Willard/Pitt
- Thread starter hbkmyr
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Who should break the news here Should I tell him or someone else?
What news? I haven’t seen anything other than Hurley is in talks with both Pitt and UConn. There is no done deal yet as far as I know.
No way that Lyons shows such disrespect for Sha by making Boyle one of the candidates he considers ahead of Sha.
Because he wants back in to the college game and wants to be a head coach again. But only way he can do that is to get in as an associate head coach and prove himself not to be toxic
By looking out on twitter either the Pitt fans want Willard because of how he turned around SHU, or they say if they hire Willard they may have well just kept stallings. Not really sure how to react
Older Pitt fans do not have fond memories of Willard’s father’s tenure at Pitt which ended up being a disaster. Howland got them out of the abyss after he took over.
I don’t see Willard ending up there unless Pitt got really desperate.
I don’t see Willard ending up there unless Pitt got really desperate.
I don’t think this would be the worst thing for seton hall, and it would make sense for Willard. A fresh start might be good for everyone.
Willard has been at SHU for 8 years. He spent the first half decade fighting for his job. He landed a great class and was able to show that he could get it the dance, but ultimately he won one tournament game with some very good players.
Not bad but not great. And now he faces a bit of a rebuild.
If he can leverage these last few years into a pay raise at a place where he has roots, might not be a bad thing for him.
And from the Halls perspective, how much long term goodwill does making three dances and never advancing out of the first weekend really buy Willard? If he takes a step back for the next two years, will be on the hot seat? My guess is yes.
This might be a good time to part amicably. Seto. Hall is a good name right now, the best it’s been since terry dehere. And Kevin has some credibility and can undergo a rebuild at a place where he might have a bit of a longer leash.
I never understood why people say Danny Hurley would never come back. But you would know better than me.
Otherwise, seton hall could land a pretty good name at this point.
It’s like when Holtmann left butler. I was fine with him if he stayed at butler, but wasn’t really upset when he left. They were going to be able to hire somebody pretty good. Not like if Cooley left providence.
Willard has been at SHU for 8 years. He spent the first half decade fighting for his job. He landed a great class and was able to show that he could get it the dance, but ultimately he won one tournament game with some very good players.
Not bad but not great. And now he faces a bit of a rebuild.
If he can leverage these last few years into a pay raise at a place where he has roots, might not be a bad thing for him.
And from the Halls perspective, how much long term goodwill does making three dances and never advancing out of the first weekend really buy Willard? If he takes a step back for the next two years, will be on the hot seat? My guess is yes.
This might be a good time to part amicably. Seto. Hall is a good name right now, the best it’s been since terry dehere. And Kevin has some credibility and can undergo a rebuild at a place where he might have a bit of a longer leash.
I never understood why people say Danny Hurley would never come back. But you would know better than me.
Otherwise, seton hall could land a pretty good name at this point.
It’s like when Holtmann left butler. I was fine with him if he stayed at butler, but wasn’t really upset when he left. They were going to be able to hire somebody pretty good. Not like if Cooley left providence.
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anon_ezos2e9wn1ob0
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Disagree bigtime. His team's play no defense, it would be a Keno Davis type hire. Cluess wins the MAAC because it's a garbage league.
Trying to turn around SHU almost destroyed Kevin. Why would he want to go through that nightmare again? Better to hit SHU for more money and stay the course. Win some more games and create more leverage.
Actually there's plenty of reasons... It's called our history of such events.... Is not a very good track record.
We are far, far from being a Butler or Xavier
Agree. A lot of risk taking one of those jobs. He has a decent level of talent on the current roster for the foreseeable future. He has an AD that he knows intimately and will stand up for him and if he can put this Tiny escapade behind him and show that he can win without that kind of nonsense; you would think he has a job for as long as he wants as a middle of the pack BE coach.
We are in a different position now than after Amaker, Orr, and Gonzo.
We are coming off of 3 consecutive NCAA appearances. We offer a competitive salary. We have a solid AD in Lyons. Interest and attendance are higher than they’ve been in years. We have good talent returning.
If Willard leaves the next coach won’t be tasked with cleaning up someone else’s mess.
It may be the smart move to cash in on the success he has had here. Since the "class" he has struggled on the recruiting front. Willard may have a limited window to cash in. If he believes that, then the time to jump ship is now. However, if he thinks he has it rolling here at Seton Hall, I would not leave unless it is an offer that blows me away at the right situation.
Only Willard has a good feel for this. He knows what the possibilities of returning to the NCAA Tournament in the next two years. If he can't return, then the window for the big payday closes.
Only Willard has a good feel for this. He knows what the possibilities of returning to the NCAA Tournament in the next two years. If he can't return, then the window for the big payday closes.
How bad has the recruiting been? With Thompson coming in it will be the third straight year a top 100 recruit enters our rotation. I agree about cashing in. I am of the opinion that nobody who has accomplished anything is taking the Pitt job without a huge guarantee because they want to win and need to win after looking like idiots letting Dixon go. Pitt has no time for patience.
This is all true, but how much longer will Lyons be here?? He was a candidate for the BC job last year and one would think he is also trying to move up to a Power 5 job.
I wouldn't stress his alumnus status at Pitt. He only went there because his dad did, and he wasn't there for his entire four/five years. (Technically at both WKy. and Pitt was he a coach's son/walk on?)
If he leaves, does he have to pay the Hall buyout money?
And I want a coach with D 1 head coaching experience.
If he leaves, does he have to pay the Hall buyout money?
And I want a coach with D 1 head coaching experience.
Disagree: I think Kevin right now is a much more attractive candidate than Motta or Martin. And Miller has the dirty cloud hanging over him.
Lyons has a sweet gig too though. Sure he might be interested and take an interview, but he’s not likely going to get one of the better P5 jobs because he lacks the FB experience. I also think the future President will likely determine Pat’s future. Committed to athletics and he probably stays. But if you don’t have a good relationship with the guy you’re reporting to, all the more for reason to move on.
I'd be very surprised if Willard feels that Pitt is the right move right now. They have literally no roster, while he has a very promising two years ahead of him here. Maybe there is another issue we have no idea about?
Anyway, if he does go, I think Shaheen Holloway is such a no-brainer for us.
Anyway, if he does go, I think Shaheen Holloway is such a no-brainer for us.
No roster and what does most this board feel is the Achilles heel of this guy recruiting....
I'm not sure on this. I used to be in the Sha camp as a successor for sure if/when the day comes that Willard leaves (for whatever reason). However, I think I'm now in the camp of first trying to get someone with Division 1 experience. We saw how long it has taken Willard to essentially learn on the job. I think he still has warts but he has come a LONG way... It also took a LONG time for that to happen.
Of course Shaheen is an all-time Pirate. I'm just not as sure as I used to be that he could step right in and keep things going. Maybe he could, who knows.
You don't think it is fair to think he is an excellent coach - which is what I've said on every thread about him - but question whether his system works on a higher level?
If you give me a list of guys, I'm sure I'd rank one or two over Holloway IF they were interested. I just think he has a chance to be a very good coach. And after watching the Orr, Gonzo and Willard searches, my overriding takeaway on those is that SHU is not a job that coaches covet.
I guess it would depend on how the whole situation shakes out. It seems that Shaheen is tied directly to many of the players/recruits. If you decide to bypass him and hire from the outside, you are running the risk of breaking the whole thing down and starting over. I think the percentage of him not sticking around on another coaches' staff would be pretty high.
You're potentially opening the flood gates for transfers/decommits. I'd assume he'd have a place on Willard's staff wherever that may be (and probably make more $$$) and could opt for that.
I'd say one benefit to going to Pitt would be escaping the IW/Tiny issue. It will be the school that takes the hit for violations unless Willard can be physically linked to the deals with real evidence.
Escaping to Pitt means leaving that all behind. He knows he would also likely get a multiple year deal without expectations until year 3. As others have said, a higher annual salary plus buyout. He could recruit poorly and leave with a golden parachute.
That looming issue also makes it unlikely a school like Pitt turns things over to Willard. He could be 100% innocent but that isn't going to be known before Pitt makes the hire.
One can only hope that Willard takes the Pitt job. I would rather take a swing on a new coach than settle for more years of Willard mediocrity. There's a chance it all falls apart but to me it's worth the risk.
Shaheen is not the answer and I'm not sure why anyone thinks he would make a great head coach. Who did he get to learn from that you think is a high-level coach?
Shaheen is not the answer and I'm not sure why anyone thinks he would make a great head coach. Who did he get to learn from that you think is a high-level coach?
The right move is more about the money and family happiness than their current roster. Considering what he’s done at the Hall and considering the situation at Pitt, if he doesn’t succeed there he will still get another chance after Pitt to be a head coach. Anybody would be nuts to take that job without a 6 year contract and a nice buyout. Heck I’ll go to pitt and lose If it comes with great contract. I can go 0-19 too.
I'd give Shaheen a shot.
You could always get creative in helping him build a supportive staff (the Mike Rice idea is interesting). Internal advancement has worked at other small schools, and you'd hopefully have a loyal coach to SHU who wouldn't leave at the first sign of success. I feel like we've also heard that he has taken the lead on a lot of our big recruitments.
If you’re going to discuss the Orr and Gonzo searches you must always factor in that the leadership at the very top of the school had no interest in athletics, the budget for basketball and the entire athletic dept was severely underfunded and it was not an attractive job. With Willard you had the law school dean heading the search and overseeing the athletic dept and had to rely on outside sources in conducting the search. That is not the case today as we have an experienced AD who will oversee the search and the job is far more attractive then when we hired, Orr, BG and Willard.
We've had 3 openings in 15 years and each time went for a MAAC coach. History does not say that SHU is a job big-time coaches want. I'd love to be wrong on that.
"More years of Willard mediocrity" - the program was basically irrelevant for 10 years, be careful what you wish for.
Just insane thinking in my opinion. Yeah let's go back to our MAAC breeding ground and take another shot in the dark on some coach will either be a failure or out the door in 5 minutes. You need to look at it realistically. We are not getting Danny Hurley, a Kevin Keatts type, etc.
I’m not really sure how anyone can be certain that Sha will be or won’t be a good head coach considering he’s never been in that position before.
The case for Sha is simple. He provides some continuity for what has been built over the past four years. He is our primary recruiter and has developed relationships with the players currently on the roster and Nelson and Rhoden. Promote Sha and you are likely to have few, if any, defections. He is also a beloved former player. We are less likely to have to worry about him using this job as a stepping stone, which may be the case when bringing in someone with no ties to the program.
Hopefully Willard stays, but if not I’m all for promoting Sha and bringing in an experienced coach to aide him. I’d also like to see MTE brought in in some capacity.
The case for Sha is simple. He provides some continuity for what has been built over the past four years. He is our primary recruiter and has developed relationships with the players currently on the roster and Nelson and Rhoden. Promote Sha and you are likely to have few, if any, defections. He is also a beloved former player. We are less likely to have to worry about him using this job as a stepping stone, which may be the case when bringing in someone with no ties to the program.
Hopefully Willard stays, but if not I’m all for promoting Sha and bringing in an experienced coach to aide him. I’d also like to see MTE brought in in some capacity.
I'm torn on this. Part of me thinks that Kevin has hit his ceiling, and that to take that next step, we are going to need an upgrade at the head coach position. Given our last 2 decades, he has earned himself several more years, and I won't argue that. We have some nice pieces coming back, much better than his early recruiting, but we are still an incomplete team. Him leaving of his own accord, while our brand is strong, might be the best thing for both parties.
Amazing, though, what a win over Kansas, and another week under the 24 hour news spotlight, would have done for our brand.
Amazing, though, what a win over Kansas, and another week under the 24 hour news spotlight, would have done for our brand.
Idiotic post. By SHU standards nothing has been mediocre about the last 3 years. Probably one of the better runs in school history.
Ask Pitt fans if the risk was worth it.
Holy crap. You finally agree with what I was saying 2 months ago. Welcome to the bright side.
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