To be fair, that program was in rough shape. 2017 and 2018 are also almost the same on Torvik (while G-Town lost their two best players and returned no one with 55% of minutes or more played) and while last year was a step back on all metrics but wins and losses, I think it’s easy to sell the wins/losses improvement and conference leap as progress to recruits to improve there.
Was Ewing ever considered a rising star in the NBA coaching circles? I don’t know but I didn’t think so. I want Howard as I don’t like the alternatives. I think the hype around the program would be unbelievable. He might fail but he will fail with more highly ranked talent than Beilien ever had IMO. Hiring Juwan will take some of the pain away from losing Beilien. That might not last long but I am okay with short term pain relief
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Stand up guy (2009)
Yeah man this idea that Chris Webber is now a voice anyone gives a damn about regarding the future of Michigan Basketball is amazing to me.
I think college athletes should be paid so I have no moral problem with what Webber did. I do have a problem with the idea that he could be paid, trash the University for impoverishing him (when in reality it was enabling his payment!), dime everyone out in court, then spend a decade acting like he’s a victim. Then, when he “returns”, he doesn’t return to the basketball program or with Beilein (he was absent went Rose, Howard, King, and Jackson returned) but to Harbaugh at a football game, alone.
The idea that this guy gives a flying f*** is absurd. He has no character.
I also REALLY chafe at people like Webber or Jay Williams talking about “bringing back the culture of the program”. It’s a slap in the face of the last twelve years of Michigan basketball! Yeah, let’s bring back the culture of Maurice Taylor and Robert Traylor getting to the third round of the NIT.
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Why does everyone keep talking about Patrick Ewing?
Ewing spent the vast majority of his NBA assistant coaching career as a big man development coach - I know that both Dwight Howard with the Magic and Yao Ming in Houston gave him a ton of credit for his tutelage. That said, I don’t think player development necessarily leads to being an NBA head coach (but could a college coach!). I know Howard started on a similar path (coaching bigs) - I have no idea if he’s gotten more into strategy (if he’s the top assistant I imagine he has).
I never thought so. It’s hard to be a rising star and stay at the same level for 15 years. There were a lot of uninspiring hires chosen instead of Ewing, a long list just from the Knicks.
I agree, the hype around the program with Juwan will be something to see.
I’m mostly with you, and I find great irony in the fact that someone from Duke’s program…who was the “cultural” foil for the Fab Five back in the day, including when Jay played there, but then both sides switched places. In other words, Michigan has become what Jay’s Duke was, but that’s a problem?
Just so weird.
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I got a question for everyone… If Lavall’s buyout is so expensive yet he’s one of only two coaches so far who we know/expect to get interviews, why the hell would Michigan consider paying his when they could probably get a MUCH safer and stronger candidate for the same price or cheaper? Guys like Prohm and White I don’t think have buyouts as expensive, have solid recruiting classes where they are and could maybe bring some guys with them, and are proven to be good coaches? Just seems like Warde and Michigan’s Athletic department is being cheap/lazy since Lavall worked at Michigan. Clearly don’t really care that much about basketball which is wild to me.
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It sounds like they’re committed to hiring a minority candidate, which would explain why Vall/Shaka/Juwan and not Prohm/White.
Sam Webb has said the buyout may be a deal breaker for LaVall so I don’t know that they would pay it. Also, I haven’t seen anywhere that White or Prohm are interested in leaving where they are at. Prohm wasn’t even interested in Bama and that’s his Alma mater. And Jeff Goodman reported that White would be unlikely to leave Florida. I’m sure he wants to coach that recruiting class that he has coming in.
I agree though that I would hope Warde at least reached out to them in order to get the formal “thanks, but no thanks”
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they looked at stevens/donovan and interviewed yaklich. so i think they trying to find the best man for the job, exclusive of racial requirements
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That’s the thing though. Good coaches in good spots where their jobs are stable aren’t going to want to interview or leave per say. They want a school to come to them and say “you are at the top of our list and we will do what we need to get you.” Michigan could easily do that if they wanted with the money they have. Look what they did for Harbaugh. He was in a excellent position with the 49ers. 3 straight NFC championship appearances and 1 super bowl. But they clearly don’t prioritize basketball like football. If Jordan’s buyout is $12 million, yet Michigan is still considering him, which they are, why isn’t Michigan going for better coaches and showing a possible willingness to spend that money on a more proven coach? Just taking a lazy, easy cop out saying “the timing is off”. Michigan could truly buy almost any coach if they wanted, but they clearly seem to be penny pinching. That’s just my opinion. Jordan shouldn’t be a option. If he wasn’t a former Michigan assistant, we would never know who he was and he wouldn’t get a sniff of this job. Realistically, Howard shouldn’t either but Michigan AD seems content with just going with the easier targets rather then really honing in on one or two well qualified coaches and doing what they need to to get the job done. Just frustrating that Michigan seems to be content to say “whatever happens, happens.” With the basketball coach and program.
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Prohm and White are both reportedly not interested at all.
It might be that you’re right but I would assume otherwise
i sorta disagree here. Stevens will get a 7-8 million offer from nba team next year, donovan already making 6-7, they dont wanna recruit. an extra million or two for double the work probably isn’t appealing to nba guys.
now should we have thrown a big bag at someone like wright or bennett? yes cause it would force other schools to pay up, but say you do that and can’t get those guys. you’re right back here staring at similar candidates and howard remains roughly as qualified as anyone else
is oats worth an 8 million buy out? is jordan with 8-10 million buy out? do we know prohm is clean? was his success part hoiberg?
if we get howard for a smaller sum and we can put that to facilities and top notch
assistants
that said, i do agree it feels like bball is still second class citizen at um
I don’t know that you pay anyone Coach K money outside of the pipe dream candidates. I like White and Prohm, more than the candidates that they have, but I also don’t think they are the types of guys where you write them a blank check and ask what they need. Prohm hasn’t had much tournament success. And Florida would probably match any reasonable offer that Michigan threw out so Michigan would just be used for a pay raise unless he really wanted to leave, which I don’t think he does. He is from Florida, played ball in the south and has a great recruiting class coming in. He probably likes where he is at.
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Wasn’t insinuating a NBA guy but a qualified College guy moreso. Didn’t say Oats was worth the $8 million either. Michigan likely will penny pinch the Assistants even if we got someone like Howard. Beilein had to lobby to get them raises last year after the tourney run. No excuse why Michigan shouldn’t be one of the top basketball/football schools in the country, if not the best with where Beilein got the basketball program and Harbaugh has the football. Both should and are top 10 programs and should stay that way.
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You don’t need to pay $10 mill a year for a college coach but I don’t think $4-7million a year is too outlandish with how deep Michigan’s coffers are. Giving a coach 4-7 million doesn’t put a dent in Michigan’s overall budget. Same applies to giving the assistants good money. Yet Michigan goes cheap and thinks they can still be elite. This is like Arsenal in soccer in the last Wegner year’s trying to penny pinch while Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool and even Tottenham of late splashed the clash and they are reaping the rewards the last few years. Short team pain (spending more money than in the past) has equaled big gains now for those teams while Arsenal isn’t even a top 6 team anymore. Things change fast if you are unwilling to spend to compete with the others vying to be elite. And those teams that do that usually end up making the money back and then some because of the success they get from increased fan interest, sales and team success.
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Let’s let this all play out. Few if any wanted Beilein when he came here. In fact a majority of his tenure was routinely criticized by the fan base until the last 4-5 years.
Michigan now has outstanding BB facilities and great recent success. The new man would have to be a complete slug to not be able to build on the existing opportunities.
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To be fair few, if any cared about basketball when Beilein came to Michigan either because they were so bad for so long. I was pretty young myself so didn’t have a educated opinion or cared enough about who coaches were anywhere
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I think you splurge and make a coach one of the top 3-5 highest paid coaches in the country IF there is a candidate who is that much of a sure thing. I don’t think there is one here. Florida would match $4 mil and I don’t think White is a $7 mil a year coach. Where the number is that Florida wouldn’t match, I don’t know. Otherwise, I agree when it comes to the pipe dreams. If Bennett would come for $6-7 mil, you pay him. I just don’t think there’s a coach out there who fits the profile of what you are looking for. I don’t think money is the limiting factor with our candidate list. Guys make so much money wherever they coach now and they are comfortable.
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