Watching coach Protho and yearning to go back to the 16 win Poole era, got me to thinking..

If we could wave a magic wand and rehire the top coaches in each sport in their prime.

Would they be able to match their production in today's portal/NIL era?

Could Thees produce a consistent winner today in softball?

Could Kilpatrick produce championship winning post season teams?

Could Marylou Johns have us in NCAA every year?

Could Bartow, Kirk, or Cal have us in the great 8 and final four every few years.

Right now the only sport near our historically high point is football because we've never really have a historical high point.

Ever thing that the emphasis on football is why all the other sports suck?

Yesterday…
In March tigers loved to play
And ya they won some games
Oh I believe In yesterday

Suddenly
We’re not half the team we used to be
There's a shadow hanging over we
Yesterday came too early...

Where’d the w-i-n-s go
I don’t know, players won’t say
but feels like somethings wrong
how I wish as a team we’d play

Yesterday…
In March the tigers loved to play
the coach say he'd find a way
oh, got to get the fans to stay...

(03-21-2024 08:09 AM)Eagleonpar Wrote:  Ever thing that the emphasis on football is why all the other sports suck?

Absolutely not. For 15 years more money has been poured into basketball for the UofM than ever before. The NIL support is there. Facilities are amazing. The common denominator has been 3 straight knee jerk reaction hires for head coach. Wash rinse repeat has become the new process for us.

(03-21-2024 08:52 AM)BIGDTiger Wrote:  

(03-21-2024 08:09 AM)Eagleonpar Wrote:  Ever thing that the emphasis on football is why all the other sports suck?

Absolutely not. For 15 years more money has been poured into basketball for the UofM than ever before. The NIL support is there. Facilities are amazing. The common denominator has been 3 straight knee jerk reaction hires for head coach. Wash rinse repeat has become the new process for us.

Thanks BigD. You are correct.

(03-21-2024 08:52 AM)BIGDTiger Wrote:  

(03-21-2024 08:09 AM)Eagleonpar Wrote:  Ever thing that the emphasis on football is why all the other sports suck?

Absolutely not. For 15 years more money has been poured into basketball for the UofM than ever before. The NIL support is there. Facilities are amazing. The common denominator has been 3 straight knee jerk reaction hires for head coach. Wash rinse repeat has become the new process for us.

Wasn’t talking specifically about men’s basketball but all the non revenue sports. And the jury is still out on whether Penny is a bad hire imo

(03-21-2024 10:09 AM)Eagleonpar Wrote:  

(03-21-2024 08:52 AM)BIGDTiger Wrote:  

(03-21-2024 08:09 AM)Eagleonpar Wrote:  Ever thing that the emphasis on football is why all the other sports suck?

Absolutely not. For 15 years more money has been poured into basketball for the UofM than ever before. The NIL support is there. Facilities are amazing. The common denominator has been 3 straight knee jerk reaction hires for head coach. Wash rinse repeat has become the new process for us.

Wasn’t talking specifically about men’s basketball but all the non revenue sports. And the jury is still out on whether Penny is a bad hire imo

I think it's safe to say Penny is a bad hire.

(03-21-2024 10:09 AM)Eagleonpar Wrote:  

(03-21-2024 08:52 AM)BIGDTiger Wrote:  

(03-21-2024 08:09 AM)Eagleonpar Wrote:  Ever thing that the emphasis on football is why all the other sports suck?

Absolutely not. For 15 years more money has been poured into basketball for the UofM than ever before. The NIL support is there. Facilities are amazing. The common denominator has been 3 straight knee jerk reaction hires for head coach. Wash rinse repeat has become the new process for us.

Wasn’t talking specifically about men’s basketball but all the non revenue sports. And the jury is still out on whether Penny is a bad hire imo

I think the non-revenue sports are actually in as good a shape as ever.
M&W golf, M&W tennis, and M&W soccer are good.
Track, baseball, softball, and W basketball is not good. But they've historically under-performed - nothing related to football about that.

(03-21-2024 12:57 PM)GoDownSwinging Wrote:  

(03-21-2024 10:09 AM)Eagleonpar Wrote:  

(03-21-2024 08:52 AM)BIGDTiger Wrote:  

(03-21-2024 08:09 AM)Eagleonpar Wrote:  Ever thing that the emphasis on football is why all the other sports suck?

Absolutely not. For 15 years more money has been poured into basketball for the UofM than ever before. The NIL support is there. Facilities are amazing. The common denominator has been 3 straight knee jerk reaction hires for head coach. Wash rinse repeat has become the new process for us.

Wasn’t talking specifically about men’s basketball but all the non revenue sports. And the jury is still out on whether Penny is a bad hire imo

I think it's safe to say Penny is a bad hire.

He was hired to bring excitement and fans back. He did.
He was hired because we needed a bargain salary while paying off Pastner and Tubby. He was.
He was hired to bring the team back to the post-season after 4 straight years of missing even the NIT. He did. Until this year.
Short and inaccurate memory if you think it's "safe to say" he is a bad hire.

(03-20-2024 09:16 AM)ncrdbl1 Wrote:  Watching coach Protho and yearning to go back to the 16 win Poole era, got me to thinking..

If we could wave a magic wand and rehire the top coaches in each sport in their prime.

Would they be able to match their production in today's portal/NIL era?

Could Thees produce a consistent winner today in softball?

Could Kilpatrick produce championship winning post season teams?

Could Marylou Johns have us in NCAA every year?

Could Bartow, Kirk, or Cal have us in the great 8 and final four every few years.

Right now the only sport near our historically high point is football because we've never really have a historical high point.

easy to tell you missed the Spook Murphy years...

(03-21-2024 12:57 PM)GoDownSwinging Wrote:  

(03-21-2024 10:09 AM)Eagleonpar Wrote:  

(03-21-2024 08:52 AM)BIGDTiger Wrote:  

(03-21-2024 08:09 AM)Eagleonpar Wrote:  Ever thing that the emphasis on football is why all the other sports suck?

Absolutely not. For 15 years more money has been poured into basketball for the UofM than ever before. The NIL support is there. Facilities are amazing. The common denominator has been 3 straight knee jerk reaction hires for head coach. Wash rinse repeat has become the new process for us.

Wasn’t talking specifically about men’s basketball but all the non revenue sports. And the jury is still out on whether Penny is a bad hire imo

I think it's safe to say Penny is a bad hire.

mediocre...I'll give you

(03-21-2024 04:58 PM)EarthBoundMisfit Wrote:  

(03-20-2024 09:16 AM)ncrdbl1 Wrote:  Watching coach Protho and yearning to go back to the 16 win Poole era, got me to thinking..

If we could wave a magic wand and rehire the top coaches in each sport in their prime.

Would they be able to match their production in today's portal/NIL era?

Could Thees produce a consistent winner today in softball?

Could Kilpatrick produce championship winning post season teams?

Could Marylou Johns have us in NCAA every year?

Could Bartow, Kirk, or Cal have us in the great 8 and final four every few years.

Right now the only sport near our historically high point is football because we've never really have a historical high point.

easy to tell you missed the Spook Murphy years...

Which part, the early, middle or last.

60-63 were very good years, but only slightly above average during other seasons.

33-5 those 4 year .868

58-39 the rest of the way .598

(03-21-2024 04:58 PM)EarthBoundMisfit Wrote:  

(03-20-2024 09:16 AM)ncrdbl1 Wrote:  Watching coach Protho and yearning to go back to the 16 win Poole era, got me to thinking..

If we could wave a magic wand and rehire the top coaches in each sport in their prime.

Would they be able to match their production in today's portal/NIL era?

Could Thees produce a consistent winner today in softball?

Could Kilpatrick produce championship winning post season teams?

Could Marylou Johns have us in NCAA every year?

Could Bartow, Kirk, or Cal have us in the great 8 and final four every few years.

Right now the only sport near our historically high point is football because we've never really have a historical high point.

easy to tell you missed the Spook Murphy years...

Spook just knew how to schedule. And his work as AD set us back 50 plus years. Its amazing how people misremember history

(03-20-2024 09:16 AM)ncrdbl1 Wrote:  Watching coach Protho and yearning to go back to the 16 win Poole era, got me to thinking..

If we could wave a magic wand and rehire the top coaches in each sport in their prime.

Would they be able to match their production in today's portal/NIL era?

Could Thees produce a consistent winner today in softball?

Could Kilpatrick produce championship winning post season teams?

Could Marylou Johns have us in NCAA every year?

Could Bartow, Kirk, or Cal have us in the great 8 and final four every few years.

Right now the only sport near our historically high point is football because we've never really have a historical high point.

And I’d argue that both the golf teams suck

I don't think Penny is a bad hire. Underperforming - yes, is there a better offer for us? No.

Editorial Opinion: He pays his own salary. Pays for some of the players. Gets good asst coaches to come here. Gets publicity in whatever he does. Gets afoul of the NCAA a little too much, but wins more than he loses there. Loses more games than we'd like but wins about as much as his recent predecessors. He is continuing to work on his craft. Each year he does things a little differently (sometimes not better). Maybe he'll figure this out. We know where his heart is. And its pretty clear this college basketball business is a pretty shady/nasty/underhanded industry. At least as dirty as anything our country has ever tolerated. ...not sure good guys can win at this.

In short, he makes us relevant. Just not in the way we thought we'd be. Can't wait for next year.