I believe if he was to be retained, Yuracheck would not wait till the season is over to say so. So, in all probability tonight is the last game that Mike will coach at Arkansas.
For full disclosure, I believe that is unfair based on his record over the previous 5 years and the fact that this year we had the second youngest team of the nation, regardless of why we are so young, But I am not debating this anymore and have come to accept that he is gone.
My thoughts are now turning to the next coach, our players and future of Mike, who I have come to respect.
I think our coach needs to play the style that is anti-Hawgball, not uptempo and does not play pro style switching defense. A lot of our fans have never understood this style which they have looked at as anti-fundamentals basketball, even though some of our high schools play that now. I am tired of hearing complaints about that on talk radio and here, the two mediums I follow and with the new coach it will be nice to not hear that again.
For our players, I hope other than Adrio and Gabe, everyone stays. Both of them will flourish in a league like Sun Belt. I hope they transfer to UALR, the other team I have season tickets for, so I can see what their true ceiling is.
For Mike, I had posted here when he was hired that it was a big strategic mistake for him to leave a program he had established and was much easier to recruit to and come here. I know he called this home, but I was aware of the BOT member Dudley often refers to and there are others. I knew unless he won big here quickly, they will be at his heels. And I thought it would take him a while to win big here given where Arkansas program was and how hard it is to recruit here until you have the leverage of a big success to sell off. I think he will be better off elsewhere for his mental and physical health. He is a good coach and I am confident that had he stayed at Missouri, he would have established himself among some of nation’s better coaches. Being fired from Arkansas will not look good for him and he will have to go back to a mid-major and make less money. But he will be happier and more at peace and climb back to P5 again. He is still young,
What the?!?! How many ADs around the country have made announcements during postseason play just to inform their histrionic fan base that the current head coach under contract for the next season will in fact be retained to coach said team during said contract period?
HY might not feel he has to announce anything. If he does nothing Mike remains, and an announcement will set off the haters. He can act by not acting in that case.
I just don’t believe mike will be terminated without first being given proper notice. Therefore no notice no termination. This team is missing a floor leader that can get you tough baskets perhaps mike can find one from the juco ranks
I have the exact opposite opinion… And that’s what it is only my opinion… But I think if MA was going to be dismissed it would have been done after the SEC tournament and either not accepted an NIT bid or had Watkins fill in as an interim.
Curious why you think it’s easier to recruit to MO than AR?
I’m of the opposite opinion PJ, although I will say something doesn’t feel right… something is going to happen, I just don’t know what, but I can just feel something drastic is going to happen whether it be assistant changes, a bunch of transfers, or possibly CMA stepping down on his own. I just feel like things have been too quiet and too many rumors have been going on for something not to happen.
But, my opinion is that if CMA was going to get out right fired it would have already happened. And the reasons I don’t think he will be fired is below…
With the whole naming of Nolan court, it would kinda be a slap in the face to Nolan to fire CMA (Nolan’s protege, at the same time you are finalizing a vote to get Nolan Richardson court). People say those 2 things shouldn’t be related, but they are, it’s just a really bad look on the UofA’s part if this happens.
I don’t think as long as CMA has been connected to this program he’s going to be fired after an NIT loss with experimental rules and he’s missing his best player. It would be different if his team underachieved and finished below expectations, they were projected 10th, and finished 9th. I don’t think a coach like CMA gets fired after back-back tournament appearances and then finishes as expected with the second youngest team in the nation.
I think if CMA is not coach here anymore, it’s going to be basically a mutual departure, where him and the AD don’t come to an agreement, and they do like how Vanderbilt did with Stallings and CMA steps down on his own and they allow him to control the narrative and take another job, so it doesn’t ruin next year’s celebration and re-opens old wounds. I would assume Yurachek as a new AD would not want those problems.
The comment was about the comparative shape of the two programs at that time. I feel until you hit Final Four or something, it will be difficult to get McDonald AAs from out of state. We have been getting 4 stars and instate 5 stars not wanted by Kentucky, but not out of state 5 stars.
Let me rephrase that then… To people I’ve spoken to it would be a bad look. Just like it has been a bad look for them to take so long for it to finally get his name on the court. That’s just the perception to the people I’m around, I’m sure we roll in different crowds, so people you’re around may not think like that.
While not getting into whether it’s a bad look or not, there is speculation out there if Mike is fired the trustees and BOT feel the same way Blu does and will vote no on the naming. You think a division in our program is bad now, wait and see if that happens
I totally agree that it has been a bad look for the U of A to wait so long to name the court after Nolan. IMHO, it should have been done a while ago. I personally don’t think it’s a bad look of naming the court for Nolan next year and Mike is not the head coach. It shouldn’t matter who the coach is because it should be done.
And this why it is going to be hard for us to be successful going forward. We have people who can’t get out of their own way instead of doing what is best for the program. Drives me crazy…
Actually, he really wasn’t. He and Jeff never got along and Jeff was the AD when Mike was hired. And he’s never given Tyson, Hunt, Stephens type money to the program.