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Ohio Basketball

Topic: Politics and Coaching

Topic: Politics and Coaching

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71 BOBCAT
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 1,903

Status: Offline

Politics and Coaching

Posted: 4/27/2014 10:47:47 AM

We are all smart enough to read between the lines in what Saul stated during his press conference about a long term commitment to Ohio.
Here are the facts as I see them:
1) AD increased the buy out in the early years....good move for Ohio
2) AD finds a young up and comer, ahead of other schools, and pays him more than JC, 3X his SDSU deal...time will tell whether this strategy was the right move.
3) Saul's comments about a long term commitment was necessary after what has transpired over these past 6 years. Money always seems to be the deciding factor.
4) After JC brought in so many JC players Saul needed to state a change in strategy in an effort to show a point of difference between him and the past. It's clear JC didn't plan well @ the point guard position, and I might add it is the most important position in college basketball.
5) I can see Saul leaving open at least 1 maybe 2 scholarships for next year. After all, between the defections, graduating seniors next year, and the obvious recruiting holes, he has some time to really build HIS team quicker than normal. It will be quite interesting to see what decisions he make with the open roster spots for next year.

Let's all be realistic with our current situation.
I don't think the AD made a bad choice, it's apparent he wants to only hire former head coaches. That means we pay more. However, with JC's $500k buyout it is not really costing Ohio more than we paid JC. Good business decision.
Like others have mentioned, next year will be a real challenge, a 20 win season will be in jeopardy, as will post season opportunities.

GO BOBCATS

The Optimist
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Member Since: 3/16/2007
Location: CLE
Post Count: 5,597

Status: Offline

RE: Politics and Coaching

Posted: 4/27/2014 10:59:55 AM

I agree with your reasoning on the financial side. I am happy with Schaus' move to up the pay as he did. With the money we had available from JC's buyout, it seems like a reasonable upgrade in pay that we were able to make. From the financial side, it is clear this program is advancing rather quickly under Schaus. That is exciting.

I don't agree that Phillips will necessarily leave 2 spots open. Maybe he will leave 1, but I really don't think it is common for coaches to leave open spots for the propose of "saving" a scholarship. That isn't done much these days. We have 3 scholarships becoming available next year. That is plenty for Phillips to recruit players he wants. As we saw last year with Harley, there is ALWAYS players out there waiting to be found... My money is on Saul and co to go find them.

I've seen crazier things happen.

71 BOBCAT
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 1,903

Status: Offline

RE: Politics and Coaching

Posted: 4/29/2014 8:42:13 AM

Check out the article in the Messinger today.
It made me sick reading the AD's comments around why players opt out.
He did not specify why any of them changed their minds.
All he did was pontificate.
Really Jim, why can't you give us specifics. You claim each situation is different, really?
He obviously did not want to get into the specifics as it would have opened him up to all kinds of additional questions that he would not want to address.
Unfortunatley, Jason did as good a job in this article as he could.

GO BOBCATS

Recovering Journalist
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Member Since: 8/17/2010
Location: Cleveland, OH
Post Count: 1,852

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RE: Politics and Coaching

Posted: 4/29/2014 10:00:10 AM

71 BOBCAT wrote:

What was he supposed to say? He said he's well aware that people talk and influence a kid when a coach leaves, and he clearly said he didn't know who said what to whom in each of these cases. It makes you sick that he won't speculate? C'mon.

TheRealMikeDrake
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Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Delaware, OH
Post Count: 300

Status: Offline

RE: Politics and Coaching

Posted: 4/29/2014 10:08:48 AM

I'm not sure how much more Schaus could or should have said. I would have been fine if he backed it off a bit from what was printed. He laid out a scenario where after a coaching change, an AAU coach and other schools talk, and gets in a player's ear. He flat out called it tampering. He said it happened in this situation Ohio just went through. He admitted he doesn't know all the details.

I don't want to get back into the DJ Cooper/Scott Drew type episode, and I think Schaus implied plenty.

I thought JS did a good job in justifying his position and how Ohio handled things. I dont think there ist a win to be had here for Ohio that goes any further than Schaus's comments.

OhioCatFan
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 14,764

Status: Offline

RE: Politics and Coaching

Posted: 4/29/2014 10:15:02 AM

Here's the key quote in question from JS:

“Unfortunately in our world today, especially in a sport like men’s basketball, when a coach leaves it gets to be kind of a poaching fest — where four-year schools work through say an AAU coach, and tamper,” he continued. “It happens. It happened in this situation, and it happens in every situation. Someone is talking to somebody. You don’t know all the details, but you know that it exists.”

While he might not know all the details, I'd bet he knows more than he's saying.

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org

Ohio69
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 3,062

Status: Offline

RE: Politics and Coaching

Posted: 4/29/2014 11:14:22 AM

With Wiggington to Buffalo I give Schaus credit for fully releasing players without a MAC restriction. That is great. (How long these releases take, me no likely and ya'll know that already.)

All we will get from sitting ADs and Coaches is pure spin. Here, anywhere. No honest, open discussion is ever going to happen because there is zero in it for the AD/Coach of any school on any topic. I don't blame them at all.

Phillips is also saying all the right things as well. I mean, does anyone think he's really not worried about recruiting? Or that he's only going to focus on the Ohio region?

Can somebody hit a pull up jumper for me?.....

OhioCatFan
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 14,764

Status: Offline

RE: Politics and Coaching

Posted: 4/29/2014 12:30:26 PM

According to JS you can't put restrictions on an LOI release but you can on a scholarship release for a player already enrolled.

OU_Country
General User

Member Since: 12/6/2005
Location: On the road between Athens and Madison County
Post Count: 8,370

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RE: Politics and Coaching

Posted: 4/29/2014 12:31:08 PM

TheRealMikeDrake wrote:

I like the candor in this case, or ones like it. Simple facts are AAU coaches see a kid committed to a non-major conference school, and learn that "big" schools are interested in the player. The coaching change is really the only opportunity to easily back out, so when it happens, they push for it. These situations feel sleezy sometimes, and whether they're really looking out for the kid, or for their own reputations, can be debated.

Ohio69 wrote:

I personally would have like to see them place a "MAC Restriction" on any released recruit. Frankly, I think that should be commonplace unless a transfer is truly for a change of major/academic purpose. (i.e. Not a coaching change)

Steve Ragan
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Marietta, OH
Post Count: 69

Status: Offline

RE: Politics and Coaching

Posted: 4/29/2014 1:16:35 PM

Here is what I took from the NCAA website. according to this JS was correct.

If I fail to honor my NLI commitment and do not attend the institution with which I signed, may another NLI member institution recruit me?
Yes, if you have received a Release Request Form from the institution with which you signed, or the institution that desires to recruit you is granted permission to do so by the institution with which you signed. (If permission to contact is granted, it is not limited to certain institutions, but to all institutions seeking to recruit the student-athlete.)

I was only hoping that none of those recruits went to another MAC school but that is the way it goes I guess.

BillyTheCat
General User

Member Since: 10/6/2012
Post Count: 10,402

Status: Offline

RE: Politics and Coaching

Posted: 4/29/2014 1:26:53 PM

71 BOBCAT wrote:

Jim handled this question and situation very well IMO, refused to throw anyone under the bus and handled it with class.

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