Carmody fired from NW.

[Chicos' Buzz Scandal Countdown]

http://espn.go.com/chicago/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9059284/northwestern-wildcats-fire-coach-bill-carmody

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

WOW. Change the subject to: Carmody fired from NW.

[mu_hilltopper]

Agreed.

Brian Wardle to Northwestern.

[Hards Alumni]

Agreed.

Brian Wardle to Northwestern.

Would that finally make me be able to cheer for a B1G team?

[brewcity77]

They were floating Chris Collins' name on the Score yesterday, which I think is preposterous. May be home for him, but he could have had far better jobs than that already. I wonder if they'll look at Bryce Drew.

[Dawson Rental]

They were floating Chris Collins' name on the Score yesterday, which I think is preposterous. May be home for him, but he could have had far better jobs than that already. I wonder if they'll look at Bryce Drew.

I agree that Chris Collins is a dream.  The facilities are bad, and according to the Chicago Tribune the admissions offices has higher standards for accepting basketball players than Duke.  Carmody was improving the recruiting, and now they'll be back to square one.  A stupid move made to make it look like the school is doing something and cares when actually they are just shooting themselves in the foot.

[Ellenson Guerrero]

I agree that Chris Collins is a dream.  The facilities are bad, and according to the Chicago Tribune the admissions offices has higher standards for accepting basketball players than Duke.  Carmody was improving the recruiting, and now they'll be back to square one.  A stupid move made to make it look like the school is doing something and cares when actually they are just shooting themselves in the foot.

I don't know. How can you really sell the "we're building and almost there!" line after 13 seasons with an NCAA birth. Carmody has plenty of opportunity and its not like their going to miss out on any top-100 guys because of the firing.

[Pakuni]

I agree that Chris Collins is a dream.  The facilities are bad, and according to the Chicago Tribune the admissions offices has higher standards for accepting basketball players than Duke.  Carmody was improving the recruiting, and now they'll be back to square one.  A stupid move made to make it look like the school is doing something and cares when actually they are just shooting themselves in the foot.

Really, really disagree. A stupid move is retaining a coach who hasn't been able to get to the tourney once in 13 years. It's settling for worse than mediocrity. I'
m not sure how you justify keeping him at this point.
Recruiting wasn't really improving, either.  If anything, it was getting worse the last couple seasons, as has the team's play on the court.

One name to consider - if NU is willing to ante up - is Kevin Stallings. He's from Illinois (albeit downstate) has coached in state and in the Big 10 and has proven he can win at a place with higher academic standards.

[LloydMooresLegs]

Stallings would be a great fit, but not a move up for him. 

[Galway Eagle]

Oh no theyre going to take Buzz from us!

[tower912]

Tommy Amaker.   Yeah, he didn't succeed at Michigan, but he has improved since he got to Harvard.

[GGGG]

And my guess is Vanderbilt has a much "looser" admissions policy than Northwestern does.  Maybe Tommy Amacher would be interested in returning to the Big Ten?

They are hiring a search firm to help with this, and that's a good thing.  They need to think a little differently with this one.  One line I get tired of hearing is "why are you hiring a search firm when the athletic director's job is to hire a coach?"

All a search firm does is try to get the greatest number of potential candidates available for consideration.  Then the AD can make the hire.

[GGGG]

Tommy Amaker.   Yeah, he didn't succeed at Michigan, but he has improved since he got to Harvard.

Ooops...you beat me to it.

[Pakuni]

Tommy Amaker.   Yeah, he didn't succeed at Michigan, but he has improved since he got to Harvard.

Has he? Or is the competition simply less of a challenge?

[ChicosBailBonds]

Really, really disagree. A stupid move is retaining a coach who hasn't been able to get to the tourney once in 13 years. It's settling for worse than mediocrity. I'
m not sure how you justify keeping him at this point.
Recruiting wasn't really improving, either.  If anything, it was getting worse the last couple seasons, as has the team's play on the court.

One name to consider - if NU is willing to ante up - is Kevin Stallings. He's from Illinois (albeit downstate) has coached in state and in the Big 10 and has proven he can win at a place with higher academic standards.

Stallings was one of the guys I wanted at MU 5 years ago.  Why on earth would he go to Northwestern where they have 0 NCAA appearances and a brutally tough league?  In the SEC he can make the NCAAs because the league isn't that good after Kentucky and Florida. 

[Lennys Tap]

Stallings was one of the guys I wanted at MU 5 years ago. 

Thank God Cottingham didn't take your advice.

[Pakuni]

Stallings was one of the guys I wanted at MU 5 years ago.  Why on earth would he go to Northwestern where they have 0 NCAA appearances and a brutally tough league?  In the SEC he can make the NCAAs because the league isn't that good after Kentucky and Florida. 

I think it's a bit of a myth to suggest that being in a tougher league means it's tougher to make the NCAAs. The SOS/RPI benefits can outweigh the additional losses that come with tougher competition.
Case in point ... Illinois at 21-12 is a lock. Kentucky at 21-11 is on the outs. Wisconsin, with 10 losses, is looking at a 4 seed, maybe even better. Mizzou, with 10 losses, is projected as an 8.

Regardless, why would Stallings leave? Maybe he wouldn't, but money talks.

[4everwarriors]

It's NU, BTW. Their new athletic facilities on the lake, while a couple of construction years off, will catapult all sports programs in Evanston.
All D-1 athletes at all schools are "pampered" as well as privileged. Much less so at NU. Athletes live amongst the regular students, eat regular dorm food, and attend class. Are admission standards reduced? Of course they are, but less so. Typical D-1 athletes would find competing for 2000 freshman spots among 35,000 applicants pretty difficult.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Thank God Cottingham didn't take your advice.

Yes, because we all have a crystal ball and know how it would have turned out....of course we don't, impossible to prove or know.  Maybe we have more success, maybe less success, maybe no incidents on the front pages of the Chicago Tribune, Milwaukee news, etc, maybe more incidents.

We'll never know....that's what makes sports so much fun.  Pretending to know, but not really knowing.

[Hards Alumni]

Stallings was one of the guys I wanted at MU 5 years ago.  Why on earth would he go to Northwestern where they have 0 NCAA appearances and a brutally tough league?  In the SEC he can make the NCAAs because the league isn't that good after Kentucky and Florida. 

I felt the same way.  Good thing Buzz has worked out so well.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I think it's a bit of a myth to suggest that being in a tougher league means it's tougher to make the NCAAs. The SOS/RPI benefits can outweigh the additional losses that come with tougher competition.
Case in point ... Illinois at 21-12 is a lock. Kentucky at 21-11 is on the outs. Wisconsin, with 10 losses, is looking at a 4 seed, maybe even better. Mizzou, with 10 losses, is projected as an 8.

Regardless, why would Stallings leave? Maybe he wouldn't, but money talks.

There are definite benefits, as you point out, but it's also a tough challenge just to get through conference as a result.  Losses pile up pretty quickly. 

Don't get me wrong, I think Stallings would be a great fit.  He makes $1.9M at Vandy right now.  Carmody made $1.1M.  Pat Fitzgerald, the NW football coach, makes $1.8M per year so to get Stallings the kind of money he makes at Vandy he would need to be paid more than the NW football coach.  Plus the dollar goes a lot less further in Illinois than it does in Tennessee.

[cheebs09]

Has he? Or is the competition simply less of a challenge?

Also, once Amaker got there, Harvard relaxed admissions standards for basketball players. They put much more of a focus on a good basketball team. While they may still be tougher than Northwestern's standards, he has a nice little built in advantage at Harvard due to the standards of the other schools.

Here's an article I found from 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/sports/ncaabasketball/02harvard.html?_r=0

[shoothoops]

Stallings is entrenched at Vandy, 14 seasons.  He gets along well with Nick Zeppos, University Chancellor.  He did not with the previous Chancellor, who issued Stallings an ultimatum before his 5th season at Vandy.  It was make NCAA's or be fired.  He made the Sweet 16.  He has Vandy as an every other year NCAA team, and better than that in more recent years.  They upgraded facilities.  Earlier in his tenure, Stallings had interest in the Big Ten state school openings, Ohio St., Indiana(yes he's a Purdue guy and knew he had no chance).  He would have been an Illinois type of coach too.  Many, many years ago and a few coaches ago, he flirted with SLU, but quickly dismissed SLU's then facilities and then behind the times approach. (He's from Collinsville, in the St. Louis metro area and a huge Cardinal baseball fan)

He is likely to coach Vandy until his youngest kid finishes school, approx 5 more years.  He isn't going to be a lifer.  Some folks have grown a little tired of his multiple 4,5,6 seeded teams get the early NCAA upset.(despite a few sweet 16 teams) And he gets defensive about it.  He wouldn't to a place that isn't ready to win right away.  Several years back he cleared the hurdle of looking around.  

He admits that recruiting has dipped a little after King Rice left.  He also lost his top 6 players and didn't balance out classes well, not the first time for him either.  Returns entire young team and adds a very nice player next year too.  After very slow start, they had the most inproved team in the country this year for rest of year. He loves length, and size at every position.  Lack of lateral quickness has been an issue with his teams as they are vulnerable to smaller quick guard teams who have a good shooting night.

It took him a while to get it going there but he did.  He recruits high character kids, and many smart ones.  

Current total comp closer to $2.2 million. Vandy is paying its topcoaches good money to keep them long term.  He won the SEC tourney last year.  He's done well at Vandy, a tough place to win. 

I saw Dan Dakich tweeted his name as someone for Northwestern to talk with earlier this weekend as well.  I was pretty surprised.

[LloydMooresLegs]

Yes, because we all have a crystal ball and know how it would have turned out....of course we don't, impossible to prove or know.  Maybe we have more success, maybe less success, maybe no incidents on the front pages of the Chicago Tribune, Milwaukee news, etc, maybe more incidents.

We'll never know....that's what makes sports so much fun.  Pretending to know, but not really knowing.

Chicos:  Why would you go there?  C'mon, man. Unnecessary.

[Avenue Commons]

It's NU, BTW. Their new athletic facilities on the lake, while a couple of construction years off, will catapult all sports programs in Evanston.
All D-1 athletes at all schools are "pampered" as well as privileged. Much less so at NU. Athletes live amongst the regular students, eat regular dorm food, and attend class. Are admission standards reduced? Of course they are, but less so. Typical D-1 athletes would find competing for 2000 freshman spots among 35,000 applicants pretty difficult.

Football team has done ok.

The new athletic facilities look amazing. Maybe Northwestern hoops becomes the sleeping giant in Chicago that DePaul claims to be?