Scott Cross fired at UTA

NorthTexan95 · March 27, 2018

UTA's AD seem to have very high expectations. He wants them to be the next Gonzaga but doesn't want to spend like Gonzaga. He seems like a complete idiot.

outoftown · March 27, 2018

Wow. If this had happened last season, I have a hard time believing he wouldn't be the coach at UNT now. As it is, I guess UNT did fine in the hiring department, but this is not a smart move by UTA. Watch UNT take back control of that series. Cross will land on his feet. I am not aware of any off-the-court issues, and the man had 72 wins the last three seasons. 72! I wouldn't be surprised if his new employers pays him more than UTA did.

Edited March 27, 2018 by outoftown

diehardUNTfan · March 27, 2018

They screwed up.

Green Mean · March 27, 2018

untjim1995 · March 27, 2018

This will be an epic fail by UTA...such an amazingly stupid decision.

Cross will be coaching at another SBC/SLC school very soon, if not on staff at a big school...

All About UNT · March 27, 2018

11 hours ago, untjim1995 said:

This will be an epic fail by UTA...such an amazingly stupid decision.

Cross will be coaching at another SBC/SLC school very soon, if not on staff at a big school...

Sorry I don't agree with this assessment. Outside of his playing a stent for Tyler Junior College he has known nothing but UTA. I wouldn't be surprised to see him coach an Arlington area high school team especially with the circumstances of his entire staff being let go.

Rudy · March 27, 2018

Ya done messed up UTA-Aron!

untbowler · March 27, 2018

wow, 72 wins in 3 seasons and he is fired for not reaching expectations??? WTF!!!

Sounds like AD is on a power trip. So if these are expectations then why has the AD not fired out coaches? Their Tennis team has underachieved the past few years? What a joke.

MeanGreenTexan · March 27, 2018

Do we anticipate any of McCasland's assistants moving on? Would love to find a way to get Cross on board here.

Quoner · March 27, 2018

12 hours ago, FirefightnRick said:

Remember though...this is the same goofy program that ran off Donna Capps, who took them to two NCAA's in three years.

STUPID!

Rick

Still have no idea how Mesquite ISD keeps her locked down. Too bad Brett Shipp left the fourth estate?

TreeFiddy · March 27, 2018

Put me in the pro Cross camp, but I will try to provide some counter points to most of the pro Cross comments just to break up the boredom.

Cross was allowed to build a roster where he is graduating 8 scholarship seniors this year. He is losing his top 5 and 8 of the top 10 scorers from this season. He has not recruited any highly rated players to replace the gigantic outgoing senior class. He gambled by putting all his eggs in this senior class basket and only has an NIT quarterfinal appearance to show for it.

In 12 years he has 1 NCAA first round appearance, an NIT first round appearance, and an NIT quarterfinal appearance to go along with a couple of CIT appearances. He only has 1 conference tournament win (Southland) and 1 regular season conference win (Sun Belt).

Cross is looking at a total rebuild project starting next year and a likely sub .500 season, maybe multiple. I suppose the AD feels like if he is looking at a total rebuild then he will do it with his guy.

Cross took a huge gamble with his roster and it cost him his job.

ETA: UTA will be graduating over 76% of the minutes played on a nightly basis from this year's team.

Edited March 27, 2018 by TreeFiddy

akriesman · March 27, 2018

Welcome to mediocrity UTA, or worse. If this is all just about winning more titles, then this is one of the dumbest firings I have ever seen at any level of sports.

Cerebus · March 27, 2018

The NCAA has a limit on the number of coaches a MBB team can have. Currently that limit is 1 Head Coach and 3 Assistant Coaches. However, just like football, there isn't a limit to the number of support staff members.

If Coach Mac and is amenable to it, and Coach Cross doesn't just go get another D1 job, then I would love for him to have some position on our staff.

Cerebus · March 27, 2018

5 minutes ago, TreeFiddy said:

Cross is looking at a total rebuild project starting next year and a likely sub .500 season, maybe multiple. I suppose the AD feels like if he is looking at a total rebuild then he will do it with his guy.

Cross took a huge gamble with his roster and it cost him his job.

If UTA is going to be terrible for sure next year, why wouldn't the AD just wait for that to happen and then fire him when the optics are great. Sound like any new coach they hire is going to be looking at an uphill struggle.

Cerebus · March 27, 2018

Quote

Baker and Cross have had a tumultuous relationship since the summer of 2016, a source said, and it's only deteriorated since then.

Hmm... reminds me of a certain AD and HC here.

MeanGreenTexan · March 27, 2018

2 minutes ago, Cerebus said:

If UTA is going to be terrible for sure next year, why wouldn't the AD just wait for that to happen and then fire him when the optics are great. Sound like any new coach they hire is going to be looking at an uphill struggle.

May as well let the new & improved coach get "his guys" in there right now instead of having to deal with Cross' "scrubs".

Or, I mean, you could let a proven winner get "his guys" in there again, and continue momentum, but whatever.

MeanGreenTexan · March 27, 2018

Just now, Cerebus said:

Hmm... reminds me of a certain AD and HC here.

At least Baker didn't wait until Cross had a heart attack before canning him?

FirefightnRick · March 27, 2018

Our Kennith Mangrum will lose his job as well.

http://www.utamavs.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/kenneth_mangrum_925730.html

Rick

Edited March 27, 2018 by FirefightnRick

CMJ · March 27, 2018

Hell, if Coach McCasland knows Mangrum or Cross and can find a spot for either one, do it.

TheTastyGreek · March 27, 2018

12 hours ago, TreeFiddy said:

With the pace that people around here seem to want coaches and staff fired, kind of surprised more people aren't applauding the AD for raising expectations for the coach and then holding him accountable.

That was a thought I had, too.

For context, this would be almost an exact equivalent to us, instead of losing Johnny Jones to LSU, firing him that same offseason.

CROSS:
12 years at UTA
1 NCAA appearance
2 Regular season conference championships
5 20+ win seasons
3 Losing seasons
2 Seasons below .500 in-conference
2 Losses in Conference Tournament finals (one game away from NCAAs)

JONES:
11 years at UNT
2 NCAA appearances
1 Regular season conference championship
5 20+ win seasons
2 Losing seasons
3 Seasons below .500 in-conference
2 Losses in Conference Tournament finals (one game away from NCAAs)

TreeFiddy · March 27, 2018

2 minutes ago, TheTastyGreek said:

That was a thought I had, too.

For context, this would be almost an exact equivalent to us, instead of losing Johnny Jones to LSU, firing him that same offseason.

CROSS:
12 years at UTA
1 NCAA appearance
2 Regular season conference championships
5 20+ win seasons
3 Losing seasons
2 Seasons below .500 in-conference
2 Losses in Conference Tournament finals (one game away from NCAAs)

JONES:
11 years at UNT
2 NCAA appearances
1 Regular season conference championship
5 20+ win seasons
2 Losing seasons
3 Seasons below .500 in-conference
2 Losses in Conference Tournament finals (one game away from NCAAs)

Exactly. What do both of those coaches have in common? They lost their last game every year. Losers. Raise your standards people. #newarlington

TheTastyGreek · March 27, 2018

2 minutes ago, TreeFiddy said:

Exactly. What do both of those coaches have in common? They lost their last game every year. Losers. Raise your standards people. #newarlington

Bunch of low-expectation-having apologists around here.

#WhyNotUTArlington?

#It'sAllWhateverColorUTAisAndItsAllGood

CMJ · March 27, 2018

2 minutes ago, TheTastyGreek said:

Bunch of low-expectation-having apologists around here.

#WhyNotUTArlington?

#It'sAllWhateverColorUTAisAndItsAllGood

LMAO

Cerebus · March 27, 2018

15 minutes ago, TheTastyGreek said:

#It'sAllWhateverColorUTAisAndItsAllGood

%ItsOrangeAndSomethingElseBYLAW

FirefightnRick · March 27, 2018

Year before last.....UTA beat Ohio State and Memphis on the road. Routed us in Arlington. Went two rounds in the CIT and finished with 24 wins.

Last year...UTA beat Texas on the road. Routed us in Denton. Won the Belt regular season Championship, and went 3 rounds deep in the NIT and finished with 27 wins.

This year they beat Oklahoma and BYU on the road, lost to Alabama by one and Creighton by 9 on the road. Beat us by 4 in Arlington and lost in the post season conference championship in a 21 win season.

I'd love to see the day where we're beating the likes of Texas, Ohio State and Memphis on the road.

Rick