OT: Florida Coaching Search

[FfldCntyFan]

I would be shocked if Cooley got offered the job. He's been a D1 head coach for 10 years and hasn't won a single NCAA tourney game.

Now you've done it. The PC fans will be here like ants at a picnic.

 

[jfuchs91]

And the headline today would read, "Shaka Smart to leave Uconn for the Texas job". I'm only half kidding.

That's another luxury of Kevin Ollie. He may be in the NBA someday, but I couldn't imagine him ever coaching at another school.

 

[jleves]

And Smart likely would have been our replacement for Calhoun had things broken differently.

Did you intend that pun?

 

[nadav]

I don't think Shaka was drawn by the no pressure environment of Texas. He went with the first real big time job that came his way (sorry NC State you don't count).

he also turned down UCLA

 

[djct1999]

I would be shocked if Cooley got offered the job. He's been a D1 head coach for 10 years and hasn't won a single NCAA tourney game.

Cooley isn't even the best coach in his state.

 

[Huskyforlife]

We're very fortunate to have Ollie.

 

[HuskyBballFan]

It would hardly be the first time that a coach left for greener pastures. But Ed Cooley just spent the past several weeks convincing Kris Dunn to pass up millions of dollars and come back to school. For Cooley to bail on him now would be pretty cold.

It's almost certainly a moot point though. When they say that Cooley is a "darkhorse" candidate, they just mean that Florida would have to consider him if Miller and Mack (among others) say no. It's tough to think of a scenario where both of those guys pass up this job.

 

[Dooley]

You guys are friggin' nuts. Texas a better job than UConn? At basketball?? Florida better than UConn?? Jayzus, I know we're all down in the dumps about the AAC but come the on. UConn has the pedigree and history that both of those programs only wish they had. Recruiting? We are in the middle of the northeast where, unlike football, it is a recruiting asset. And if we don't get kids from the northeast, UConn is the biggest basketball brand of the 3 to be able to find kids all over the world. We have a pipeline to the NBA that is well established.

If you guys are talking about conference affiliation, then yes, no question Texas and Florida are in better positions than we are. The AAC is awful, there is no sugar coating that. But we won't be in this pitiful conference forever and while we are here, we've won a national championship and are paying our head coach $3M/yr. Not bad scratch. UConn basketball is the biggest show in the entire state of CT with no competition from any professional sports or other UConn sports. Our First Nights outdraw many teams' regular season games. We can pack venues in NYC and Boston without any trouble. Heck, we can even generate more buzz for a meaningless OOC regular season game in Rutgers' backyard than Rutgers just by showing up with one of our worst teams in years. We are, by far, the biggest and most successful basketball brand in the highly coveted basketball-centric northeast.

Yes, FL and TX are in better conferences. Even the lousy SEC is better than the AAC. But both hoops programs play second fiddle within their own school's athletic department to another sport. Most of that P5 money is always going to go to football. Not here. UConn football could go undefeated this year and still struggle to sell out a single home game given our lousy home slate. Meanwhile, one of our worst teams in recent years sold out an 11 am game (thanks for the prime scheduling, Aresco!) against an average program that has never been identified by our fanbase as being a "hated rival" (like Syracuse, Georgetown, or even Duke).

We're all down in the dumps about the AAC and rightfully so. But we won't be in this conference forever so, in the meantime, let's not start a pity party and downgrade our program's reputation and brand to below programs that are looking up at us.

 

[CL82]

You guys are friggin' nuts. Texas a better job than UConn? At basketball?? Florida better than UConn?? Jayzus, I know we're all down in the dumps about the AAC but come the on. UConn has the pedigree and history that both of those programs only wish they had. Recruiting? We are in the middle of the northeast where, unlike football, it is a recruiting asset. And if we don't get kids from the northeast, UConn is the biggest basketball brand of the 3 to be able to find kids all over the world. We have a pipeline to the NBA that is well established.

If you guys are talking about conference affiliation, then yes, no question Texas and Florida are in better positions than we are. The AAC is awful, there is no sugar coating that. But we won't be in this pitiful conference forever and while we are here, we've won a national championship and are paying our head coach $3M/yr. Not bad scratch. UConn basketball is the biggest show in the entire state of CT with no competition from any professional sports or other UConn sports. Our First Nights outdraw many teams' regular season games. We can pack venues in NYC and Boston without any trouble. Heck, we can even generate more buzz for a meaningless OOC regular season game in Rutgers' backyard than Rutgers just by showing up with one of our worst teams in years. We are, by far, the biggest and most successful basketball brand in the highly coveted basketball-centric northeast.

Yes, FL and TX are in better conferences. Even the lousy SEC is better than the AAC. But both hoops programs play second fiddle within their own school's athletic department to another sport. Most of that P5 money is always going to go to football. Not here. UConn football could go undefeated this year and still struggle to sell out a single home game given our lousy home slate. Meanwhile, one of our worst teams in recent years sold out an 11 am game (thanks for the prime scheduling, Aresco!) against an average program that has never been identified by our fanbase as being a "hated rival" (like Syracuse, Georgetown, or even Duke).

We're all down in the dumps about the AAC and rightfully so. But we won't be in this conference forever so, in the meantime, let's not start a pity party and downgrade our program's reputation and brand to below programs that are looking up at us.

Thank you Dooley. National Champs 1999, 2004, 2011 and 2014; a brandy new top of the line practice facility; rabid fans and a national BB brand; and playing (most of) your home games in Patoni's world renown cathedral of basketball. There are only a handful of schools that rival it and they aren't in Texas or Florida.

The Florida job suffers from the same pressures of following a schools best coach. Never easy to follow a multiple NC coach. Texas, imo, is the better gig. Great resources, less pressure.

 

[Huskyforlife]

You guys are friggin' nuts. Texas a better job than UConn? At basketball?? Florida better than UConn?? Jayzus, I know we're all down in the dumps about the AAC but come the on. UConn has the pedigree and history that both of those programs only wish they had. Recruiting? We are in the middle of the northeast where, unlike football, it is a recruiting asset. And if we don't get kids from the northeast, UConn is the biggest basketball brand of the 3 to be able to find kids all over the world. We have a pipeline to the NBA that is well established.

If you guys are talking about conference affiliation, then yes, no question Texas and Florida are in better positions than we are. The AAC is awful, there is no sugar coating that. But we won't be in this pitiful conference forever and while we are here, we've won a national championship and are paying our head coach $3M/yr. Not bad scratch. UConn basketball is the biggest show in the entire state of CT with no competition from any professional sports or other UConn sports. Our First Nights outdraw many teams' regular season games. We can pack venues in NYC and Boston without any trouble. Heck, we can even generate more buzz for a meaningless OOC regular season game in Rutgers' backyard than Rutgers just by showing up with one of our worst teams in years. We are, by far, the biggest and most successful basketball brand in the highly coveted basketball-centric northeast.

Yes, FL and TX are in better conferences. Even the lousy SEC is better than the AAC. But both hoops programs play second fiddle within their own school's athletic department to another sport. Most of that P5 money is always going to go to football. Not here. UConn football could go undefeated this year and still struggle to sell out a single home game given our lousy home slate. Meanwhile, one of our worst teams in recent years sold out an 11 am game (thanks for the prime scheduling, Aresco!) against an average program that has never been identified by our fanbase as being a "hated rival" (like Syracuse, Georgetown, or even Duke).

We're all down in the dumps about the AAC and rightfully so. But we won't be in this conference forever so, in the meantime, let's not start a pity party and downgrade our program's reputation and brand to Zbigniew below programs that are looking up at us.

so you think Shaka would leave Texas if offered the uconn job?

 

[Jerry1714]

so you think Shaka would leave Texas if offered the uconn job?

Only if he was fired from Texas.

Also, people citing what we pay, we are paying 2.8M to a coach with a NC. He was making 1.25M before that. Florida and Texas have no income tax as well, so that 1.25M is peanuts compared to 3M a year in Texas.

 

[RipCity]

so you think Shaka would leave Texas if offered the uconn job?

So you think Shaka wouldn't leave Texas for OKC if he was offered that job?

 

[Jerry1714]

So you think Shaka wouldn't leave Texas for OKC if he was offered that job?

That is a ridiculous comparison.

 

[Leebo]

Ollie's choice in this particular year doesn't mean that UConn is a better job than OKC...

 

[CallMeBruce]

Ollie's choice in this particular year doesn't mean that UConn is a better job than OKC...

And that's assuming he actually made a choice to stay at UConn over OKC, which probably never happened.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

You guys are friggin' nuts. Texas a better job than UConn? At basketball?? Florida better than UConn?? Jayzus, I know we're all down in the dumps about the AAC but come the on. UConn has the pedigree and history that both of those programs only wish they had. Recruiting? We are in the middle of the northeast where, unlike football, it is a recruiting asset. And if we don't get kids from the northeast, UConn is the biggest basketball brand of the 3 to be able to find kids all over the world. We have a pipeline to the NBA that is well established.

If you guys are talking about conference affiliation, then yes, no question Texas and Florida are in better positions than we are. The AAC is awful, there is no sugar coating that. But we won't be in this pitiful conference forever and while we are here, we've won a national championship and are paying our head coach $3M/yr. Not bad scratch. UConn basketball is the biggest show in the entire state of CT with no competition from any professional sports or other UConn sports. Our First Nights outdraw many teams' regular season games. We can pack venues in NYC and Boston without any trouble. Heck, we can even generate more buzz for a meaningless OOC regular season game in Rutgers' backyard than Rutgers just by showing up with one of our worst teams in years. We are, by far, the biggest and most successful basketball brand in the highly coveted basketball-centric northeast.

Yes, FL and TX are in better conferences. Even the lousy SEC is better than the AAC. But both hoops programs play second fiddle within their own school's athletic department to another sport. Most of that P5 money is always going to go to football. Not here. UConn football could go undefeated this year and still struggle to sell out a single home game given our lousy home slate. Meanwhile, one of our worst teams in recent years sold out an 11 am game (thanks for the prime scheduling, Aresco!) against an average program that has never been identified by our fanbase as being a "hated rival" (like Syracuse, Georgetown, or even Duke).

We're all down in the dumps about the AAC and rightfully so. But we won't be in this conference forever so, in the meantime, let's not start a pity party and downgrade our program's reputation and brand to below programs that are looking up at us.

In 2015, Texas is a better job than UConn. Sorry. Saying "we won't be in this league forever" is a nice bit of wishful thinking but it doesn't support the idea that UConn is a better program than Texas right now. Pumping up recruiting as proof that UConn reigns supreme is also little bizarre. I know, I'm a hater. Or just a realist.

 

[tcf15]

 

[CallMeBruce]

That's an interesting choice. White is definitely a good coach. La Tech was pretty crappy before he got there, and since his second season, they've been a top-60 RPI team each year. He's from Florida, too, so that probably has added appeal. That being said, I'm really surprised they're not going after a bigger name. I wonder if they weren't sure they'd be able to land Mack or Miller. I'd think it would have to either be that, or they're trying to save money by going with a younger guy with a shorter resume.

 

[Huskyforlife]

So you think Shaka wouldn't leave Texas for OKC if he was offered that job?

No. Texas is the better job imo

 

[AZHuskiePop]

You guys are friggin' nuts. Texas a better job than UConn? At basketball?? Florida better than UConn?? Jayzus, I know we're all down in the dumps about the AAC but come the on. UConn has the pedigree and history that both of those programs only wish they had. Recruiting? We are in the middle of the northeast where, unlike football, it is a recruiting asset. And if we don't get kids from the northeast, UConn is the biggest basketball brand of the 3 to be able to find kids all over the world. We have a pipeline to the NBA that is well established.

If you guys are talking about conference affiliation, then yes, no question Texas and Florida are in better positions than we are. The AAC is awful, there is no sugar coating that. But we won't be in this pitiful conference forever and while we are here, we've won a national championship and are paying our head coach $3M/yr. Not bad scratch. UConn basketball is the biggest show in the entire state of CT with no competition from any professional sports or other UConn sports. Our First Nights outdraw many teams' regular season games. We can pack venues in NYC and Boston without any trouble. Heck, we can even generate more buzz for a meaningless OOC regular season game in Rutgers' backyard than Rutgers just by showing up with one of our worst teams in years. We are, by far, the biggest and most successful basketball brand in the highly coveted basketball-centric northeast.

Yes, FL and TX are in better conferences. Even the lousy SEC is better than the AAC. But both hoops programs play second fiddle within their own school's athletic department to another sport. Most of that P5 money is always going to go to football. Not here. UConn football could go undefeated this year and still struggle to sell out a single home game given our lousy home slate. Meanwhile, one of our worst teams in recent years sold out an 11 am game (thanks for the prime scheduling, Aresco!) against an average program that has never been identified by our fanbase as being a "hated rival" (like Syracuse, Georgetown, or even Duke).

We're all down in the dumps about the AAC and rightfully so. But we won't be in this conference forever so, in the meantime, let's not start a pity party and downgrade our program's reputation and brand to below programs that are looking up at us.

Get your points
But If UConn , Beats ,Nova,Army ,and then wins at Missouri,
They will be scalping tickets for Navy after putting in extra seating.
If they win that game
Then win at BYU, and UCF,
There will be talk of moving ECU to a larger venue.
If the're still unbeaten for our last home game,
It will be mayhem even for Houston ,
We will be the story of the year in college football as the party crasher..
Our access to media will dwarf previous Cinderellas like TCU and Boise State.
The New York press will write more about college football than they have for years.

 

[Burnsbros23]

I heard a Jay Wright rumor

 

[djct1999]

A Mike White hire would speak volumes about how valued the Florida job actually is. Long-term, this may actually work out but it is as far removed from home run hire as possible.

 

[Jerry1714]

A Mike White hire would speak volumes about how valued the Florida job actually is. Long-term, this may actually work out but it is as far removed from home run hire as possible.

It appears they went cheap, Archie and Mack wanted too much $$$.

 

[djct1999]

It appears they went cheap, Archie and Mack wanted too much $$$.

Donovan was making 4plus. I am sure that they could have found a way to fit Archie or Mack in their budget. If true, this hire will get no one excited.

 

[Jerry1714]

Donovan was making 4plus. I am sure that they could have found a way to fit Archie or Mack in their budget. If true, this hire will get no one excited.

They certainly have the money, reports are White is offered around 2M a year.