Northwestern job

[VULB#62]

The TV camera shots during the title game showed a great following in the jammed stands.  Actually, friends out here commented on the size and atmosphere of the ARC -- you guys out there are more familiar with the warts.  Upgrading and modernizing that atmosphere (especially creating super student sections at the baselines and popping out the area over the chair backs + the redo of concessions, lavatory facilities, etc.) is a great way to say to Bryce:  "Stick around a couple more years -- enjoy the ride."  It also creates a bit of an obligation, and Bryce's conscience might now allow him to ignore that.

[crusadermoe]

Yep.   Bubbling up the coach vacancies is good leverage to get some more facilities.    If there was ever a time to raise athletics money for VU in the community, this is it.   Don't miss this train like we did in 1998.

I'm seeing a southern job in Bryce's future down the line and I'm not sure which one.   He met his wife in Louisiana and I think his low key family-values Christian worldview blends better in the south.   

Since he flirted with Mississippi State, I would look for him to look south.  Maybe Vanderbilt, LSU,  Alabama, SMU or Rice.   Ole Miss would just be too ironic.

[VULB#62]

Of those, Vandy or Rice would be my bets.  Both great schools with great academic reps and tremendous commitments to athletics.  And I just noticed that Vandy begins with "V"  Imagine that?

[setshot]

We've got an opening at Ga. Southern. Good conf.(Davidson),great weather and a state funded school. Come on Down!

[vu72]

Of those, Vandy or Rice would be my bets.  Both great schools with great academic reps and tremendous commitments to athletics.  And I just noticed that Vandy begins with "V"  Imagine that?

uh, "tremendous commitment to athletics" ?  Well, commitment is one thing, results quite another.  Rice: 5-26  Vandy: 14-16.  We even have a Rice transfer on the team who apparently wanted to escape their "commitment"! 

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Good conf.(Davidson)

[walldozer]

[/quote]

Not arguing your point at all. 

On a side note though, regardless of what the formula is, or who put the list together, I have a hard time taking seriously a conference ranking list that puts the Mountain West Conference above the Big Ten.  That just does not pass the eye test.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

It's RPI, so no crazy formula.

And I was skeptical too, but I was shocked by clicking on the MWC.

http://www.rpiforecast.com/confs/B10.html

http://www.rpiforecast.com/confs/MWC.html

There's only 9 in the MWC as opposed to the 12 in the B1G.  The 8th team in the B1G is even with the 7th in the MWC.

Average RPI of the top 1/3 of each conference: 
MWC 13    B1G 10
Middle 1/3:
MWC 47.7  B1G 46.5
Bottom 1/3
MWC 125 B1G 142.7

Average RPI
MWC 61.9 B1G 66.42

Let's put it this way:  the weakest team in the MWC (9th) would be equal to UIC (our 5th), and the next worst (8th) would be better than Wright (our 3rd!!!).

And the team average in the MWC is almost as high as we are.  gulp.gif

So they're close every step of the way, but it's the bottom 1/3 that pulls the B1G below, because in OOC record:
B1G: 121-31 (79.61%)
MWC: 87-26 (76.99%)

Seriously--I crunched the numbers and I still hardly believe it!

As a3uge would say "rpi is weird."

[agibson]

On a side note though, regardless of what the formula is, or who put the list together, I have a hard time taking seriously a conference ranking list that puts the Mountain West Conference above the Big Ten.  That just does not pass the eye test.

I'm no huge defender of the RPI.  But, don't forget, here we're looking at conference average numbers.

The Big Ten have Purdue, Nebraska, Northwestern, and Penn State dragging them down (4 of 12).  The Mountain West only has Fresno State and Nevada (2 of 9).

(But, indeed, by Sagarin the Mountain West is 5th to the Big Ten's #1.)

[walldozer]

OK, point taken on the computer number crunching.

Now the eye test

B1G                                                     Mountain West Conference
#3 Indiana 14-4 -- 26-5                                  #15 New Mexico 13-3 -- 27-5
#8 Michigan State 13-5 --24-7                               Colorado State 11-5 -- 25-7
#10 Ohio State 13-5 --23-7                                   UNLV 10-6 -- 24-8
#6 Michigan 12-6 --26-6                                       San Diego State 9-7 -- 22-9
#22 Wisconsin 12-6-- 21-10                                  Boise State 9-7 -- 21-10
     Iowa 9-9-- 20-11                                            Air Force 8-8 -- 17-13
     Illinois 8-10-- 22-11                                         Fresno State 5-11 -- 11-19
     Minnesota 8-10 --20-12                                   Wyoming 4-12 -- 19-13
     Purdue 8-10 -- 15-17                                       Nevada 3-13 -- 12-19
     Nebraska 5-13 -- 15-17
     Northwestern 4-14 -- 13-18
     Penn State 2-16 -- 10-21

OK, I do not want want to derail the subject of this thread, so back to the regular programming.  I am trying to take my mind off the subject of this thread (Bryce possibly leaving).  It makes me sad  :-(

[valpotx]

Yep.   Bubbling up the coach vacancies is good leverage to get some more facilities.    If there was ever a time to raise athletics money for VU in the community, this is it.   Don't miss this train like we did in 1998.

I'm seeing a southern job in Bryce's future down the line and I'm not sure which one.   He met his wife in Louisiana and I think his low key family-values Christian worldview blends better in the south.   

Since he flirted with Mississippi State, I would look for him to look south.  Maybe Vanderbilt, LSU,  Alabama, SMU or Rice.   Ole Miss would just be too ironic.

Oh lord, if he left for SMU, you would not be able to stop me from laughing.  Yes, they have been investing heavily in athletic facilities over the last 5 years, but they will hardly ever be a player in Dallas among the fan base.  SMU is one of the most hated schools among the DFW population.  They are the snobby DFW school, whereas TCU (my MBA alma mater) is the beloved one.  Now, if the former LSU coach at TCU left in the future, I wouldn't mind if Bryce left for the good guys (if he is leaving regardless) 

[valpo84]

The job we should be watching that would be very enticing to Bryce may be the Wake Forest job. Their fan base has been putting ads in the paper to have Bzdelik fired. He's won 1, yes 1, conference road game in 3, yes 3, years. They have not got out of the first round of their tourney in 3 years under him. When Dino was exited, Scott's name was mentioned frequently. The President is a former ND provost. The ACC is one of the top 3 leagues, period. That's the one this year that should scare us (also former Baptist school).

[valpotx]

Oh crap, that would scare me as well.  It is an excellent academic institution (like Valpo), private, but not large enough where the whole state will be asking for his head if he has a bad season.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

I was going to say, "but you'll top out at the 4th best team in your own state!" and then I thought, well, um.

yeah.  glass housinge.

[crusadermoe]

Wow.  I forgot Wake Forest.   

That would be the Baylor of the ACC.   Perfect fit as Baptist rather than stuffy (Vandy).   Cross our fingers the WFcoach stays for a good while.

[vuweathernerd]

The job we should be watching that would be very enticing to Bryce may be the Wake Forest job. Their fan base has been putting ads in the paper to have Bzdelik fired. He's won 1, yes 1, conference road game in 3, yes 3, years. They have not got out of the first round of their tourney in 3 years under him. When Dino was exited, Scott's name was mentioned frequently. The President is a former ND provost. The ACC is one of the top 3 leagues, period. That's the one this year that should scare us (also former Baptist school).

i wonder if any of their fan base might also be kansas city chiefs fans - they were doing similar stuff this season in an attempt to get rid of their senior leadership, including going so far as to get a plane flyover over arrowhead with a banner saying "fire pioli."

[Smj]

Don't know Bryce personally but from what I do know it seems like VU is a good fit for him.   I just don't see him as a coach that is "all about winning" or "all about the money"....   I think he likes Valparaiso - that's why he came back.   He could have been an assistant coach anywhere - he stayed at VU.   He could have kept playing ball in Europe but wanted to be closer to home.  (I also think VU knows how good it is to have him here...)

All this talk just distracts him from the current hurdle - winning in the dance.

[covufan]

It's RPI, so no crazy formula.

And I was skeptical too, but I was shocked by clicking on the MWC.

http://www.rpiforecast.com/confs/B10.html

http://www.rpiforecast.com/confs/MWC.html

There's only 9 in the MWC as opposed to the 12 in the B1G.  The 8th team in the B1G is even with the 7th in the MWC.

Average RPI of the top 1/3 of each conference: 
MWC 13    B1G 10
Middle 1/3:
MWC 47.7  B1G 46.5
Bottom 1/3
MWC 125 B1G 142.7

Average RPI
MWC 61.9 B1G 66.42

Let's put it this way:  the weakest team in the MWC (9th) would be equal to UIC (our 5th), and the next worst (8th) would be better than Wright (our 3rd!!!).

And the team average in the MWC is almost as high as we are.  gulp.gif

So they're close every step of the way, but it's the bottom 1/3 that pulls the B1G below, because in OOC record:
B1G: 121-31 (79.61%)
MWC: 87-26 (76.99%)

Seriously--I crunched the numbers and I still hardly believe it!

As a3uge would say "rpi is weird."

I don't know where MWC was the last 20 years in the conference rankings, but I'd say that having the MWC in the top 3 in most conference rankings is odd, but more reflective of how good those programs are right now.

[chef]

Carmody has been fired.

[VULB#62]

Here's the ESPN.com link:

http://espn.go.com/chicago/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9059284/northwestern-wildcats-fire-coach-bill-carmody-sources-say

Duke and Lehigh guys rumored to be targets

[humbleopinion]

I wonder if Tubby Smith will be soon to follow...

[ValpoHoops]

I wonder if Tubby Smith will be soon to follow...

Minnesota reportedly will give Tubby a 100k (no, there's not an extra zero, that's 100k) just for making the NCAA Tournament. Somehow, firing him after that kind of bonus would seem odd. Then again, I'm not sure why he would get a bonus like that....it seems a bit shocking that he could get that for doing something that half or more of the teams in his conference do annually.

[humbleopinion]

Is there any guarantee Minnesota will make the tourney?  They sure seem to be making a pretty good argument against it.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Is there any guarantee Minnesota will make the tourney?  They sure seem to be making a pretty good argument against it.

74 brackets out of 74 have them down...current avg 9 seed.
http://www.bracketmatrix.com/

[agibson]

Minnesota reportedly will give Tubby a 100k (no, there's not an extra zero, that's 100k) just for making the NCAA Tournament. Somehow, firing him after that kind of bonus would seem odd. Then again, I'm not sure why he would get a bonus like that....it seems a bit shocking that he could get that for doing something that half or more of the teams in his conference do annually.

Are performance bonuses not common for NCAA coaches?  In some sports they're common enough.

Even if you expect them to hit a milestone, you might put it into their contract as a benchmark.  Both sides might think of it, more or less, as a likely to be realized part of the compensation.  But, it provides some extra incentive for the coach, perhaps, and a little discount for the school if it's a disappointing season.