(04-11-2018 07:58 AM)TripleA Wrote:  I can't argue with any of that. Penny is risky, but we had no choice. He was the only hire that would reignite the fan base, and if we do hire Larry Brown, that takes care of the coaching inexperience problem.

I'm also glad UConn was able to snag Hurley. UConn and Memphis need to get back to being NCAAT and Top 25 teams, to make this conference stronger, and ensure multiple bids with good seeds.

(04-11-2018 09:43 AM)Knights_of_UCF Wrote:  

(04-11-2018 07:58 AM)TripleA Wrote:  I can't argue with any of that. Penny is risky, but we had no choice. He was the only hire that would reignite the fan base, and if we do hire Larry Brown, that takes care of the coaching inexperience problem.

I'm also glad UConn was able to snag Hurley. UConn and Memphis need to get back to being NCAAT and Top 25 teams, to make this conference stronger, and ensure multiple bids with good seeds.

Yup, should have hired Penny a few years ago, but the timing might be better now. Fan base is really down in the dumps which means the comeback will be even sweeter. Also allowed Penny to get a little more seasoning as a coach.

(04-11-2018 10:04 AM)tigerjeb Wrote:  the Memphis Redbirds (AAA St Louis) sold out a promotion of 5,900 tickets for 1 cent each in 48 hours to watch Hardaway throw out the first pitch for their season opener last night

https://www.commercialappeal.com/videos/sports/college/memphis-tigers/basketball/2018/04/10/watch-penny-hardaway-throw-first-pitch-redbirds-home-opener/33720749/

(04-10-2018 10:04 PM)PirateMarv Wrote:  Best hire
UConn replacing Kevin Ollie with Dan Hurley. Ollie could not keep the Huskies relevant the past few years. Hurley turned around programs at Wagner and Rhode Island. Hurley will bring some Jim Calhoun-like tenacity to Storrs, and he displayed the ability to both coach and recruit in his time at URI. He also has hired a quality staff with former UConn assistant Tom Moore, Kimani Young and Kenya Hunter. This may take some time and patience, since there's not much talent in Storrs right now. Hurley, though, should get the Huskies back to where people are talking about them again.

Rolling the dice
Memphis fired Tubby Smith, who has plenty of experience, to hire Penny Hardaway, who has zero college experience. However, it wasn't working with Smith, so the administration decided to make a move and hire the former Memphis star. The good news is Hardaway has been coaching high school and AAU programs in Memphis. This is still a major risk. Will Hardaway put the time into recruiting? Will his staff be strong enough? Mike Miller comes on board with no coaching experience. There's a push for Hardaway to hire Larry Brown -- even with all his baggage. This is a risky hire, but probably worth it considering where the program is currently.


Moving ... at last
Joe Dooley's name has been mentioned for openings as much as anyone's over the past few years. He left FGCU to return to East Carolina (he was the ECU head coach from 1995 to '99). At FGCU, he competed for a spot in the NCAA tournament every year. He heads off to an East Carolina program that hasn't been to the NCAA tournament since 1993. He will get a heftier paycheck, though.


For once ECU didn't make the worst basketball hire. That honor belongs to Cal State Northridge. The guy was lobbying for the ECU job; but thank goodness ECU didn't do it.

Worst hire
Cal State Northridge president Dianne Harrison hiring Mark Gottfried. Northridge is a mess. Former athletic director Brandon Martin was fired following a verbal altercation with Reggie Theus after he informed Theus his tenure as head coach was over. As for Gottfried, this is a coach who has been subpoenaed as part of the federal investigation into corruption in college basketball from his time at NC State. That should have been enough to pass on Gottfried, but then throw in the fact that he's hiring soon-to-be 80-year-old Jim Harrick (who has his own questionable past) on his staff.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/23105351/the-winners-losers-biggest-surprises-college-basketball-coaching-carousel

(04-11-2018 10:10 AM)Shockit Wrote:  

(04-11-2018 09:43 AM)Knights_of_UCF Wrote:  

(04-11-2018 07:58 AM)TripleA Wrote:  I can't argue with any of that. Penny is risky, but we had no choice. He was the only hire that would reignite the fan base, and if we do hire Larry Brown, that takes care of the coaching inexperience problem.

I'm also glad UConn was able to snag Hurley. UConn and Memphis need to get back to being NCAAT and Top 25 teams, to make this conference stronger, and ensure multiple bids with good seeds.

Yup, should have hired Penny a few years ago, but the timing might be better now. Fan base is really down in the dumps which means the comeback will be even sweeter. Also allowed Penny to get a little more seasoning as a coach.

Yaa That seasoning as a high school coach is really valuable. I don't buy that for a second. That sounds like a talking point from an athletic administrator. Regarding coaching experience and timing, two years ago would have been just as good.

(04-11-2018 10:11 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(04-11-2018 10:04 AM)tigerjeb Wrote:  the Memphis Redbirds (AAA St Louis) sold out a promotion of 5,900 tickets for 1 cent each in 48 hours to watch Hardaway throw out the first pitch for their season opener last night

https://www.commercialappeal.com/videos/sports/college/memphis-tigers/basketball/2018/04/10/watch-penny-hardaway-throw-first-pitch-redbirds-home-opener/33720749/

Using a promotion that requires people to spend a one US cent is hardly a way to determine fan interest, but it has been interesting watching how much perkier all of you Tigers are now.

(04-11-2018 10:10 AM)Shockit Wrote:  

(04-11-2018 09:43 AM)Knights_of_UCF Wrote:  

(04-11-2018 07:58 AM)TripleA Wrote:  I can't argue with any of that. Penny is risky, but we had no choice. He was the only hire that would reignite the fan base, and if we do hire Larry Brown, that takes care of the coaching inexperience problem.

I'm also glad UConn was able to snag Hurley. UConn and Memphis need to get back to being NCAAT and Top 25 teams, to make this conference stronger, and ensure multiple bids with good seeds.

Yup, should have hired Penny a few years ago, but the timing might be better now. Fan base is really down in the dumps which means the comeback will be even sweeter. Also allowed Penny to get a little more seasoning as a coach.

Yaa That seasoning as a high school coach is really valuable. I don't buy that for a second. That sounds like a talking point from an athletic administrator. Regarding coaching experience and timing, two years ago would have been just as good.

(04-11-2018 12:14 PM)Knights_of_UCF Wrote:  

(04-11-2018 10:10 AM)Shockit Wrote:  

(04-11-2018 09:43 AM)Knights_of_UCF Wrote:  

(04-11-2018 07:58 AM)TripleA Wrote:  I can't argue with any of that. Penny is risky, but we had no choice. He was the only hire that would reignite the fan base, and if we do hire Larry Brown, that takes care of the coaching inexperience problem.

I'm also glad UConn was able to snag Hurley. UConn and Memphis need to get back to being NCAAT and Top 25 teams, to make this conference stronger, and ensure multiple bids with good seeds.

Yup, should have hired Penny a few years ago, but the timing might be better now. Fan base is really down in the dumps which means the comeback will be even sweeter. Also allowed Penny to get a little more seasoning as a coach.

Yaa That seasoning as a high school coach is really valuable. I don't buy that for a second. That sounds like a talking point from an athletic administrator. Regarding coaching experience and timing, two years ago would have been just as good.

disagree, any coaching experience, even at the HS level is helpful when you are the head of a program. Helps to learn how to budget time, lead people, and many other intangibles that you don't get until you are a leader. Mistakes were made in these two years that he likely won't make again as a result. Sounds to me like a lot of wichita fans are salty for some reason. This from an outsider UCF fan.