Coaching Carousel 6 - You can't make everyone happy. You are not bacon.

gt24

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354
For those with ESPN insider accounts, this is an in-depth look at every open job and hot seat. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-b...ide-2021-college-basketball-coaching-hot-seat

Here is a snippet for GT fans:
Screen Shot 2021-03-03 at 12.24.30 PM.png
 

kg01

Get-Bak! Coach
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Curious to see whether or not Smart is disillusioned by the 'stuff' going on at TX. I mean, I'm sure he knew the temperature there already but ... I dunno, I would feel a little strange if it were me.
 

dtm1997

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Curious to see whether or not Smart is disillusioned by the 'stuff' going on at TX. I mean, I'm sure he knew the temperature there already but ... I dunno, I would feel a little strange if it were me.

Let's worry about that if CJP somehow ends up at Arizona.
 

CuseJacket

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I haven't read this. I just enjoy the tweet.


Many on the board have long had a soft spot for Brey. Would love to hear some new thoughts.

He is completing his 21st season at ND:
  • 12 NCAAT appearances (maybe a 13th last year?); none since 2017
  • Of those 12 appearances, ND reached the second weekend three times
  • Their postseason peak was two Elite 8 appearances
Obviously we'd take that now, even though we fired a coach for similar results (5 NCAAT in 11 yrs, 1 final four makes it better maybe?) .

How does that compare to folks' expectations of ND basketball?
 

lv20gt

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Many on the board have long had a soft spot for Brey. Would love to hear some new thoughts.

He is completing his 21st season at ND:
  • 12 NCAAT appearances (maybe a 13th last year?); none since 2017
  • Of those 12 appearances, ND reached the second weekend three times
  • Their postseason peak was two Elite 8 appearances
Obviously we'd take that now, even though we fired a coach for similar results (5 NCAAT in 11 yrs, 1 final four makes it better maybe?) .

How does that compare to folks' expectations of ND basketball?

My thoughts are impressions change over time.

Mike Brey when ND was in the big east made the NCAA 9 times and still made the NIT in his 4 down years. Personally I view performance in a single elimination tournament as a boost to coaches who manage to do it but not something I really hold against coaches who don't. Too easy for any thing to happen in one game usually against teams you don't have familiarity with. Combine that with the first 4 years in the ACC (with one down year missing post season play for the first time ever at ND) and that resume is one that is a step below the true elite coaches but still damn good.

But like I said. Things change. The last 4 years ND has been a significantly worse program and it doesn't appear to be a one or even two year set back. Don't know if it's him that has changed, if it's the game that has changed or both. But he doesn't look like the same level of coach that he was when he joined the league. In some ways I see it the same way I view Paul Johnson. I thought he was the perfect hire for us when we did so, and still think that, but a decade later things had changed and he no longer gave us the advantage that he once did.
 

gt24

Jolly Good Fellow
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354
My thoughts are impressions change over time.

Mike Brey when ND was in the big east made the NCAA 9 times and still made the NIT in his 4 down years. Personally I view performance in a single elimination tournament as a boost to coaches who manage to do it but not something I really hold against coaches who don't. Too easy for any thing to happen in one game usually against teams you don't have familiarity with. Combine that with the first 4 years in the ACC (with one down year missing post season play for the first time ever at ND) and that resume is one that is a step below the true elite coaches but still damn good.

But like I said. Things change. The last 4 years ND has been a significantly worse program and it doesn't appear to be a one or even two year set back. Don't know if it's him that has changed, if it's the game that has changed or both. But he doesn't look like the same level of coach that he was when he joined the league. In some ways I see it the same way I view Paul Johnson. I thought he was the perfect hire for us when we did so, and still think that, but a decade later things had changed and he no longer gave us the advantage that he once did.
I agree with the first half of this. I'm not sure about the second half. @CuseJacket asks about fans' expectations, which is, imho, the problem. Modern fans, in a social media age, have far too little patience, and far too high expectations in terms of constant/continual wins. A down year draws ire. Two or three sub-par years in a row and there are calls for dragging the coach to the guillotine. But when a fanbase sees it at another school, from the outside, separated from fanatical emotions, they are more apt to see the insanity of those unrealistic expectations (e.g. Auburn football). I think this is ESPECIALLY applicable for modern/expanded ACC basketball. Murderers row. The margin is so small.

I don't follow ND hoops, but from afar, I'd take Mike Brey every day of the week. Brey has a far longer record, but I'm inclined to lump Pastner in the same basket as Brey in terms of character, philosophy, and approach to coaching ACC teams and student-athletes. If I'm a fan of a school that wants to compete at the highest level, while following the rules, and graduating student-athletes, I'm down with Brey or Pastner for the long haul, even with the roller coaster of ups and downs that are damn near guaranteed for programs following the rules and competing in the ACC.
 

lv20gt

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Here's the thing though. How relevant is Brey's success in the early 2000s big east? A comparison I would make is our own Bobby Cremins. I don't think it's possible to not love Bobby Cremins and he had tremendous success here. But does anyone really think that he was still the right guy by the time he ended up leaving? We're familiar enough with him to understand exactly how the landscape of basketball changed, how it affected him, and how he was unable to adapt.
 

kg01

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Here's the thing though. How relevant is Brey's success in the early 2000s big east? A comparison I would make is our own Bobby Cremins. I don't think it's possible to not love Bobby Cremins and he had tremendous success here. But does anyone really think that he was still the right guy by the time he ended up leaving? We're familiar enough with him to understand exactly how the landscape of basketball changed, how it affected him, and how he was unable to adapt.

Not that I care what happens at Notre whatever, but this is an apt analogy.

Sometimes it's just time. Doesn't mean you don't love the coach for all that he's done.

If we had an opening, I wouldn't hire Brey. I'd prefer to attempt to find a guy that could give what Brey gives as a floor, not a ceiling.
 

Silk3

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Not that I care what happens at Notre whatever, but this is an apt analogy.

Sometimes it's just time. Doesn't mean you don't love the coach for all that he's done.

If we had an opening, I wouldn't hire Brey. I'd prefer to attempt to find a guy that could give what Brey gives as a floor, not a ceiling.
I would probably attempt to find a guy that gives what Coach K gives as a floor not a ceiling
 

kg01

Get-Bak! Coach
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I know I’ll get blasted, but I think we should extend Coach Pastner’s contract and give Wilkins and Reveno a raise. I’m not opposed to a two year extension for CJP.

Nothing to 'blast' about that. The crew's done a good job these last 2 years, no denying that.

That said, I'd be more apt to take the entire tenure into account before making any crazy commitments.
 

reckrider

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Nothing to 'blast' about that. The crew's done a good job these last 2 years, no denying that.

That said, I'd be more apt to take the entire tenure into account before making any crazy commitments.
Youngest coach in the conference with a very affordable contract. Recruiting is on the uptick. Back to back 10 win seasons. Current contract is through 22-23. New get old stay old recruits want to commit to a coach for 4 years (even though this is probably not important for high level recruits). I’m not ready to offer a Hewitt contract or anything.
 

MountainBuzzMan

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I know I’ll get blasted, but I think we should extend Coach Pastner’s contract and give Wilkins and Reveno a raise. I’m not opposed to a two year extension for CJP.
Forget the blasting part. I straight up agree with you. Look how much improved last years and this years teams were as the season progressed. That's coaching! The end of the season last year we could have gone toe to toe with just about anyone. Just like this year. I want that every year
 
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