Rick v do the right thing

[untlynchka1]

We took a chance on a new coach. It didn't work. Go get a coach that does. .

[jdennis82]

I, for one, am fine riding out the current struggles and seeing how Benford does next season.

We've all been clamoring for the football staff salary increases we've seen. With those in place, I have a hard time seeing now as the right time to eat the money we'd have to with Benford while also trying to find the budget room to attract the right replacement.

[MeanMag]

I, for one, am fine riding out the current struggles and seeing how Benford does next season.

We've all been clamoring for the football staff salary increases we've seen. With those in place, I have a hard time seeing now as the right time to eat the money we'd have to with Benford while also trying to find the budget room to attract the right replacement.

Did someone make you aware of how much or how little money we have?

[Green92]

I have no desire to ride out next year with the current staff. I'm worried we have no choice (as fans.) I'm hoping the investment in the football coaching staff is going to somehow trickle down the the basketball staff. This school with support a top notch basketball program. You have to spend real money and get a real coach. I have zero inside knowledge. Just gut feeling based on realities, we are probably saddled with this less than mediocre mess for at least 1 more year.

[untbowler]

Benford is around since we have no money to buy him out and the man who hired him out from their contracts

[flyonthewall]

This is just stupid. You have no idea how much money we do or don't have. Criticize the hire fine. Have the opinion that where we were overall athletically 10 years ago and where we are now is just unacceptable, fine. The new stadium is terrible. The new scoreboard in the pit is just gawd awful. The new basketball practice facility stinks. The fact that we upgraded facilities in every area on a shoestring is just not going to cut it. I know and see all of these things. But don't say that "we don't have the money so we can't fire somebody". To me that is just a dumb, uninformed statement.

[Green P1]

This is just stupid. You have no idea how much money we do or don't have. Criticize the hire fine. Have the opinion that where we were overall athletically 10 years ago and where we are now is just unacceptable, fine. The new stadium is terrible. The new scoreboard in the pit is just gawd awful. The new basketball practice facility stinks. The fact that we upgraded facilities in every area on a shoestring is just not going to cut it. I know and see all of these things. But don't say that "we don't have the money so we can't fire somebody". To me that is just a dumb, uninformed statement.

I'd sure rather believe we can't afford to fire Benny than we're just to freaking stupid to do so.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

I'd sure rather believe we can't afford to fire Benny than we're just to freaking stupid to do so.

Agreed. I fall in this camp.

Edited March 7, 2014 by GoMeanGreen1999

[MeanGreenTexan]

I'd sure rather believe we can't afford to fire Benny than we're just to freaking stupid to do so.

[Green92]

Agreed. I fall in this camp.

Me, too!!

[TheTastyGreek]

See? It's not hopeless. We may actually fire Benford.

I honestly believe we might just show we give a damn about not destroying our program and turning it into a total rebuilding project for someone else a year from now. I think we'll show the same level of seriousness about maintaining a respectable program as at least four of our historically most successful conference mates have done (with much less justification and serious, valid reasons to delay) within the past 5 years alone.

This could still happen. Don't give up hope. Keep the tombstone chiseler on standby, this one could really be coming.

[CMJ]

See? It's not hopeless. We may actually fire Benford.

I honestly believe we might just show we give a damn about not destroying our program and turning it into a total rebuilding project for someone else a year from now. I think we'll show the same level of seriousness about maintaining a respectable program as at least four of our historically most successful conference mates have done (with much less justification and serious, valid reasons to delay) within the past 5 years alone.

This could still happen. Don't give up hope. Keep the tombstone chiseler on standby, this one could really be coming.

[BillySee58]

I, for one, am fine riding out the current struggles and seeing how Benford does next season.

We've all been clamoring for the football staff salary increases we've seen. With those in place, I have a hard time seeing now as the right time to eat the money we'd have to with Benford while also trying to find the budget room to attract the right replacement.

Many people believe that no coach should be fired after just two years. Especially after the coach showed signs of improvement with a better record. So maybe Benford does not deserve to be fired. However, I fully believe that keeping past this year would be a much bigger mistake than keeping after last year and hiring him combined. Whether he truly deserves to be fired or not. This year was not embarrassingly terrible, and next year likely won't be as well. After next year, if we keep Benford, the entire roster will be made up of his recruits.

Our post play this year was unproductive. Our posts' stats a few games made you make a double take, and not in a good way. They were all Benford guys. Our guards were the strength of the team. Our three leading scorers/starting 1-3 were all JJ guys. On of those three will be gone in Alzee Williams, and the other two will be gone after next year.

You're always going to lose good players, so you need to be able to replace them. Replacing guys like Chris Jones, TJ Taylor (former national top 100 player), and Jordan Williams (former national top 150 player) with guards who have no other offers like Benny has been bringing in will make things tough. Couple that with the posts he is bringing in, and we could be in big trouble. Bringing in under-the-radar kids isn't always a bad thing. But player development has been another major failure of the Benford era, and that could also help spell disaster.

I hope he proves me wrong, but I expect our roster in two years and beyond to be made up of role players, undersized posts, late signees, and guys with no or very few other D1 offers. I also fear our roster will lack a playmaking point guard once CJ is gone, a scorer we can lean on once Jordan is gone, and post production.

Maybe he deserves another year after improving. But giving him control of signing 7 kids in 2015 to replace our 7 seniors next year could likely doom this program for years to come.

[TheTastyGreek]

giving him control of signing 7 kids in 2015 to replace our 7 seniors next year could likely doom this program for years to come.

This guy gets it, too!

Seriously... There's no way we're not considering terminating Benford. I truly believe it's under serious consideration at this point.

[UNT90]

This is just stupid. You have no idea how much money we do or don't have. Criticize the hire fine. Have the opinion that where we were overall athletically 10 years ago and where we are now is just unacceptable, fine. The new stadium is terrible. The new scoreboard in the pit is just gawd awful. The new basketball practice facility stinks. The fact that we upgraded facilities in every area on a shoestring is just not going to cut it. I know and see all of these things. But don't say that "we don't have the money so we can't fire somebody". To me that is just a dumb, uninformed statement.

This gives me hope.

A small sliver, but hope just the same.

[MeanGreenTexan]

This guy gets it, too!

Seriously... There's no way we're not considering terminating Benford. I truly believe it's under serious consideration at this point.

Similarly to how Pres Rawlins was so involved in McCarney's hiring, I'm hoping our new president from basketball-crazy UNLV sees a problem. Hopefully there's a bigger hand than Rick's stirring this pot.

[Army of Dad]

This guy gets it, too!

Seriously... There's no way we're not considering terminating Benford. I truly believe it's under serious consideration at this point.

This is the most positive I've seen you in about a year and a half.

[TheTastyGreek]

This is the most positive I've seen you in about a year and a half.

We might be nearing the end of this nightmare. Why wouldn't I be excited?

[MeanMag]

This guy gets it, too!

Seriously... There's no way we're not considering terminating Benford. I truly believe it's under serious consideration at this point.

There's no way that it's not. Before the season started and we knew we had violated ncaa rules with our schedule, we had heard that money was there for a replacement. I fail to believe that's changed.

[Stan R]

Is keeping Benford one more year akin to keeping Todd Dodge for his last year?

[TheTastyGreek]

Is keeping Benford one more year akin to keeping Todd Dodge for his last year?

Worse.

We were already effed under Dodge, and that year of recruiting and pit digging we gave him just made things worse.

With Benford? Losing 2/3rds of the roster in a year with a doomed coach means that whoever gets hired will lose the talent we do have, and get to rebuild with a team of all new players he either didn't recruit, or brought in with less than a month of lead time, after much of the talent has already signed in November.

Firing Benford now means we can be back on track quickly, and the new coach can assemble his own team next year rather than face a long rebuild with what may be poorly matched parts. Keeping Benford, even for half a season, could mean a 3-4 year crater even after he's gone.

[TheTastyGreek]

Also... There's still a lot of talent on this team. I'm not saying anyone is going to come in and immediately contend for the conference championship next year... But, there's no reason we couldn't push 20 wins immediately, even with a tougher schedule that isn't an NCAA violation.

A mischievous Dutchman with one mysteriously missing wooden shoe couldn't make us underperform worse if we just hired one at random to coach. Someone capable? Could have some quick success, and already be laying his own foundation for 2015 and beyond.

[UNT90]

Worse.

We were already effed under Dodge, and that year of recruiting and pit digging we gave him just made things worse.

With Benford? Losing 2/3rds of the roster in a year with a doomed coach means that whoever gets hired will lose the talent we do have, and get to rebuild with a team of all new players he either didn't recruit, or brought in with less than a month of lead time, after much of the talent has already signed in November.

Firing Benford now means we can be back on track quickly, and the new coach can assemble his own team next year rather than face a long rebuild with what may be poorly matched parts. Keeping Benford, even for half a season, could mean a 3-4 year crater even after he's gone.

Hopefully, the "powers that be" are as smart as you and will finally uncross those fingers that have been crossed since March of last year and do something about a terrible situation.

[Stan R]

Worse.

We were already effed under Dodge, and that year of recruiting and pit digging we gave him just made things worse.

With Benford? Losing 2/3rds of the roster in a year with a doomed coach means that whoever gets hired will lose the talent we do have, and get to rebuild with a team of all new players he either didn't recruit, or brought in with less than a month of lead time, after much of the talent has already signed in November.

Firing Benford now means we can be back on track quickly, and the new coach can assemble his own team next year rather than face a long rebuild with what may be poorly matched parts. Keeping Benford, even for half a season, could mean a 3-4 year crater even after he's gone.

ya ok, that's badder than I thought. Much worser even. The worsest-ly badder, awfuledly-ish thing ever.

Guys, think of the new jumbotron here. We can't let it down. Do the right thing RV.

[TheTastyGreek]

Guys, think of the new jumbotron here. We can't let it down. Do the right thing RV.

Fingers crossed, Stan. I think he may do it.