Is there any reason to think that we can hire a good replacement MBK coach?

[Eric Nies Grind Time]

Should I have any hope at all? If we blow the next hire we may as well kiss the program good bye.

[Coach34]

Yes- we just have to spend the money to do it.

[Eric Nies Grind Time]

I am hoping that Stricklin knows how huge this next hire is and will go all out.

[Aces High]

Only way for us to be decent is to go all in with someone with aau ties and do what it takes to be competitive. Sec basketball is dead.

College basketball is dirty. We need to embrace it.

[Political Hack]

I am hoping that Stricklin knows how huge this next hire is and will go all out.

I hope I win the lotto.

The last hire was important and we bitched that search from start to finish. I have zero confidence in his ability to identify, negotiate, and land a big time coach. If he doesn't admit he needs to use a search firm and makes up with the basketball coaches association, he's going to screw us again.

[maroonmania]

Only way for us to be decent is to go all in with someone with aau ties and do what it takes to be competitive. Sec basketball is dead.

College basketball is dirty. We need to embrace it.

And the Keenum/Stricklin/Bracky trio have no intention of doing that so MSU basketball is dead. Best advice is just to enjoy MSU football and baseball and find a good hobby to occupy your time for most of Dec-Feb. If the women's team continues to excel maybe they can be a bit of a distraction.

[headcoach98]

With the recruits coming in that are scorers(Tookie, Weatherspoon) & with Dunlap Ray needs to change up his philosophy a bit. This all out defensive philosophy isn't working and won't work. You gotta let scorers be scorers and let them loose.

[maroonmania]

With the recruits coming in that are scorers(Tookie, Weatherspoon) & with Dunlap Ray needs to change up his philosophy a bit. This all out defensive philosophy isn't working and won't work. You gotta let scorers be scorers and let them loose.

Yes, he is just further alienating the fanbase by coming into the press conference complaining about our defense when we don't crack 50 points offensively. If you can't score 50 then how you play defense is totally irrelevant.

[MabenMaroon]

I hope we can land an outstanding coach/recruiter. 'If***' and when we do, we will probably be staring at some of the same results at least for a couple of years until we can get some good shooters and ball handlers on the team. Right now we are loaded with good athletes/slashers and some project pf's, both currently on campus and including the incoming. I don't think that there is a coach out there that can consistently win or build a winner with what we currently have (+ incoming). Bottom line, we will get better but it will take at least a year or two under the new regime to really start seeing some improvement, unless we do some intense encouragement of players leaving and transferring. Certainly there are some programs out there in dire need of athletes/slashers and developmental pf's.

[archdog]

I am not sure we are not letting the current scorers be scorers. Looks like we actively try not to push the ball in any phase of the game because the guys miss layups and are too easily stopped around the rim. Combo that with our inability to hit a three. No offense to be found.

Ray isn't keeping the players from scoring, its just no one can actually take over a game like Lrob used to.

[YazooDawg23]

I honestly don't think a guy in the Brad Stevens or Gregg Marshall mold is a good fit for us. I think we should go and make a hire like LSU did with Johnny Jones. A guy that has Mississippi State ties and understands recruiting in the South. Robert Kirby and Butch Pierre come to mind, maybe Kenny Payne. Pastner is on the hot seat at Memphis so Kirby may be looking for work pretty soon. Maybe we can get Butch and Kirby. That is a dynamic recruiting duo.

[JOHNHEVESYMADE]

Kenny Payne, Joe Dooley, Kermit Davis, and Phil Cunningham. The job is more attractive because you have no where to go but up and expectations are real low. Following the all time wins leader in program history is no easy task. The good news is we can't make a worse hire than Ray.

[Liverpooldawg]

It will be more attractive than it was the last time but I'm not sure the stigma of what we did has had time to fade enough for a really good one yet. I still say we have at least 7 years left before we can really start rebuilding. I hope like heck I'm wrong. I will gladly eat crow in this one.

[ScottH]

Ray Harper WKU currently 500k salary.

If he will come.

[Coach34]

We can get a good coach- much better than a Kirby or Pierre- but we have to pay. We can't be tightassed. Pay $2MM and get a damn coach

[War Machine Dawg]

Only way for us to be decent is to go all in with someone with aau ties and do what it takes to be competitive. Sec basketball is dead.

College basketball is dirty. We need to embrace it.


And the Keenum/Stricklin/Bracky trio have no intention of doing that so MSU basketball is dead. Best advice is just to enjoy MSU football and baseball and find a good hobby to occupy your time for most of Dec-Feb. If the women's team continues to excel maybe they can be a bit of a distraction.

Basically how I see it. Until we understand the absolute need to work in the "gray areas" at the administration level, we won't be any better than what we are currently in either basketball or football. It's dirty, so get in the mud and wallow with everyone else. The NCAA is impotent, unless you do the investigative part of the job for them, like Bracky Fife does. I'm still pissed Redmond will be a Senior this season.

[ScottH]

I'm still pissed Redmond will be a Senior this season.

Someone should have lost their job over that.

That is an indictment of our indictment or our extreme incompetence or over officiousness or both.

[maroonmania]

Basically how I see it. Until we understand the absolute need to work in the "gray areas" at the administration level, we won't be any better than what we are currently in either basketball or football. It's dirty, so get in the mud and wallow with everyone else. The NCAA is impotent, unless you do the investigative part of the job for them, like Bracky Fife does. I'm still pissed Redmond will be a Senior this season.

Totally agree. And we aren't going to get a decent college basketball coach even if we replace Ray after this year as long as our leadership has this idealistic, naive view of college basketball recruiting.

[engie]

Need to just pay $2mil and make a grand slam hire that unites the fanbase and gets people excited on day 1.

Ray Harper would be a good option...
Ben Jacobson
Archie Miller
Chris Jans
Mike Lonergan
Randy Bennett
Make another run at Bryce Drew or Steve Prohm
Brian Wardle
Bobby Hurley
Brad Underwood
Dan Hurley
Chris Mack
Tim Floyd(LOL Bracky)
Eustachy(LOLLLLL Bracky)
Rob Murphy
Keith Dambrot
Michael White(LOLe Miss)
Tim Cluess

These are all guys that we would(should) have had a decent chance of pulling before the new money came in. You make yourself willing to pay $2mil or slightly more, and the pool of potential candidates becomes much larger and "more established" than this...

[War Machine Dawg]

Someone should have lost their job over that.

That is an indictment of our indictment or our extreme incompetence or over officiousness or both.

But Keenum and Strick say Bracky Fife does a good job.

http://i.imgur.com/2YJ5inX.gif

[Eric Nies Grind Time]

Need to just pay $2mil and make a grand slam hire that unites the fanbase and gets people excited on day 1.

Ray Harper would be a good option...
Ben Jacobson
Archie Miller
Chris Jans
Mike Lonergan
Randy Bennett
Make another run at Bryce Drew or Steve Prohm
Brian Wardle
Bobby Hurley
Brad Underwood
Dan Hurley
Chris Mack
Tim Floyd(LOL Bracky)
Eustachy(LOLLLLL Bracky)
Rob Murphy
Keith Dambrot
Michael White(LOLe Miss)
Tim Cluess

These are all guys that we would(should) have had a decent chance of pulling before the new money came in. You make yourself willing to pay $2mil or slightly more, and the pool of potential candidates becomes much larger and "more established" than this...

Chris Mack would be a great hire. Only making 850k or so. 45 years old. Made the tourney 4 out of 5 years. Sweet 16 twice. Unfortunately he may be too loyal to Xavier. But that would be a homerun.

[dawgs]

With the recruits coming in that are scorers(Tookie, Weatherspoon) & with Dunlap Ray needs to change up his philosophy a bit. This all out defensive philosophy isn't working and won't work. You gotta let scorers be scorers and let them loose.

Being good offensively and defensively are not mutually exclusive. In fact if we were the pressing, ball hawking D ray promised to bring, we should be creating easy dunks and lay ups.

[HailState39110]

Being good offensively and defensively are not mutually exclusive. In fact if we were the pressing, ball hawking D ray promised to bring, we should be creating easy dunks and lay ups.

Strick needs to take some notes from Jay Jacobs.Say what you want about Auburn . Malzahn, Bruce Pearl, now Will Muschamp. Jacobs said repeatedly after he hired Pearl that "he wasn't going to let Pearl tell him no."
It makes you wonder if Stricklin takes the same approach after how many times he got turned down during his basketball coaching search. Obviously he isn't the salesman Jay Jacobs is because our basketball program is much better than Auburns

[engie]

Chris Mack would be a great hire. Only making 850k or so. 45 years old. Made the tourney 4 out of 5 years. Sweet 16 twice. Unfortunately he may be too loyal to Xavier. But that would be a homerun.

Yeah, there's a couple really good options there, just strictly judging by career records and "timeframes of turnarounds".
Jacobson making $450k at Northern Iowa, who he took to a Sweet 16 and has won at a notably higher clip than Greg McDermott did before him.
Miller took Dayton to the Elite 8 last year and has been a top assistant at NC State, Arizona, and Ohio St.
Jans was top assistant to Greg Marshall at Wichita over his whole tenure there before taking over at Bowling Green this year, where he's 9-2 currently.
Lonergan won a D3 title and went to 5 sweet 16s, went 126-68 at Vermont, and took George Washington to the tournament last year and likely will again this year.
Bennett has spent his whole career at St. Mary's, including a Sweet 16. He has been to 7 straight postseasons there(4 NCAAs)
Wardle has improved Green Bay 5 years straight since he got there and is on course to make the NCAAs this year for the first time since 96.
Hurley went 19-10 in year 1 and has Buffalo on pace to make the tourney this year for the first time in program history.
Underwood was Frank Martin's top assistant for 8 years. Took over at Stephen F Austin last year and went 32-3 and put out Shaka in the tourney and looks good again this year.
Hurley turned around Wagner in 2 years and has Rhode Island looking like a tournament team for the first time in 15 years.
Everone knows Mack, Floyd, Eustachy, Drew, White, and Prohm's backgrounds...
Murphy was under Boeheim for 8 years. Turned around Eastern Michigan in 3 years and has them at 7-3 currently
Dambrot is famous as Lebron's highschool coach. Been at Akron since 04. 3 NCAAs, 3 NITs, 2 CBIs. Won 22+ every year since 05.
Cluess has been to 2 NCAAs, 1 NIT, and 1 CIT in his 4 years at Iona.

If we dangle $2mil, we can expand this list alot, I'd think. This is just "how I'll assume Strick would go about it" until he proves he's willing to invest in basketball as well...

[Aces High]

How many hot shot coaches that go to elite 8s and sweet 16s at small podunk schools get jobs at a big 5 only to suck. Almost all of them. Why? Im not sure.

I dont care if the guy can coach a lick. In basketball, I want someone who can bring in talent. That is the name of the game.

[dawgs]

Yeah, there's a couple really good options there, just strictly judging by career records and "timeframes of turnarounds".
Jacobson making $450k at Northern Iowa, who he took to a Sweet 16 and has won at a notably higher clip than Greg McDermott did before him.
Miller took Dayton to the Elite 8 last year and has been a top assistant at NC State, Arizona, and Ohio St.
Jans was top assistant to Greg Marshall at Wichita over his whole tenure there before taking over at Bowling Green this year, where he's 9-2 currently.
Lonergan won a D3 title and went to 5 sweet 16s, went 126-68 at Vermont, and took George Washington to the tournament last year and likely will again this year.
Bennett has spent his whole career at St. Mary's, including a Sweet 16. He has been to 7 straight postseasons there(4 NCAAs)
Wardle has improved Green Bay 5 years straight since he got there and is on course to make the NCAAs this year for the first time since 96.
Hurley went 19-10 in year 1 and has Buffalo on pace to make the tourney this year for the first time in program history.
Underwood was Frank Martin's top assistant for 8 years. Took over at Stephen F Austin last year and went 32-3 and put out Shaka in the tourney and looks good again this year.
Hurley turned around Wagner in 2 years and has Rhode Island looking like a tournament team for the first time in 15 years.
Everone knows Mack, Floyd, Eustachy, Drew, White, and Prohm's backgrounds...
Murphy was under Boeheim for 8 years. Turned around Eastern Michigan in 3 years and has them at 7-3 currently
Dambrot is famous as Lebron's highschool coach. Been at Akron since 04. 3 NCAAs, 3 NITs, 2 CBIs. Won 22+ every year since 05.
Cluess has been to 2 NCAAs, 1 NIT, and 1 CIT in his 4 years at Iona.

If we dangle $2mil, we can expand this list alot, I'd think. This is just "how I'll assume Strick would go about it" until he proves he's willing to invest in basketball as well...

We are too toxic for any of them. New Mexico st's 2nd assistant is more our speed. He'll build things the right way.

[thunderclap]

Should I have any hope at all? If we blow the next hire we may as well kiss the program good bye.

If Stricklin is hiring, pucker up.

[engie]

How many hot shot coaches that go to elite 8s and sweet 16s at small podunk schools get jobs at a big 5 only to suck. Almost all of them. Why? Im not sure.

I dont care if the guy can coach a lick. In basketball, I want someone who can bring in talent. That is the name of the game.

Some of them do, but IMO that most often happens when someone grabs coaches off one run in March that makes them a hot name rather than guys that have built programs and sustained success. Basically all of the successful coaches at the power 5(really power 6 and arguably power 7**) were first successful at small schools though, with very few being hired directly into the P5 from assistant jobs...

How many win big strictly by "bringing in talent"? The SEC is loaded with 4* and 5* basketball players and very good basketball coaches. I don't think anyone really knows the answer in how to "solve" the problem down here right now. Anthony Grant has recruited 8 4 and 5* players in the past 4 classes. Jones very similar. It stands to reason that they should win pretty quickly pretty big -- but they haven't thusfar...

[engie]

We are too toxic for any of them. New Mexico st's 2nd assistant is more our speed. He'll build things the right way.

Money talks.

Don't think toxic is the word I'd use for the program anymore...

[MabenMaroon]

Being good offensively and defensively are not mutually exclusive. In fact if we were the pressing, ball hawking D ray promised to bring, we should be creating easy dunks and lay ups.

We are creating dunks and lay ups, this team is missing those as well. Our shooters are effective with the set shot at about the 4' - 6' range, anywhere outside that range they are atrocious.

[defiantdog]

How many hot shot coaches that go to elite 8s and sweet 16s at small podunk schools get jobs at a big 5 only to suck. Almost all of them. Why? Im not sure.

I dont care if the guy can coach a lick. In basketball, I want someone who can bring in talent. That is the name of the game.

This should have closed the thread..... spot on

[runwildjerious]

Been able to watch SF Austin a few times. I came away really impressed with Underwood.

[C222]

Need to just pay $2mil and make a grand slam hire that unites the fanbase and gets people excited on day 1.

Ray Harper would be a good option...
Ben Jacobson
Archie Miller
Chris Jans
Mike Lonergan
Randy Bennett
Make another run at Bryce Drew or Steve Prohm
Brian Wardle
Bobby Hurley
Brad Underwood
Dan Hurley
Chris Mack
Tim Floyd(LOL Bracky)
Eustachy(LOLLLLL Bracky)
Rob Murphy
Keith Dambrot
Michael White(LOLe Miss)
Tim Cluess

These are all guys that we would(should) have had a decent chance of pulling before the new money came in. You make yourself willing to pay $2mil or slightly more, and the pool of potential candidates becomes much larger and "more established" than this...

Would love Mack, Hurley, or White.

We should have hired Richard Pitino 3 years ago.

If you don't care about the coaching and want someone to just bring in talent, Ben Howland is our guy.

[KB21]

We can get a good coach- much better than a Kirby or Pierre- but we have to pay. We can't be tightassed. Pay $2MM and get a damn coach

Well, they offered Steve Prohm $1.8 million the last time, and he turned it down because he knew the situation he was going into. Maybe this time now that drugs aren't rampant on the team and the attitudes are different, we can get someone like Steve Prohm or Bryce Drew. They wouldn't touch this program the last time though.

[Coach34]

Well, they offered Steve Prohm $1.8 million the last time, and he turned it down because he knew the situation he was going into. Maybe this time now that drugs aren't rampant on the team and the attitudes are different, we can get someone like Steve Prohm or Bryce Drew. They wouldn't touch this program the last time though.

True- but we only stepped it up like that after being told no a few times already. The job isnt toxic anymore and has a work ethic- just needs some talent. We can get a good coach if we will step up and pay what's needed

[dawgs]

Well, they offered Steve Prohm $1.8 million the last time, and he turned it down because he knew the situation he was going into. Maybe this time now that drugs aren't rampant on the team and the attitudes are different, we can get someone like Steve Prohm or Bryce Drew. They wouldn't touch this program the last time though.

We should have walked in and made them an offer they couldn't refuse instead of going back and forth and slowly working our way up to $1.8M.

[dawgs]

Money talks.

Don't think toxic is the word I'd use for the program anymore...

I said that 3 years ago and was told it didn't talk enough. And while our roster was in rough shape 3 years ago, I don't think its significantly better right now unless these guys are purposefully playing worse than they are capable of playing. Most of the team was leaving after 2011-2012 anyway, so any new coach could've quickly changed the culture of the roster.

[KB21]

True- but we only stepped it up like that after being told no a few times already. The job isnt toxic anymore and has a work ethic- just needs some talent. We can get a good coach if we will step up and pay what's needed

I agree that the job isn't toxic any longer, and the players we have have a great work ethic. Still, I think it is going to be difficult to bring in a strong coach without taking a major chance. We are going to have to convince a successful mid major coach to take this job. Let's face the fact that outside of Kentucky and Florida, the SEC in basketball is the equivalent of the AAC in football.

[engie]

I said that 3 years ago and was told it didn't talk enough. And while our roster was in rough shape 3 years ago, I don't think its significantly better right now unless these guys are purposefully playing worse than they are capable of playing. Most of the team was leaving after 2011-2012 anyway, so any new coach could've quickly changed the culture of the roster.

We've got twice the money we had 3 years ago...

Stricklin just has to invest here. It's to the point that it will cost us more not to and to bleed what little is left of our fanbase than it does to go ahead and drop the $$ and get the donations/fans back. If Auburn can hire Bruce Pearl, we can make a splash, grand slam hire. If we're not going to put forward the $$ to truly fix it this time, we might as well put it in a box and bury it...

[dawgs]

We've got twice the money we had 3 years ago...

Stricklin just has to invest here. It's to the point that it will cost us more not to and to bleed what little is left of our fanbase than it does to go ahead and drop the $$ and get the donations/fans back. If Auburn can hire Bruce Pearl, we can make a splash, grand slam hire. If we're not going to put forward the $$ to truly fix it this time, we might as well put it in a box and bury it...

We had the money 3 years ago and knew that the secn was around the corner to bring more of it.

[Dawgfan77]

It's going to cost us 10 million over the next 4 years to upgrade coaches. My understanding is scott renewed ray another year after year 1 so Ray still has two years on his contract and I doubt we negotiated a buyout less than 2mil. Should we go out and hire a coach at 2 a year and give them a 4 yr deal then we just invested in bb. I for one think scott will let ray get next year them make a move. But that will kill out program. Scott stuck his neck out for ray and he may pay the price as well

[Dawgface]

It's going to cost us 10 million over the next 4 years to upgrade coaches. My understanding is scott renewed ray another year after year 1 so Ray still has two years on his contract and I doubt we negotiated a buyout less than 2mil. Should we go out and hire a coach at 2 a year and give them a 4 yr deal then we just invested in bb. I for one think scott will let ray get next year them make a move. But that will kill out program. Scott stuck his neck out for ray and he may pay the price as well

If he let's Ray stay through next year, the only ones that will be at the game are the coaches wives and players parents. That's assuming we stay at the same shit level and there is no reason to think the team will improve.

[Outside Dawg]

I like Archie Miller a lot. He had been good at Dayton and a top assistant at good programs. His brother Sean at Arizona is one of the best in the business. Maybe we can use some sort of Ninja/Stricklin/Sean/Archie connection to pull it off.

[engie]

You are the only person with the understanding of an extension. It's not written anywhere out there in any articles or anything that I can find, and no one close to the program will confirm it ever happened...

If Strick extended him, that last million should come out of his pocket.

[Dawg61]

Why does the hire have to come from the D1 pool? There's a ton of very good coaches that are assistants in the NBA right now.

[Goat from MSU]

If true this has to be one well kept secert. If it is true then Strick needs to be gone to . As I stated before one big dumbass move.
You are the only person with the understanding of an extension. It's not written anywhere out there in any articles or anything that I can find, and no one close to the program will confirm it ever happened...

If Strick extended him, that last million should come out of his pocket.

[yjnkdawg]

It's going to cost us 10 million over the next 4 years to upgrade coaches. My understanding is scott renewed ray another year after year 1 so Ray still has two years on his contract and I doubt we negotiated a buyout less than 2mil. Should we go out and hire a coach at 2 a year and give them a 4 yr deal then we just invested in bb. I for one think scott will let ray get next year them make a move. But that will kill out program. Scott stuck his neck out for ray and he may pay the price as well

If for some unfounded reason, there was an extension given, there was no thought process involved, and somebody dropped the ball.. How could anybody, say "well done, and we are going to give you an extension", based upon the lack of progress in our basketball rebuilding project

[engie]

Why does the hire have to come from the D1 pool? There's a ton of very good coaches that are assistants in the NBA right now.

It very well could if it's a good fit for us. Give some names and we can discuss...

[HereComesTheSpiral]

Why does the hire have to come from the D1 pool? There's a ton of very good coaches that are assistants in the NBA right now.

I would think they wouldn't want to come down and then do the recruiting thing.

[Acid mouth]

I for one think scott will let ray get next year them make a move. But that will kill out program. Scott stuck his neck out for ray and he may pay the price as well

Barring a miraculous recovery (or signing Malik), Ray should be done at State after this season. This team is capable of going 8-8 in the SEC. If we finish 6-10 or worse and Ray comes back, the university should be sued for conduct detrimental to the university and we should be placed on probation for lack of institutional control. Last time I checked, underperforming will get you fired in MBK at State. Ray shouldn't be treated any different.

[smootness]

Barring a miraculous recovery (or signing Malik), Ray should be done at State after this season. This team is capable of going 8-8 in the SEC. If we finish 6-10 or worse and Ray comes back, the university should be sued for conduct detrimental to the university and we should be placed on probation for lack of institutional control. Last time I checked, underperforming will get you fired in MBK at State. Ray shouldn't be treated any different.

I am now getting on board with this. He now has a team that shouldn't be an embarrassment, and if things continue in the direction they've been going, it will be obviously he can't get it done.

[Goat from MSU]

The search must be done right this time ,even if taken out of the AD hands everyone must be on the same page and I mean everyone.
I am now getting on board with this. He now has a team that shouldn't be an embarrassment, and if things continue in the direction they've been going, it will be obviously he can't get it done.

[Dawg61]

There's 18 games in the SEC season now since adding aTm and Mizzou.

[Dawg61]

The search must be done right this time ,even if taken out of the AD hands everyone must be on the same page and I mean everyone.

Can we put Dan Mullen in charge of the hire? Serious question. Mullen has ties to Florida and Ohio State. In two phone calls Mullen would be talking to a highly recommended replacement.

[Political Hack]

Well, they offered Steve Prohm $1.8 million the last time, and he turned it down because he knew the situation he was going into. Maybe this time now that drugs aren't rampant on the team and the attitudes are different, we can get someone like Steve Prohm or Bryce Drew. They wouldn't touch this program the last time though.

the "situation" was manufactured by the coaches association because Strick was smart enough to flip them the bird when they suggested coaches. If he would've spent 8 hours interviewing a couple of their guys it would've been totally different. Instead they did their part to label us as a toxic program with no chance to win. Strick made his bed and now he's sleeping in it.

[engie]

I am now getting on board with this. He now has a team that shouldn't be an embarrassment, and if things continue in the direction they've been going, it will be obviously he can't get it done.

This would be far more unanimous across our fanbase than the Stansbury removal was...

Even if Strick still thinks Ray can get it done, I just don't see how he can justify a 3rd bad year. 2 is easily justifiable in a rebuild. 3 is not. I can't imagine the fanbase getting any farther gone than it currently is -- but keeping Ray for a 4th year if he isn't at least .500 in the SEC this year -- and we will put that theory to the test...