I don't get the Hurley fascination. What has he done outside of ONE post-season?
Dan Hurley vs Scott Drew
- Thread starter Farsight
- Start date
I don't get the Hurley fascination. What has he done outside of ONE post-season?
It's Hurley.. anyone else leaves me with at least a somewhat shaky feeling that they won't do all that much better than Cal. I guess Scott Drew is next. After that, it's calling around to guys like Jay Wright to see if there's interest, but I'll save everyone's time here: anyone who left the mess that is college basketball, is not coming back. Not Vogel, Not Jay Wright, not Billy D..
I get it. I don’t want either and nor do I think tournament wins should be a make or break factor. I’m from the school of finding our own up and comer that has shown what they can do and could be a star with KY resources. I won’t decide but I would take Will Wade, Beard, Todd Golden, Lamont Paris type of coach. If someone has already won a championships the only draw for them is money. Hurley and Drew are also in their 50s. Pitino was upper 30s when hired, I would
Personally want a young and energetic coach that coaches to todays players and schemes.
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There's a little bit of truth to it. Some people (mainly from the upper midwest and northeast). Don't really understand how some people down here could get so attachted to school sports teams. Rick Pitino and Calipari are examples. But it's not that big of a deal at all. Mainly just looking at some presser comments, lol.
Why is the he's a North East guy always used to say no way Hurley comes here. Wasn't Pitino a North East guy?
Put yourself in Hurley's shoes. If you're already at a program coming off of a national championship and will be in the running to win more, are in a place geographically you already love... Would you make the move?
You need to go back and see what Hurley did to get the UConn job in the first place. He has a solid record for a lot of years.
I did go back and look at his record. Other than the title year, he has 4 tournament appearances and no trips to the sweet 16 or E8 or FF. So, what are you seeing that I am not??
LOL, you actually asked for INTELLIGENT responses ? From this crew ? If you have been around for any time at all, you should have known better and this would be the result. But here it goes,,,
IF BOTH expressed interest and BOTH obtainable, give me Drew.
He is a little more proven over a longer duration, recruits the hotbeds pretty good.
I like Hurley, solid coach, but until last year and even part of last year, he has struggled. Maybe he caught lightning in a bottle, signed a great class by them ending up being upperclassmen. Lets see what he can do when these guys are gone. Can he maintain and continue on year after year ? That is my concern for him, he has had two good years, several meh, and several bad.
They would after agreeing we should axe him. That’s what they do.
“Man Coach A had issues but was it really time to go?”
They play both sides for the field for ratings.
Will Wade? The man that wa slapped with so many Level 1 violations that even the cheating cesspool of LSU had to finally fire him? And then had to be SUSPENDED at his new program because the terms of his Lvl 1 violations hadnt fully resolved? That Will Wade? You want that cheating POS at the most monitored school in the country just about? Yeah, great choice……
Why would you expect to see “E8s or FFs” at programs like Wagner and Rhode Island?
Hurley has a clear history of taking distressed programs and promptly turning them into winners. At Wagner he took a 13 win team his first season and turned them into a 25-6 team his second. At RI he took an 8 win team and turned them into a 26 win team within a few years. At UConn he took over a team that went 14-17 the year prior and turned them into the national champions within four years.
Why would anyone not be impressed by that résumé?
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There are a few things:
1. I always look at what a coach does compared to what has historically been done at schools that aren't top level schools. In RI's case, he took over a program that had not been to the NCAA Tournament since 1999 and hadn't won their conference since 1981. He got them into the 2nd round of the tournament his final 2 seasons and won the A-10.
2. When Hurley took over at UConn, they were on probation and had a scholarship reduction. They went 16-17 and 14-18 the 2 years prior to him taking over. He's improved every year he has been there, culminating in the national championship last year where they ran through the NCAA Tournament , winning every game by 13 or more points. Now, he has his team #1 in the nation and poised for another deep run.
3. As we do with Cal, it's all about what have you done for me lately. He's clearly on an upward swing and appears to be continually heading in that direction.
Thanks! That was a very good post! I wish more posters could respond with a well thought out reply rather than just calling the other poster an idiot.
Having said that, I do have a concern that his post season success is limited to one season. Yeah, he is obviously a very good coach. But, is he going to be the guy to get UK back to the FF?
Don't forget to call Billy and brad too. Don't know why Donovan and Steven's aren't in this thread.
Another good response! Thanks! I am not yet sold but at least I don't think we would be any worse off than we are now. LOL
There’s just very few “Cal like” coaches out there at the moment. There’s no legends per se. All are still pretty young comparatively speaking and still trying to make a name for themselves. Cal, Few and Self are still the biggest names of the old guards and as you see they’re all kinda meh this year. Even KU has 5 losses and just aren’t that impressive. It’s guys like Davis, Hurley, Parris, Lloyd etc that are making waves atm.
Who knows if they win it all, but I think he makes another deep run this year. I think the question is, if a guy like him is not the one to take over, what coach would you feel more comfortable with that you think would have a better shot at a FF (that is reasonable, so no Brad Stevens, Jay Wright and Billy Donovan)?
Rick Pitino & John Calipari both are northeast guys & they both came here.
I think Drew has a long term track record of success. My hesitation with Drew is I don't know if his skin is thick enough for dealing with the unreal expectations. Coaches are ripped here on a daily basis. Pitino was often unpopular with the fans but he dealt with it. Hurley stikes me as someone who would deal with that aspect of the job better than Drew.
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I think Drew could be successful here. Amazing what he has done at Baylor. I think he will be Mitch's first choice. I'm surprised that you said Drew, because the knock on him has been 1 Final Four in 19 years at Baylor and making it out of the first weekend in only 5 of 19 years. Kind of the same argument you have against Hurley.
Pitino was too far in the “IDGAF what you think” category. That’s what led to his career craters. Like I can respect that but you have to have some sense of decorum and self placement.
No on can handle the extremes of BBN (ie we have to win by 30 every game and win the title every year) you just have to ignore them and win at a high level. I think Hurley could. UConn isn’t a fish job in terms of low expectations as they have a tradition strong program.
That’s why I don’t think hiring form a small school or is always a good idea. You want somebody that’s been in some decent pressure situations. That’s why you want coaches from like an Arizona or some other big bball school but might be Tier 1A in terms of expectations a pressure. Or you find a guy like old cal that was just killing it at a school that had no business being that good (UMass/Memphis)
Ultimately there’s no guarantee who you hire will ever work out. You just have to find the best guy fundamentals wise and somebody that’s decent to fans.
Hurley at UCONN
2018-19 16-17 6-12 in conference (AA conference, not Big East)
2019-20 19-12 10-8 in conference (AA conference, not Big East)
2020-21 15-8 11-6 in conference (would have been dd losses in a full schedule) 1st season in return to Big East.
2021-22 23-10 13-6 in conference
2022-23 31-8 13-7 in conference
Was at Rhode Island for 6 years. First five he had losing seasons, losses where 21,18,10,15,10,8.
The last year (his only winning season, he went 26-8.
I mean he has a NCAA championship, but to say he has dominated at UCONN is simply not true. His first two years at UCONN, he coached in the American Athletic Conference, and not great results. 8/10/8 losses in the first 3 years. Looks up and down to me and one of the 8 loss season was Covid and not a full year so,,,
Good /solid coach, not elite who signed a very good class and they matured. Will be interesting to see what he does next year, the year after, etc. I honestly do not know, who all does he lose and has he signed next year ? I couldn't find anyone signed.
2018-19 16-17 6-12 in conference (AA conference, not Big East)
2019-20 19-12 10-8 in conference (AA conference, not Big East)
2020-21 15-8 11-6 in conference (would have been dd losses in a full schedule) 1st season in return to Big East.
2021-22 23-10 13-6 in conference
2022-23 31-8 13-7 in conference
Was at Rhode Island for 6 years. First five he had losing seasons, losses where 21,18,10,15,10,8.
The last year (his only winning season, he went 26-8.
I mean he has a NCAA championship, but to say he has dominated at UCONN is simply not true. His first two years at UCONN, he coached in the American Athletic Conference, and not great results. 8/10/8 losses in the first 3 years. Looks up and down to me and one of the 8 loss season was Covid and not a full year so,,,
Good /solid coach, not elite who signed a very good class and they matured. Will be interesting to see what he does next year, the year after, etc. I honestly do not know, who all does he lose and has he signed next year ? I couldn't find anyone signed.
Drew is a whiney dweeb that has no sense of humor. All he does is smile lot. I would keep Cal (whom I can't stand) over having to look at that punchable Scott Drew face all the time.
Just my opinion, but wanting Hurley seems like a desperate move from UK. I'm good with a change at the helm, but UConn is basically another blue blood these days... five titles since 1999 I believe? Hurley coming to UK feels like Kevin Durant joining the Golden State Warriors, with UK being Durant in this case. I know we are Kentucky, but it just feels like a "if we can't beat em, join em" type move. Like would we want Bill Self to be the coach at Kentucky? I hate Kansas, and I hate UConn... would rather not them become the coach here at UK. I'm sure I'm in the minority here, but I don't want Hurley at all. And he ain't coming anyway.
Referring to Hurley and next year returnees I looked up the top 5 players.
Newton - 16ppg / 7 reb. / 6 asst. - leading scorer, rebounder, assist guy. 5th year SR. (GONE)
Spence - 15 pt. / 4.5 reb. / 3.2 ast. - 2nd leading scorer. 5th year SR. (GONE)
Karaban - 14.5 ppg,/ 5.8 reb / 1.6 ast. Sophomore (48th ranked draft prospect, 21 year old soph.)
Clingman - 12 pts. / 6 reb. - Sophomore (#14th ranked draft prospect, 20 year old soph. 7'2 265 lbs.)
Castle - 11 pts. / 4.6 reb. / 3.3 ast. - Freshman (very good freshman year)
So they definitely lose their top 2 guys, and probably Clingman, he is a lotto pick. If Karaban (48th ranked) enters the draft, that will be top 4 players gone. He is a 21 year old soph., He will probably at least consider.
I do not know anything about the freshman Castle regarding his draft status, he looks pretty damn good. Losing 4 out of the top 5, no incoming guys, lets see with Hurley can do next year.
Newton - 16ppg / 7 reb. / 6 asst. - leading scorer, rebounder, assist guy. 5th year SR. (GONE)
Spence - 15 pt. / 4.5 reb. / 3.2 ast. - 2nd leading scorer. 5th year SR. (GONE)
Karaban - 14.5 ppg,/ 5.8 reb / 1.6 ast. Sophomore (48th ranked draft prospect, 21 year old soph.)
Clingman - 12 pts. / 6 reb. - Sophomore (#14th ranked draft prospect, 20 year old soph. 7'2 265 lbs.)
Castle - 11 pts. / 4.6 reb. / 3.3 ast. - Freshman (very good freshman year)
So they definitely lose their top 2 guys, and probably Clingman, he is a lotto pick. If Karaban (48th ranked) enters the draft, that will be top 4 players gone. He is a 21 year old soph., He will probably at least consider.
I do not know anything about the freshman Castle regarding his draft status, he looks pretty damn good. Losing 4 out of the top 5, no incoming guys, lets see with Hurley can do next year.
I'm not on him either. But at least he just won a title.
Hurley. You got to love the way the guys play for him. You got to love the type of action he has on offense and defense. Not perfect but I will take it over Drew. As much as I hate UCONN, I would watch a UCONN game 10 times out of 10 over Baylor. Houston / Baylor type of ball not sure I can get behind.
He took over a UConn program that was on probation and has improved every year at the helm, culminating in a national championship. He’s got the #1 team in America right now.
Who cares what he did at RI or his first 2 years at UConn anyways, after all, no one seems to care what Cal did in the first half of his time at UK.
I’m honestly curious…who do you think should be the guy?
