew]

You do know I was joking. Did you see my post right above that one?

While you're joking, a bunch of others aren't. They're sold on watching Buffalo once we need to hire a guy with no eastern recruiting connections and no track record of turning around a down program.

 

[tzznandrew]

This has nothing to do with how I perceive UConn and its ability to attract candidates. In fact, I think a lot of coaches would jump at the chance to return UConn to its former prominence. We are only 4 yrs removed from a national championship and have top notch facilities. I just think Oats will turn out to be the better coach.

He might be a better in-game coach. That's possible. Running one of the most prominent programs in the country--one that's going to need a course correction of sorts--is a different beast.

 

[Uconnfanatic]

I'd like to see one that has proven successful taking over a major program by bursting onto the scene in the NCAAT. Andy Enfield is as close as you'll get, I think, and it's not been all that great so far.

Sorry: jumping at Oats after a win or two in the NCAAT is the definition of desperation.

I didn't say you jump at him based on the tournament alone. I said the tournament can put coaches in the spotlight who weren't on the radar screen prior to the tournament. it's called exposure. But I get it. You want Hurley.

 

[tzznandrew]

I didn't say you jump at him based on the tournament alone. I said the tournament can put coaches in the spotlight who weren't on the radar screen prior to the tournament. it's called exposure. But I get it. You want Hurley.

I'd take a number of other coaches who have more than 3 years of coaching experience and some background in turning programs around. Hurley seems to be the only realistic coach who has both of those things on his resume at the moment.

 

[intlzncster]

Maybe I’m a little late to this, but Andrea is, I’m assuming his wife, that much of an influence on his decision?

She apparently has a real close connection to the players. They all talk about her and family and things like that. Supposedly she wants to stay at URI (no inside info).

Danny was going to take an assistant coaching position at Pitt after his St Benedict's gig. They started to drive up and she convinced him to stay in Jersey--her dad had just died and she didn't want to leave her mother alone. He ended up later at Wagner, because it was so close to home.

Bobby Sr. did the same thing. I forget what school--Depaul I think? They went there, agreed on the job, shopped for houses, looked for schools, etc. When they got home and told the boys, Danny and Bobby looked so depressed they couldn't play for their dad at St Anthony's that Senior decided to turn down the college gig. That's how he ended up a lifer.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Even if he crushed the interview, hiring a guy with only 3 years of head coaching experience is too big a risk. Hiring a guy who's never recruited a top 100 player is too big a risk. Hiring a guy who has no footprint outside of upstate New York is too big a risk. Benedict has to play the percentages here.

Without suggesting UConn will pursue Oats, agreeing with your reference to playing the percentages, and solely to share info, a decade+ of successful metro Detroit high school coaching, Div III assistant coaching experience in Wisconsin, and playing at a low-level Wiscy college and growing up in the Dairy State may provide some network and insights outside of Buffalo. If UConn was legitimately interested, one of his Buffalo assistants, Donyell Marshall, may have some insights on the guy.

 

[intlzncster]

Danny Hurley has less hair on his head than Jim did when he took over the program.

I'm not sure how that plays out, but I'd just like it noted.

No stone unturned.

 

[intlzncster]

If UConn was legitimately interested, one of his Buffalo assistants, Donyell Marshall, may have some insights on the guy.

That's reason enough to kick the tires. It's easy to get some quick inside info.