Trib: Winning At USF Will Be Long, Expensive Road

[Jim Johnson]

Jeff Henderson's column today...

Winning At USF Will Be Long, Expensive Road

TAMPA - So now begins, as it always does, the vaunted "national search" for a basketball coach to replace Robert McCullum at the University of South Florida. Hold on tight.

A program that competes in the Big East and plays in a city with everything Tampa has to offer should have its pick from several top-shelf candidates, but we know that probably won't be the case.

It won't be long before the usual cast of eager assistants looking for their shot begins to show up on the radar, or perhaps it will be guys winning at mid-level schools and looking to step up.

Problem is, USF right now is not a step up. It's a step off a steep cliff into a bottomless pit.

...

"With any major league like the Big East or the ACC, there are programs that are well-established. They've got such a head start on up-and-coming programs. People have to be patient," Boston College coach Al Skinner said Friday at the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.

"What most fans don't appreciate is, yes, you're trying to get better but the top teams aren't going to get worse. So how do you supplant those teams? That's real difficult. Hopefully [highlight]in a period of four or five years you may get yourself into a winning situation, but it takes that long[/highlight]."

Read the Rest...

[surfer]

Who's Jeff Henderson? ;D

[E.T.]

USF Basketball fans need to show up in force and buy season tix and show that there are fans here that want a winner and show the new coach that fans will be there !

Just imagine USF football without those that pony'd up.

[bulls96go]

where will the $$$$ come from?

[Herman_Momart]

Not true.  College basketball can be turned around in 1-2 years.  Kansas State will go from mediocre to a powerhouse next year because of one good coach.  

Al Skinner is one man talking about his experience at URI then the move to BC in the BE and now the ACC.  But he has always been successful.  He got the BC job in 97 and was BE coach of the year in 2000 with a #3 seed in the tourney.  i wouldnt say it took him so long, would you?  So i think this is just a statement made to help unsuccessful coaches like Mac and others get through the tough times.  These guys all have the same profession and are in the same fraternity.  they all have each others backs because they know they are hired to be fired.  

4-5 years is ridiculous, but i understand why he said it.  

[dabull80]

Not true.  College basketball can be turned around in 1-2 years.  Kansas State will go from mediocre to a powerhouse next year because of one good coach.  

Al Skinner is one man talking about his experience at URI then the move to BC in the BE and now the ACC.  But he has always been successful.  He got the BC job in 97 and was BE coach of the year in 2000 with a #3 seed in the tourney.  i wouldnt say it took him so long, would you?  So i think this is just a statement made to help unsuccessful coaches like Mac and others get through the tough times.  These guys all have the same profession and are in the same fraternity.  they all have each others backs because they know they are hired to be fired.  

4-5 years is ridiculous, but i understand why he said it.  

Couldn't agree with you more but I don't understand why he said it.  Why do you think he said it ?

[Brad]

A lot depends on where you are.  URI?  4-5 years?  Probably - especialy if you inserted them in the BE.  

I don't believe many understand that even the K-State example is not anywhere near to being an apples-to-apples comparison.  HuggieBear went into a situation rich with resources and is not taking a team into a conference with competitors 10X more established and funded.

Perhaps Mr. Skinner was referring to the USF situation in which a team competing on a Sun Belt budget agreed to join the Big East.  Few HCs would look at that situation and brazenly state "I can turn that around in 1-2 years".  That would be stupid.  He's not trying to protect anyone.  Just making a rational, not a pie in the sky, assessment.

[Herman_Momart]

Not true.  College basketball can be turned around in 1-2 years.  Kansas State will go from mediocre to a powerhouse next year because of one good coach.  

Al Skinner is one man talking about his experience at URI then the move to BC in the BE and now the ACC.  But he has always been successful.  He got the BC job in 97 and was BE coach of the year in 2000 with a #3 seed in the tourney.  i wouldnt say it took him so long, would you?  So i think this is just a statement made to help unsuccessful coaches like Mac and others get through the tough times.  These guys all have the same profession and are in the same fraternity.  they all have each others backs because they know they are hired to be fired.  

4-5 years is ridiculous, but i understand why he said it.  

Couldn't agree with you more but I don't understand why he said it.  Why do you think he said it ?

This is only a guess, but Im assuming he said it recently.  This is the time lots of coaches are getting fired.  So I guess he is just trying to make fans realize how tough their jobs are.  Maybe putting in perspective for some of us.  

[Brad]

It's also a time when many are getting hired ... so either way, he's setting some rational expectations out there.  Seems like a bright guy.  More fans should realize how tough the job is.  Having had relatives in college coaching - none that ever got fired - I know the amount of time and committment one has to be wiling to invest.  Fans take it for granted, thinking winning is simple and everyone should win.  

[E.T.]

where will the $$$$ come from?

Hopefully USF fans . . .