Thoughts On Bo Ryan?

See, in my scenario, the rift goes the other way. "Don't these guys know who my dad is?"

But yeah, Wiscy is the school that worries me in terms of stealing Bennett. At least he went to Green Bay, so it's not his alma mater.

 

Worth noting that when Tony Bennett was at UW-Green Bay during his playing days, they were a better program than Steve Yoder's Badgers. Also, Ryan was an assistant with Yoder from 1982-84 at Wisconsin. At that time, Dick Bennett was still at Stevens Point. There is a rich backstory to the Ryan/Bennett dynamic.

 

This make me like him...um...more?
I'm perplexed...I want to laugh...but I still think he is a tool.

 

Is Bo Ryan a dick? No clue. Don't know him personally, although I do know a couple family members and they're terrific people.

And while I do agree that handing Uthof a "no transfer" list with 26 or so schools on it was excessive, I don't blame Ryan for trying to protect his program from being poached by schools that have no ethical qualms about tampering with his players.

Prevent coaches from putting these restrictions on transfers and you'll open the floodgates for the scummiest of the scum to prey on every kid who's even the least bid dissatisfied with his playing time or role on his team.

 

Sorry, but you're not going to get Tony to think that way, either. He is too decent a person.

Ryan isn't going anywhere unless he succumbs to health issues. He loves to coach and he loves to coach at his current address.

But when he does step down, if certain people are still in power at UW Tony's cell will be buzzing so fast it will make his head spin.

And unless he is firmly entrenched at Virginia (assuming he is still there), he'll be packing up the van and moving to Madison.

 

Oh, I know the rift isn't happening. Pure wishful thinking on this Wahoo's part.

I do think they have a shot to keep him. If he's still there when Ryan retires, he'll have had the kind of success that makes it hard to leave a school. And, most importantly, never underestimate UVa's ability and desire to money-whip a coach they're interested in keeping. They had the highest hoops budget in the country a few years ago. This is the school that gave Al Groh 10 years for going to the Continental Tire Bowl, and they've been looking for a hoops winner since Terry Holland left. They'll back up the money truck for him if he wins.

 

Won't be about the money (and UW won't back up the Brinks truck).

Seeing his pops take UW to the Final Four in 2000, at a place he longed to coach, was a huge moment for the family.

The chance to come back and coach where his dad coached, in state in which his name is legendary, would be hard to turn down.

 

Speaking of the Bennetts (and jacking this thread beyond all recognition)...did any of you Sconnies read the unfortunately-timed SI feature on the Bennetts a couple of months ago? It was a perfectly good article, but I had to laugh at the picture of Dick they used. I mean, Tony is a handsome motherfucker, and the Dick pic (ha!) they used made him look like Mr. Bean.

 

Not that I'm an Urban Meyer cheerleader, but he didn't go to another school in his conference and he sat out a year. Maybe not the best example.

 

Didn't see the story but Dick Bennett doesn't look like Dick Bennett if he isn't wearing a "tortured" look.

You want to talk about a guy who was a blast/pleasure to cover, ask any of the reporters who covered Bennett's teams.

They'll all tell you he was brutally honest, answered any question as truthfully as he could and understood the job of a scribe.

Someone told me a story once regarding the death of his brother, back in the mid-90s I think. Guy died from AIDS and we all know that's not something a lot of folks talked about openly back then.

Apparently, Bennett was going to miss a game to attend the funeral. Rather than hide anything, he apparently called the reporters over after practice and explained everything. Where he was going, why, when he'd be back etc.

 

I think he's doing a great job so far with the Illinois Central College men's golf team. Just named conference coach of the year, team won the league. Seems to be on right track with recruiting ... oh, not THAT Bo Ryan. Sorry.

 

I was there that day at practice. Had just transitioned from college kid who plays a lot of pickup to college kid who is just starting in media.

That's exactly what Dick did when his brother passed. Dick loved to talk about the pursuit of the perfect basketball game. His brother Jack wasn't as tortured but ran the same system at Stevens Point (and won multiple titles... After Ryan left Platteville).

Not to say that Dick wasn't moody at times but I think that came from frustration when we arrived in Madison, trying to get the Jackson/Van Gundy holdovers to play his style.