end of season coaches being let go

vufan75 · March 25, 2013, 01:20:59 PM

Rumor has it Tubby Smith let go at Minnesota. Too bad IMO, seemed like a good coach wherever he went. Maybe he can join the Valpo staff and get in the Valpo head coach succession plan!

valpotx · March 25, 2013, 02:05:49 PM

Wow, that is very dumb of the Gophers...

valporun · March 25, 2013, 02:23:13 PM

That was a shocking move, but I guess the Gophers expected the Kentucky Tubby Smith, not a Tubby Smith that was going to take its time, but Minnesota is a tough sell during hockey season.
Now Ben Howland was always in the tough position of "How are you going to be like John Wooden?" That's a tough recruiting issue when most California kids only hear the history of UCLA basketball, and think of Bill Walton not as one of the UCLA basketball players during Wooden's time, but as that quirky, kooky, Dead-head guy on ESPN with the goofy speaking voice.

I doubt Howland or Smith are unemployed long, either as assistants somewhere, or at lower programs than they were at this season. Maybe see Howland in Minnesota and Smith manning the sideline at Pauley Pavilion?

valpotx · March 25, 2013, 04:10:52 PM

Interesting development that Matt Graves was hired at South Alabama as the HC. Congrats to him:

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9096549/butler-bulldogs-matthew-graves-hired-south-alabama-jaguars-report-says

VULB#62 · March 25, 2013, 08:02:03 PM

See earlier post of same in Butler string.

vu72 · March 25, 2013, 08:09:00 PM

So much for a succession plan at Butler. Seems to me that Matt was next in line. Perhaps Stevens made it clear to Matt that he wasn't going anywhere...who know.

valporun · March 26, 2013, 11:18:13 AM

I would have to agree with you there, 72. With Butler being in the new Big East, why would Stevens leave? Graves saw the writing on the wall, and "rather than dig his Grave", he went to a "greener pasture". Good luck to him at South Alabama.

LaPorteAveApostle · March 26, 2013, 11:25:00 AM

Quote from: valporun on March 26, 2013, 11:18:13 AM"rather than dig his Grave", he went to a "greener pasture".

....bbtds, did you hack run's account again?

valporun · March 26, 2013, 12:42:47 PM

Apostle, bbtds didn't hack my account. I knowingly typed that post.

I just read this blog from Eamonn Brennan of ESPN.com about why it was time for Tubby Smith to go, and it most likely could be written the same way for Ben Howland at UCLA, or any coach that is fired for reasons that aren't record based.

Link:
http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/81798/for-tubby-smith-and-gophers-it-was-time

bbtds · March 26, 2013, 02:28:46 PM

Quote from: valporun on March 26, 2013, 12:42:47 PMI just read this blog from Eamonn Brennan of ESPN.com about why it was time for Tubby Smith to go, and it most likely could be written the same way for Ben Howland at UCLA, or any coach that is fired for reasons that aren't record based.

Link:
http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/81798/for-tubby-smith-and-gophers-it-was-time

You're standing 15 feet from these 18- to 22-year-olds during games, you get approximately 453 timeouts per every 40 minutes of basketball,

If you think Bryce called a lot of timeouts look at Tubby......453 timeouts per 40 minutes of basketball........wow!

Maybe Graves didn't see the writing on the wall, maybe he saw the writing in a crop circle since he is going to "greener pastures" and "not digging his own grave." Of course some cemeteries have the greenest pastures I know.

valpotx · March 26, 2013, 05:17:22 PM

University of Buffalo hires Bobby Hurley:

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9101359/buffalo-bulls-hire-former-duke-blue-devils-star-bobby-hurley-coach

zvillehaze · March 26, 2013, 10:37:35 PM

Quote from: vu72 on March 25, 2013, 08:09:00 PM
So much for a succession plan at Butler. Seems to me that Matt was next in line. Perhaps Stevens made it clear to Matt that he wasn't going anywhere...who know.

Great move for Matthew and congrats to him. USA was around 150 RPI this year (a smidge better than UWGB) and returns the conference POY. The facilities are very good, with a dedicated practice facility to go with a fairly new 10,000 seat arena with suites. Great opportunity for a great guy ... hope he does well.

As an aside, I think that helping his top assistant move on like that means that Stevens isn't planning to go anywhere soon. At least that's my take!

valporun · March 27, 2013, 11:54:44 AM

zvillehaze, you might be right about that prediction with Stevens helping Graves get the head coaching job at South Alabama. I don't think Stevens is going anywhere for awhile, especially now that Butler is in the new Big East. Why would he go anywhere else? He's been a part of the reason for Butler getting to this position.

FWalum · March 27, 2013, 12:12:11 PM

I to think zvillehaze is correct and that Stevens has really solidified a long term position at Butler. If I was coaching at that level I think that is were I would want to be, tradition rich programs that historically have valued academics, the student athlete and had longer term coaches. This is a teaching job and I think he enjoys that aspect of coaching. Much more pressure in the big BCS conferences.

StlVUFan · March 27, 2013, 12:17:50 PM

Quote from: FWalum on March 27, 2013, 12:12:11 PM
I to think zvillehaze is correct and that Stevens has really solidified a long term position at Butler. If I was coaching at that level I think that is were I would want to be, tradition rich programs that historically have valued academics, the student athlete and had longer term coaches. This is a teaching job and I think he enjoys that aspect of coaching. Much more pressure in the big BCS conferences.

And, his team is now in one of those big BCS conferences anyway.

FWalum · March 27, 2013, 01:18:22 PM

Quote from: StlVUFan on March 27, 2013, 12:17:50 PMAnd, his team is now in one of those big BCS conferences anyway.

I am not sure that is the case. The New Big East sans football probably would not be considered a BCS conference. I think that distinction would go with the Old Big East whatever their new name will be. Actually I am not sure that the term BCS will even be relevant anymore with all of this movement.

valporun · March 27, 2013, 02:05:15 PM

Considering the BCS moniker is only appropriate for football, why not give the "high majors" a better, more basketball appropriate moniker? Maybe NBA feeders vs. the NBDL/European feeders?

LaPorteAveApostle · March 27, 2013, 02:17:14 PM

Quote from: valporun on March 27, 2013, 02:05:15 PMNBA feeders vs. the NBDL/European feeders

vs. Burger King Ass't. Mgr feeders vs. HS coaching feeders... we need one for each level.

VULB#62 · March 28, 2013, 06:30:18 AM

This one is staying. Shaka Smart signed another extension at VCU to 2023 and nixed interest from UCLA and Minnesota. He's at $1.5 million now. Interesting quote in USAToday on what the extesion negotiations centered on:

"Talks this week focused less on compensation and more on program enhancements -- such as chartered flights, training table, video system upgrades and weight room upgrades, the person said. Smart also wanted more compensation for his staff, the person added."

I'm thinking that if Bryce has another good year, while not at Smart's pay grade, he might want to renegotiate his contract and I wouldn't be surprised if the meat of it wasn't along the same lines as above.