2014 College basketball coaching carousel thread...

Reports I've read say Haith is getting a raise by going to Tulsa, from $1.7 million at Mizzou to $1.85 million at Tulsa.

 

If Alden fucks this up, he damn well better be gone. But you have to realize the only reason he keeps his job is because the man can flat-out drum up big donations to the athletic department. It sure as shit isn't because he's good at his job. And let's be honest, he took a big chance by hiring Pinky, but there was no way to know how that would work out; even money when he was hired said he'd last five years and be gone.

 

Self would have stayed at Mizzou the same amount of time he stayed at Illinois. Stepping stone jobs, both.

 

Yeah, but maybe he could have gotten to a Final Four or set up the next guy for a run the way he did at Illinois. That significantly changes Mizzou's history and the way it is viewed.

 

For sure that could have happened.

But look at Illinois: From Self to Bruce Weber to John Groce. Not exactly an upward trajectory there. And if Mizzou went that route, everyone would pale in comparison to Self, who, by all accounts — and I worked in Champaign when he was there — is a really good guy.

But I'd give your left one for a Final Four in my lifetime.

 

Maybe Haith left Mizzou because it has a bad administration, a fan base with unrealistic expectations and in a conference that has left basketball behind to compete with spring football.

 

See my post a couple above yours. It's an average of $1.85 million on a seven-year deal. That sounds like agent-speak to make the deal look better than it is. I'll be surprised if he makes more at Tulsa next year than he would have made at Mizzou.

 

They weren't saying that before he shit the bed against Norfolk State a little more than a year ago.

Haith can't coach against the big boys, so he'll sit at a safe job where it will be easier to win during the regular season and it will take a lot for him to get fired. If he goes to the tournament most years and pulls off an upset every now and then, they'll be happy.

It's different than the situations with Williams and Martin. Williams left a school that had a new AD and was having big changes to conference play. Martin left a school where the fans had completely unrealistic expectations.

Haith left because he knew unless he pulled off a miracle, he was getting canned after next season.

 

He gets a new shot clock at Tulsa.

 

Let's not forget that Tulsa is actually joining the American Athletic Conference this summer, so Haith is leaving the SEC for what is probably a better basketball conference. Not exactly the "safe job where it will be easier to win during the regular season."

 

Um, no. John Thompson isn't walking through that door, and Rick Pitino is walking out of it. The SEC is mediocre, but the AAC is CUSA plus UConn.

 

Curious as to why you think us Vol fans have unrealistic expectations?

Hoops has always been a major sport in Knoxville. Yes, even MEN'S hoops (see: "30-for-30 Ernie and Bernie Show" for proof). The school has the second largest on-campus basketball arena in the country, and a state-of-the-art practice facility; the players are housed in a 5-star facility, and their support system (academic center/dining hall, etc) is second-to-none; and the team plays in a major conference that just had 50 percent of the final four and more Sweet 16 teams than any other.

Is it wrong for Vols fans to think what Bruce Pearl managed to do -- a No. 1 ranking, regular appearances in the Tourney, missing out on a Final Four thanks to one shot by the POY -- can't be exceeded?