Fire Collins to Get Baldwin Jr.

[Titanium999]

I know this would never happen because Northwestern is lame and is committed to doing "the right thing." Whatever. But as a thought experiment, do you think it would be crazy for us to can Collins so that we have a chance at a program changing recruit?

Everyone agrees that we are going to be bad next year (some people think we will not be truly terrible, but no one thinks we are finishing in the top 7 of the conference, i.e, in the conversation for the post-season). So let's assume that we have yet another year of finishing in 10th place. That means that 5 of the last 6 years we are 10 or lower in conference.

If we knew that PBJ REALLY wanted to play for his dad, would it be crazy to get rid of Collins so that we land a lottery pick for a year or two? I don't think that we would face sanctions because (1) PBJ's dad is a Northwestern grad and is currently a D1 head coach so it's not bonkers to hire him and (2) Collins (with the exception of the historic year) has not produced results. Throw in the transfers and open scholarships filled with lacrosse players and he would have been either out or on thin ice with most P5 programs.

I'm not sure if Patrick Baldwin Sr. is a great X and O coach, but he and his wife are NU grads and so much of the college game is recruiting. If hiring him means getting NBA talent (assuming some players follow PBJ ) then how crazy would it be to go for it?

This is what happens in the summer on the basketball message board, indulge me. What are your thoughts?

Nope!

 

[mcdadenets50]

Milwaukee Panther fan here. By all accounts Coach Pat Baldwin is a good guy. He's educated, is a good family man, he says and does the right things, and his players seem to believe in him. The problem is he struggles with the X's and O's and seems to get outcoached every game at the lowest of D1 levels. The only reason he is a Division 1 head coach is because Milwaukee has the worst AD ever. My Panther program is in the toilet because of our current AD and head coach. I don't want my Wildcat program to follow suit.

 

[Catreporter]

Didn't Nance have mono in the middle of the season? I wouldn't write him off based on last year. Many Frosh bigs have adjustment issues even without that.

 

[NJCat]

Didn't Nance have mono in the middle of the season? I wouldn't write him off based on last year. Many Frosh bigs have adjustment issues even without that.

Good point.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Milwaukee Panther fan here. By all accounts Coach Pat Baldwin is a good guy. He's educated, is a good family man, he says and does the right things, and his players seem to believe in him. The problem is he struggles with the X's and O's and seems to get outcoached every game at the lowest of D1 levels. The only reason he is a Division 1 head coach is because Milwaukee has the worst AD ever. My Panther program is in the toilet because of our current AD and head coach. I don't want my Wildcat program to follow suit.

The whole suggestion of hiring PB to replace CCC is a pipe dream anyway. You are safe.

 

[Hungry Jack]

When I hear these, I root for the underlying action. I noticed that all those swearing to move to Canada if Trump won remain firmly, and disappointingly, planted in the US.

I hope you would live feed your burn - maybe even do it at Burning Man and create an event out it. But I suspect that your parchment would remain safely on your wall, your donation levels consistent and attendance at sporting events the same.

But I get it, you are against 7 Circuit's idea.

You got me.

Idle threat of inconsequential actions against a disinterested subject amounts to intellectual vapor.

Granny Hawkins said it best:

 

[7th Cir. Cat]

Milwaukee Panther fan here. By all accounts Coach Pat Baldwin is a good guy. He's educated, is a good family man, he says and does the right things, and his players seem to believe in him. The problem is he struggles with the X's and O's and seems to get outcoached every game at the lowest of D1 levels. The only reason he is a Division 1 head coach is because Milwaukee has the worst AD ever. My Panther program is in the toilet because of our current AD and head coach. I don't want my Wildcat program to follow suit.

You would know better than me, but you guys have had Bo Ryan and Bruce Pearl (who I think took you to the sweet 16). I figured your AD was on to something, but if it was a different AD . . .

 

[mikewebb68]

It is categorically unfair to compare Carmody's Big 10 win percentage with Collins's. Carmody inherited arguably the worst D1 hoops program of all time. He had no facilities or new stadium with which to recruit. He did an incredible job turning it around and making us competitive. Collins inherited a team that had some 20 win seasons and NIT bids. Very, very different scenario. Collins got us over the big hump, he will always have a special place in NU history. But it's fair to ask questions about his long-term viability

Glad to see you have moved on from the ridiculous "Fire Collins to get PB" nonsense to the much more reasonable "questions about his long'tetm viabilty" post. And you won't have to worry about that after the 20-21 season, when we are fitmly back on track and, just like the nonsensical "Problem of Fitz" and other sinilar posts about PF from a few years ago faded into obscurity, these posts will as well.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Glad to see you have moved on from the ridiculous "Fire Collins to get PB" nonsense to the much more reasonable "questions about his long'tetm viabilty" post. And you won't have to worry about that after the 20-21 season, when we are fitmly back on track and, just like the nonsensical "Problem of Fitz" and other sinilar posts about PF from a few years ago faded into obscurity, these posts will as well.

There is one of those Escape Rooms in Skokie called "The Problem of Fitz"

 

[mcdadenets50]

Ryan and Pearl were hired by AD Bud Haidet. Haidet was an excellent mid major AD. We are on our 5th or so AD since him . Each one progressively worse than the one before. Amanda Braun is exceptionally terrible as an AD. She has ruined a solid mid major athletic program in all sports and driven away fans and donors. It’s really sad.

 

[willycat]

Ryan and Pearl were hired by AD Bud Haidet. Haidet was an excellent mid major AD. We are on our 5th or so AD since him . Each one progressively worse than the one before. Amanda Braun is exceptionally terrible as an AD. She has ruined a solid mid major athletic program in all sports and driven away fans and donors. It’s really sad.

Sorry, guess I didn't realize that U of W-Milwaukee was such a BB power at one time.

 

[IGNORE]

Glad to see you have moved on from the ridiculous "Fire Collins to get PB" nonsense to the much more reasonable "questions about his long'tetm viabilty" post. And you won't have to worry about that after the 20-21 season, when we are fitmly back on track and, just like the nonsensical "Problem of Fitz" and other sinilar posts about PF from a few years ago faded into obscurity, these posts will as well.

Just a little reminder.

 

[cometclear]

You are running two separate paths here. You want to fire CCC because of his 364 winning percentage then have at it. You will be back on here in a few years firing the next one for that same winning percentage.

You are asking If we fire him and hire PB and there imo would only be two reasons to hire PB, 1) if you think you will get PBJ and 2) he is a NU alum. As for 1), making a deal for short term gain is not a recipe for sustained success. As for 2), exactly what Head coaching success have NU basketball grads had? I don’t see any being courted by the elites. CCC is two years removed from being one of the hottest coaching names in the NCAA. Did he flirt with the bigger programs? Did he say anything other than NU is where he wanted to be? Kicking him to the curb now, yes that is “ full of itself”.

I get amazed when some NU alums forget just how bad this program has been. It has to be the toughest job in the B1G. Worst history, smallest fan support, worst practice facilities, apathetic student body, highest academic requirements in the conference. Try recruiting with that on your plate. What CCC has been able to do in recruiting has been the likes of nothing ever seen at NU. Look I will criticize CCC on plenty of things, especially his handling of young guys, but the guy Coaching your football team will have the field named after him when he retires and we heard the same tired criticism of his early years. No thanks to your smart, competitive guy “willing” to take the job. We got one of them now, so what does that give us except a guy that will feel the same frustration are current coach feels. Get an elite or blue blood coach if NU expects to be a top 10 team every year.

Man, you guys have the lowest expectations of any fanbase in the country, and I'm talking both football and basketball. No better evidence than the fans who are astounded by 8-5 football seasons at NU and signing a couple top 100 recruits in a hoops recruiting class. Unprecedented here!!!

 

[cometclear]

I understand that his rating was based on "potential", but I think that had more to do with being the son of a great NBA player and brother of a current NBAer. He played in a low level high school league and didn't do much in AAU ball, so it wasn't like he had flashes of greatness to extrapolate to high potential.

I think he will be a nice player, but he has nowhere near the athletic ability of his dad or even his brother. Playing against low-level HS competition often leads to early college struggles.

 

[willycat]

Man, you guys have the lowest expectations of any fanbase in the country, and I'm talking both football and basketball. No better evidence than the fans who are astounded by 8-5 football seasons at NU and signing a couple top 100 recruits in a hoops recruiting class. Unprecedented here!!!

Yet NU expects to beat Illinois in football and they DO!

 

[cometclear]

Yet NU expects to beat Illinois in football and they DO!

An early contender for Non Sequitur of the Week.

I'll wait for Tweedledee and/or Tweedledum to invoke the name of Carmody, next.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Man, you guys have the lowest expectations of any fanbase in the country, and I'm talking both football and basketball. No better evidence than the fans who are astounded by 8-5 football seasons at NU and signing a couple top 100 recruits in a hoops recruiting class. Unprecedented here!!!

Wrong again. Surprise. We expect to consistently contend for the B1G Title in football. The program has advanced to this stage. Light years ahead of that school down South with the NFL Super Bowl Coach.

Basketball still needs incremental steps to realistically expect that now. You Fighting Undie guys whine about your admissions but have no idea. You gleefully celebrate NU’s transfers and the Illini have had more since Undie has been there. I know wait for next year.

 

[willycat]

Wrong again. Surprise. We expect to consistently contend for the B1G Title in football. The program has advanced to this stage. Light years ahead of that school down South with the NFL Super Bowl Coach.

Basketball still needs incremental steps to realistically expect that now. You Fighting Undie guys whine about your admissions but have no idea. You gleefully celebrate NU’s transfers and the Illini have had more since Undie has been there. I know wait for next year.

just maybe NU should have keep Baldwin Sr. as an assistant and raised his salary to what Wisconsin -Milwaukee was offering. maybe they can still do just that!