2023 Champ Week Thread

[SaveOD238]

It would be an attractive job.  They'll pay well.  Also, they'll be the guy after the guy who replaced Bo Ryan. 

People have thrown around Nate Oats (That ship has sailed for the time being) and TJO because they're local.  Not sure TJO is the right fit there.

DeVries might be a good fit in Madison.

[Hards Alumni]

TJO reminds me a lot of Buzz.  I'd be very surprised if he's still at Iowa State three years from now.  He's the type of guy who'll keep job-hopping until he either hits the jackpot at a blue blood or fizzles out like Buzz did.

Pie in the sky for UW would be if Tony Bennett had a few subpar years at Virginia and wanted to come home.

He just won co-coach of the year this year and is going to make the tournament easily.

[The Sultan]

I think Gard is toast.  If Mac brings him back next year, Gard is essentially a lame duck coach.

Mac knows his ceiling.  No Sweet 16's since Bo's players. Probably a 2nd missed tourney in the last 6 years.  Two tourney wins in the last 6 years, including only one win combined from the 3 and 5 seed teams Gard had.

Mac won't settle for being plucky overachievers that occasionally make the 2nd round.  He has much higher aspirations than that.

IMO he gets one more year. His contact has a pretty prohibitive buy out this year and they just fired their hockey coach on top of Chryst in the fall. But by and large I agree that they are going to have higher expectations than this.

[Silent Verbal]

He just won co-coach of the year this year and is going to make the tournament easily.

I don't think any decent program with a coaching vacancy will be looking at him unless he strings together another couple years like the one he's just had.  He's been too much of a vagabond, a better version of Kevin O'Neill.  I always thought he'd be a great fit at Louisville, though, and that's a job I think he'd actually stay at.  It'll be interesting to see if they make a call should Payne get fired.

[MuggsyB]

This makes sense. If McIntosh were looking for any opening to hire an actual good basketball coach, this season's showing gave him one. He'd be foolish not to take advantage of the opening ... but I hope he doesn't! I like having a guy who can't recruit coaching in Madison.

Truthfully I think Gard is a decent coach.  He had a rough year but are they really going to find someone better right now?  I'm not so sure.

[Heisenberg]

What about Wardle to Madison?  MVC Coach of the year.

[The Sultan]

Truthfully I think Gard is a decent coach.  He had a rough year but are they really going to find someone better right now?  I'm not so sure.

He's decent. Not great.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

IMO he gets one more year. His contact has a pretty prohibitive buy out this year and they just fired their hockey coach on top of Chryst in the fall. But by and large I agree that they are going to have higher expectations than this.

I wouldn't be shocked if Gard tries to find a job and Wisconsin waives the buyout.   It sounds kinda crazy, but I think Minnesota would be smart to hire Gard.

Ben Johnson has been a disaster.  They made a huge mistake hiring him instead of Dennis Gates.  Gard has recruited Minnesota well and even his down years at Wisconsin are better than what Minnesota has done recently.

Gard would bring some much needed discipline to the Gophers.  Hire a recruiting ace assistant and another that's an offensive guru.  Gard resets his coaching clock and Minnesota gets a 2 time B1G COY.

I know this scenario probably doesn't happen, but it's at least an example that shows the options aren't limited to 1) fire Gard, or 2) Gard stays one more year.

[Hards Alumni]

I don't think any decent program with a coaching vacancy will be looking at him unless he strings together another couple years like the one he's just had.  He's been too much of a vagabond, a better version of Kevin O'Neill.  I always thought he'd be a great fit at Louisville, though, and that's a job I think he'd actually stay at.  It'll be interesting to see if they make a call should Payne get fired.

I think he is happy where he is.  He'd maybe get mentioned at UT if he could be more successful where he is...

But I don't disagree with you that he would be a good fit at Louisville.

Plus he'd be selling high at TAMU... but I think he stays put.

[shoothoops]

Speaking of Colgate, I'm surprised Matt Langel's name never comes up for any high major head coaching jobs.  He's been COY something like three times in that conference and I think he's only in his 40s.  Thought he would've been a sneaky good hire for Villanova, and not just because he kind of looks like Jay Wright.

Marquette shouldn't be afraid to play anybody at this point, but Colgate will be a tough out for whoever they face next weekend.

The patient crowd will be using Langel as an example:

12 seasons.

5 straight first place finishes in the Patriot League, in his past 5 seasons at Colgate.

He had zero winning records in his first six seasons at Colgate.

Still only 45.

[Hards Alumni]

He's decent. Not great.

He is the very definition of milquetoast. 

Gard knows his stuff, but the natives are certainly getting restless in Madison.

[Hards Alumni]

I wouldn't be shocked if Gard tries to find a job and Wisconsin waives the buyout.   It sounds kinda crazy, but I think Minnesota would be smart to hire Gard.

Ben Johnson has been a disaster.  They made a huge mistake hiring him instead of Dennis Gates.  Gard has recruited Minnesota well and even his down years at Wisconsin are better than what Minnesota has done recently.

Gard would bring some much needed discipline to the Gophers.  Hire a recruiting ace assistant and another that's an offensive guru.  Gard resets his coaching clock and Minnesota gets a 2 time B1G COY.

I know this scenario probably doesn't happen, but it's at least an example that shows the options aren't limited to 1) fire Gard, or 2) Gard stays one more year.

Minnesota is where coaching careers go to die.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Minnesota is where coaching careers go to die.

Exactly.  Gard and Minnesota both have limited options, which makes them a perfect match.

What other P5/BE school would hire Gard?  What other established coach can Minnesota land?  In a way, they kinda need each other.

[mugrad_89]

I wouldn't be shocked if Gard tries to find a job and Wisconsin waives the buyout.   It sounds kinda crazy, but I think Minnesota would be smart to hire Gard.

Ben Johnson has been a disaster.  They made a huge mistake hiring him instead of Dennis Gates.  Gard has recruited Minnesota well and even his down years at Wisconsin are better than what Minnesota has done recently.

Gard would bring some much needed discipline to the Gophers.  Hire a recruiting ace assistant and another that's an offensive guru.  Gard resets his coaching clock and Minnesota gets a 2 time B1G COY.

I know this scenario probably doesn't happen, but it's at least an example that shows the options aren't limited to 1) fire Gard, or 2) Gard stays one more year.

Johnson might be a bad coach, but his team is still playing and Gard's isn't.

[4everwarriors]

He gowne, aina?

[MuggsyB]

He's decent. Not great.

Agreed.  But I don't think he expected Wahl and to a degree Hepburn be so inept for a lot of their season.   It's unfortunate Hepburn played out of his ass versus us. 

[MuggsyB]

Exactly.  Gard and Minnesota both have limited options, which makes them a perfect match.

What other P5/BE school would hire Gard?  What other established coach can Minnesota land?  In a way, they kinda need each other.

I could see Butler hiring Gard.  Who will Gtown hire?

[Uncle Rico]

What about Wardle to Madison?  MVC Coach of the year.

I'm all for it.  Get it done, Chris

[Dr. Blackheart]

What about Wardle to Madison?  MVC Coach of the year.

Both teams may face each in the NIT. Would be funny.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

I could see Butler hiring Gard.  Who will Gtown hire?

I like the Gard to Butler thought.

[Uncle Rico]

Even if Gard is fired, he'll sit on his money for a year, maybe two.  Unless someone else knows better, Butler isn't moving on from Thad and I don't believe he'll walk away until there's a foundation in place again. He's has some of his guys on support staff, Diebler and Oden.  I can't believe he'll walk away after bringing those guys aboard.

Georgetown will probably chase Pitino and maybe/likely even get him.  Good short term, not sure long term. Just being relevant again has to count for something. I'd like to see his staff and if he puts a succession plan in place

[MU82]

Truthfully I think Gard is a decent coach.  He had a rough year but are they really going to find someone better right now?  I'm not so sure.

He's meh. Look what he's done since Bo's players left. Meh.

I hope McIntosh signs him to a long extension!

[Its DJOver]

He's a high floor, low ceiling coach.  I think they were pretty close to their floor this year, and they'll still get a top 2 seed in the NIT.  That's not terrible for your "worst seasons".  The problem is, I think they were pretty close to their ceiling last year, share of the B14, 1st round pick on the roster, 3 seed that gets a lucky draw when the 6 in their region gets upset, and they still couldn't make a second weekend. If he were to stay there forever, I bet he'd have a tournament appearance % above 80, but would really need the stars to align to make any significant noise.

[Uncle Rico]

He's a high floor, low ceiling coach.  I think they were pretty close to their floor this year, and they'll still get a top 2 seed in the NIT.  That's not terrible for your "worst seasons".  The problem is, I think they were pretty close to their ceiling last year, share of the B14, 1st round pick on the roster, 3 seed that gets a lucky draw when the 6 in their region gets upset, and they still couldn't make a second weekend. If he were to stay there forever, I bet he'd have a tournament appearance % above 80, but would really need the stars to align to make any significant noise.

Even Bo's two best tournament teams were built on the back of finding an unicorn in Kaminsky.  In 2013, they flamed out against Ole Miss. 

I'll always believe they had the run they had partly because Bo was a good coach and he had the luxury of Michigan, Illinois and Indiana largely lost in the wilderness for the majority of his tenure

[wadesworld]

I'd be happy to see Wisconsin sign Gard to a lifetime contract.

If not, Wardle to  UW and Gard to Butler?  That's a win win for Marquette fans.