USF hires Orlando Antigua to coach mens basketball

[UofMemphis]

I love how many, "experts" we have on here.  The guy played at Pittsburgh and has coached at Pittsburgh, Memphis, and Kentucky!  Three of the best basketball programs out there.

Tony Barbee, Steve Roccaforte, Chuck Martin, Bruiser Flint...all failed coaches from the Calipari tree.

Kellogg is the only one that's done OK.

 

 

Cool Story Bro.

Not if you're a USF fan, bro.

[usfvictor]

 

usfvictor: The NBA is obviously complicit, but again, you know the recruiting pitch at Kentucky is a simple one: "Come here for a year or two and we'll make you an NBA lottery pick." You know when USF officially announces the hire, Antigua's "recruiting prowess" is going to be at the top of the news release. How does that translate for him at USF? That was the selling point for hiring Willie Taggart, but he was recruiting at Stanford and Western Kentucky where there were challenges. It's not the same atmosphere - and we have absolutely no idea if he can make a decision as a floor coach. I'd probably look pretty good too if I had a roster full of McDonald's All-Americans. How does he recruit and coach players who don't have that kind of talent level, because that's what he'll have at USF? We'll find out and maybe he'll be great, but there's not a thing on his resume to me that relates to the situation he's walking into at USF. Bottom line is the same to me - if you were going to give up on Stan Heath, you'd better bring in someone with a track record that says he has a good chance of getting it done. I don't see anything that says that with Antigua. All I see is a guy who's followed Calipari around.

Agreed. We would have done much better hiring a small school D-1 coach that has a history of developing talent.

 

 

1st bolded point: exactly so why "stress" about it. All i hope is he has success, but i don;t go around making predictions he'll fail

 

2nd point: Thats not all he's done. Just happened to be what he's done the last 4-5 years.

 

On a overall point: You can't blame Cal, that's every coaches line at major programs.

[jonpfl]

All,

 

I am excited at the new hire, all of us are on the outside looking in, NONE of us know what he is like in person.

 

I am sure Mark Harlan wants to succeed at his position.  Try to have a positive outlook, can he be worse than Stan???

 

Thx

jonpfl

[Carolina_Bull]

 

 

 

I love how many, "experts" we have on here.  The guy played at Pittsburgh and has coached at Pittsburgh, Memphis, and Kentucky!  Three of the best basketball programs out there.

Tony Barbee, Steve Roccaforte, Chuck Martin, Bruiser Flint...all failed coaches from the Calipari tree.

Kellogg is the only one that's done OK.

 

 

Cool Story Bro.

Not if you're a USF fan, bro.

 

 

Someone's still bitter that Calipari dumped his school for UK.  I'd ask Coach Cal for comment but he is prepping for the final four (again).

 

Memphis has been a disappointment since it parted ways with Calipari too.

[CPR]

The hire of OA wreaks of desperation. I guess we'll know the verdict in a couple of years. Go Bulls?

[Apis Bull]

Here were our realistic options and the concerns:

 

A successful coach from a smaller program - will he translate to the higher level of competition?

An assistant from a top school - how will the transition to head coach go?

 

Either way, we are USF, a school not know for our basketball prowess.  We have to take a chance and hope that it works out.

[Gismo]

Lots of negativity. I like that his background includes programs with much better basketball history than USF's. Sounds like he overcame quite a lot based on his bio. I like the hire. Hopefully the adjustment to head coaching duties isn't too difficult for him n

[Brad]

USF ATHLETICS GoUSFBulls.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: March 31, 2014

Antigua To Lead USF Men’s Basketball Program

Kentucky assistant helped lead Wildcats to three of last four Final Fours

TAMPA, MARCH 31, 2014 – University of South Florida Director of Athletics Mark Harlan announced today the hiring of nationally honored University of Kentucky assistant coach and Dominican National Team head coach Orlando Antigua to lead the USF men’s basketball program. Antigua, who helped lead the Wildcats to their third Final Four appearance in the last four years on Sunday, becomes the ninth head coach in USF men’s basketball program history.

“I said from the beginning of this search, we were looking for a great leader, a great communicator, a proven record of being able to recruit and develop players, and someone who will represent USF with exceptional energy and integrity,” Harlan said. “We have found all of that and more in Orlando Antigua. He has tremendous passion and a unique and exciting background that includes being a key participant in one of the most successful recent runs in the college game. His work as the head coach of the Dominican National Team is also extremely impressive. Orlando’s incredible personal story is a powerful testament to his drive and determination that will serve our program well.”

The school will hold a formal press conference to introduce Antiqua on Tuesday in the Sun Dome Arena Club. Details on the press conference, which will be streamed live on GoUSFBulls.com, will be forthcoming.

“I would like to thank President Genshaft and Mark Harlan for this tremendous opportunity,” Antigua said. “I have been preparing for the challenge of leading a program my entire life and I have a deep belief and passion that USF basketball can thrive and is ideally positioned in a community as rich and diverse as the Tampa Bay area. I look forward to renewing my strong connections in the state of Florida and can’t wait to begin working towards our future success.”

Antigua has worked as an assistant coach under John Calipari for the last six seasons, spending one season with Calipari at Memphis (2008-09) and the last five at Kentucky (2009-14). He also worked for five seasons under Pittsburgh’s Jamie Dixon (2003-08) and has been a part of teams that have made 10 NCAA Tournament appearances and reached the Sweet Sixteen seven times.

Named the top assistant coach in the nation under 40 by ESPN.com in 2012, Antigua is widely recognized as one of the premier recruiters in the nation. He has been instrumental in assembling five-straight No. 1 ranked recruiting classes at Kentucky. The 2014 class currently stands at No. 2. Kentucky’s 2013-14 team became the first to reach a Final Four with an all-freshmen starting lineup since Michigan in 1992.

In his first season as a Kentucky assistant, Antigua helped the Wildcats assemble a No. 1 ranked recruiting class that saw three of those recruits drafted in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft. He was subsequently named to Yahoo! Sports list of the top 10 college basketball recruiters. The Wildcats had a record six players selected in the 2012 NBA Draft, including the first two picks in Anthony Davis (No. 1) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (No. 2). Kentucky’s 2013 recruiting class was ranked No. 1 in the nation while featuring a record six McDonald’s All-Americans and is considered one of the top classes ever assembled.

During his five seasons at Kentucky, the Wildcats made three NCAA Final Four appearances (2011, 2012 & 2014), reached four NCAA Elite Eights and won the 2012 NCAA National Championship. Kentucky won two SEC regular season (2010 & 2012) and two SEC Tournament titles (2010 & 2011) and compiled a 151-36 (.807) record while reaching the post-season every year.

In his one season at Memphis, Antigua helped the Tigers to a post a 33-4 record and reach the NCAA Sweet Sixteen after winning Conference USA regular season and tournament titles.

Prior to joining Calipari at Memphis, Antigua spent five seasons on Jamie Dixon’s staff at his alma mater, Pittsburgh. He served as Director of Basketball Operations from 2003-05 and as an assistant coach from 2006-08. He helped lead the Panthers to a 132-40 (.767) record, with a mark of 55-27 (.670) in Big East play. Pitt recorded five straight 20-win seasons, winning 10 or more league games each year, and made five NCAA Tournament appearances, reaching the Sweet Sixteen in 2004 and 2007.

A four-year lettermen and two-time team captain as a player at Pittsburgh (1991-95), Antigua ranks in the top 15 on the Panthers’ career charts in three-pointers made (117 treys), blocked shots (78) and career three-point percentage (38.6). A 1992 Big East Conference All-Rookie Team selection, Antigua helped lead the Panthers to an 18-16 record and an NIT berth as a freshman under coach Paul Evans. The following year, the Panthers went 17-11 and earned an NCAA Tournament bid.

In 1994, Antigua was named the United States Basketball Writers' Association Most Courageous Athlete, an honor presented annually to the college basketball player who displays courage on and off the court. Antigua graduated from Pittsburgh with a bachelor’s degree in social sciences in December 1995.

After graduation, Antigua was selected to play for the world-renowned Harlem Globetrotters, becoming the first player of Latin American descent to play for the squad. Nicknamed "Hurricane" for his dazzling moves, the 6-7 Antigua played with the Globetrotters for seven years until 2002. He represented the squad in 49 different countries, meeting luminaries such as Nelson Mandela and Muhammad Ali and appearing on the Late Show with David Letterman and Regis and Kathy Lee.

Antigua also played in the Puerto Rico Superior Basketball League for eight seasons and was twice a member of the Dominican Republic National Team (1994-95 and 1997-98). Because of his dedication to the community, Antigua was named one of the nation’s top 100 most influential Hispanic Americans by Hispanic Business magazine.

Born in the Dominican Republic but raised in The Bronx borough of New York City, Antigua attended St. Raymond's High School where he played a major role in the team's New York Catholic League championship run. As a senior, he earned McDonald's All-America and Parade magazine All-America second-team honors and was also named All-New York City.

Fluent in Spanish, Antigua and his wife, Dana, have a daughter, Olivia, and Antigua has son, Orlando Anthony, who is currently serving in the Marine Corps and is based in North Carolina.

- #GoBulls -

[UofMemphis]

I love how many, "experts" we have on here.  The guy played at Pittsburgh and has coached at Pittsburgh, Memphis, and Kentucky!  Three of the best basketball programs out there.

Tony Barbee, Steve Roccaforte, Chuck Martin, Bruiser Flint...all failed coaches from the Calipari tree.

Kellogg is the only one that's done OK.

 

 

Cool Story Bro.

Not if you're a USF fan, bro.

 

Someone's still bitter that Calipari dumped his school for UK.  I'd ask Coach Cal for comment but he is prepping for the final four (again).

 

Memphis has been a disappointment since it parted ways with Calipari too.

Uh, we could have hired Antigua, Barbee, or Kellogg...there's very good reason we didn't.

If I were angry at Calipari, why would I be upset you hired one of his asst coaches? You didn't hire Cal.

Guess i don't follow that "logic"

[IHuckItDeep]

Pretty disappointed in this but o well...I'm guessing we ran out of options....time to focus on football...