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Tommy Lloyd had been a high end assistant for TWO DECADES at places like Gonzaga, where you have to evaluate and develop guys. If you can be part of that staff and survive, you are likely solid. Tommy also ended up at Arizona, a school with bottomless resources, strong fan support, a long, storied tradition and a fertile recruiting base that they can pick from almost at will.
Miami doesn’t have any of that. You need a coach that can step in and immediately do things because this fanbase barely acknowledges this program exists, even when times are good. You don’t have time to learn on the job. Again, there’s no way this is the best Miami could attract. This was Rad being lazy and the donors going along because like a lot of our fans, they don’t see value in having a world class basketball program.
100% agree
Lloyd was under Few for like 20 years. Tons of experience, then goes to a blue blood.
How anyone can want an inexperienced assistant over a proven P4 winner I will never know.
Honestly no upside in the hire at all IMO. IF, by some miracle Jai replicates L's success quickly, then he will leave for a Blue Blood if they come calling. UNC, Michigan State, Texas, Kansas could all be opening up next 3 years due to coaches retiring or being forced out. If Jai were to turn us around, he is out the door being so young.
If he doesn't have success, then we will have to do another search in a few years, and the distance between the final 4 and the program will have created more distance.
I don't see this is a boom or bust hire, I see this as a bust and bust.
Hire a veteran with proven success that is little longer in the teeth, then they would be more inclined to stick around with success similar to L.
With that said, I wish Lucas best of luck at Miami.
If he's interested in winning quick, he better flip at least 90% of this rorster.
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If they're going to be giving Lucas the resources to compete, he won't be leaving for a 'bigger' job as you say. I don't think he would be taking the Miami job if his intention was to bolt in another year or two. He has a perfectly cushy situation at Duke right now.
Richard Pitino was indeed the runner-up for the job.
Bethea seems to be a bit of a head case. I wouldn’t mind moving on from him
Swartz and Divine have had moments. Staton McCray has been solid of late. But none of these guys are going to be program changers.
Was anyone else in the mix? Or just Pitino and Lucas?
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Based on what I know, it came down to these two with Lucas having been the front runner for the last few weeks.
Will Wade was not in the mix.
Chris Quinn (Miami Heat assistant) is someone else who had some traction.
I wish I didn’t know pitino was the runner up I can’t wrap my head around that decision.
Wow, that’s even worse than I anticipated. I’m would have taken Pitino over Lucas, but this is Miami. Rational searches rarely happen. Guess guys like Jans were smokescreens. Even a retread like Sean Miller would have been an upgrade. Nah, let’s go out and hire someone more likely to be Frank Haith or Orlando Antigua, than the next big thing.
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Which is why he just lost an All-Star alum’s 5* son to USC
(i like Lloyd a lot just pointing it out)
Going to make a crossover comparison for Lucas: Marcus Freeman.
Quinn would’ve been an exciting, outside the box hire. I like that final 3 a lot.
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This is hilarious considering Frank Haith has a better career record than Pitino’s own despite being in tougher conferences his whole career. Has also coached way more dudes in the league, and both of them only have one tournament win.
You guys really think Richard is his father and he’s not
