What has Otzelberger done that impresses you? He had 2 years at UNLV with records of 17-15 and 12-15. He is in his 5th year at Iowa State and doing good this year, but the first 4 years he had three 10+ loss seasons out of 4, made 2 Sweet Sixteens and two early round exits. Be honest if UK hired him and in his first 2 years he was 22-13 (Sweet16) 19-14(round of 64) you would be saying he isn't the guy and needs to be fired.
Nate Oats?
- Thread starter HappyBlue
- Start date
lmao, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million, 22 million
I wish people would stop bringing up 22 million. Why keep bringing up a RUMOR??? A RUMOR?????
You think Pope and those players have had 365 days of support LMAO?
You have to consider when Hurley was hired at UConn the transfer portal and nil weren’t a thing. Building a team now is completely different, it doesn’t take that long anymore
He didn’t have the portal like he does now when he was first hired. Has also won the conference tournament and improved every year. Currently 16-0 at Iowa state. What exactly has Pope done that impresses you?
I mentioned in the game thread at this being a possible Daugherty situation. Pope gets three years unless he does something illegal or against school policy, and that ain’t happening. Just a shame that some can’t control themselves, vent at home behind closed doors, get behind him for three years and then move on of we have to. They aren’t gonna force a change before year three no matter how much milk they throw on the floor.
Nope it kills my soul that people will take something that is just a rumor a preach on it like it is Gospel.
What has Pope done that impresses me? Well since he has only coached ONE YEAR. It impressed me that he was able to come in after Cal left late and the whole roster left also. He was able to assemble a team at last minute, and while playing in the hardest conference in the history of college basketball he was able to beat the most ranked teams in UK history, and even though he lost his back pg for the year, and lost his starting pg for several games, he made it to the Sweet Sixteen and after then losing his best player on the team and having a pg with one arm and no back up pg he lost.
We also couldn’t guard anyone last year, got blown out and wasn’t competitive in multiple games. And now he has regressed this year, he should’ve been able to improve from last year not go backwards
And the people that keep saying UK spent 22 million on the roster don't know that it is true.
Guys guys, you have to remember back in the olden days when Hurley started coaching UCONN it took at least 5 years to be able to coach a team that won a tournament game.
It probably is or it’s pretty close if we’re being honest.
He made a roster mistake. The roster he put together was not good. If he had been awful last year and then started the year this way, I could see calling for him to be fired. I am not saying give the guy 5 years or something, I am just saying let's see how this year finishes and see if he can have a great year in his 3rd year. If not then time to move on.
Haha they were coming off three consecutive losing seasons, yes he had to completely rebuild and without the portal that does take more time. You should probably learn what you’re talking about before you want to try and respond arrogantly.
He wasn’t that good last year. It’s not just roster mistakes, it’s his coaching. The same problems last year are here this year that’s what I’m saying. The only difference is we had some absolute snipers from 3 last year. Why waste another year?
I keep hearing this portal argument. Cal took over for Billy G. and had to rebuild the roster and made an Elite 8 in the 1st year, FF in 2nd year and title in 3rd year. Cal didn't have the portal.
I am just guessing but you are probably like 19 or 20 years old and got spoiled by early Cal and now think that we should be able to hire a coach and be a title contender the first year. That doesn't always happen.
No I’m not. You think that because I don’t want to put up with bad to average coaching?
Here is an example of giving a coach time. This guy took over a team that the year before went 24-9 and lost in the regional final of the tourney.
His first year 17-13(NIT) second year 10-17, third year, 11-17. Oh and when he was hired he had just finished leading his previous team to a record of 9-17. Giving the guy more than a year and a half worked out for that program pretty good.
His first year 17-13(NIT) second year 10-17, third year, 11-17. Oh and when he was hired he had just finished leading his previous team to a record of 9-17. Giving the guy more than a year and a half worked out for that program pretty good.
I know you want pope to work out so bad, but he’s not and never will be close to coach k
I imagine if there were message boards around back then fans like you would be saying the same to other poster wanting to give coach K a little time. "I know you want Coach K to work out so bad, but he's not and never will be close to Coach Foster."
But nice of you to not respond to the fact that before Coach K was Coach K he was worse than Pope his first 3 years after taking over a successful program.
You are correct though in saying Pope is not and never will be as bad as coach K was in his first 3 years. I agree Pope is not as bad as K was early on.
It’s not even comparable. Do you think his coaching is going to magically change just by giving him another year?
Ashley does not have a net worth that could support a practice facility. She is an avid fan who is personally financially comfortable but certainly not wealthy.I’d like to see Ashley Judd’s practice facility!
If they make Pope the Team USA U-19 Head Coach this year with full Nike backing I'm sure it might help.
Coach K's "magically" changed when given time:
Early Struggles & Pressure
- Initial Dip: After inheriting an Elite Eight team, Coach K's first few seasons saw declining records, with a 11-8 start in his first year and a 17-13 finish missing the NCAA tournament, highlighting early hurdles.
- Rivalry Context: Duke was falling behind North Carolina (1982 NCAA champs) and NC State (1983 NCAA champs), increasing pressure on Krzyzewski.
- Internal Doubts: By 1983, after losses and a divided team, there was significant alumni pressure, and the athletic department considered replacing him.
Extremely flawed logic. You’re coming up short on this one.
YOUR STATEMENT: If someone wants to bring Mark Pope back for a third year, they are “ok with sucking.”
^ I’m not going to debunk this. I’ll let you do it for yourself quietly. Read that back and remember that you’d only have to think of one theoretically viable situation where someone could want Pope back for a third year for any reason other than apathy. A+ poster, D- logic on this post.
My feelings change everyday on the topic of Pope, because I think anyone who thinks very deeply about it can acknowledge it isn’t an easy or simple situation.
My rationale a few days ago was that he absolutely cannot coach defense well enough to ever win a title. However, without JQ we moved up five spots into the top 25 of defensive efficiency, actually started blitzing some ball screens and finally played some offensive defense. As of today, I’m still ready to move on from Mark Pope and if I found out he has stepped down I would be excited to hear it — but I’m not as certain as I was a few days ago. A lot of it to me comes down to whether or not we can be a top 20 defense — I just need to see an example of a good defensive Mark Pope team to believe he will be able to check that (for me) extremely important box. I want to see how we perform over the next several games and see what we find out — as of today:
Fire Mark Pope
…but I still WANT to believe in Mark Pope.
My rationale a few days ago was that he absolutely cannot coach defense well enough to ever win a title. However, without JQ we moved up five spots into the top 25 of defensive efficiency, actually started blitzing some ball screens and finally played some offensive defense. As of today, I’m still ready to move on from Mark Pope and if I found out he has stepped down I would be excited to hear it — but I’m not as certain as I was a few days ago. A lot of it to me comes down to whether or not we can be a top 20 defense — I just need to see an example of a good defensive Mark Pope team to believe he will be able to check that (for me) extremely important box. I want to see how we perform over the next several games and see what we find out — as of today:
Fire Mark Pope
…but I still WANT to believe in Mark Pope.
While I don't think Pope has the chops to be the head coach at UK, I'm not in the fire Pope camp. We send a horrible message to prospective coaching hires firing a guy in year 2 who overperformed (based on the late hire and empty cupboard) in year 1 and built a talented on paper but underperforming team year 2 that is half underway. Not sure many coaches would sign up for that pressure, and the ones that would, and could succeed, our board will never offer a position to (Pearl). I think back to Hubert Davis last year, extremely hot seat, everyone calling for his job. Landing Caleb Wilson saved his job. I'm certainly not calling Davis a good coach, but the beat us and have stayed pretty consistently in the top 25 this year. Or Nate Oats who has already 5 loses and is underperforming but has the resume to keep the torches at bay for now. I want to see what Pope is made of through adversity this year, and how he and his staff respond next year. If next year submarines, then fire him and everyone in the Mitch Barnhart AD and assistant AD tree to prevent this from ever happening again.
I see, you are not a reasonable person, you will always say something is not comparable. Even though Coach K took over a program that went to the elite 8 and proceeded to suck for 3 years and was almost fired, that is not comparable. I am not even saying give Pope 4 years, I am saying unless the wheels fall off completely he should get a 3rd year.
So just honest answer, if UK was coming of an Elite 8 before NIL and hired a new coach who won 17 games the first year and then had a losing record the next 2 years, would you be calling for his firing?
I’m not unreasonable. If things continue the way there are he should not get a third year, there’s no point.
I know you said it is not comparable, but would you have said the same thing if you were a Duke fan and after Coach K took over a team that was coming of an Elite 8 only won 10 games in his second season? Just give me a yes or no answer. Would you want him fired.
Before NIL? Depends on what his recruiting looked like, and you can say coming off an elite 8 but how many of those players actually came back and what was he working with the first year
Ok lets give a pass on the 1st year, but by year 3 he has 3 recruiting classes of players he wanted and in his 3rd year he still had a losing record.
Even you have to admit that after 3 years a good coach taking over a team that was not on probation, should not have a losing record in that 3rd year. Doesn't matter about what his recruiting looked like because that is on him also.
I would be very mad, but what does his recruiting look like going into year 4? Is there some hope there?