Report: Tom Izzo Turned Down Pistons Offer ~ 5 Yrs/$35M

[Dooley]

Smart move, in my opinion. He has job security at Sparty and usually makes the Final Four every few years. He will have a job and get paid VERY WELL for as long as he wants. The same things can be said for Ollie. He has tremendous job security, should contend for a National Championship run every few years, and will be paid very well (even better once we get into a P5 conference). I hope Izzo inspires Ollie to make a long-term commitment at UCONN so these NBA rumors won't resurface every season.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on...offered-tom-izzo-deal-stan-van-gundy-accepted

 

[Kitaman]

Wow, Izzo must be very happy and set for life. Why mess with success? He knows in college he's a top 5 HOF coach, the NBA is an unknown and just maybe he doesn't care to find out. Losing him would change college basketball. Glad he stayed.

 

[Clockshop]

From a Pistons beat writer:

Vincent Ellis ‏@Vincent_Ellis56 26m
Source: #Pistons contacted MSU's Izzo through search firm, but never interviewed for job. No offer.

Vincent Ellis ‏@Vincent_Ellis56 25m
Florida's Billy Donovan, UConn's Kevin Ollie, Iowa State's Fred Hoiberg were also on the list. Surprisingly, Kentucky's John Calipari wasn't

http://www.freep.com/article/20140518/SPORTS03/305180140

 

[uconnng8]

From a Pistons beat writer:

Vincent Ellis ‏@Vincent_Ellis56 25m
Florida's Billy Donovan, UConn's Kevin Ollie, Iowa State's Fred Hoiberg were also on the list. Surprisingly, Kentucky's John Calipari wasn't

http://www.freep.com/article/20140518/SPORTS03/305180140

Hopefully that was the "unknown" team that had contacted Ollie. However, that's very good company for him to be in. I don't see how people think all this NBA talk isn't good publicity for the program. I think it'll help recruiting cuz the recruits Ollie goes/will go for are mostly NBA prospects. What 17-18 year old kid would not want to play for a coach they can relate too and who is highly desired by NBA teams.

 

[Kitaman]

Hopefully that was the "unknown" team that had contacted Ollie. However, that's very good company for him to be in. I don't see how people think all this NBA talk isn't good publicity for the program. I think it'll help recruiting cuz the recruits Ollie goes/will go for are mostly NBA prospects. What 17-18 year old kid would not want to play for a coach they can relate too and who is highly desired by NBA teams.

Just maybe all the talk is on this board, and not so much in public. High school kids (ballers) have other priorities right now with school ending, summer coming, phone numbers to get (girls), more XBox time, farting around doing what kids do, etc.. Not too many underclassman high school kids spends huge amounts of time contemplating their future right now in May. The immediate future is about getting laid and paid (summer job). I would expect a cursory glance but the distractions are all around them.

Its about to be fun time, "no more paper, no more books, no more teacher's............" Unless perhaps things have changed since I was in school.

I think the Boneyard is the only one blowing it out of proportion.

 

[aceboon]

Hopefully that was the "unknown" team that had contacted Ollie. However, that's very good company for him to be in. I don't see how people think all this NBA talk isn't good publicity for the program. I think it'll help recruiting cuz the recruits Ollie goes/will go for are mostly NBA prospects. What 17-18 year old kid would not want to play for a coach they can relate too and who is highly desired by NBA teams.

JC said the same in that Borges article from yesterday and I agree

 

[djct1999]

I am not sure being linked to every NBA job and his uncertain future at UConn helps with recruiting. Gaining constant praise publicly from the likes of Kevin Durant and Lebron James certainly helps. There is a difference.

 

[champs99and04]

JC said the same in that Borges article from yesterday and I agree

Yup. Hell, look at Calipari. It seems like every year there is speculation about him taking a pro job.

In fact, I think in general, we overrate "stability" as it relates to recruits. I'm not saying it doesn't matter, but for most of these kids, they don't need to know if Ollie is going to be there in 2018, they're just looking for a one year guarantee. The majority of these kids Ollie is recruiting - the Jackson's and Ali's of the world - probably don't envision themselves being at UConn for more than a year or two, anyway. Whether they are or not is another question. Point being, when you're recruiting a McDonald's all-American - and I imagine we will begin reeling in more and more of these kids as Ollie continues to establish himself - long-term commitment just isn't as important.

 

[uconnng8]

Just maybe all the talk is on this board, and not so much in public. High school kids (ballers) have other priorities right now with school ending, summer coming, phone numbers to get (girls), more XBox time, farting around doing what kids do, etc.. Not too many underclassman high school kids spends huge amounts of time contemplating their future right now in May. The immediate future is about getting laid and paid (summer job). I would expect a cursory glance but the distractions are all around them.

Its about to be fun time, "no more paper, no more books, no more teacher's.." Unless perhaps things have changed since I was in school.

I think the Boneyard is the only one blowing it out of proportion.

I'm in college I'm well aware of what their priorities are haha. Thanks for emphasizing the point I was making.

 

[uconnng8]

I am not sure being linked to every NBA job and his uncertain future at UConn helps with recruiting. Gaining constant praise publicly from the likes of Kevin Durant and Lebron James certainly helps. There is a difference.

No but these rumors (in addition to the ship) have made Ollie a household name nationwide, when it comes to top college bball coaches. That helps with recruiting.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

If I were Izzo, I'd have done the same thing. The Pistons job isn't terribly appealing. Huge difference between the Pistons on the phone and the Lakers.

 

[Uconn77Duke74]

I really don't understand this "job security" argument. If Ollie gets 35 million to go to the NBA and is later fired it's not as if he can't come back and coach College again. Pitino and Calipari are doing fine at different schools last time I checked.

 

[Huskyforlife]

I really don't understand this "job security" argument. If Ollie gets 35 million to go to the NBA and is later fired it's not as if he can't come back and coach College again. Pitino and Calipari are doing fine at different schools last time I checked.

Didn't calipari go from Memphis straight to Kentucky? If that's the case it probably means Ollie would have to wait years to get another good job.

 

[Palatine]

Calipari would be a great NBA coach......

...if they give him the first five picks in the draft every year.

 

[Palatine]

I really don't understand this "job security" argument. If Ollie gets 35 million to go to the NBA and is later fired it's not as if he can't come back and coach College again. Pitino and Calipari are doing fine at different schools last time I checked.

When he's fired from his first NBA job, it's likely to hurt his choice of college jobs. The school will know he has his eye on the NBA. So the job will be a lot tougher than UConn.

Or if he stays in the NBA, it will be as an assistant andf that means he goes back to his vagabond life while he waits for an opening that may never come.

At UConn he has a home and made his first step towards the Hall of Fame.

 

[SubbaBub]

I don't know why this is so difficult for some to understand. KO wants to stay and will stay, but he's smart enough to not close any doors in the event the NBA creates an opportunity he can't refuse or UConn becomes the place that BC and Cuse fans desperately hope it will.

This is all about contingency plans. He's not going anywhere. There is no NBA job that is attractive enough in money, job satisfaction, or ability to win that will get him to leave right now. In 5 years, maybe but not right now.

You may all relax.