Just watched Ben Howland's 10/28 press conference

[gravedigger]

If you are even a CASUAL follower of basketball you will understand that we are about to be DAMN good. I'm not talking about this season in which we could be damn good.

I mean we are about to be so good beyond next season that it may take a special fund raising to be able to keep him. BUT if we do not have THAT ATTITUDE about keeping this man it will be a tragedy. I love football season and all we've enjoyed. I love baseball because I played it and I was a bullpup in the early days of polk and appreciate everything baseball has meant to MSU.

I love Bailey Howell, Richard Williams success, Stansbury's success, and all that msu basketball has risen to be in the past.

But this man Howland is about to take us to places we are not familiar with. And we better be ready to pay for it.

He knows basketball. This isn't about the talent he brings in. This is about having a basketball mind that will change out entire way of thinking.

Yea. I know. Say what you will. He is the real deal. Just get ready to open the wallet.

[Coach34]

We have the money- only an idiot wouldnt pay it

[MSUDawg4Life]

If he takes us to where we haven't been, then paying him won't be a problem.

[Dawg61]

Howland will get paid

[Homedawg]

Yea but he's an Adidas guy and Adidas sucks. **

[smootness]

If you are even a CASUAL follower of basketball you will understand that we are about to be DAMN good. I'm not talking about this season in which we could be damn good.

I mean we are about to be so good beyond next season that it may take a special fund raising to be able to keep him. BUT if we do not have THAT ATTITUDE about keeping this man it will be a tragedy. I love football season and all we've enjoyed. I love baseball because I played it and I was a bullpup in the early days of polk and appreciate everything baseball has meant to MSU.

I love Bailey Howell, Richard Williams success, Stansbury's success, and all that msu basketball has risen to be in the past.

But this man Howland is about to take us to places we are not familiar with. And we better be ready to pay for it.

He knows basketball. This isn't about the talent he brings in. This is about having a basketball mind that will change out entire way of thinking.

Yea. I know. Say what you will. He is the real deal. Just get ready to open the wallet.

Agree with every word of this. We have a legitimate chance to win a national title with him as coach. He is at that level.

[starkvegasdawg]

What's his salary now and what are the salaries of the basketball elites? Just wondering what the gap is if he does what we expect him to do.

[smootness]

What's his salary now and what are the salaries of the basketball elites? Just wondering what the gap is if he does what we expect him to do.

Howland - $2.05 million/year

Izzo - just under $4 million/year
Self - between $4-5 million/year
Calipari - $6.5 million/year
Coach K - almost $10 million/year

[Perpetual Underachiever]

If you are even a CASUAL follower of basketball you will understand that we are about to be DAMN good. I'm not talking about this season in which we could be damn good.

I mean we are about to be so good beyond next season that it may take a special fund raising to be able to keep him. BUT if we do not have THAT ATTITUDE about keeping this man it will be a tragedy. I love football season and all we've enjoyed. I love baseball because I played it and I was a bullpup in the early days of polk and appreciate everything baseball has meant to MSU.

I love Bailey Howell, Richard Williams success, Stansbury's success, and all that msu basketball has risen to be in the past.

But this man Howland is about to take us to places we are not familiar with. And we better be ready to pay for it.

He knows basketball. This isn't about the talent he brings in. This is about having a basketball mind that will change out entire way of thinking.

Yea. I know. Say what you will. He is the real deal. Just get ready to open the wallet.

Agreed 100%. To say "I'm impressed" would be severely downplaying how I feel about him. Confidence, professionalism, knowledge of the game, etc. I could go on and on. No disrespect to our former coach, whose name I've forgotten, but Coach Howland is taking us from a JV HS girls ball to Final Four ball. He is an x's & o's wizard, an elite NATIONAL recruiter, and he understands that SEC basketball is a multimillion dollar business and as our pseudo CEO/COO he is responsible for product we deliver. I hope that we are forced to renegotiate his contract next summer after a long March... I'm all in on Howland.

[Thompson92]

1) We have some of the better college basketball facilities in the nation.
2) He's already seen that he can have success recruiting great players at MSU, and that's before he's played a single game. Imagine what it'll be like after a couple of good seasons.
3) The fan support has been great in the past. For Stansbury's teams, none of which made it past the 2nd round, the Hump was rockin. Season ticket sales seem to indicate it could be that way again.
4) Those of you in the know say we have the money to make him happy.

All of that makes me think he's here to stay. Why go somewhere else when you can do everything you want to do here?
Maybe I just have maroon colored glasses on.

[Maroon_and_white]

Howland - $2.05 million/year

Izzo - just under $4 million/year
Self - between $4-5 million/year
Calipari - $6.5 million/year
Coach K - almost $10 million/year

wow Coach K makes 10 mil a year.

[starkvegasdawg]

Howland - $2.05 million/year

Izzo - just under $4 million/year
Self - between $4-5 million/year
Calipari - $6.5 million/year
Coach K - almost $10 million/year

6.5 mil will buy a lot of high class hookers.

[thunderclap]

Honestly, I'm still kind of stunned when I see the words "Howland" and "Mississippi State" together.

[smootness]

Honestly, I'm still kind of stunned when I see the words "Howland" and "Mississippi State" together.

Agreed. I was looking at De'Ron Davis' profile, and seeing us up there with Indiana and Arizona just looks weird...then you look at who is recruiting him from each school, and you see Tom Crean and Sean Miller and the instinct is to think, 'Well, we don't belong in this group.' But then you look and the other coach is 'Ben Howland'. It's still hard to process. I mean, he's the biggest name of the 3, and he's at Mississippi State. Crazy.

[Dawg-gone-dawgs]

Does Davis remind anyone else of Arnett Moultrie? Something about him reminds me of him.

[DancingRabbit]

Here's the video of the PC


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99uSY4c8bWs

[Dawg61]

Howland is going to get paid but remember that paying him 3-4 mill a year means raising Dan's pay once again. That will put MSU close to top 10 overall salaries for basketball and football which means Cohen will also get a raise as will Schaefer. Calling for Howland to get more cheese effects a lot more than just Howland who definitely deserves more cheese. Pretty sure Howland already makes more than Stansbury and he's already proven he's worth it.

[smootness]

Howland is going to get paid but remember that paying him 3-4 mill a year means raising Dan's pay once again. That will put MSU close to top 10 overall salaries for basketball and football which means Cohen will also get a raise as will Schaefer. Calling for Howland to get more cheese effects a lot more than just Howland who definitely deserves more cheese. Pretty sure Howland already makes more than Stansbury and he's already proven he's worth it.

Why would it impact any other coaches? Our salaries should reflect success. If you want a significant raise, do something special.

[MSUDawg4Life]

I just wanted to say Vic Schaefer's press conference was just as good. If not better. The job he's done since he's been here is incredible.

[MaroonFlounder]

What was the starting salary for Howland here?

Never mind. I missed it in earlier comment.

[smootness]

What was the starting salary for Howland here?

$2.05 million/year.......

[Bubb Rubb]

I love his comments about zone defense.

[Dawg61]

Why would it impact any other coaches? Our salaries should reflect success. If you want a significant raise, do something special.

Salaries also reflect how much money a sport brings in. Paying Howland the same as Mullen won't fly because football brings in 25x more money. I'm sure Howland will get a significant bump after this year.

[smootness]

Salaries also reflect how much money a sport brings in. Paying Howland the same as Mullen won't fly because football brings in 25x more money. I'm sure Howland will get a significant bump after this year.

I understand it in relation to Mullen but not to Cohen and Schaefer.

[BrunswickDawg]

I just wanted to say Vic Schaefer's press conference was just as good. If not better. The job he's done since he's been here is incredible.

They way Schaefer is building things, we may need to start referring to our "Big 4 Sports" more instead of the "Big 3"

[smootness]

They way Schaefer is building things, we may need to start referring to our "Big 4 Sports" more instead of the "Big 3"

Can we just stop for a second and appreciate Scott Stricklin? I've never seen a guy so unfairly criticized in my life. He is a phenomenal AD who has done incredible things. I realize he didn't hire Mullen or Cohen, but he has given them tons of support and allowed them to stay and flourish. And his other hires have been pretty amazing. Sure, he didn't hit on Ray, but he sure did hit on the next one.

[BrunswickDawg]

Can we just stop for a second and appreciate Scott Stricklin? I've never seen a guy so unfairly criticized in my life. He is a phenomenal AD who has done incredible things. I realize he didn't hire Mullen or Cohen, but he has given them tons of support and allowed them to stay and flourish. And his other hires have been pretty amazing. Sure, he didn't hit on Ray, but he sure did hit on the next one.
+1

[Dawg61]

I understand it in relation to Mullen but not to Cohen and Schaefer.

Cohen because MSU takes pride in claiming it's an elite job for baseball and Schaefer because he's already taken the women to their highest ranking ever I think. Schaefer getting a raise would make more sense to you I think if he was a woman but basically if you increase all the salaries in men's sports you have to also increase the HC pay for women's sports. You can't discriminate against Schaefer because he's a man coaching a women's sport when he'd get a raise if he was a women. That's reverse discrimination. Basically if you increase the men's basketball coach's head salary you have to increase the women's head coach salary. Which is deserved. So (and I'm in favor of this) say we bump Howland to $3 mill we will also be bumping Mullen to $4.5 and bumping Cohen & Schaeffer $200k+. I'm no contract lawyer though.

[smootness]

Cohen because MSU takes pride in claiming it's an elite job for baseball and Schaefer because he's already taken the women to their highest ranking ever I think. Schaefer getting a raise would make more sense to you I think if he was a woman but basically if you increase all the salaries in men's sports you have to also increase the HC pay for women's sports. You can't discriminate against Schaefer because he's a man coaching a women's sport when he'd get a raise if he was a women. That's reverse discrimination. Basically if you increase the men's basketball coach's head salary you have to increase the women's head coach salary. Which is deserved. So (and I'm in favor of this) say we bump Howland to $3 mill we will also be bumping Mullen to $4.5 and bumping Cohen & Schaeffer $200k+. I'm no contract lawyer though.

What the heck? No, I'm not saying I don't see why Schaefer would get a raise because he's a man and not a woman. Good grief, man.

If Howland takes us to new heights and brings increased revenue, and if he gets other job offers, his salary should increase.

If Schaefer takes us to new heights and brings increased revenue, and if he gets other job offers, his salary should increase.

If Cohen takes us to new heights and brings increased revenue, and if he gets other job offers, his salary should increase.

None of them should increase because of what another sport does. Yes, we want to be seen as an elite job in baseball. So Cohen should be paid like it's an elite job. But if he's already being paid like that, what does it matter if the men's basketball coach's salary goes up? Is another HC or AC not going to come to State for baseball because, while he would be making more than another job, that other job's MBK coach is making less relative to the baseball coach? Of course not.

There's no discrimination here. Each coach should be paid what they deserve, or what it takes to keep them. Period. There is no discrimination because the men's basketball coach's salary goes up but the women's coach's doesn't, unless they are both having similar success and bringing in similar revenues. Howland and Schaefer are not both coaching one single sport called 'basketball' at State. One is coaching one sport, the other is coaching another.

Why didn't we increase all our other coach salaries when Mullen got a raise?

[Dawg61]

Can we just stop for a second and appreciate Scott Stricklin? I've never seen a guy so unfairly criticized in my life. He is a phenomenal AD who has done incredible things. I realize he didn't hire Mullen or Cohen, but he has given them tons of support and allowed them to stay and flourish. And his other hires have been pretty amazing. Sure, he didn't hit on Ray, but he sure did hit on the next one.


Because of Ray we were able to hire Howland. I will forever be thankful for Rick Ray because he sucked so much we could justify firing him for Howland. Ray didn't suck at keeping the cupboard mostly full for Howland too.

[ScottH]

$2.05 million/year.......

The list I read earlier this summer had him around #30 in the country.

[Dawg61]

What the heck? No, I'm not saying I don't see why Schaefer would get a raise because he's a man and not a woman. Good grief, man.

If Howland takes us to new heights and brings increased revenue, and if he gets other job offers, his salary should increase.

If Schaefer takes us to new heights and brings increased revenue, and if he gets other job offers, his salary should increase.

If Cohen takes us to new heights and brings increased revenue, and if he gets other job offers, his salary should increase.

None of them should increase because of what another sport does. Yes, we want to be seen as an elite job in baseball. So Cohen should be paid like it's an elite job. But if he's already being paid like that, what does it matter if the men's basketball coach's salary goes up? Is another HC or AC not going to come to State for baseball because, while he would be making more than another job, that other job's MBK coach is making less relative to the baseball coach? Of course not.

There's no discrimination here. Each coach should be paid what they deserve, or what it takes to keep them. Period. There is no discrimination because the men's basketball coach's salary goes up but the women's coach's doesn't, unless they are both having similar success and bringing in similar revenues. Howland and Schaefer are not both coaching one single sport called 'basketball' at State. One is coaching one sport, the other is coaching another.

Why didn't we increase all our other coach salaries when Mullen got a raise?

When's the last time Schaeffer got a raise? His team is ranked #11 in the country right now. Better give him a raise FIRST before bumping Howland. I'm all for bumping Howland too but he hasn't had his first game yet.

[Coach34]

Sure, he didn't hit on Ray, but he sure did hit on the next one.

Howland was handed to him

[smootness]

When's the last time Schaeffer got a raise? His team is ranked #11 in the country right now. Better give him a raise FIRST before bumping Howland. I'm all for bumping Howland too but he hasn't had his first game yet.

I'm all for giving Schaefer a raise, believe me. But it's because I think he's doing a great job. It should have nothing to do with whether or not Howland gets a raise.

[DancingRabbit]

When's the last time Schaeffer got a raise? His team is ranked #11 in the country right now. Better give him a raise FIRST before bumping Howland. I'm all for bumping Howland too but he hasn't had his first game yet.

Vic Schaefer's initial contract paid him $275K per year. We extended him this past spring with his new 4-year contract averaging $662K per year.

[smootness]

Howland was handed to him

And why is that? Who worked out the deal with Adidas that gave us the position to get a coach like that?

I'm just sick of our fans trying to make excuses for why nothing is credited to Stricklin despite the fact that our athletic department has never been better, and just about every sport we have is either in its best position ever, or close to it. He is a great AD.

Our fans like to believe he's just some country bumpkin who has no clue what he's doing, yet somehow just lucks his way into great things in every sport. It's ridiculous.

[Dawg61]

And why is that? Who worked out the deal with Adidas that gave us the position to get a coach like that?

I'm just sick of our fans trying to make excuses for why nothing is credited to Stricklin despite the fact that our athletic department has never been better, and just about every sport we have is either in its best position ever, or close to it. He is a great AD.

Our fans like to believe he's just some country bumpkin who has no clue what he's doing, yet somehow just lucks his way into great things in every sport. It's ridiculous.

Don't go rogue on the previous basketball hire and you won't have fans being skeptical to sing your praises

[smootness]

Don't go rogue on the previous basketball hire and you won't have fans being skeptical to sing your praises

Who cares about that? At worst, it's one hit on a track record with all big pluses elsewhere. Compare that to any other AD. People still love Jeremy Foley as an AD, and he keeps making bad hire after bad hire.

At best, it was a Croom situation in which an in-between guy was necessary to clean some things up and remove the stench from the program.

Regardless, look where we sit now. Anyone who can't give Stricklin credit for that is simply biased against him.

[Liverpooldawg]

Don't go rogue on the previous basketball hire and you won't have fans being skeptical to sing your praises

He didn't go rogue. We were scraping the bottom of the barrel, almost literally, because no one wanted the job.

[Dawg61]

He didn't go rogue. We were scraping the bottom of the barrel, almost literally, because no one wanted the job.

He went rogue. FGCU coach wanted our job. Payne wanted our job. Kermit wanted our job. Cunningham wanted our job. Davis wanted our job. Hell Richard Williams would of taken the job again. SS went rogue. Quit acting like he didn't.

[Dawg61]

Who cares about that? At worst, it's one hit on a track record with all big pluses elsewhere. Compare that to any other AD. People still love Jeremy Foley as an AD, and he keeps making bad hire after bad hire.

At best, it was a Croom situation in which an in-between guy was necessary to clean some things up and remove the stench from the program.

Regardless, look where we sit now. Anyone who can't give Stricklin credit for that is simply biased against him.

If it had been left upto SS to handle we would still have Ray today. He was more than content to continue to let our BBall program rot.

[smootness]

If it had been left upto SS to handle we would still have Ray today. He was more than content to continue to let our BBall program rot.

K.

[Dawg61]

K.

Where am I wrong? You actually believe SS seeked out Howland before firing Ray? Hell no. Howland was a gift GIVEN to SS. If that gift never happens do you actually think SS still fires Ray? Hell no once again. That's why nobody is sucking SS's dick right now. Left to him we'd still have a steaming pile of Ray leading our BBall program today.

[maroonmania]

He went rogue. FGCU coach wanted our job. Payne wanted our job. Kermit wanted our job. Cunningham wanted our job. Davis wanted our job. Hell Richard Williams would of taken the job again. SS went rogue. Quit acting like he didn't.

I will agree with you on this one and I can only hope that SS learned his lesson. But yes, the ONLY support Rick Ray had of being our coach from day 1 was from SS, nobody had heard of him or wanted him. The lack of fan support followed which was justified given the poor product he put on the court.

[PassInterference]

Howland was handed to him

Any time Adidas wants to put another profane phrase on our jersey and make up for it like this, I'm good with that.

[Coach34]

Something else Ive heard:

SS has been put on notice about Cohen. He better respond this Spring or SS will be informed about who our next beisball coach will be.

[Coursesuper]

SS had very little if any part of Howland,
And spot on on Cohen.

[gravedigger]

Something else Ive heard:

SS has been put on notice about Cohen. He better respond this Spring or SS will be informed about who our next beisball coach will be.

Would that be escalated by the fact that we may have just hired a guy ready to be a head coach?

[MSUDawg4Life]

John Cohen is not going anywhere.

The team will be better this year and there's not a college baseball equivalent of Ben Howland out there waiting for a job.

Not to mention recruiting is looking very good.

[Coach34]

John Cohen is not going anywhere.

The team will be better this year and there's not a college baseball equivalent of Ben Howland out there waiting for a job.

Not to mention recruiting is looking very good.

If Cohen does not make the NCAA's- he's gone. Do I think he will miss the NCAA's? No....Cohen's problem is that alot of people dont like him- and I'm talking people with real money. Any chance to get rid of him will be taken

[MSUDawg4Life]

If Cohen does not make the NCAA's- he's gone. Do I think he will miss the NCAA's? No....Cohen's problem is that alot of people dont like him- and I'm talking people with real money. Any chance to get rid of him will be taken

I don't doubt that.

I just think he's going to break those folk's hearts. I think he's going to be good this year and possibly the foreseeable future.

But, I don't doubt some people don't like him.

[Coursesuper]

Would that be escalated by the fact that we may have just hired a guy ready to be a head coach?

This is way deeper than any of that. But he better make it to the post season.

[smootness]

Please enlighten me on who these brilliant unseen people are who have brought our athletic department to this point. And why they just now became brilliant.

Or on why Stricklin still has a job if he does nothing. Or how he was able to hire Ray against everyone's wishes but unable to keep him or to hire someone besides Howland.

Everything in the past was LT's fault, but nothing in the present is credited to Stricklin.

Pick an argument, but all of this is contradictory.

[shoeless joe]

If Cohen does not make the NCAA's- he's gone. Do I think he will miss the NCAA's? No....Cohen's problem is that alot of people dont like him- and I'm talking people with real money. Any chance to get rid of him will be taken

I don't disagree with what you're saying at all...hell I know one of 'em. But these people are dumbasses in regards to this.

[Coach34]

Please enlighten me on who these brilliant unseen people are who have brought our athletic department to this point. And why they just now became brilliant.

Or on why Stricklin still has a job if he does nothing. Or how he was able to hire Ray against everyone's wishes but unable to keep him or to hire someone besides Howland.

Everything in the past was LT's fault, but nothing in the present is credited to Stricklin.

Pick an argument, but all of this is contradictory.

Picking coaches at State has been an interesting process between the AD and the money guys.

LT was given some leeway on picking a football coach for awhile- but as it dragged on and people lost faith in LT- Dr Z took it out of his hands. Z was not about to name Bobby Wallace as the next football coach at State. He had a chance to hire Sherrill- and he over rode LT.

LT wanted to hire Dwayne Reboul instead of Stands when Williams had to "retire". Stands had the Big Boys convinced he was the guy- LT was overidden

Strick got a shot and hired Rick Ray- he wont be given another chance. He was told he was going to hire Howland- and if Cohen has to be replaced- he will likely be told who to hire there. Thats why we have a council that meets with the President and AD fairly regularly