VideoEagle

While improving our RPI does help the conference overall, improving our win-loss record also helps. It's like climbing a ladder - get a few more wins, upgrade the schedule a little. Get a still more wins, upgrade the schedule more. You are correct that we are not going to be competing with Baylor or Kansas for at large bids anytime soon. Frankly, I'd really prefer to avoid any low division teams, but I want a 20 win season even more. There are multiple articles about a team getting some easy victories early in the year gives the players more confidence and thus a better chance to win later in the season. That does NOT mean playing all cup cakes! It does mean a team that needs to learn to win games - at this point ANY games - should play some weaker teams. However, we don't need to bring back JJ to do any of those things. I think Baker has more control of the actual schedule than the incoming coach will. Certainly he does right now.

I wish nearly every thread didn't devolve into an argument with UNT90 on how badly every person in a decision making position at NT has personally chosen to betray him. After thousands of posts over four plus years, we already KNOW this. It is now painfully obvious to everyone nothing Baker or anyone else at NT will ever do in the future will please him in his irrational emotional state. On the actual subject of the thread, Ray Harper would be a great coach to approach once his NCAA run is complete. The rumor of his interest is good in that it shows Baker is once again correct, this time about current Division 1 coaches being interested in the opening at NT. Just remember, it's just a rumor! On the lighter side, I don't get to use the word "devolve" very often.

I was hoping our assistants would stay two or three years and then be hired away by P5 schools. With the typical five year college career that would mean two position coaches during their college careers which gives exposure to multiple ways of thinking while keeping the née down to learn new systems much more manageable. That would be a positive for our players and still make NT attractive to up and coming coaches.

I think a lot of us agree with that sentiment.

Best comment in the thread!

Next year I just hope the men's team can play.

That's classic! How to distinguish rumors in the age of fake news - there's a problem we never thought we'd have. Rumors might or might not be true by their very nature.

While possible that we could have improved, the stats show it's unlikely. Replacing coaches just doesn't make much difference one way or another. But it could have happened! And on that note I'm off to get gas and probably by a lotto ticket!

Never the less, the vast majority of coaches and GMs are allowed to finish seasons and are not fired in mid-season. There are many articles that looked at the statistics and show that in basketball, a mid-season coaching change makes almost not difference in wins and losses. And that fact is probably why most changes happen at the end of seasons, not during them. By the way, I didn't give you any down votes on your response!

I think what JJ did was amazing. But with a new athletic director who's background is primarily basketball combined with a new President wio came from a school with a strong basketball background, we don't need to look backwards for our next move. These guys have resources and backgrounds NT has never been able to access before. Lets give them a chance to show what they can do.

While I think he should be considered if he applies, my instinct of no to the return of JJ. It's time for a new, fresh approach.

I looked this morning and found yet another article about how firing a coach in mid-season does not help the team, doesn't help recruiting and doesn't help the university find a new coach. As the article puts it, "But hey, at least the North Carolina State — or whatever school’s — fan base is happy an entire month earlier!" I'm extremely happy for the transparency by Mr. Baker. He told us his reasoning in both not firing mid-season and why he didn't fire Bedford on first meeting him. I am quite happy that Baker does not get emotional and does a full analysis of a situation before just firing someone. And, yes, in some cases lack of support or other factors could be a reason a coach isn't winning. But that turned out not to be the case here but Baker couldn’t know that until he looked at the situation. I'm sorry, Army of Dad, but waiting till a contract is almost over and then telling the person they won't be getting a new contract is exactly how you hold a contract person accountable. First, a contract means you are no longer an "at will" employee. Secondly, unless someone does some really bad - steals, drunk on the job, etc - you let them finish out their contract. Having worked on contract from 1989 thru 2000, I have some personal experience in this. My favorite part of the article was the ending. Athletic directors don't just make decisions to please fans - even small but extremely loud groups of fans. People are free to disagree with the way Baker handled the situation, but the reality is Baker is the one who has to handle it and not loud, angry, over emotional fans.

I did a quick search on the subject and found the same article KingDL1 listed. The article talked about pro teams but here is the quote about firing for NBA teams Zero impact on win-loss record overall. The likely hood we would not be in the middle of a coaching search and waiting for potential replacements to finish their own seasons is very, very small. However, some of our fans would be happier. So the question is, should Bedford have been fired mid season to please some of the fans?

You mean no one in the car actually wanted to go to an ACU game?

That all sounds great!

What is with the strange tag lines for basketball? I noticed an unusual one last night but I don't remember it now. Right now it reads, "A fool too late bewares when all peril is past" by Elizabeth the First.

First of all, anyone who has never made a hiring mistake hasn't hired many people. Reputable search firms that are allowed to do their jobs recommend fewer bad hires as they have far more resources from which to get information. They find head coaches multiple times a year verse an athletic director who find one or two every few years. If an AD is having to find more head coaches than that then the AD is soon going to be looking for work! Yes, clients can hurt the search firms process and no one forces a school to follow the well researched advise. Hire a good firm, give them accurate criteria for the coach you need, be willing to compensate a coach and the firm will give you a good list of suggestions. By the way, "a winner" and "the right hire" are not good criteria!

The two posts above are an interesting picture of Women's BB. On one hand, we are seeded the highest we ever have been in CUSA tournament. And on the other, we didn't have any individual all stars. Right now, I'll take the increased wins as a positive sign and hope for improvement in the individual honors next year.

My Baylor connections speak very highly of McCasland. But as Deep points out, he's only been at ASU for a year so there are a lot of dollars left on his contract. There will be more potential candidates available after the various conference tournaments. I also suspect Baker has been building a list for a while now. I am certain we will never know exactly who contacts NT and whom we contact. This is always a delicate dance involving agents and often consultants to keep confidentiality.

Yes according to Wikipedia.

I had understood Wren to say he would evaluate Bedford after the season was over. The season ended and he did what he said he would do.

I think his JUCO years were before the Chaparrals. At least on his Wikipedia page. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Blakeley

That's what I get for not paying close enough attention to which game!

I'm hoping for good news on Monday or Tuesday.

Here you go. http://www.killerfrogs.com/msgboard/index.php?showforum=4