Bill Carmody retires

lou v

All-Conference
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Aug 27, 2004
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Best wishes to Coach Carmody in retirement. I know that he’s a lightning rod around here, but he was a good man and good coach who got NU from Point A (Nowhere) to Point B (a legit program that could win 20 games and make the postseason). At least that’s how I see it. He had his faults, like we all do, but he did a hell of a lot for the Wildcat program.

 

rwhitney014

Sophomore
Dec 5, 2007
5,246
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Oh jeez, not another Carmody thread!

I kid, of course. A good man who carried himself and his program well in many ways, and whose teams provided me some great memories and some really, really frustrating ones. But he graduated his players and did a lot of things right, and he accomplished more than most have here. Happy retirement, and hopefully Mrs. C. is doing well too.
 

torque-cat

Redshirt
Dec 11, 2018
1,234
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Oh jeez, not another Carmody thread!

I kid, of course. A good man who carried himself and his program well in many ways, and whose teams provided me some great memories and some really, really frustrating ones. But he graduated his players and did a lot of things right, and he accomplished more than most have here. Happy retirement, and hopefully Mrs. C. is doing well too.

Could reasonably
Best wishes to Coach Carmody in retirement. I know that he’s a lightning rod around here, but he was a good man and good coach who got NU from Point A (Nowhere) to Point B (a legit program that could win 20 games and make the postseason). At least that’s how I see it. He had his faults, like we all do, but he did a hell of a lot for the Wildcat program.



Could reasonably argue he's the second best and second most important coach in NU bball history--after CC. And without him we may not get CC. Whatever the case he brought class, discipline, stability, competitiveness and crafty coaching to a program that desperately needed. And he had a hilarious, deadpan dry humor. He was a pure bball coach and for better or worse not interested in selling the program. Good luck to BC and thanks.
 

NJCat

All-Conference
Mar 7, 2016
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Thanks for growing NU basketball, Coach. Best wishes for a long, healthy happy retirement.
 
Nov 21, 2004
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Best wishes to a good coach and class act. He made us respectable and got us close several times. I’ve always been a fan. Thank you, coach!
 

JournCat

Junior
Aug 4, 2009
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He’d make a really good lead assistant somewhere, like a Tex Winter for the Princeton offense.
 

NJCat

All-Conference
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He’d make a really good lead assistant somewhere, like a Tex Winter for the Princeton offense.
His old Boss Pete Carril did it for quite a while in the NBA too.

Somehow I don't see BC going that route.
 

JournCat

Junior
Aug 4, 2009
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he may retire from coaching but he doesn't retire from the old rehashing of carmody vs collins argument on this board!

You know what would be amazing ... I can't even type the words. Let's just say many of us have long thought Collins' teams could use a lot more discipline and organization on offense.
 

Styre

Senior
Oct 14, 2004
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Carril retired and Carmody took over for 4 years at PU before coming to NU.

The famous upset over UCLA came in Carril's final season, 1996, when they were a 13-seed. Two years later, Carmody led them to a top 10 ranking and a first round win as a 5-seed over UNLV.
 

NUCat320

Senior
Dec 4, 2005
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He was a very good coach at Northwestern. Nobody shrugged better. I’m still angry the Wild Side wasn’t named Carmody Central. MAKE SHOTS would’ve applied in either case.

I can only hope his wife is doing better and that they have many years left together.
 

docrugby1

Senior
Jun 16, 2010
6,821
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BC was a brilliant coach. He never had talent comparable to most of his opponents but somehow could compete. Winning against overwhelming talent deficits is the sign of a good coach

I am sure ,he will retire to the Jersey shore. He was originally from a large Irish family in Cranford but I think I read that he had relocated to Monmouth County
 

Gocatsgo2003

All-Conference
Mar 30, 2006
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BC was a brilliant coach. He never had talent comparable to most of his opponents but somehow could compete. Winning against overwhelming talent deficits is the sign of a good coach

I am sure ,he will retire to the Jersey shore. He was originally from a large Irish family in Cranford but I think I read that he had relocated to Monmouth County

...and consistently having “overwhelming talent deficits” is a sign of a terrible recruiter.
 

Smolmania

Sophomore
Nov 4, 2008
1,351
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...and consistently having “overwhelming talent deficits” is a sign of a terrible recruiter.

Can't question his ability as a coach. He was also great at press conferences with his dry sense of humor that went right over the heads of the assembled media multiple times. But as a recruiter. . . still can't get over the time he wasn't even around when Frank Kaminsky -- whose mother I believe played volleyball here, and whose aunt and uncle were both on the hoops teams (Jim Stack having arguably been a top 20 all time NU player) -- came to campus for a visit.
 

PurpleFaze

Redshirt
Jan 9, 2019
1,331
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BC was a brilliant coach. He never had talent comparable to most of his opponents but somehow could compete. Winning against overwhelming talent deficits is the sign of a good coach

I am sure ,he will retire to the Jersey shore. He was originally from a large Irish family in Cranford but I think I read that he had relocated to Monmouth County

Too bad recruiting is a HUGE part of college bball...
 

Catreporter

Senior
Sep 4, 2007
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Bill did a great job getting the program out of the swamp left by Kevin O'Neill. History might have been different if Kevin Coble hadn't ditched the team's Italian trip for a family vacation. Coble with Shurna and Thompson could have equaled the Dance, but Carmody drew a line with Coble and his parents, who were like some of those "Snowplow parents" being profiled in the current Sports Illustrated.
 

willycat

Junior
Jan 11, 2005
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Bill did a great job getting the program out of the swamp left by Kevin O'Neill. History might have been different if Kevin Coble hadn't ditched the team's Italian trip for a family vacation. Coble with Shurna and Thompson could have equaled the Dance, but Carmody drew a line with Coble and his parents, who were like some of those "Snowplow parents" being profiled in the current Sports Illustrated.
Coble was not on a vacation but working with a trainer so he would be able to recover from his injury. Carmody was not going to play him on that trip and for some reason got pissed and cut him. Think this falls more on Carmody then Coble's parents , who I met a couple of times and seemed like nice people who wanted what's best for NU basketball.
 

Catreporter

Senior
Sep 4, 2007
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Coble was not on a vacation but working with a trainer so he would be able to recover from his injury. Carmody was not going to play him on that trip and for some reason got pissed and cut him. Think this falls more on Carmody then Coble's parents , who I met a couple of times and seemed like nice people who wanted what's best for NU basketball.
All I know is Coble lived with his mom in Evanston and that the family had scheduled a Hawaii vacation while the team was in Italy. I think the coach wanted Kevin to bond more with the team. Probably fault lies on both sides.
 

mikewebb68

Senior
Oct 24, 2009
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All I know is Coble lived with his mom in Evanston and that the family had scheduled a Hawaii vacation while the team was in Italy. I think the coach wanted Kevin to bond more with the team. Probably fault lies on both sides.
Didn't Kevin explain the situation himself on these boards some time ago?