We were picked preseason by the SEC media to finish 10th. At worst we’re 10th, if we win Saturday it’s 9th. You gonna fire someone for meeting expectations in a very tough league (still looks like 8 bids, although we might knock Bama out if we win Saturday)? Realistic expectations, not this “we deserve Sweet 16 every year” garbage.
The sweet 16 every year isn’t remotely possible or realistic. I’d settle for making the dance 3 out of 4 year and getting to the second weekend 1 or 2 times. Maybe a sweet 16 once in a while. It’s not easy in the current landscape of recruiting.
The haters can go out a sock in it for a little while. I want our hugs to win.
Swine, if you were making the decisions we would still have Pelphrey and Bielema as coaches. Nobody is expecting a Sweet 16 every year. It would be nice to go to the tournament more than 37.5% of the time and a Sweet 16 in an eight year period, but let’s cheer about no losing seasons!!
And if you were making the decisions we’d change coaches every other year. I’ll take a bit of patience, because I’ve seen what happens when you churn through coaches.
Look at everything that has happened in the last 8 years! This years team is young and they will be better next year with or with Gafford. If By some miracle Gafford comes back it could really be good.
You have to take into account the players that have left early for the NBA and the transfers! The flip last summer of Perry hurt this team as well. Consider Garland never being able to play also.
I’m proud CMA has remained solid and done his job with integrity and we haven’t been mentioned in the pay to play as well.
JB it isn’t 37.5% of the time. This year is not over yet. Right now it’s 43.8%, if you count the NIT as a postseason (kind of like “toilet bowls” in football) then it’s 57% of the time.
Now, if we don’t make the NCAAT this year (and right now it don’t look that way) then you can say 37.5%. Or 50% for postseasons
Thank you for the clarification. In a couple of weeks, when we are not in the NCAA tournament it will be 37.5%. Maybe a miracle will happen and Mike will finally win something of significance and win the SEC tournament!
We fired Stan and took a step backward. Yes, I know Dana Altman turned tail and ran, but you don’t fire somebody and hope you can get somebody better. You have to KNOW you can get somebody better, preferably already have them lined up. John White totally screwed that one up.
So, unless you already have someone who wants the job who is better than Mike, you keep him.
I hate this logic. I am not in the “Fire Mike” camp, but c’mon now. When Eddie crawled back to KY, did you really think Nolan was better? I’m not talking now after it all played out, I mean then. I doubt anyone on here actually believed at that time he was an upgrade. As it turned out he was, but they took a chance on Nolan. If it’s time for Mike’s tenure to end, how do you know an up and comer won’t be better, or how do you know someone like Billy Donovan (a name I’ve seen mentioned a lot) will actually be better here? You can’t, and you can’t think that way. If you do, then AR will end up whatever Mike ends up (a guy that improves us, or a guy that’s reached his ceiling).
You gotta be kidding me. Talk about apples and oranges. Eddie didn’t get fired. He left, and we had no choice but to hire someone. So it doesn’t apply to this situation. I remember the names being mentioned when he crawled off; some were pipe dreams (Coach K). Rollie Massimino was also mentioned. I don’t know if Mass was actually interested, or if there was someone else in contention; seems like Bob Donewald of Illinois State showed some actual interest. I’d say that decision, although forced upon JFB when Eddie got on his hands and knees, worked out pretty well.
Speaking of pipe dreams, why does anyone think Eddie Munster is going to leave the NBA to come here? He’s making $4 million a year and he doesn’t have to recruit. Although having to deal with head case Russell Westbrook might be enough to drive anyone off.
I agree with you on this, but it’s a name everyone keeps mentioning. Still to my statement, which you didn’t answer, how do you know he’d be better here?
Ok, let’s say Donovan is tired of Westbrook’s BS and leaves (they’re fourth in the West now so OKC ain’t gonna fire him). If you can get him, with two national championships on his resume, you absolutely would be justified in letting Mike go. Nothing is a lead-pipe cinch in this business but that one is as safe a bet as I can think of. Thad Matta is out there too; I don’t remember exactly why tOSU whacked him but he has a solid resume too with multiple Final Fours. Just to name two. (I looked it up; he left because of health concerns that impacted both his coaching and recruiting, but let’s just say those have resolved like Urban Meyer’s did before he went to tOSU).
I also remember the big question about Nolan when we hired him. He was 0-for-NCAAT at Tulsa. Won the NIT, yes, but one and done in the Dance. Then he lost his first NCAA game here to Villanova, the year after Cannon Whitby saved his butt against ASU. Finally he beat Loyola Marymount in that track meet in Indianapolis and we were off and running.
Let’s use Donovan, since you said we would have to hire him. How do you know he’d do better? That’s the point I’m making with your original statement, you don’t know if you’d have an upgrade until they upgraded.
Now, if we fire Mike (which ain’t happening, at least this year), and you get Donovan, how long does he get to fix the program? For example, everyone says Mike’s first two years were excused because of him fixing Pel’s mess (then they blame him for not getting to the tourney those two years, SMH at the logic). What happens in years 3,4,5 if we make the NCAA but don’t get past the first weekend, are the “Fire Billy” crowd gonna show up?
Now what happens if we take a chance (like we did with Nolan) on a young energetic up and comer? How long would he get? I do believe they called for Nolan’s head in year 2. Glad Frank didn’t listen, but will HY?