Huggy Not Coming

[USFMikeB]

Everything was a hoax, so the circle jerks around here should be ending very soon...

[Bishop of Bulltown]

proof?

[USFMikeB]

You'll have the proof as soon as the last game is played and Woolard goes public.  He's a stand up guy, and won't discuss anything until then.  However, he's keeping Mac for another year.

[bullman3]

Yeah that would make sense, keep crm for another year so he can go 3-13 in the conference, steer the ship further into the ground and have attendance drop even further.  Or bring in a proven winner with name recognition that will put media, fans, students and alumni in the seats.  Tough decision!  We will see what kind of direction this university is heading in by next week.  Should be interesting.

[USFreak]

You'll have the proof as soon as the last game is played and Woolard goes public.  He's a stand up guy, and won't discuss anything until then.  However, he's keeping Mac for another year.

I guess I'm curious.  Do you think McCullum is the guy for the job for the next 3 years?  It sounds like you don't like Huggins, but is your motivation more for Mac out of loyalty or because you think he can turn the program around?

Stand up guy or not sometimes the tough decision has to be made.   There are about 4 million reasons a year I could see a high-profile coaching change being made.  They call them "revenue sports" for a reason.  Even a competitive USF with a well-known coach that could bring in recruits and improve the record could fill the Dome.

USF is in a different mode now.  A 17-18 win team probably means a full Dome every night.  The Big East is big-time hoops.

Let's not even mention the TV and parking money being missed out on.

Anyhow, I'm not trying to criticize you because you seem to really think McCullum is the guy, but in terms of recruiting classes, revenue and timing (late signing period and next November's class) do you think it is good to retain him?

Also, if things start bad next year you are probably looking at a lame duck at that point.  Guess I'm curious your thoughts on the subject as you seem to support Mac more than most.  Do you see next year as the turnaround year?

[USFMikeB]

I guess I'm curious.  Do you think McCullum is the guy for the job for the next 3 years?  It sounds like you don't like Huggins, but is your motivation more for Mac out of loyalty or because you think he can turn the program around?

Stand up guy or not sometimes the tough decision has to be made.   There are about 4 million reasons a year I could see a high-profile coaching change being made.  They call them "revenue sports" for a reason.  Even a competitive USF with a well-known coach that could bring in recruits and improve the record could fill the Dome.

USF is in a different mode now.  A 17-18 win team probably means a full Dome every night.  The Big East is big-time hoops.

Let's not even mention the TV and parking money being missed out on.

Anyhow, I'm not trying to criticize you because you seem to really think McCullum is the guy, but in terms of recruiting classes, revenue and timing (late signing period and next November's class) do you think it is good to retain him?

Also, if things start bad next year you are probably looking at a lame duck at that point.  Guess I'm curious your thoughts on the subject as you seem to support Mac more than most.  Do you see next year as the turnaround year?

I see next year as being pivotal.  Pivotal for donors, pivotal for Mac, and pivotal for Woolard.  The reality is that we don't have the money for such a move unless the donors pony it up.  The whole thing with Thuggy was a hoax, there weren't any big league donors that met with his attorney, it was all smoke.

To specifically answer some of your questions, you are right that I don't like Huggins.  The guy has no class, commits recruiting violations, recruits criminals, and is a criminal himself.  If we have the money to make a change, I say we go after a guy like Mike Davis.

As for whether or not Mac is the guy we need, I don't know.  I don't think everyone realizes how bad things were when he came in, he had a huge hole to fill in before he could stand on solid ground.  People try to say that he's too much of a disciplinarian, to which I respond that they simply don't realize the depth of the problem.  It was that bad.

We saw a lot of improvement at the end of last season, and I was hopeful for this year.  However, the combination of more lost players and major injuries at the beginning of the season, on top of raising the level of the conference to arguably the best in the solar system just threw this season under the bus.  If we'd still have been in CUSA, we would have been competitive, even with the issues we had.  In the BE, we were lambs for the slaughter, and still those kids busted their asses.

We'll have to see what happens next year...

[USFreak]

I see next year as being pivotal.  Pivotal for donors, pivotal for Mac, and pivotal for Woolard.  The reality is that we don't have the money for such a move unless the donors pony it up.  The whole thing with Thuggy was a hoax, there weren't any big league donors that met with his attorney, it was all smoke.

To specifically answer some of your questions, you are right that I don't like Huggins.  The guy has no class, commits recruiting violations, recruits criminals, and is a criminal himself.  If we have the money to make a change, I say we go after a guy like Mike Davis.

As for whether or not Mac is the guy we need, I don't know.  I don't think everyone realizes how bad things were when he came in, he had a huge hole to fill in before he could stand on solid ground.  People try to say that he's too much of a disciplinarian, to which I respond that they simply don't realize the depth of the problem.  It was that bad.

We saw a lot of improvement at the end of last season, and I was hopeful for this year.  However, the combination of more lost players and major injuries at the beginning of the season, on top of raising the level of the conference to arguably the best in the solar system just threw this season under the bus.  If we'd still have been in CUSA, we would have been competitive, even with the issues we had.  In the BE, we were lambs for the slaughter, and still those kids busted their asses.

We'll have to see what happens next year...

OK, fair enough.

Just for the record I do like McCullum and his Xs and Os.  I generally like the way he develops players and gets them to give their all each game.

I don't want to see him go because I don't like the guy or think he is a bad coach.  I just think some of these things are timing and compound building (solid recruiting class on top of solid recruiting class).  At this point I think he is just in a hole that is tough to dig out of and he is digging out of it in the toughest top to bottom league in basketball.  

A tough job for even a high-profile coach.  McCullum has the additional challenge of being a no-name coach for a no-name school with a small budget in a state not reknown for hoops talent.  

I just think he is a little out of his league and on the short side of time.

My thought is the only way they dig out is with a named coach that can immediately increase revenue and give students, alums and others something to rally around (good and bad).

One of the reasons I like Huggins is because he is polarizing (you love or hate him), a media hound and ,although people say he never cleared the hump, he was very consistent in NCAA appearances and in winning the CUSA title like every year in CUSA.  

I realize there are concerns, but I look at some of the other 'reformers' (Knight, Estauchy, Price, O'Leary)...these guys haven't screwed up a 2nd time (yet).

[DawgPound]

Sports analysts have said that most of those firings should not have happened.  Out of those 4, only Knight should have been fired(and it wasn't for coaching quality).

In GOL's case, it was on the Outside the Lines special on him in 2005.

[Bull Matrix]

I think this is still a rumor, but you really never know. You can say that nothing is going on, but I dont see why Brett or Set Davis would make something up that is not out there somewhere. The point is that the damage is done, and that there will be a continued uproar to get McCullum out now that this story has come out. The unnamed sources sound pretty fishy like it was set  up intentially to get things moving in favor of the change. Some have speculated that it could be someone from Huggins' camp starting these rumors. I am sure they could afford a buyout if they really wanted Huggins at USF. Right now, everyone has the pokeface going, so it seems strange.

[Guest rueben_Horowitz]

Everything was a hoax, so the circle jerks around here should be ending very soon...

You mean the "we love the team b/c they exist" circle jerk can continue.