Is It Realistic to Move On From Johnson This Year?

The real question the Administration/Ath Dept should be asking is, if they stick with Johnson, and a few more players exit in the next couple months, who in the world is watching this team next season?
 

Wisconsin isn’t as enviable of a basketball job as they think. I don’t think they could get someone as good as Gard. I’d gladly take him here

Hell, yeah. Switching teams within the same conference is pretty unusual though. Wisconsin has been successful long enough for fans (and maybe administration) to forget what it's like to be unsuccessful. Some of them think that missing the NCAA tournament twice in ten years is failure. They might do something dumb like firing Gard.
 

I like Dutcher a lot. I worry about our admin being Leary of him being with Fisher since he had issues at Michigan (in the 90s but our admin seems the have the best memory possible. See Jimmy Williams). Just seemed odd him or Smith didn’t get more of a shot which makes me believe there was more in play here.
One hesitancy about Dutcher I said back 2-3 years ago is he does have the best job in the conference and to this one being middle of the pack at best. It’s part of why I liked Craig Smith so much. Guy does well at middle of the pack to bad jobs
Avoiding Dutcher over that would be moronic. First of all, Fisher's been retired for over 5 years. Second, there is no indication he had any issues at SDSU. Third, like Clem stuff, most of the stuff that was "scandalous" 20-30 years ago is now entirely OK or just completely ignored.
 

No idea who the next coach should be or might be.

But - if Coyle goes according to his M.O., he will have the next coach lined up before he fires Johnson.

whether you like Coyle or not, he doesn't seem to go in for search committees and long, drawn-out hiring processes. if he can have someone lined up and ready to go, he will.

So, if and when Johnson is fired, I would expect the next coach to be announced within a week to 10 days.
 



Is that how it happened with Pitino?
Pitino firing announced March 15, 2021

Johnson hiring announced March 22, 2021

one week.

so either Coyle conducted his entire search and interview process in under a week, or steps had been taken behind the scenes to line up the next coach.

believe what you will.
 


Pitino firing announced March 15, 2021

Johnson hiring announced March 22, 2021

one week.

so either Coyle conducted his entire search and interview process in under a week, or steps had been taken behind the scenes to line up the next coach.

believe what you will.
If he releases a coach, he knows who is next. The guy is not the dummy he is portrayed in here at times. A bad hire or two in a cloud of background noise that he has no control over but may have influence over him doesn't make him a fool.
 

Wisconsin isn’t as enviable of a basketball job as they think. I don’t think they could get someone as good as Gard. I’d gladly take him here

Why? Football just hired a coach that could have gone pretty much anywhere he wanted. Basketball has won 2 of the last 3 B1G titles, and they were just in the national title game 8 years ago.
 



It is clear that the Gophers need a branded coach. Somebody who is the identity of the program.
They tried that with Tubby- it worked a little, but he was clearly on the decline, and they went for the JV version of a brand by going for a Pitino (just not the real one)

Time to find a solid brand name coach still in their prime...
 


The two coaches you've defended the most on this board have been Ben Johnson and Tracy Claeys. I think you're the one who's 'Behind the Curve'.
To be fair, Claeys did go on to have a great coaching career after leaving MN.
 

Avoiding Dutcher over that would be moronic. First of all, Fisher's been retired for over 5 years. Second, there is no indication he had any issues at SDSU. Third, like Clem stuff, most of the stuff that was "scandalous" 20-30 years ago is now entirely OK or just completely ignored.
I don’t disagree.
 



Why? Football just hired a coach that could have gone pretty much anywhere he wanted. Basketball has won 2 of the last 3 B1G titles, and they were just in the national title game 8 years ago.
They think they are gonna pull Tony Bennett or even a Shaka Smart. They wont. Greg Gard is a lot better than most realize or want to admit. Total props to them getting Fickel.
 


They think they are gonna pull Tony Bennett or even a Shaka Smart. They wont. Greg Gard is a lot better than most realize or want to admit. Total props to them getting Fickel.
Shaka maybe, but Tony Bennett? Good luck. Duke and UNC are dealing with their post-legend reality. No reason to leave Charlottesville.
 

Shaka maybe, but Tony Bennett? Good luck. Duke and UNC are dealing with their post-legend reality. No reason to leave Charlottesville.
Exactly it’s really a be careful what you wish more. Iowa almost didn’t it McCaffery and got lucky they didn’t. As a gopher fan I’d be pumped if they fire Gard. That being said I wouldn’t be surprised if Fran leaves for ND. Iowa opening wood be an interesting one. I think they may get Steve Forbes. That’d be a good sign for a future search for us if we needed to have one. Still gotta pony up, but it helps when Iowa and Wisconsin do.
 


that being said I wouldn’t be surprised if Fran leaves for ND. I

McCaffrey will be 64 in May. That's typically not a time in life when people leave lucrative gigs to take on new challenges. I know some people would say that 64 is the new 54 but McCaffrey is squarely in my generation and probably old school.
 

McCaffrey will be 64 in May. That's typically not a time in life when people leave lucrative gigs to take on new challenges. I know some people would say that 64 is the new 54 but McCaffrey is squarely in my generation and probably old school.
His kids have mostly graduated. Fran was an assistant there and met his wife there. It’s more of a sacred place end of career bucket list thing for them I believe.
 


No thanks to Gard. Don't care if he's a good coach, no thanks.
 


I think you struggle to identify progress because you look at data and don't look at the game. You remind me of the executives in the movie "Behind the Curve" who looked at data and missed the game.
The movie is Trouble With the Curve.
 




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