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Do we give Ben Howland a look?

Posted on 3/24/13 at 11:21 am
Posted by CGSC Lobotomy
Member since Sep 2011
81611 posts
Posted on 3/24/13 at 11:21 am
Reports are coming in that UCLA is going to fire him ("dismiss" is the word used)
Posted by FleurDeLonestar
The Dirty HOU
Member since Mar 2011
6252 posts
Posted on 3/24/13 at 1:18 pm to
Why not?
Posted by Dr RC
The Money Pit
Member since Aug 2011
61073 posts
Posted on 3/24/13 at 3:23 pm to
Posted by CGSC Lobotomy
Member since Sep 2011
81611 posts
Posted on 3/24/13 at 5:07 pm to
This isn't a broken record. We all know that the ONLY way that Hyman makes a move this offseason is if there is a can't miss guy available now.

Not only that, but Kennedy's buyout is $500,000 regardless of how early in the contract he is terminated. Howland's buyout, on the other hand, is close to $3 Million.

Compared to being fired after winning the PAC 12 regular season title and recruiting the #1 player in the country, our expectations would be MORE than reasonable.

The implied question: "Is Ben Howland that guy?"

Case in point: Notre Dame's firing of Tyrone Willingham as a preemptive measure to try to get Urban Meyer.
This post was edited on 3/24/13 at 5:16 pm
Posted by Slotback
Member since Jun 2012
696 posts
Posted on 3/24/13 at 5:33 pm to
Is Ben Howland that guy? - Good question.

But, what, if anything..has gone on behind the scenes with Eric Hyman?
Posted by Dr RC
The Money Pit
Member since Aug 2011
61073 posts
Posted on 3/24/13 at 5:53 pm to


yes, you talking about firing BK yet again is not a broken record.

Posted by CGSC Lobotomy
Member since Sep 2011
81611 posts
Posted on 3/24/13 at 6:08 pm to
quote:

yes, you talking about firing BK yet again is not a broken record.


Not talking about firing him at all. I'm talking about giving him another position within the athletic department with full medical benefits while going in a different direction with the basketball program.
Posted by FarmersFight
Austin
Member since Jan 2013
1515 posts
Posted on 3/24/13 at 9:46 pm to
How can you not? Getting him to move from Westwood to College Station might take some $$$$ though. Didn't he take UCLA to multiple Final Fours?
Posted by Dr RC
The Money Pit
Member since Aug 2011
61073 posts
Posted on 3/24/13 at 9:49 pm to
quote:


Not talking about firing him at all


Posted by CGSC Lobotomy
Member since Sep 2011
81611 posts
Posted on 3/24/13 at 10:33 pm to
quote:

Getting him to move from Westwood to College Station might take some $$$$ though. Didn't he take UCLA to multiple Final Fours?


UCLA just fired him, so I don't think it would be hard for him to leave Westwood.
Posted by FarmersFight
Austin
Member since Jan 2013
1515 posts
Posted on 3/25/13 at 2:34 am to
well, College Station is nice but it's not as nice as that part of L.A... just saying...

plus, there might be basketball schools interested in him that are in much better locations.
This post was edited on 3/25/13 at 2:36 am
Posted by aggressor
Austin, TX
Member since Sep 2011
9232 posts
Posted on 3/25/13 at 8:15 am to
Assuming we did fire Kennedy, which I don't think is going to happen, Howland is a nutjob. He has won but he is a really, really strange guy that is very unlikely to be a good fit at A&M. There is a lot of Fran type risk with him.

Winning at UCLA is nice but you also should win there.
Posted by CGSC Lobotomy
Member since Sep 2011
81611 posts
Posted on 3/25/13 at 11:18 am to
quote:

Howland is a nutjob. He has won but he is a really, really strange guy that is very unlikely to be a good fit at A&M. There is a lot of Fran type risk with him.


Can't even remotely compare Franchione and Howland.

Franchione has coached 17 seasons of 1-A football. In those 17 seasons, he has:

Won 9 or more games 4 times
Been over .500 10 times
Been to a bowl 8 times (won 4)

Clearly you didn't forget the infamous secret newsletter.

Howland, on the other hand, took Northern Arizona to the NCAA tournament, Pittsburgh to the Sweet 16 twice, and UCLA to the Final Four three straight seasons.

Franchione was the epitome of ARROGANCE, not a nut.

If Howland's a bit of a nut...he'd fit right in, as the last truly successful coach we had was Billy Gillispie.

If Howland is Gillispie without the alcoholism and the "creeping on girls 20 years younger than him"-ism, I'll take that in a heartbeat.
Posted by BorisJonson
College Station
Member since Dec 2012
354 posts
Posted on 3/25/13 at 2:34 pm to
Tubby Smith just got fired from Minnesota. Honestly, I'd be okay with him too. But I'd be happy with anybody who isn't Kennedy at this point.
Posted by CGSC Lobotomy
Member since Sep 2011
81611 posts
Posted on 3/25/13 at 2:41 pm to
Seriously, Ben Howland and Tubby Smith get fired for only making it to the 2nd and 3rd rounds respectively after fixing the problems of their predecessors and Kennedy sticks around after unfixing the results of HIS predecessors?
Posted by Dr RC
The Money Pit
Member since Aug 2011
61073 posts
Posted on 3/25/13 at 2:54 pm to


yea b/c the 2 years BK has had at A&M are equivalent to the 6 and 10 that Tubby and Howland had at their former schools.

man you really are a piece of work with how you twist reality.
Posted by CGSC Lobotomy
Member since Sep 2011
81611 posts
Posted on 3/25/13 at 3:05 pm to
Speaking of twisting reality:

Minnesota, prior to Tubby Smith's arrival was recovering from sanctions resulting from academic fraud that almost wiped out their basketball program. They had been to the tournament ONCE between 1999 and when Smith arrived in 2007 (4 NIT appearances). In the six years that Smith was there, Minnesota went to the postseason five times (3 NCAA tournament appearances). Took Minnesota to the postseason in year 2

UCLA, prior to Ben Howland's arrival, hadn't made it past the Sweet 16 in 6 seasons. Howland took them to three straight final fours and took them to the title game in year 2.

Texas A&M, prior to Billy Kennedy's arrival had made the NCAA tournament six straight seasons, and a postseason tournament SEVEN straight seasons. In all but one year, they had gone at least 1 game deep in those respective tournaments. They haven't been to the postseason since.
This post was edited on 3/25/13 at 3:09 pm
Posted by Dr RC
The Money Pit
Member since Aug 2011
61073 posts
Posted on 3/25/13 at 4:27 pm to


good for you

I'm not going to get sucked to rehashing why I'm fine with giving BK more time.

you can bitch about the same shite over and over if you want but its not going to change anything.

and BTW, get your facts straight before you go on these pointless diatribes.

Howland didn't make it to the title game in his second year. That was his third. His first two years at UCLA they went a combined 29-28. Never mind that comparing UCLA basketball to A&M is dumb to begin with. That would be like comparing NC State football to Texas.



This post was edited on 3/25/13 at 4:28 pm
Posted by CGSC Lobotomy
Member since Sep 2011
81611 posts
Posted on 3/25/13 at 5:24 pm to
quote:

Howland didn't make it to the title game in his second year. That was his third. His first two years at UCLA they went a combined 29-28. Never mind that comparing UCLA basketball to A&M is dumb to begin with


How about actually comparing the coaches themselves instead of the program. Right now, there is no evidence that year 3 of the Billy Kennedy error will be any better than year 2...not from his history. Whereas the historical evidence was very strong that both Ben Howland and Tubby Smith knew what they were doing.
Posted by Dr RC
The Money Pit
Member since Aug 2011
61073 posts
Posted on 3/26/13 at 1:15 am to
He had three more wins this year than last. So that's an improvement without even getting in depth.

And looking at his coaching history, Murray State got a little better each year until they broke out big in year 4. He is also the only coach to lead Southeastern Louisiana to the NCAA tourney.

I'm sorry but he simply has not done badly enough in two years to warrant a firing. None of your always overly negative spin can change that.
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