CBS: Five college basketball coaches whose jobs may have been saved by the coronavirus pandemic (#1. Shaka, #2. Pitino)

[BleedGopher]

per CBS:

2. Richard Pitino | Minnesota
When a coach is answering questions about job security on his radio show in early March, it's never a good sign. That was the situation Pitino found himself in as his team struggled in the second half of a brutal Big Ten slate. Minnesota finished Pitino's seventh season 15-16 (8-12 Big Ten). But the pandemic seemed to squash the hot seat talk, and Pitino appears on track to get an eighth year.

Five college basketball coaches whose jobs may have been saved by the coronavirus pandemic

Unemployment is rising, but some college coaches are still employed because of the crisis

www.cbssports.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[GoodasGold]

Good news or bad news? Stay tuned.

 

[row19gopher]

Not at all surprised...

 

[JimmyJamesMD]

If Shaka didnt spent so much time at the Vu, he wouldnt he even be on this list

 

[USAF]

"May have been"??

 

[GopherBlood777]

"May have been"??

It has to be displayed as speculation or else the writer would need sources confirming this coach would have definitely been fired, don't think there are many ad's willing to cop to that

 

[Spaulding!No!]

First!

 

[Gopherfan84]

It has to be displayed as speculation or else the writer would need sources confirming this coach would have definitely been fired, don't think there are many ad's willing to cop to that

He wasn't getting fired this year. Money talks and need regent support. I don't know if Coyle had access to either even if he wanted to move to a different direction. So yes it is pure speculation like you mentioned.

 

[scools12]

No way to know for sure if Pitino was going to be fired after last season or not.

Though I think it’s safe to say he did get some help from the pandemic in keeping his job for at least another year.

 

[Gopherfan84]

No way to know for sure if Pitino was going to be fired after last season or not.

Though I think it’s safe to say he did get some help from the pandemic in keeping his job for at least another year.

Pandemic gave an excuse to not do it, but all media types and people close to the situation said it wasn’t happening even before the Covid stuff escalated.

 

[Some guy]

Don’t know why they would’ve fired Richard. The team outperformed my expectations of them this year.

I would’ve fired him last year knowing they’d be mediocre at best this year. Nothing he did this year merited a firing more than last year. The team played above their talent. They were essentially a 4-5 man team.

 

[LakevilleBro]

Don’t know why they would’ve fired Richard. The team outperformed my expectations of them this year.

I would’ve fired him last year knowing they’d be mediocre at best this year. Nothing he did this year merited a firing more than last year. The team played above their talent. They were essentially a 4-5 man team.

When you are a 4-5 man team, after 7 years of coaching, is a big problem.

 

[beavergopher]

When you are a 4-5 man team, after 7 years of coaching, is a big problem.

No kidding!

 

[Some guy]

When you are a 4-5 man team, after 7 years of coaching, is a big problem.

Yeah. But didnt we already know that to be the case in March 2019?
So why would you fire him in March 2020 for something you already knew a year earlier?

I’m saying, I don’t think Coyle was firing him. It’s not like we learned anything new about Pitino in 2019-20

 

[USAF]

Latest Pitino-knob theory: "We already knew Pitino sucks so you cant fire him for sucking."

It would be Fox "News" level absurd, if not so damaging to the basketball program.

 

[BarnBurner]

Pandemic gave an excuse to not do it, but all media types and people close to the situation said it wasn’t happening even before the Covid stuff escalated.

SO then my assessment was correct - Coyle thinks RP is his man.

 

[Gopherfan84]

SO then my assessment was correct - Coyle thinks RP is his man.

I wouldn't go that far. We've discussed this numerous times. There are more to firing a coach than just thinking he's the right guy. Need to find ways to pay buyouts, get regent support, etc... I don't think he had those.

 

[MRJ]

Latest Pitino-knob theory: "We already knew Pitino sucks so you cant fire him for sucking."

It would be Fox "News" level absurd, if not so damaging to the basketball program.

Yep, ranks right up there ESPN's argument: "Just getting hired outweighs his struggles while coaching." The absurdity of it all is truly astounding.

 

[cjbfbp]

Yeah. But didnt we already know that to be the case in March 2019?
So why would you fire him in March 2020 for something you already knew a year earlier?

I’m saying, I don’t think Coyle was firing him. It’s not like we learned anything new about Pitino in 2019-20

Well, all of that is true but he earned another season after the 2019 season performance. He didn't earn another season after the 2020 performance but I do believe the pandemic saved him and I said that at the time the season concluded.

Only one power conference team made a coaching change (Danny Manning of Wake Forest was fired after this past season). I don't think any power conference coaches voluntarily left to other programs, jobs, or retirement. I doubt that the lack of coaching movement was just coincidental to the pandemic period. After the 2019 season, there were 11 power conference program coaching changes.

 

[builtbadgers]

Well, all of that is true but he earned another season after the 2019 season performance. He didn't earn another season after the 2020 performance but I do believe the pandemic saved him and I said that at the time the season concluded.

Only one power conference team made a coaching change (Danny Manning of Wake Forest was fired after this past season). I don't think any power conference coaches voluntarily left to other programs, jobs, or retirement. I doubt that the lack of coaching movement was just coincidental to the pandemic period. After the 2019 season, there were 11 power conference program coaching changes.

Exactly. It was known early on in the covid timing that money was going to be a huge issue in buyouts and hires, especially with donations going down. Several coaches in power conferences were saved.

 

[Gopherfan84]

Well, all of that is true but he earned another season after the 2019 season performance. He didn't earn another season after the 2020 performance but I do believe the pandemic saved him and I said that at the time the season concluded.

Only one power conference team made a coaching change (Danny Manning of Wake Forest was fired after this past season). I don't think any power conference coaches voluntarily left to other programs, jobs, or retirement. I doubt that the lack of coaching movement was just coincidental to the pandemic period. After the 2019 season, there were 11 power conference program coaching changes.

Preach brother!

 

[NWMetroGopherFan]

Pitino won't be let go next year either. The athletic budget will be 10 times worse this time next year than it is now. Gophers face a potential $75 million loss in revenue if football is delayed until early 2021, $30 million if they play in an empty TCF Stadium. Mark Coyle won't have the blessing to buy out a contract, no matter who it is, and pay another head coach a Big Ten salary.

That said if Robbins gets a waiver, this will be a legit team next year.

 

[Gopherfan84]

Pitino won't be let go next year either. The athletic budget will be 10 times worse this time next year than it is now. Gophers face a potential $75 million loss in revenue if football is delayed until early 2021, $30 million if they play in an empty TCF Stadium. Mark Coyle won't have the blessing to buy out a contract, no matter who it is, and pay another head coach a Big Ten salary.

That said if Robbins gets a waiver, this will be a legit team next year.

Stop it, the AD has sole control to do whatever he wants... In all honesty his buy out becomes an easier number to find donors to pay next year. The question is paying a new coach a higher salary. Plus the U has other sports it can drop to take care of some of that budget (I don't want this to happen to solely hire a basketball coach).

 

[builtbadgers]

The trick will be the money to buy out, the money to hire someone really good and that is hard to know and the donations going down. Covid will hurt , losing hurts too not just in attendance but there is more than one big donor who has had enough and we do not have that many that rock 100,000 and up annual donations. We all benefit if he just wins huge now ! Win the conference, problem solved.

 

[cjbfbp]

The trick will be the money to buy out, the money to hire someone really good and that is hard to know and the donations going down. Covid will hurt , losing hurts too not just in attendance but there is more than one big donor who has had enough and we do not have that many that rock 100,000 and up annual donations. We all benefit if he just wins huge now ! Win the conference, problem solved.

I agree with all of that. However, in my own personal case, I think I will complain less in the 2021 season than I did in the 2020 season even if 2021 is unsatisfactory. The reason is that I will be so grateful just to watch sports again that I won't care as much about the outcome.

 

[builtbadgers]

I agree with all of that. However, in my own personal case, I think I will complain less in the 2021 season than I did in the 2020 season even if 2021 is unsatisfactory. The reason is that I will be so grateful just to watch sports again that I won't care as much about the outcome.

Awesome attitude. Gratitude practice is a good thing for everyone. Thank you for that.

 

[skiumah1]

Awesome attitude. Gratitude practice is a good thing for everyone. Thank you for that.

I agree with all of that. However, in my own personal case, I think I will complain less in the 2021 season than I did in the 2020 season even if 2021 is unsatisfactory. The reason is that I will be so grateful just to watch sports again that I won't care as much about the outcome.

Haha we can say that, and I definitely agree with you. We will find out the truth when/if the struggle comes around and how we react in those moments.