KeaneyBlue - The URI Basketball Forum

It ought to be very warm. Toasty in fact.

This may be true, but what the hell is going on there? They are brutal. Don't ever remember them being this down in their recent history - think of them as being very consistent.

Yeah they are really an embarrassment right now not good for our league

Rutgers extends BB coach. $15M over 5 years, plus bonuses. Hurley turned them down to stay at URI. They hired this guy from Stonehill instead. Buzz kill.

https://www.thescore.com/ncaab/news/1464762 Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell gets 3-year contract extension

KevanBoyles wrote:Rutgers extends BB coach. $15M over 5 years, plus bonuses. Hurley turned them down to stay at URI. They hired this guy from Stonehill instead. Buzz kill.

https://www.thescore.com/ncaab/news/1464762 Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell gets 3-year contract extension

“This guy” is Steve Pickell. He played for UCONN. Starting PG on Elite 8 and Sweet 16 teams. Two year captain.
He coached at Stony Brook not Stonehill.

Rutgers took Mich St into double OT tonight at Mich St.

Right not a bad extension they almost win outright at a Michigan state as a 22 point dog

Rhody83

Thanks for the correction. My mistake.

Rutgers also lost at home this season to Hartford and Stony Brook. That’s the way rebuilds go.

I've read his name as leading candidate at UConn if Ollie is relieved of his duties. Not sure if you leave 3 million a year and Big 10 for the AAC, but it is his Alma Mater and UConn, historically, is a much more respected program than Rutgers.

Shows you just how much losing is despised by the Hurley’s and how much loyalty to players is valued. Both were the key reasons for Dan to stay at URI, as he stated.

Pikkel to UConn makes a lot of sense just leave our DH alone if job opens

Nothing to see here..... “you don’t want our coach!!”

reef wrote:Pikkel to UConn makes a lot of sense just leave our DH alone if job opens

Why does it make sense? Big Ten vs AAC. Walk on $3 million/year.

Rhody83 wrote:

reef wrote:Pikkel to UConn makes a lot of sense just leave our DH alone if job opens

Why does it make sense? Big Ten vs AAC. Walk on $3 million/year.

Still hard to win at Rutgers even with that salary.

Yeah I think the UConn job is an upgrade over the Rutgers job even though a lower conference plus he is a UConn grad as well

Sounds like Siena job could be opening at the end of this season?

Clareth from same high school as our 2018 recruit, Branden Adams, Calvert Hall. He will have 1 year remaining after need to sit out a year for transfer.

https://cbbcentral.com/2018/01/10/nico- ... rom-siena/

I remember Patsos' name being bandied about during our last coaching search.....

Ramulous wrote:I remember Patsos' name being bandied about during our last coaching search.....

Maybe he’ll be available! *fingers crossed*

ace wrote:

Ramulous wrote:I remember Patsos' name being bandied about during our last coaching search.....

Maybe he’ll be available! *fingers crossed*

For what? Us?

Billyboy78 wrote:

ace wrote:

Ramulous wrote:I remember Patsos' name being bandied about during our last coaching search.....

Maybe he’ll be available! *fingers crossed*

For what? Us?

Yeah, I’ve never really been sold on this Hurley guy.

Just joking around...

ace wrote:

Billyboy78 wrote:

ace wrote:
Maybe he’ll be available! *fingers crossed*

For what? Us?

Yeah, I’ve never really been sold on this Hurley guy.

Just joking around...

Not a good joke, Ace...

Give Ace a break. She's probably watching the Eagles right now.

Rhody74 wrote:Give Ace a break. She's probably watching the Eagles right now.

I know. And she's Wentzless. Jokes about Dan leaving make me nervous...especially from someone who knows him.

A rough, but fair and accurate, I think, assessment of the St. John’s coaching situation-

https://nypost.com/2018/01/22/the-weakn ... -seat/amp/

They’re in year 3. I think a better staff has them way more competitive than they are right now, which is 10-10 overall and 0-8 in conference.

From the article: Athletic director Anton Goff insists his confidence in Mullin’s ability is undiminished, saying, “He has my full support.” Yet after SJU finished 8-24 and 14-19 in Mullin’s first two seasons, this was supposed to be the season St. John’s started to win, with the NIT seen by the coaching staff as a minimum goal. Instead, the Red Storm may finish in the league’s basement.
————

Very similar numbers to Dan’s first 2 years at URI (8-21, 14-18), but the jump Rhody made in year 3 (23-10, 13-5 in conference) won’t come even close to happening for St. John’s. I think even Rutgers might be better next season, which will be their year 3 under Pikiell.

I think Ollie and Mullen get another year.

Iggy1979 wrote:I think Ollie and Mullen get another year.

That would be my assumption as well, based on the money they're making. You can squint and maybe argue that they deserve one more year to really prove if they can sink or swim.

Iggy1979 wrote:I think Ollie and Mullen get another year.

My understanding is UConn would have to pay a big buyout to Ollie should he be forced out. I have read it could be in the neighborhood of ten million. UConn's revenue sources are beginning to have issues. Basketball and football revenues are down, the tv money from the AAC is not all that great (combined football/basketball only about 1.5M/yr - Big East schools just for basketball get 3M/yr), the state is cutting funding to the school, and all the Big East exit money that UConn has been getting (new Big East schools forfeited all NCAA units and paid a fee for name) is close to drying out. UConn just had to pay the old football coach a hefty exit fee last year and Randy Edsall is not making big guaranteed money right now. In addition to all that, the school will have to pay big salary money and possibly have to pay the buyout fee for a new coach to get out of their current contract (Hurley for instance has a buyout fee of 1.5M if he were to leave after this or next season).

Going to be tough for guys like Mullin and Ewing to do well at their respective jobs. This is not easy

Another thing to consider about the UConn job - it is not nearly as attractive as it once was since it became a member of the AAC. That could be a negative factor for them if going after a name coach with good future prospects.

RF1 wrote:

Iggy1979 wrote:I think Ollie and Mullen get another year.

My understanding is UConn would have to pay a big buyout to Ollie should he be forced out. I have read it could be in the neighborhood of ten million.

Ollie would be owed for 2019 - 2021
2019: Base $400K + Other Fees $2.9 million = $3.3
2020: Base $400K + Other fees $3.2 million = $3.6
2021: Base $400K + Other Fees $3.3 million = $3.7
+ Deferred Compensation $600K =$.6
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Total = 11.2 million

The payment is not lump sum, and can be paid out in as much as three years unless an agreement is worked out for a longer time frame.
There are however ways out ... Obviously anything dirty would terminate the contract.
One that sticks out more possible than others:
"In the event the coach fails, refuses, or neglects to render his services or to fulfill his duties."
The words academic success and agreeing to academic progress stands out a lot regarding job responsibilities.
Not sure about UCONN's academic situation, or if they could use that to get out of the contract (or negotiate out).

Let's not also forget that the travel in the AAC (for all league sports) is brutal and expensive.

Can we put an end to this thread until mid march... People enjoy what we have. Why do we have to start the nonsense of our coach leaving..

ram1980 wrote:Can we put an end to this thread until mid march... People enjoy what we have. Why do we have to start the nonsense of our coach leaving..

It’s a thread about coaches. I find the profession fascinating. It has little to do with Dan.

And yes, the financial situation UConn is facing, especially with football and their conference, is pretty significant. It’s always interesting to me how schools manage an increasingly frustrated fan base with the realities of the situation. A school like Oklahoma State had some wealthy people supporting the firing of Travis Ford, and he got the job at SLU almost immediately. If Ollie gets an NBA job of some sort, how does that affect their deal?

Nate Oats is a coach I think could be up for a bigger job if he wanted it. I don’t know if his wife’s health will play any role in that or not. Bobby took a lot from that Buffalo program when he left, and Nate has done a tremendous job. They’re on their way to being 7-0 in conference (leading Eastern Michigan by 14 in the second half). Although he is more experienced than Oats, Keith Dambrot made the jump from the MAC to Duquesne, and so far so good.

rjsuperfly66 wrote:

RF1 wrote:

Iggy1979 wrote:I think Ollie and Mullen get another year.

My understanding is UConn would have to pay a big buyout to Ollie should he be forced out. I have read it could be in the neighborhood of ten million.

Ollie would be owed for 2019 - 2021
2019: Base $400K + Other Fees $2.9 million = $3.3
2020: Base $400K + Other fees $3.2 million = $3.6
2021: Base $400K + Other Fees $3.3 million = $3.7
+ Deferred Compensation $600K =$.6
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Total = 11.2 million

The payment is not lump sum, and can be paid out in as much as three years unless an agreement is worked out for a longer time frame.
There are however ways out ... Obviously anything dirty would terminate the contract.
One that sticks out more possible than others:
"In the event the coach fails, refuses, or neglects to render his services or to fulfill his duties."
The words academic success and agreeing to academic progress stands out a lot regarding job responsibilities.
Not sure about UCONN's academic situation, or if they could use that to get out of the contract (or negotiate out).

Generally, an employer in UConn's situation would be loath to try to make a for-cause termination unless the fireable offense is really egregious. You're going to wind up in painful litigation, you're probably going to lose, and in the meantime you've made it so that no sane person would come work for you out of legitimate fear that if they don't crush it then you will weasel out of the agreement and try not to pay them what you agreed to.

Agree on Nate Oats. Isn't he a good friend of DH ??

I think he was EC's high school coach.

reef wrote:Agree on Nate Oats. Isn't he a good friend of DH ??

eli#10 wrote:I think he was EC's high school coach.

Yes and yes.

And he left his HS Job to assistant coach with Bobby Hurley at Buffalo then took over when Bobby went to ASU

That didnt take long...

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ctpost ... 526964.php

Kevin Ollie's seat must be awfully warm right now. No way Dan jumps into that situation.

rjsuperfly66 wrote:That didnt take long...

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ctpost ... 526964.php

there's a certain "program rebuilder" looking for a job.....haha

Although you can say NCAA infractions in Storrs will muddy the waters (depending how serious) and keep Hurley in Kingston I also see it as taking a potential opening at the end of next year and expediting the process (eliminating the buyout problem) to this year. 1 year of that new recruiting class in Kingston will make me feel a lot better. We've seen what happens at VCU when coaches come and go and recruiting classes are lost. Especially when it's a 5 man class.

Good grief.....if this was only about money.....Dan will likely have several offers to make a lot more....but he's not about the money....

The AAC? If UConn was in the ACC, then maybe.....but they aren't.

Anyway, if there are sanctions....he's certainly not going to even consider them.

One of the few times over the past few years that I'm more pessimistic than Rambone - love it! I'll just shutup now.

rambone 78 wrote:Good grief.....if this was only about money.....Dan will likely have several offers to make a lot more....but he's not about the money....

The AAC? If UConn was in the ACC, then maybe.....but they aren't.

Anyway, if there are sanctions....he's certainly not going to even consider them.

Agreed. He wants to be where he has as little resistance as possible to coaching and recruiting. Sanctions = resistance.

We are a practice facility and charter flights away from taking care of those problems here.

Resistance depends on the type of violation. If it’s a slap of the wrist violation, all it does is give UCONN cause to get rid of Ollie. It’s possible it’s tied to the FBI probe, which would have significant penalities associated.

This type of thing becomes the rite of Spring when the Rams record and accomplishments get national attention and coaches on the hot seat elsewhere are identified.

https://herosports.com/college-basketba ... dates-ahah

Maybe we could hold off on this conversation until there are actual openings. To have a year-long discussion on whether Hurley will leave is exhausting.

Iggy1979 wrote:Maybe we could hold off on this conversation until there are actual openings. To have a year-long discussion on whether Hurley will leave is exhausting.

... and pointless. Every year we have success, Hurley will be on someone's list. It's the price of not being Duke or Kansas. As has been cited many times, especially Ace who knows Dan's thinking better than anyone else here, he and his family are happy here. Money is not his primary motivation. Let's keep building the program, keep winning and good things will happen. If he does leave, he's left URI 1000% better than when he arrived. It's up to us to keep it going.

...the day that no other schools are interested in the coach...will be right around the same time his current employer won't be either?