OU now thinks its Weber

[NersEllenson]

Should be really interesting to see what happens with Shaka Smart....have to think OU and NC State are going to go hard after him at this point.  However, most of the contributing players on the VCU roster were recruited by Anthony Grant..

[Litehouse]

True, but Smart has also shown he can recruit at the highest level as an assistant at Florida.

[TJ]

Fishing?  Doesn't appear that way, although I'm sure OU pr will declare whoever they hire as their "top choice" all along.  OU is swinging and missing regardless of the genius Castiglione may or may not be, and it's making him look bad. 

Why does it "look bad"?  I believe you that it does, but he's just doing his job trying to lure top talent to his job opening.  Many of them are long shots, but he's doing his job by exploring the best potential options.  Every one of those names already has a decent job - it's not like he got turned down by someone with no reason to say no.  Why do people jump to conclusions so quickly and call a couple rejections from long shot candidates "doing a bad job"?

[NickelDimer]

Why does it "look bad"?  I believe you that it does, but he's just doing his job trying to lure top talent to his job opening.  Many of them are long shots, but he's doing his job by exploring the best potential options.  Every one of those names already has a decent job - it's not like he got turned down by someone with no reason to say no.  Why do people jump to conclusions so quickly and call a couple rejections from long shot candidates "doing a bad job"?

I just think, from a PR standpoint, he should be doing a better job of keeping his head coaching targets out of the media.  Rejection just looks bad on a program.  It's perceived as a guy essentially saying, "no, the job I currently have and the school I currently work for is better than your job/school".  Right or wrong that's how it's perceived.

I fully agree that he should absolutely shoot for the moon, but this widespread public knowledge of perceived rejections is a bad thing.

[GGGG]

Because if they keep going for high profile targets, only to have one after the other shoot them down, and then turning to some mid-major coach to replace the mid-major coach you just fired, it makes you look like you have no plan whatsoever.

[HoopsMalone]

Though no one has been that bad in the OU search, I commend Buzz for handling it with class.  He never trashed OU.  If you piece together all the rumors, it sounds like Buzz very complementary of OU and knows it is a great program.  He just likes MU better.

We all wanted to hear him say that OU is worse than MU, but in the long run, Buzz handled it with class.  If we ever play OU there will not be any locker room material because of the way Buzz handled this.

And in general, I agree that OU is not handling this very well. 

[Benny B]

Because if they keep going for high profile targets, only to have one after the other shoot them down, and then turning to some mid-major coach to replace the mid-major coach you just fired, it makes you look like you have no plan whatsoever.

If - regardless of the outcome - Castiglione's goal is simply to appear as though he had a plan, then OU is in a world of trouble.

[GGGG]

I didn't say it was his goal "simply to have a plan."  However, one would think that if you fire your basketball coach, that it shouldn't take weeks to fill the job.  The fact that they swing and miss...and will likely have to settle...means that you really didn't go into this with a good idea of what the outcome might be.

[reinko]

Should be really interesting to see what happens with Shaka Smart....have to think OU and NC State are going to go hard after him at this point.  However, most of the contributing players on the VCU roster were recruited by Anthony Grant..

Curious if he will take the $ and run from VCU.  Odds of him being ever this hot again are small, guess it depends on the kwan and the school that wants him.  Depends if VCU is ready to quadruple or quintuple his salary, (media reports have him making $300K-$350K).

[StillAWarrior]

Though no one has been that bad in the OU search, I commend Buzz for handling it with class.  He never trashed OU.  If you piece together all the rumors, it sounds like Buzz very complementary of OU and knows it is a great program.  He just likes MU better.

We all wanted to hear him say that OU is worse than MU, but in the long run, Buzz handled it with class.  If we ever play OU there will not be any locker room material because of the way Buzz handled this.

I would think that if a coach was very public and vocal (i.e., not classy) about turning down a program that was expressing interest/making an offer, that coach would have fewer suitors in the future.  No program wants to be publicly humiliated, and I suspect many would hesitate to go after a coach that in the past wasn't discrete/classy about the process.

[Benny B]

I didn't say it was his goal "simply to have a plan."  However, one would think that if you fire your basketball coach, that it shouldn't take weeks to fill the job.  The fact that they swing and miss...and will likely have to settle...means that you really didn't go into this with a good idea of what the outcome might be.

If an AD had this ability, then he's pissing his life away being an AD... there are plenty of better paying jobs out there for the clairvoyant.

[GGGG]

Jesus Benny....

I didn't say he "knew what the outcome would be"....I said "a good idea of what the outcome might be."

[HoopsMalone]

Doesn't sound like Weber is interested:  http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/illini/article_a56df5b6-5b53-11e0-980f-00127992bc8b.html

[HouWarrior]

With Mizzou and OU still open, you'd think theyd split travel costs and interview time, by bringing ,say ....the same 6 coaches into, say, ....a KC,Mo. hotel ---they can throw each other, their interview castoffs, until 2 finally say yes, and then, go home happy .

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Have we learned nothing? It's not the AD that circulates these rumors...it's the coach. Look no further than the horse's ass currently coaching Indiana for proof of that.

[Litehouse]

With Mizzou and OU still open, you'd think theyd split travel costs and interview time, by bringing ,say ....the same 6 coaches into, say, ....a KC,Mo. hotel ---they can throw each other, their interview castoffs, until 2 finally say yes, and then, go home happy .

They'll probably be doing that exact same thing, but in Houston this weekend, and NC State will be in a different room down the hall.

[HouWarrior]

They'll probably be doing that exact same thing, but in Houston this weekend, and NC State will be in a different room down the hall.

Great idea--- rent a ballroom, and set up tables-- job fair/college night style. ---a free t shirt with every interview...

[JWags85]

Curious if he will take the $ and run from VCU.  Odds of him being ever this hot again are small, guess it depends on the kwan and the school that wants him.  Depends if VCU is ready to quadruple or quintuple his salary, (media reports have him making $300K-$350K).

Gotta strike when the iron is hot...see Chris Lowrey.  I remember quite a few people wanted him a few years back.

[Stuckin1977]

Wonder if Illinois would entertain another Crean interview? Maybe he'd tone it down and polish his interviewing skills this time.

It'd be great to have Crean coaching at Illinois, then I'd have the pleasure of seeing him drive the program into the ground first-hand.

[Golden Avalanche]

Have we learned nothing? It's not the AD that circulates these rumors...it's the coach. Look no further than the horse's ass currently coaching Indiana for proof of that.

So Buzz is the one who circulated the rumors about Arkansas and Oklahoma?

[avid1010]

If an AD had this ability, then he's pissing his life away being an AD... there are plenty of better paying jobs out there for the clairvoyant.

I believe the AD at Michigan would beg to differ.

[Blackhat]

So Buzz is the one who circulated the rumors about Arkansas and Oklahoma?

The first guy to bring the correct buyout number to cyber space was an Arkansas sports editor on twitter who had an Oklahoma source.  So somebody leaked out the buyout number to Ok people...if it wasn't MU than it was..............


Just talking to other parties and not dismissing them will lead to rumors.

[Tugg Speedman]

The first guy to bring the correct buyout number to cyber space was an Arkansas sports editor on twitter who had an Oklahoma source.  So somebody leaked out the buyout number to Ok people...if it wasn't MU than it was..............


Just talking to other parties and not dismissing them will lead to rumors.

Wrong ... the first person to bring the correct number to cyber space was Rosiak.  Detailed here

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=26347.msg294137#msg294137

The TX and OK people repeatedly, and incorrectly, said this number was wrong.

[Blackhat]

  This was the first guy to put 3.8 out there on the internet on March 21st.  This number was brought to the boards before Rosiak mentioned or confirmed any numbers.  Rosiak went on OK air on March 22nd.  Later confirmed the 3.8 number in print.


http://twitter.com/wallylikeitis