Hurley? Why not Pikiell? | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Hurley? Why not Pikiell?

We made a mistake last time by being overly sentimental. So people really want to replace Kevin Ollie with one of his former backcourt mates? Seriously? That would be very awkward for both of them.

Meanwhile, would Pikiell be anywhere near the list if he wasn’t a former UConn guy? The answer is an obvious no. Hobbs has been more successful. Stop with the sentimental crap and hire the best coach we can find. There have to be at least twenty I’d pick ahead of Pikiell, and I loved him as a player. We need to cut the cord and move on from Calhoun.
 
HuskyHawk said:
We made a mistake last time by being overly sentimental. So people really want to replace Kevin Ollie with one of his former backcourt mates? Seriously? That would be very awkward for both of them.

Meanwhile, would Pikiell be anywhere near the list if he wasn’t a former UConn guy? The answer is an obvious no. Hobbs has been more successful. Stop with the sentimental crap and hire the best coach we can find. There have to be at least twenty I’d pick ahead of Pikiell, and I loved him as a player. We need to cut the cord and move on from Calhoun.
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Your point about Pikell is he didn’t go to Uconn is on point.

The question is about mid major hc vs p5 asst
 
Fishy said:
In a heartbeat.

A bottom-third P5 job is just a firing waiting to happen.

You take those jobs to leave those jobs as soon as you’re able.
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A sign of how depressing it all is; someone argues the Rutgers job is better than UConn and we feel the need to debate it.
 
Geno?
He's the only game in women's basketball
Let's get real, the mens game is much different from the womens game - can't even compare the two
Yes he's been over the top successful and it's been wonderful for UConn, BUT, if women had the NBA as a target it would be a much different story
 
HuskyBoi said:
He has Kevin Ollie losses on his resume with a bad conference finish. Hurley, regardless of the conference, has shown to be a winner. We need a winner to instill his mentality into the team, at least when it comes to regular season conference titles, finishing in respectable positions, etc. The highest we've finished in the AAC was 3rd, and we are projected each season to finish 1-3. I bet you after this season is wrapped up, we are projected 7th next season because the preseason AAC poll'ers know we bring the AAC's name down with not even one regular season conference title. They've had a ton of expectation on us to carry the name of this conference...
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Please compare KO's last 6/7 years with Hurley's and please tell me who has won more
Hurley is not the answer. Period. He may be in a potential list, but, in my mind, not in the top 5, if UConn is willing to offer the same money as KJO receives now.
It's going to be a hard sell to any up and coming coach because of the potential P5 openings and regardless of what some say, the recruitment issues that the AAC presents due to exposure to top competition and the travel is so geographically unfriendly.
 
HuskyHawk said:
We made a mistake last time by being overly sentimental. So people really want to replace Kevin Ollie with one of his former backcourt mates? Seriously? That would be very awkward for both of them.

Meanwhile, would Pikiell be anywhere near the list if he wasn’t a former UConn guy? The answer is an obvious no. Hobbs has been more successful. Stop with the sentimental crap and hire the best coach we can find. There have to be at least twenty I’d pick ahead of Pikiell, and I loved him as a player. We need to cut the cord and move on from Calhoun.
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If Pikiell did not already have his extension signed with Rutgers, he would 100% be one of the top guys on the list. The only reason he is still considered is because he went to UConn. His coaching ability is definitely there. In a perfect world hes available and we hire him. He is the type of guy you want.

Saying he is anything less than a great coach and great hire for UConn is absurd and you obviously know nothing about him.

He had amazing success at an abysmal Stony Brook program. Leading them to the top of the America East every year and bringing them to their first NCAA tournament ever. Also recruiting and developing a potential professional player talent in Jameel Warney (GLeague very close to NBA if wasn't for height) from the America East, please find me another player (I'll answer it for you, none)?

I and everyone else should expect major improvements from Rutgers. I hate to see that, I wish we were in their place. But you gotta face the reality
 
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If we hired a coach coming off of consecutive losing seasons and last place finishes in the Big 10, then I give up. That's almost as bad as Rutgers extending a coach with consecutive losing seasons and last place finishes in the Big 10.
 
gtcam said:
Please compare KO's last 6/7 years with Hurley's and please tell me who has won more
Hurley is not the answer. Period. He may be in a potential list, but, in my mind, not in the top 5, if UConn is willing to offer the same money as KJO receives now.
It's going to be a hard sell to any up and coming coach because of the potential P5 openings and regardless of what some say, the recruitment issues that the AAC presents due to exposure to top competition and the travel is so geographically unfriendly.
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Who are all these up and coming coaches with better resumes than Hurley? Not even saying he's the guy, but I don't see many.
 
Wow people really want to hire Pikell? He very well may be able to coach. Maybe in the future he’ll have more success. But Jesús Navas his record has been disgusting the last two seasons. I’d give that hire a C-
 
jimva said:
BS! Geno has no problems. Winning takes care of everything.
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MuchoDogYears said:
You’ve numbers aren’t quite right. He’s not making $3M a year for 5 years.

His new extended contract signed this year pays him an average of $2.39M a year thru they 2023-2024 season.

Admittedly that’d be difficult for UConn to pry him away from. Rutgers must’ve been paying attention to what was going on at UConn and didn’t want to lose Pikiell.

Still would prefer him over Hurley.
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Chances of pulling him out of the B1G are slim and none..
 
On Bill Simmons' podcast last Thursday his two college guys Mark Titus and Tate Frazier said they've heard Pitino has interest in the job and one of the two predicted Billy Donovan as our next coach.

Don't think Donovan will get fired but Simmons did claim that he coaches the NBA like it's college and the players aren't very receptive. I've seen crazier things happen in the NBA than a playoff coach get fired. I still think he's a pipe dream, though.
 
Wont surprise me if Pitino is interested. He is a NY/Northeast guy at heart. His personality does not fit well in the Kentucky area. His wife actually live in NYC when he was coaching Louisville. Any free time he has is always spend in the NY area when coaching in the state of Ky. If he is looking to return to coaching, CT is a good place. Remember he was going back to Providence several yrs ago, the plan fell through when PC did not commit to hiring Richard Pitino as the HC when Ricky retires.
 
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lange10 said:
On Bill Simmons' podcast last Thursday his two college guys Mark Titus and Tate Frazier said they've heard Pitino has interest in the job and one of the two predicted Billy Donovan as our next coach.

Don't think Donovan will get fired but Simmons did claim that he coaches the NBA like it's college and the players aren't very receptive. I've seen crazier things happen in the NBA than a playoff coach get fired. I still think he's a pipe dream, though.
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Link?
 
Dan Hurley first two seasons with URI, 22-39 combined. Pikiell first two seasons at Rutgers, 30-37 combined. So that narrative of a poor first two seasons is gone.

I believe both are great coaches and will have a great future where ever they are. I would take either coach over Ollie.

Now let's say Hurley comes here and is successful. He brings back our winning culture and we are in the tournament every year, maybe even a final four run here and there! What stops him from leaving as soon as a power 5 opportunity opens up? NOTHING. Coach K retires, Duke is looking? See you later Hurley hes leaving for Duke and any other top 3 or 4 programs in the respective conference.
*Note: assuming we can obviously offer the same money.

Now let's say Pikiell comes here and is successful... What stops him from leaving as as soon as a Power 5 comes calling? UCONN. UConn player and grad, played for Calhoun, all of that! At least we can hold onto that and have a fair fighting chance at keeping him here.

Now stop being disturbed and surprised about all the Pikiell news. He could be a top coach and actually want to stay here.
 
mwc22 said:
Now let's say Hurley comes here and is successful. He brings back our winning culture and we are in the tournament every year, maybe even a final four run here and there! What stops him from leaving as soon as a power 5 opportunity opens up? NOTHING. Coach K retires, Duke is looking? See you later Hurley hes leaving for Duke and any other top 3 or 4 programs in the respective conference.
*Note: assuming we can obviously offer the same money.

Now let's say Pikiell comes here and is successful... What stops him from leaving as as soon as a Power 5 comes calling? UCONN. UConn player and grad, played for Calhoun, all of that! At least we can hold onto that and have a fair fighting chance at keeping him here.

Now stop being disturbed and surprised about all the Pikiell news. He could be a top coach and actually want to stay here.
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Can’t worry about that — we were excited to have KO locked up til he reached retirement age, but that’s moot now.

A coach having loyalty to the school is great, but it should be way down on the list of priorities. You try to hire the best guy available who you can afford (I’m not saying that pre-extension Pikiell wouldn’t have been that guy).

If a new coach gets you to a level where schools like Duke want to poach him, that’s a good problem to have. Would it suck to be spurned for another program, sure, but if someone makes our program relevant again I’m willing to take the risk.
 
jimva said:
Recruiting harder? Nonsense. I am tired of reading posts about harder recruiting. Tougher because we are in AAC.

BS! Geno has no problems. Winning takes care of everything.
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I admit winning does take care of everything. But......

Geno is a Hall of Fame coach with and existing program, track record and already recognized as the best in the business. It's significantly more difficult to recruit in the AAC when you don't have a coach that has Geno's pedigree and track record. I fear what will happen to UConn's women's basketball program once Geno retires.

As a UConn official recently stated, (I'm paraphrasing) "Do you get excited when you go to a men's basketball game between UConn and Tulane or Tulsa? or Do you get more exited to watch UConn play Syracuse or Georgetown? That's the challenge our coaches face in recruiting. Trying to get 4 & 5 star recruits excited to come to UConn and play the likes of Tulane, South Florida or East Carolina."

Calhoun had a similar problem when he came to UConn, trying to recruit players to play in the Field House. But he had an advantage. We were in the Big East. An already recognized big time conference. You saw what happened when Calhoun left and when the Big East left us out.
 
UConnFranklin said:
Calhoun had a similar problem when he came to UConn, trying to recruit players to play in the Field House. But he had an advantage. We were in the Big East. An already recognized big time conference. You saw what happened when Calhoun left and when the Big East left us out.
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Not an apt comparison. The University, the campus, our facilities and our legacy is far different now.
 
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I'd love to give Baker Dunleavy a long look. Promising young coach who is already in state and would come in very cheap.
 
Matt1010 said:
I'd love to give Baker Dunleavy a long look. Promising young coach who is already in state and would come in very cheap.
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Only one year of HC experience and a 12-21 record? We can't hand the job to someone like that.

That was a nice MAAC tourney run, and getting Matthew Balanc to commit was definitely a coup. But a guy at Dunleavy's stage needs 2-3 years and much more consistent results to move up the ladder.
 
RoderickSpode said:
Can’t worry about that — we were excited to have KO locked up til he reached retirement age, but that’s moot now.

A coach having loyalty to the school is great, but it should be way down on the list of priorities. You try to hire the best guy available who you can afford (I’m not saying that pre-extension Pikiell wouldn’t have been that guy).

If a new coach gets you to a level where schools like Duke want to poach him, that’s a good problem to have. Would it suck to be spurned for another program, sure, but if someone makes our program relevant again I’m willing to take the risk.
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I definitely agree. I would take either.

I was just saying that is why Pikiell is wanted among the UConn community.
 
Stainmaster said:
Only one year of HC experience and a 12-21 record? We can't hand the job to someone like that.

That was a nice MAAC tourney run, and getting Matthew Balanc to commit was definitely a coup. But a guy at Dunleavy's stage needs 2-3 years and much more consistent results to move up the ladder.
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Certainly would be a risky hire but given what he inherited and the subsequent results, I'd say he vastly overachieved. Great scheme guy, which is Ollie's obvious biggest weakness. AHC at that age under Wright is also very telling.
 
UConnFranklin said:
As a UConn official recently stated, (I'm paraphrasing) "Do you get excited when you go to a men's basketball game between UConn and Tulane or Tulsa? or Do you get more exited to watch UConn play Syracuse or Georgetown? That's the challenge our coaches face in recruiting. Trying to get 4 & 5 star recruits excited to come to UConn and play the likes of Tulane, South Florida or East Carolina."
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Not an apt comparison. You're comparing the nostalgia of what Georgetown and Syracuse USED to be with the lower tier teams in the AAC. I'm not sure you got the memo but UConn, Georgetown, and Syracuse aren't what they once were. That's not UConn's big problem. UConn had the #8 recruiting class in the country in 2016, and they were fine playing Dunleavy, Haith, and the like.
 
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