Coach of the year list (does not include Pope)
- Thread starter WildcatUKx
- Start date
At least half that list is an incredible joke.
If CMP isn't even being CONSIDERED then this conversation isn't really serious or objective
PS: Rich Brooks thinks that list is Bull$hit
PS: Rich Brooks thinks that list is Bull$hit
I wouldn’t have a problem with Dennis Gates or to a lesser extent, Todd Golden.
Gates deserves it for what he’s done at Mizzou.
Gates deserves it for what he’s done at Mizzou.
I think losing a couple of games that we shouldn't have hurt him
I agree with those 2 guys. I always look at the COY award as someone who has overachieved. Tough one for Mark to make when we were picked 23rd preseason in the nation and picked to finish 8th in the SEC. Looks like we will finish pretty close to both of those, although a couple coaches on that list are pretty much in the same boat.
Can’t be taken seriously. That list has a few names on it that are deserved. Then there are quite a few that are complete bullshit.
Pope's done a good job but he is not Coach of the Year good this season. I don't have an issue with nearly everyone on that list being ahead of him. Pope should be in the top 15ish or so.
In fifteen tries they got six-to-possibly-seven names right.
I sincerely hope this is just Axia Time and Werner Ladder being tone deaf and stupid as opposed to an actually official list.
I sincerely hope this is just Axia Time and Werner Ladder being tone deaf and stupid as opposed to an actually official list.
Winning the games he has with the injuries should negate any losses with the same injuries.
7-2 against the top 25 (most wins in a season in program history against the top 25), putting together a team from scratch (0% returning players), playing and winning games without 2 of your best players and at times NO POINT GUARD at all. Yes that list is BULLSHIT to not include Pope on it. I don't need blue blinders to see that horse crap!!!!!!
Why should Tom Izzo even be on this list? A lot of these lists are usually about a player/coach kind of breaking through and doing something they haven't done before. Kind of like Lamar Jackson losing the award to Josh Allen: Lamar basically had the same season as last year, but Josh really went above and beyond.. same as why Harden and others won MVP when we all knew that LeBron was the real MVP and best player in the league. When you're an established star of the sport, the individual awards become a little harder to come by..
So in that regard, what is Izzo doing that's so special? He's been at MSU for 20+ years and he has them near the top10. They aren't even in 1st place in the Big10.
And further, what is Izzo doing in the Big10 that trumps what Pope is doing with UK in the SEC? I don't see in any way, how Izzo is doing a better job of coaching.. but for Pope, he's doing this in year 1 at UK, brand new roster, and with the worst injuries in college basketball.
Imagine how hard this person had to try to convince themselves Mark Pope shouldn't be on this list lolol.
So in that regard, what is Izzo doing that's so special? He's been at MSU for 20+ years and he has them near the top10. They aren't even in 1st place in the Big10.
And further, what is Izzo doing in the Big10 that trumps what Pope is doing with UK in the SEC? I don't see in any way, how Izzo is doing a better job of coaching.. but for Pope, he's doing this in year 1 at UK, brand new roster, and with the worst injuries in college basketball.
Imagine how hard this person had to try to convince themselves Mark Pope shouldn't be on this list lolol.
Big difference with Pope is that he has had to play many games with completely different lineups and has arguably his two best players out and still achieving. I feel he is at least deserving of consideration for the job he has done this year under the circumstances. Nit saying he should win but at least be under consideration.
Ignore that turd, always something negative to say
And I somehow doubt those expectations factored in the SEC being the best conference in history this year. Given the injuries Pope has performed better than expected.
Meanwhile, Izzo is being slathered with praise for beating almost no one but returning the team he has coached for 25 years to "pretty good" status. That's horse shit. Like praising someone for cleaning up their own mess.
Totes. Dude is the most negative poster ever on this board. If he actually is a UK fan, he seriously needs to change his outlook to sports. Being that negative is bad for your system. Very bad.
Pope inherited a basketball program in April with ZERO players on the roster. The last minute team he put together has 5 wins against Top-10 teams & 7 wins against Top-15 teams, this despite multiple key players being injured for multiple games. If this isn't the resume of THE COACH of the year then I don't know what is.
I don't think pre-season polls should be much of a factor. Very subjective, and doesn't take into account so many variables that come up during the season. Losing Kriisa so early, Having Butler miss so many games. The SEC being so dominant. None of those were known at the time those polls came out.
Also, very few coaches, other than the one 75 miles down the road, had to build an entire team on such short notice. Not sure if their situation was even as dire as ours was. No incoming freshmen, no returning players, no staff. The fact that we even have a winning record is a great achievement in itself.
You mean like Drake's coach being on the list while having losses to powerhouses like:
@ home to Murray St (14-14 on the season)
UIC (15-12 on the season)
@ home this WEEK to Bradley (21-6 on the season)
Again, I have no problem with some guys on the list, but for Pope to not be in consideration but THIS COACH is???
Similar situation w/
- Penny @ Memphis... they have a couple of losses (02/16 to a bad Wich St team) just as bad as UK, and not as many good wins.
- Kelsey @ Louisville...the Cards have only 1 bad loss (GA Tech), but they have exactly ZERO wins over teams ranked in the top 25 this season
So... again, I just don't see it
Izzo ALWAYS gets slurpped like he's God's gift to college basketball. Izzo is a solid coach. But the man only has one title. And that was a quarter of a century ago.
Yes, his teams are always dangerous in March. But again, one stinking title in 25 years at the same damn school.
He's just a good coach. Not a great one.
They aren't.
The problem is there's about 3-4 doing an insane job this year.
Pearl
Gates
Golden
and MAYBE Oats (but Bama just went to the FF so expectations were high)
And unfortunately, they are ALL in our conference.
Being at UK does him no favors in this area, we are held to a different standard because at
UK you are expected to win
From something like late 1990s into the 2000s, he had an amazing run where no player had played for him for 4 years without making a Final Four, which was pretty impressive. For the last decade, though, MSU has become more of an afterthought...one of those teams who could sneak up and beat anybody while at the same time being a team you knew couldn't make a deep run in March.
So, basically... an 8/9 seed team that can destroy your bracket by upsetting the #1 seed in the second round only to lose to the 5 seed in the next round lol
I don't think most on here (including myself) are saying Pope is frontrunner for the Coach of the Year or anything.
However, if you look at my posts above, I think it's reasonable to say he's done a better (or certainly as good of one) job than a few on this list.
Another hidden factor that won’t get talked about is that the many ppl don’t realize the circumstances Pope was dealing with. I.e: built this team in 3 weeks and everyone was forecasting them to be a fringe tournament team/non top 25.
Instead ppl like to be revisionist and Say “it’s Kentucky and he was given a program from a HOF coach that had them as a 2 seed the year before.”….so a lot of causal media ppl don’t realize how bad it was here the past 5 years…..or the injuries we’ve dealt with.
I get Gates or somebody else winning it…. But what Pope has accomplished this season and our record against the top 15 is nothing short of COY candidate recognition given what preseason expectations were
I was going to say, Pope probably won't even finish top 4 in SEC COY voting. Pearl, Gates, Golden and Buzz will probably be top 4. Just a loaded conference in terms of coaches.
Though without all the injuries I think we would be far exceeding all those pre-season expectations.
He has zero bad losses and has more huge wins than anyone, outside of maybe Pearl.
Gates was 0-fer in conference play last year, I think. He's done a helluva job ... no question !!
Any list that doesn’t include Pope loses all credibility immediately.
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