Pitino Deserve's A Raise

Donate To GopherHole
F

Former Goofer

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 25, 2011
Messages
1,175
Reaction score
63
Points
48
Only a half serious thread as im drinking ATM, but seriously. This guy is a stud. I really hope he is loyal and sees that we gave him a chance SO early on in his career when he would probably have to had coach at FIU level type programs for 5 more years before getting a shot at the big time.
 

His career is still in it's very early stages, but wow, it just seems the players buy in to what he's doing, and love playing for him. Find a way, anyway, to wrap this guy up long term .
 

'I'm giving you a raise!' - George Constanza.
 


Miles Tarver said:
His career is still in it's very early stages, but wow, it just seems the players buy in to what he's doing, and love playing for him. Find a way, anyway, to wrap this guy up long term .
Click to expand...

It's an incredible start, I despise nepotism but the son appears to have every bit the talent of his father.
 


Let's see how he does for the rest of this season first. He won't be going anywhere soon. We can afford some patience before we open up the wallet again for him. Get him a practice and facility and see what he does next year. If he does well next year, pony up.
 

He sure kept Ryan quiet tonight so I say lock him up
 


We outplayed them so strongly that we didn't have a lot of grinch faces from Ryan. Also the grinch couldn't complain about the calls as we got called for many more fouls
 



It can't be emphasized enough that it's early - still early in the league schedule and early in his career. That said, it sure does look like Richard Pitino was born to coach basketball. There are no tricks or gimmicks going on here; he simply knows what he's doing and seems to have a knack.
 

Okay call me crazy but if Pitino can continue to create a winning brand of basketball and succeeds here, what are the chances he stays here long term? Minnesota isn't typically the most glamorous school like the Ohio State, Duke, UNC, Texas, Floridas. BUT with great academics and a rising football program along with already great wrestling, hockey, and volleyball teams could we become one of those elite schools? I am definitely getting a little ahead of myself, but it makes you wonder. At the very least if he does well the next few years would he stay? I cant answer confidently either way.
 

sconnygopher said:
Okay call me crazy but if Pitino can continue to create a winning brand of basketball and succeeds here, what are the chances he stays here long term? Minnesota isn't typically the most glamorous school like the Ohio State, Duke, UNC, Texas, Floridas. BUT with great academics and a rising football program along with already great wrestling, hockey, and volleyball teams could we become one of those elite schools? I am definitely getting a little ahead of myself, but it makes you wonder. At the very least if he does well the next few years would he stay? I cant answer confidently either way.
Click to expand...

As the elder Pitino once put many years ago "All the negativity that's in this town sucks". If we expect coaches who display talent to see us as a connecting flight to an ultimate destination all the time, we will never be elite. We will never get the support necessary to have all the bells and whistles to land elite recruits. Start seeing this program as great. If coach Pitino sees the great support for the basketball program, it will make the decision to leave for 'greener pastures' much more difficult.
 

Guys, we have ourselves a COACH. Early, smurly, the job he is doing is outstanding. It is obvious that he knows how to coach basketball, all the change up of styles, defenses, how he sets up to attack the weakness of each opponent. Look how much he has transformed several players on the team (Mo, Elliot, Otto, etc., even Dre), and he has turned obvious holes in the team into major contributors. The players are playing with confidence, not fear of failure.

And please stop all this nonsense of him moving on. Why would he want to? He has already developed home court advantage and got the barn rocking. With that, you start the season with a 500 B1G record, win the away games you should, and pick off a few others on the road and you are contending for the title and a very high seed in the tourney. His recruiting will pick up next year now that he has a track record in the B1G and he will get some top players. He can quickly turn this program into big deal nation wide and build his own legacy. Why would he want to deal with following in the footsteps of another coach and deal with the inflated egos of another team's fan base. Here he can be his own Izo, where the man makes the program and not the program makes the man.
 



Bad Gopher said:
It can't be emphasized enough that it's early - still early in the league schedule and early in his career. That said, it sure does look like Richard Pitino was born to coach basketball. There are no tricks or gimmicks going on here; he simply knows what he's doing and seems to have a knack.
Click to expand...

I expected a great recruiter. His coaching ability is advanced beyond my dreams at this stage. This is going to be a fun ride. It won't be long before local players start making his recruiting job a little easier as well. Seriously, I think they would be wise to sit down with him at the end of the year (providing they finish it with an NCAA berth) tear up the contract and lock him up for a longer, sweeter deal to show him the commitment on the U's side.
 

sconnygopher said:
Okay call me crazy but if Pitino can continue to create a winning brand of basketball and succeeds here, what are the chances he stays here long term? Minnesota isn't typically the most glamorous school like the Ohio State, Duke, UNC, Texas, Floridas. BUT with great academics and a rising football program along with already great wrestling, hockey, and volleyball teams could we become one of those elite schools? I am definitely getting a little ahead of myself, but it makes you wonder. At the very least if he does well the next few years would he stay? I cant answer confidently either way.
Click to expand...

I know Minnesota is usually in the top 25 in athletic department revenue every year and Tubby was in the top 15 of the highest paid coaches. I think financially we could make a competitive offer if Louisville came calling down the road. I think it helps alot that we are in the Big Ten. I think alot depends on recruiting for Richard. If he struggles to bring in four star players but continues to show results, I think a bigger name program might look appealing in that aspect. I still hate all this kind of talk. It seems that people on the Louisville board think it's already a done deal he will succeed Rick as the next head coach.
 

alchemy2u said:
Guys, we have ourselves a COACH. Early, smurly, the job he is doing is outstanding. It is obvious that he knows how to coach basketball, all the change up of styles, defenses, how he sets up to attack the weakness of each opponent. Look how much he has transformed several players on the team (Mo, Elliot, Otto, etc., even Dre), and he has turned obvious holes in the team into major contributors. The players are playing with confidence, not fear of failure.

And please stop all this nonsense of him moving on. Why would he want to? He has already developed home court advantage and got the barn rocking. With that, you start the season with a 500 B1G record, win the away games you should, and pick off a few others on the road and you are contending for the title and a very high seed in the tourney. His recruiting will pick up next year now that he has a track record in the B1G and he will get some top players. He can quickly turn this program into big deal nation wide and build his own legacy. Why would he want to deal with following in the footsteps of another coach and deal with the inflated egos of another team's fan base. Here he can be his own Izo, where the man makes the program and not the program makes the man.
Click to expand...

preach brother (or sister) preach!!
 

Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0 said:
As the elder Pitino once put many years ago "All the negativity that's in this town sucks". If we expect coaches who display talent to see us as a connecting flight to an ultimate destination all the time, we will never be elite. We will never get the support necessary to have all the bells and whistles to land elite recruits. Start seeing this program as great. If coach Pitino sees the great support for the basketball program, it will make the decision to leave for 'greener pastures' much more difficult.
Click to expand...

I beleive Pitino will eventually bolt. I'm hoping that it will be after 5+ years and several deep tourney runs. And I'm ok with that.

My fear is that another half season like this one and his "stock" starts to heat up after only 1 year. That's already happening (regardless of if the buzz is warranted). So the ultimate kick in the pants is if he has too much success too soon. So if we finish fourth in the B1G and make it to the second weekend in the NCAA, does he bolt?

He has said he won't. But utlimately, we'll see what he's made of and if he truly wants to build a program here.
 

BarnBoy said:
I beleive Pitino will eventually bolt. I'm hoping that it will be after 5+ years and several deep tourney runs. And I'm ok with that.

My fear is that another half season like this one and his "stock" starts to heat up after only 1 year. That's already happening (regardless of if the buzz is warranted). So the ultimate kick in the pants is if he has too much success too soon. So if we finish fourth in the B1G and make it to the second weekend in the NCAA, does he bolt?

He has said he won't. But utlimately, we'll see what he's made of and if he truly wants to build a program here.
Click to expand...

I think we need to have a mild winter next year.

Seriously, there's no telling. If the alternative is to hire a lesser candidate so we have a better chance of keeping them long term, I think I'll take the more conventional approach of looking for the best person you can find.
 

Bad Gopher said:
I think we need to have a mild winter next year.

Seriously, there's no telling. If the alternative is to hire a lesser candidate so we have a better chance of keeping them long term, I think I'll take the more conventional approach of looking for the best person you can find.
Click to expand...

Agreed wholeheartedly. If he gets us to the tourney (or something "good" like that) and bolts, that's a pretty good situation for another young and hungry coach to assume. The opposite of this is hiring another coach to clean up his mess.
 

BarnBoy said:
I beleive Pitino will eventually bolt. I'm hoping that it will be after 5+ years and several deep tourney runs. And I'm ok with that.

My fear is that another half season like this one and his "stock" starts to heat up after only 1 year. That's already happening (regardless of if the buzz is warranted). So the ultimate kick in the pants is if he has too much success too soon. So if we finish fourth in the B1G and make it to the second weekend in the NCAA, does he bolt?

He has said he won't. But utlimately, we'll see what he's made of and if he truly wants to build a program here.
Click to expand...

Why? Why would he bolt and to where? There is no way he goes to Louisville, he has no affiliation with them other than he was an assistant for a few years, and he would constantly be "Little Richard" and have to appease a spoiled fan base. He wants to build his own legacy just like Billy Donavan at Florida. He has the chance to be the Izo of Minnesota. Think about the whole picture and it doesn't make any sense to jump, he is already in the best conference going up against the best coaches. He has the chance to be a legend at Minnesota, not just the son of a hall of fame coach.
 

alchemy2u said:
Guys, we have ourselves a COACH. Early, smurly, the job he is doing is outstanding. It is obvious that he knows how to coach basketball, all the change up of styles, defenses, how he sets up to attack the weakness of each opponent. Look how much he has transformed several players on the team (Mo, Elliot, Otto, etc., even Dre), and he has turned obvious holes in the team into major contributors. The players are playing with confidence, not fear of failure.

And please stop all this nonsense of him moving on. Why would he want to? He has already developed home court advantage and got the barn rocking. With that, you start the season with a 500 B1G record, win the away games you should, and pick off a few others on the road and you are contending for the title and a very high seed in the tourney. His recruiting will pick up next year now that he has a track record in the B1G and he will get some top players. He can quickly turn this program into big deal nation wide and build his own legacy. Why would he want to deal with following in the footsteps of another coach and deal with the inflated egos of another team's fan base. Here he can be his own Izo, where the man makes the program and not the program makes the man.
Click to expand...

This. Particularly in bold. He has a job with much less pressure than at a tank top school, and at the very least can mold his skills here with less pressure against some of the best competition in the world. His success has already earned him a job at many other places, and that is unlikely to dissipate.

True success for a man with the potential ego of the Pitino bloodline doesn't want to remake a powerhouse program into a powerhouse, they want to build their own powerhouse. Except for the practice facility (which can't be that far off), he has all the tools right here to do that, including an amazing in-town recruiting base with little area competition.
 

Before y'all get too worried, riddle me this...

Name 10 Big Ten coaches in the last 40 years who left under their own power (without being forced out and without fleeing coming NCAA shakedowns...) for other head coaching positions.

I sure can't think of many.
 

brucekaupa said:
Before y'all get too worried, riddle me this...

Name 10 Big Ten coaches in the last 40 years who left under their own power (without being forced out and without fleeing coming NCAA shakedowns...) for other head coaching positions.

I sure can't think of many.
Click to expand...

Bill Self is the only one that springs to mind, but that was for freaking Kansas.

Ed DeChellis left Penn State for Navy.

That's all I've got. Was Steve Alford fired from Iowa or did he just kinda leave the situation?
 

I had Lute and Raveling from Iowa. Don't know circumstances around Alford...but he clearly didn't bolt for a bigger program due to success.
 

If he's fairly compensated and a deal is in place for the practice facility, I think he stays. He seems the type to want to blaze his own trail, and I have no doubt in his ability to do that HERE.

By the way, I hope someone has explained to him that not all Minnesota winters are this freaking cold!
 

brucekaupa said:
Before y'all get too worried, riddle me this...

Name 10 Big Ten coaches in the last 40 years who left under their own power (without being forced out and without fleeing coming NCAA shakedowns...) for other head coaching positions.

I sure can't think of many.
Click to expand...

Great point. B1G 10 is where it's at. If we get this practice facility cooking soon you could make a strong argument for this being a very, very nice situation. Every other B1G 10 School also has multiple D1 Schools in their state competing for recruits, we do not. Major Metro area without recruiting competition, call it Nirvana.
 

Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0 said:
As the elder Pitino once put many years ago "All the negativity that's in this town sucks". If we expect coaches who display talent to see us as a connecting flight to an ultimate destination all the time, we will never be elite. We will never get the support necessary to have all the bells and whistles to land elite recruits. Start seeing this program as great. If coach Pitino sees the great support for the basketball program, it will make the decision to leave for 'greener pastures' much more difficult.
Click to expand...

I didn't mean to make it sound completely negative. I do love the the gophs and living just outside of Madison I take a fair amount of crap from bucky fans. Made a good point with all of the negativity though. I am not a huge Wisconsin sports fan but no matter what they are all die hards here and I think extra support can really help. With that being said I think we do have a lot of the tools to become one of those schools as I said before, but I don't think you can just come out and say it.
 


alchemy2u said:
Why? Why would he bolt and to where? There is no way he goes to Louisville, he has no affiliation with them other than he was an assistant for a few years, and he would constantly be "Little Richard" and have to appease a spoiled fan base. He wants to build his own legacy just like Billy Donavan at Florida. He has the chance to be the Izo of Minnesota. Think about the whole picture and it doesn't make any sense to jump, he is already in the best conference going up against the best coaches. He has the chance to be a legend at Minnesota, not just the son of a hall of fame coach.
Click to expand...

Everything you say is true and there are many reasons to stay.

But, since you asked, this is what I think.

We are not a top 25 program. (budget, facilities)
The weather stinks (yes, it does)

Those two worry me...
 

Why not build a winning program at a place everyone says you can't win at.

Build the statue.:cool02:
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom