VERY true! Assuming a standard 5 year contract, we could get stuck with a Sweet 16 coach and not see another FF for the next 5 years.
Hmmmm that Oats guy huh
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VERY true! Assuming a standard 5 year contract, we could get stuck with a Sweet 16 coach and not see another FF for the next 5 years.
I just can't get behind a guy that plays a dude with connections to a murder.
I understand he plays a fun style and looks like a good coach, possibly one of the best, but playing that one kid last year was shameless.
I understand he plays a fun style and looks like a good coach, possibly one of the best, but playing that one kid last year was shameless.
This usually goes both ways, but don't you love how Oats is great when he wins, but it's quiet after a loss.
Here’s the difference, and you have to be able to identify it. Or at least willing to gamble. Is the candidates goal to GET the job or to CRUSH the job?
Tubby got lazy when he got the job. Clyde had demons and was probably too immature (see Quin Snyder at Mizzou). Cal and Pitino had something to prove. Pitino that he still had it and Cal that he “belonged” with the elite.
The trick is finding that. That’s why I love a guy like Beard. He had a small taste of the mountain top. He messed up, but also got caught up in a quick decision. I know this for a fact through mutual friends, he believes he got screwed. He’s motivated to stick it up Texas’s and the CBB worlds arses. Some bigger than Ole Miss program is going to benefit from that.
It’s not easy finding that guy that wouldn’t immediately get fat and happy with this job. But I’m not convinced just “someone that has done it before” is the answer. You have to find someone with that edge. That burning desire to crush it, not just get it.
I think Oats biggest plus as a coach is that he understands and believes the offensive math, and whatever he does on offense (e.g., dribble drive motion) is designed to get a shot at the rim or 3pt. line and NOTHING in between. I assume every coach knows the math, but I don't know of any other coach that mandates adherence to it like Oats.
On the negative side, to me his teams don't seem to play hard on defense a lot of times, and I'm not even sure what his defensive philosophy is. Whatever defense he's running it never seems too good.
On the negative side, to me his teams don't seem to play hard on defense a lot of times, and I'm not even sure what his defensive philosophy is. Whatever defense he's running it never seems too good.
the problem is Bama extended his contract so bow he also has a large buyout.
Change this to the Elite 8 now. He replaced all of his coaching staff as well this season.
Shame of it all is we beat both and easily this year. UNC came back after we let off the gas (like Cal does too many times). But neither really had a chance.
Oats is a good coach. I just do not see him at UK. Not sure why but it reminds me of Eddie Sutton. Great at Arkansas but could not handle KENTUCKY. Not worth much just my opinion.
Oats is a good coach. I just do not see him at UK. Not sure why but it reminds me of Eddie Sutton. Great at Arkansas but could not handle KENTUCKY. Not worth much just my opinion.
We had those last season, 4 of them, and at least 2 had off nights almost every game.
Oats had one of the best defenses last season. It's just this season the team has struggled, but he has the top offense in the country.
Why would we want a fired up passionate coach who builds balanced, experienced rosters when we have Low T Cal and his fab freshmen??
I like Oats as a coach and he was top of my list before the murder thing and letting Miller play after he brought a murderer the murder weapon.
He would do great here with our resources and may not have to live and die by the 3.
That black cloud just really turned me off on him
He would do great here with our resources and may not have to live and die by the 3.
That black cloud just really turned me off on him
Best game I’ve seen from Nelson this year, but I’ll hand it to Bama, I didn’t think they were good enough defensively to stop UNCheat.
Now Houston better take out friggin’ Dook tonight.
Now Houston better take out friggin’ Dook tonight.
Oats has always been top 5, just a matter what spot in the top 5 he is in. I think he's #3 call. If Mitch did reach out to Jay Wright and he showed no interested, then maybe Oats is #2. Dan Hurley is the second call after Jay Wright. However, I think there was like a 50% chance Dan Hurley would consider the UK job, but if he wins his 2nd title in a row this year, I definitely don't see him leaving Uconn. All of this to say, is that Oats is #2 or #3 call. If he makes a final 4 or title game or even wins it this year somehow, well he will move to a lot of folks #1 call.
My only talking point would be that a plethora of outstanding talent has been wasted at UK.
If you ever get a chance watch the replay of the 93 Maui game between us and Arizona.
Observe the individual hugging Brassow after his miracle tip in as the clock expired.
That's the type of individual we need.
Someone with an ego that's all about winning.
I thought this game would be close one way or the other. Thankfully Nelson put them over the top.
I was blown away by how many people in that bracket contest had North Carolina in the final four. I know most of them were just moving the one seed but still. North Carolina is one of the worst one seeds in the history of the tournament. Not that they're a bad team but they're not one seed good. It's just that kind of year where there's not a fourth top team.
Dont talk about Pearl like that ... LOL ... Alabama beat UNC and while some see UNC as overrated other than Sears plus another dude I dont see overwhelming talent on that Bama roster . Oats is getting it done
I haven't seen many Oats haters, to be honest. All we tend to see is the argument about Drew, or how one win or one loss suddenly means a coach is freakin' awesome or blows wind.
Our problem now though is that regardless of who we all love as our next coach, it ain't happening for a while, unfortunately. If this year didn't do it for Mitch, next year won't, either, unless Cal totally fails to get to the NCAAT, and even then I don't have faith that Mitch will pull the trigger due to his fiscally conservative state of mind. He will just keep paying Cal and rationalize it as "sometimes schools go through down periods" so he won't have to pay off Cal to leave.
Schools that pay 9 million do not got through down periods. Allowing Mitch to make this decision is like the fox guarding the hen house.
It will happen if, an only if, the boosters are willing and able to put up the money. Having said that, Mark Cuban is not walking through that door.
I was glad to see Bama beat UNC* cheaters. Very good game and Oats coached a good game.
I see Mitch in the same spot as de la Villehuchet, the guy who invested everything of his own and his client's money in the Madoff pyramid scheme. When told it was a scam, he said, "It can't be. I have all my money there and if it is a scam, I am a walking dead man." Mitch and the boosters went all in on Cal. Now they can't figure out how to get out of the mess they created.
They are overplaying their individual talent level which is the key to coaching.
Kentucky could use a guy like Oats whether you like it or not.
Young, hungry - but most important he's proven he could win at a place like Alabama. He should have been on the list but Mitch likely let that window close this year.
Bringing Cal back will probably set Kentucky Basketball back another decade.
Young, hungry - but most important he's proven he could win at a place like Alabama. He should have been on the list but Mitch likely let that window close this year.
Bringing Cal back will probably set Kentucky Basketball back another decade.
I’m not an attorney but while the Miller thing was going on I was wondering if Bama had a choice in the matter. Could they be sued if they didn’t play him? CBB is where players display their talent for NBA teams, with no charges being filed against him can they deny him the opportunity?
We aren't seeing Sweet 16's or FF's anyway; I'd switch coaches with Alabama right now if possible. Much higher upside, especially with the resources here.
I feel like this UK team would have been better off playing a big name team n first round. They always seem to screw around with teams they don't respect and it bites them n the ass.
I’m not an attorney, but the one thing that gave me pause in crucifying Oates and Bama was that Miller was never formally charged with a crime, just questioned.
I am a firm believer in not taking punitive actions against someone until they’ve been either formally charged by police or indicted by a grand jury on those charges. Then, you suspend them, and if convicted, dismiss them from the team.
Oats just signed an extension that would require that a team pay 18 million to Alabama if they want to hire Oats. Presumably Alabama would pay that same amount if they were to fire him, which seems unlikely in the short term.
Calls Cal’s contract requires us to pay him $33 million to fire him this year, which is why we didn’t. $25 million next year. If he leaves for another job on his own accord, UK is owed nothing. Mitch is a shrewd negotiator lol.
He's doing this at Bama. Bear Bryant and Nick Saban Bama. Where it's football season. Recruiting season. SPring practice season and NASCAR.
Come on.
I don't make brash decisions off one game. I'd rather be sitting where he is in the Elite 8 with a shot at a National Championship than where are now with 1 Tournament win in 5 years. A regular season game be damned if you go on a tournament run. You could apply the same logic when Bama beat down the Cats at Alabama last year. See how that works? I look at the style of play, winning both the SEC Championship and SEC Tournament in 2021 & 2023 with a trajectory headed upwards at a non-traditional basketball school and think what it might be if he were at a powerhouse program like Kentucky. Hasn't even been a D-1 coach 10 years and still getting better. If 24-11 is one of his down years, he just got the furthest in the tournament that he has ever been in his relatively short coaching career at the D-1 Level.
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Indeed it does work both ways. Crickets from the Cal Boys after a shit loss and don't take any joy of the wins anymore. Just use it as an opportunity to wag their finger at UK fans faces for their own agendas. Not true fans if that is the motive after a win. You should be happy to win and pissed when you lose.
A 65-year old HOFer should have a better record than 4-3 vs Oats building up the Alabama program in his first major coaching job after succeeding at Buffalo. I'd be willing to take the chance to handle him. If the true hold up is being a legit candidate to fill the role and money for a buyout, well he's #1 on my list. Just goes to show though no matter what, someone is always going to find flaws in any coach people recommend for the job. I guess if Hurley gets knocked out, the narrative will be spun by the critics to says his run last year was just getting hot at the right time like Ollie in 2014.
Truthfully, RR is always chasing the flavor of the month. When was the last time anyone mentioned Musselman? A year ago, he was probably top 3 on everyone's list and then after that season he was the talk of the board for all the portal players he was bringing in while Cal was doing very little. Now, his name rarely gets mentioned.
For me, the jury is still out on Oats. But, I'm not sure he is a realistic candidate at this point anyway due to the contract that he just signed so it really is purely theoretical.
comments like these are just absurd. Nate Oats is a mathematician. All he does is study and follow analytics.
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