Not so much.
Arkansas represents the type of expectation and support that elite programs share. While there is clearly a decline in Fayetteville there has been success during Neighbors time there.
In Tempe during the Adair disaster there's been nothing but unrelenting, soul crushing failure
As an ASU fan I take Neighbors every day of the week and twice on Sunday. I would happily pay 10 times whatever buyout he has at Arkansas pay 10 times the cost to have Coach Adair go back to Delaware and personally cut Mike Neighbor's yard during the summer.
Similarities
1. Hiring schools were consistently successful with 20 win seasons and participation at the NCAA prior to the arrival of Adair/Neighbors.
2. Decline is with current coach
3. Similar age and experience in coaching.
Differences
1. Made sense at the time.
Coaching experience and expectations. The Neighbors hire made sense with a coach with experience at P4 level returning home. The Adair higher made no sense. A coach with no P4 experience deeply rooted in the Mid-Atlantic region with no connection to the Pac-12 or the West Coast and no experience recruiting athletes required in a P4 conference nor a demonstrated ability to manage a big time program.
2. Magnitude of the decline
There's just no similarity here as I indicate below. No argument that Neighbors has been a disappointment and the performance of the team reflects that. There is a however a difference between a decline and a precipitous, consistent, unrelenting level of horribleness. Neighbors could very well have another job at the P4 level. Adair will never ever ever coach again at the elite level and women's college basketball.
Adair tenure
Year Overall. Conference
2022 8-20. 1-17
2023 11-20. 3-15
2024. 5-6
Adair has not taken the Sun Devils to post-season action and never ever will even if the AD and real estate developer decide to leave her in this job the next 20 years she will never go to postseason with a P4 School.
Neighbors at Arkansas
Year Overall Conference
2017 18-13. 3-13
2018. 22-15. 6-10
2019 24-8. 10-6
2020 19-9. 9-6
2021. 18-13 7-9
2023 24 -13. 7-9
2023 18-15. 6-10
2024 6-8
Two appearances NCAA, two appearances WNIT, 1 appearance WBIT
3.Timing of firing.
I wasn't sure whether to put this as a similarity or not as I would be surprised if Neighbors is still coaching at Arkansas in 3 years. I'm not sure how long ihs contract is. While Arizona State has demonstrated a malignant neglect of the women's basketball program I don't think even that incompetence would tolerate Adair continuing another 20 loss year. So fingers crossed that she's gone from Tempe by the end of March 2025. I'm suspecting Neighbors may well still be employed as of that day at Arkansas.
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