Mutual interest between VOLS and Xavier's Chris Mack, Cincinnati's Mick Cronin

Why don't you make a coaching thread for Tennessee and put all your info in one spot?

Both would be MASSIVE upgrades.

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Why don't you make a coaching thread for Tennessee and put all your info in one spot?

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Thread had attracted too many trolls. Had to abort.

So Mack and Cronin getting huge pay raises with UC and Xavier?

You think you were bored watching a Martin coached team just wait if Mick Cronin is the guy...310th slowest paced team according to Ken Pom.

KenPom can say what it will but Cronin's teams aren't that bad to watch. They've just very, very physical. That prototypical former C-USA/Big East play.

People bitch about Cal being "active" on the sideline are gonna lose their shite over Cronin.

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After looking like it would be a relaitvely quiet coaching carousel on the Cincinnati side of things, rumors are starting to swirl about Tennessee having interest in head coach Mick Cronin. After working the phones all afternoon, here is what I am hearing and why I'd be listening if the phone rang.

The only thing I can report with certainty so far is that Cronin is on the list of names Tennessee is interested in speaking to for their opening. At this point I don't believe the two sides have spoken, but that isn't out of the ordinary as the early stages of these things tend to go through agents. Still, it doesn't appear UT AD Dave Hart has reached out to Cronin, and there are reports Hart is spending the day at the Knoxville Zoo as strange as that may sound the day after his basketball coach left.
I don't have any solid indication so far as to Cronin's interest in the job, but until he has a new deal in place I wouldn't write off the possibility of him seriously entertaining an offer if the new destination shows it is 100% committed to winning consistently at the highest level. Unfortunately that hasn't been the case at Cincinnati on a number of fronts. Improvements need to be made to the arena, locker rooms, recruiting budget including travel accommodations, and pay scale for Cronin's staff. Are all of those things going to be taken care of in one fell swoop? No, and to think it would be is unrealistic.
That said, I think everyone from the most casual fan to the President of the university want to see this program regularly compete at the highest levels of the sport. With how things stand, it is an infrastructure to be competitive most years but not one that allows for sustained success against the programs that hold advantages across the board.
Look no further than the revamped practice facility for an example of what Cronin has had to deal with. How many high level coaches across the country do you think are required to do 100% of the fund raising for such a renovation? Was it a major project? No, but the athletic department didn't help fund any of it, and if it was going to get done it was all on Cronin to make it happen.
So, if Tennessee does call why wouldn't Cronin listen? A contract that has been in the works for months still isn't done, and the coach is expected to win at the highest level with resources that don't match the expectations. At some point those two things need to at least start meeting closer to the middle for the program to get where everyone wants (and expects) it to be.
And if it isn't Tennessee, it won't take long for Missouri to make that call if Frank Haith does indeed leave for the vacancy at Tulsa. Both are jobs where the coach is expected to win big, but that is backed up by the resources that make it much easier to do so at the highest level of the sport.
One more thing. If the administration doesn't get moving and do what it takes to keep Cronin at home, their job is only going to get tougher. After speaking with high level boosters during my research on this topic, I am told some big money power players are ready to walk away if there is a change at the top of the basketball program. Getting projects like a remodel of 5/3 Arena done without them isn't going to happen.

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Update from Cincy247

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Should just go ahead and change the mascot to the University of Tennessee Bearcats.

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Once I had a girl on Rocky Top
Half Bear the Other half Cat
Wild as a mink, sweet as soda pop
I still dream about that