Cuonzo Martin
- Thread starter Skipper
- Start date
I couldn't believe that's what they came up with!
I was crackin' up last night. Kept going across the bottom of the screen like it was some huge hire.
I'm sure he's a nice guy and all but Hamilton has screwed the pooch on this one.
Ticket sales will plummet, my prediction(not much of a prediction though).
Sorry bro.
:toast:
I was crackin' up last night. Kept going across the bottom of the screen like it was some huge hire.
I'm sure he's a nice guy and all but Hamilton has screwed the pooch on this one.
Ticket sales will plummet, my prediction(not much of a prediction though).
Sorry bro.
:toast:
I don't get the rush. I was told that Shaka (clearly who I wanted and said so in February) would have listened after the tourney.
I think this is the "safe" hire that we have come to know and hate with Hammy.
Let's golf soon my friend:toast:
Skip:
FWIW, Shaka's mentor here in Akron has suggested to him that leaving is the best thing for him. He said that a young coach may not want to go anywhere else but he simply could not afford to pass up this opportunity. He will probably never be worth more than he is now so it's time for his head to trump his heart. I'd like to see him stay because they will be in town next year to face the Zips.
Hell, I would have hired Kent's Geno Ford before Martin. Yes, really. It must be very,very hard to be a UT fan.
FWIW, Shaka's mentor here in Akron has suggested to him that leaving is the best thing for him. He said that a young coach may not want to go anywhere else but he simply could not afford to pass up this opportunity. He will probably never be worth more than he is now so it's time for his head to trump his heart. I'd like to see him stay because they will be in town next year to face the Zips.
Hell, I would have hired Kent's Geno Ford before Martin. Yes, really. It must be very,very hard to be a UT fan.
I'm of the opinion that if Mizzou lands Painter, then Purdue would hire Counzo. If Purdue bucks up and pays Painter, Mizzou will hire Counzo. The UT AD is aware of this and thats why he pulled the trigger on Counzo now. Shaka wasn't hitting those 3's all tourney and you will find yourself in a bidding war at the end of the day. Counzo Martin was a good hire at the right price and at the right time- smart move imo.
who knows about the Mizzou/Purdue speculation, but I agree with this. Was it the splash hire for Tenn, no. But I firmly believe it was a good hire. Cuonzo can recruit and coach. And from all accounts, he does it within NCAA rules. Something that should be welcomed by the Vols.
As someone who has followed Cuonzo's career closely, I think this is a solid hire for Tennessee. His coaching staff is great and he'll actually install some discipline into this program being a former Keady player and protege. He took over an awful Missouri State program and made them respectable immediately and was rumored for the Missouri job if Painter didn't accept. At 39, he's still very young and his best years are ahead of him. Shaka Smart will likely leave VCU while the grass is green, but I'm not sold one tourney makes him a great coach and VCU was solid before he arrived.
As someone who has followed Cuonzo's career closely, I think this is a solid hire for Tennessee. His coaching staff is great and he'll actually install some discipline into this program being a former Keady player and protege. He took over an awful Missouri State program and made them respectable immediately and was rumored for the Missouri job if Painter doesn't accept which I am hearing he'll take for $14M over 7 years. At 39, Cuonzo is still very young and his best years are ahead of him. Shaka Smart will likely leave VCU while the grass is green, but I'm not sold one tourney makes him a great coach and VCU was solid before he arrived.
I think Martin is a great guy. He has beaten cancer, overcome a great deal growing up in East St. Louis, and is no nonsense. Having said that, he has never won an NCAA tournament game. Do I think he will do well here? I think he could.
Shaka Smart is just as great of a guy as Martin. I think if you took the two side by side at the end of the reg. season, there isn't much difference. I just know guys that cover the Colonial, and they say there is just something different about him and other coaches. He knows what buttons to push and when.
Here's what all of you don't know about UT basketball. Our jock sniffing AD has raised ticket prices EVERY YEAR, and it is getting rediculous. If you expect people to pay, then go out and hire a guy who has never won an NCAA tourney game; what does that say to the fan base?
Tennessee has ranked 4th and 5th in basketball attendance in the last two years respectively. When you want your fans to pay premium prices, fans don't want to see you pay a guy $1.3 million that hasn't won a tourney game.
I think Martin can do well here. The problem is going to be how long it takes and if the sheep will give him time.
Shaka Smart is just as great of a guy as Martin. I think if you took the two side by side at the end of the reg. season, there isn't much difference. I just know guys that cover the Colonial, and they say there is just something different about him and other coaches. He knows what buttons to push and when.
Here's what all of you don't know about UT basketball. Our jock sniffing AD has raised ticket prices EVERY YEAR, and it is getting rediculous. If you expect people to pay, then go out and hire a guy who has never won an NCAA tourney game; what does that say to the fan base?
Tennessee has ranked 4th and 5th in basketball attendance in the last two years respectively. When you want your fans to pay premium prices, fans don't want to see you pay a guy $1.3 million that hasn't won a tourney game.
I think Martin can do well here. The problem is going to be how long it takes and if the sheep will give him time.
It could be worse, my school (DePaul) paid Purnell $2+MM and he has never won a tournament game. Not sure about any raises in the last year, but when Purnell was hired, he was the 6th highest paid coach in the nation. :scared
can someone explain to me why Painter would leave Purdue for Mizzou? I guess Purdue is in a way IU's little in-state brother but seems like a lateral move (unless M is offering a shit ton of $$ which is likely the case)
#1 reason he would leave is he and the athletic director don't get along.
#2 from what I'm hearing is they are going to offer a lot more money for both him and his assistants.
- Sep 12, 2006
- 181
- 1
- 0
Let's be honest. Shaka is the flavor of the month. Truth be told he's winning with Anthony Grants players on a team that finished 4th in the Colonial! It's a great run but I wouldn't hire him at a major program right now, but he'll get a major job. Cuanzo has done a nice job at Mizz St but I wouldn't say he took over a horrible situation. Barry Hinson had a ten year run there and had some solid clubs! Personally, if were Tenn I woulda gone after someone established like a Leonard Hamilton or Buzz Williams. Tenn is a top 25 job. Say what you want about Pearl but he did a helleva job there. I feel for Vol fans
From what I gather, Painter only makes $1.3 Mill/yr at Purdue. I think only Northwestern, Iowa, and Penn St. pay less.
Pearl did get this cbb program going, you cannot ever deny the man that.
I do, however, want to address the "Shaka is playing with A. Grant's players" issue, because it has come up several times over the last few weeks. You could flip it back and say that Grant played with Jeff Capel's players, right? Grant did not recruit Eric Maynor.
Grant won one (1) postseason game in three years. Ah, but it was Duke! Duke was a #6 seed that year. Also, Grant had Maynor and also Larry Sanders, who were both 1st round draft picks.
When you get to this stage of the tourney, it is about x's and o's. Talent can only take you so far, so to try and pass this off as the flavor of the month is a little silly.
Do any research, call anyone that covers that Colonial, and read up on Shaka and you will see why is not just the flavor of the month.
He and Brad Stevens face off on Saturday, which I cannot wait for. I will go as far to say that these two guys will have many many more battles in the tourney over the years to come.
- Sep 12, 2006
- 181
- 1
- 0
Skip-
I've known Shaka since he was an asst in Akron. I've got friends who coach in the Colonial. I don't speak without knowing what I'm talking about. Will Shaka get a major job, yes. Will he do a good job and win, maybe but how many times do we see ADs quick to jerk off the next hot young coach when there are established proven winners that are out there. You say you wanted Shaka in feb, when he was 3-5 in feb. Its easy to want the hot guy HE's done an amazing job and I tip my cap to him. But so did Stan Heath at Kent St with his elite 8 run and then shit the bed at Ark. Anthony Grant spent three years at VCU two tourneys and an Nit appearance he also spent ten under Billy D being mentored. Shaka spent what 2 years as an asst at Clemson and 1 under Donavan. It's an amazing run for him and VCU. I mean five years ago he was an asst in the MAC!! I just happen to value experience over the "next young guy" in coaching.
I've known Shaka since he was an asst in Akron. I've got friends who coach in the Colonial. I don't speak without knowing what I'm talking about. Will Shaka get a major job, yes. Will he do a good job and win, maybe but how many times do we see ADs quick to jerk off the next hot young coach when there are established proven winners that are out there. You say you wanted Shaka in feb, when he was 3-5 in feb. Its easy to want the hot guy HE's done an amazing job and I tip my cap to him. But so did Stan Heath at Kent St with his elite 8 run and then shit the bed at Ark. Anthony Grant spent three years at VCU two tourneys and an Nit appearance he also spent ten under Billy D being mentored. Shaka spent what 2 years as an asst at Clemson and 1 under Donavan. It's an amazing run for him and VCU. I mean five years ago he was an asst in the MAC!! I just happen to value experience over the "next young guy" in coaching.
So your argument is that Martin has 3 years of head coaching experience and Smart only has 2.
OK, take the names away:
Coach #1 - 3 years head coaching experience. One regular season title. Never made the NCAA tournament.
Coach #2 - 2 years head coaching experience. 10-0 in postseason, including winning 5 games in the NCAA tourney and leads his school to the Final Four for the first time ever.
Are you kidding me? If you can honestly say that one more year as a HC can trump a 10-0 postseason record and a Final Four, then there is no need for me to respond.
I think Cuonzo Martin will do well here, if given the chance by the fans, however, Shaka's intensity and style of play would continue to fill the Tommy Bowl. If Martin struggles, then the black curtains will appear again.
I want the guy to succeed, don't get me wrong, If he does, the fear is that he is off to Purdue the first chance he gets.
OK, take the names away:
Coach #1 - 3 years head coaching experience. One regular season title. Never made the NCAA tournament.
Coach #2 - 2 years head coaching experience. 10-0 in postseason, including winning 5 games in the NCAA tourney and leads his school to the Final Four for the first time ever.
Are you kidding me? If you can honestly say that one more year as a HC can trump a 10-0 postseason record and a Final Four, then there is no need for me to respond.
I think Cuonzo Martin will do well here, if given the chance by the fans, however, Shaka's intensity and style of play would continue to fill the Tommy Bowl. If Martin struggles, then the black curtains will appear again.
I want the guy to succeed, don't get me wrong, If he does, the fear is that he is off to Purdue the first chance he gets.
