Quote from: Hards Alumni on February 26, 2026, 11:10:16 AMPeople think too much about buyouts.  If a coach sucks for too long it can ruin your program very quickly.  Syracuse, Pitt, Stanford, Maryland, were perennial power houses but each has fallen on hard times after bad hires.  Georgetown is also right at the top of that list.

If a school is serious about hoops (or football) they're not keeping a guy around just because their contract is prohibitively expensive.  Money will always be found for a change.

Stanford has not fallen on hard times under Kyle Smith.

As for the buyouts, in football, yes, but right now, many P4 in that middle level that you mentioned would rather have donors give an eight-figure amount to football NIL than to buy out a hoops coach. 

Doomed.

Times change, Dgies.

The comments earlier that college is a "scam" left me a little high and dry. I don't believe it for a minute, at least not with most schools. In fact, I still believe that college is a wise investment -- and put my money where my belief is with our children.

Here's why:

1) College opens your mind to ideas, issues and debate. It teaches you how to think, rather than strictly a trade. If one has taken advantage of the education before him or her, you've become a lifelong learner.

2) Marquette offers is a path to a degree based on programs for which Marquette is good to great at. Nobody will guarantee a student a job, an internship or even success. Not even Harvard Guarantees success. A student and a college grad must earn it. It's up to the student to understand the post-college opportunities in a field, as well as its cost-benefit ratio.

3) One of the most repeated debates today is the issue of "I can go to trade school, spend a lot less money and make a lot more money on the backside. True, and if it's your vocation to be a plumber, electrician, HVAC expert or one of many other trades, by all means, go for it. The trade will make you happy and you should have a good life. But, if your goal is Return on Investment ("ROI"), you're better off in college!

On the ROI front, my first job out of college paid between a third and half of what UAW-represented laborers made at International Harvester in the Quad Cities. The folks in the union hall were repeatedly calling me "college boy" and ridiculing me becaue their checks were perceived to be larger than mine (they clearly were, but I didn't tell 'em).

Fast forward 10 years. International Harvester was gone, their jobs eliminated. For every 1,000 machinists out of work in the region, there might have been one, maybe two machinist job openings. By contrast, I had a degree, was by then working in Chicago and had just completed an advanced degree. The opportunities for me abounded and my pay was reasonably good. What made that happen, in no small measure, was what started at Marquette.

People think too much about buyouts.  If a coach sucks for too long it can ruin your program very quickly.  Syracuse, Pitt, Stanford, Maryland, were perennial power houses but each has fallen on hard times after bad hires.  Georgetown is also right at the top of that list.

If a school is serious about hoops (or football) they're not keeping a guy around just because their contract is prohibitively expensive.  Money will always be found for a change.

Quote from: Pakuni on February 26, 2026, 10:34:22 AMI doubt Cooley's seat is any hotter than Shaka's right now, much less very warm. Both will be warm next year if they have seasons similar to the ones they're having.

Cooley will be fired after next year without progress.

He's under .500 (.419) overall since he started, and just over .250 (.263) since he came in.

A total embarrassment, and I really wouldn't be surprised if he was sent packing after this season. 

Quote from: Scoop Snoop on February 26, 2026, 10:11:25 AMOK. I'm not going to call Shaka a schmuck though.

My wife and I had a great time at the game, with seats fairly close to the MU bench and lots of MU fans around us. Next to and just in front of us was a contingent of people who knew Stevens from his Maryland HS. They were very vocal and very happy of course.

Edit: Hey, I met a couple who flew in from Milwaukee for the game. Was that you and your wife?

Unfortunately, no. We live in Blowing Rock, NC now. Glad you got to enjoy the game live and in person. 

Quote from: dgies9156 on February 26, 2026, 10:48:54 AMThere is no circumstance short of the most improbable run of all time through the Big East tournament that we would be invited to any post-season tournament.

Given our record this year, an invitation to any post-season tournament would be an embarrassment to the sponsoring organization. It also would be a prima facia indication that there's too many post-season tournaments.

You should see who was invited last year.

Quote from: reinko on February 26, 2026, 09:36:22 AMParadise on Hulu is so out there with the premise - but executed at a pretty high level.  Season 2 dropped a 3 episode premiere this week and the first two have been rock solid.

They need to end it before it gets into Lost territory

Quote from: Pakuni on February 26, 2026, 10:34:22 AMI doubt Cooley's seat is any hotter than Shaka's right now, much less very warm. Both will be warm next year if they have seasons similar to the ones they're having.

I know of a P4 coach who is campaigning for the PC job that will come with no buyout. Unless Matta walks away he's back at Butler next year after reading an interview with their AD. There could be a succession plan set up.

This was on ESPN.com yesterday from Borzello regarding Cooley.

In reality, Ed Cooley is arguably the safest name on this list. He's only three years into a long-term contract that reportedly pays him nearly $6 million a season, and the Hoyas have poured plenty of resources into helping him be the coach to return them to their glory days. It hasn't gone well thus far, with Cooley entering the week with a 15-41 record in Big East play since taking over in the District. But he'll get at least another season to turn it around.