Chicago Tribune: What's the Big Ten's best basketball coaching job? (#11. Minnesota)

BleedGopher

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per the Chicago Tribune:

11. Minnesota

Some view it as a better spot than Northwestern. Each of the Gophers’ last six coaches has rolled into the NCAA tournament. Yet so many have been embroiled in embarrassment, if you hold your home button and say, “University of Minnesota basketball scandal,” Siri might shoot back, “Which one?” Williams Arena (aka “The Barn”) is cool, though, and Richard Pitino lasted long enough to make the Big Dance. Trend: Up.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...tball-coaches-ranked-photos-photogallery.html

Go Gophers!!
 

Northwestern at #10 is ridiculous. One tourney appearance doesn't make it a great place for a coaching job right now.
 

They must not have taken account that there will be new facilities?
 

NVM I actually opened it. The author is just drunk.
 

The thing about this list, aside from the fact that IU will always be the top gig IMO is that it's pretty interchangeable. There are about ten good to great jobs in this league, I personally think it's amazing what Collins has done at Northwestern all things considered and even they are putting a lot of money into their home gym and for a new practice facility. I also feel like there's a lot of potential for Rutgers if they could get a good recruiter into that program with all of that background talent. no reason they can't be on Seton Hall's level. I personally believe that Nebraska's the worst gig in the league, lack of a good recruiting territory and a zero ****s given attitude about basketball make it impossible, Penn State's not much better, but they seem to have a good pipeline to Philadelphia established and they have the Pittsburgh area as well, but also administration that doesn't care. If I were Miles I would think about pulling a Steve Alford, when he got out of Iowa ahead of the firing squad and went to New Mexico, had success and parlayed that into a much better job than Iowa.
 


The thing about this list, aside from the fact that IU will always be the top gig IMO is that it's pretty interchangeable. There are about ten good to great jobs in this league, I personally think it's amazing what Collins has done at Northwestern all things considered and even they are putting a lot of money into their home gym and for a new practice facility. I also feel like there's a lot of potential for Rutgers if they could get a good recruiter into that program with all of that background talent. no reason they can't be on Seton Hall's level. I personally believe that Nebraska's the worst gig in the league, lack of a good recruiting territory and a zero ****s given attitude about basketball make it impossible, Penn State's not much better, but they seem to have a good pipeline to Philadelphia established and they have the Pittsburgh area as well, but also administration that doesn't care. If I were Miles I would think about pulling a Steve Alford, when he got out of Iowa ahead of the firing squad and went to New Mexico, had success and parlayed that into a much better job than Iowa.

I do the same if I were Miles also. I agree that Nebraska, from a Head Coaches stand point for what you outlined above, is probably the most difficult.
 

At least he got it right that The Barn is cool. And most people understand that cool players want a cool place to play in front of cool fans in a cool climate. The Barn is the Fenway Park of college basketball. So cool! :cool:
 

I'd put Minnesota above Northwestern and Iowa (and NW over Iowa) but other than that it seems fairly right.
 

I don't like his list one bit.

1. Michigan State
2. Indiana ( I would drop it to 4. Very hard to keep your job with the ridiculous expectations.)
3. Michigan
4. Maryland
5. Ohio State
6. Wisconsin
7. Purdue
8. Minnesota (Guy didn't even mention the Athlete's village despite it already being constructed!)
9. Illinois
10. Iowa (you have to live in Iowa to coach there!)
11. Northwestern
12. Penn State
13. Rutgers
14. Nebraska
 



Northwestern at #10 is ridiculous. One tourney appearance doesn't make it a great place for a coaching job right now.

Northwestern has a nationally-ranked journalism and arts/theater school. As a result, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting one in the national media, and they get a lot more positive media coverage as a result.
 

I don't like his list one bit.

1. Michigan State
2. Indiana ( I would drop it to 4. Very hard to keep your job with the ridiculous expectations.)
3. Michigan
4. Maryland
5. Ohio State
6. Wisconsin
7. Purdue
8. Minnesota (Guy didn't even mention the Athlete's village despite it already being constructed!)
9. Illinois
10. Iowa (you have to live in Iowa to coach there!)
11. Northwestern
12. Penn State
13. Rutgers
14. Nebraska

What!?! Given the chance you wouldn't want to live in East Lansing:confused:
 


per the Chicago Tribune:

11. Minnesota

Some view it as a better spot than Northwestern. Each of the Gophers’ last six coaches has rolled into the NCAA tournament. Yet so many have been embroiled in embarrassment, if you hold your home button and say, “University of Minnesota basketball scandal,” Siri might shoot back, “Which one?” Williams Arena (aka “The Barn”) is cool, though, and Richard Pitino lasted long enough to make the Big Dance. Trend: Up.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...tball-coaches-ranked-photos-photogallery.html

Go Gophers!!

Silly list; nothing is set in stone. Wisconsin didn't sniff the NCAA tournament until the late 1990s. Indiana could easily drop down the list; is UCLA a perennial title contender anymore? Duke could be in the same situation depending upon who succeeds Coach K
 



Silly list; nothing is set in stone. Wisconsin didn't sniff the NCAA tournament until the late 1990s. Indiana could easily drop down the list; is UCLA a perennial title contender anymore? Duke could be in the same situation depending upon who succeeds Coach K

You need to stop thinking that the 90s was recent. There probably isn't a recruit that was alive the last time the Badgers missed the tourney. And at this point I think they have made the sweet sixteen almost 50 percent of the time during that run.
 

You need to stop thinking that the 90s was recent. There probably isn't a recruit that was alive the last time the Badgers missed the tourney. And at this point I think they have made the sweet sixteen almost 50 percent of the time during that run.

Unfortunately, you are 100% right. As much as it pains me to say it.
 

Iowa and Northwestern being ahead of Minnesota is ludicrous. There's a reason Northwestern has missed every tournament ever until this year. It's the hardest job in the conference. Iowa's basically Minnesota with less in-state talent, a much smaller city to draw to/from, and a bunch of good D1 programs to fight over the scraps with.

If we're talking raw potential, the Minnesota job is around 7th/8th in the conference, a slight notch below Purdue. I actually think Ohio State has the most pure potential to win and win big.
 




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