Rumors floating around that the Pitt coach is on his way to TCU...
Just passing along what I heard this am
Just passing along what I heard this am
Dixon to TCU????
- Thread starter keysersosay#1
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Seems like that would be a step down for him. I guess he's considering it because he played there.
Pushing for a raise? I would think this would be a serious step down for him. In the BEST Basketball conference in the land now, just needs to pick his recruiting up a tad.
Texas $ aint shabby and I believe he went to school there.... maybe he feels like he cannot compete with the bluebloods in ACC?????
He played there. There is something about where you went to school and getting a chance to lead a program where you played that may be the biggest draw.
Have to also consider, raising to the top in the ACC in basketball is like raising a football program to the top of the SEC, you can spend a career and never get there. Let's face it, spend years just trying to get in to the top 3 in your league or be able to rise up a basketball program in a football league? It is a bit like the Ky job, great gig because the other SEC programs do not look at basketball like Ky does, makes it easier to be the conference champs every year.
Maybe in addition to it being his being an alum he also looks at his ability to raise up that program to conference title contenders every year as an easier path that doing so with a lower level ACC program?
Maybe in addition to it being his being an alum he also looks at his ability to raise up that program to conference title contenders every year as an easier path that doing so with a lower level ACC program?
It is announced alrdy. That said, a fan base will never be happier about a coach leaving than in this situationm. Jamie Dixon was and forever will be a coach who depresses his fan base with a slow prodding style that how a high floor but a low ceiling. It led to a depressed state in Pitt basketball.
I live in Pittsburgh and follow them. Not a single fan is unhappy about him leaving
I live in Pittsburgh and follow them. Not a single fan is unhappy about him leaving
Agreed. I respect Jamie and am grateful for what he did for the program. But, after getting the team to the cusp of the Final Four (remember the last second Villanova score that would have set up a Pitt/UNC Final Four in 2009?) he never got the team anywhere near there again. The perpetual tourney disappointments and the underwhelming recruiting solidified his fate.
The new AD and Chancellor significantly reduced his buyout to let him go to TCU, and I think that this is the best the situation could have played out. The former sandpaper-on-skin AD Pederson signed Jamie to a 10 year extension on his way out, and would have made it pretty tough to fire him, and obviously pretty tough for anyone else to sign him without the current administration agreeing to let him go and reduce the big buyout. Rumor is that it's still in the neighborhood of $10MM though, and they want to "go big" with the next hire. Guess I'll wait and see on that one...
Good question.
Names I am hearing are
-Sean Miller (from Pittsburgh and played for Pitt). We'd have to double our dress shirt budget. Don't think it's going to happen.
-His brother Archie Miller of Dayton
-Gregg Marshall. Would he leave Wichita State? Also been tied to the OK State job, but I think Pitt has the money to pay in the top 15 in the country, especially with the Dixon buyout.
-Ben Jacobson of Northern Iowa.
-Ben Howland part 2. I am not a fan of this.
-current assistant Brandin Knight. Loved him as a player, but don't think he'd be enough of a change from the Dixon era.
I am, however, optimistic in the new AD Barnes and trust he will make the right decision and is not going to go cheap. He's been great with his decisions and hires thus far (football and men's soccer, namely). Breath of fresh air compared to the clown he replaced.
So you think it'll be easier in the Big 12? I would not say that winning the Big 12 is easier than the ACC.
He went because it's his alma mater and I would suspect he's taking a pay raise.
I wouldn't say winning the big 12 is any easier than winning the ACC (KU has had a strangle hold on that conference championship), but winning in the big 12 is probably easier than winning in the ACC. Because that conference is KU, OU, and a bunch of "also rans", whereas there are more good-to-great teams in the ACC.
But similar to you, I suspect it being his alma mater was the deal sealer... and if he was getting more $$$ as well, that's icing on the cake for him.
I think you go after the Northern Iowa coach pretty hard. Pitt is a great school but not a blue blood program so they will have to look for an up and coming big time coach or look at a high profile assistant, or get a big name coach who has slipped.
It might be hard to get an established coach to leave his school to coach/recruit against Roy, ratty, Pitino, Boeheim, Bennett, Larranaga, Brey (hope he doesn't replace ratty)and the Great Gottsby(JK)!
Hopefully, Pitt will get a coach that will revitalize their program and make the ACC even stronger!
Hopefully, Pitt will get a coach that will revitalize their program and make the ACC even stronger!
How about the Valpo coach Bryce Drew?
I see they just clobbered St. Mary's in the NIT. St. Mary's nearly knocked Gonzaga out of the NCAA and really should have been in the NCAA, imo. Then again, so should Valpo.
Drew has a 72% W-L record. One bad year out of 5 seasons in the coaching seat.
Then again, Valpo is Drew's alma mater. He's doing well there. He might want to stay. He might be one of those lucky guys whose first job is their dream job.
I see they just clobbered St. Mary's in the NIT. St. Mary's nearly knocked Gonzaga out of the NCAA and really should have been in the NCAA, imo. Then again, so should Valpo.
Drew has a 72% W-L record. One bad year out of 5 seasons in the coaching seat.
Then again, Valpo is Drew's alma mater. He's doing well there. He might want to stay. He might be one of those lucky guys whose first job is their dream job.
Good point and good suggestion.
Pitt has done quite well for years but it is . . . well . . . in Pittsburgh. When you think Pittsburgh - whether the town or the teams - you think toughness. A good quality to be sure. But you don't think class. Hard to compete with the moms and dads of the top recruits when classy schools are offering their kids.
I wouldn't consider that to be true. The Big 12 got what? 70% of their teams in the tourney and were credited (through observer and metrics) as the toughest conference. ACC has some great teams, but they also have a number of BCs that can be beat up on.
Regardless, it's likely splitting hairs. If he was truly concerned with winning, he'd jump to the SEC.
I see Dawkins is out at Stanford. Probably old news but I hadn't noticed. I saw him on some halftime show or something. Maybe he's looking to get into the broadcasting side of it. But he didn't seem to have the personality or the look for it.
It would be interesting if he ended up at Pitt. But his record at Stanford isn't too impressive.
It would be interesting if he ended up at Pitt. But his record at Stanford isn't too impressive.
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