Minny hires...

[Big Daddy Z]

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/22000827/richard-pitino-leading-candidate-to-succeed-tubby-at-minnesota

slick Ricks  kid....weak hire

[Windyplayer]

And people were worried about Buzz going there. That hire indicates that UM was light years from hiring a coach of Buzz's caliber.

[PGsHeroes32]

It's actually a really good hire for them. Not weak at all. Young, coaching blood lines, name, worked under Donovan, did great in 1 year at FIU, plays a fast pace etc..

Gophers did well.

[Windyplayer]

It's actually a really good hire for them. Not weak at all. Young, coaching blood lines, name, worked under Donovan, did great in 1 year at FIU, plays a fast pace etc..

Gophers did well.

Still completely unproven in the realm of legitimate D1 college hoops. The hire could work very well for both parties, but UM is certainly taking a chance on a young coach whose surname precedes him.

[hdog1017]

Buzz to FIU

[Big Daddy Z]

I know age should not come into this but he's 30 yrs old, some of the players he's going to be recruiting are older than he is. Going to a mid major first would of been the next move for this kid before jumping from low D-1 to the B-10... Ya he's got a name, lets revisit in 3-yrs.

[MU82]

I don't know how many 30-year-olds he's gonna be recruiting.

As for his pedigree, he figures to do at least as well as Skip Holtz did, right?

[PGsHeroes32]

I know age should not come into this but he's 30 yrs old, some of the players he's going to be recruiting are older than he is. Going to a mid major first would of been the next move for this kid before jumping from low D-1 to the B-10... Ya he's got a name, lets revisit in 3-yrs.

Actually he was a teenager when most of the kids he will be recruiting were born. Not a good way to get your point across.

[Dr. Blackheart]

I don't know how many 30-year-olds he's gonna be recruiting.

As for his pedigree, he figures to do at least as well as Skip Holtz did, right?

Isn't Mbwake 35?

[GGGG]

Shaka Smart was 32 when Teague hired him for VCU off Florida's staff.  Clearly he trusts Donovan's opinion on this kind of stuff because he kind of went to the same exact well.

[wadesworld]

I know age should not come into this but he's 30 yrs old, some of the players he's going to be recruiting are older than he is. Going to a mid major first would of been the next move for this kid before jumping from low D-1 to the B-10... Ya he's got a name, lets revisit in 3-yrs.

No, let's give the guy five years.  You gotta give him a fair shot.

[wadesworld]

Still completely unproven in the realm of legitimate D1 college hoops. The hire could work very well for both parties, but UM is certainly taking a chance on a young coach whose surname precedes him.

I kind of remember a Big East school hiring a no-name coach with very little Division 1 head coaching (and zero AQ conference head coaching) experience in 2008.  I think he's turned out OK?

[Windyplayer]

I kind of remember a Big East school hiring a no-name coach with very little Division 1 head coaching (and zero AQ conference head coaching) experience in 2008.  I think he's turned out OK?

It absolutely did and I'm very thankful for it.

[MU B2002]

I know age should not come into this but he's 30 yrs old, some of the players he's going to be recruiting are older than he is. Going to a mid major first would of been the next move for this kid before jumping from low D-1 to the B-10... Ya he's got a name, lets revisit in 3-yrs.

Josh Pastner has been the coach of Memphis since he was 32.  He is one of the more highly regarded recruiters in the country.  I would think a guy in his 30s is probably a lot better at relating to the players today than a coach in his 50s.

[wadesworld]

Josh Pastner has been the coach of Memphis since he was 32.  He is one of the more highly regarded recruiters in the country.  I would think a guy in his 30s is probably a lot better at relating to the players today than a coach in his 50s.

Definitely.  If only Pastner could coach worth anything...

[Big Daddy Z]

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_22941191/tom-powers-gophers-pitino-choice-is-reach-big

sounds like the locals agree with me.....

[bradley center bat]

I kind of remember a Big East school hiring a no-name coach with very little Division 1 head coaching (and zero AQ conference head coaching) experience in 2008.  I think he's turned out OK?

difference is mu's coach left and minny had a good coach.

[bradley center bat]

I know age should not come into this but he's 30 yrs old, some of the players he's going to be recruiting are older than he is. Going to a mid major first would of been the next move for this kid before jumping from low D-1 to the B-10... Ya he's got a name, lets revisit in 3-yrs.

sun belt in not a lower d1, fbs level league, other than that I'm with you.

[Marquette Gyros]

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_22941191/tom-powers-gophers-pitino-choice-is-reach-big

sounds like the locals agree with me.....

From the article...

And perhaps some of the more gullible potential student-athletes will see "Pitino" and sign on the dotted line.

The guy who wrote this article is MSM and rips on bloggers???

[Logi4three]

If they give him 5 years, his old man will be retired and likely willing to work as a "consultant" for him (which may be Minny's angle).   From what I have read, I think it is a good hire, but definitely shows they are reaching.  I think Tubby was a good coach as evidenced by his quick rehiring.  I still don't get what they were thinking on that move.

[6Under20]

2007-08   20–14   8–10   NIT 1st Round   none
2008–09   22–11   9–9   NCAA 1st Round   none
2009–10   21–14   9–9   NCAA 1st Round   none
2010–11   17–14   6–12   none   none
2011–12   23–15   6–12   NIT Runner-up   none
2012-13   21-13           8-10   NCAA 3rd Round   

Perhaps they wanted to have a coach that could get a winning conference record at least once in 6 years.  If Buzz had that record, I'm not sure we would be all that upset if he was let go......

[Logi4three]

Yes, but you are Minnesota.  Your facilities are only 2nd worst in your conference because of Northwestern (and even that is debatable).  I would think they would be happy with the NCAA performance this year and the fact they have some returning players.

[6Under20]

Maybe the old AD would have been happy.  But the new AD probably thought that he didn't hire this guy,  the guy is 14 games under .500 in conference the last three years, and I can get Shaka Smart, Flip Saunders, or Fred Hoiberg.  Unfortunately for him (and maybe because of the facilities issues) they had to go way down the list.

[Dawson Rental]

Buzz to FIU

"Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son."