UTA defeats UT

MCMLXXX · November 30, 2016

Final 72-61 in Austin. Tough game coming up on Saturday. Expect UTA to bring a good number of fans.

Edited November 30, 2016 by MCMLXXX

TreeFiddy · November 30, 2016

This should be fun.

FirefightnRick · November 30, 2016

Scott Cross is the man.

Rick

wardly · November 30, 2016

He has done a great job..Someone to put on your short list.

drex · November 30, 2016

Cannot wait for the yearly beat down.

All About UNT · November 30, 2016

Let's go do the same to Texas Community College!!! Yeah!!! GO MEAN GREEN!!

HoustonEagle · November 30, 2016

10 hours ago, wardly said:

He has done a great job..Someone to put on your short list.

We could have got him when we hired Benford but their is little chance we can get him now. UTA will be able to match any offer we make. If there is not more money I don't see anything about our job that puts it above UTA.

Wag Tag · November 30, 2016

30 minutes ago, HoustonEagle said:

We could have got him when we hired Benford but their is little chance we can get him now. UTA will be able to match any offer we make. If there is not more money I don't see anything about our job that puts it above UTA.

Wow again they knock down a giant front page of DMN sports! With RV no chance to get Cross but with Wren and $ being spent he could be a top choice.

Army of Dad · November 30, 2016

52 minutes ago, HoustonEagle said:

We could have got him when we hired Benford but their is little chance we can get him now. UTA will be able to match any offer we make. If there is not more money I don't see anything about our job that puts it above UTA.

19 minutes ago, Wag Tag said:

Wow again they knock down a giant front page of DMN sports! With RV no chance to get Cross but with Wren and $ being spent he could be a top choice.

I think @TheTastyGreek addressed this last year.

IIRC:

Cross makes close to the same we are paying Benford.

He's at his alma mater.

Why would he leave his alma mater for a job in a slightly better conference for only a little more money where he would have a major rebuilding job on his hands? If/when he leaves it's far more likely he will go to a team in a power league that can afford to money whip him to the new job.

I'd certainly be interested in Cross, but I think that ship has sailed.

Edited November 30, 2016 by Army of Dad

TreeFiddy · November 30, 2016

Write up on Cross' extension. If we step up our salary to the $400k range, and are willing to buy out a few years of his existing contract, we might have a shot.

http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/college/mens-basketball/article64734722.html

If we are serious about building a 20+ annual win team, I believe we are going to have to come to grips with a head coaching salary in the $500k neighborhood and another $500k-$750k in the assistant pool. It takes money if you want to build something that doesn't disappear at the first sign of success.

Ben Gooding · November 30, 2016

He has turned UTA into a good team. Didn't realize it took him a little under 10 years to do it though. Not sure if my patience would survive 10 more years of below average basketball. If he's a slam dunk hire then we need to double him up and pay the buyout to get him here. If there's any hesitation on what he could do here then that might not be worth it. I don't follow basketball administrating closely enough to really say. What I do know is that Benford is done here. I don't care how many Texas Community Colleges that he beats. He'll still finish below .500 in conference and this will be another year of overall .500 ball or below.

Greendylan · November 30, 2016

From what I have read, Benford will make about $400,000 this year and Cross, even after his most recent extension, makes around $200,000. We could probably more than double his salary if we really wanted him, but he probably still wouldn't take it. Being a UTA alum, as others have pointed out, he likely will only leave for a power conference team.

greenjoe · November 30, 2016

I hate the thought of having to wait 5 more years.

Seems ironic that UTA beat Texas and today, we'r playing Texas.

GO MEAN GREEN

golfingomez · November 30, 2016

Cross would be an idiot to leave UTA for anything other than a P5 School

UNTLifer · November 30, 2016

UTA beat Texas and we beat Texas College. What's the difference?

MCMLXXX · December 1, 2016

5 hours ago, UNTLifer said:

UTA beat Texas and we beat Texas College. What's the difference?

Same difference.

Harry · December 2, 2016

My question is why has Cross not yet been offered a bigger job yet? Any ideas? He certainly is deserving.

Matt from A700 · December 2, 2016

On 11/30/2016 at 9:25 AM, Ben Gooding said:

He has turned UTA into a good team. Didn't realize it took him a little under 10 years to do it though. Not sure if my patience would survive 10 more years of below average basketball. If he's a slam dunk hire then we need to double him up and pay the buyout to get him here. If there's any hesitation on what he could do here then that might not be worth it. I don't follow basketball administrating closely enough to really say. What I do know is that Benford is done here. I don't care how many Texas Community Colleges that he beats. He'll still finish below .500 in conference and this will be another year of overall .500 ball or below.

But he was able to achieve two seasons of 21+ wins in his first six years including a trip to the NCAA and NIT tourneys. According to the UTA basketball Wikipedia page, they've only had a winning season 18 out of 57 seasons, and Cross has seven of those. I won't bother reiterating the failures of Benford in his first four+ years.