What kind of a bball move would make you happy?

[Guest BasketBull.]

1) How much on the new coach?

2) What do you want in a new coach? (Big name, young upstart...?)

3) What will it take to bring hope back to men's bball again?

4) Do you believe it can be done at USF? Remember, we haven't danced since 1992.  :-/

[Velcro]

I don't feel we'll get a big name, so we are goign to have to go after someone in the same situation as what we looked for to find Mac.  A mid major coach.  We are going to likely have to pay more than we paid McCullum.  

I believe it can be done, but not going the big time coach direction, not with the support we have.  We have to build it first.

[Markeymark]

We just need somebody who can recruit and be a good floor coach. An average team in the Big East qualifies for the NCAA tournament - so in my view it's mainly about recruiting Big East-caliber players at every position to come to USF. It's not enough to get 2 or 3 quality starters, we need someone who can build a roster which will win at least 50% of the conference games.

I don't really think you need to hire a marquee name to pull that off, either. But it won't be easy to find someone who can do that with limited resources.

[Guest BasketBull.]

We've got to spend no less than 500K on someone who can recruit in FLORIDA; the person has to know FLORIDA.

Success in the Big East has to come from keeping the local state kids home and playing for the Bulls. That's a start. The person has to also be a known commodity; someone that has charisma and basketball character. This program isn't going to sell itself.

We've got to get to .500 in the Big East as a minimum. Anything else and it's failure, again.

If USF can build a football program, then USF can turn the basketball program around. This is our chance!

You want big things? You've got to THINK BIG!

[Bullsayer]

young upstart vs. experienced coach depends upon finances and of course availability and did I mention finances. Huggins would have been ideal to jumpstart a failing program.

our problem is actually deeper than the pit we've allowed ourselves to be dug into. IT'S OUR REPUTATION AS A PERENNIAL LOSER (both in CUSA & BIG EAST). I wish it were a matter of underfoming except that I don't really think we underperform on the court. We actually compete in most games and usually do not give up on a game. That's the main postive for CRM.  We try so hard that eventually we even grap a BE home victory here and there.

This is not the question we as individuals ever want to ask ourselves because the answer is difficult to accept. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO CHANGE A BAD REPUTATION AS PERENNIAL LOSER TO WINNER? I'm not talking about our reputation as WE see it but our reputation as the basketball world sees it ie. recruits, media, donors, fans ,even our own students

[Brad]

1) How much on the new coach?

While I doubt I will see it, I'd like to see in the $800k-1,000K range.

2) What do you want in a new coach? (Big name, young upstart...?)

Big Name direction changer, immediate impact, credibility.

3) What will it take to bring hope back to men's bball again?

A couple years of consistent winning over top programs...

4) Do you believe it can be done at USF? Remember, we haven't danced since 1992.  :-/

Yes.  But it will take a lot.

[Guest BasketBull.]

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO CHANGE A BAD REPUTATION AS PERENNIAL LOSER TO WINNER? I'm not talking about our reputation as WE see it but our reputation as the basketball world sees it ie. recruits, media, donors, fans ,even our own students

Very good points, Bullsayer. But I think USF is changed since football has done so well. What I mean is that we are no longer built on basketball like in the past (a one-trick pony school). As long as USF is willing to make the commitment towards basketball excellence, I think everything is possible.

This is why this hire is so important to the future of men's basketball: the new coach will be USF's basketball new "motto" for the men's basketball program.

Spend well below Big East salaries = "we are still cheap and not a real basketball contender"

People are smart. They will know where USF stands after this move.

Q: What would a school like Cincy or DePaul (or any other Big East program) do if they had to start with a new staff?

[highlight]Is USF going to be speding BCS money and Big East money on a coaching staff? What about the financial support to ensure that it all works out?[/highlight]

[Velcro]

Q: What would a school like Cincy or DePaul (or any other Big East program) do if they had to start with a new staff?

Well you know the answer for Cincy... dead last in the Big East with their new staff.

[Brad]

I think Bullsayer made a good point too.

Also, a lot of the talk I see on here has been "What coaches are available" as if we have to sift through the dumpster of fired or embarassed out of work coaches.

I'd like to see us focus on the guy we believe will get it done and go out and get him.  We don't need a reject who's desperately looking for work.  We need to select our guy and go get him (as several have tried with Leavitt).

Not taking the back seat anymore starts right now.  It's a tall order, because having that kind of vision will cost big dollars.  I will be impressed when we go take a quality, proven head coach away from another proven program.

I'm just not for rolling the dice on a cast-off or some assistant with "potential."

[Guest BasketBull.]

Well you know the answer for Cincy... dead last in the Big East with their new staff.

But they are paying the Big East prices...

He's living the dream

Cincinnati Enquirer, The (OH)

March 25, 2006

Author: Bill Koch Enquirer staff writer

[...]

[highlight]Cronin[/highlight] agreed to a six-year contract with a base salary of $250,000 and a guaranteed annual income of $750,000. Incentives could increase his income. [...]

Middle-of-road [highlight]Wainwright[/highlight], meet mid-major DePaul

Chicago Sun-Times (IL)

April 28, 2005

Author: Greg Couch

This hiring defines DePaul

She didn't bluff. Instead, she looked small. She went after someone who would fit within the $700,000 DePaul is expected to pay Wainwright.

Wainwright has inside track at DePaul

Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL)

April 26, 2005

Author: Adam Rittenberg Daily Herald Sports Writer

[highlight]Wainwright[/highlight], who earns approximately $400,000 a year at Richmond, likely will receive a modest salary increase at DePaul, which reportedly paid outgoing coach Dave Leitao about $660,000 per year. Leitao was hired April 16 as Virginia's head coach.

Skeptics will cite Wainwright's age (58) and his lack of head- coaching experience in an elite conference as potential detriments at DePaul, which wants to make a splash in its inaugural season in the Big East next year.