Big Ten Coach of the Year - RICHARD PITINO!!!!

Donate To GopherHole
All Big Ten first teamer
All Big Ten third teamer
Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year
All Big Ten freshman

All coming back next year paired with the reigning Big Ten Coach of the year. Boy, there going to have a lot to sell on the recruiting trail along with the new facilities.
 


Good for him! He has kept his demeanor a total class act through the difficult tines and so many doubted him. Here's to a bright and long tenure in Minnesota!
 

Very well deserved and super satisfying after listening to idiots say he should be fired.
 

This is awesome. Well deserved, and great to see the coaches and media throughout the league recognize how great of a job Pitino has done.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 


macgopher said:
Good for him! He has kept his demeanor a total class act through the difficult tines and so many doubted him. Here's to a bright and long tenure in Minnesota!
Click to expand...

I would second this comment... I know he does this for a living and has had some great mentors, but I'm especially impressed that he's kept his team and his emotions together through all of the turmoil and failure last year.... and he's also only 34 (or whatever he is). That's really remarkable! If he's made mistakes... or said something that he might regret... I'm not aware of it. A real class act!

Just keep fillin' up the gas tank dammit!!!!
 

I doubt it will, but I sure hope this stops the "Little Ricky" crap we hear all too often.
 

Tully55 said:
I doubt it will, but I sure hope this stops the "Little Ricky" crap we hear all too often.
Click to expand...

Was Jerry Kill still "Country Jer'" after winning Big Ten coach of the year? I don't remember.
 

Agreed. Still waiting for 'lil LesBolstad to call coach by his given name. He said he would do that when his Big record was above .300 which he passed a few W's ago.
 



Awesome!!!! Awesome!!!! What their family went through last year was too much for one man to endure but he handled it admirably. He did a great job!!! I'm so happy he got recognition he deserved as Big Ten Coach of the Year. Hopefully, he gets at least one of several National Awards as well. Great season!! Hopefully, we go on a run here.
 

I'm actually surprised that he wasn't unanimous.

It seems to me, the reasoning for Collins has as much to do with "Northwestern" and the fact that they've never been to the dance as anything else. If Collins would have produced the same results at Iowa, would he still be in the conversation?
 

Nice job Mr. Pitino! I'm glad you were given the chance to prove your process and plan would work!

Please feel free to stay here for a long, long time!
 

die hard gopher said:
All Big Ten first teamer
All Big Ten third teamer
Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year
All Big Ten freshman

All coming back next year paired with the reigning Big Ten Coach of the year. Boy, there going to have a lot to sell on the recruiting trail along with the new facilities.
Click to expand...

He now has expectations, lets see how he handles those.
 



Winasota Gopher said:
He now has expectations, lets see how he handles those.
Click to expand...

He doesn't strike me as the type that would shy away from expectations. He has spent his entire life around programs with high expectations so I don't think he will have much trouble dealing with those expectations being placed on him.
 

MNVCGUY said:
He doesn't strike me as the type that would shy away from expectations. He has spent his entire life around programs with high expectations so I don't think he will have much trouble dealing with those expectations being placed on him.
Click to expand...

I guess that wasn't my point. I don't think anyone in the top of their profession like a B1G 10 coach would shy away from expectations.

My point is, next year an above .500 finish but outside contention for a title like this year will likely draw the ire of the Twin Cities. They are going to be predicted to be a top team in the league and will need to behave like one.

Lets see how his teams handle that. As far as I can remember, we've not done well with starting the season in the top half of the B1G expectations.
 


I made sure everyone I talk NCAA hoops with is aware of all of the recent Gopher accolades. I was most pleased with Pitino's achievement. He's still very young, even if he was hired next year people would think he is still too young to coach at this level. He's proven many people wrong including me who when was first alerted about his hire my brain immediately thought of Layne Kiffin disorder.

5 months ago I had no idea that we would be in this situation. I sort of quit on team last season after starting conference 0-5 and went into this season only knowing about Nate Mason. Pitino obviously did some amazing things. We're in it for the long run. Our already impressive recruiting outlook just took a turn towards even finer things. Although I say let the egotistical blue chippers go elsewhere and continue bringing in high character/4 year path guys like Mason, Murphy, Curry and an occasional top 40(Coffey) and high level transfers(Lynch/Springs). I don't want a kid who only has plans on playing one year NCAA ball. I just don't want a bad egg to ruin what Pitino strives with, selfless players.

It's good to see that other Big Ten schools with traditionally similar prestige are nearly as prepared as the Gophers for the future.
 

I think Coach Pitino richly deserves this honor. I couldn't be more pleased for him and for us. I have felt for a long time that he can make Minnesota basketball competitive again. I agree with those who have said that he is a "class act." His handling of last year's adversity was very impressive, as is his handling of this year's success. I think he has a great opportunity to build his own successful program here, and I hope we have him as our coach for many years.
 

Bigg Robb said:
I'm actually surprised that he wasn't unanimous.

It seems to me, the reasoning for Collins has as much to do with "Northwestern" and the fact that they've never been to the dance as anything else. If Collins would have produced the same results at Iowa, would he still be in the conversation?
Click to expand...

Of course that's extremely relevant. If Pitino produced the same results at Michigan St, would he have won this award?
 

dpodoll68 said:
Of course that's extremely relevant. If Pitino produced the same results at Michigan St, would he have won this award?
Click to expand...

If he had finished 8 spots higher in the standings than where he was projected at the beginning of the year? Yes, absolutely he would have.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Of course that's extremely relevant. If Pitino produced the same results at Michigan St, would he have won this award?
Click to expand...

You're not wrong, but do you think Collins should get consideration for Coach of the year for bringing Northwestern to their first NCAA tournament in history?
 

Winasota Gopher said:
You're not wrong, but do you think Collins should get consideration for Coach of the year for bringing Northwestern to their first NCAA tournament in history?
Click to expand...

Not for just a few games improvement in wins. Weren't they expected to break through this year and last?
 

BillyGopher said:
I made sure everyone I talk NCAA hoops with is aware of all of the recent Gopher accolades. I was most pleased with Pitino's achievement. He's still very young, even if he was hired next year people would think he is still too young to coach at this level. He's proven many people wrong including me who when was first alerted about his hire my brain immediately thought of Layne Kiffin disorder.

5 months ago I had no idea that we would be in this situation. I sort of quit on team last season after starting conference 0-5 and went into this season only knowing about Nate Mason. Pitino obviously did some amazing things. We're in it for the long run. Our already impressive recruiting outlook just took a turn towards even finer things. Although I say let the egotistical blue chippers go elsewhere and continue bringing in high character/4 year path guys like Mason, Murphy, Curry and an occasional top 40(Coffey) and high level transfers(Lynch/Springs). I don't want a kid who only has plans on playing one year NCAA ball. I just don't want a bad egg to ruin what Pitino strives with, selfless players.

It's good to see that other Big Ten schools with traditionally similar prestige are nearly as prepared as the Gophers for the future.
Click to expand...

Just because a player is highly rated doesn't mean he is selfish or a bad egg. I hope he continues to pursue talented players that fit his system. Hopefully they will make good decisions, though it's sometimes difficult to predict what a teenager will do when they leave the house for the first time. We've seen a lot of 2 and 3 star players make bad decisions. If we can get some highly talented players who fit the system and are good enough to bolt for the NBA after a year or two...count me in!

On a side note, if we are only able to acquire 4 year path-types and we have a bad season, will you give up on them again? It seems like you have a very specific window of acceptability for Coach Pitino. I'll trust him to do what he believes is best for his program. I'll guarantee no one wants a clean, positive, successful program more than he does.

Ski-U-Mah and Congrats, Coach Pitino!!!
 

dpodoll68 said:
Of course that's extremely relevant. If Pitino produced the same results at Michigan St, would he have won this award?
Click to expand...

It's definitely relevant to a point. Say Northwestern had gone to five NCAA tournaments in a row back in the 1980's but everything else since then was exactly the same. That wouldn't change what Collins accomplished this year in my opinion. He still would have done a great job at a program that hasn't been successful in a long time.
 


Keyser Söze said:
If he had finished 8 spots higher in the standings than where he was projected at the beginning of the year? Yes, absolutely he would have.
Click to expand...

He would've been out of a job had he gone 2-16 at Michigan St., and thus wouldn't have had the opportunity to win the award this year.
 

GophersInIowa said:
It's definitely relevant to a point. Say Northwestern had gone to five NCAA tournaments in a row back in the 1980's but everything else since then was exactly the same. That wouldn't change what Collins accomplished this year in my opinion. He still would have done a great job at a program that hasn't been successful in a long time.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure why you guys are jumping on me for this - I'm the one saying that context is hugely important. I think Collins did a great job this year and wouldn't have been surprised to see him win it. The fact that he's going to take Northwestern to the dance for the first time ever is a huge feather in his cap. Taking Iowa to the dance is not a big deal.
 


dpodoll68 said:
I'm not sure why you guys are jumping on me for this - I'm the one saying that context is hugely important. I think Collins did a great job this year and wouldn't have been surprised to see him win it. The fact that he's going to take Northwestern to the dance for the first time ever is a huge feather in his cap. Taking Iowa to the dance is not a big deal.
Click to expand...

Sorry, wasn't meaning to jump on you.

I was just saying that I don't think the fact that NW has never made it in the tourney before should play into it that much. He is doing a great job because they haven't been very good for a long time. If they had made the tourney 20, 30, or 40 years ago, but everything was the same since then, it still would have been a great accomplishment by Collins.

Others may disagree, that's fine. Just my opinion.
 


You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom