With a new AD and president the leash might be short. Tate and Zinn will see that he ended a 30 year NCAA drought but then had underperforming seasons after that. Expectations for this season are extremely low, but isn't that Pike's fault? Can he possibly "pull a rabbit out of his hat" with this team? Hard to do in the Big Ten. And his failure to capitalize on having two NBA first round picks will not be lost on Tate and Zinn. As much as I like Pike, I think he is skating on thin ice.
What does Pike need to do in 25-26 to NOT be on the hot seat in 26-27?
- Thread starter knight82
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At a minimum Rutgers must have a winning season.Three straight losing seasons should put any B1G Ten head coach in hot water.
Add 2 4 star class of 2026 recruits
16-15
Both can happen
16-15
Both can happen
Barring a tournament berth, which would be utterly preposterous with this roster, I just don’t think it matters. Pike hasn’t shown the ability to retain difference makers and effectively navigate the portal, so I don’t think a 16-15 season would be predictive of some positive trajectory or anything.
This pretty much happened last season.
Pike will be at RU for the 25-26 & 26-27 seasons unless something crazy happens or they completely collapse (10 or less wins). Let’s just set that straight.
To avoid the Hot Seat in 26-27 he needs to have a winning season next year. If 25-26 is a losing season, he will need to show major improvement in the 26-27 season. If he doesn’t, 26-27 could be his last.
To avoid the Hot Seat in 26-27 he needs to have a winning season next year. If 25-26 is a losing season, he will need to show major improvement in the 26-27 season. If he doesn’t, 26-27 could be his last.
Yes, but if the above happens, and the big IF, we keep our current four four-star players on the roster, add two more, or suddenly gonna have a very talented roster for 26–27 and could think NCAA again
I’m watching the recruiting trail, very closely, and like our chances on the first statement
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Can't see him not being on a hot seat. The roster is just not a B1G roster.
He's a great traditional coach that has given us a lot of thrills for which I am grateful. But he has shown no evidence he can win in the NIL era. I see what Willard was able to add around Reese and Queen at Maryland and its disappointing Pike couldn't do the same around Cliff, Dylan, and Ace. Willard added Gillespie, Rice, and Miguel. Pike didn't add anyone as good as those 3 and lost Cliff, who everyone knew was critical to retain. We need a coach that can raise money and bring in and retain talent. Our football team has that guy. Our basketball team doesn't.
As to when he gets fired, I suppose that's a financial decision that will have to be figured out.
As to when he gets fired, I suppose that's a financial decision that will have to be figured out.
I appreciate what he did but once NIL was born he became a totally different coach and not in a good way. Smart money takes the Pike era out back and shoots it after this season. Rutgers is filled with fans who are either poor or cheap so he will be around this season and likely next and then be fired after winning 28-30 games in the next 2 seasons.
Unfortunately the RU Athletic Department was a mess and did not embrace NIL. Willard would have failed too at RU or worse he would have left RU once he realized he would be at a disadvantage. That would have sent RU basketball into a tailspin.
With a new AD from where they know how to use the NIL, hopeful the better late then never scenario is the case and RU starts catching up to other programs using the NIL to their advantage
I agree. Not sure how fast the NIL situation can be fixed but Pike will get at least 2 more seasons to figure it out with the new AD.
I agree with this. Unless she comes in and raises a ton of cash right away (not likely) why waste the biggest hire of your tenure before you have a good sized war chest in place to get someone good. If we fire Pike and hire someone now you'd be hiring sideways at best. No coach in any sort of demand is coming to a school without showing how you are going to raise and spend NIL.
It is amazing how Pike's or athletic department's failure at embracing NIL has sunk Pike's reputation as a coach. He has gone from a hero to a zero since NIL came into college sports. I think he has 2 years at most left unless he can somehow get above .500. No chance of dancing. We all know contract is an albatross.
The main thing is that Pike has to show momentum and that he's figured out the new reality and has a plan to succeed. It's hard to translate that into what Pike must do in terms of wins or recruits because the landscape keeps changing. That's been his main issue is that he's been behind the curve since the transfer portal and NIL and there is still no evidence he's figured it out.
I think a main thing he needs to do is show developmental growth in his roster as they take their lumps (they need to finish the season strong) AND he needs to retain his key players. If he can't retain players to capitalize on their growth, and develop team chemistry, he can't succeed given his coaching style.
Add "average" Big 10 recruiting from the portal and HS ranks to the above, and that's my bar.
I think a main thing he needs to do is show developmental growth in his roster as they take their lumps (they need to finish the season strong) AND he needs to retain his key players. If he can't retain players to capitalize on their growth, and develop team chemistry, he can't succeed given his coaching style.
Add "average" Big 10 recruiting from the portal and HS ranks to the above, and that's my bar.
Agree, his only hope is to show some momentum that he is turning the ship around. He has to get this team to overachieve and somehow come up with a winning record, has to have solid recruiting lined up, and would have to show the AD he has a working plan on how to deal with NIL. He can't just be banking on his portion of revenue sharing.
If the Athletic Department can fix NIL and get them close to competing with the middle of the big ten $$, Pike can win. He will need to adjust a bit but the guy can clearly coach. Until then, it doesn’t matter who’s coaching. No good coach is coming here without adequate NIL. The AD needs to build that before anything can happen.
Agree that you have to consider if we can get someone better if the overall program can't develop adequate funding to compete. That's 100% true. So ditching Pike for another, potentially lesser version, while eating millions of contract salary, without changing the fundamental conditions, is pointless.
One thing I do think we need to see from Pike though is to be able to execute on some, any, strategy. If the strategy is to recruit diamonds in the rough, development them, and create team chemistry through good coaching....FINE. But then you need to recruit players that will stick around and you can keep and not have massive turnover every year. Things just can't keep blowing up year after year and the team is scrambling to pick up the pieces.
As long as the season doesn't go into Littlepage/Jordan territory, he gets another year. After that it's really going to depend on what type of year they have to determine if he's in a caretaker role or not the next year.
With the loan repayments ending very soon and TV revenue payouts increasing from the new contract, there is money to absorb the remaining year's on his contract if Zinn feels like she needs to make a move.
While we all love Pike as a person, we can't cling to what once was and hold back moving forward if that is what is needed.
With the loan repayments ending very soon and TV revenue payouts increasing from the new contract, there is money to absorb the remaining year's on his contract if Zinn feels like she needs to make a move.
While we all love Pike as a person, we can't cling to what once was and hold back moving forward if that is what is needed.
Totally agree. The last 2 years were could have been handled better but Pike was also dealt a crap hand. 23-24, Cam and Paul left in May while Mag quit mid season. 24-25, was a failed experiment (teaming 2 freshman with bad fit role players) and NIL ultimately was the main issue. He won’t get many more mulligans and needs to rebuild quickly. I’m still a believer in his abilities but he’s got 2 seasons to fix it.
First the money to pay him off and be willing and able to afford to pay what it takes to bring in a top HC that can bring in the NIL money it takes to get commitments from top talent (HC & Portal_) and have the coaching chops to mold them into a program expect to be a Dance team every season and in some years a threat for the title .
Until then let Pike play out the string while trying to pick boosters pockets for bigger donations and find corporate sponsors for NIL money. With those in place a top HC should be able to bering in and recruite the type of team that will make RUMBB fans proud.
If the money isn't there , once Pikes contract is up, move on from him to another gamble , hoping this time RU lucked into a winner
Hopefully Pike will prove a winner this upcoming season and COY will be the discussion before the season ends , instead of hot seat talk
Retention. There’s talent on the roster but he’ll need to develop some guys and get some pieces in 26-27 to have expectations for March in 2027.
He’s not going anywhere before then - but the seat could be scorching and Pike a lame duck if this season is a dumpster fire.
He’s not going anywhere before then - but the seat could be scorching and Pike a lame duck if this season is a dumpster fire.
What does Pike need to do in 25-26 to NOT be on the hot seat in 26-27?
Hmm. Maybe resign?
Pike is too good of a coach to have a disastrous season (10 or less wins). So for the short term he is here. The question is can he adapt and recruit / fund-raise like the big boys. Plus, does he want to? Some coaches choose to hang it up. If he can do it, he will do well in my opinion. If he can’t or won’t, it will be difficult to get the players needed to compete at the highest level and it won’t end well.
hes really not a good coach. He can do a pretty good job with defenses but his offenses are awful every year.
That’s just not true. His worst season at RU was 14 wins, broke a 30 year NCAA tournament drought at RU, brought them to the tournament back to back years and the Covid year would have been 3 in a row. Plus, he’s brought two different universities to the NCAA tournament. He also won the Jim Phelan Award in 2020 (National Coach of the year) and was a finalist for AP NCAA Coach of the year, plus won conference coach of the year 4 times at stony brook.
You’re right, he’s not good. He’s probably better than good.
Plus we were shafted out of another tourney bid.
Pike deserves at least two maybe three years.
Hard to blame Pike for Cam’s late and Mag’s ridiculously selfish back stabbings.
Can’t blame Pike for Acuff broken foot. Martini bad shoulder?
RU should have told Pike we have the funds to retain Cliff from the very beginning so it was never an issue.
We didnt sniff the tourney for 30 years before Pike.
Eddie was of course beloved but was bordering on Littlepage bad. Pike inherited a literal disaster.
Harper was still a 2 pick and Ace probably would have been a 3.
Pike deserves at least two maybe three years.
Hard to blame Pike for Cam’s late and Mag’s ridiculously selfish back stabbings.
Can’t blame Pike for Acuff broken foot. Martini bad shoulder?
RU should have told Pike we have the funds to retain Cliff from the very beginning so it was never an issue.
We didnt sniff the tourney for 30 years before Pike.
Eddie was of course beloved but was bordering on Littlepage bad. Pike inherited a literal disaster.
Harper was still a 2 pick and Ace probably would have been a 3.
If we have a strong bubble season, he’ll be back on track and there will be little talk of replacing him. A strong bubble season would be great.
Pike also needs financial support from our fans. No coach will succeed without that. When any coach gets fired around here they have a perfect excuse---cheap fans and poor funding.Unless that can be corrected by the Zinn team we'll have complainers and not much success.
plus Dylan missing camp with the minor surgery and then the ankle injury just as it seemed things were starting to come together in January.