It's been reported by Minnesota sports writers that Pitino has been told he's done at the end of the season
Hot Seat, hot seat, who's got the hottest seat?
- Thread starter Obviously Oblivious
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It's been reported by Minnesota sports writers that Pitino has been told he's done at the end of the season
Tough crowd. And semi-literate, too.
I don't think apathetic is the right word, but I know what you mean. I think resigned to reality is closer. Fans are very disappointed and upset at the sudden downturn. This team is brutal to watch because they'll have stretches when they play really well, then stretches like they've never seen a basketball before. In one game they turned the ball over on five straight possessions, and none of the five was forced. They have hung in with really good teams several times -- Baylor twice, West Virginia twice, Oklahoma twice -- but blow it down the stretch. They've also been blown out half a dozen times -- Iowa, Texas Tech, Kansas.
Speaking for myself, I'm just waiting for it to be over. I'll be OK with whatever Pollard decides. Meanwhile, I enjoy watching the women's team.
One of the better WOBs I’ve seen in a while.
Archie has to be in big trouble.
But, the problem is bigger than Archie. Indiana is 173-186 (48.2%) in the B!G games during the tenure of the last 5 coaches. That's 21 years. 15 wins in the Dance,
Knight won 70% of his games over 29 years, including 11 B1G Championships, 50 NCAA tourney wins and 3 Natty's. That kind of success is easy to get used to, but really hard to replicate.
So, Indiana can write a check to Archie for $10 million, but then what?
But, the problem is bigger than Archie. Indiana is 173-186 (48.2%) in the B!G games during the tenure of the last 5 coaches. That's 21 years. 15 wins in the Dance,
Knight won 70% of his games over 29 years, including 11 B1G Championships, 50 NCAA tourney wins and 3 Natty's. That kind of success is easy to get used to, but really hard to replicate.
So, Indiana can write a check to Archie for $10 million, but then what?
Take away the Bobby Knight years and Indiana is basically Iowa. Pretty good but not elite.
But, but, but - Indiana is the cradle of basketball! Haven't you seen Hoosiers? 🤓
What are you gonna do with all those damn NCAA and B10 banners hanging up in Bloomington? Give’m to Iowa?
If my aunt had testicles, she would be my uncle.
Little Prick is done.
$1.75 M buyout.
Note that over Pitino's 8 years, the Gophers routinely rank between 200 and 300 among all Division I teams in shooting. The Gophers ranked 22nd nationally in three-point attempts this season and 331st in three-point accuracy. The Iowa game at the Barn somehow is part of those calculations.
The FULL Story:
Basketball coaching change is next logical step for Gophers Athletic Director Mark Coyle
Following an uneven, unsuccessful season for the Gophers men's basketball team, a coaching change is inevitable.
Chip Scoggins
Minneapolis Star Tribune
MARCH 6, 2021 — 7:24PM
Mark Coyle took his usual spot in Williams Arena on Saturday afternoon. Directly behind the Gophers bench, about 15 rows up.
The Gophers athletic director was surrounded by empty seats, providing vivid imagery that gets to the heart of a decision that he will make at some point in the next week.
A coaching change in men's basketball is inevitable because standing pat would be bad for business, and Coyle knows that. When a fan base turns on a coach to the degree that Gophers fans have with Richard Pitino, the decision on how to proceed is obvious.
Pitino's $1.75 million buyout is a pittance compared to the financial hit the athletic department would suffer from canceled season tickets and fan disgruntlement if nothing happens.
Part of Coyle's reasoning in firing football coach Tracy Claeys in 2017 stemmed from witnessing a half-filled stadium on game day. Coyle felt apathy taking root and determined that he needed to "shake the tree." He won't speak publicly about Pitino's status until after the Big Ten Tournament, but Coyle finds himself in that same space, needing to shake the tree. After eight seasons, it's just time.
That's an unfortunate conclusion on a personal level. Pitino is accessible, funny, self-deprecating and insightful when evaluating his team. He is someone you'd like to have a beer with.
But being a nice guy doesn't mitigate the bottom line of his profession. Pitino is paid handsomely to win, and he simply has not won enough to warrant a ninth season.
The Gophers concluded their regular season with a 77-70 overtime loss to Rutgers, their seventh loss in a row. They finish with a 6-14 conference record.
In dissecting Pitino's tenure, it's fair to acknowledge that his teams have encountered some crummy luck with injuries that either altered or helped sabotage seasons. This season included. But injuries can't be used as a life preserver after eight years.
Pitino's time in Dinkytown reflects several truths: bad luck, bad recruiting, not enough player development and too much instability.
The recruiting piece flashes brightest with fans who agonize every time a five-star recruit leaves the state. A dose of perspective is required there.
Those highest of high-level recruits — Tyus Jones, Matthew Hurt, Jalen Suggs — are not turning down Duke, Gonzaga or other blue bloods to stay home and play for the Gophers. Sorry, not happening. Not until the Gophers establish sustained excellence over a long period of time.
Pitino's problem is that his recruiting misses in that next tier of talent are becoming too common, which creates terrible optics. Taking Isaiah Washington over Champlin Park's McKinley Wright IV was a major miscalculation that will define Pitino's tenure. Losing to Marquette in a battle for Prior Lake's Dawson Garcia was another indictment.
The roster need not be filled with all Minnesotans, but a stronger relationship between the Gophers coach and the state's high school coaches and recruits is vital.
Recruiting mistakes became more glaring when injuries hit and roster depth got tested. Their overall talent was never enough to achieve consistency or sustain momentum.
A lack of competent shooting proved to be the Achilles' heel of Pitino's program. Three-point shooting has never been more prevalent or important at all levels of basketball. The Gophers lag tremendously in that area. Only once in Pitino's eight seasons has his team finished in the top 100 nationally in overall field-goal percentage and three-point shooting percentage. The Gophers routinely rank between 200 and 300 among all Division I teams in shooting.
The Gophers ranked 22nd nationally in three-point attempts this season and 331st in three-point accuracy. There is no justification for that imbalance and lack of awareness of their fundamental weakness.
Players and coaches walked slowly off the court Saturday after another loss. Their body language showed dejection. It's still hard to believe this season included double-digit wins over Michigan and Ohio State.
As has happened too often under Pitino, the Gophers couldn't sustain it. They crumbled down the stretch, yes, in part because of injuries, but that excuse only goes so far this deep into a coach's tenure.
Losing comes with a price, and Coyle's next step offers no mystery.
Gophers coach Richard Pitino’s tenure is summed up as this: bad luck, bad recruiting, not enough player development and too much instability.
..........................................................
chip.scoggins@startribune.com
Chip Scoggins is a sports columnist and enterprise writer for the Star Tribune. He previously covered the Vikings, Gophers football, Wild, Wolves and high school sports in nearly 19 years at the paper.
ascoggins@startribune.com
612-673-4484
@chipscoggins
$1.75 M buyout.
Note that over Pitino's 8 years, the Gophers routinely rank between 200 and 300 among all Division I teams in shooting. The Gophers ranked 22nd nationally in three-point attempts this season and 331st in three-point accuracy. The Iowa game at the Barn somehow is part of those calculations.
The FULL Story:
Basketball coaching change is next logical step for Gophers Athletic Director Mark Coyle
Following an uneven, unsuccessful season for the Gophers men's basketball team, a coaching change is inevitable.
Chip Scoggins
Minneapolis Star Tribune
MARCH 6, 2021 — 7:24PM
Mark Coyle took his usual spot in Williams Arena on Saturday afternoon. Directly behind the Gophers bench, about 15 rows up.
The Gophers athletic director was surrounded by empty seats, providing vivid imagery that gets to the heart of a decision that he will make at some point in the next week.
A coaching change in men's basketball is inevitable because standing pat would be bad for business, and Coyle knows that. When a fan base turns on a coach to the degree that Gophers fans have with Richard Pitino, the decision on how to proceed is obvious.
Pitino's $1.75 million buyout is a pittance compared to the financial hit the athletic department would suffer from canceled season tickets and fan disgruntlement if nothing happens.
Part of Coyle's reasoning in firing football coach Tracy Claeys in 2017 stemmed from witnessing a half-filled stadium on game day. Coyle felt apathy taking root and determined that he needed to "shake the tree." He won't speak publicly about Pitino's status until after the Big Ten Tournament, but Coyle finds himself in that same space, needing to shake the tree. After eight seasons, it's just time.
That's an unfortunate conclusion on a personal level. Pitino is accessible, funny, self-deprecating and insightful when evaluating his team. He is someone you'd like to have a beer with.
But being a nice guy doesn't mitigate the bottom line of his profession. Pitino is paid handsomely to win, and he simply has not won enough to warrant a ninth season.
The Gophers concluded their regular season with a 77-70 overtime loss to Rutgers, their seventh loss in a row. They finish with a 6-14 conference record.
In dissecting Pitino's tenure, it's fair to acknowledge that his teams have encountered some crummy luck with injuries that either altered or helped sabotage seasons. This season included. But injuries can't be used as a life preserver after eight years.
Pitino's time in Dinkytown reflects several truths: bad luck, bad recruiting, not enough player development and too much instability.
The recruiting piece flashes brightest with fans who agonize every time a five-star recruit leaves the state. A dose of perspective is required there.
Those highest of high-level recruits — Tyus Jones, Matthew Hurt, Jalen Suggs — are not turning down Duke, Gonzaga or other blue bloods to stay home and play for the Gophers. Sorry, not happening. Not until the Gophers establish sustained excellence over a long period of time.
Pitino's problem is that his recruiting misses in that next tier of talent are becoming too common, which creates terrible optics. Taking Isaiah Washington over Champlin Park's McKinley Wright IV was a major miscalculation that will define Pitino's tenure. Losing to Marquette in a battle for Prior Lake's Dawson Garcia was another indictment.
The roster need not be filled with all Minnesotans, but a stronger relationship between the Gophers coach and the state's high school coaches and recruits is vital.
Recruiting mistakes became more glaring when injuries hit and roster depth got tested. Their overall talent was never enough to achieve consistency or sustain momentum.
A lack of competent shooting proved to be the Achilles' heel of Pitino's program. Three-point shooting has never been more prevalent or important at all levels of basketball. The Gophers lag tremendously in that area. Only once in Pitino's eight seasons has his team finished in the top 100 nationally in overall field-goal percentage and three-point shooting percentage. The Gophers routinely rank between 200 and 300 among all Division I teams in shooting.
The Gophers ranked 22nd nationally in three-point attempts this season and 331st in three-point accuracy. There is no justification for that imbalance and lack of awareness of their fundamental weakness.
Players and coaches walked slowly off the court Saturday after another loss. Their body language showed dejection. It's still hard to believe this season included double-digit wins over Michigan and Ohio State.
As has happened too often under Pitino, the Gophers couldn't sustain it. They crumbled down the stretch, yes, in part because of injuries, but that excuse only goes so far this deep into a coach's tenure.
Losing comes with a price, and Coyle's next step offers no mystery.
Gophers coach Richard Pitino’s tenure is summed up as this: bad luck, bad recruiting, not enough player development and too much instability.
..........................................................
chip.scoggins@startribune.com
Chip Scoggins is a sports columnist and enterprise writer for the Star Tribune. He previously covered the Vikings, Gophers football, Wild, Wolves and high school sports in nearly 19 years at the paper.
ascoggins@startribune.com
612-673-4484
@chipscoggins
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I agree with LC, apathy is the wrong word. Although this team has been hard to watch, I still watch. Of their 23 games, I think I've only not watched a handful (mostly because the game was on ESPNU). I expect Wednesday's game vs OU to be Prohm's last, but I wouldn't be surprised if he is back next year. As I have said in other threads, the team is still playing hard, but the bottom line is wins. Assuming fans can come back next year, ISU fans need a reason to come back. They need someone to energize the fan base. If Prohm returns, I doubt people will be too excited. If they fire Prohm, who can they get to bring that energy back? I have no idea. It's a total rebuild. Not sure who wants to take that on. In spite of this year's disaster, ISU is still a P5 school with a lot to offer. I'm sure there is a long line of young P5 assistants and/or mid-major coaches who would love to come to ISU. Time will tell.
That dude who was 8 for 9 from 3-Pt range against us has hit a total of 6 other 3-Pointers all year...
Covid coupled with a $10 million buy out MAY save Archie’s job for now. He’s been lucky with no fans in the house to boo his ass and piss poor offense, while dropping 6 home games!!! Having no personality and lacking proof of developing guys since he got to IU makes it tough to recruit and it shows with the next couple classes.
The wheels have totally come off what was already a wobbly ride at best for Archie. The few constants with his teams have been slow starts, long scoring droughts, poor 3-point and FT shooting. Tough to win many games with all that going on. And a deer in the headlights on the bench who hasn’t a clue how to reverse things.
The wheels have totally come off what was already a wobbly ride at best for Archie. The few constants with his teams have been slow starts, long scoring droughts, poor 3-point and FT shooting. Tough to win many games with all that going on. And a deer in the headlights on the bench who hasn’t a clue how to reverse things.
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