re: sigh, I can see my presence is needed here.

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Hey I'm on board. I'm reasonably optimistic. Depending on who the asst coaches are. but maybe we wind up with Fuller and Peeler which I think would be fun just to see what happens

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Yeah Peeler may not have quite as much coaching experience as you'd like just yet...but I think from a sales perspective he could be key. Here's a guy who had what, like a 13 year or so NBA career. And he got there *by playing for Kim Anderson.* Peeler can talk to a recruit and say hey, you better believe this Kim Anderson guy can get you into the NBA and help you stay there a long time, he helped me achieve my dreams and I was a top 15 pick. I think that could be pretty important to help overcome the initial "who the hell is this D2 guy?" reaction it will get nationally on the recruiting trails.

What just hit me that scares the crap out of me is that we could have both our basketball and football coach retiring at the same time. Do not trust Alden at all.

So why not Mike Leaf ATX? Again, if Anderson didn't go to Mizzou, you would have never had him in your top 100 much less top 3 much less as your hire.

Anyways, hope you're right in what you say. Time will tell.

ETA - Nevermind the Leaf question. You pretty much answered that while I was typing.

I made arguments against this hire here and elsewhere before it happened, but it wasn't from the coaching end. I think KA can coach well enough. There'll be a recognizable offense and effort on defense. ATX laid that out pretty well. The key will be recruiting, and keeping everyone who is on board now on board. I don't think this roster (as it is right now) is devoid of talent. It just needs to be more focused and organized, and above all PLAY SMARTER. KA was an intense, smart player. He has D1 coaching experience as an assistant at MU and Baylor, and HC experience as well. He has contacts across the state, and he has contacts across the NCAA from his time as an assistant coach and assistant commissioner.

IMO some allowed themselves to get worked up over the fantasy candidates and caught up with the posters who were assuring that their sources said it was going to be Marshall. I never bought that. I think some were set up for a letdown by the hopeful stampede towards the claims that Marshall was a done deal.

For me, after Marshall it was a tossup between Howland and Anderson, and I never thought Marshall was realistic. None of the rest of the suggested candidates moved my needle. Howland evidently is damaged goods-he was connected to three different jobs this offseason, and is still unemployed. Something ain't right there.

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Alden picked the guy he thinks is going to win basketball games.

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I don't know that Alden made this pick because of that. I think he had to pick Anderson because he had no one else say "yes."

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thank you for being a voice of reason on this embarrassing meltdown-laden board.

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It's not embarrassing and he wasn't especially "reasonable" (any more so than a rational presentation of the case against Kim Anderson). But, hey, here we are.

the808bass thinks Howland turned down Mike Alden. the808bass thinks Tim Floyd turned down Mike Alden. Well, pardon my French, but that's bullshite. Guaranteed Howland would have taken the job if Alden had offered it. Guaranteed Floyd would have skipped out of El Paso in a heartbeat if he had the chance. Yes, Gregg Marshall was out of reach, but that had nothing to do with Mike Alden and everything to do with the impending openings and big money at Indiana and Texas one year from now.

Alden got a little lucky with the Pinkle hire although he hired as an up and comer and he was right. He may turn out to be just as lucky with the Anderson hire.

At some point we have to face reality. We don't have the huge rabid fan base that supports athletics no matter what. We have a smaller group of fans, mostly students and alum, that show up if we win. We are not Ohio State, FL, AL etc.
We can't get whoever we want. We cant' afford whoever we want, especially in two sports.

There were few high level choice available. Most of the names tossed around were not going anywhere, and nobody wants Howland so his NCAA issues must be serious. We probably could have got Pearl but the timing didn't work out and Alden is to squeaky clean for that.Which is fine I'm not really ready to be Auburn and do 'whatever' it takes to win.

People bailing on Anderson should just find another school to support. That includes Semo. That is stupidity at its best.

We have tried the other methods. Lets try having a real coach and see what happens.